The Gift of Life

Nature is life! Today our mother nature is being abused by some people. Trees in the forest are slowly vanished. Each of us are responsible in protecting and preserving our natural resources because of the many great advantages it brings to mankind. It protects us from certain calamities that come along our journey in the earth.

Travelers

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A detour to Melkote

 

The journey called life is a sum total of a series of decisions taken by every individual and some of those decisions are rather impulsive. We took one such impulsive decision yesterday which took us to Melkote, an ancient temple near Mysore.

The TWIN FALLS

Maria Christina Falls, one of best tourist attractions here in Philippines. It is situated at Iligan City or popularly known as the "City of Majestic Waterfalls" because it has more than twenty waterfalls.

Maria Christina Falls has been sometimes referred to as "twin falls" because the flow of the water is being split by a huge rock, and has a height of 320 feet. Seventy percent (70%) of the MIndanao's electricity are coming from Maria Christina falls.

A pose at Maria Christina Falls :D near Agus VI Hydroelectric Plant

Train Travel: Trains in Italy

Ah, summer is almost here! :)
Planning to travel to Italy? This is one of the best times in a year to do it.
And if you think of experiencing all of this beautiful Italian Peninnsula's charm - there's no better way to do it than buying a ticket, taking a comfy seat by the window in a fast train and... Enjoy the view!

Italy train travel is fairly inexpensive and reliable. Traveling by train in Italy is a good way to travel once you know the ins and outs.



The railway network in Italy is approximately 16000 km in length and is managed by Trentitalia. The network includes all the railway tracks, connecting to Italy's offshore islands of Sardinia and Sicily by ferries.

The rail network provides good transport links to other neighbouring European countries. Switzerland is connected via the Sempione Pass tunnel across Ticino Canton heading towards Milan. You can reach Austria by the Brennero and Tarvisio lines and onwards into western and central Europe. And charming France is connected by the line that runs along the Nice, Ventimiglia and Turin.

Ferries connect the country with Greece, Turkey, Tunisia, Malta, Albania, Egypt and Spain. Since air travel within Italy is not cheap, the railway system, being good and inexpensive. The trains are generally on time, clean and comfortable, but one should remember to take some cash with you - Credit Cards might not be accepted.

The common trains in Italy are:

• the Eurostar(ES) which travels between Italy and the rest of Europe,
  
• Eurocity(EC) - travelling between european and italian cities,
  
• and Intercity(IC) which are, along with EC, more Italian-based and are cheaper than ES trains.

The map of the most popular train connections in Italy.

TICKETS

There are two types of train tickets:

1. First class seats often recline, there are fewer seats per car, and there is more space for luggage. On some Premier Trains, the price of a first class ticket includes a meal.
   
2. Second class accommodation are less expensive, but not as spacious, as there are more seats per car.

A ticket allows you to board the train, but does not guarantee you a seat. Remember to make a seat reservation to have a guaranteed seat on the train. This is especially important during the "high season" or Italian holidays (especially: August - whole month, Christmas and New Years, long weekends, etc.). If you plan to travel during that time, book your ticket early, in advance, to avoid any umpleasant surprises.

For certain trains, such as fast trains or Inter City, there's a supplement to be added to the ticket price.
In Italy, you have to purchase your train ticket before getting on the train. It's not acceptable to buy it on the train, and if you're found without ticket you'll be fined. There are often long queues at the ticket office of the railway stations.

The train prices vary according to type of class, destination and type of train. The prices are relatively more expensive than driving across. A three hour trip can cost about 30 euro.
However, Italian Railways offer special discount prices for kilometre tickets. For example, you can buy a 3000 km ticket at a discount of approx. 20% and you can accumulate the kilometres each time you travel until you reach the maximum kilometres. You also find (and buy) special cards for very young children, elderly people (over 65) and groups. Ask for special cards and tickets at the station's Information Office.

Important Tip: Train tickets have to be timestamped for validity before entering the train. The timestamp machines are located in the train station next to the train tracks/bins.
The travellers outside of Europe might not be used to the standard of locating trains numbers, destinations and times. The train name, number, time and the track/bin number are written on the train announcement boards. The platform number should be written in white to show that it is valid for the period of your travel.
Train timetables change at the beginning of autumn and the end of winter (September and March) so make sure you are using the right train timetable.

Validate your train ticket before boarding !
Booking is an obligation but the Station Information Service does give refunds to those who missed their trips for specific reasons. An Italian dictionary or phrase book might be of good use when asking for information. An alternative is booking at the travel agent, most of them sell train tickets for all destinations. Expect to pay more for a ticket bought through an travel agency.
You must validate the ticket by stamping it in one of the gold-colored machines, located at the front of the platforms.
Ticket dispensing machines can luckily be found on the platforms of train departures sometimes, but not always.
For this reason it's more practical and often cheaper to buy train tickets or make your seat reservations before, so you can avoid fully booked trains. The simplest way to do so is online, through the Internet.

When traveling to large cities such as Rome for two or three nights we recomend you use the train, First class is not that much more and is extremly comfortable.

Trenitalia - Italian State Railway

You'd probably like to visit the official site of the State Railway (Ferrovie dello Stato). Time-tables (in English and German, too!), railway network maps, stations. Tariffs and special offers. The Italian railway service offers an on-line buying service for Eurostar and Intercity tickets. The will be delivered to your home anywhere in Italy by an express Payment is by credit card, protected by the most advanced security systems.

Do you have any other travelling tips about Italy? If so -

TravBuddy

Having a page exclusive for people who loves to travel is great, a place to keep all your travel needs, experiences or tips. It feels so warm to keep in touch with fellow travelers or meet new friends along the way and exchange thoughts of places they have visited. TravBuddy is superb! Through this I'll be able to post more interesting places here because I have connections of people from different places around the world. I can get ideas from them and explore as if I have traveled to that place. Join me here fellow travelers as I continue to journey beyond the worlds wonder.

South Wales Australia

This rainy day made me stay inside the house for the whole afternoon. I have nothing to do except from facing into my computer until an old friend became visible online. We chatted and shared different thoughts. She’s working in Australia now, a small company situated nearby Byron bay hotels. ! I asked her about several places to visit there and this was here opinion.

“Traveling is a superb adventure! If you’re a newbie in the place, you won’t feel home alone because there are lots of things to enjoy. Great attractions are just everywhere. My unforgettable moment was when my colleagues invited me to join with them in a trip at the Northern New South Wales of Australia. Because we are working in a hotel, we visited the top rank hotels in the place such as Port Macquarie Hotels and Coffs Harbour Hotels . Their services are impressive and prices are fairly fitted to anyone’s pocket. Hotels are accessible in any type of vehicle, but traveling by road is much better.“

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Villas in Villages

Every time I go past rural India, I stop by at the village houses. They are simple, functional and have a charm of their own. I know I will find it difficult to adjust to the houses, but I cant stop admiring them. Tell me which one would you like to own.


I have not had too much time to blog or follow posts for the last couple of weeks, but I have been busy with some friends who were visiting. Ive also been tied up with a couple of projects in the travel space and will be sharing them with you guys by the end of this month



Not much of travel and travel writing has happenned either, except that Paramount Airlines published my story on Ashtamudi in their in flight magazine , Windows and Aisles, while my column in the Inside Story in Metro Plus last week was about Darasuram, a Chola town of the 12th century.

Bene aki bisita

Zamboanga City, asia's Latin city! The dialect being spoken here is "Chavacano" a semi Spanish language. In fact, it is being featured in a Spanish news.



Zamboanga came from the word jambangan (meaning garden). If you visit the place you get to see variations of flowers in every place. Tourism in Zamboanga City is blooming. I love coming back to this place. This is the hometown of my father. Everytime I visit the place, memories are worth keeping especially for those people who are close to my heart.

Cultures of India

I havent been travelling much for the couple of months and hence there is very little to post about my trips. Ive been recently interested in birds and although the identification parade is a little new to me, Im very happy to be in the midst of a forest and observe them , their colours and their behaviour. However, Im not going to post anything about them as yet, but here is a guest post from an acclaimed travel writer, blogger and photographer Arun Bhat.

Arun has been blogging on India Travel Blog for more than four years and Im inspired by him totally. An IT professional, Arun gave up his day job to drive down the road not taken. He also has a flickr group where he shares and reviews photographs and gives tips on photography. Over to Arun, who is now taking us behind the scenes of performing arts of our country with his photographs .

Across the length of the country, we see so many cultures that have their own distinct identities. The way of life, festivals, celebrations and arts vary from state to state, and many times, from one corner of a state to other. A few hours of journey can take us to a different landscape inhabited by people with no resemblance to those from the place we have left behind. Art forms of various kind exist all along. The one similarity among these is the love of celebratory colours that get used generously. Here is an attempt to capture those colours in frame.


Kathakali. A dance-drama from Kerala with a history of more than 400 years. The make-up and costume of Kathakali artists is so elaborate that it takes more than six hours for the team to get ready for the performance. It was once called Ramanattam, as the the story narrated was always from Ramayana. Over the years, Kathakali expanded to performing stories from Mahabharatha. The artist in picture is angry Bheema in search of Dushyasana, eager to avenge the humiliation of many years.


Theyyam. Another art form from Kerala, popular in the northern districts of Kasargod and Kannur. Theyyam is always performed at a temple premises, and each temple tends to have its own variation of the Theyyam. The deity of the temple speaks through the artist during the performance, and the devotees often gather to ask questions and request solutions for their problems.


Yakshagana. It is hard not to draw parallels between Kathakali and Yakshagana, a dance-drama from coastal Karnataka. Yakshagana too, narrates stories from Ramayana and Mahabharatha. The dances however vary considerably. While Kathakali artists never speak but enact in silence, Yakshagana mixes music with conversations between artists, a bit like a modern play.

Bhoothada Kola. Another art form from costal Karnata too, has parallels with its neighbour in the form of Theyyam. The costumes are different but similar, and so are some intricacies of the performances.


Another performing art from Karnataka, captured at the government sponsored folk festival in Bangalore.


The cham dances are an intriguing performance in the regions of India that were once under Tibetan influence. One can see cham dance performances in the monasteries of Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh. The dances represent the triumph of good over evil, and are an essential part of festivals in the monasteries.

Capturing performances can pose several challenges to the photographer. Low light can be a major problem in stage shows. Distance to the stage may not enable the photographer to get up close with the artists. When the performance happens in an open arena, like in the case of Theyyam, finding a convenient place to shoot and make space among the crowds is a difficult proposition. The swift movement of the artists can add to the challenge in all occasions.

Good equipment can help overcome some of these problems. The on-stage low light is countered with fast lenses with wide aperture, and camera/lenses that compensate for movement and vibration. A long telephoto lens can help captures expressions of the performers. Alertness of the photographer is equally important. Often, there is little time to get your camera in position, compose and then shoot. By the time one is ready, the artist would have moved on to the next step, leaving the photographer without a shot of that special moment. The way out is to stay ready all the time, with the viewfinder cupped to the eye. In many occasions when the steps are repetitive, use predictability to your advantage.

It is important to capture every possible visualizations. A wide angle shot covering the entire stage with many artists and musicians gives a perspective of what is happening. A close-up shot showing the elaborate make-up and facial expressions brings the subject alive and conveys the emotions involved to the viewer.

Train Travel: Germany and Austria - useful tips

Traveling by train in Europe can be a lot more pleasant if you know a few tricks of the trade—particularly in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.

European trains, including German Rail, are among the best in the world. Europe's fastest trains, the French TGV and Germany's ICE (InterCity Express), are technologically ahead of anything running on U.S. rails. The popular InterRegio express trains zoom across country borders, connecting major European cities. The normal, everyday InterCity (IC) and EuroCity (EC) trains crisscross Europe, offering convenient connections to cities inside and outside Germany.

For shorter journeys there are numerous trains ranging from local commuter runs to fairly fast D-Züge (through-trains) that are sometimes just as speedy as InterCity trains. The recently discontinued Eilzug will not be missed. Although eilen means "to hurry," an Eilzug wasn't really that fast. The regional trains are now designated: RB (RegionalBahn, stops everywhere), RE (RegionalExpress, faster, does not stop everywhere) and SE StadtExpress (semi-fast connections connecting cities to their outskirts), not available in all parts of Germany. Learning to read the train codes (RE, EC, IC, ICE, etc.) on German schedules can help you find the fastest train to your destination.

Since all big or medium-sized cities, as well as many smaller communities in German-speaking Europe have a train station (or two or three), train travel is convenient and efficient. The main train station ( Hauptbahnhof) is usually located in the center of town, from which commuter trains, taxis, streetcars, and buses can take the traveler straight to a final destination. The weakest link in this otherwise efficient chain is often the station ticket office, where it seems there are always too few ticket agents for too many passengers. Long lines and long waits are all too common.

Credit card problems

Although the "new" Deutsche Bahn AG has finally entered the 20th century by accepting credit cards, bearers of Visa, MasterCard, or American Express cards must be wary. Look for logos and/or a sign (sometimes handwritten) that mentions " Kreditkarten" or "credit cards." You can't just walk up to any ticket window and expect to use your card, even though that is common practice in most of the world. (The Austrian and Swiss railroads are a little better in this regard.) Recently, even in Frankfurt's busy main station, only a limited few ticket windows offered credit card acceptance. And don't assume you will be able to use a credit card to purchase train tickets at every one of the over 5,000 rail stations in Germany, although it has become more common. You should even ask in advance at a German travel agency to be sure they accept credit card payment for rail tickets.

First and second class

All European trains are divided into first and second class. Look for a large "1" or "2" painted on the car near the door. Some special trains (EC, IC, ICE, etc.) also have a surcharge or Zuschlag of six marks added to the price of the ticket, whether it is first or second class. If you have not paid the surcharge, the conductor will require payment (in cash) when checking your ticket. The surcharge for ICE trains varies, depending on the connection.

Special train passes

One big advantage of having a Eurailpass, Flexipass, Europass, or German Rail Pass, besides any cost savings, is you can avoid any ticket-buying hassles. You'll only have to confront a DB ticket window to make reservations if you want them. (This is advisable during peak travel periods in the summer or on popular trains.) But remember that these special tickets have to be bought in advance and may have restrictions. A Eurailpass, for example, may only be purchased in North America. Austria and Switzerland have their own rail pass offers. (See a travel agent for details on rail passes.)

Another good idea, if you will be using the train regularly over a period of time in Germany, is the BahnCard. It won't spare you the task of buying train tickets, but the BahnCard will give you a 50 percent reduction in the cost of any tickets you buy during a one-year period. (See the Deutsche Bahn Website for current pricing.) There are special lower cost versions of the BahnCard for students, teens, married couples, young children and families. The card is not valid for special reduced-priced tickets, and any supplementary charges have to be paid in full. But the BahnCard is valid on every day of the year, including holidays. The card is issued to you in your name, and is also a Visa credit or debit card.

Sorry - reserviert

When you are looking for a seat without having a reservation, notice the orange-colored reservation ( Reserviert) cards slipped into holders on the luggage racks above the seats. If you have a reservation, you're looking for your own card above your designated seat(s). If you don't have a reservation, you are looking for the cards so you can avoid sitting in a reserved seat. The card will tell you which segment of the train's route has been reserved for that seat. If you are getting off before or after the reserved segment, then you can sit there without worry. If you happen to be sitting in a reserved seat, the person entitled to that seat will ask you to relinquish it. When the conductor comes by to check tickets, he will verify the seat reservation if there is one.

Couchettes

Some rail enthusiasts have come to appreciate couchette travel, while others use it only as a last resort or never. Offered by almost all European railways, a couchette car ( Liegewagen) has compartments that have regular seats by day and sleeping bunks by night. Intended for longer journeys such as Paris to Frankfurt, Hamburg to Munich, etc., the couchette seats on each side of the compartment magically transform into four or six bunks. The porter drops off a blanket, a pillow, and a pocket-like sheet for each person. After some clever unfolding and the snapping of a few latches, the bunks are ready. There is no real privacy, and you probably won't know most of the people in the compartment. Your traveling companions may be male or female, young or old, and from any part of the world. Couchette travel is not for timid souls. It can be a fascinating adventure, a sleepless night, or both. You must make reservations for a Liegewagen, and there is an extra couchette charge (which is usually much less than staying in a hotel).

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This article in an extract from "When in Germany" by Hyde Flippo, a practical guide to German life, language, and culture.

Source: http://www.justlanded.com