Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Vacation that Will Change Life:- Costa Rica

My recent vacation in Costa Rica was the first time I had ever traveled internationally, so naturally I was a little nervous about all of the "unknown" factors, like visiting a foreign country whose primary language was Spanish, getting through customs, finding my way around, and all those other "what if's" that tend to go through your mind when you're doing anything for the first time.

Little did I know that this would be by far the best place I'd ever visited as far as visually stunning nature, but also the most hands-on when it came to seeing and sometimes interacting with nature.

My sister and I started on our adventure when we met from adjoining flights at the small airport in San Jose, which is the capital of Costa Rica. We didn't stay though, as we had reservations at a resort in Arenal, which was about three hours from San Jose.

If you want to travel somewhere but you don't want to drive, it is very easy to arrange either public or private transportation anywhere you need to go, however, there are not many roads, so if you rented a vehicle with a GPS included, it could easily be navigated.

The only drawback we found with public transportation was that, although it was less expensive than private transport, you did need to set aside a few more hours to get to your destination, as they had many other pickups to make which added more time to the trip. However, when you consider that gasoline cost five dollars a gallon throughout pretty much the whole country, public transportation still seemed a genuine bargain.

As I stated earlier, we stayed first in Arenal, which is an area famous for the Arenal volcano. Arenal is a unique volcano because it actually erupts every night, and although you need to be close to the mountain to actually see it well, you may still see a bit of the bright eruption from a distance. Arenal was a beautiful area. Not only that, there were a ton of activities that you could sign up for within about one hour of the mountain, such as horseback riding, ziplining, hot springs tours, rainforest canopy tours and more.

We chose first to go horseback riding to La Fortuna Falls, which was a visual spectacle unlike any I've seen. La Fortuna Falls was a magnificently huge waterfall that required you walk down several hundred steps just to see the whole waterfall from the bottom up. There was also a lookout point about halfway through where you could gaze at the magnitude of the fall's size, but also take in the lush tropical surroundings and watch for exotic birds and animals along the way.

Then came the canopy ziplining tour, which was not for the faint of heart, but by far the most exhilarating and rewarding experience during our stay. We travelled about one hour from our Arenal resort to the rainforest canopy, and from the drop off point, hiked about a half mile to the zipline platforms after we were suited up in our gear and had signed release forms.

Ziplining through the canopy of the forest at up to 40 miles per hour, and several hundred feet off the ground was unquestionably scary, but after we completed the first platform, everyone on the tour couldn't get enough of it. There were 11 platforms in all, and the scenery from above was breathtaking. It is an experience I will never forget, and I'd recommend that anyone who fancies this sort of sport to do it while in Costa RIca.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Indian Culture and Styles

Each region of India has a definitive style and culture which is echoed throughout the aesthetics of its homes. Kerala, on the southwestern coast, is known for its wooden houses which delight in strong lines with few flourishes, In Kashmir, Himalayan flora inspires delicate embroidered shapes mimicking the leaves of the chinar tree flowers and fruit designs appear in embroidery, carving and moldings, and embellish homes and houseboats of the state.
Cultural Influences
Indian culture has also been influenced by the influx of many cultures over many centuries. The Muslim influence is evident in the arches, domes and ornate filigrees seen throughout north India, where the Mughals ruled for over four centuries. Then came the Europeans; first the Portuguese (in search of spices) in 1497 who colonized Goa, Daman and Diu; then the Dutch in 1595, and the British who established their East India Company on the last day of 1600. 19th century colonial influence brought a love of both the Gothic and the baroque. As a result, it is not surprising to find a stiff Victorian edifice studded with gargoyles beside an ancient Hindu temple, sculpted with sensuous gods.

The Five Elements

The concept of the 'five elements' (air, water, fire, earth and space) has been woven into the fabric of india since befpre the arrival of the aryans around 1500BC. Indian be;oefs have always been animist - dedicated to the worship of nature Although ancient western beliefs recognise the first four elements, the fifth-space - is a more abstract principle. To many Indians, the notion of space respresents the vast vacuum beyond ordinary perception, and symbolises the huge power of an unseen force. It is thus a source of inspiration in Hinduism and Zen Buddhism. The ancient animists worshipped trees and valued all plants, but the earth, rain and rivers were truly venetrated and destructive energy of primeval storms and earthquakes help people in awe.

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