Brussels, pronounced Bruxelles in French and Brussel in Dutch is the capital of Belgium. The French and Dutch names spring from the dual-language folklore of the country it stands for. While the city might seem to be the mingling point of variant cultures and languages, Brussels still has a unique character that leaves room for it to be explored thoroughly by sociologists and voyagers alike. The population of the conurbation goes up to as much as...more
The Ica stones are a collection of stones allegedly discovered in a cave near Ica, Peru. These stones of various sizes have been etched with astounding scenes. The stones depict open-heart surgery, brain transplants, cesarean sections, telescopes, ancient maps, flying machines, extinct animals and men with dinosaurs. Some claim the Ica Stones are an ancient library left by a lost culture. Others say they are a hoax. These andesite stones call...more
Your Ica Peru vacation is located about 300 kilometers from Lima. Ica city was founded in 1563 by Luis Jerónimo de Cabrera and the area was host to several ancient cultures, including Paracas, Wari, Nasca and Ica, dating back some 10,000 years.Spanish occupation left behind beautiful colonial architecture, with the Cathedral of Ica being the most impressive. Ica is where the famous pisco brandy was spawned, being made from white-grapes and is the most important ingredient in Peru's national drink, the Pisco Sour. The many vineyards in the area produce several excellent types of wine and pisco.Activities and sight-seeing opportunities abound for your Ica Peru vacation. Flights over the Nazca Lines are offered in the city for those who don't wish to travel to Nazca. The Museo Regional has several pre-Colombian exhibits, including mummies with elongated heads, war trophies, gold ornaments and pottery. At the Plaza de Armas (Main Square) there is an unusual museum of controversial Ica stones. This is a collection of some 15,000 stones that are engraved with depictions of humans with dinosaurs, extinct species of fish, ancient maps, astronomy and open-heart surgery. Critics claim the...more
Chan Chan city is located near Trujillo on the north coast of Peru. It was the capital of the Chimú kingdom from AD 850 until 1470 when the Incas, lead by Tupac Inca Yupanqui, conquered them. According to legend, Tacaynamo (also called Chimu Capac) was the founder of Chan Chan who came from the sea by canoe. Chan Chan is the largest adobe city in...more
The Nazca Lines Mystery involves the most outstanding group of geoglyphs in the world that show huge outlines of over 70 animals, insects and human creatures, with hundreds of lines and geometric patterns etched into the surface of the desert. Located between the towns of Nazca and Palpa, the Nazca Lines cover a plateau across 53 miles. Some of the...more
An ancient structure called Kuelap may have inspired the beginning of the movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark." The novel tells us that Indiana Jones was looking for the Temple of the Chachapoyan Warriors in the Andes of Northern Peru. The Chachapoyans, which means "People of the Clouds," did exist and have left behind scores of ruins; most notably Kuelap "The Fortress of the Clouds."A couple of hours from Chachapoyas city lies the fortress at 9,843 feet above sea level overlooking the Utcubamba Valley. This pre-Inca walled city is presumed to have taken over 200 years to build and millions of cubic feet of stone. Its size is enormously impressive at about 1,968 feet in length and 361 feet in width with walls reaching 60 feet high, making Kuelap one of the largest stone structures in South America and the world. An estimated 100,000 stone blocks compose the outer two defensive walls, which weigh an estimated 10,000 tons. Construction began in the 6th century AD and was occupied until the Early Colonial period (1532-1570).This ancient structure was made known to the outside world in 1843 when Chachapoyan Juan Crisostomo Nieto made a survey of the site. Afterwards, people like Adolf...more
In 1911 Hiram Bingham of Yale University rediscovered ancient Machu Picchu buried under four centuries of lush vegetation. Machu Picchu is located at almost 8,000 feet high in the Andes mountains outside of Cuzco, Peru and just above the town Aguas...more
Exploring Choquequirao takes about a two day's hike from the town of Cachora outside of Cuzco city. Choquequirao, or "cradle of gold" in the Inca language Quechua, is located almost 1750 meters above the raging Apurimac River. Much bigger than Machu...more
Baksheesh is the local term in Egypt for "Tipping" or "service"Tipping in Egypt may drain your pockets if you don't know how. As a foreigner to this enchanting land with seemingly endless instances wherein you are in need and was properly addressed,...more
It has been a well known fact that when you visit any place else in the world, may it be at your own locality, shopping is never out of the to-do list. You shop and it is out of the question why you do so. So, think about it, if you shop in your own...more
Life in the modern and urban areas is becoming busier day after day. We find it hard to give ourselves a break together with our love ones. So for once in a blue moon, during holidays, an all inclusive family treat is big bang to escape the busy...more
Way back in the 70's, holiday package normally cover meals and drinks. These holidays are all inclusive. On the early 80's, I spent my life working in Spain for a couple of years. When I returned to United Kingdom, I arrange my own travel, hotel...more