The "Stena Line" Belfast ferry moored at Birkenhead on the River Mersey preparing for its journey across the Irish Sea.

 

Seen from the Mersey ferry boat "Snowdrop".

 

COPYRIGHT © Towner Images

 

Playing around with my side destination blind. Thought Dennis Dart would be sort of fitting, since it was removed from a Dart!

 

© Copyright B Caine 2014. All rights reserved. This image must not be reused or reposted without prior permission of the owner. Links to the image on Flickr may be posted.

Singapore, Soligor 135/2.8

From Hank Welles of Angling Destinations during a summer pack trip to our Beaver Lakes retreat.

 

Beaver Lakes is a Spear-O-Wigwam basecamp at the edge of the Cloud Peak Wilderness just east of Kearny Reservoir

Destination Theater (9,629 square feet)

5242 Oaklawn Boulevard, The Crossings, Hopewell, VA

 

This theater opened on October 10th, 2014; it was originally a Jerry Lewis Twin Cinema, which opened on November 24th, 1972. It became Lee Plaza Twin Cinema on March 5th, 1973, which closed on September 14th, 1975, and became Crossings Cinema in 2000, which closed in October 2008, reopened under new ownership on March 27th, 2009, then closed again in January 2011.

 

I'm unsure of the theater's operating years between 1975 and 2000; assumingly, it went through other periods of ownership in that frame of time because there's no way it sat vacant for 25 years. Can anyone fill in the blanks?

going nowhere

This destination blind perpetuated the Walsall Corporation policy of having destinations on both blinds, lower alphabet destinations on the upper blind and higher ones on the lower blind (plus some via destinations).

 

Where this new blind DID differ from WCT practice is that blanks were now black rather than white and circulars (of which Walsall had many) were now a two line display, ie. upper blind "CIRCULAR" and lower blind "VIA........." - previous WCT practice was for all details for circulars to be on the top blind.

 

This 1971 edition had a "West Bromwich" theme as it was mainly to be found on 4029-4035 (YOX29K+) [ordered by West Bromwich] plus some ex West Bromwich buses at Walsall.

 

DestinationBlindIndex1971-WalsallD

Udaipur is a major city, municipal corporation and the administrative headquarters of the Udaipur district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is the historic capital of the kingdom of Mewar in the former Rajputana Agency. Maharana Udai Singh of the Sisodia clan of Rajput founded the city 1553, and shifted his capital from the city of Chittorgarh to Udaipur. It remained as the capital city till 1818 when it became a British princely state, and thereafter the Mewar province became a part of Rajasthan when India gained independence in 1947.

 

Udaipur is a very popular tourist destination. Known for its history, culture, scenic locations and the Rajput-era palaces, Udaipur was also voted as the best city in the world in 2009 by the Travel + Leisure magazine.

 

HISTORY

Udaipur was founded in 1553, by Maharana Udai Singh II in the fertile circular Girwa Valley to the southwest of Nagda, on the Banas River. The city was established as the new capital of the Mewar kingdom. This area already had a thriving trading town, Ayad, which had served as capital of Mewar in the 10th through 12th centuries. The Girwa region was thus already well-known to Chittaud rulers who moved to it whenever the vulnerable tableland Chittaurgarh was threatened with enemy attacks. Maharana Udai Singh II, in the wake of 16th century emergence of artillery warfare, decided during his exile at Kumbhalgarh to move his capital to a more secure location. Ayad was flood-prone, hence he chose the ridge east of Pichola Lake to start his new capital city, where he came upon a hermit while hunting in the foothills of the Aravalli Range. The hermit blessed the king and guided him to build a palace on the spot, assuring him it would be well protected. Udai Singh II consequently established a residence on the site. In November 1567, the Mughal emperor Akbar laid siege to the venerated fort of Chittor. To protect Udaipur from External attacks, Maharana Udai Singh built a six kilometer long city wall, with seven gates, namely Surajpole, Chandpole, Udiapole, Hathipole, Ambapole, Brahmpole and so on. The area within these walls and gates is still known as the old city or the walled city.

 

As the Mughal empire weakened, the Sisodia rulers, reasserted their independence and recaptured most of Mewar except for Chittor. Udaipur remained the capital of the state, which became a princely state of British India in 1818. Being a mountainous region and unsuitable for heavily armoured Mughal horses, Udaipur remained safe from Mughal influence despite much pressure. At present, Arvind Singh Mewar is the 76th custodian of the Mewar dynasty.

 

GEOGRAPHY

TOPOGRAPHY

Udaipur is located at 24.525049°N 73.677116°E. The city covers an area of 37 km2 and lies at an altitude of 598.00 m above sea level. It is located in the southern region of Rajasthan, near the Gujarat border. The city lies 403 kilometres southwest of the state capital, Jaipur and 250 km northeast from Ahmedabad.

 

Udaipur with its lakes lies on the south slope of the Aravalli Range in Rajasthan. The Northern part of the district consists generally of elevated plateaus, while the eastern part has vast stretches of fertile plains. The southern part is covered with rocks, Hills and dense Forest. There are two important passages in the Aravali ranges viz. Desuri Nal and Saoke which serves as a link between Udaipur and Jodhpur

 

DISTRICT CITYSCAPE

The lakes of the city being interconnected form a lake system which supports and sustains the ground water recharge, water availability for drinking, agriculture, industries and is a source of employment through tourism. The lake system has three main lakes in its upper catchment area, six lakes within its municipal boundary and one lake in the downstream. The Udaipur lake system, arising out of the river Berach (Banas Basin) and its tributaries, is an integral component of the upper Berach basin. The upper Berach basin is a part of the Gangetic river system, wherein the river Berach meets river Ganga through the rivers Banas, Chambal & Yamuna.

 

The Udaipur Lake System can be divided into the following categories:

- Upper lakes: Lake Badi, Chhota Madar & Bada Madar.

- City Lakes: Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar Lake, Swaroop Sagar, Rang Sagar, Kumharia Talab, Goverdhan Sagar.

- Downstream Lake: Lake Udai Sagar.

- River: River Ahar.

 

Watershed or the catchment areas include :

- Bada Madar: 8780.48 ha

- Chhota Madar: 2987.23 ha

- Badi Lake: 1906.55 ha

 

The city lacks an organised sewerage system and treatment facility for the solid wastes and sewage generated. With an absence of waste segregation, processing and scientific disposal facilities, the city's lakes have been facing increased levels of pollution, thereby threatening an ecological degradation. Five of the major lakes have been included under the restoration project of the National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) of the Government of India in order to preserve the cleanliness of the water bodies in the city.

 

These are :

- Fateh Sagar Lake

- Pichola Lake

- Swaroopsagar

- Rangsagar

- Doodh Talai Lake

 

In a judgement passed by the Rajasthan High Court, all bathing activities at the lake shores and immersion of religious idols in the lake waters was banned in the city.

 

The city recently scored poorly in the Swachh Bharat list of the cleanest cities in India, getting placed at 417th position out of a total 476 cities.

 

CLIMATE

Udaipur city has particularly a tropical climate. The three main seasons, summer, monsoon and winter respectively, dominate the city of Udaipur. Being located in the desert lands of Rajasthan, the climate and weather of Udaipur is usually hot. The summer season runs from mid-March to June and touches temperature ranging from 23 °C to 44 °C in the months of March to June. Monsoons arrive in the month of July heralded by dust and thunderstorms. With lush greenery and enchanting lakes, the sporadic rainfalls enhance the beauty of the city, making it one of the top monsoon destinations of the country. The winter season prevails from the month of October till the month of March. Humidity, which prevails during monsoons, diminishes at the arrival of winters. The city observes pleasant sunny days and enjoyable cool nights with the temperature ranging from 5 °C to 30 °C.

 

Udaipur's winter climate is the most appealing time to visit. Tourists arrive in large numbers, anytime between mid-September to late March or early April. Even in January, the coldest month, the days are bright, sunny and warm with maximum temperature around 28.3 °C. Mornings, evenings and nights are cold

 

DEMOGRAPHICS

According to the 2011 census, the total urban population of Udaipur district was 608,426. and the population density was 262/km2. As per the data, the male population of the city was 315,485 and the female population was 292,941 in 2011. The total population for the age group of 0–6 years old was 67,068. The sex-ratio of the urban area was 929 while that for the rural area was 966, the average being 958. The child sex-ratio (0–6 years of age) was 865.

 

Udaipur has an average effective literacy rate of 90.43 percent, as compared to the national average of 74.04 percent: male literacy rate being 95.41 percent while the female literacy rate being 85.08 percent.

 

Hindi, Mewari and English are the major languages spoken in Udaipur. Marwari, Wagdi and Gujarati are some others which are in use in the city.

 

Hinduism is the major religion followed in the city. With a large Jain community, Jainism is amongst the other main religions practised. Jains makes about 10% of the population, as compared to the national average of 0.37%.

 

ECONOMY

Udaipur has a diversified economic base. The major contributions to the city's economy come from tourism, agriculture and mineral industries. The handicraft and cottage industry sectors play an important part in contributing to the growing economy. The city has also been included under the Smart Cities mission initiated by the Government of India, and is selected in the list of first 20 cities to be developed as smart cities.

 

HANDICRAFTS

Udaipur is well known for handicrafts such as paintings, marble articles, silver arts and terracotta. The Shilpgram is a platform where regional handicraft and hand-loom products is developed. Craft bazaars are organized by the Shilpgram, with an aim to encourage the regional arts and crafts, the handicraft and hand-loom works.

 

TOURISM

Udaipur, with its picturesque landscape, lakes, and historic palaces and architecture, is a major destination for most tourists, both domestic and foreign nationals visiting the state. With numerous hotels to serve visiting tourists, Udaipur is home to some of the world's most renowned and the country's best luxury hotels and resorts. The Oberoi Udaivilas has been ranked as the world's number 1 hotel in 2015. The Taj Lake Palace and the Leela palace Udaipur are also amongst the most expensive hotels in the country. With various other renowned hotel chains present in the city, the tourism sector has been a fairly large contributor to the economic growth and fame of Udaipur.

 

METALS AND MINERALS INDUSTRIES

Udaipur district is particularly rich in mineral resources as a large variety of important minerals are found here. Copper, lead, zinc and silver, industrial minerals like phosphate, asbestos, calcite, lime-stone, Talc (soap stone), barites, wollastonite and marble are the major driving resources behind the industries based in the city. Marble is exclusively mined, processed and exported from here around the world. The marble industry is well set and established with proper infrastructure and technological support for mining and processing. It is the largest sector giving employment to many people of the city and the immigrants from nearby areas. Udaipur is also home to the world's second largest Zinc producer, Hindustan Zinc.

 

AGRICULTURE

Agriculture like most other parts of the country, remains a leading sector in the city's economy. The Major crops of the area are Maize and Jowar in Kharif season and Wheat and Mustard in the Rabi season.[38] Pulses, Groundnut and vegetables like brinjals are some of the major food products grown in the city. The Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, along with its affiliated institutions, has been working towards identifying, designing, preparing and adapting new techniques in the field of production technology for agricultural development since its establishment.

 

RETAIL

Udaipur has both traditional as well as modern retail shopping destinations. The traditional markets include Bapu Bazaar, Chetak Circle, Suraj Pole, Nehru Bazaar, Bada Bazaar and Chand Pole, while the areas including Durga Nursery Road, Shakti Nagar and Sudkhadia Circle provide opportunities to new entrants. Udaipur is also progressing towards a mall culture, and has witnessed many retail malls including Celebration Mall, Lakecity Mall, Arvana Shopping Mall, Chetak Shopping Mall, City Centre Mall, Mangalam Square Mall and R.Kay Mall.

 

TOURISM

CITY PALACE - 1559

Standing on the east bank of Lake Pichola is a massive series of palaces built at different times from 1559. Its main entrance is through the triple-arched gate - the Tripolia, built in 1725. This gate leads to a series of courtyards, overlapping parations, terraces, corridors and gardens. The palace now houses a museum with many antique articles, paintings, decorative furniture and utensils from the royal era.

 

LAKE PALACE - 1743-1746

Situated over an island in Lake Pichola, the Lake Palace was constructed to serve as a royal summer palace. Built of white marble, the palace is now a luxury 5 Star hotel, operating under the "Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces" banner.

 

JAG MANDIR - 1551-1652

Jag Mandir is a palace built on an island in the Lake Pichola. Also known as the "Lake Garden Palace", it was constructed by three Maharanas of the Mewar kingdom. The construction started in 1551, and was completed by 1652. The royal family used the palace as a summer resort and pleasure palace.

 

MONSOON PALACE

Monsoon Palace, also known as Sajjan Garh Palace, was built as an astronomical centre to keep track of the movement of monsoon clouds in the area and also served as the summer resort of the Maharanas. Built with white marble, it is located on Bansdara peak of the Aravalli hill range at an elevation of 944 m above mean sea level. The palace offers a panoramic view of the city's lakes, palaces and surrounding countryside.

 

JAGDISH TEMPLE - 1651

The Jagdish Temple is a large Hindu temple in the middle of Udaipur, built by Maharana Jagat Singh I. A key tourist place in the city, this temple is an example of Māru-Gurjara Architecture.

 

FATEH SAGAR LAKE - 1678

Lake Fatehsagar is an artificial lake situated in the north-west part of Udaipur. The lake was originally built by Maharana Jai Singh and later reconstructed and extended by Maharana Fateh Singh. It is one of the most popular destinations in the city for tourists and the city residents.

 

SUKHADIA CIRCLE

Sukhadia Circle (square) is large roundabout in the city's northern suburb and is a popular recreational centre. The square has in its centre, a small pond admist which lies a 21 ft high three-tiered fountain. The fountain, made of marble is surmounted by a wheat-ear motif, a symbol of prosperity.

 

SAHELIYON-KI-BARI - 1710-1734

Sahelion ki Bari is a major garden and a popular tourist space in the northern part of the city. The garden with its fountains and kiosks, a lotus pool and marble elephants, was laid for a group of forty-eight young women attendants who accompanied a princess to Udaipur as part of her dowry.

 

LAKE PICHOLA - 1362

Lake Pichola is an artificial fresh water lake and is one of the several contiguous lakes in the city of Udaipur. The lake’s surroundings and the several islands within the lake have been developed over the centuries, with palaces, marble temples, family mansions, bathing ghats and chabutaras (a raised platform, normally within a courtyard).

 

MOTI MAGRI

Moti Magri or Pearl Hill, is a memorial of the Rajput hero Maharana Pratap. It is basically a small hilloc, atop of which there is a bronze statue of the Maharana astride his favourite horse "Chetak". It was initiated by Maharana Bhagwat Singh Mewar, and carried over and completed with the help of a public trust.

 

NEEMACH MATA TEMPLE

Neemach mata is located on a hill near fateh sagar lake. The temple is 900 meters above on the top of the hill. One can see a beautiful view of Udaipur from the temple.

 

CULTURE

Udaipur has received a rich cultural heritage from the bygone ages. The lakes, temples, huge forts and palaces boast about the rich legacy of this city. The city has kept a balance between preserving the rituals and traditions of the past while keeping up with the modern advancements and changes in lifestyle. Like any other place in the state of Rajasthan, folk dance and music have an important place in adding to the city's cultural richness. The dynamic and vibrant dances of Bhavai, Ghoomar, Kachchhi Ghodi, Kalbeliya and Terahtaali add a sparkle to the rich cultural heritage of Udaipur.

 

- Ghoomar dance is a part of the tribal culture of the Mewar Region of Rajasthan. This is a community dance for women and performed on auspicious occasions where the ladies move gracefully in circles.

- Kalbelia, one of the most sensuous dance forms of Rajasthan, is performed by the Kalbeliya snake charmers’ community with the sapera dancers wearing long, black skirts embroidered with silver ribbons.

- Bhavai dance consists of veiled women dancers balancing up to seven or nine brass pitchers as they dance nimbly, pirouetting and then swaying with the soles of their feet perched on the top of a glass or on the edge of the sword

- Kachchhi Ghodi dance dance is performed on dummy horses where men in elaborate costumes ride the equally well decorated dummy horses. Holding naked swords, these dancers move rhythmically to the beating of drums and fifes.

 

Following a lineage of age old traditions and adhering to religious significance, the various dances complement the fairs and festivals held in the city. The city's music consists mainly of the use of Morchang, Naad, Tanpura, and Sarangi, among many other instruments, that used to echo in the courts of the erstwhile rulers of the state.

 

Miniature paintings are amongst the most famous paintings developed under the patronage of the rulers of Rajasthan. The simplest among these are done on walls, and though folk in style, they nevertheless have some of the flavour of frescoes one sees in the old palaces. The tradition on painting the wall of houses with scenes from mythological and chivalric tales has been prevalent in Rajasthan for the past many centuries. The people of the city make use of such wall paintings for decorations during wedding celebrations. Noted amongst the miniature style of paintings are particularly the Pichvais, which are those made on cloth, and Phad, made on cloth scroll in folk style.

 

The Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal is a cultural institution based in the city. The institute with its museum is a platform which displays a collection of Rajasthani culture. Offering an insight into the lifestyle of the royal era in Udaipur, the museum has a fine collection of dresses, tribal jewellery, turbans, dolls, masks, musical instruments, paintings and puppets. With various cultural events including folk song and dance performances, theatre and puppetry, the institute highlights the different social stigmas, thereby proving to be a powerful education tool for the masses.

 

FESTIVALS

GANGAUR FESTIVAL

Gangaur is one of the most important local festivals in Rajasthan. In some form or the other it is celebrated all over Rajasthan. “gan” is a synonym for Lord Shiva and “gauri” or “gaur” stands for Goddess Parvati, the heavenly consort of Lord Shiva. Gangaur celebrates the union of the two and is a symbol of conjugal and marital happiness.

 

It is celebrated in the month of Chaitra (March–April), the first month of the Hindu calendar. This month marks the end of winter and the onset of spring. This festival is celebrated especially by women, who worship clay idols of “Gan” & “Gauri” in their houses. These idols are worshiped by the virgins who seek the blessings of Gan and Gauri for a good spouse, while the married women pray for the good health and long life of their husbands. On the eve of Gangaur festival, women decorate their palms and fingers with henna. The idols of Gan and Gauri are immersed in a pond or in a nearby lake on the last day of the festival.

 

A traditional procession of Gangaur commences form the City Palace which passes through various areas of the city. The procession is headed by an old palanquins, chariots, bullock carts and performance folk artistes.

 

SHILPGRAM UTSAV

Shilpgram, a crafts village 3 km west of Lake Fateh Sagar, has displays of traditional houses from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra. There are also demonstrations by musicians, dancers, or artisans from these states. The 10 day festival organised here is a treat for the visitor to an array of exquisite art and craft. One of the important objectives of Shilpgram festival is in the sphere of increasing awareness and knowledge of rural life and crafts, specifically, for the younger generation. Special emphasis is laid on workshops for children on arts, crafts, theatre and music.

 

HARIYALI AMAVASYA

Hariyali Amavasya (new moon day of the Sawan / Shravan month) marks the beginning of the monsoons and greenery. It arrvies three days before the famous Hartalika Teej(Shravan shukla tritiya). People worship God Shiva for abundant rains and good agricultural season. Melas and fests are arranged in several places in the city.

 

JAGANNATH RATH YATRA

In udaipur, the third biggest Ratha-Yatra[49] is organised on the auspicious day of Ashadh Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) Dwitiya according to Indian Vikram Samvat. On this cultural day of summer solstice theme, June 21 of every year, the journey of the lord jagannath to their aunts house is started. The presiding deities of the temple lord Jagannath (Krishna), Balabhadra (Balarama) and their sister Subhadra are taken through the streets in heavily decorated wooden chariots, which are made every year for the purpose. The Chariot of Lord Jagannath, called Nandighosha, has 16 wheels and is draped in red and yellow.

 

The sanctity of the festival is such that even a touch of the chariot or even the ropes with which these are pulled is considered enough to confer the results of several pious deeds or penance for ages.

 

JAL-JHULNI EKADASHI

According to the Hindu calendar, Gyaras, or Ekadashi is basically, the 11th day of each waxing (Shukla paksha ) and waning moon (Krishna paksha). This ekadashi, known as Jal-Jhulni Gyaras, or Jal-Jhulni Ekadashi, like all other festivals, is celebrated with great enthusiasm in Udaipur. Different processions start from the various parts of the city and end at one point i.e. Gangaur Ghat where people swing the idols of Lord Krishna in child form (Baal Gopal) in the Lake Pichola. These procession are called Ram Revdies.

Udaipur in popular culture

 

Udaipur was voted the Best City in the World in 2009 by the Travel + Leisure magazine, and is now amongst the favourite wedding destinations for Indian as well as foreign nationals. The city is a blend of sights, sounds and experiences, which have made it one of the top destinations for weddings and celebrations.

 

MOVIES AND TELEVISION

Udaipur is mentioned under the spelling Oodeypore in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book as the birthplace of Bagheera, the fictional panther in the king's Menagerie.

 

Because of its picturesque and scenic locations, Udaipur has been the shooting location for many Hollywood and Bollywood movies. Indian sections of the James Bond film Octopussy were filmed in the city, the Lake Palace, and the Monsoon Palace. The nearby desert was the backdrop of the remarkable rescue of Octopussy (Maud Adams) by Bond (Roger Moore). Some scenes from the British television series The Jewel in the Crown were also filmed in Udaipur. The Disney channel film, The Cheetah Girls One World, was shot in Udaipur in January 2008. Some of the other non-Indian movies and TV shows filmed in Udaipur include: Darjeeling Limited, Opening Night, Heat and Dust, Indische Ring, Inside Octopussy, James Bond in India, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Gandhi, and The Fall. Jag Mandir, a documentary film directed for television by Werner Herzog in 1991, was also filmed in the city.

 

Udaipur has been a popular location for Bollywood movies. Some of them shot here include : Guide, Mera Saaya, Phool Bane Angaray, Kachche Dhaage, Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Jalmahal, Yaadein, Return of the thief of the bagdad, Eklavya: The Royal Guard, Dhamaal, Jis Desh Mei Ganga Rehta Hai, Chalo Ishq Ladaaye, Fiza, Gaddaar, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Khuda Gawah, Kundan, Nandini, Saajan Ka Ghar,Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Ramleela, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. Udaipur is also the setting of various Television series like Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Rakhi Ka Swayamwar and Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap.

 

EDUCATION

Udaipur has a well-established education infrastructure. There are a number of universities, colleges and schools meeting the requirements of not only the city but the region and country as well. The main universities in Udaipur include IIM Udaipur, Mohan Lal Sukhadia University, Sir Padampat Singhania University and Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology. Other educational institutes include College of Technology And Engineering, College of Dairy & Food Science Technology, R.N.T. Medical College, Pacific Medical College and Hospital, Pacific Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhupal Nobles' College, J.R.N. Rajasthan Vidyapeeth (Deemed), S S College Of Engineering, Techno India NJR Institute of Technology, Geetanjali Medical College and Hospital, Pacific Commerce college, Pacific ENG College, Pacific Dental College & Hospital, Geetanjali Institute of technical studies, Institute of Hotel Management Catering and Tourism.

 

Udaipur is now the first district in Rajasthan to have implemented a smart class system in all the government schools, enabling them with information and communication technologies (ICT) infrastructure. This model of ICT in education is getting replicated in all government schools of ICT infrastructure of Rajasthan State. This ICT based initiation was started on 4 December 2013 by Dept of Education, Udaipur in joint initiative with Moinee Foundation, Jaipur and is popularly known as Project Utkarsh

 

According to the census-2011 data on educational status, Udaipur has the highest percentage of graduates in the entire state. It has 26 graduates for every 100 persons.

 

Nowadays many students get the educational facilities here itself so they need not to go to Kota or some other place for IIT-JEE preparation. Many students of the place have cleared the prestigious exam. In fact the All India Rank-1 in IIT-JEE 2014 belonged to Udaipur city.

 

WIKIPEDIA

Last night a 4 hour live show was broadcast from Ducketts Grove called 'Destination Truth' for the Syfy channel in the States.

 

Ducketts Grove is a local and favourite haunt of mine so its great to get that level of exposure in the USA.

 

I drove by a few days back and it was a total film set....hope it boosts tourist numbers too.

 

It prompted me to root through the archive and pull a shot out of Ducketts

 

This is licenced with Getty Images

www.gettyimages.com/Search/Search.aspx?assettype=image&am...

Stereographic Projection

Bali is an island and province of Indonesia. The province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan. It is located at the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. Its capital of Denpasar is located at the southern part of the island.

 

With a population of 3,890,757 in the 2010 census, and 4,225,000 as of January 2014, the island is home to most of Indonesia's Hindu minority. According to the 2010 Census, 83.5% of Bali's population adhered to Balinese Hinduism, followed by 13.4% Muslim, Christianity at 2.5%, and Buddhism 0.5%.

 

Bali is a popular tourist destination, which has seen a significant rise in numbers since the 1980s. It is renowned for its highly developed arts, including traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking, and music. The Indonesian International Film Festival is held every year in Bali.

 

Bali is part of the Coral Triangle, the area with the highest biodiversity of marine species. In this area alone over 500 reef building coral species can be found. For comparison, this is about 7 times as many as in the entire Caribbean. There is a wide range of dive sites with high quality reefs, all with their own specific attractions. Many sites can have strong currents and swell, so diving without a knowledgeable guide is inadvisable. Most recently, Bali was the host of the 2011 ASEAN Summit, 2013 APEC and Miss World 2013.

 

HISTORY

ANCIENT

Bali was inhabited around 2000 BC by Austronesian people who migrated originally from Southeast Asia and Oceania through Maritime Southeast Asia. Culturally and linguistically, the Balinese are closely related to the people of the Indonesian archipelago, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Oceania. Stone tools dating from this time have been found near the village of Cekik in the island's west.

 

In ancient Bali, nine Hindu sects existed, namely Pasupata, Bhairawa, Siwa Shidanta, Waisnawa, Bodha, Brahma, Resi, Sora and Ganapatya. Each sect revered a specific deity as its personal Godhead.

 

Inscriptions from 896 and 911 don't mention a king, until 914, when Sri Kesarivarma is mentioned. They also reveal an independent Bali, with a distinct dialect, where Buddhism and Sivaism were practiced simultaneously. Mpu Sindok's great granddaughter, Mahendradatta (Gunapriyadharmapatni), married the Bali king Udayana Warmadewa (Dharmodayanavarmadeva) around 989, giving birth to Airlangga around 1001. This marriage also brought more Hinduism and Javanese culture to Bali. Princess Sakalendukirana appeared in 1098. Suradhipa reigned from 1115 to 1119, and Jayasakti from 1146 until 1150. Jayapangus appears on inscriptions between 1178 and 1181, while Adikuntiketana and his son Paramesvara in 1204.

 

Balinese culture was strongly influenced by Indian, Chinese, and particularly Hindu culture, beginning around the 1st century AD. The name Bali dwipa ("Bali island") has been discovered from various inscriptions, including the Blanjong pillar inscription written by Sri Kesari Warmadewa in 914 AD and mentioning "Walidwipa". It was during this time that the people developed their complex irrigation system subak to grow rice in wet-field cultivation. Some religious and cultural traditions still practised today can be traced to this period.

 

The Hindu Majapahit Empire (1293–1520 AD) on eastern Java founded a Balinese colony in 1343. The uncle of Hayam Wuruk is mentioned in the charters of 1384-86. A mass Javanese emigration occurred in the next century.

 

PORTUGUESE CONTACTS

The first known European contact with Bali is thought to have been made in 1512, when a Portuguese expedition led by Antonio Abreu and Francisco Serrão sighted its northern shores. It was the first expedition of a series of bi-annual fleets to the Moluccas, that throughout the 16th century usually traveled along the coasts of the Sunda Islands. Bali was also mapped in 1512, in the chart of Francisco Rodrigues, aboard the expedition. In 1585, a ship foundered off the Bukit Peninsula and left a few Portuguese in the service of Dewa Agung.

 

DUTCH EAST INDIA

In 1597 the Dutch explorer Cornelis de Houtman arrived at Bali, and the Dutch East India Company was established in 1602. The Dutch government expanded its control across the Indonesian archipelago during the second half of the 19th century (see Dutch East Indies). Dutch political and economic control over Bali began in the 1840s on the island's north coast, when the Dutch pitted various competing Balinese realms against each other. In the late 1890s, struggles between Balinese kingdoms in the island's south were exploited by the Dutch to increase their control.

 

In June 1860 the famous Welsh naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, travelled to Bali from Singapore, landing at Buleleng on the northcoast of the island. Wallace's trip to Bali was instrumental in helping him devise his Wallace Line theory. The Wallace Line is a faunal boundary that runs through the strait between Bali and Lombok. It has been found to be a boundary between species of Asiatic origin in the east and a mixture of Australian and Asian species to the west. In his travel memoir The Malay Archipelago, Wallace wrote of his experience in Bali:

 

I was both astonished and delighted; for as my visit to Java was some years later, I had never beheld so beautiful and well-cultivated a district out of Europe. A slightly undulating plain extends from the seacoast about ten or twelve miles inland, where it is bounded by a fine range of wooded and cultivated hills. Houses and villages, marked out by dense clumps of coconut palms, tamarind and other fruit trees, are dotted about in every direction; while between them extend luxurious rice-grounds, watered by an elaborate system of irrigation that would be the pride of the best cultivated parts of Europe.

 

The Dutch mounted large naval and ground assaults at the Sanur region in 1906 and were met by the thousands of members of the royal family and their followers who fought against the superior Dutch force in a suicidal puputan defensive assault rather than face the humiliation of surrender. Despite Dutch demands for surrender, an estimated 200 Balinese marched to their death against the invaders. In the Dutch intervention in Bali, a similar massacre occurred in the face of a Dutch assault in Klungkung.

 

AFTERWARD THE DUTCH GOVERNORS

exercised administrative control over the island, but local control over religion and culture generally remained intact. Dutch rule over Bali came later and was never as well established as in other parts of Indonesia such as Java and Maluku.

 

n the 1930s, anthropologists Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson, artists Miguel Covarrubias and Walter Spies, and musicologist Colin McPhee all spent time here. Their accounts of the island and its peoples created a western image of Bali as "an enchanted land of aesthetes at peace with themselves and nature." Western tourists began to visit the island.

 

Imperial Japan occupied Bali during World War II. It was not originally a target in their Netherlands East Indies Campaign, but as the airfields on Borneo were inoperative due to heavy rains, the Imperial Japanese Army decided to occupy Bali, which did not suffer from comparable weather. The island had no regular Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) troops. There was only a Native Auxiliary Corps Prajoda (Korps Prajoda) consisting of about 600 native soldiers and several Dutch KNIL officers under command of KNIL Lieutenant Colonel W.P. Roodenburg. On 19 February 1942 the Japanese forces landed near the town of Senoer [Senur]. The island was quickly captured.

 

During the Japanese occupation, a Balinese military officer, Gusti Ngurah Rai, formed a Balinese 'freedom army'. The harshness of war requisitions made Japanese rule more resented than Dutch rule. Following Japan's Pacific surrender in August 1945, the Dutch returned to Indonesia, including Bali, to reinstate their pre-war colonial administration. This was resisted by the Balinese rebels, who now used recovered Japanese weapons. On 20 November 1946, the Battle of Marga was fought in Tabanan in central Bali. Colonel I Gusti Ngurah Rai, by then 29 years old, finally rallied his forces in east Bali at Marga Rana, where they made a suicide attack on the heavily armed Dutch. The Balinese battalion was entirely wiped out, breaking the last thread of Balinese military resistance.

 

INDIPENDENCE FROM THE DUTCH

In 1946, the Dutch constituted Bali as one of the 13 administrative districts of the newly proclaimed State of East Indonesia, a rival state to the Republic of Indonesia, which was proclaimed and headed by Sukarno and Hatta. Bali was included in the "Republic of the United States of Indonesia" when the Netherlands recognised Indonesian independence on 29 December 1949.

 

CONTEMPORARY

The 1963 eruption of Mount Agung killed thousands, created economic havoc and forced many displaced Balinese to be transmigrated to other parts of Indonesia. Mirroring the widening of social divisions across Indonesia in the 1950s and early 1960s, Bali saw conflict between supporters of the traditional caste system, and those rejecting this system. Politically, the opposition was represented by supporters of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and the Indonesian Nationalist Party (PNI), with tensions and ill-feeling further increased by the PKI's land reform programs. An attempted coup in Jakarta was put down by forces led by General Suharto.

 

The army became the dominant power as it instigated a violent anti-communist purge, in which the army blamed the PKI for the coup. Most estimates suggest that at least 500,000 people were killed across Indonesia, with an estimated 80,000 killed in Bali, equivalent to 5% of the island's population. With no Islamic forces involved as in Java and Sumatra, upper-caste PNI landlords led the extermination of PKI members.

 

As a result of the 1965/66 upheavals, Suharto was able to manoeuvre Sukarno out of the presidency. His "New Order" government reestablished relations with western countries. The pre-War Bali as "paradise" was revived in a modern form. The resulting large growth in tourism has led to a dramatic increase in Balinese standards of living and significant foreign exchange earned for the country. A bombing in 2002 by militant Islamists in the tourist area of Kuta killed 202 people, mostly foreigners. This attack, and another in 2005, severely reduced tourism, producing much economic hardship to the island.

 

GEOGRAPHY

The island of Bali lies 3.2 km east of Java, and is approximately 8 degrees south of the equator. Bali and Java are separated by the Bali Strait. East to west, the island is approximately 153 km wide and spans approximately 112 km north to south; administratively it covers 5,780 km2, or 5,577 km2 without Nusa Penida District, its population density is roughly 750 people/km2.

 

Bali's central mountains include several peaks over 3,000 metres in elevation. The highest is Mount Agung (3,031 m), known as the "mother mountain" which is an active volcano rated as one of the world's most likely sites for a massive eruption within the next 100 years. Mountains range from centre to the eastern side, with Mount Agung the easternmost peak. Bali's volcanic nature has contributed to its exceptional fertility and its tall mountain ranges provide the high rainfall that supports the highly productive agriculture sector. South of the mountains is a broad, steadily descending area where most of Bali's large rice crop is grown. The northern side of the mountains slopes more steeply to the sea and is the main coffee producing area of the island, along with rice, vegetables and cattle. The longest river, Ayung River, flows approximately 75 km.

 

The island is surrounded by coral reefs. Beaches in the south tend to have white sand while those in the north and west have black sand. Bali has no major waterways, although the Ho River is navigable by small sampan boats. Black sand beaches between Pasut and Klatingdukuh are being developed for tourism, but apart from the seaside temple of Tanah Lot, they are not yet used for significant tourism.

 

The largest city is the provincial capital, Denpasar, near the southern coast. Its population is around 491,500 (2002). Bali's second-largest city is the old colonial capital, Singaraja, which is located on the north coast and is home to around 100,000 people. Other important cities include the beach resort, Kuta, which is practically part of Denpasar's urban area, and Ubud, situated at the north of Denpasar, is the island's cultural centre.

 

Three small islands lie to the immediate south east and all are administratively part of the Klungkung regency of Bali: Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. These islands are separated from Bali by the Badung Strait.

 

To the east, the Lombok Strait separates Bali from Lombok and marks the biogeographical division between the fauna of the Indomalayan ecozone and the distinctly different fauna of Australasia. The transition is known as the Wallace Line, named after Alfred Russel Wallace, who first proposed a transition zone between these two major biomes. When sea levels dropped during the Pleistocene ice age, Bali was connected to Java and Sumatra and to the mainland of Asia and shared the Asian fauna, but the deep water of the Lombok Strait continued to keep Lombok Island and the Lesser Sunda archipelago isolated.

 

CLIMATE

Being just 8 degrees south of the equator, Bali has a fairly even climate year round.

 

Day time temperatures at low elevations vary between 20-33⁰ C although it can be much cooler than that in the mountains. The west monsoon is in place from approximately October to April and this can bring significant rain, particularly from December to March. Outside of the monsoon period, humidity is relatively low and any rain unlikely in lowland areas.

 

ECOLOGY

Bali lies just to the west of the Wallace Line, and thus has a fauna that is Asian in character, with very little Australasian influence, and has more in common with Java than with Lombok. An exception is the yellow-crested cockatoo, a member of a primarily Australasian family. There are around 280 species of birds, including the critically endangered Bali myna, which is endemic. Others Include barn swallow, black-naped oriole, black racket-tailed treepie, crested serpent-eagle, crested treeswift, dollarbird, Java sparrow, lesser adjutant, long-tailed shrike, milky stork, Pacific swallow, red-rumped swallow, sacred kingfisher, sea eagle, woodswallow, savanna nightjar, stork-billed kingfisher, yellow-vented bulbul and great egret.

 

Until the early 20th century, Bali was home to several large mammals: the wild banteng, leopard and the endemic Bali tiger. The banteng still occurs in its domestic form, whereas leopards are found only in neighbouring Java, and the Bali tiger is extinct. The last definite record of a tiger on Bali dates from 1937, when one was shot, though the subspecies may have survived until the 1940s or 1950s. The relatively small size of the island, conflict with humans, poaching and habitat reduction drove the Bali tiger to extinction. This was the smallest and rarest of all tiger subspecies and was never caught on film or displayed in zoos, whereas few skins or bones remain in museums around the world. Today, the largest mammals are the Javan rusa deer and the wild boar. A second, smaller species of deer, the Indian muntjac, also occurs. Saltwater crocodiles were once present on the island, but became locally extinct sometime during the last century.

 

Squirrels are quite commonly encountered, less often is the Asian palm civet, which is also kept in coffee farms to produce Kopi Luwak. Bats are well represented, perhaps the most famous place to encounter them remaining the Goa Lawah (Temple of the Bats) where they are worshipped by the locals and also constitute a tourist attraction. They also occur in other cave temples, for instance at Gangga Beach. Two species of monkey occur. The crab-eating macaque, known locally as "kera", is quite common around human settlements and temples, where it becomes accustomed to being fed by humans, particularly in any of the three "monkey forest" temples, such as the popular one in the Ubud area. They are also quite often kept as pets by locals. The second monkey, endemic to Java and some surrounding islands such as Bali, is far rarer and more elusive is the Javan langur, locally known as "lutung". They occur in few places apart from the Bali Barat National Park. They are born an orange colour, though by their first year they would have already changed to a more blackish colouration. In Java however, there is more of a tendency for this species to retain its juvenile orange colour into adulthood, and so you can see a mixture of black and orange monkeys together as a family. Other rarer mammals include the leopard cat, Sunda pangolin and black giant squirrel.

 

Snakes include the king cobra and reticulated python. The water monitor can grow to at least 1.5 m in length and 50 kg and can move quickly.

 

The rich coral reefs around the coast, particularly around popular diving spots such as Tulamben, Amed, Menjangan or neighbouring Nusa Penida, host a wide range of marine life, for instance hawksbill turtle, giant sunfish, giant manta ray, giant moray eel, bumphead parrotfish, hammerhead shark, reef shark, barracuda, and sea snakes. Dolphins are commonly encountered on the north coast near Singaraja and Lovina.

 

A team of scientists conducted a survey from 29 April 2011 to 11 May 2011 at 33 sea sites around Bali. They discovered 952 species of reef fish of which 8 were new discoveries at Pemuteran, Gilimanuk, Nusa Dua, Tulamben and Candidasa, and 393 coral species, including two new ones at Padangbai and between Padangbai and Amed. The average coverage level of healthy coral was 36% (better than in Raja Ampat and Halmahera by 29% or in Fakfak and Kaimana by 25%) with the highest coverage found in Gili Selang and Gili Mimpang in Candidasa, Karangasem regency.

 

Many plants have been introduced by humans within the last centuries, particularly since the 20th century, making it sometimes hard to distinguish what plants are really native.[citation needed] Among the larger trees the most common are: banyan trees, jackfruit, coconuts, bamboo species, acacia trees and also endless rows of coconuts and banana species. Numerous flowers can be seen: hibiscus, frangipani, bougainvillea, poinsettia, oleander, jasmine, water lily, lotus, roses, begonias, orchids and hydrangeas exist. On higher grounds that receive more moisture, for instance around Kintamani, certain species of fern trees, mushrooms and even pine trees thrive well. Rice comes in many varieties. Other plants with agricultural value include: salak, mangosteen, corn, kintamani orange, coffee and water spinach.

 

ENVIRONMENT

Some of the worst erosion has occurred in Lebih Beach, where up to 7 metres of land is lost every year. Decades ago, this beach was used for holy pilgrimages with more than 10,000 people, but they have now moved to Masceti Beach.

 

From ranked third in previous review, in 2010 Bali got score 99.65 of Indonesia's environmental quality index and the highest of all the 33 provinces. The score measured 3 water quality parameters: the level of total suspended solids (TSS), dissolved oxygen (DO) and chemical oxygen demand (COD).

 

Because of over-exploitation by the tourist industry which covers a massive land area, 200 out of 400 rivers on the island have dried up and based on research, the southern part of Bali would face a water shortage up to 2,500 litres of clean water per second by 2015. To ease the shortage, the central government plans to build a water catchment and processing facility at Petanu River in Gianyar. The 300 litres capacity of water per second will be channelled to Denpasar, Badung and Gianyar in 2013.

 

ECONOMY

Three decades ago, the Balinese economy was largely agriculture-based in terms of both output and employment. Tourism is now the largest single industry in terms of income, and as a result, Bali is one of Indonesia's wealthiest regions. In 2003, around 80% of Bali's economy was tourism related. By end of June 2011, non-performing loan of all banks in Bali were 2.23%, lower than the average of Indonesian banking industry non-performing loan (about 5%). The economy, however, suffered significantly as a result of the terrorist bombings 2002 and 2005. The tourism industry has since recovered from these events.

 

AGRICULTURE

Although tourism produces the GDP's largest output, agriculture is still the island's biggest employer; most notably rice cultivation. Crops grown in smaller amounts include fruit, vegetables, Coffea arabica and other cash and subsistence crops. Fishing also provides a significant number of jobs. Bali is also famous for its artisans who produce a vast array of handicrafts, including batik and ikat cloth and clothing, wooden carvings, stone carvings, painted art and silverware. Notably, individual villages typically adopt a single product, such as wind chimes or wooden furniture.

 

The Arabica coffee production region is the highland region of Kintamani near Mount Batur. Generally, Balinese coffee is processed using the wet method. This results in a sweet, soft coffee with good consistency. Typical flavours include lemon and other citrus notes. Many coffee farmers in Kintamani are members of a traditional farming system called Subak Abian, which is based on the Hindu philosophy of "Tri Hita Karana". According to this philosophy, the three causes of happiness are good relations with God, other people and the environment. The Subak Abian system is ideally suited to the production of fair trade and organic coffee production. Arabica coffee from Kintamani is the first product in Indonesia to request a Geographical Indication.

 

TOURISM

The tourism industry is primarily focused in the south, while significant in the other parts of the island as well. The main tourist locations are the town of Kuta (with its beach), and its outer suburbs of Legian and Seminyak (which were once independent townships), the east coast town of Sanur (once the only tourist hub), in the center of the island Ubud, to the south of the Ngurah Rai International Airport, Jimbaran, and the newer development of Nusa Dua and Pecatu.

 

The American government lifted its travel warnings in 2008. The Australian government issued an advice on Friday, 4 May 2012. The overall level of the advice was lowered to 'Exercise a high degree of caution'. The Swedish government issued a new warning on Sunday, 10 June 2012 because of one more tourist who was killed by methanol poisoning. Australia last issued an advice on Monday, 5 January 2015 due to new terrorist threats.

 

An offshoot of tourism is the growing real estate industry. Bali real estate has been rapidly developing in the main tourist areas of Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and Oberoi. Most recently, high-end 5 star projects are under development on the Bukit peninsula, on the south side of the island. Million dollar villas are being developed along the cliff sides of south Bali, commanding panoramic ocean views. Foreign and domestic (many Jakarta individuals and companies are fairly active) investment into other areas of the island also continues to grow. Land prices, despite the worldwide economic crisis, have remained stable.

 

In the last half of 2008, Indonesia's currency had dropped approximately 30% against the US dollar, providing many overseas visitors value for their currencies. Visitor arrivals for 2009 were forecast to drop 8% (which would be higher than 2007 levels), due to the worldwide economic crisis which has also affected the global tourist industry, but not due to any travel warnings.

 

Bali's tourism economy survived the terrorist bombings of 2002 and 2005, and the tourism industry has in fact slowly recovered and surpassed its pre-terrorist bombing levels; the longterm trend has been a steady increase of visitor arrivals. In 2010, Bali received 2.57 million foreign tourists, which surpassed the target of 2.0–2.3 million tourists. The average occupancy of starred hotels achieved 65%, so the island is still able to accommodate tourists for some years without any addition of new rooms/hotels, although at the peak season some of them are fully booked.

 

Bali received the Best Island award from Travel and Leisure in 2010. The island of Bali won because of its attractive surroundings (both mountain and coastal areas), diverse tourist attractions, excellent international and local restaurants, and the friendliness of the local people. According to BBC Travel released in 2011, Bali is one of the World's Best Islands, ranking second after Santorini, Greece.

 

In August 2010, the film Eat Pray Love was released in theatres. The movie was based on Elizabeth Gilbert's best-selling memoir Eat, Pray, Love. It took place at Ubud and Padang-Padang Beach at Bali. The 2006 book, which spent 57 weeks at the No. 1 spot on the New York Times paperback nonfiction best-seller list, had already fuelled a boom in Eat, Pray, Love-related tourism in Ubud, the hill town and cultural and tourist center that was the focus of Gilbert's quest for balance through traditional spirituality and healing that leads to love.

 

In January 2016, after music icon David Bowie died, it was revealed that in his will, Bowie asked for his ashes to be scattered in Bali, conforming to Buddhist rituals. He had visited and performed in a number of Southest Asian cities early in his career, including Bangkok and Singapore.

 

Since 2011, China has displaced Japan as the second-largest supplier of tourists to Bali, while Australia still tops the list. Chinese tourists increased by 17% from last year due to the impact of ACFTA and new direct flights to Bali. In January 2012, Chinese tourists year on year (yoy) increased by 222.18% compared to January 2011, while Japanese tourists declined by 23.54% yoy.

 

Bali reported that it has 2.88 million foreign tourists and 5 million domestic tourists in 2012, marginally surpassing the expectations of 2.8 million foreign tourists. Forecasts for 2013 are at 3.1 million.

 

Based on Bank Indonesia survey in May 2013, 34.39 percent of tourists are upper-middle class with spending between $1,286 to $5,592 and dominated by Australia, France, China, Germany and the US with some China tourists move from low spending before to higher spending currently. While 30.26 percent are middle class with spending between $662 to $1,285.

 

SEX TOURISM

In the twentieth century the incidence of tourism specifically for sex was regularly observed in the era of mass tourism in Indonesia In Bali, prostitution is conducted by both men and women. Bali in particular is notorious for its 'Kuta Cowboys', local gigolos targeting foreign female tourists.

 

Tens of thousands of single women throng the beaches of Bali in Indonesia every year. For decades, young Balinese men have taken advantage of the louche and laid-back atmosphere to find love and lucre from female tourists—Japanese, European and Australian for the most part—who by all accounts seem perfectly happy with the arrangement.

 

By 2013, Indonesia was reportedly the number one destination for Australian child sex tourists, mostly starting in Bali but also travelling to other parts of the country. The problem in Bali was highlighted by Luh Ketut Suryani, head of Psychiatry at Udayana University, as early as 2003. Surayani warned that a low level of awareness of paedophilia in Bali had made it the target of international paedophile organisations. On 19 February 2013, government officials announced measures to combat paedophilia in Bali.

 

TRANSPORTATION

The Ngurah Rai International Airport is located near Jimbaran, on the isthmus at the southernmost part of the island. Lt.Col. Wisnu Airfield is found in north-west Bali.

 

A coastal road circles the island, and three major two-lane arteries cross the central mountains at passes reaching to 1,750m in height (at Penelokan). The Ngurah Rai Bypass is a four-lane expressway that partly encircles Denpasar. Bali has no railway lines.

 

In December 2010 the Government of Indonesia invited investors to build a new Tanah Ampo Cruise Terminal at Karangasem, Bali with a projected worth of $30 million. On 17 July 2011 the first cruise ship (Sun Princess) anchored about 400 meters away from the wharf of Tanah Ampo harbour. The current pier is only 154 meters but will eventually be extended to 300–350 meters to accommodate international cruise ships. The harbour here is safer than the existing facility at Benoa and has a scenic backdrop of east Bali mountains and green rice fields. The tender for improvement was subject to delays, and as of July 2013 the situation remained unclear with cruise line operators complaining and even refusing to use the existing facility at Tanah Ampo.

 

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by two ministers, Bali's Governor and Indonesian Train Company to build 565 kilometres of railway along the coast around the island. As of July 2015, no details of this proposed railways have been released.

 

On 16 March 2011 (Tanjung) Benoa port received the "Best Port Welcome 2010" award from London's "Dream World Cruise Destination" magazine. Government plans to expand the role of Benoa port as export-import port to boost Bali's trade and industry sector. The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry has confirmed that 306 cruise liners are heading for Indonesia in 2013 – an increase of 43 percent compared to the previous year.

 

In May 2011, an integrated Areal Traffic Control System (ATCS) was implemented to reduce traffic jams at four crossing points: Ngurah Rai statue, Dewa Ruci Kuta crossing, Jimbaran crossing and Sanur crossing. ATCS is an integrated system connecting all traffic lights, CCTVs and other traffic signals with a monitoring office at the police headquarters. It has successfully been implemented in other ASEAN countries and will be implemented at other crossings in Bali.

 

On 21 December 2011 construction started on the Nusa Dua-Benoa-Ngurah Rai International Airport toll road which will also provide a special lane for motorcycles. This has been done by seven state-owned enterprises led by PT Jasa Marga with 60% of shares. PT Jasa Marga Bali Tol will construct the 9.91 kilometres toll road (totally 12.7 kilometres with access road). The construction is estimated to cost Rp.2.49 trillion ($273.9 million). The project goes through 2 kilometres of mangrove forest and through 2.3 kilometres of beach, both within 5.4 hectares area. The elevated toll road is built over the mangrove forest on 18,000 concrete pillars which occupied 2 hectares of mangroves forest. It compensated by new planting of 300,000 mangrove trees along the road. On 21 December 2011 the Dewa Ruci 450 meters underpass has also started on the busy Dewa Ruci junction near Bali Kuta Galeria with an estimated cost of Rp136 billion ($14.9 million) from the state budget. On 23 September 2013, the Bali Mandara Toll Road is opened and the Dewa Ruci Junction (Simpang Siur) underpass is opened before. Both are ease the heavy traffic congestion.

 

To solve chronic traffic problems, the province will also build a toll road connecting Serangan with Tohpati, a toll road connecting Kuta, Denpasar and Tohpati and a flyover connecting Kuta and Ngurah Rai Airport.

 

DEMOGRAPHICS

The population of Bali was 3,890,757 as of the 2010 Census; the latest estimate (for January 2014) is 4,225,384. There are an estimated 30,000 expatriates living in Bali.

 

ETHNIC ORIGINS

A DNA study in 2005 by Karafet et al. found that 12% of Balinese Y-chromosomes are of likely Indian origin, while 84% are of likely Austronesian origin, and 2% of likely Melanesian origin. The study does not correlate the DNA samples to the Balinese caste system.

 

CASTE SYSTEM

Bali has a caste system based on the Indian Hindu model, with four castes:

 

- Sudra (Shudra) – peasants constituting close to 93% of Bali's population.

- Wesia (Vaishyas) – the caste of merchants and administrative officials

- Ksatrias (Kshatriyas) – the kingly and warrior caste

- Brahmana (Bramhin) – holy men and priests

 

RELIGION

Unlike most of Muslim-majority Indonesia, about 83.5% of Bali's population adheres to Balinese Hinduism, formed as a combination of existing local beliefs and Hindu influences from mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia. Minority religions include Islam (13.3%), Christianity (1.7%), and Buddhism (0.5%). These figures do not include immigrants from other parts of Indonesia.

 

Balinese Hinduism is an amalgam in which gods and demigods are worshipped together with Buddhist heroes, the spirits of ancestors, indigenous agricultural deities and sacred places. Religion as it is practised in Bali is a composite belief system that embraces not only theology, philosophy, and mythology, but ancestor worship, animism and magic. It pervades nearly every aspect of traditional life. Caste is observed, though less strictly than in India. With an estimated 20,000 puras (temples) and shrines, Bali is known as the "Island of a Thousand Puras", or "Island of the Gods". This is refer to Mahabarata story that behind Bali became island of god or "pulau dewata" in Indonesian language.

 

Balinese Hinduism has roots in Indian Hinduism and Buddhism, and adopted the animistic traditions of the indigenous people. This influence strengthened the belief that the gods and goddesses are present in all things. Every element of nature, therefore, possesses its own power, which reflects the power of the gods. A rock, tree, dagger, or woven cloth is a potential home for spirits whose energy can be directed for good or evil. Balinese Hinduism is deeply interwoven with art and ritual. Ritualizing states of self-control are a notable feature of religious expression among the people, who for this reason have become famous for their graceful and decorous behaviour.

 

Apart from the majority of Balinese Hindus, there also exist Chinese immigrants whose traditions have melded with that of the locals. As a result, these Sino-Balinese not only embrace their original religion, which is a mixture of Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism and Confucianism, but also find a way to harmonise it with the local traditions. Hence, it is not uncommon to find local Sino-Balinese during the local temple's odalan. Moreover, Balinese Hindu priests are invited to perform rites alongside a Chinese priest in the event of the death of a Sino-Balinese. Nevertheless, the Sino-Balinese claim to embrace Buddhism for administrative purposes, such as their Identity Cards.

 

LANGUAGE

Balinese and Indonesian are the most widely spoken languages in Bali, and the vast majority of Balinese people are bilingual or trilingual. The most common spoken language around the tourist areas is Indonesian, as many people in the tourist sector are not solely Balinese, but migrants from Java, Lombok, Sumatra, and other parts of Indonesia. There are several indigenous Balinese languages, but most Balinese can also use the most widely spoken option: modern common Balinese. The usage of different Balinese languages was traditionally determined by the Balinese caste system and by clan membership, but this tradition is diminishing. Kawi and Sanskrit are also commonly used by some Hindu priests in Bali, for Hinduism literature was mostly written in Sanskrit.

 

English and Chinese are the next most common languages (and the primary foreign languages) of many Balinese, owing to the requirements of the tourism industry, as well as the English-speaking community and huge Chinese-Indonesian population. Other foreign languages, such as Japanese, Korean, French, Russian or German are often used in multilingual signs for foreign tourists.

 

CULTURE

Bali is renowned for its diverse and sophisticated art forms, such as painting, sculpture, woodcarving, handcrafts, and performing arts. Balinese cuisine is also distinctive. Balinese percussion orchestra music, known as gamelan, is highly developed and varied. Balinese performing arts often portray stories from Hindu epics such as the Ramayana but with heavy Balinese influence. Famous Balinese dances include pendet, legong, baris, topeng, barong, gong keybar, and kecak (the monkey dance). Bali boasts one of the most diverse and innovative performing arts cultures in the world, with paid performances at thousands of temple festivals, private ceremonies, or public shows.

 

The Hindu New Year, Nyepi, is celebrated in the spring by a day of silence. On this day everyone stays at home and tourists are encouraged to remain in their hotels. On the day before New Year, large and colourful sculptures of ogoh-ogoh monsters are paraded and finally burned in the evening to drive away evil spirits. Other festivals throughout the year are specified by the Balinese pawukon calendrical system.

 

Celebrations are held for many occasions such as a tooth-filing (coming-of-age ritual), cremation or odalan (temple festival). One of the most important concepts that Balinese ceremonies have in common is that of désa kala patra, which refers to how ritual performances must be appropriate in both the specific and general social context. Many of the ceremonial art forms such as wayang kulit and topeng are highly improvisatory, providing flexibility for the performer to adapt the performance to the current situation. Many celebrations call for a loud, boisterous atmosphere with lots of activity and the resulting aesthetic, ramé, is distinctively Balinese. Often two or more gamelan ensembles will be performing well within earshot, and sometimes compete with each other to be heard. Likewise, the audience members talk amongst themselves, get up and walk around, or even cheer on the performance, which adds to the many layers of activity and the liveliness typical of ramé.

 

Kaja and kelod are the Balinese equivalents of North and South, which refer to ones orientation between the island's largest mountain Gunung Agung (kaja), and the sea (kelod). In addition to spatial orientation, kaja and kelod have the connotation of good and evil; gods and ancestors are believed to live on the mountain whereas demons live in the sea. Buildings such as temples and residential homes are spatially oriented by having the most sacred spaces closest to the mountain and the unclean places nearest to the sea.

 

Most temples have an inner courtyard and an outer courtyard which are arranged with the inner courtyard furthest kaja. These spaces serve as performance venues since most Balinese rituals are accompanied by any combination of music, dance and drama. The performances that take place in the inner courtyard are classified as wali, the most sacred rituals which are offerings exclusively for the gods, while the outer courtyard is where bebali ceremonies are held, which are intended for gods and people. Lastly, performances meant solely for the entertainment of humans take place outside the walls of the temple and are called bali-balihan. This three-tiered system of classification was standardised in 1971 by a committee of Balinese officials and artists to better protect the sanctity of the oldest and most sacred Balinese rituals from being performed for a paying audience.

 

Tourism, Bali's chief industry, has provided the island with a foreign audience that is eager to pay for entertainment, thus creating new performance opportunities and more demand for performers. The impact of tourism is controversial since before it became integrated into the economy, the Balinese performing arts did not exist as a capitalist venture, and were not performed for entertainment outside of their respective ritual context. Since the 1930s sacred rituals such as the barong dance have been performed both in their original contexts, as well as exclusively for paying tourists. This has led to new versions of many of these performances which have developed according to the preferences of foreign audiences; some villages have a barong mask specifically for non-ritual performances as well as an older mask which is only used for sacred performances.

 

Balinese society continues to revolve around each family's ancestral village, to which the cycle of life and religion is closely tied. Coercive aspects of traditional society, such as customary law sanctions imposed by traditional authorities such as village councils (including "kasepekang", or shunning) have risen in importance as a consequence of the democratisation and decentralisation of Indonesia since 1998.

 

WIKIPEDIA

Igreja Nossa Senhora das Dores, Porto Alegre/RS - Brasil.

 

É a igreja mais antiga da cidade ainda existente, tendo sua pedra fundamental lançada em 2 de fevereiro de 1807. Em meados de 1813 já estava concluída a capela-mor, e em 23 de junho deste ano foi trasladada a imagem de Nossa Senhora das Dores da antiga Matriz até a sua nova casa.

 

O corpo do edifício até 1846 estava ainda limitado à capela-mor, quando o Luís Alves de Lima e Silva destinou-lhe quatro contos de réis para início da construção da nave. Com as paredes erguidas por volta de 1857, João do Couto e Silva instalou o telhado e terminou a fachada (ainda sem revestimento) e a abóbada, terminando esta etapa em 1860. Como o projeto inicial fora alterado, uma comissão foi constituída em 1863 para realizar as necessárias correções, supervisionadas por Luiz Vieira Ferreira e concluídas em 1866. O templo foi então consagrado em 10 de maio de 1868 por Dom Sebastião Dias Laranjeira. A escadaria monumental defronte só seria terminada em 1873, sendo que o acesso anteriormente se dava pela rua Riachuelo, atrás da igreja.

 

Até o fim do século XIX o edifício não recebera revestimento nem possuía torres, e então a comunidade reuniu forças para os arremates necessários. O projeto original em estilo barroco colonial, já desfigurado, foi definitivamente abandonado, e encomendou-se um novo do arquiteto Júlio Weise, que traçou uma fachada em estilo eclético com influência germânica, onde se incluíram três esculturas do artista João Vicente Friedrichs, representando a Fé, a Esperança e a Caridade, mais um frontão em baixo-relevo.

 

As obras só foram terminadas em 1904. Segundo a lenda, a demora na sua conclusão ocorreu devido à maldição de um escravo, condenado à forca injustamente pela acusação do roubo de um colar da imagem de Nossa Senhora. Contudo, o historiador Sérgio da Costa Franco alega que a história é falsa, e a condenação do dito escravo ocorreu em virtude de um assassinato.

 

Foi tombada e declarada patrimônio histórico e artístico nacional em 1938, sendo a única igreja de Porto Alegre tombada em nível nacional, sob fiscalização do IPHAN.

Hôtel de ville de Paris

 

Période ou styleNéorenaissance

TypeHôtel de ville

ArchitecteThéodore Ballu

Édouard Deperthes

Date de construction1357,

1533,

1874-1882

Destination actuelleMairie de Paris

Géographie

Pays France

RégionÎle-de-France

LocalitéParis

Localisation

Coordonnées48° 51′ 23″ Nord 2° 21′ 08″ Est

Géolocalisation sur la carte : Paris

 

L'hôtel de ville de Paris héberge les institutions municipales de Paris depuis 1357, et est situé dans le 4e arrondissement.

Ce site est desservi par les stations de métro Hôtel de Ville et Châtelet.

 

Ancien Hôtel de ville et place de grève vers 1583 par Theodor Josef Hubert Hoffbauer.

Étienne Marcel fait l'acquisition de la « Maison aux Piliers » au nom de la municipalité en juillet 1357. C'est là que, depuis lors, se dresse le centre des institutions municipales de Paris.

La « Maison aux Piliers » est remplacée au xvie siècle par un véritable palais dessiné par l'architecte italien Boccador. Sa construction débute en 1533 et s'achève en 1628. D'après les plans de Godde et Lesueur l'agrandissement et la reconstruction partielle de l'hôtel-de-ville a été menée de 1837 et 1848 tout en préservant la façade Renaissance. Antoine Vivenel, entrepreneur général, dirigeait le chantier.

 

Ancien Hôtel de ville après l'incendie de 1871.

Pendant la Commune de Paris, l'incendie déclenché par un groupe de communards le 24 mai 1871 réduit le palais en cendres. Les archives et la bibliothèque partent donc également en fumée. Ainsi, les deux collections de l'état civil parisien (celle de la ville et celle du greffe) antérieur à 1860 sont à jamais perdues : la première dans l'incendie de l'Hôtel de ville et la seconde dans celui du Palais de Justice.

Le bâtiment est reconstruit entre 1874 et 1882 sur les plans des architectes Théodore Ballu et Édouard Deperthes. La façade, de style néorenaissance, s'inspire largement de celle du bâtiment disparu.

 

l'Hôtel de Ville au début du xxe siècle.

La place de Grève, rebaptisée place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville le 19 mars 1803, est devenue en 1982 un espace réservé aux piétons.

Paris ayant connu diverses insurrections, l'Hôtel de ville fut souvent le point de ralliement d'émeutiers, insurgés et révolutionnaires. D'Étienne Marcel à la Fronde, de la Révolution aux journées révolutionnaires de juillet 1830 et février 1848, de la Commune à la Libération de Paris, l'Hôtel de ville est un lieu chargé d'histoire (voir l'article Chronologie de Paris).

Lieu de pouvoir où siège le conseil de Paris et de prestige où sont reçus les hôtes du maire, l'Hôtel de Ville est le plus grand bâtiment municipal en Europe. Jusqu'en 1977, l'actuel bureau du maire (155 m2) était celui occupé par le préfet de Paris. Le maire disposait à l'origine d'un appartement de fonction de 1 400 m2, en partie transformé en crèche.

 

ESPAGNOL

 

Ayuntamiento de París

  

Fachada del Ayuntamiento de París.

El Ayuntamiento de París (Hôtel de Ville de Paris, en francés) alberga las instituciones del gobierno municipal de París. El mismo se ubica frente a la Plaza del Ayuntamiento (Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, anteriormente llamada Place de Grève) en el IV Distrito de la ciudad. Ha albergado el ayuntamiento de París desde 1357; Actualmente se utiliza para múltiples propósitos: aloja la administración de la ciudad, allí tiene su despacho el alcalde de París (desde 1977), y también se utiliza para brindar grandes recepciones. En los últimos años, la Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville se ha engalanado en gran parte de primavera y verano con un "jardín efímero", en el que el Ayuntamiento instala miles de especies vegetales además de un hermoso estanque con sus respectivas especies de plantas, sin embargo, en 2009 no hubo estanque.

Índice [ocultar]

1 Historia

2 Véase también

3 Galería fotográfica

4 Enlaces externos

Historia[editar · editar código]

 

Historia Etienne Marcel adquirió la "Casa de las Columnas" en nombre del municipio en julio de 1357 . Aquí es donde, desde entonces, se encuentra el centro administrativo de París, las instituciones municipales. La "Casa de las Columnas" se sustituye en el siglo XVI por un palacio diseñado por el arquitecto italiano Boccador . Su construcción comenzó en 1533 y terminó en 1628 . Las ampliaciones se añadieron entre 1836 y 1850 conservando la fachada renacentista. Durante la Comuna de París , el incendio provocado por un grupo de comuneros en 1871 redujo a cenizas el palacio. Los archivos y la biblioteca de la ciudad sufrieron el mismo trágico suceso. Ambas colecciones vitales de París anteriores a 1860 (documentos de la ciudad y el registro) se perdieron para siempre, los primeros en un incendio en el Ayuntamiento y el segundo en el palacio de justicia . El edificio fue reconstruido entre 1874 y 1882 sobre los planes de los arquitectos Teodoro Ballu y Edouard Deperthes . La fachada de estilo neo-renacentista , se basa en gran medida de la del edificio desaparecido.

Ayuntamiento a principios de la xx º siglo . La plaza de Greve , rebautizada como la Place de l'Hotel de Ville de 19 de marzo 1803 , se ha convertido en un espacio peatonal desde 1982 . París ha sido objeto de varias insurrecciones, el ayuntamiento era a menudo el punto focal de los motines, los rebeldes y los revolucionarios. Desde Etienne Marcel en la Fronda , la Revolución de julio 1830 y febrero 1848 , la Comuna a la liberación de París , el ayuntamiento es un lugar cargado de historia. Lugar donde se asienta el ayuntamiento de París es de gran prestigio, es donde los huéspedes son recibidos por el Alcalde, el Ayuntamiento también se ha convertido en un espacio para exposiciones, es el edificio municipal más grande de Europa. Hasta 1977, la oficina del alcalde fue ocupado por el prefecto de París, que mide 155 metros cuadrados. El alcalde tuvo originalmente una vivienda oficial de 1400 metros cuadrados, en parte transformado en vivero.

Fachada del Ayuntamiento La fachada principal está decorada con las personas importantes de la ciudad de París, artistas, académicos, políticos, industriales, cuyos nombres se representó en la fachada en orden alfabético 1 : Jean le Rond d'Alembert Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville Antoine Arnauld Jean Sylvain Bailly Claude Ballin Antoine-Louis Barye Pierre-Jean de Beranger Pierre-Antoine Berryer Jean-Baptiste Biot Nicolas Boileau Etienne Boileau Louis Antoine de Bougainville André-Charles Boulle Guillaume Budé Jean Bullant Armand-Gaston Camus Godofredo Cavaignac Jean Siméon Chardin Alexis Claude Clairaut Paul-Louis Courier Charles-François Daubigny Jacques Louis David Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps Eugene Delacroix Paul Delaroche Ambroise Firmin-Didot Charles Dumoulin Henri Estienne Jean Bernard Leon Foucault Marie-Therese Rodet Geoffrin Jean Goujon Aquiles Harlay Marie-Jean Hérault de Séchelles Fernando Herold Víctor Jacquemont Nicolas Lancret Antoine Lavoisier Domingo de Cortona Charles Le Brun Henri-Louis Cain André Le Nôtre Pierre Lescot La piedra Estoile Eustache Le Sueur Nicolás Malebranche Mansart Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux Jules Michelet François Miron Mathieu Molé Pierre de Montereau Alfred de Musset Jean-Nicolas Pache Étienne Pasquier Charles Perrault Jean-Rodolphe Perronet Louis-Benoît Picard Jean-Baptiste Pigalle Germain Pilon Philippe Quinault Jean-Francois Regnard Henri Victor Regnault Se trata de Henri Regnault 1843-1871 Richelieu Manon Roland Théodore Rousseau Antoine-Isaac Silvestre de Sacy Rouvroy Luis, duque de Saint-Simon Henri Sauval Eugene Scribe Jean-Michel Sedaine Madame de Stael Eugenio Sue François-Joseph Talma Jacques-Auguste de Thou Anne Hilarion de Costentin Tourville Horace Vernet Abel-François Villemain Eugène Viollet-le-Duc Voltaire Molière En la plaza, se encuentran dos estatuas de bronce, alegorías de las Arte realizada por Laurent Marqueste y las Ciencias por Jules Blanchard .

El salón de baile del Hotel de Ville en París.

El salón de baile del Hotel de Ville en París, fue diseñado como una réplica "republicana" Salón de los Espejos de Versalles, construida dos siglos antes. Después de haber sido quemados durante la Comuna de París (1871), el Ayuntamiento fue reconstruido en estilo renacentista, durante la Tercera República. Los frescos de los arcos del salón de baile del Hotel son las dieciséis provincias de Francia. Fueron realizadas por cuatro pintores: Jean Joseph Weerts , Ehrmann François-Émile , Milliet Pablo y Fernando Humberto. Arcos del Norte por Jean Weerts José: - Flandes - Picardía Arcos del Este por François-Emile Ehrmann: - Baya - Champán - Bretaña - Borgoña - Auvernia - Lorena Arcos del Sur por Paul Milliet: - Normandía - Condado de Niza Arcos al oeste por Fernando Humbert: - Argelia - Lyon - Languedoc - Gascuña - Provenza - Guayana Algunas provincias francesas que no están incluidas como las de Franche-Comté y el Lemosín . Además, la Alsacia anexada a Alemania en 1871 (recuperada en 1919 por el Tratado de Versalles ) está ausente; mientras que Argelia anexionó a Francia en 1830 (abandonó la República en 1961 por el referéndum sobre la autodeterminación ) está presente en el Salón de Baile.

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view on black

youtu.be/uKLkJJ3ftIw

Icons of Sound: Cappella Romana in a virtual Hagia Sophia -

Cherubic Hymn in Mode 1

Stanford's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics and the Art & Art History Department

iconsofsound.stanford.edu/

 

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photo:

Hagia Sophia

Ayasofya, Fatih, Istanbul

Αγία Σοφία (Κωνσταντινούπολη)

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia

ayasofyamuzesi.gov.tr/en

www.hagiasophia.com/

www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/istanbul-hagia-sophia

www.byzantium1200.com/hagia.html

www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/a-monumental-struggle-to-pr...

www.doaks.org/library-archives/icfa/moving-image-collecti...

   

Reach #islandparadise; Everything is there to have fun!

Watch the beautiful scenery; sitting on the edge of Infinity pool with your beloved one drinking your favorite #cocktails!

Everything from #DJparties, #poolparties, #restaurants, #beanbags, #sunset point to #SlideandFly adventurous activities. A perfect all-in-one holiday destination in #KohSamui

 

This fall 2016, the NYC DOT Art Program and New York Cares partnered for the thirteenth round of Barrier Beautification to present “Destination,” designed by Frank Parga. The artwork, presented on barriers located along a protected bike lane on South Street between Pike Slip and Clinton Street in Manhattan, features an astronaut traveling through outer space. Although space may seem daunting and mysterious, this astronaut is comfortable with his or her journey as they proceed “forward” along South Street. With the assistance of NYC Department of Sanitation, the Midtown Community Court Justice system on priming day and the support of 25 New York Cares volunteers on design implementation day, the mural was installed along 700 linear feet of barrier surface.

 

NYCDOT Art Program, Barrier Beautification

“Destination” by Frank Parga

In partnership with New York Cares

South Street between Pike Slip and Clinton Street, Manhattan

www.nyc.gov/dotart

www.newyorkcares.org

 

unknown destination : Marcinelle

Tech specs: Canon 40D (aperture priority F6.3, ISO 200) + a Canon 180mm L macro lens with an 81A warming filter. No flash and hand held using a piece of cane to steady the lens ("hillbilly monopod").

Below are great tips:

Tip 1: 10 Bucket-List Honeymoon Ideas

 

What better time to take your dream trip than on your honeymoon?

  

From exploring ancient ruins to riding an elephant to never even leaving your hotel room, we’ve got 10 ideas to get you inspired.

Click below:

  

Tip 2: Get great ideas ...

 

www.lifecleansing.net/honeymoon/

Please note; All images are copyright and must not be re posted or water marks removed as it is illegal.

# Always ask for my permission before using any of my image.

© All rights reserved by Syful Islam Rony

ronysyful@yahoo.com

01911577175

For the most part destinations Air France didn't want.. Mind you looking at some of those places it would have been a good airline to work for as a pilot or FA.. Tahiti, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, Muscat, Abidjan, Libreville, Bamako, San Francisco and Sydney.. lots of nice places with beautiful beaches and an interesting cultural overlay.

Visit to the Zeppelin Museum, Fredrikshaven

P1030177

Kayaked to a small seasonal beach on the napali coast. Kauai Hawaii

341, a drop centre tram with Bardon as its destination

 

"The narrative of New York is a story worth telling. Our rich treasures of history and culture make the Empire State one of the premiere destinations for heritage tourists from around the world." - Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo

 

On August 28, as part of a bold initiative called "Path Through History" (PTH) Governor Cuomo convened over 200 stewards of history from throughout the state (including 2 from Rye - myself and PTH Task Force Co-Chair, Harold Holzer.) His challenge to all of us? Work together as regions to raise the profile of some of our most eloquent and majestic cultural treasures. From Dutchess County to Niagara, we were grouped by our localities and then asked to brainstorm about how to best increase heritage tourism in our towns.

 

Our landmark gathering began early in the morning with backstage tours of ongoing capital projects at the Capitol from 8:30 to 10:00am followed by a warm welcome from Mark Schaming, Holzer's fellow Co-Chair of the PTH Task Force and the Director of the NYS Museum.

 

Little did we know we were already on our own new path through history. Our group was guided through the freshly renovated Hall of Governors with its crisp new timeline of milestones in New York's history. Smartly annotated exhibit cases line the corridor and contain rarely seen parchment documents related to our state's founding and evolution as a great power. Holzer, who is also Senior Vice President of External Affairs of the Metropolitan Museum of Art served as an advisor to this well-curated project. One of Governor Cuomo's first acts in office was to reopen this venue to the public which had been closed off from view since 1995. What a bonanza this is for history and art lovers! Each vaulted space could be a stand-alone museum so rich are these rooms - just the paintings, sculptures and decorative details alone rival any other collection in the world. Of greatest interest to Rye residents? A number of portraits of former governors that were missing from the collection were restored and installed, including a painting of Rye's most famous son and New York's second Governor John Jay (1795 - 1801.)

 

We lingered appreciatively in the refurbished Red Room and the "War Room" and the Executive Chamber Suite enjoying the brighter colors and newly labeled artifacts. We also got a hard hat tour of the elaborately carved sandstone Senate staircase in the Capitol now undergoing cleaning and restoration. It was fascinating to compare "before and afters" with a tour of the completed 1879 Assembly staircase with its red and gold stenciling and etched skylight.

 

The day sped by. Our tours were followed by two inspiring talks with brainstorming sessions and a collegial lunch in between. Historian Ken Jackson gave a fabulous opening address expertly demonstrating that the thread of New York's history is very much the same chronology of America's watershed moments (baseball fans have to agree!) He emphasized that we need to make our state's stories vital and fun for today's generations. So much of US history was New York's history first but other sites are doing a better job of promoting theirs. Harold Holzer underscored the theme that NY History is also at the core of America's history - he reminded us that even a young man from Illinois credited the great state of New York with his election victory: US history's trajectory changed after Lincoln delivered a pivotal speech at Cooper Union in Manhattan coupled with an indelibly popular photo of the president-to-be that was taken by New Yorker, Matthew Brady (who would later create one of the greatest pictorial records of the Civil War with his camera.)

 

Participants yesterday hailed from 10 regions in the State - Western NY, Finger Lakes, Central New York, Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley, Capital Region, North Country, Mid-Hudson, New York City, and Long Island. As President of the Jay Heritage Center, I attended to participate in Mid-Hudson region breakout discussions and advocate inclusion of the National Historic Landmarks on Westchester's historic Long Island Sound. The prevailing buzz from everyone's lips was teamwork and collaboration - all of these very passionate academics, volunteers and educators are eager to meet again and help refine and support this new strategic plan that includes incorporating innovate technology like smart apps and social media into travel itineraries. Governor Cuomo took our positive buzz and turned it into applause with a 1 million dollar announcement that each of the ten regions would receive 100,000 in marketing funds to fuel their creative efforts.

 

In a concluding reception at the Governor's mansion, we exchanged business cards, Twitter and Facebook accounts and also had the chance to meet and share our ideas with the Governor and members of the PTH Task Force face to face. I made new friends from the USS Slater Destroyer Escort Historical Museum on the Hudson River and we talked about preserving NY's naval history; I loved hearing the directors at Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz talk about the importance of documenting the histories of families something we are doing as well. I shared ideas about making historic buildings energy efficient with Michael Hall from the Wings of Eagles Discovery Center in Horseheads. And one of my favorite new contacts is Janet Burnet with the Hudson Watershed Alliance - I can't wait to show her our schedule of sustainable landscape programs. I was proud to invite them all to our historic landmarks in Rye and proud that our town has such an incredible resource in Harold Holzer.

 

If it sounds like something you wish you had been to, don't despair! The Hall of Governors is online at www.hallofgovernors.ny.gov/ and you can hear Harold Holzer speak at the Jay Heritage Center on Sunday October 21 at 3:00pm about "The Image of the Emancipation Proclamation." His talk is free as part of our continuing commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War in New York and kicks off an exhibit about the complicated and contradictory story of the Jay Family and their anti-slavery efforts.

 

Lastly I do urge you to follow NY's Path Through History - make a stop outside Westchester at one of the places I mentioned above. And if you haven't seen us yet, please come to our own historic jewelbox in Rye - the place where the architect of both NY State's Constitution and the NY Gradual Emancipation Act grew up - the place where John Jay chose to celebrate the end of the Revolutionary War on Westchester's historic Long Island Sound. Bring your family and walk the paths he walked with his. Explore the 10,000 year old landscape that shaped a young boy into one of America's greatest jurists and peacemakers. - Suzanne Clary, President, Jay Heritage Center

 

Postscript - The Jay Estate was added to NY State's Path Through History in 2014 as part of a Civil Rights themed tour. New Yorkers have been proud to be at the forefront of Civil Rights advocacy but the struggle for equality continues to be challenging. Jay's efforts to abolish slavery began in 1777 and culminated in his signing of the Gradual Emancipation Act in 1799 though he himself still enslaved individuals through 1810. His sons Peter Augustus Jay and William Jay continued his work - Peter Augustus argued for voting rights for freed Black Americans but was overruled. Signs installed on the Hutchinson River Parkway and US Route 1 help direct visitors and school groups to our site where they can learn more about our nation's complicated heritage and ongoing struggle for equity.

 

Photo Credit - Jay Heritage Center Archives

 

Jay Heritage Center

210 Boston Post Road

Rye, NY 10580

(914) 698-9275

Email: jayheritagecenter@gmail.com

 

Follow and like us on:

 

Twitter @jayheritage

Facebook www.facebook.com/jayheritagecenter

Pinterest www.pinterest.com/jaycenter

YouTube www.youtube.com/channel/UChWImnsJrBAi2Xzjn8vR54w

www.jayheritagecenter.org

  

It's the most significant holiday a couple is likely to take, but after the stress of planning a wedding, deciding on a honeymoon destination can be a draining task. Find the best Honeymoon Destinations in UK.

I bought this blind to potentially fit into my 299A as and when the mood takes me - it's quite short and I've had fun matching destinations to suitable service numbers. It's interesting to note that 'Huddersfield' is missing, so that dates it to after December 1970, when the 160 service was withdrawn. Even so, David Beilby's excellent website at davidbeilby.zenfolio.com/p736418574 shows two photos of Bristol RESL buses like mine on the 160.

 

It also doesn't feature Bradford or Halifax, leading one to suspect that it could even be an early SELNEC (Cheshire) blind - but in this case I'm intrigued that the blind still has the little 'O over E' marker next to each destination, that I would have expected SELNEC to have done away with at the first opportunity.

"It's the journey, not the destination!"

Experience an exclusive resort, the Ritz Carlton Residence Club in San Francisco with great location, outstanding amenities and perfect service. For more info visit us at Destination Club

  

Cannery Row, made famous by John Steinbeck, brings in multitudes of visitors.

 

This image was taken with a Pentax 6 X 7 medium format film camera with a Super-Multi-Coated Takumar/6X7 1:3.5/55mm lens using Fujicolor Pro 400-H film, scanned by an Epson Perfection V600 and digitally rendered with Photoshop.

Halifax Transit 2008 New Flyer D40LF #1132 doing route 41 Bridge Terminal with a broke destination sign.

Engine: Cummins ISL

Transmission: Allison B400R6

Garage: Ragged Lake

Torquay - nearly 100km away from Melbourne, is one of the popular holiday destinations for Victorian.

 

Photo taken at the carpark entrance of Point Danger

 

Torquay距離墨爾本市區西南方約一百公里遠

很優閒, 夏天很適合玩水及衝浪的地方...

 

好像感覺澳洲都很優閒 XD

met this great couple and gorgeous pooch in fernandina . they were sailing from north carolina to the florida keys . i just wanted to grab that dogs face n squish it .

Starfish or clam, where would you sit? As designed by Wildflowers Bahamas.

Holiday Greetings from the Houston Heights

 

2010 Houston Heights Association Holiday Home Tour

 

Six inviting homes go on tour in one of areaâs top destinations

 

Celebrate the holidays with a stroll through one of Houstonâs most delightful neighborhoods and take in the 2010 Houston Heights Association Holiday Home Tour, themed Holiday Greetings from the Houston Heights. The owners of six distinctive homes will be opening their doors to Tour goers Friday, December 3, 6:00 p.m. â 9:00 p.m., and Saturday, December 4, 3:00 p.m. â 9:00 p.m.

 

Each year, Tour homes reflect the rich architectural tradition of the Houston Heights, which maintains its small-town feel while located in one of the nationâs largest cities. This yearâs tour includes a 1903 Dutch Colonial-style home on the National Register of Historic Places; a Queen Anne farmhouse built in 1897; a 1915 Queen Anne cottage that will be showing off its recently completed makeover and period antiques; and three recently constructed homes, including a stunningly transformed Colonial-style bungalow rescued from neglect.

 

Tour homes will be dressed in holiday finery, and docents will be on duty to point out the rich history, architecture, distinctive features and decorations of each home.

 

A STROLL THROUGH HOUSTON HEIGHTS

 

The whole neighborhood will be buzzing with excitement and holiday celebration. Come early, enjoy a stroll along the tree-lined streets, and take in the antiques and vintage clothing shops, art galleries, eclectic boutiques, coffee shops and world-class restaurants.

 

Houston Heights Womanâs Club will present a Victorian Holiday Market at the Heights Fire Station where they will be selling hand-crafted items and light refreshments. Donât miss the opportunity to buy tickets for the annual drawing for a beautiful quilt, lovingly made by the members to benefit the clubâs philanthropic endeavors. Membership information will be available, Saturday, December 4, 1:00 p.m. â 9:00 p.m. Mistletoe Madness is a great chance to âEat, drink, shop & be merry!â Experience the live entertainment while visiting the many shops, restaurants and galleries in the area, Saturday, Noon - 6:00 p.m. First Saturday Arts Market will be set up at 548 W. 19th Street, the perfect venue to view original art, featuring artists from Houston and around the state; and Pet Adoptions on Heights Boulevard will have the perfect furry friend to take home.

 

HOUSTON HEIGHTS is the fabulous and festive destination of the season!

 

National Geographic Traveler recently said that the Houston Heights âflourishes as a destination for foodies, architecture buffs, and creative types (the neighborhood is said to be home to the highest concentration of professional artists in the state).â

 

HOME TOUR TICKETS:

 

Advance tickets are $20 and will be available online at www.houstonheights.org and at several Houston Heights locations including Heights Antiques on Yale, Buchananâs Native Plants, Bliss on 19th, The Artful Corner, Philâs Texas Barbecue and Waldoâs Coffee House.

 

Tickets purchased on Tour days are $25 for all six homes or $5 for each individual home and will be available at the Heights Fire Station at 107 W. 12th and Yale Streets, and at each home tour home. Tickets purchased online may be picked up at the will-call booth at the Fire Station during the tour.

 

Holiday Bundle Special!

 

Ten tickets for $175 can be purchased online only at www.houstonheights.org until noon, December 2, 2010.

 

Shuttle buses

 

Free shuttle buses will operate during the tour on both Friday and Saturday. Patrons may board the buses at stops located at each home and at the Fire Station, located at 107 W. 12th and Yale.

 

For More Information

 

For directions to the Fire Station and for more information about the 2010 Houston Heights Association Holiday Home Tour, please visit www.houstonheights.org or call the Houston Heights Association at 713-861-4002, Ext. 7.

 

Proceeds from the Houston Heights Association Holiday Home Tour are used to maintain Marmion Park, Donovan Park, and the Heights Boulevard esplanade park. Among its many missions, the Houston Heights Association operates and maintains the historic Heights Fire Station at 12th and Yale as a community venue, supports local schools with grants, scholarships and projects, and fills hundreds of food baskets around the holidays for the needy.

Submitted by Lin112233.

Porteau Cove Provincial Park is a stunning coastal destination located along the Sea to Sky Highway (Highway 99), about 38 km north of Vancouver, British Columbia. Nestled on the eastern shore of Howe Sound—the southernmost fjord in North America—this park is a favorite for both locals and travelers seeking a scenic escape.

 

🌲 Highlights of Porteau Cove

Camping: The park offers 44 drive-in and 16 walk-in campsites, many of which are waterfront with breathtaking views of the mountains and ocean.

 

Scuba Diving: It's a top diving spot with artificial reefs and sunken vessels that attract marine life.

 

Marine Life: You might spot seals, porpoises, otters, and even whales during the right season.

 

Activities: Ideal for kayaking, canoeing, windsurfing, and stargazing. The beach is rocky but great for tidepooling and photography.

 

Accessibility: Close enough to Vancouver for a day trip, yet remote enough to feel like a true getaway.

  

Thank you for your visit and any faves or comments are always greatly appreciated!

 

~Sonja

Spent part of Thanksgiving hiking the Garry Fen Trail near Loch Garry

 

glengarrytrails.com/map/