Month: September 2022

Laos Travel Experiences

Laos is a small country in South East Asia, bordering several major tourist destinations, such as Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and China. This region is a great attraction for tourists from all over the world.

The Asian country of Laos is remarkable due to its amazing culture and authentic lifesyle admired by millions of tourists. One of the state symbols is Anusavari Arc de Triomphe built after the Second World War in memory of the killed Laotian soldiers.

Wat That Luang temple is a mysterious attraction. Inside, one will see a huge statue of Buddha, resting in a spacious, simply decorated hall. The statue seems to be carved of stone, and it looks magnificent.

Pha That Luang is an important national temple in Laos, which is a symbol of Buddhism religion and of the country’s sovereignty. The full name of the temple means ‘The World Precious Sacred Stupa’. Legend has it that the missionaries of King Ashoka of India founded the first stupa here in the 3rd century BC, but any convincing evidence of this event has not yet been found. The excavations, carried out directly in the temple, show that right at this point there used to be an ancient Khmer monastery in the 11th century. And when king Sethathirat moved the capital of Laos from Luang Prabang to Vientiane in the middle of the 16th century, he ordered to erect Pha That Luang temple in place of the ancient monastery. The construction started in 1566, and in four years four temples had been erected. At present, only two of them have survived: Wat That Luang Neua facing the north and Wat That Luang Tai facing the south.

Wat That Luang Neua used to be the residence of the Supreme Spiritual Guide of Buddhism in Laos. The temple is surrounded by a high bastion built in the 19th century to protect the temple against foreign invaders. Each part of the monument is different in terms of its architecture, which embodies the basic doctrines of Buddhism.

The Central Stupa of Thap Luang is decorated with the sculpture of a flower and Buddhist inscriptions, its walls are 45 meters high, and behind them there are some more classical Khmer sculptures.

Wat Phra Kaew was not only a monastery, but a royal temple as well. It was built in the 16th century specifically for the Emerald Buddha statue, but in 1788 it was moved to Bangkok. Since then, the Emerald Buddha statue is considered the most sacred relic, not only in Laos, but also for the people of Thailand.

The National Museum is another interesting attraction which contains valuable works of art, but the most expensive exhibit is a copy of a small statue of Buddha. The original Buddha was made of gold and weighed 50 kg. The statue was made in Ceylon in the first century AD. Now it is kept in a bank for security purposes as one of the holiest relics of Buddhism. Other famous destinations of the country include the Royal Monastery Wat Thong Kseng, which is called a ‘golden city of temples’ and is located on the banks of the Mekong. The Royal Monastery looks like a town, and its main pagoda is richly decorated with gilded carving.

The second largest church of the monastery, Kseng Tong, is a royal tomb. Wat Tat Luang monatery is located in the southern part of the city. The territory of the monastery is decorated with bamboo poles with long green ribbons. Wind rustles the construction, and the ribbons twist slowly, like dragons. People come here to pay homage to the ‘father of rivers’, the Mekong. They praise the great river in folk legends for its fertility and abundance. There, at the confluence of the Mekong and the Ou rivers, one will find the famous Pak Ou caves, which host thousands of Buddha statues created by monks more than 300 years ago. This place is thought to be inhabited by good spirits and is a site of traditional annual prayers.…

Review of Berlitz German Phrase Book and Audio CD

Berlitz German Phase Book and Dictionary was one of the first resources I bought to learn German. I knew that it wouldn’t help me with colloquial language, and that it would mostly consist of handy phrases for travelers, but I figured it would help me decide whether or not German was the language for me.

For the price of $14.95 at Borders (back when Borders was the major book store chain), I purchased this phrase book, which also included a pocket dictionary and an audio CD. The main phrase book was packed with many useful requests and conversations which, as I anticipated, were geared primarily towards travelers. As a beginner, I found a lot of useful vocabulary in the phrase book. Most textbooks and courses don’t go very in depth into travel vocabulary, so this phrase book could be a very useful supplement.

Now, having studied German, I know that the formal language used in this travel guide is overly-polite and I would likely not use a good deal of it, if I were to travel to Germany today. Still though, it was a helpful resource. I also enjoyed the audio CD, although it was a little hard to follow before I had a sound basis in German basics.

I would recommend this traveler’s guide anyone who needs to learn/brush up on their German before a trip purchase this book. It is certainly one of the best travel guides out there for the German language. The audio CD will help to perfect your pronunciation, and the book covers just about everything you would have to say. For serious language learners, this book could teach you some of the more formal/polite ways of making requests in German, as well as a great deal of travel vocabulary.

What I do not recommend, however, is starting out your German experience with this or any travel guide. That is how I started and I found myself very confused by the different grammatical cases, adjective agreements, and all the other fine points of the language. For that reason, I recommend learning the basics of the German language from a more informative course/class/program and then, at a later time, using this or any travel guide as a supplement for vocabulary.

Whilst this set is only useful for vocabulary when learning the German language, it is certainly one of the best travel guides that I have seen. I have quite a few pocket travel guides, for several languages, and this one has the most features and words. Most travelers, when armed with this book, should do just fine in Germany, especially considering how many people speak in English there.…

Traveling to Paris? Here Are Some Tips Which Will Make Your Trip More Enjoyable

Paris attracts travelers because of its romantic atmosphere, and also because it has been the inspiration of painters, writers and musicians to create some of our most cherished works of art. With so many millions of visitors to the world-renown “city of lights” it’s no wonder that there are multiple different motivations for going, and just as many preferences. The following are some useful tips to think about:

1. A worthy travel guide has been the bread and butter of many a tourist’s luggage, and, undoubtedly, the shelves of any bookstore selling guidebooks likely has loads to take your pick from. The smartest thing the modern tourist can do is think about what it is that compels them the most in Paris. If it’s paintings, then opt for a guidebook that puts a spotlight on the city’s seventy famous museums. If it is eating out, find a handy travel guide with commonplace translations for menus. It may come in handy. Better yet, if you have a smart phone like the iPhone, download one of the many Paris applications presently available. This is the preferred method, because it saves packing space.

2. Don your wardrobe as you normally would. Paris is a lovely city, undoubtedly the most marvelous city in the world, but with so many visitors traveling through this stately city, that also signifies that pickpockets are close behind. Pickpockets at the foot of Montmartre, in the Pigalle area, look for visitors, and unfortunately many times they are incredibly easy to see. When you come to Paris, don’t bring along touristy clothes like fanny packs, large video camcorders and safari type clothes. This way of dressing will make you a perfect target for pickpockets. Wear casual clothes, as you would normally, and you will blend in with the rest of the crowd.

3. Reserve in advance as often as possible. Paris’ iconic sites like the Notre Dame and the Louvre are top spots on any tourist’s list of things to do while in Paris. It is worthwhile to keep this in mind, because you will not be the only tourist visiting the Louvre or taking a romantic boat ride along the Seine. Take advantage of the internet and look for the sites of as many of these tourist attractions as you can and book your tickets in advance. It takes only a few minutes and will save you from waiting in some of the longest cues you have ever seen. Your feet will be happy for it!

4. Use automatic tellers, rather than travelers checks. There are automatic tellers throughout Paris. A traveler can take out money whenever they need it. The days are past when one had to visit the city with a stack of traveler’s checks. More than anything, avoid the expensive exchange rates found in the currency exchange locations everywhere in the city. The charges from cash machines are much more economical, by a long shot.

5. Rather than book a hotel, why not choose an apartment? Hotels are very tough on your pocketbook, especially in this city, and often they can have a less personal atmosphere. See yourself coming to the city and feeling like you are living like a true Parisian, among the everyday people of Paris.…