Varanasi and Ganges River

Varanasi, also known locally as Banaras is situated on the banks of the river Ganges in utter Pradesh, India. It is also called as the city of lights and is known to be one of the most sacred places for many Hindus. It is also said that this city is one of the oldest in the entire world.

The river Ganges is known for its outing and the city has also chosen its culture based on the rivers purity and religious belief. Most of the prominent poets, writers and philosophers have been born in this part of the city. It is said that the entire city is blessed by gods, making it all the more popular for the common man of India. In fact, the origin of Ayurveda has also been associated with Varanasi. Followers of the Hindu community call this place the religious capitol of India. One can find thousands and thousands of temples in this city.

According to legend, the city was found some 5000 years ago by lord Shiva and thus is one of seven pilgrim destinations for Hindus. The city of Varanasi is known for its Ghats. It is said that the city owns almost 100 Ghats, some of them being owned privately. Some of the famous ghats of Varanasi are the Dashawamedh Ghat, the Manikarnik Ghat, Harishchandra Ghat and the Mana Mandir Ghat.It is estimated that more the 1,000,000 pilgims visit the city on a yearly basis. It is a belief that bathing the river Ganges will wash away all your sins.

Lijiang River and Its Cruise

The Lijiang River is also called the Li River in China. It begins in the Mao’er Mountains and winds its way for many miles through natural scenic beauty and thick bamboo forests with amazingly strange rocky formations. The river then runs south to the county of Pingle where it combines with two other streams.
If you decide to go on a cruise down the river, the entire boat trip takes a total of seven hours. With the help of a good guide, you can learn a lot about the beauty of the river and the history that surrounds it. The journey includes sites such as Pierced Hill, Clean Vase Hill and Embroidery Hill.

Some of the best places to view during a planned holiday tour to the Li River are the Reed-Flute Rock, Seven Stars Park, Mountain of Splendid Hues, Elephant-Trunk Hill and Lingqu Canal. The scenic beauty of Li River in Guilin is used as a common backdrop for a lot of landscape paintings and is the topic of many poems. Common sights on the river include bamboo boats, fishermen and water buffalo. The beauty of the Li River is so mesmerizing that it attracts visitors from all over the world.

Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon

The Shwedagon Pagoda, also called the Golden Pagoda, is found in Yangon, Myanmar, just west of the Kandawgyi Lake on the Singuttara Hill. The exact height of the Stupa is 321.5 feet and legend states that it was built more than 2,500 years ago, probably during the time of Buddha. But since it was completed, it has been damaged and even destroyed several times by earthquakes and other natural disasters. The initial reason for building the Shwedagon Pagoda was to create a shelter for several strands of Buddha’s hair. Today, the Burmese consider this pagoda to be the most religious one in the region.

One reason why the Shwedagon is so special is because its spire is made up of a thick layer of gold along with thousands of diamonds, rubies, and precious gems embedded in it. The residents of Myanmar contributed gold to the structure to ensure that would be properly maintained. That practice started when the queen of Shin Sawbu donated gold that was equal to her own weight to the building project.

Visitors can access the Shwedagon Pagoda from all four sides of the hill, but they must remove their shoes before stepping inside. On the east and south sides, one can see vendors selling different kinds of items like the flags, books, and images of Buddha. A pair of lions guards the entrance to the Shrine.

Sahara Desert: Hottest Desert in the World

The Sahara Desert is the largest and hottest desert in the world. Temperatures can reach as high as 57.7 degrees Celsius, or 135.8 degrees Fahrenheit. It is spread over more than 9,000,000 square km (3,630,000 square miles) as it covers most of North Africa and is as big as the United States. Scientists, however, say this desert expands and shrinks over time. In fact, records show that the Sahara Desert grows southward by about 48 km each year.

The desert starts at the Red Sea, spreads across the Mediterranean, and even over to the Atlantic Ocean. It touches 12 African nations, including Egypt, Chad, Algeria, Eritrea, Libya, Morocco, Niger, Mauritania, Mali, Sudan, Western Sahara, and Tunisia.

Life in the Sahara Desert can be very difficult to sustain due to its climate. It receives less than three inches of rain every year. Rainfall can range from twice in one week to an extreme of no rainfall over the next three years. Oases are scattered throughout this desert. However, the size of the desert makes it difficult to trace where they are located.

Dunes throughout the desert can measure as high as 600 feet. The typical animals found here include domestic camels and goats. As far as the wildlife is concerned, it is common to see scorpions, monitor lizards, sand vipers, wild dogs, ostriches, cheetahs and more. The only types of birds that are visible are African Silver Bills and Black-throated Firefinch.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a free standing bell tower of the cathedral of Pisa in Italy. The Tower is located behind the cathedral and is said to be the third oldest structure in Pisa. The tower was made to stand straight, however immediately after it was constructed, it started leaning towards the south east. This was due to a poorly laid foundation and a substrate that allows the foundation to favor one direction.

The total height of the tower is 186.27 feet from the ground towards the lower side and 186.02 feet on the higher side. Its wall width at the bottom is measured at over 13 feet and the walls are 8 feet thick at the top. The tower’s total weight is 14,500 metric tons and has 296 steps on the south side and 294 steps on the north facing side.

The Tower Of Pisa was built over a period spanning from 1173 to 1372 and was constructed in three different phases. It was in 1178 when the Leaning Tower of Pisa had three floors that the tower started to sink. The reason was that only a three meter foundation had been used upon unbalanced soil. Essentially, the design was flawed from the beginning. Construction was halted for almost a century as the city was in a continuous state of war. The soil eventually settled, otherwise, the tower was sure to topple over.