Archive for the ‘Countries’ Category

If you are anything like me, you probably take every opportunity to make sure that your family holiday is somewhere at least near to a golf course! I don't know what it is about family holidays – I enjoy them enormously – but I know that at some point on that holiday I will need to get away from the wife and kids and hit ... Full story

Most keen skiers in Europe most probably have at least heard about one of the ski resorts in Bulgaria - Pamporovo. Those of them, who had the experience to ski in Pamporovo surely know the town of Smolyan, situated just a few kilometers away from the ski-resort. And at the same ... Full story

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Centuries ago, Portugal was a pioneer of worldwide exploration. Until recently, however, it was never as successful in attracting visitors to its own shores. Outside of greater Lisbon, the Algarve, and the island of Madeira, Portugal remained unknown and undiscovered by the mainstream visitor for many decades. Today's travelers are beginning to realize that Portugal was unjustly overlooked. It offers sandy beaches, art treasures, flavorful ... Full story

THE ORIGINS The ancient kingdom of Baktria, Balkaria or Balhara was established on today’s territory of southern Tadjikistan and northern Afghanistan. Since a couple of years, this region has revealed several archeological sites; some specialists even say that one of the mummies found near the city of Baktria could be the oldest ever discovered. Also, several small figurines were found in the town, somehow those objects ... Full story

Addresses -- When writing addresses in Brazil, the street number follows the name of the street ("Av. Atlântica 2000" would roughly translate as "2000 Atlantic Ave."). Often in smaller towns a street name will be followed by the abbreviation "s/n." This stands for sem numero (without number), and is used when a building sits on a street but has no identifying number. Other words ... Full story

History by Nigel Worden -- A professor of history specializing in Indian Ocean history No visitor to India can fail to be overwhelmed by the combination of a bustling, modernizing nation and an ancient but omnipresent past. India's history is everywhere, in its temples and mosques, forts and palaces, tombs and monuments, but it has only recently become a single country, which makes its history a complex ... Full story

American Express -- Report lost or stolen cards by calling tel. 0124/28-1800 from anywhere in India; or call tel. 98109-00800 (Delhi) or tel. 98926-00800 (Mumbai). Area Codes -- The international telephone access code for India is 91. All numbers listed in this guide include the local area code (which you would dial from another Indian town or city); this is separated from the actual telephone number ... Full story

Ancient History (ca. 30,000 B.C.-A.D. 710) -- According to mythology, Japan's history began when the sun goddess, Amaterasu, sent one of her descendants down to the island of Kyushu to unify the people of Japan. Unification, however, was not realized until a few generations later when Jimmu, the great-grandson of the goddess's emissary, succeeded in bringing all of the country under his rule. Because of ... Full story

The Early People -- Archaeologists believe that Thailand was a major thoroughfare for homo erectus en route from Africa to China and other parts of Asia. Stone tools, dating back some 700,000 years have been excavated around Lampang in northern Thailand. Cave paintings, found throughout the country, are believed to originate as early as 2000 B.C.; these show people dancing and hunting, as well ... Full story