Minggu, 30 Januari 2011

A Calming Experience on the Beautiful Beaches of Port Aransas

  09.11    

by: Victor Komaleng


Spending a time at the beach is a refreshing moment for everyone who likes to be under the heat of the sun. The beach is a perfect getaway for people who just want to relax and see the beauty of nature as well. Variety of enjoyable activities can be done like making sand castles, skim boarding, surfing, swimming and family picnics. Port Aransas is one of the best beaches in the United States which is located in Mustang Island in the Gulf of Mexico.

Port Aransas is a lovely place. Most people always come to this place for their recreational beach activities. The island is perfect for people who love a coastal lifestyle. You can enjoy the cool sea breeze and receive an immense feeling of tranquility and comfort. The beach reduces your stress and anxiety. If you sit comfortably near the beach, you can appreciate the beauty of nature. You can also engage in some meditation and connect with nature like breathing deeply and slowly.

Gazing the birds from the sky can also be mind-refreshing. As you glance in the sea, sometimes you can also see some birds going down from the sky catching fishes. It's an interesting scene to behold. A lot of awesome things can be seen in the beach that can captivate your naked eyes. You can also stare the tide approaching you and touching your little toes. Your body's weight will somehow push you down into the sand and it is something like the sand is eating or grabbing you.

Port Aransas is a famous beach community in Florida endowed with incredible spots. It is a like a paradise for beach-goers. This place is also ideal for those people who are looking for places after their retirement where they can just relax and enjoy. If you're planning of buying beach properties then this would be a perfect place for you. You can look for properties at Port Aransas Homes for sale. Port Aransas real estate can also help you find your dream house in this marvelous location.

source : http://www.articlecity.com/

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Top Ten Travel Tips for Traveling with Kids

  08.36    

by Elaine Sosa Labalme

Traveling with kids certainly requires a lot of planning - and even more patience. Seeing as how you've got your hands full already (and are still out for a good time), you're well advised to take advantage of any shortcuts, tricks and travel wisdom that comes your way. With that in mind, we offer our top ten travel tips from the trenches. These pointers were collected from parents all over the country, experienced travelers as well as those just getting out on the road with their kids. Take heed, take off and have a great time!

Our list begins with tips for traveling with infants and toddlers and proceeds to advice geared toward traveling with toddlers, mid-kids (ages 5-12) and teens.

1. A portable high chair. A compact, easy-to-pack high chair is invaluable on the road. You can't count on a restaurant having a high chair available (grandma doesn't always have a high chair, either), and the last thing you need is junior falling off a stack of phone books. The chair made by Me Too Products (metooproducts.com) clamps onto most tables, weighs less than two pounds and folds to about an inch thick. Its nylon fabric wipes clean and the chair's frame is a lightweight, sturdy aluminum. We've used this chair extensively for well over a year now and it's still like new. At under $50, it's well priced and an essential part of our travel gear.

2. A new bag of toys for the car or plane. You can't underestimate the value of new loot for the car or plane ride. One mom from San Diego brings a small bag filled with new toys for each trip and pulls them out one by one. Handled deftly, this exercise takes her the entire plane (or car) ride. At our house, we hoard the giveaways my husband collects at computer conferences. These squeeze-y balls, rubber snakes and twisty shapes are usually soft, colorful and, best of all, free. They're only pulled out for road trips or plane rides, and our two-year-old, Steven, is forever dazzled at the opportunity to play with this stash.

3. A combination stroller/car seat. When traveling with small kids, every inch and pound of gear counts. The "Sit 'n' Stroll" made by Safeline Kids (available at babycenter.com) is a combination stroller, car seat and booster seat. A full-sized car seat, it holds a youngster weighing up to 40 pounds and can also be used on a plane. Once at your destination, simply slide out the wheels tucked underneath, pull out the handle and you're ready to roll. "It's been great not to have to take a separate car seat and stroller every time we go anywhere," says a San Francisco mother who swears by this inventive piece of gear.

4. Don't go to Disney World until your child is (almost) three. Have you ever noticed the parents who've brought their really young children to Disney World? I mean, have you really looked at them? They're EXHAUSTED. Disney World, even with its emphasis on service and ease, is not the best place to muddle through endless crying jags and dirty diapers - and is a one-year-old really going to remember this visit with Mickey and friends in the years to come? Save your money (and retain your sanity) and make the pilgrimage to the Magic Kingdom right before your kid turns three. Why is this the magical moment? Because kids are FREE at Walt Disney World until they turn three. Not only will you give your toddler time to develop some endurance for the marathon that is Disney, you'll also save over $150 by not having to buy junior a Park Hopper 4-Day ticket of his own. Plan your visit to Disney for the week before your child's third birthday and let his favorite "character" croon him a birthday tune.

5. Books of all kinds. A mom from Atlanta, determined to read her own book on plane rides, invested in a $5 tape recorder from Target and checks out children's books on tape from her local library before a trip. Her four-year-old gets to "read" (quietly at that) and so does she. Again, newness counts for a lot, so bring along books your child has yet to read. The same principle can be applied to older kids. Find out what's on their reading list and pick up a copy before the trip. Bring out your surprise just before takeoff.

6. Bring the meds. No matter how hale and hearty everyone looks before the trip, things can change very quickly - and do you really want to figure out where to get cough medicine at 3 AM in Yosemite? Bring a small supply of the medicines you might well need on every trip. We have a pre-packed baggie with just these things, and pop it into the suitcase as a matter of course. Ours includes cough medicine, fever reducer, Benadryl, Tylenol and syrup of Ipecac. Sunscreen and calamine lotion are also musts for summer/hot weather trips.

7. Pack less…and less. Your ten-year-old daughter won't need eighteen blouses for a two-week trip, despite her protestations to the contrary. For that matter, neither will you. Someone is going to be carrying the bags, and overstuffed, overweight bags are an argument waiting to happen. Pack once, as lightly as possible and with an eye to items (especially clothing and shoes) that can do double or triple duty (and toiletries in travel sizes only). Once you've closed your bags, open them up again and take out even more stuff. Do this a third time and you're bound to have a good time.

8. Split up. Did someone once say that the family that plays together stays together? True, perhaps, but we could all use a little time of our own every now and then. Parents should consider splitting up a few times while on vacation. Mom can do a museum or a spa while dad takes the kids to the swimming pool. Conversely, dad can go golfing (or to a museum or spa, it's equal opportunity here) while mom takes the kids hiking, biking or picnicking. Or consider staying at a full service resort where baby sitting services are available. At most Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton and Loews properties offer this perk. Parents should get as much out of a vacation as their kids, so be sure to include some time for yourself and your mate (separately or together) as part of your itinerary.

9. Down time. Admit it, how many times have you had the temptation to fit it all in while on vacation? This strategy may seem like a lot of fun at the time (it almost always is), but then everyone gets home exhausted and that's no fun at all. Plan for some down time every day of your trip. This could mean a leisurely bike ride, an afternoon matinee or a swim in the hotel pool. Need something more relaxing? Read a book in a park or play a game of cards. Tops on the down time list has to be an afternoon nap. My husband and I (and our son, too) seem to nap (and sleep) best when we're on the road. Hmm, maybe that's due to all the activity…

10. Involve the kids. Planning a trip carefully is the first step in insuring its success. A friend in Santa Fe ascribes to the following model: "group decision making that considers everyone's time as equal but respects those who are paying." This particular friend has been traveling with his twin teenagers since they were two months old and his kids are some of the happiest travelers I've ever met. Do yourself a favor and talk to your kids before you hit the road. Better yet, listen to them. Get a sense of the things they enjoy and those they'd rather not do. Do they like action and adventure or museums and historical attractions more their thing? Close to home or far away? Big hotel or not? Eat in or eat out? Armed with a better sense of what everyone's likes and dislikes are, you can craft a travel agenda suited to all, with the parents getting the last word. Bear in mind, though, it's not just the big picture you're trying to create here - if you keep your kids in the loop along the way, the journey will most likely be a smooth one.

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Lake Toba

  08.29    







Geology

The Toba caldera complex in Northern Sumatra, Indonesia consists of four overlapping volcanic craters that adjoin the Sumatran "volcanic front". The youngest and fourth caldera is the world’s largest Quarternary caldera (100 by 30 kilometers) and intercepts the three older calderas. An estimate of 2500-3000 cubic kilometers of dense-rock equivalent pyroclastic material, nicknamed the Youngest Toba tuff, was blasted from the youngest caldera during one of the largest single eruptions in geologic history. Following the "Youngest Toba tuff eruption", a typical resurgent dome formed within the new caldera, joining two half-domes separated by a longitudinal graben.


People

Most of the people who live around Lake Toba are ethnically Bataks. Traditional Batak houses are noted for their distinctive roofs (which curve upwards at each end, as a boat's hull does) and their colorful decor.

Flora and fauna

Lake Toba offers a nurturing environment for fish such as the tilapia mossambica, aplocheilus pachax, lebistes reticulatus, osphronemus goramy, trichogaster trichopterus, channa striata, chana gachua, clarias batrachus, clarias nieuhofi, clarias. sp., nemachilus fasciatus, cyprinus carpio, puntius javanicus, puntius binotatus, osteochilus nasselti, lissochilus sp., labeobarbus sora, and rasbora sp.

Many other types of plants and animals live within the boundaries of Lake Toba. Flora organisms include various types of phytoplankton, emerged macrophytes, floating macrophytes, and submerged macrophytes. Fauna include several variations of zooplankton and benthos.


source : http://tourismlaketoba.blogspot.com/

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Suramadu Bridge

  08.25    





Suramadu Bridge


Suramadu National Bridge is a bridge that crosses the Madura Strait, connecting the island of Java (in Surabaya) and Madura Island (in Bangkalan, exactly east Kamal), Indonesia. With a length of 5438 m, this bridge is the longest bridge in Indonesia today. Southeast Asia's longest bridge is the Bang Na Expressway in Thailand (54 km). Suramadu bridge consists of three parts, namely the overpass (causeway), bridges (bridge approach), and the main bridge (main bridge). This bridge was inaugurated by the President of the beginning of construction Megawati Sukarnoputri on August 20, 2003 and inaugurated the opening by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on June 10, 2009 Bridge construction is intended to accelerate development on the island of Madura, including infrastructure and economic field in Madura, which is relatively backward compared to other areas in East Java.

Estimated cost of construction of this bridge is a 4.5 trillion rupiah. Making the bridge is made from three sides, both sides Bangkalan both sides of Surabaya.Meanwhile, at the same time span was also carried out development which consists of playing bridge and approach bridge. Suramadu bridge is basically a combination of three types of bridges with overall length of 5438 meters long with a width of approximately 30 meters. This bridge provides four lanes in both directions as wide as 3.5 meters with two 2.75-meter-wide emergency lane.

This bridge also provides a special lane for motorists outside the bridge on each side Flyover Causeway Road overpass or a bridge built to connect with the road construction through shallow waters on both sides. This flyover consists of 36 spans over 1458 meters on the side of Surabaya and 45 spans over 1818 meters on the side of Madura. Construction of this flyover using PCI buffer length of each span 40 meters foundation supported 60 cm diameter steel pipe Mediator The connecting bridge or bridge approach, the main bridge linking the elevated road. The bridge consists of two parts with a length of 672 meters each. Construction of this bridge using a buffer along the 80-meter concrete box each span with seven spans supported on each side of foundation support 180 cm in diameter The main flyoverThe main bridge or bridge consists of three parts, namely two side spans 192 meters long and one along the 434-meter main span.

The main bridge using a cable stayed construction supported by the 140-meter-high twin towers. The bridge deck using 2.4-meter-thick composite construction. To accommodate cruise ships crossing the Strait of Madura, the bridge is providing free space as high as 35 meters from the sea surface. In part this is what causes become difficult and hampered its development, and also cause construction costs to swell.


source : http://phototourismindonesia.blogspot.com/

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10 Place to Visit in Bali

  08.18    

1. Pantai Tanjung Benoa

It is the name of a beach in Southern part of Bali. This is a beautiful beach with clean and white sands along the beach. In this beach, you can find many kind of water sports like Jet Ski, diving, and parasailing. You can also rent a boat and headed to Penyu Island where you can see the biggest breeding and maintenance of turtle in Bali.

2. Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park

In this place, you can see the sculpture of Lord Vishnu who is driving a Garuda bird

3. Uluwatu

It is a holy temple and a relic of Dang Hyang Nirartha during his mission to spread the Hindu religion in Bali. The story, Dang Hyang Nirartha was a holy man who came to Bali in 16th century. Uluwatu was the last destination of his journey and went to heaven. This temple is guarded by monkeys said to be the loyal followers of the holy man.

4. Alas Kedaton

Alas Kedaton is a small jungle with a holy temple, guarded by monkeys and giant bats.

5. Tanah Lot

This is a famous place in Bali because of the uniqueness of a temple in the middle of the ocean and the beauty of the sunset panorama.

6. Tohpati

A village that is famous with the making of Batik. In this village, the people will demonstrate the process the making of Batik from the beginning to the end. You can also buy the ready stock if you wish.

7. Celuk

It’s another famous village in Bali. In this village, we can find so many houses producing silver. If you are going there with a tour leader, your tour leader will take you into one of the house to see the activities and how they are producing the silver in traditional way.

8. Batuan

This village is not far away from Celuk. It is famous with their paintings.

9. Kemenuh

Kemenuh is a village famous with wooden sculpture. If you are looking so many wooden sculpture in city area, most of them are produced in this village.

10. Ubud

It is also known as international village. You can see so many restaurants, hotels and souvenir shops along the street in Ubud. You can also find some art museums in this village like Neka, Antonio Blanco, Arma, etc. You can also stop by in Ubud Art Market where you can find cheap handicraft products.



source : http://factoids.com/

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