Flood in S.Petersburg

This map is from the site waytorussia.net

«Санкт Петербург.Наводнение 2006» на Яндекс.Фотках

St. Petersburg is a splendid city, specially if you want to visit it from June to August. I like it more in that period. If you want to be there in autumn or winter, you have to think about floods too. Because it's a part of the life of this city.

And today began the first flood of 2008. The 306-th in it's history and it's the 8-th time that the flood begins in February. Today water is 188 cm higher as normally. Highest water in February was in 1822 and arrived till 2,5 m over the normal measure. 2 times in the history the water was higher then 3 m and once it arrived till 4 m 10 cm. (news.mail.ru)

Floods take place in this area because it's very low-lying, the downtown is only some cm over sea-level. "Long waves" come from the Gulf of Finland and enter in Neva-river and than western winds block the normal flow of the water.

They spoke about a construction of a Flood Protection Barrier for some years (2002-2003) but that project was abandoned.

Sources:
Saint-Petersburg.com
St Petersburg Flood Protection Barrier

Map from the site Escape Travel

"Taspo" -personal tobacco card in Japan

After Hookah, the waterpipe I write once more about problems for smokers. If you want to go in Japan and you are a smoker, you have to know:
1/ It's forbidden to smoke in Japan till 20 years.
2/ To assure that the law is for everybody and young persons can't trick their age, the new experiment begins in Japan.

Smokers have to buy tobacco card, named "taspo", a personal passport to buy cigarettes. Now they have experimental period for this card. From 1 July you can buy your cigarettes ONLY with your tobacco card in Japan. Who will buy or sell cigarettes without it can get great penalty.

All the information you can find here

Thoughts and facts about airlines

I promised it to you time ago but had problems with my PC and Internet, so I can write about it only today. And there are different notices to tell you.

So, I begin with the list of the best low-cost carriers (Forbes)

This year I travelled much with these type of companies and think they are good. The only problem I had was with EasyJet.

I prefer to buy tickets via Internet and there was written in my ticket: "Go directly to embark". I waited about 5-7 hours in airport for my flight and went directly to embark so as was written in my ticket. But it was not true. I had to register before and I didn't do it. If I felt good in that moment, maybe I had time to read more information in the time I had to wait, but I felt very bad and could not think about anything.
So I missed the flight because the confirmation mail had not right information.
And nobody from this company wanted to speak with me. For the team of EasyJet did not exist this passenger. The money they received from me, so what do you want else?

Other companies look for their passengers, call you 10 times to come to the place of embark, wait for you even if your airplane has to fly - so was with me before, with other companies, and this was the first time in my life that the customer service was so bad.

But the same EasyJet I found between the 3 best low-cost carriers of Forbes. The first is Jetstar Airways and the second is AirBerlin. In Europe.

What was the difference from low-cost ticket and normal price in one of the airplanes? Our places were in the tail of the vehicle and we had to buy coffee if we wanted it. The difference in price was about 200 euro for 1,5 hours flight.

The other notice is from Sweden.
In some of airports you will leave your finger-prints to check and then receive back your luggage. They say, it will help not only with terrorist's danger but the check up will be much more quicker and sure.
Something like this want to approve UE for the flights too. From February all the passengers will pass 3 types of control.

In airport of Naples they said me to undress completely (I don't joke) when a woman customs official saw a bottle about 30 ml of oil in my bag. Later I new that the law allows 50 ml of liquid to have in the bag. Without show striptease to presented persons.

Finally, if you read this post today, 30 January, you have time to win one of the prizes that other from the best low-cost carriers, Ryanair, will give to the best kissed couple in Dublin 31 January. 20 best of couples will have 50 euro prizes to fly with Ryanair on 14 February and all the best couple will sleep one night in one of the best hotels of Dublin.
So take your love and go to kiss her/him in Dublin tomorrow.

Dulce de Leche in Argentina

What do you see on this photo is "Dulce de leche" and different forms of use for this product.

Why I write about this aliment in a travel blog?
Because it's a "national" product of Argentine.
And we are here in a travel-cafe or no?

Not that you don't meet it in other countries. There are many places where milk is worked in this way. It's concentrated milk with sugar boiled then for different hours, posted the tin in the pan with water.

But the Argentinians make worship with this product. They have infinite sorts of biscuits and chocolates where they use it. Some of them you can see on this photo. There are tins with pure milk like that on the left and there are all these other sweeties (on the right). I like "Bocadito" and that other biscuit in black (it's the same like other in white, but the recipe is much better).

So, if you are to go in Argentine, don't forget "Dulce de Leche"

Batu Caves Hindu's Shrines

I'm very happy to present you the second article of Berry Sudirno from Jakarta/Indonesia, author of these interesting blogs: howtoboostyourwealth, journeytomakemoney, sweetjourneyinmylife .
You know him in my blogs from the first article Endagered Species -Orangutans that many of you found interesting.

Batu Caves is a limestone hill in the Bukit Gombak District, about 13 kilometer north of Kuala Lumpur the capital city of the Kingdom of Malaysia. The cave is sacred for the Hindu’s and one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India.

Batu Caves could be reached by taxi or by bus from the Pudu Raya bus terminal at the city of Kuala Lumpur or you may use the tourist bus which is available at your Hotel.

You must climb 272 steps in order to access the temple at the summit of the hill. They consist of 3 main caves and number of smaller one.

You will be greet by a lots of long tail monkeys which expecting some foods like peanut, banana from you. You must be careful because some of them are very naughty they will raid you and steal your hat, bag or any other things. Besides that there a lots of birds around and expecting you to feed them with corn. Those foods could be purchased at around Batu Caves.

“The site serves as the focus of the Hindu community’s yearly Thaipussam festival. A procession begins at Sri Mahamariamman Temple Kuala Lumpur with some people carrying kavadi and last eight hours. In 2007, the festival attracted more than 1.5 million pilgrims, making it one of the largest gatherings history.” (Wikipedia)

(photo of my daughter at Batu Caves was taken a few years ago)

If you are interested that I publish your article/post or your photo with MY post (I can host and retouch your photos) in one of my blogs you can write me a mail (my address you can find on the right side of the page) with very clear object (that I do not cancel your mail as spam). In change I ask you to post my blog's addresses in one of your permanent posts -like this (you can copy it):

My friend's blogs:
Diary,
Animals as Friends,
Lazy Yogi,
Vacation and Travel Talk

Don't visit this places!

Every day I read now articles about different lists made by Forbes. People discuss if it's true and if translators know English good enough ecc ecc. Nobody wants to believe in these lists. So, I decided to control myself if these lists really exist and what are they about.

The first I found was the list of the most dangerous places (photo)where you have never go without professional security services or -in some cases- you have not to go there at all.

"Now, a tourist or business traveler might worry more about terrorist attacks on mass transit, getting caught in a spontaneous uprising or a bombing of a nightclub or hotel."

This is the list:
Somalia,
Iraq,
Afghanistan,
Haiti,
Pakistan,
Sudan,
Dem.Rep. of the Congo,
Lebanon,
Zimbabwe,
Palestine

I was surprised to see Haiti in this list. I thought, it's a paradise of beaches. But Forbes says it's paradise of drugs and corruption.

The other interesting list of Forbes for me is the list of the best Low-Cost companies. I use them from time to time and had a great problem with one of them in october. But I think it's better do not mix these 2 themes in one post.

Interesting blogs to visit:
Blogger Of The Web
OrCarrier Cruising
SiteProPlus

Indian coffee

What do you know about coffee?

I knew not soo much about it.
What I knew:
there is coffee from Brazil and from Vietnam. That from Brazil is ecological and biological, that from Vietnam is not very good because with dangerous, toxic substances. And I knew all sorts of coffee I can buy in the supermarkets here.

Today I learned, there are many different coffees from different countries.
And from India too. (I wanted to write a post about India and found this information)

Indian coffees are good balanced and mild with low acidity and spicy notes. And there is a special one -the Monsooned coffee. An other interesting case is High grown coffees with high acidity.

Coffee was introduced in India from Yemen by a Muslim pilgrim Bababudan Sahib in the Chikmagalur District in 1610. 123,681 farms with 3 000 000 workers produce it today. And India is the 2 in Asia and the 8 in the world. (I did not find all lists). And harvest is in November and February.

Interesting. I wanted to taste it too. Sunday we will go in a great supermarket, maybe I'll find it there?
Source

Violations in Goa

This map and really many interesting info about Goa -the best I found


I receive not very good notices from India for 2 or 3 days. You are right, I mean tourists and travel notices. They tell about very difficult situation, particularly in Goa, for european women travelling alone. Very great % of violations. Most women (that went in police) are Brittish but there are women from different countries. The men were not only first they meet on the beach for example, but the owners of the hotels, restaurants ecc. People, you would never think they can allow themselves something like this, because they had to think about the good name of their business.

All us we know this situation. It has different sides, surely. And we can say the same not only about Goa, but about many other countries.

1/ Many modern european women live alone, and are completely independent. They feel young, beautiful and full of energy in any age. They like to caress themselves. They have money and time for travelling. Why not? If she is a woman and doesn't want anybody that sit on her neck, it's forbidden for her to travel?

2/ Men in many countries (and european men in the depth of their souls too) want and continue to live in Middle Age mentality. They understand a woman only if she is sitting in a trunk (like in that fable about Jin). Women in that countries allow it to them because are dependent and for tradition. Every woman out of the trunk is for them a woman, inviting all men to abuse of her.

These 2 ideas are the main problem.
Women from all european countries don't understand they have not to feel sure and protected.
Because they are not protected.
Maybe now, after this scandal, the government of India will do something to assure it's income of money. And it will mean that India will become the most good place for alone travelling women. For some time.

I read many meanings about this problem in the forums.
Imagin, those who visited Goa, are saying 2 completely different things: it's true, it's impossible to go out there -and it's not true, persons are the best in the world there.
Can you add yourth?

Buddhist pilgrimage at Travel Pangs

I asked Footiam the author of very interesting blogs Stepping out, Dragon Descendants, Dhamma Delights, Beautiful World, Our Impermanent world the permission to write about his piligrimage in India to the places of Buddha birth and other important for Buddhismus places.

He sent me some photos ( inedit!!! Only for my blog!!!! I'm incredibly proud -unfortunatelly he forgot the description of the photos... but I think it's Bodh Gaya)
No,
Bodh Gaya is the place of Enlightenment of Buddha
Lumbini is the place where the Buddha was born.

and this mail:

Dear Liudmila,
I read somewhere that a pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place as an act of devotion and faith. In Buddhism, faith or Saddha shouldn't be blind or based on wrong view. The confidence on the religion has to be professed based on understanding of that religion. A pilgrimage is also all about the mental aspect. The physical part is easily taken care by any travel company and would satisfy any normal tourist seeking the pleasure of sightseeing and enjoyment.In a pilgrimage however, the sight of holy shrines and the veneration or reverence of the pilgrims for them, do not arouse craving but wholesome mental states such as Right Thought, Right Speech and Right Action. I was lucky thus to be invited by a friend to join a Buddhist group on a pilgrimage to North India, visiting some of the important Buddhist sites there, most notably Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kusinara which form the four holy places of pilgrimage and Sarvvasthi, Rajgir and Vaishalli which together with Sankasia, are the four places of principal miracles. Do check out my travel blog and have a serving of a Buddhist pilgrimage at Travel Pangs!

Sarnath.The Dhamekha stupa is considered to be the sacred place where Buddha began to teach with the first discourse on the 'Wheel of Law'.The present size of the stupa is 31.3 m high and 28.3 m in diameter. (source)



Maya Devi, his mother, gave birth to the child on her way to her parent's home in Devadaha while taking rest in Lumbini under a sal tree in the month of May in the year 642 B.C. In 249 BC, when the Emperor Ashoka visited Lumbini constructed four stupas and a stone pillar with a figure of a horse on top. (source)

Everest's first conqueror died

this map you can find here click on the map to see it bigger







photo from Telegraph.co.uk click on the link to watch the video

One of the 20th century's greatest adventurers (GMANnews), 88 years old Sir Edmund Hillary, one of 2 (the other was Sherpa Tenzing Norgay) officially recognized first persons stand on the summit of Everest on May 29, 1953, died.

The best-known New Zealander wrote about this adventure:

"Another few weary steps and there was nothing above us but the sky. There was no false cornice, no final pinnacle. We were standing together on the summit. There was enough space for about six people. We had conquered Everest."
"I removed my oxygen mask to take some pictures. It wasn't enough just to get to the top. We had to get back with the evidence. Fifteen minutes later we began the descent." (source)

12 pictures about that adventure

The world's highest peak has 8850 m

These courageous climbers ascended through to the South Col from the Khumbu Glacier, and continued their ascent to the summit via the Southeast ridge. Their route is now referred to as the Normal Route (quote and photo of Everest)

And here more:
Absolutely incredible panoramic photo view from the top of Everest click on the photo there and pull it right or left