The Lychee

The lychee is a small fruit with red skin that resembles the common artistic conceptualization of a dragon’s skin. Inside this thin skin is a lusciously juicy orb of somewhat transparent milky white flesh. Inside that white fleshy mass is a seed, so be careful not to swallow it whole. What does this wonderful fruit taste like? Well, possibly the only similarly tasting fruit may be the rambuton, which we will take a look at next!

The Rambuton

The rambuton is like a lychee that has grown soft, long tentacles all over its outer casing. It likely looks more like a piece of modern art than it does an edible fruit. While it may be tempting to just leave it intact and enjoy its artistic value, it is very similar in taste to lychee and can be quite fun to open, so go for it and enjoy the exotic flavor it has to offer. If so inspired, you can still decorate your rental car or hotel room with rambuton casings after eating the fruit.

Sour Sap

The sour sap is a luxuriously lavish fruit verging on orgasmic in its flavorful flesh. It is likely the perfect balance of sweet and sour, and the soft milky white flesh is literally dripping with nectar. Its outer skin is a pistachio green and is covered with beautiful scales which make the fruit look like a small dragon wing. It varies in size from about the size of a baseball to possibly 7 times that size or more. Find one, if at all possible, and enjoy it.

The Atamoya

The atamoya is a similar fruit to the sour sap in appearance, but it is often smaller and not so sour. It tastes a bit sweeter in its own rich and creamy way and some people consider it to be like creamy pudding. Coincidentally, there is even a “vanilla” and a “chocolate” flavor to enjoy.

Dragon Fruit

The dragon fruit is extremely unique in appearance and that is likely why it has such an interesting name. If someone were to point it out and claim it was a dragon egg, an observer might find it somewhat believable. It certainly looks like one may be expected to appear, at least. The outside is covered in long scales which are colored with a gradient of pink and light green. They extend out to make it look like a kind of spherical flower. The inside of this truly exotic fruit is a mildly sweet flavor.

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Angkor is currently considered to be the largest pre-industrial city in the world by far at a measurement of approximately 3000 kilometers, while the closest is Tikal in Mexico measuring in at only around 100 to 150 kilometers in comparison. The principal structure of Angkor Wat was likely constructed in the years between 1110 and 1150. What may be amazing is that the elaborate and ornate complexes of these ancient structures became hidden by forest for hundreds of years, prior to the rediscovery of Angkor Wat and its surrounding city in the 19th Century. Imagine an ancient city approximately the size of modern Los Angeles being lost in the forest!

There are many buildings comprising Angkor and most tourism tends to focus on the buildings near Angkor Wat as they likely comprise the greatest concentration of large and ornate structures. The primary structure of the Wat itself is large and elaborate enough to justify days of exploration in its gorgeous walls alone. It is covered in complex bas relief carvings depicting scenes from various epics both from the Vedic culture of India to the historical depictions of Angkor life. It is like a three dimensional stone picture book carved in the shape of a large and ancient building. One can easily see the majesty and strength of Angkorian society as well as the devotional integrity and skill of its artists and craftsmen.

The nearby Bayon is another temple close to the Wat which has some truly unique features and is definitely a favorite to some, as it is a spectacularly amazing temple to behold. The entire temple is essentially constructed of many large stone heads and each is a monument worthy of the Louvre or any other museum of its kind. Thankfully the treasures of the Bayon were too large for any museum or maverick adventurer to have pilfered and so it stands still today for everyone to enjoy. There is possibly no other temple on Earth like it, so it is a highly recommended experience that is most certainly worthy of a personal visit.

There are countless more buildings and temples to explore in the Angkor area and one can, although somewhat quickly, see many of them within a week or so. The town of Siem Reap nearby offers most of the modern amenities one would need to properly enjoy Angkor as a vacation destination. One may find the low prices and good food particularly refreshing. So start planning a trip to Angkor, it is a rare place that will likely exceed your expectations.

The story goes something like this. Hachiko, the pup’s full name, was a purebred Akita dog who originated on a farm in what is now the “Akita” prefecture of Japan. Hachiko was brought to Tokyo in 1924 by his human companion, who was a professor of Agriculture at the University of Tokyo. It is said that every day Hachiko would see his friend, the professor, off to work and would be waiting to greet him at Shibuya train station at the end of every day. This continued every day until sometime in May of 1925, when the professor did not return to Shibuya station that evening. He had reportedly passed away as a result of a stroke at the university where he worked that day. Hachiko was then given to a new guardian, but was often known to escape and apparently seek out the professor at their prior home.

Soon the pup seemed to realize that the professor no longer resided there and so began what is now a legendary wait outside of Shibuya train station. Each evening, Hachiko would show up ready for when the professor’s train would have been due to arrive at the station. Countless commuters would see Hachiko day after day, but Hachiko was waiting diligently for one commuter in particular. This continued day after day, year after year, until about a decade passed. At this point, one of the professor’s students who was researching the Akita breed in general, apparently saw the dog at the station one day and followed it to its home where he learned of its story. Soon the man would produce a census of purebred Akita in Japan stating that Hachiko was one of only 30 he was able to find proof of in the entire country. He later began publishing articles about Hachiko’s amazing loyalty to his loving companion, the professor. One of these articles was published in Tokyo’s premiere newspaper in 1932 and Hachiko became something of a star in Japan. The puppy’s faithful love for the professor was regarded as a rather ideal example of loyalty that all should strive for. Hachiko was now an example for the nation to follow.

A bronze statue of Hachiko was made by a famous Japanese sculptor and was originally dedicated at Shibuya station in 1934. The legendary pup Hachiko was present for the unveiling. The original statue was rather ironically recycled during WWII, as part of the war effort, but thankfully in 1948 a new statue was sculpted by the original sculptor’s son to replace it. This statue still stands today and is a very popular tourist destination. Every year on April 8, Hachiko’s loyalty is honored with a ceremony at Shibuya train station and hundreds of people reportedly turn out to give their regards.

Now you know all about Hachiko, one of the iconic symbols of modern Tokyo. This loving story of friendship has inspired more than just Japanese society and has hopefully inspired you too.

Start with the U.S. Department of State website. They have special articles about road safety and articles specific to each country you may be considering visiting. Also look at the site for the embassy of the country or countries you’re planning to visit – they’ll usually include information about driving, traffic laws, as well as general safety information. You can find a list of embassy websites at embassy.org.

Your next information gathering stop should be the national tourism office of the country or countries you plan to visit. After all, it’s their job to encourage tourists to visit and to prepare them for a wonderful visit. They’re happy to give you the information you need on driving laws in the country you’ll be visiting. In many cases, you can find the links to these groups websites on the embassy’s home page.

Once you’ve checked out these various official sites, try some unofficial sites. There are a number of travel forums where you can talk to people who can give you first hand information on their driving experiences in each country. Some forums you might want to consult include AARP, Lonely Planet, or Graffiti Wall.

Travel guidebooks also include information about traffic safety, car rentals and driving laws. Remember that other countries’ laws can be very different from ours – for example, using a cell phone while driving in another country can subject you to a serious penalty. And when it comes to drinking and driving, it’s best to just avoid that altogether.

One other important consideration you’ll need to make is whether or not the country in question requires you to obtain an International Driving Permit. This is the kind of thing best planned for in advance. In fact, when you’re making sure your passport is up to date; it’s a good idea to take care of this as well. It’s far better to have an International Driving Permit and not need it than to find you need one when it’s too late to get one.

Finally, talk to your automobile insurance agent. You may or may not be covered when driving in another country. If you aren’t, you may need to purchase special travel insurance, either here or through your car rental company in the country you’re visiting. Just be sure to find out what kind of coverage you have first to avoid any unnecessary expense.

Well, there are a number of factors you should take into consideration. The first is your own health status. Is your immune system compromised, either because you’re currently ill or because of an ongoing medical condition? Do you work with large numbers of vulnerable people because you’re in the medical field? Are you elderly? Are you or your traveling companions 18 or younger? Are you at higher risk for catching the flu for some other reason? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then your risk of contracting the swine flu – and of having more serious complications – is higher than normal and you should seriously consider whether your travel to Mexico or any area with confirmed cases of swine flu is essential.

If you’re a generally healthy adult and you take proper precautions, then traveling to Mexico will likely expose you to only a small level of risk. Whether or not that risk is acceptable is a consideration only you can make. Remember that a pandemic is determined by how wide spread an illness is, not by how serious it is. Most people who contract the swine flu don’t die from it. Contrast that with a disease like SARS, which caused a greater percentage of fatalities based on the number of infected people.

You should also consider whether your travel is essential or nonessential. If your travel is essential – however you define that word – you may not have a choice about traveling to Mexico at this time. If your travel is nonessential, then you have the option of postponing your trip to another time or choosing a different destination. And really, anywhere and anytime you travel; you should be taking proper precautions to remain healthy.

The swine flu is, after all is said and done, the flu – a viral illness. Like most strains of flu, swine flu is easily transmitted and very contagious. The symptoms are what you’d expect with the normal flu – fever, body aches, headaches, chills, fatigue, cough or sore throat. In addition, there have been some reports of diarrhea and vomiting in conjunction with swine flu cases.

If you’ll be traveling to Mexico City, consider wearing a mask during your visit. This will offer some protection from aerosolized viruses. All it takes is a cough, sneeze, or even someone smoking a cigarette to introduce viruses into the air. There is, at present, no vaccine for the swine flu and the only treatment is the use of the antiviral medications Tamiflu and Relenza.

In addition, to protect yourself, wash your hands frequently. Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth without washing your hands thoroughly first. However, more important than using an antibacterial soap is washing your hands long enough to remove all traces of the virus – typically about 20 full seconds. And, of course, use common sense – avoid people who are coughing, sneezing or appear to be sick, and you’ll dramatically reduce your chances of picking up the swine flu.

With its amazing size Argentina covers almost the entire base of the southern half of South America. It is, after all, the eighth largest country in the world, covering monumental area of 2.8 million square kilometers. Being that size you can imagine the spectacles that lie within its borders. Here are but a few.

Buenos Aires, the capitol of Argentina, is a bustling and illuminating port city stretching South to North along the Rio de la Plata. Here you will find a mystifying and rich culture of ‘Portenos’ (the multinational people of Buenos Aires) who value their intriguing heritage and, above all, are willing to share it with those who visit. The architecture and lifestyle of Buenos Aires posses authentic European heritage. Though there is a Spanish influence in this area Itallian and German names out number the Spanish influence.

There is a strong involvement of culture amidst the population. Although one of the world’s finest Opera houses resides in lush Buenos Aires most of the cities mosaic structure is comprised of small, intimate places. The city has no dominating structures that overpower any other. The many intricate details and cozy neighborhoods filled with Victorian houses blend seamlessly with the horizon.

Argentina is comprised of six major regions. Cuyo & Andean Northwest; Mesopotamia & the Northeast; The Chaco; The Pampas; Patagonia and the Lake District; and last but not least, Tierra del Fuego.

While all regions carry their own heir of elegance the Patagonia region is the vast home to many National Parks that help to preserve its beauty. Neuquen, the provincial capital, rests at the intersection of the Limay and Neuquen rivers. From the beautiful volcanic trekking tertiary of the Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, to the glacier covered mountains and blue lakes of the Parque Nacional Perito Moreno, Argentina is truly a site for sore eyes.

This is one vacation that will take your breath away and leave you aching to return. The beautiful sandy beaches of the coasts, the exhilarating treks through the National parks and forest land, site seeing in the season of the whale and the mating sea lion, amazing food and dining, elegant resorts, and the culture of its people, Argentina is a coveted vacation spot that many people dream to visit.

You can reap enormous benefits by learning a second language online, instead of in traditional classroom courses or with at-home study books.  First, the cost online courses is often significantly less, especially considering that there’s no transportation required or class fees.  The websites are always there, which means you can learn on your own schedule, and you’ll be able to learn as slowly or as quickly as you want.  You can even repeat lessons if you need to.

There are several different types of lessons available on the internet.  The following are just a few of the different methods that you’ll find:

Courses through a University

An online university program is a great way to learn.  Many of the largest universities now offer foreign language classes and instruction online.  This type of distance learning may even offer sessions with an instructor, which can provide you with a great additional learning tool.  However, this can be a rather expensive way to learn and may not be a viable option for people because of the cost.

Chatting Online

Online chat rooms can be a terrific place to help you work through some of the communication problems you’ll invariably run into while learning a second language.  While they aren’t especially helpful for people just starting to learn a new language, if you have some knowledge, you can use them to quickly pick up new words and phrases.  In addition, you’ll be surprised by how many people will be willing to help you with your questions. 

Plus, when you interact in the chat room, you’ll be writing, reading, and, in effect, speaking the language.  This will make the time you spend learning much more productive than simply listening to a list of vocabulary words.  A nice bonus is that most of the chat rooms are free to join!  To find a good language learning chat room, search Google or Yahoo for free language chat rooms in your language of choice.

Look for Online Articles

Many sites offer articles on various topics and in different languages that can typically be read for free.  You can find so much information in these articles, and when you use one of these content sites, you have control over how much you learn.  You can pick up a lot of the basics of a language this way – including introductory verb and noun comprehension.  However, you must be able to motivate yourself and stick to a specific schedule.  You’ll probably also need to supplement these articles with another learning tool, since you won’t actually hear the language spoken.  You can get pretty far on your own, but eventually you’ll need to interact with another speaker in order to practice your pronunciation and sentence structure skills.

There is so much to see and do in Jamaica that one trip won’t even come close to covering it all.  Jamaica is known for its beautiful beaches, but you’ll also find winding rivers and lush mountains and forests.  If you’re really adventurous, you might enjoy exploring one of Jamaica’s caves or doing some white river rafting on a bamboo raft.  If you aren’t the adventurous type – or if you’re stuck with an unlucky rainy day – Jamaica’s many museums also make interesting things to add to your itinerary.

Jamaica is a very musical place, and you’ll see this love of music reflected in Jamaican culture.  Jamaica is the home of legendary singer Bob Marley, and February has been chosen as Reggae month in celebration of this unique music style.  In addition, Jamaica holds several festivals and music shows all year round, so you should be able to catch a good show if you visit during other months of the year.   If you like the beat of Reggae music, you’ll love the Reggae Fest in Kingston, although you’ll need to play it safe if you attend.  Pickpockets and more sinister criminals sometimes frequent the larger festivals, preying on tourists and visitors.

There are several airlines that fly to Jamaica, including Delta and Air Jamaica.  Jamaica has two major airports – Sangter International in Montego Bay and Norman Manley in Kinston, which is Jamaica’s capitol.  From either of these locations, you can rent a car or take another plane to other parts of the island once you touch down.   Airline ticket prices will vary depending on the time of year that you’re traveling and what airline you fly on.  Other factors, of course, include how many people are in your traveling party and whether they are children or adults.

The cost of staying in Jamaica varies depending on whether you plan to stay in a simple hotel or in more luxurious accommodations.  Hotels are the cheapest accommodations for you and your family, and range anywhere from $100/day to over $400/day, depending on the amenities they offer.  Beachfront hotels are more expensive, but well worth the cost – especially if you’re traveling with young children.  Rates for a luxury villa in Jamaica for one week can range from $1800 to $13,000.  This may seem expensive, but some villas have six or more bedrooms and can accommodate larger groups.  When you split the cost six ways and take into consideration the fact that the rates are weekly – not daily – a villa may make more sense if you’re traveling with friends or other family members.

1. Buy your airline tickets in advance. It’s always cheaper to buy your tickets in advance for any trip, but this is especially the case in Vegas. If you don’t buy your tickets in advance, you’ll likely find yourself taking a 1 am redeye on the way home.

2. If you gamble, you should gamble at the hotel you are staying at, all things being equal. make sure to get a players card at the hotel’s casino. This way, the casino host can track your play. Also, when possible, bill your food to your room. At the end of your stay, ask the casino host if they can comp anything. If you’ve gambled some, they may be able to take off some of the room charges or even comp your whole visit.

3. If  all you really care about is gambling and you really want to stay cheap, stay downtown.  It’s a lot cheaper downtown, and the odds are a lot better. There isn’t the glitziness of the strip though, which may even be a plus depending on the type of traveler you are. The nicest downtown hotel is the Golden Nugget, which is basically a strip quality hotel that’s located downtown.

4. Don’t spend too much for your hotel room. Practically any major brand hotel on the strip is nice. There’s no point in paying an extra $200-$300 a night to stay at the Wynn instead of staying at a hotel like TI, Pais, or Mandalay Bay.

Travel agents will know when to travel.

Most travel agents book hundreds of vacations and vacation packages every year, and they’re likely well-traveled as well.  Consequently, travel agents generally know which times and dates offer the best savings potential for travelers.  If your travel dates aren’t set in stone, a good travel agent can find you the best options for your budget.

Save on all types of reservations.

Most travel agencies are able to offer group discounts if they book enough people on the same vacation package.  However, when you’re traveling with your family members, you usually won’t have enough people to get this discounted rate.  When you use a travel agent, you can qualify for this discount rate since the travel agents often buy tickets in large quantities.  You’ll also find special rates and discounts through a travel agent that may not be available to the regular public.

You can relax while the travel agent does the work.

You might want to do a little research so that you know what questions to ask your travel agent to make decisions about your vacation, but you won’t have to deal with the minute details involved in planning a trip.  You’ll save a ton of time and can kick back and relax, knowing your trip is being planned for you.

Questions about travel documents can be answered.

Even though you may have to complete the paperwork and application process yourself, a travel agent can answer any questions you may have about your travel documents.  Since the rules and regulations for passports and visas are always changing, it’s nice to have someone knowledgeable to speak with if you have questions.

Travel agents offer special perks.

You can often find great travel perks when you book your vacation through a travel agent, since a good travel agent knows which questions to ask and how to go about finding the best deals.  You can bet a travel agent can get a great deal for themselves, so why wouldn’t they pass these perks on to you?

You won’t have to wonder about your destination.

If you’re booking your hotel off a website, you can’t be sure that you’ll arrive and find what you were expecting.  Usually, a travel agent has traveled extensively and can answer most questions about your destination.  Even if they haven’t been to the destination personally, they can connect with other travel agents who will be able to find the answers to any question you might have.

Travel agents can find affordable travel options.

Many people have a hard time finding a great travel destination on a limited budget.  If your dead-set on Mexico, but can’t afford Cancun, your travel agent may be able to recommend another city that’s better for your wallet.

One-bill payments allowed with a travel agent.

When you book your vacation with a travel agent, you won’t have pay a ton of different bills for the different elements of your trip, nor will you have to keep track of confirmation numbers, dates, times, and places.  Many travel agents will also allow you make multiple payments towards you trip, which can be a great option if you’re low on cash.

Travel agents can really be a great help in many areas when you’re planning a vacation.  Take the time to speak with one and see what they can offer you.  You may be pleasantly surprised.