Christ the Redeemer (statue)

Christ the Redeemer (Portuguese: O Cristo Redentor) is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The statue stands 30 metres (98 ft) wide and 38 metres (120 ft) tall with its pedestal. It weighs 635 tons (700 short tons), and is located at the peak of the 700 metres (2,300 ft) Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city. It is one of the tallest of its kind in the world. The statue of Cristo de la Concordia in Cochabamba, Bolivia, is slightly taller, standing at 34.20 metres (112.2 ft) tall and 40.44 metres (132.7 ft) tall with its 6.24 metres (20.5 ft) pedestal. A symbol of Christianity, the statue has become an icon of Rio and Brazil.[2] The statue of Christ the Redeemer is a very important symbol of Brazil's Christianity. It is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone.

History


The idea for erecting a large statue atop Corcovado was first suggested in the mid 1850s, when Catholic priest Pedro Maria Boss requested financing from Princess Isabel to build a large religious monument. Princess Isabel did not think much of the idea and it was completely dismissed in 1889, when Brazil became a Republic, with laws mandating the separation of church and state. The second proposal for a large landmark statue on the mountain was made in 1921 by the Catholic Circle of Rio. The group organised an event called Semana do Monumento ("Monument Week") to attract donations and collect signatures to support the building of the statue. The donations came mostly from Brazilian Catholics. The designs considered for the "Statue of the Christ" included a representation of the Christian cross, a statue of Jesus with a globe in his hands, and a pedestal symbolizing the world. The statue of Christ the Redeemer with open arms was chosen.


Local engineer Heitor da Silva Costa designed the statue; it was sculpted by French sculptor Paul Landowski. A group of engineers and technicians studied Landowski's submissions and the decision was made to build the structure out of reinforced concrete (designed by Albert Caquot) instead of steel, more suitable for the cross-shaped statue.[6] The outer layers are soapstone, chosen for its enduring qualities and ease of use.[4] Construction took nine years, from 1922 to 1931. The monument was opened on October 12, 1931. The cost of the monument was $250,000. The statue was meant to be lit by a battery of floodlights triggered remotely by shortwave radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi, stationed 5,700 miles (9,200 km) away in Rome, but poor weather affected the signal and it had to be lit by workers in Rio.

The statue was struck by lightning during a violent electrical storm on Sunday, February 10, 2008. The storm caused havoc in Rio, felling trees in several neighborhoods, but the statue was left unscathed because soapstone, the material forming the outer layers of the statue, is an insulator. In October 2006, on the statue's 75th anniversary, Archbishop of Rio Cardinal Eusebio Oscar Scheid consecrated a chapel (named for the patron saint of Brazil - Nossa Senhora Aparecida) under the statue. This allows Catholics to hold baptisms and weddings there.

Tourism

Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four (24) hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited". Tourism has become a popular global leisure activity. In 2007, there were over 903 million international tourist arrivals, with a growth of 6.6% as compared to 2006. International tourist receipts were USD 856 billion in 2007.

Despite the uncertainties in the global economy, international tourist arrivals during the first four months of 2008 followed a similar growth trend than the same period in 2007.[4] However, as a result of the economic crisis of 2008, international travel demand suffered a strong slowdown beginning in June 2008, with growth in international tourism arrivals worldwide falling to 2% during the boreal summer months, while growth from January to April 2008 had reached an average 5.7% compared to its 2007 level. Growth from 2006 to 2007 was only 3.7%, as total international tourism arrivals from January to August were 641 million tourists, up from 618 million in the same period in 2007.

Tourism is vital for many countries, such as the U.A.E, Egypt, Greece and Thailand, and many island nations, such as The Bahamas, Fiji, Maldives and the Seychelles, due to the large intake of money for businesses with their goods and services and the opportunity for employment in the service industries associated with tourism. These service industries include transportation services, such as airlines, cruise ships and taxis, hospitality services, such as accommodations, including hotels and resorts, and entertainment venues, such as amusement parks, casinos, shopping malls, various music venues and the theatre.

Definition

Hunziker and Krapf, in 1941, defined tourism as people who travel "the sum of the phenomena and relationships arising from the travel and stay of non-residents, insofar as they do not lead to permanent residence and are not connected with any earning activity."[6] In 1976, the Tourism Society of England's definition was: "Tourism is the temporary, short-term movement of people to destination outside the places where they normally live and work and their activities during the stay at each destination. It includes movements for all purposes." In 1981, the International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism defined tourism in terms of particular activities selected by choice and undertaken outside the home.

The United Nations classified three forms of tourism in 1994, in its "Recommendations on Tourism Statistics: Domestic tourism", which involves residents of the given country traveling only within this country; Inbound tourism, involving non-residents traveling in the given country; and Outbound tourism, involving residents traveling in another country.The UN also derived different categories of tourism by combining the three basic forms of tourism: Internal tourism, which comprises domestic tourism and inbound tourism; National tourism, which comprises domestic tourism and outbound tourism; and International tourism, which consists of inbound tourism and outbound tourism. Intrabound tourism is a term coined by the Korea Tourism Organization and widely accepted in Korea.[citation needed] Intrabound tourism differs from domestic tourism in that the former encompasses policymaking and implementation of national tourism policies.

Recently, the tourism industry has shifted from the promotion of inbound tourism to the promotion of intrabound tourism, because many countries are experiencing tough competition for inbound tourists. Some national policymakers have shifted their priority to the promotion of intrabound tourism to contribute to the local economy. Examples of such campaigns include: "See America" in Singapore" in Singapore; "100% Pure New Zealand" in New Zealand; "Amazing Thailandhailand]]; "Incredible India" in India; and "The Hidden Charm" in Vietnam.


History

Wealthy people have always traveled to distant parts of the world, to see great buildings, works of art, learn new languages, experience new cultures and to taste different cuisines. Long ago, at the time of the Roman Republic, places such as Baiae, were popular coastal resorts for the rich. The word tourism was used by 1811 and tourist by 1840. In 1936, the League of Nations defined foreign tourist as "someone travelling abroad for at least twenty-four hours". Its successor, the United Nations, amended this definition in 1945, by including a maximum stay of six months.

Leisure travel

Leisure travel was associated with the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom – the first European country to promote leisure time to the increasing industrial population. Initially, this applied to the owners of the machinery of production, the economic oligarchy, the factory owners and the traders. These comprised the new middle class. Cox & Kings was the first official travel company to be formed in 1758.

The British origin of this new industry is reflected in many place names. In Nice, France, one of the first and best-established holiday resorts on the French Riviera, the long esplanade along the seafront is known to this day as the Promenade des Anglais; in many other historic resorts in continental Europe, old, well-established palace hotels have names like the Hotel Bristol, the Hotel Carlton or the Hotel Majestic – reflecting the dominance of English customers.

Many leisure-oriented tourists travel to the tropics, both in the summer and winter. Places often visited are: Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Thailand, North Queensland in Australia and Florida in the United States.



Winter tourism

Major ski resorts are located in the various European countries (e.g. Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland), Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Chile and Argentina.






Mass tourism

Mass tourism could only have developed with the improvements in technology, allowing the transport of large numbers of people in a short space of time to places of leisure interest, so that greater numbers of people began to enjoy the benefits of leisure time.

In the United States, the first great seaside resort, in the European style, was Atlantic City, New Jersey and Long Island, New York.

In continental Europe, early resorts included: Ostend, popularized by the people of Brussels; Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais) and Deauville (Calvados) for the Parisians; and Heiligendamm, founded in 1797, as the first seaside resort at the Baltic Sea.

10 Most Popular Tourism Programs

The University of New Brunswick has a strong tourism program where you can learn everything you need to know to work in this industry. Considering that tourism in the Maritimes is picking up each and every year – there would be no better place to do your education than a school like the University of New Brunswick.

The province of Saskatchewan is another place in Canada where tourism is picking up and the market is strong. At the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology they have an interesting tourism program that will allow you to work in that province, or any where in Canada.

Seeing the popularity and interest that many people all over the world have in the Aboriginal culture of Canada, the Native Education Centre in British Columbia offers Aboriginal people a chance to enter the tourism industry and to enter a field where they can share their culture with others.

Toronto being one of the busiest tourist attractions in Canada, George Brown College has a excellent tourism program that attracts many students each and every year. It is an extremely popular program.

With the Discover Ontario advertisements that play throughout Canada, it is not just Toronto where chances to get into the tourism industry exist. Canadore College in North Bay offers a great tourism program that is so popular that they have people traveling from other places around the world to take the program.

Again in the Maritimes, the Nova Scotia Community College offers a tourism program.

As well, in the western part of Canada, there are so many tourism programs to choose from. The College of the Rockies in Cranbrook, British Columbia offers a terrific tourism program. So does SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary, Alberta.

If you are looking for a fun and interesting tourism program that is a little different, you may be interested in the University of the Fraser Valley that specializes in adventure tourism. As well, moving back to Ontario, Fleming College offers an ecotourism and adventure tourism program in Haliburton, Ontario that is a program that answers to the needs of our changing planet.

Tourist Spots In Dhaka

Dhaka Division
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Dhaka division is located at center of the country has an area of 31119 sq. km and a population of 38.678 million. Dhaka Division bounds the Indian state of Meghalaya to the north, Barisal and Chittagong Divisions on the south, Sylhet and Chittagong Divisions to the east, Rajshahi and Khulna Divisions to the west. It has 17 districts and 64 municipalities. Main rivers of this division are padma, jamuna, meghna, old brahmaputra, dhaleshwari, shitalakshya, brahmaputra, buriganga, arial khan. Madhupur and Bhawal Garhs are located to the northern parts of Dhaka, in Gazipur, southern part of Mymensingh and eastern part of Tangail districts; Garo hills are located in Mymensingh district. Dhaka (Capital City) stands on the bank of the river Buriganga.


Dhaka Division, formerly Dacca Division of East Pakistan province, consists of one city corporation, 17 districts, 58 municipalities, 21 thanas, 119 upazilas, 1239 union parishads, 12765 mouzas, 549 wards, 1623 mahallas and 25244 villages. Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh. The city is known as the city of mosque, muslin and rickshaws. It has attracted travellers from far and near through ages. Dhaka as the capital of Bangladesh has grown into a busy city of about ten million people with an area of about 1353 sq. km. Having a happy blending of old and new architectural trends, Dhaka has been developing fast as a modern city and is throbbing with activities in all spheres of life. It is the center of industrial, commercial, cultural, educational and political activities for Bangladesh.

Major Tourist Spots In Dhaka Division:



Parliament House


Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban
Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban (Parliament House) located at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar has distinctive architectural features. Designed by the famous architect Louis I. Kahn, it may be called an architectural wonder of this region.








Bangladesh national museum


Bangladesh national museum is situated in shahbag. Located at the central point of the city. The museum contains a large number of interesting collections including sculptures and paintings of the Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim periods as well as inscriptions of the Holy Quran in Arabic and Persian letters and Bengali works in the Arabic script.

Jatiyo Jadhughor The museum also has a rich collection of old coins, metal images, books on art, silver filigree works etc.

Though established in 1913 it was refurbished and opened in the year 1983. Its open from Friday to Wednesday, 9 am to 6 pm. Your mind must be going to the old era when you visit this museum.






Botanical Garden


Botanical Garden - Dhaka Botanical Garden is situated in Mirpur just besides the National Zoo, built on an area of 205 acres of land. Approximately 50,000 plants and trees are there of 1200 species. Main attraction of this garden is rose garden. Approximately 300 species of roses are there in this garden. It is open 7 days a week. If you go to this garden, it is advisable you visit National Zoo at a same time.







National Zoo


National Zoo is in Mirpur, 20 km. from the center of Dhaka besides the river Turag. Its open 10 am – 5 pm, 7 days a week, where you can see the animals of Bangladesh and some animals from abroad. This Zoo is also popularly known as Mirpur Zoo. Colorful and attractive collections of different local and foreign species of animals and birds including the majestic Royal Bengal Tiger are available here.

Mukti juddha museum

This is the museum on our liberation war which is well known as mukti juddha. Mukti juddha museum situated at Segun Bagicha of the city the museum contains rare photographs of liberation war and items used by the freedom fighters during the period. It's open 9am to 6pm from Monday to Saturday, Sunday closed.








Suhrawardy Uddyan (Garden)


A Popular Park. The oath of independence of Bangladesh was taken here and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheik Mujibur Rahman gave clarion call for independence on this occasion on the 7th March 1971. The place is famous for its lush verdure and gentle breezes. Eternal Flame to enliven the memory of the martyrs of our Liberation war has been blown here recently.






Central Shahid Minar

Shahid Minar
Symbol of Bengali nationalism. This monument was built to commemorate the martyrs of the historic Language movement of 1952. Hundreds and thousands of people with floral wreaths and bouquet gather on 21 February every year to pay respect in a solemn atmosphere.






Star Mosque

A very beautiful mosque of the city is situated at Mahuttuly on Abul Khairat Rd; just west of Armanitola Govt.
High School. Architecturally faultless (Mughal style) is a five-dome mosque with hundreds of big and small twinkling stars as surface decorations.

The stars have been created by setting pieces of chinaware on white cement. Seen from the front and from far it looks as if shining above the surface of the earth. The inside of it is even more beautiful that the outside, lovely mosaic floor and excellent tiles with many floral patterns set on the walls, are all in complete harmony.




Tara mosque Dhaka

Dhakeshwari Mondir Dhakeshwari Temple
Dhakeshwari Temple (11th Century) situated at the place where the old part of Dhaka meets the new part. This is the oldest Hindu temple in Dhaka City. The name Dhakeshwari is also associated with the origin of the name Dhaka.

Churches

Armenian Church (1781 A.D.) St. Mary's Cathedral at Ramna, Church of Bangladesh or former Holy Rosary Church (1677A.D.) at Tejgaon.


Lalbagh Fort

The fort of Aurangabad, popularly known as the Lalbagh Fort, was built in 1678 AD by the then Viceroy of Bengal Prince Mohammad Azam, son of the Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb. The fort has a three storied structure with slender minarets at the South Gate. It has many hidden passages and a mosque of massive structure. Outstanding among the monuments of the Lalbagh Fort are the Tomb of Pari Bibi (Fairy lady) and Audience room and Hummam Khana (bathing place) of Nawab Shaista Khan, now housing a museum.


Lalbagh fort is in the old town of Dhaka at Lalbagh. It is open 10 am-5 pm Sunday to Friday & Saturday is closed.

The capital city Dhaka predominantly was a city of the Mughals. In hundred years of their vigorous rule successive Governors and princely Viceroys who ruled the province, adorned it with many noble monuments in the shape of magnificent places, mosques, tombs, fortifications and 'Katras' often surrounded with beautifully laid out gardens and pavilions. Among these, few have survived the ravages of time, aggressive tropical climate of the land and vandal hands of man.


Lalbagh Fort - Dhaka
But the finest specimen of this period is the Aurangabad Fort [commonly known as Lalbagh Fort], which indeed represents the unfulfilled dream of a Mughal Prince. It occupies the southwestern part of the old city, overlooking the Buriganga on whose northern bank it stands as a silent sentinel of the old city.
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Visiting Gananoque, the Gateway to the Thousand Islands

I am in Gananoque for a brief two day visit. I was invited by Kathy from Gananoque Boatline to spend some time here, attend a special event she organizes every year to show appreciation to partners and collaborators. It's been a very interesting visit where I've learned about some of the challenges the area faces as well as some of the opportunities Gananoque has to further develop their destination. I was surprised to learn that that no one in the area seems to have participated in the localsknow CTC campaign. One of the challenges, it seems, has been the timing which is understandable given the fact that the campaign has been put together in virtually no time so it may be that many inthe industry will not benefit directly from it. Today I played some golf with another visitor, a former Gananoque Boatline Captain, now town councillor, and the mayor. It was a lot of fun, but also very productive in terms of learning more about this beautiful part of the country. I hope to be able to work with tourism stakeholders to promote Gananoque as an overnight spot for Hispanic independent travellers in the future. Many Hispanic visitors stop here (or in Kingston) to take tours of the Thousand Islands, but they don't spend more time in the town. I think there is an opportunity to engage Hispanic travellers to Ontario and Quebec to stay longer by educating them in what they can do here in a 24 hour period.


-I am staying at the Gananoque Inn where Lori and her staff have been wonderful. I knew about the Gananoque Inn, but I have only been in Gananoque once before and only to take the cruise of the Thousand Islands. Lori and I had some good conversations and I am glad that she's interested in Hispanic tourists. The Gananoque Inn is ideal for a segment of the Hispanic travelling public that travels independently and wants to see and experience authentic Canadian experiences (small families, couples, honeymooners). What we must do is communicate effectively to educate the market (not just Hispanic markets) as to what there is to do here. One way is to show them not just tell them, and by show I mean video, not just pictures. The Gananoque Inn is also an excellent option for small meetings (sales retreats, incentive meetings, board meetings). Hope to come back soon.
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Tonight I'll go on a Gananoque Boatline Drinks and Entertainment Cruise. Hope the weather cooperates as it did this morning when I played golf.

-imon

The Acropolis of Athens, the Best Known Acropolis in the World

What would a visit to Athens be without going to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon? And still people ask why the Partheon is so important. It’s because it was the most perfect building built by the world's most advanced civilization.

The Acropolis of Athens is the best known acropolis (Gr. akros, akron, edge, extremity + polis, city, pl. acropoleis) in the world. Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as The Acropolis without qualification. The Acropolis was formally proclaimed as the pre-eminent monument on the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments on 26 March 2007. The Acropolis is a flat-topped rock which rises 150 m (490 ft) above sea level in the city of Athens, with a surface area of about 3 hectares. It was also known as Cecropia, after the legendary serpent-man, Kekrops or Cecrops, the first Athenian king.

The Acropolis rock is part of a Late Cretaceous limestone ridge (Higgins) that cuts through the Attica plateau in the northeast to the southwest axis and includes the Likavitos hill, the Philopappos (Museum) hill, the hill of the Nymphs, and the Pnyx.

The rock rises from the basin about 70 meters and levels to a flat top 300 meters long by 150 meters wide. Its flat top is due to the numerous landfills that have accommodated construction of fortifications and temples since the Mycenaean era. With its many shallow caves, the abundant percolating water springs and steep slopes, the Acropolis was a prime location for habitation and worship location for Neolithic man.

History

The greatest and finest sanctuary of ancient Athens, dedicated primarily to its patron, the goddess Athena, dominates the centre of the modern city from the rocky crag known as the Acropolis. The most celebrated myths of ancient Athens, its greatest religious festivals, earliest cults and several decisive events in the city's history are all connected to this sacred precinct. The monuments of the Acropolis stand in harmony with their natural setting. These unique masterpieces of ancient architecture combine different orders and styles of Classical art in a most innovative manner and have influenced art and culture for many centuries. The Acropolis of the fifth century BC is the most accurate reflection of the splendour, power and wealth of Athens at its greatest peak, the golden age of Pericles.

Most of the major temples were rebuilt under the leadership of Pericles during the Golden Age of Athens (460–430 BC). Phidias, a great Athenian sculptor, and Ictinus and Callicrates, two famous architects, were responsible for the reconstruction. During the 5th century BC, the Acropolis gained its final shape. After winning at Eurymedon in 468 BC, Cimon and Themistocles ordered the reconstruction of southern and northern walls, and Pericles entrusted the building of the Parthenon to Ictinus and Phidias.

In 437 BC Mnesicles started building the Propylaea, monumental gates with columns of Pentelic marble, partly built upon the old propylaea of Pisistratus. These colonnades were almost finished in the year 432 BC and had two wings, the northern one serving as picture gallery. At the same time, south of the propylaea, building of the small Ionic Temple of Athena Nike commenced. After an interruption caused by the Peloponnesian War, the temple was finished in the time of Nicias' peace, between 421 BC and 415 BC.

During the same period the building of the Erechtheum, a combination of sacred precincts including the temples of Athena Polias, Poseidon, Erechtheus, Cecrops, Herse, Pandrosos and Aglauros, with its so-called the Kore Porch (or Caryatids' balcony), was begun.

Between the temple of Athena Nike and the Parthenon there was the temenos of Artemis Brauronia or Brauroneion, the goddess represented as a bear and worshipped in the deme of Brauron. The archaic xoanon of the goddess and a statue made by Praxiteles in the 4th century BC were both in the sanctuary.

Behind the Propylaea, Phidias' gigantic bronze statue of Athena Promachos ("she who fights in the front line"), built between 450 BC and 448 BC, dominated. The base was 1.50 m high, while the total height of the statue was 9 m. The goddess held a lance whose gilt tip could be seen as a reflection by crews on ships rounding Cape Sounion, and a giant shield on the left side, decorated by Mys with images of the fight between the Centaurs and the Lapiths. Other monuments that have left almost nothing visible to the present day are the Chalkotheke, the Pandroseion, Pandion's sanctuary, Athena's altar, Zeus Polieus's sanctuary and, from Roman times, the circular temple of Augustus and Rome.

Site Monuments

Parthenon

The Parthenon, dedicated by the Athenians to Athena Parthenos, the patron of their city, is the most magnificent creation of Athenian democracy at the height of its power. It is also the finest monument on the Acropolis in terms of both conception and execution. Built between 447 and 438 BC, as part of the greater Periklean building project, this so-called Periklean Parthenon (Parthenon III) replaced an earlier marble temple (Parthenon II), begun after the victory at the battle of Marathon at approximately 490 BC and destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC. This temple had replaced the very first Parthenon (Parthenon I) of c. 570 BC. The Periklean Parthenon was designed by architects Iktinos and Kallikrates, while the sculptor Pheidias supervised the entire building program and conceived the temple's sculptural decoration and chryselephantine statue of Athena.

Erechtheion


The elegant building known as the Erechtheion, on the north side of the sacred rock of the Acropolis, was erected in 421-406 BC as a replacement of an earlier temple dedicated to Athena Polias, the so-called ''Old temple''. The name ''Erechtheion'', mentioned only by Pausanias (1, 26, 5), derives from Erechtheus, the mythical king of Athens, who was worshipped there. Other texts refer to the building simply as ''temple'' or ''old temple''. The building owes its unusual shape to the irregularity of the terrain - there is a three-metre difference in height between the eastern and western parts - and the multiple cults it was designed to accommodate. The eastern part of the building was dedicated to Athena Polias, while the western part served the cult of Poseidon-Erechtheus and held the altars of Hephaistus and Voutos, brother of Erechtheus. This is where, according to the myth, Athena's sacred snake lived. The sanctuary also contained the grave of Kekrops and the traces of the dispute between Athena and Poseidon for the possession of the city of Athens.

Propylaea



The Propylaia of the Athenian Acropolis were built on the west side of the hill, where the gate of the Mycenaean fortification once stood. The first propylon, or gate, was constructed in the age of Peisistratos (mid-sixth century BC), after the Acropolis had become a sanctuary dedicated to Athena. A new propylon, built in 510-480 BC, was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC and repaired after the end of the Persian Wars, during the fortification of the Acropolis by Themistokles and Kimon. The monumental Propylaia admired by modern visitors were part of the great Periklean building program. They were erected in 437-432 BC, after the completion of the Parthenon, by architect Mnesikles. The original building plan was particularly daring both in architectural and artistic terms, but was never completed.

Temple of Athena Nike


The temple of Athena Nike stands at the southeast edge of the sacred rock atop a bastion, which in Mycenaean times protected the entrance to the Acropolis. The Classical temple, designed by architect Kallikrates and built in 426-421 BC, succeeded earlier temples also dedicated to Athena Nike. The first one of these, a mid-sixth century BC wooden temple was destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC. The eschara, the altar believed to have supported the cult statue of the goddess, dates to this period. Under Kimon, c. 468 BC, a small temple of tufa was erected around the base of the statue and a new altar was built outside the temple. The foundations of these early temples and altars are preserved inside the bastion under the floor of the Classical structure. Pausanias (1, 22, 4) refers to this temple as that of the Apteros Nike, or Wingless Victory, and mentions that the cult statue of the goddess had no wings so that she would never leave Athens. Apart from the cult of Athena Nike other, earlier cults were also practiced on this site. On the west side of the bastion was a Mycenaean double-apsed shrine and on the east side, the pre-Classical shrines of the Graces and of Hekate Epipyrgidia. The construction of the Classical temple of Athena Nike was part of the Periklean building project. Several inscriptions, mostly decrees of the city of Athens, provide information on this particular part of the project.

Temple of Rome and Augustus

The temple of Rome and Augustus was erected in the late first century BC east of the Parthenon or of the Erechtheion. Several architectural elements of the building were found east of the Parthenon and many more were brought here after their discovery elsewhere. Nearby are the irregular tufa foundations (approximately 10.50x13 metres) of a building generally considered to be the Roman temple. Another theory, however, based on the construction technique of these foundations and on depictions of the Acropolis on Roman coins, places the temple east of the Erechtheion.

The inscription on the temple's epistyle mentions that the building was dedicated by the city of Athens to the goddess Rome and to Octavian Augustus. Pausanias does not mention the building during his visit to the Acropolis, possibly because it did not present any interest at his time. The small, circular temple had a single row of nine Ionic columns and no interior wall, the entablature and conical roof being entirely of white marble. The fact that the columns imitate those of the Erechtheion may indicate that the temple was built by the same architect who repaired the Erechtheion after it was damaged by fire.

Old temple of Athena




The earliest temple to Athena Polias on the Acropolis, called 'the Old temple' in ancient literary sources, was located between the Erechtheion and the Parthenon. It was probably built in the third quarter of the sixth century BC, on the site of an earlier, Geometric temple and of the even earlier Mycenaean palace. The Old temple was damaged by the Persians in 480 BC, but was repaired soon after; parts of its entablature were incorporated in the Acropolis fortification wall. The temple was damaged again in 406 BC after the completion of the Erechtheion and was never rebuilt. Traces of the temple's altar to Athena are visible on the bedrock, east of the building.

The Old temple was a Doric, peripteral structure with six columns on the short sides and twelve on the long sides. The interior arrangement was quite unusual. The east part of the temple consisted of a distyle pronaos with antae and a naos divided into three naves by two rows of columns. Inside the naos was the wooden cult statue (xoanon) of the goddess Athena. The east part of the temple consisted of three rooms, each dedicated to the worship of Poseidon-Erechtheus, Hephaistus and Boutes. The marble pediments of the Gigantomachy, displayed in the Acropolis Museum, and a sime with lion and ram's heads probably belonged to this temple. The metopes, cornices and roof tiles were also of marble, while the rest of the temple was built of limestone.

The temple was unearthed in 1885 and W. D?rpfeld was the first to identify it. Only the foundations of its south side, towards the Erechtheion, are visible today, along with two stone column bases from the Geometric temple.

Monumen Stonehenge in English

Stonehenge is a monument stone at the time of ancient man and bronze Neolithikum which is located close to Amesbury about 13 kilometers (8 miles) northwest Salisbury Plain, Wilshire Province, England. Stonehenge has been defined by UNESCO as one of seven world wonder.

Stonehenge itself consists of thirty upright stones with a very large size (each stone on the first uniform height of 10 meters with each stone heft 26 tons), all stones are arranged with a vertical form of a vertical circle known as megalithikum.
According to the British Archaeologists, Coplan Jhon Richard Atkinson (1950), Stonehenge was built roughly around 5000 years ago, construction itself is divided into several phases (I, II, IIIA, IIIb, and IIIc). Of course, with many stages in the development phases of Stonehenge, indicating that the building requires a very long time in the process, from the transportation of the stone to the engraving on each the stone.
Stonehenge complex was built in several phases of development during the year 2000 and during the period of activity is running. This is evidenced by finding a dead body the Saxon was trained and buried in the monument, and the possibility of dead bodies came to the centuries-7 M.

Stonehenge I
Monument first circle consists of cliffs and rounded trench measuring 115 meters (320 feet) diameter and one with the entrance in the northeast. This phase is about 3100 BC. Area on the outside of the circle there are 59 holes, known as the Aubrey holes for the Jhon Aubrey, archeologists of the seventh century is a pity that the first person to know the holes are. Twenty five of the Aubrey holes known have gray on the two centuries after its foundation Stonehenge. Thirty corpses ashes placed in the trench area and other parts of the circle in the Stonehenge area. Neolitikum end of the pottery have been found together provide evidence of this date. A single stone monolith that does not create a slippery known as' heel stone '(Heel Stone) is situated outside the entrance.

Stonehenge II
Proof of the second phase is no longer visible. However, evidence from several holes from the pole this time period to prove there is some wood building that was built in a circle around the area early third millennium BC. Some effects board found placed at the entrance. This phase is the same as the place that is located adjacent Woodhenge.

Stonehenge IIIA
Research shows that around 2600 BC, two crescent curve of the hole is created (known as hole Q and R), which was unearthed in the middle of location. Hole in the 80 vertical blue stone brought from Preseli hills, 250 miles in Wales. Stones are formed into a pillar of the examination, most of dolerite with rock type, but also including examples of rhyolite stone, volcanic tufa, and myolite seberat 4 tons.
Entrance be dilated at this time make it consistent with the direction of the sun rising mid-summer sunset and mid-spring period. Monuments are left without a prepared, while the blue stone appears to be moving in the hole and the Q and R are closed. This is made possible in the phase IIIb Stonehenge. This monument appears to be beyond the terms of Avebury in importance at the end of this period and the Amesbury Archer, found in 2002 three miles to the south, imagine how Stonehenge look at this. Stonehenge IIIA is said build by the Beaker

Stonehenge IIIb
In the next phases of activity at the end of the third millennium BC found 74 large Sarsen stones taken from the query 20 miles north of the location in Marlborough Downs. Stones are formed a connection with the pivot joint and was established before 30 stone pillar shape roundness measuring 30 meters diameter with a 29 stone roof (lintel) above. Each stone cob 25 tons of weight and was clearly impressed with the goal of making. Inside the sphere is located five thon stone sarsen processed and prepared in the form of a horseshoe. This large stone, five and ten uprise stone beam, with each weight to 50 tons of a certain connection with the complex. Carved dagger and ax heads found in the sarsen.

Stonehenge IIIc
Next in bronze era, stone blue seems was portrait from originally, in the sphere between the two pole sarsen and also in the form of a horseshoe in the middle, follow the procedure sarsen layout. Although he seems to be one phase of a stunning development built Stonehenge IIIc inaccurate proportionate Stonehenge IIIb, blue stone that appears to be portrait does not have a solid foundation and starting trees. One of the fallen stones have been given names that are less appropriate as the Stone Worship (Altar Stone). Two sphere also dug holes in the stone outside the sphere, known as Y and Z. hole

Stonehenge IV
Around 1100 BC, Avenue road through far more than two miles to the River Avon is not even clear who is involved in this additional development work.
Heel stone (The Heel Stone) in a period known as the Friar's Heel. Folklore, which can not be originally from the early seventeen century, recounts the origin of this stone.
Some of the claims heels Friar ( "Friar's Heel") is the change in name "Freya's He-ol" or "Freya Sul", from the name of god and the German Freya Welsh word for "laluan" and "sun day" according to the sequence.

Statu Of Easter Island in Chole

Easter Island is a volcanic island located in Polynesia, South Pacific Ocean and 3700 km from the east coast of Chile, with a subtropical so climate. Origin of volcanoes referring to combine the three volcanoes. This is the oldest Poike, with 3 million years, followed by the volcano Rano Raraku, from 2.5 million years old, and finally the youngest, named Maung Terevaka (12,000 to 10,000 years). The island occupies a region 390 km ². The island's economic activities of agriculture (wheat, corn, tropical fruits and yams), development of roads and tourism. Rapanui in the local language, Rapa Nui is called "Big Island," Te Pito te henúa a "world center" and Mata ki te range "Eyes fixed on the heavens." Island with the famous statue of the great stone which is known as Moais (giant heads carved in volcanic stone), statues and wooden board that contains hieroglyphic inscriptions. One of the great mysteries of the "Moais," is the fact that all belong to the same species and is found only on the island.

In 1722, the Flemish master Jacob Roggeveen, together with the sailors, landed 3 of their ships on the beach before the island on Easter Sunday. Thus, on 5 April, they were baptized with the name of Easter Island. But have found the island centuries ago, there is evidence that people who come from several islands in the Pacific Ocean, may Mangareva and the Marquesas Islands. They say that Easter Island is part of the lost continent under water.

Giza Piramid in Mesir

Great Giza pyramid is the oldest and largest pyramid of the three pyramid on the Giza Nekropolis and trusted that the pyramid was built as a tomb for Fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh, Khufu (Χεωψ, Cheops) and constructed for more than 20 years and is estimated to take place around the year 2560 SM. Pyramid is sometimes referred to as Khufu Piramida. Regions or Giza Giza El Gizeh, or also known or El Gizeh (Al Jizah) is the area that is located in the area near Cairo (Egypt), That pyramid is found here is that compared to the largest pyramid in the world.

Giza pyramid or the pyramid noble lie in the sand carpet has a temperature more than 35 degrees Celsius the pyramid consists of 3 large plus one Sphinx. Third is the pyramid Khufu (Cheops), Khafre (Rakhaef / Chephren) and Menkaure (Mycerinus) plus three small pyramid. Each pyramid of Cheops and Mycerinus have Chepren similarity Interior.

There are king room, queen room, the door of the tunnel (which is one quarter of diameter with 40 meters long). Most of the century is renowned as farmers. they use the river valley to be nil as their waters.

Giza pyramid complex built around the ancient nation of Egypt 5000 years ago, has a wide area of comparability between the distance of St Peter (Rome), Florence cathedral (Milan) to the St. Paul (London). Also believed to set in stone when the Giza pyramid together can create a wall 3 meters high as 0.3 meters with a thickness that can encompass the whole of France.

If compared with the Empire State Building in New York, This pyramid is larger 30-fold and can even be seen from the week. Meanwhile, Egypt older nation building in 30 years. Not to mention how to move from the rock and stone of pyramid into a high (some say to create a structure or slope as in the whorl of screw and then is painted with limestone on the outside layer).

There is a mention that the stone is a stone molding results, construction of accurate center of gravity and center objects. So, as expressed previously have said that that was built by UFO that connecting with portrait pyramid is Mars. There is a conjecture that the pyramid was built by men who were the future in the past.

There are also pyramid-related constellation Orion cluster with review of three lie stars of Giza pyramid and Mayapun Piramida believed to have a location and position of the same cluster based on the constellation Orion stars. In addition, also believed to have room under the Sphinx (called off Hall Records) which is the secret key to the Zep Tepi of a golden era past, when the pyramid at Giza is made.

According to research from scientists and Archeology, creating a pyramid of materials taken from several places. For example, limestone from Tura, granite from Aswan, Sinai and copper from the wood for the case of Lebanon which all transported through the Nile River. And labors who workers die average the age of 30 years as a spinal injury due to take a very heavy burden. Then there was also a way to help emergency workers to injury. How ever people say, know The Giza Pyramid is being a new seven world wonder in the world.

7 Phenomenal Wonders of the Natural World

The classical natural wonders are huge and hard to miss - vast canyons, giant mountains and the like. Many of the most fantastic natural phenomena, however, are also least easy to spot. Some are incredibly rare while others are located in hard-to-reach parts of the planet. From moving rocks to mammatus clouds and red tides to fire rainbows, here are seven of the most spectacular phenomenal wonders of the natural world.

1) Sailing Stones


(Images via: f8BeThere and Ian Parker)

The mysterious moving stones of the packed-mud desert of Death Valley have been a center of scientific controversy for decades. Rocks weighing up to hundreds of pounds have been known to move up to hundreds of yards at a time. Some scientists have proposed that a combination of strong winds and surface ice account for these movements. However, this theory does not explain evidence of different rocks starting side by side and moving at different rates and in disparate directions. Moreover, the physics calculations do not fully support this theory as wind speeds of hundreds of miles per hour would be needed to move some of the stones.


2) Columnar Basalt


(Images via: Centripetalnotion, Habitas and Strahlen)

When a thick lava flow cools it contracts vertically but cracks perpendicular to its directional flow with remarkable geometric regularity - in most cases forming a regular grid of remarkable hexagonal extrusions that almost appear to be made by man. One of the most famous such examples is the Giant’s Causeway on the coast of Ireland (shown above) though the largest and most widely recognized would be Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. Basalt also forms different but equally fascinating ways when eruptions are exposed to air or water.
3) Blue Holes



(Images via: AEAdvisor, BelizeDiving and ScienceRay)

Blue holes are giant and sudden drops in underwater elevation that get their name from the dark and foreboding blue tone they exhibit when viewed from above in relationship to surrounding waters. They can be hundreds of feet deep and while divers are able to explore some of them they are largely devoid of oxygen that would support sea life due to poor water circulation - leaving them eerily empty. Some blue holes, however, contain ancient fossil remains that have been discovered, preserved in their depths.


4) Red Tides




(Images via: Carleton, CleanWaterNetwork and UMN)

Red tides are also known as algal blooms - sudden influxes of massive amounts of colored single-cell algae that can convert entire areas of an ocean or beach into a blood red color. While some of these can be relatively harmless, others can be harbingers of deadly toxins that cause the deaths of fish, birds and marine mammals. In some cases, even humans have been harmed by red tides though no human exposure are known to have been fatal. While they can be fatal, the constituent phytoplankton in ride tides are not harmful in small numbers.


5) Ice Circles


(Images via Panoramio, CrystalLinks, CropCircleAnswers and DailyMail)

While many see these apparently perfect ice circles as worthy of conspiracy theorizing, scientists generally accept that they are formed by eddies in the water that spin a sizable piece of ice in a circular motion. As a result of this rotation, other pieces of ice and flotsam wear relatively evenly at the edges of the ice until it slowly forms into an essentially ideal circle. Ice circles have been seen with diameters of over 500 feet and can also at times be found in clusters and groups at different sizes as shown above.
6) Mammatus Clouds


(Images via: John Olson and the DNR)

True to their ominous appearance, mammatus clouds are often harbingers of a coming storm or other extreme weather system. Typically composed primarily of ice, they can extend for hundreds of miles in each direction and individual formations can remain visibly static for ten to fifteen minutes at a time. While they may appear foreboding they are merely the messengers - appearing around, before or even after severe weather.




7) Fire Rainbows


(Images via: GinaCobb, Unwired and UMN)

A circumhorizontal fire rainbow arc occurs at a rare confluence of right time and right place for the sun and certain clouds. Crystals within the clouds refract light into the various visible waves of the spectrum but only if they are arrayed correctly relative to the ground below. Due to the rarity with which all of these events happen in conjunction with one another, there are relatively few remarkable photos of this phenomena.

Iceberg Breakthrough Provides Hope For Improved Climate Change Models

Scientists have made a breakthrough in determining what actually causes ice shelves in the Antarctic and Greenland to break apart, resulting in icebergs and contributing to increased sea levels.

The findings, reported in the latest edition of the Science journal, could lead to improved climate change models, as scientists will now be able to predict more accurately where icebergs will “calve off” from their parent ice shelves.


Scientists have discovered the main factor to cause ice to calve away from ice sheets, creating icebergs, and resulting in higher sea levels. Photo: imon Hansen.

The term “calving” in this context, refers to ice breaking off the ice shelves and landing in the ocean, causing icebergs to form. Typically, a shelf front will extend forward for years or decades between major calving events.

Until now, the main problem for scientists was determining where an ice shelf was to calve. At what point does an ice shelf have so much ice hanging over the ocean that it starts to break off?

What made this a particularly difficult question was that, there didn’t seem to be a common size between ice shelves. For example, the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica hangs over the ocean for as much as 500 miles. Other ice shelves only extend for a mile or two before breaking up.
The Need For A Law For Ice Shelf Calving

To date there hasn’t been a law based on physical principles that explains ice shelf calving.

“To predict the future of the ice sheet and to understand the past, we have to put the information into a computer,” says Richard B. Alley, the Evan Pugh professor of geosciences. “The models we have do not currently have any way to figure out where the big ice sheets end and where the ice calves off to form icebergs.”

Because of this, the scientists searched for the most important variable that determines where an ice shelf will break off into the ocean - not an easy task according to professor Alley.

“Fracture-mechanics problems are invariably difficult,” he says.

“Earthquake prediction comes to mind, or guessing whether a tea cup pushed off the table will break or bounce upon hitting the floor. With the tea cup, a drop from 1 mm high won’t break it, and a drop from 100 m almost surely will — one term, the height of the drop, explains a whole lot of the behavior.” he added.

“Our hope was to find such a dominant term in calving of bergs from ice shelves.”
Simple Law for Ice Shelf Calving

The scientists believe they have found a dominant term that can be used to forecast ice shelf calving.

In the tea cup example, the height of the tea cup was the dominant term. With ice shelves, the scientists found that the spreading tendency in the direction of ice and berg motion was the dominant term.

The equation is the rate of spreading times the width of the shelf times thickness multiplied by a constant.

In other words, it is the rate at which ice shelves spread that is the most important variable that determines when an ice shelve is about to calve.

“The spreading rate can be calculated from ice thickness and a few other things that are already solved for in numerical models, so we have provided a practicable calving law,” said Alley. “At present, models rarely if ever calculate physically where the ice ends, instead stopping the model before the ice ends or using some other relation that is not fully physical.”
Global Warming

Armed with this knowledge, scientists will be in a better position to forecast the impact of global warming on sea levels.

Computer models will be able to use this information to better predict how ice sheets will behave in warmer temperatures.

Scientists recently predicted that sea temperatures would rise by over a meter by the end of this century.

Coromandel New Zealand

Beautiful beaches, lovely treks, rugged forest, gold mine and New Zealand hospitality. In short, that is Coromandel. Explore, relax and have fun in this lovely place, far away from the hustle and bustle of the cities.

Location

Coromandel is located within 1 ½ hours drive from Auckland.

Weather

Coromandel probably has the best weather in the entire country, which makes it a travel destination year round. During summer temperatures reach 24C / 75 F – 31 C / 88 F, while during winter they never go below 12C / 54 F -14 C/ 57 F.

Gold Mine Attractions

The area is particularly popular for the gold mines which have been producing hold here since the 19th century.

Goldmine Experience includes a tour of an operational 19th century gold mine. It’s located on the corner of Moanataiari Road and State Highway 25, at the northern end of Thames. Self guided tours are available and you can explore the museum and discover the old machines used to extract gold. The tour takes about 40 minutes and there is no need to book ahead unless you come in a group. The mine if open from 10 AM to 4 PM. The ticket costs NZ$10 for an adult and NZ$4 for a child (under 13).

Newmont Waihi Gold is a working mine which produces over $1 million worth of gold and silver each week. Guided tours are available during the weekdays and booking in advance is a must.

What else to do

There is a lot to do and see in Coromandel. A short list includes: mountain bike tours, walking tours, freefall from a giant swing, hikes, motorcycle off road tours, farm stays (yes, includes working in the farm), Creek Railway train ride, golfing, horseback riding, the Lost Spring thermal waters, How Water Beach, winery stay, diving, snorkeling, fishing, boat cruises, sailing, sea kayaking and visiting museums.

Coromandel Peninsula offers a lot of walking trails, campsites and even a marine reserve, with its own snorkeling trail.

If you like a romantic walk by the beach, head to the northern end of Waihi Beach and you’ll see Orokawa Bay Walk signposted. The walk takes 1 hour and 20 min return but there is also a 45 minutes detour to William Wright Falls.

If you prefer to hike in the mountains, following the track of a river bank and see the old mine buildings along the way, then head Paeroa and Waihi and take the Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway. The walk takes two hours one way.

Bali, die Insel der Götter

Knapp 3 Millionen Balinesen leben auf der 5.620 qkm großen Insel, 300.000 in der Hauptstadt Denpasar.
Die Ost-West Entfernung misst 140km, die Nord-Süd Ausdehnung ist ca. 80 km weit.
Der Großteil der Bevölkerung lebt in kleinen ursprünglichen Dörfern entlang der malerischen Reisfelder über die ganze Insel verteilt.

In Ost-West-Richtung erstreckt sich eine Vulkankette über die Insel, deren höchste Erhebung, der Gunung Agung (3.142 m), der "Nabel der Welt" ist.

Bali, das nur zwei Kilometer östlich von Java entfernt liegt, wird im wesentlichen von hinduistischer Kultur geprägt, im Gegensatz zur Insel Java, auf der die moslemische Kultur vorherrscht. An kaum einem anderen Ort der Welt gibt es so viel zu sehen oder zu erleben, nirgendwo sonst sind tägliches Leben, Religion, Kunst und Landschaft zu einer solch faszinierenden Einheit verschmolzen.


Nützliches von A bis Z

Alternativer Tourismus
Die Umwelt-Bewegungen der Industrieländer einerseits und die objektiven Bedrängnisse ungehemmten Wachstums andererseits haben zu einem differenzierteren Ansatz im Tourismus geführt: Sanftes, ökologisches, sozialverantwortliches, zukunftssicherndes Reisen sind die Antwort auf die Entwicklung des Massentourismus, der in seiner ausgeprägten Form ja erst im zurückliegenden Jahrhundert aufgekommen ist. Mit der neuen Bewegung ist gemeint, mit wachem Auge und mit Rücksichtnahme ein fremdes Land als Gast zu bereisen.
Der umsichtige Fernreisende kann einen konstruktiven Beitrag zu einem rücksichtsvollen und die Umwelt sowie Natur möglichst wenig belastenden Tourismus leisten. Die meisten Reiseveranstalter haben mittlerweile ein offenes Ohr für entsprechende Fragen und Anregungen. Der Individualreisende schließlich kommt allein durch den Prozess des Nachdenkens gewiss auf Verhaltensweisen und Umgangsformen, die seinen zeitweiligen Aufenthalt nicht nur negativ erscheinen lassen.
Ein- und Ausreisebestimmungen
Bürger Deutschlands, Österreichs und der Schweiz benötigen einen bei der Ausreise noch sechs Monate gültigen Reisepass.
Seit 01.02.04 wir für Indonesien ein Visum benötigt. Die Visa werden gegen eine Gebühr von USD 25 (bitte passend!) für einen Aufenthalt von bis zu 30 Tagen ausgestellt und USD 10 für einen 3-tägigen Aufenthalt.
Sie müssen ca eine halbe Stunde länger für die Einreiseprozedur einplanen.

Bei der Aureise ist eine Flughafensteuer in Höhe von 150.000 Rupiah (ca 10 €) pro Person zu zahlen. Diese Gebühr kann nur in Landeswährung bei Ausreise am Flughafen bezahlt werden !
Elektrizität
220 Volt, ein internationaler Adapter wird benötigt !
Essen und Trinken
Die westliche, die internationale Küche ist in den Touristenzentren Balis besser vertreten als die einheimische.
Nicht nur in den großen Hotels, sondern auch in endlos vielen Restaurants werden reichhaltige und abwechslungsreiche Gerichte angeboten. Selbst auf Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut oder Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte muss der Verwöhnte nicht verzichten - allerdings muss man eigentlich nicht nach Bali fahren, um in diesen Genuss zu kommen. Auch fast-food-Ketten bieten ihre Fleischklopse an - obwohl im Urlaub doch eigentlich eine schnelle Mahlzeit nicht nötig sein müsste.
Wenn man Glück hat, wird einem auch schon mal Balinesisches angeboten, wie z.B. Spanferkel (babi guling) oder Reiswein (brem bali). An den lokalen Imbissständen (warung) oder von fliegenden Händlern am Strand werden ebenfalls Besonderheiten, wie gebratene Banane (pisang goreng) oder Fischball-Suppe (Bakso) offeriert. Frische Fruchtsäfte (jus) vermitteln die Vielfalt der Obstsorten, und eine junge Kokosnuss, direkt vom Palmbaum geschlagen, wird eine Erfrischung sein, die man so in Europa nicht bekommen kann.
Wer also keine Rücksicht auf spezielle Ernährung nehmen muss, kommt ohne weiteres in Bali auf seine Kosten.
Fauna
Die Tierwelt ist tropisch vielfältig: Affen, Wasserbüffel, Rinder, hunderte von Vogelarten und Insekten, Schlangen, Echsen, Schweine und zahlreiche Hunde begegnen einem allerorten.
Natur- und Umweltschutz erfreuen sich erst in jüngster Zeit öffentlicher Aufmerksamkeit, wenngleich der balinesische Bauer in seiner unbeeinflussten Lebens- und Arbeitswelt selbstverständlich ökologisch und ökonomisch angemessen zu wirtschaften versteht - bloß ändern sich u.a. durch den Tourismus die Bedingungen.
Feste und Feiertage
Wenn auch offiziell der bei uns gebräuchliche Kalender gilt, so haben die Balinesen doch ihre eigene Zeiteinteilung und einen eigenen traditionellen Kalender, der für die Organisation des Alltags unerlässlich ist.
Das balinesische Jahr verzeichnet im Wuku-Kalender 210 Tage mit 30 Wochen von je 7 Tagen.
Die saka-Kalender-Zählweise fußt auf anderen Berechnungen und liegt um etwa 80 Jahre hinter dem westlich-gregorianischen Kalender zurück, so dass 2003 dort als 1925 gilt.
Neben diesen spezifisch balinesischen Zeitrechnungen gelten in Indonesien im übrigen auch noch die moslemisch-arabischen, die alt-javanischen und chinesischen Kalender. So verwirrend diese unterschiedliche Zeiteinteilung auch erscheinen mag, für den Reisenden wirkt sie sich nicht direkt aus - es sei denn, er relativiert dadurch seine eurozentristische Weltsicht.
Allerdings ist die Kenntnis der durch den balinesischen Kalender vorgegebenen Feiertage hilfreich, um entsprechenden Festlichkeiten beiwohnen zu können. Nicht zuletzt dank der unterschiedlichen Kalender - und der verschiedenartigen Weltsicht und Glaubensauffassung, die dahinter steht - gibt es auf Bali eine bemerkenswerte Vielzahl von Feiertagen. Unabhängig von den öffentlich anerkannten Terminen bieten Totenbeisetzungen/Verbrennungen, Tempelfeste, Zahnfeilungen, Opfer- und Gebetszeremonien lokal verschiedene Anlässe zum Feiern.
Nahezu jeden Tag findet irgendwo irgendein Gedenktag, ein Feiertag statt. Dem Urlauber steht es gewiss gut an, sich mit entsprechender Höflichkeit und Zurückhaltung am Rande des Geschehens aufzuhalten. Inzwischen werden insbesondere Verbrennungsfeierlichkeiten zwar regelrecht vermarktet, die Reiseveranstalter bieten 'Cremation-Tours' an, dennoch sollte man sich vergegenwärtigen, dass man als Reisender, als Gast die notwendige Rücksichtnahme walten lässt.
Unstrittig ist, dass grundsätzlich auf Bali auch Fremde gern gesehene und willkommene Beobachter oder Teilnehmer von Festen sind - und dies im Unterschied zu uns; Oder wer hat schon mal einen daherkommenden Ausländer zu seiner Familienfeier geladen?
Flora
Bali liegt südlich des Äquators in den Tropen und wird klimatisch von den Monsunen beherrscht. Der Großteil der landwirtschaftlichen Nutzfläche dient dem Reisanbau. Der Boden ist vulkanisch und deshalb besonders fruchtbar. Im Westen liegt ein Nationalpark mit Regenwäldern, im Südwesten dehnen sich streckenweise Palmwälder aus, die z.T. in sumpfige Mangrovenwälder übergehen; im Osten reichen die Berge bis an die Küste, und im Norden gibt es mehrere Seen sowie eine flachere Landschaft als in der Inselmitte. Diese Region wird von den großen Vulkanen bestimmt, deren Hänge vegetationsarm sind.
Der Banyan- oder Waringinbaum ist mit seinen Luftwurzeln ein auffälliges Merkmal jeden Dorfes.
Die Pflanzenwelt ist von Nutzpflanzen dominiert, die u.a. der Nahrungsmittelversorgung dienen: Obst, Gemüse, Kaffee, Kakao, Tabak und immer und überall Bambus und Palmen. Blumen, wie der Hibiskus, die Kamboja-Blüte (Frangipani) oder die Bougainvillae sprießen immerzu - sie sind nicht zuletzt unerlässlicher Bestandteil der vielen kleinen Opfer und Verzierungen für rituelle Zwecke. In Nordbali wachsen auch Trauben, die zur Weinherstellung genutzt werden.
Geld
Die indonesische Währung ist der Rupiah (Stand März 2003: 1 Euro = ca. 10.000 Rupiah), von dem kleinere Werte bis 500,- Rp in Münzen und ansonsten Geldscheine (1000,- bis 200.000,- Rp) im Umlauf sind.
Reiseschecks in US$ und Kreditkarten werden weitgehend akzeptiert, ansonsten sollte man sich immer ausreichend mit Bargeld eindecken. Traveller cheques können vor Ort getauscht werden, Bargeld ebenso (meist lohnt sich ein Vergleich des Wechselkurses bei verschiedenen Banken oder money-changers).
ACHTUNG: Bei Kreditkartenzahlung wird teilweise ein Aufpreis von einigen Prozent verlangt.
Zum Teil werden Waren oder Leistungen auch in US$ ausgewiesen.
Gesundheitsbestimmungen
Amtlich sind zur Zeit keine Impfungen vorgeschrieben.
Empfohlen wird die Malaria-Prophylaxe.
Wir raten zur Auffrischung (sofern erforderlich) des Tetanus- und Polioschutzes
Impfungen
Bei der Einreise aus Europa sind keine Impfungen vorgeschrieben. Bali ist frei von Malaria aber in Irian Jaya, auf den kleinen Sundainseln und ganz besonders in den Regenwäldern von Kalimantan ist Malaria weit verbreitet.
Informationen zum aktuellen Stand gibt Ihr Hausarzt, die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Tropenmedizin oder das Centrum für Reisemedizin.
Tetanus, Polio, Hepatitis A und B Impfungen sind sehr empfehlenswert. Wir empfehlen den Abschluss einer Reisekrankenversicherung.
Klima / Wetter
Indonesien hat ein tropisches Klima mit hoher Luftfeuchtigkeit.

Die Temperaturen liegen zwischen 26°C und 32°C. Nachts ist es nur unwesentlich kühler.
Die Jahreszeiten werden durch Monsunwinde bestimmt und in Regen- und Trockenzeit unterteilt.

Der Regen fällt fast nur in kräftigen Schauern, anschließend scheint die Sonne wieder. Je nach Landesteil kann das Klima sehr unterschiedlich sein.
Maße
Das metrische System ist offiziell eingeführt und herrscht auch vor, wenn man von traditionellen Maßeinheiten absieht.
Reisepass / Visum
Deutsche Touristen benötigen einen Reisepass, der noch sechs Monate gültig ist.
Ab dem 01.02.2004 haben sich die Einreisebestimmungnen in Indonesien geändert. Von wenigen Ausnahmen abgesehen, benötigen alle Touristen ein Visum. Deutsche und Schweizer Staatsbürger können dies bei der Ankunft am Flughafen in Indonesien erhalten, Staatsbürger aus Österreich müssen das Visum bereits vor der Abreise beantragen.
Das neue Touristenvisum ist maximal für 30 Tage gültig und kostet vor Ort 25,- US$. Akzeptiert werden bei der Einreise nur saubere, ungeknickte Banknoten neueren Datums.
Der Reisepaß muß bei Ausreise aus Indonesien noch mindestens 6 Monate gültig sein.
Alle hier gemachten Angaben sind zu Ihrer Information - jedoch ohne Gewähr auf Aktualität. Bitte informieren Sie sich vor der Abreise bei ihrem Konsulat nach den neuesten Bestimmungen.
Sitten und Gebräuche
Shorts und Miniröcke sind in und um die Tempel nicht erlaubt. In Tempeln, auf Festplätzen und in Privathäusern ist es zudem Sitte, die Schuhe auszuziehen. Auch wenn kein direkter Zwang besteht, empfehlen wir Ihnen, diese Sitten möglichst zu befolgen, um Respekt vor den religiösen Gebräuchen zu zeigen. Den Kopf (z. B. von Kindern) sollten Sie nach Möglichkeit nicht berühren. Genauso wie Sie mit dem Zeigefinger nicht auf etwas oder jemanden zeigen sollten, da dies als unhöflich empfunden wird. Aus dem gleichen Grund sollten Sie Ihren Gesprächspartner möglichst mit dem Kopf nicht überragen.
Im Zweifel hocken oder setzen Sie sich lieber hin.
Das Händeschütteln ist nicht üblich, außer bei längeren Verabschiedungen oder Gratulationen.
Intime Berührungen oder Umarmungen in der Öffentlichkeit sind nicht gern gesehen.
Das Nacktbaden oder "Oben ohne" ist verboten.
Wenn Balinesen sich in den Flüssen an der Straße waschen, sollten Sie dies als Passant diskret übersehen und auch dem Reiz, auf den Auslöser zu drücken, widerstehen.
Für das Geben und Nehmen wird nur die rechte Hand verwendet, da die Linke für die Körperpflege zuständig ist.
Und noch ein nützlicher Hinweis: Die Balinesen lieben das Handeln. Besonders auf Märkten ist es üblich die Preise noch herunterzuhandeln. Am besten erst ausgiebig erkunden, was der Artikel kostet und für sich selbst einen Wert festlegen, dann können Sie nicht enttäuscht werden.
Sprache
In Indonesien wird Bahasa Indonesia gesprochen, eine malaiische Sprache, und Indonesisch ist auf Bali Amtssprache.
Englisch ist in den Touristenzentren soweit verbreitet, dass man sich verständigen kann.
Die Muttersprache der Bewohner ist allerdings Balinesisch, aus dem Sanskrit stammend, mit eigener Schrift. Als Reisender wird man ihr am ehesten im Umfeld ritueller Festlichkeiten begegnen.
Ein kleiner Tipp:
Bahasa Indonesia ist die einfachste Sprache der Erde, mit einem kleinen Sprachenführer (z.B. Indonesisch für Globetrotter von Gunda Urban) können in kürzester Zeit einige Worte gelernt werden.
Telefon
Abgesehen von den Möglichkeiten aus größeren Hotels telefonieren zu können, gibt es eine verlässliche Infrastruktur von öffentlichen Telefon- und Telefaxeinrichtungen: WARTEL. Für den Handy-Betrieb empfiehlt sich ggf. die Anschaffung einer vor Ort zu erwerbenden SIM-Karte.
Unterkünfte
Das Beherbergungsgewerbe kann sämtliche Bedürfnisse zufrieden stellen:
Vom Luxushotel aufwändigsten Komforts bis zur einfachen Hütte mit Bastmatte bieten die Hotels, Bungalowanlagen oder Losmen (einfache Pensionen) alles feil. Wer eine Pauschalreise bucht, wird sich ohnehin um sein Bett nicht kümmern müssen. Individualreisende werden stets noch ein Dach über dem Kopf finden. Wer aufgeschlossen dafür ist, sich nach einer Alternative zu dem mehr oder weniger standardisierten Hotelangebot umzusehen, dem sei z.B. das Natour-Bali-Hotel in Denpasar empfohlen, das älteste Haus am Platze, noch aus den 30er Jahren der Kolonialzeit stammend. Ganz anderes bietet u.a. die kleine Anlage Sua-Bali in Kemenuh (bei Ubud), wo ein sogenannter sozialintegrativer Urlaub praktiziert wird.
Urlauber bevorzugen allerdings üblicherweise Hotels in Strandnähe. In Kuta dominieren die kleineren Häuser und Pensionen, in Sanur stehen überwiegend die größeren internationalen Häuser, in Nusa Dua schließlich ist ein Hotel-Areal entstanden, wo die Anzahl der 'Sterne' miteinander konkurriert. Im Landesinneren findet sich in Ubud und Umgebung ein breites Angebot an Unterkünften, gleiches gilt für die erschlossenen Regionen an den Küsten im Norden und Osten der Insel.
Versicherung
Zu empfehlen sind Reiserücktritt-, Reisegepäck- und Reisekrankenversicherung.
Tauchern empfehlen wir eine Mitgliedschaft bei DAN oder der Deutschen Flugambulanz.
Wichtige Adressen

Botschaft der Republik Indonesien
Lehrter Str. 16-17
10557 Berlin
Tel. (0 30) 47 80 70
Fax (0 30) 44 73 71 42
Internet: www.mantadiving.com

Deutsche Botschaft
Jl. M.H.Thamrin 1
Jakarta 1031
Indonesien
Tel. 00 62 (21) 3 90 17 50
Fax 00 62 (21) 3 90 17 57
Internet: www.germanembjak.or.id
E-Mail: germany@rad.net.id

Deutsches Honorarkonsulat
Jl. Pantai Karang 17
Sanur
Indonesien
Tel. 00 62 (3 61) 28 85 35
Fax 00 62 (3 61) 28 88 26

Schweiz & Österreich Konsulat
Swiss Restaurant
JI. Pura Bagus Teruna
Legian
Indonesien
Tel. 00 62 (75) 1735
Fax 00 62 (75) 4457

Indonesisches Tourism Office
Kanwil X Depparpostel
Kompleks Niti Mandala
Jl. Raya Puputan
Denpasar 80235 Indonesien
Tel. 00 62 (3 61) 22 56 49
Fax 00 62 (3 61) 23 34 75
Zeit
Indonesien ist in drei Zeitzonen eingeteilt. Je nach Sommer- oder Winterzeit bei uns beträgt der Unterschied zur westindonesischen Zeit +5 oder +6 Stunden; zwischen Java und Bali verläuft eine Zeitgrenze von +1 Stunde (mittelindonesische Zeit), also auch eine Stunde mehr Unterschied zu Deutschland (+6 oder +7 Stunden).