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You need time and Spain (space) to enjoy!

And we’re down to our last blog post! To end our 5 week-long travel blog, let’s head to Europe for our finale! 

Plaza De España is a Renaissance style of the building and it can be located in the province of Seville in Spain. It is also known to be "The Venice of Seville" because tourists are allowed to rent small boats to row at the canal and explore the beauty of the Plaza. It is also considered to be one of the greatest structure ever built after the Cathedral. It has an area of 50,000 square meters. The purpose of building this structure was for the Ibero-American Exhibition (1929). Lastly, the structure is located inside Maria Luisa Park.

Have you ever heard of a city that is surrounded by water? Well in Spain, there is this so-called Peñiscola and a castle that stands on the beach and shows us a glimpse of its history where knights battled and occupied the land of El Maestrazgo. Pope Benedict XIII, also was known as "Papa Luna", battled here for the Unity of the Catholic Church. Lastly, there is a parade ground to look for a stunning view of the Mediterranean Sea. 

What is the most explosive attraction in Spain? Granada! 

In Granda, Spain, the over-crowded Alhambra was also known as the "Red Castle coming from the Arabs and this was a former mosque until Carlos I made it into a church again. This is one of Spain's famous tourist attraction which can be located at the southern area. Alhambra is also known forever crowded lace; this is because of the tourists that are always eager to see the beautiful structure that was there since the early age and at some point, it reached approximately 6000 tourists touring and viewing Alhambra. All of which is such a huge number for a tourist attraction. Finally Alhambra is a location where we could see the history of what was once a Mosque and once was a Church. Pretty amazing right? 

Sources: Jarold Coojacinto (pictures), Andalucia, Lonely Planet and 

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What is the food that means nothing? Naan

Hey there dear readers! Welcome back to our 4th blogpost!

Today, we’re heading to the city of India and learn more about their cultures and historical places.

First off, let’s head to the Agra where Taj Mahal is located!

You’ve probably heard of Taj Mahal but didn’t have the chance of knowing what it is for. But fear not! We’re here to tell you some interesting facts about Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal is one of the New Seven Wonders of the world, and designated a World Heritage Site in 1983 and looks nearly as immaculate today as when it was first constructed – though it underwent a huge restoration project in the early 20th century.In Taj Mahal, it also shows the Persian and Mughal influence during that time. This was built by Shah Jahan as a memorial for his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child in 1631. The death of Mumtaz left the emperor so heartbroken that his hair is said to have turned gray virtually overnight. It is considered as the most famous tourist attraction because it shows India it's rich history about the Mughal Emperor  Sha Jahan.

However, the Taj is closed every Friday to anyone not attending prayers at the mosque. So make sure to note it to your itinerary that Friday is closed! ;)

Next up, let’s have an adventure to Agra Fort!

Agra Fort is located on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the city of Agra in Uttar Pradesh. It is one of the most important and robustly built strongholds of the Mughals, embellished with a number of richly decorated buildings encompassing the imposing Mughal style of art and architecture. With the Taj Mahal overshadowing it, one can easily forget that Agra has one of the finest Mughal forts in India. Walking through courtyard after courtyard of this palatial red sandstone and marble fortress, your amazement grows as the scale of what was built here begins to sink in.

Our last stop for the India tour will be at Amber Fort & Palace, Jaipur

This magnificent fort comprises an extensive palace complex, built from pale yellow and pink sandstone, and white marble, and is divided into four main sections, each with its own courtyard.

So after a tour of some of the best places to go in India, let’s move on to our personal favorite in every trip. FOOD. Food is bae. Food is love. Therefore, food is life. Hahahaha! Kidding, sleep is a strong challenger for those titles.

But moving on, Indian cuisine is one of the most popular types of cuisine around the world. That is because of its diverse offerings that are truly an orgasm to our taste buds. Their dishes are a special blend of spices and herbs that are just heavenly. All kinds of flavors would often clash, most often spicy, sweet, and savory. No wonder, their dishes are so popular. Thinking about it just makes me drool. Let’s get started!

First off is the most popular cuisine of Indians, CURRY.

Bengali Curry is one of the most famous ones because of its combination of spices that makes of a great curry. Some on these spices are cumin, nigella, fenugreek, aniseed and mustard seeds. This five spice recipe is a knock-out for both the tourists and the locals in India.

Onto our next dish, the TANDOORI CHICKEN.

This is a dish that has been adapted and changed by many as it widespread amongst the Westerners, as well as Asians all over the world. In India, it has kept its true flavors, thus, continues to be the home to the best of its kind. Tandoori Chicken is made through marinating the meat in a paste that is made up of yogurt, a mix of spices, and finally cooked in a clay pot called tandoor, where it accumulates the flavors in the chicken.

Another popular Indian dish is the Rumali roti, most commonly known as roti.

This bread-like pastry is often paired with hummus and other kinds of dishes as a lighter substitute for bread. More often than not, its dough is flipped and tossed like a pizza dough which is a fun aspect to its creation. “Rumal” is a Hindi word for a handkerchief as the roti is folded like handkerchiefs or napkins.

Up Next: Naan 

Naan is a flat Indian bread baked in Tandoor, a clay oven. This is somehow the counterpart of Flatbread on the Western side. Naan is usually cooked quickly in a hot tandoor, a cylindrical clay and brick oven with a dome-shaped top.  It is a leavened bread made from maida, an Indian white flour that is very delicate and powdery, similar to pastry flour. It is eaten most often with curry, used instead of a spoon to sop up all of the sauce and to pick up vegetables (and meat). It is often seasoned with nigella seeds — black seeds with a slightly astringent flavor that can be found in Indian grocery stores and is sometimes mistakenly called “onion seeds,” “black sesame,” or “black cumin.” 

Mhm… delicious.

Sadly, we cannot accommodate all the delicious dishes that India has to offer. But trust us, there are plenty more where that came from. So if you plan to visit India, be sure to try this staple food and enjoy it.

Comment your experiences too! We always love to hear your stories.

Sources: Jarold Coojacinto (pictures and video). Lonely Planet, Trak.In, IndianCurry and  The Daily Meal (information ) 

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Yangon (hang on) there! We’re going on an adventure to Myanmar!

Welcome back to our third blog post! Did you miss us? We bet yes!  

  Before we start. here’s an important note, visitors need to be take off their shoes and socks in order to get inside the Pagoda (temples). I know not all would be willing to do that, but doing it so is considered as a form of respect. But don’t worry where to put your shoes, there’s a locker to the rescue!

10 years ago, Myanmar was hard to visit since the government was run by the military. But now, visitors can visit it freely! Yangon is the former capital and largest city in Myanmar, with a population of about 6 million people. The city is located in the southern part of the country, with Thailand to the East and the Bay of Bengal to the West.  

 Let’s now start to get to know the places Yangon is known for!

 First off, Shwedagon Pagoda.

The 2,500-year-old and 326-feet gilded Shwedagon Pagoda is known for its impressive size, its hundreds gold plated stupas, temples, and statues. The Pagoda is the most sacred Buddhist Temple in all of Myanmar and is enormous enough to take all the credit for making the country a golden one. Enshrining the relics of four Buddhas who obtained enlightenment, it receives thousands of pilgrims yearly from all over Myanmar. Burmese people surely loves the color of gold! Just be sure you’re not wearing yellow so that you wouldn’t be camouflaged ;) The best time to visit the pagoda would be around sunset. You’ll surely be amazed on how the sun reflects the golden pagoda which it begins to glow.

   Now, let's head to Chauk Htat Gyi! The world famous reclining buddha!

 The  Chauk Htat Gyi is known for its enormous 65 meters long (the high of six stories! ) Reclining Buddha image. This is considered as the 4th largest reclining statue in Myanmar!  The Reclining Buddha image is decorated with very expressive colors, white face, red lips, blue eye shadow, golden robe and red finger nails.

  Let’s us now head to one of the cities in central Myanmar, Bagan! You surely can not miss out Bagan on your itinerary!

 The thousands of temples that are spread across the plains of Bagan are the most impressive testament to the religious devotion of Myanmar’s people – and rulers – over the centuries. They combine to form one of the richest archaeological sites in Asia and provide views quite unlike anywhere else on earth. Bagan is a place of never-seen-before pagodas, and not to mention the most beautiful sunrise you could ever see!

 First stop,  Ananda Pahto Pagoda

  With its shimmering gold, 170ft-high, corn-cob hit shimmering across the plains, Ananda is one of the finest, largest, best preserved and most revered of all Bagan temples. The temple’s most distinctive feature is the gilded sikhara, the tower like a spire on top of the pagoda. The reflection of the gilded sikhara is visible from miles away over the Bagan plains.

 There are too many temples that are so amazing for us to describe it, but there’s one thing a tourist shouldn’t miss out, it's the sunrise in Bagan. The sunrise is Bagan is not the usual thing people see every day, their sunrise is so spectacular that you would want to wake up at 5 am, climb up a pagoda and watch it rise. Together with the sunrise are the hot air balloon rising up to catch the right time. Imagine this, riding a hot air balloon, watching the sunset along with the view of thousands of pagodas that are too beautiful to believe that they exist is such a wonderful experience you will never forget! Here’s a tip, Shwesandaw Pagoda is perfectly positioned to capture a beautiful Bagan sunrise.

  Moving on from Bagan, let's hop on a place to Mandalay!

I know what you’re thinking, you would probably question why we’re suddenly in Las Vegas.  But nope it isn’t! We’re still in Myanmar! ;) 

Mandalay is considered as the second largest city in Myanmar. It is located on the northern part of the capital. 

 The first place we’ll making a stop at Mandalay would be Kuthodaw Pagoda, the UNESCO world heritage site. It is considered as the world’s largest book. Surrounding the pagoda are 729 shrines each containing a single marble slab inscribed in both sides in Burmese script. Together, the 729 slabs are called “the world’s largest book”, each stone slab representing one of its pages. The slabs are inscribed with texts of the Sutta Pitaka, the Vinaya Pitaka and Abhidhamma Pitaka, the three parts that make up the Tripitaka, the teachings of the Buddha written in ancient Pali language.

And our final stop for Mandalay is the Mandalay Palace.  

 The Mandalay Royal Palace is the last Palace built by Burmese Royals. On the large complex are dozens of buildings including audience halls, throne halls, a monastery, a watch tower, a court building, a tooth relic building and a library where the Buddhist scriptures were kept.

I hope you guys won’t get bored, we’re up to the final stop for Myanmar! Hop on a plane and let’s go to Inle Lake! This lake is considered as the second largest lake in Myanmar. From the word itself, you can clearly say that this city has floating villages like Venice. 

The lake, which measures 22 km long by 10 km wide, and sits in a valley between two mountain ranges, feels like a different world to the rest of Myanmar: in villages and towns across the lake, wooden houses are built on stilts and fishermen steer their one-man boats with a characteristic rowing style, wrapping one leg around their oar. 

Tourist is usually found in Inle’s local handicraft shop or by the floating market. In one of the handicraft shop, you can spot the famous Giraffe Women or Kayan Women who wear brass rings around their neck. Yes yes, I know it’s weird, but there’s a cool reason behind this!  These Kayan women, from Kayah state, wear brass coils around their necks to give the impression that their necks are stretched. Having a long neck is often seen as beautiful in Kayan culture. A full set of the neck rings can weigh as much as 10 kilos - but few of the women now wear a full set. Most women gradually increase the number of coils on their rings to steadily increase the apparent length of their necks.Kayan women are usually now given a choice as to whether or not they want to wear the neck rings. Most of those who still do, do so because they see them as beautiful or because they want to preserve the tradition.

So here we end our third post! Hope you’ll learn a thing or two from us!  Myanmar is a place you shouldn’t miss the next time you plan to travel around south east Asia! Thank you for dropping by! Stay tuned for our next post! ;) 

Credits: 

google images, travel monkeys group, go-myanmar, re-own travel, yangon one day tours, lonely planet and daily mail UK. 

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Why did I go to South Korea?  To find my SEOUL.

A lot of Filipino citizens nowadays, love to watch Kdramas. Since it’s the new ‘trend’ now, we decided to make our second post all about Korea.

Here are some facts about South Korea:

Firstly, it occupies the southern half of the Korean peninsula, which protrudes about 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) southward from the Eurasian landmass between Soviet Siberia in the northeast and Chinese Manchuria to the north. About three thousand islands belong to Korea, among which the Province of Cheju Island is the largest. Geopolitically, the peninsula is surrounded on three sides by the sea and by Russia, China, and Japan. Korea has suffered from the attempts of these neighboring countries to dominate it, particularly in the twentieth century. Korea is mountainous, and only about 20 percent of the land in the south is flat enough for farming. Seoul, the capital, is in the northwestern part of the country on the Han River, which flows toward the Yellow Sea. Seoul was first established as the walled capital of the Choson Dynasty in 1394.

What an amazing geography of Korea there is, don’t you think guys?

Well, anyways, did you know that Koreans value their native tongue and their alphabet,han'gul, which was invented in the mid-fifteenth century. Until then, Korea's aristocratic society used Chinese characters, while the government and people used the writing system known as idu(a transcription system of Korean words invented in the eighth century by Silla scholars using Chinese characters)?

Now let us start taking you around South Korea!

First Stop: Gyeongbokgung Palace

It is said that this was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty and it is one of the biggest royal palaces that was built during his reign. Also, guards protect the gates 24/7. Koreans are big believers of Pungsu-jiri (their own feng shui) and every palace should have a mountain behind and a river flowing near it.

Second Stop: Nami Island

Namiseom, or Nami Island, is a half-moon shaped island named after General Nami - who led the victory against rebels back in 1400s. Nami Island is known for its natural landscape. Did you know that this island’s electric wires and telephone poles were built underground? Cool, right?!

To get to the island itself, you should wait in line and ride their ferry which comes every 30 minutes, and the trip is about 10 minutes.

Nami Island is really huge. There are a lot of spots that one can take photos of. This is a place for those people who love to take photos and who love to have their photos taken. Aside from taking a lot of photos, Nami Island is also a place for strolling, biking, and camping. They also have lodges for their guests who want to stay there.

Third Stop: Petite France

Here are some interesting facts about Petite France:

This place is a French cultural village in Korea and it consists of 16 French-style buildings where visitors can lodge and experience French food, clothing, and household culture. The concept of Petite France encapsulates ‘flowers, stars, and the Little Prince.’ The village contains a memorial hall dedicated to Saint-Exupery, the author of the celebrated French novel, Le Petit Prince (1943) and as such it is called the Little Prince theme park. It also has a gallery displaying sculptures and paintings of le coq gaulois (the Gallic rooster), the national symbol of France; Orgel House where a 200-year-old music box plays a sweet melody; a shop that sells herbal and aromatic products; a souvenir shop; and many other locales where you can experience French culture.

Everything in this place looks so unreal, villages are pastel-colored and the solar systems are hanging on cable wires. This place is also for those people who loves to take photos. This place was featured in a lot of Kdramas, such as Secret Garden, Running Man, and My Love from the Star!

Fourth Stop: Myeongdong

Myeongdong is known for the busy shopping streets in Seoul. If you’re into night markets, shopping, and street food, Myeongdong is the perfect place for you! The streets of Myeongdong were surrounded with big brands and local brands. It is a great place for women who love to shop til they drop!

If you’re brave enough, do see the food pics below! 

Bingsu is a popular snack food found almost everywhere in Korea during the summer months. It is made with shaved ice with toppings.

They have really huge strawberries in South Korea!

This is one of the Koreans’ favorites is the Tteokgalbi, a Korean dish made from beef ribs. It’s sweet, chewy, juicy, and of course, it’s very tender because its meat is already chopped into small pieces.

This is gyeran-ppang or Korean egg bread. Gyeran means egg and ppang means bread. It’s best when it’s still hot! 

Fifth and Final Stop: Lotte World

Lotte World: “Perfect Place for Thrilling Entertainment Fun and Rides”

Lotte World is a massive self-contained indoor recreation complex, complete with shopping malls, sports facilities, movie theaters, a Folk Museum, and the luxurious five-star Lotte Hotel World located right beside the amusement park.  It even made its entry to Guinness Book of Records as the biggest indoor theme park in the world!

Located in the heart of the Seoul, Lotte World is really a suitable spot not only for entertainment, but also sightseeing. Lotte World is a massive self-contained indoor recreation complex, complete with shopping malls, sports facilities, movie theaters, a Folk Museum, and the luxurious five-star Lotte Hotel World located right beside the amusement park.  It even made its entry to Guinness Book of Records as the biggest indoor theme park in the world! Lotte World is divided into a ‘’Adventure’ theme the one is built inside the building, and another one outside is a ‘Magic Island’ theme which is next to Seokchonhosu Lake. 

If you’re photogenic, want to take a LOTTE of photos and love themeparks, then Lotte World is perfect for you!

‘Til our next trip! Stay tuned!

Information from: http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/South-Korea.html

credits: nyela sy for the wonderful photos 

[cornybloggers-blog]

What coffee do Chinese people drink? Cappu-CHINA

*mic drop* Just kidding!

Hey, guys! We are six students who created a travel for fun and pleasure. Our titles are corny puns that may or may not be originally ours. Why be corny? It’s because we’re awesome, obviously. So if the name does not say it all, we are making our first post all about China. Why? We’re Chinese. We’d like to proudly represent our nationality. 

China is the biggest country in Asia, it has a rich history and culture that continuously grow. It is more commonly known as the People’s Republic of China. It’s also actually the most populous country in the world. The state is governed by the Communist Party and its capital is Beijing, where the 2008 Olympics was held. Sounds familiar yet? China is characterized as a potential superpower for it's strong economical and industrial resources that can even compete for that of America’s. Amazing right? Now moving off from all those boring information, let’s continue on to the insides of China.

Guangzhou.

Before all the cool stuff, just another brief background on this country. Ugh, boring, I know but it’s necessary for you so that you may understand the place a little more and not be like “what are you talking about?” “next article please!” on us.  

So Guangzhou, it is a port city that’s located northwest of Hong Kong and it’s on the Pearl River. It’s also the third largest city in China. Okay, to give us a break from all the information how about another joke? 

What do we call Chinese noodles? Pancit CANTONESE.

Too much? Yeah, too much.

Well, Guangzhou used to be called Canton and it is the home for traditional Chinese foods and any foodie will find all kinds of Chinese food per province here than anywhere else. 

Let’s now move on to the tourist spots Guangzhou is known for. 

First up, we have the Canton Tower! Canton tower is located at the Haizhu District at the south bank of Pearl River. This is considered as the highest TV tower in China and the third highest in the world with a height of 1,968 feet. This has broken several world records since its completion in 2010. How cool is that! The canton tower is divided into 5 zones which have an amusement, dining, observatory, and the like. Let’s start off with the amusement zone which is located in the last zone of the tower. Being the world’s highest outdoor observatory deck in the world and the highest place visitors can visit, this place is surely worth your trip to Guangzhou! At the height of 488 meters, you have a 360-degree view of Guangzhou. At night, you could see buildings light up and stare at the starry sky. While it may be a scary to people who are afraid of heights, but it is definitely worth it and breathtaking! Next zone would be the dining, which also holds another record as the world’s highest revolving restaurant which serves authentic French cuisines. This surely fits for a date night or anniversary! Along with this zone is where the Star and Cloud observatory deck is located.  In this level, a glass walk offers visitors a view of what’s beneath your feet. 

Next up, let’s have a trip down the historical sites of Guangzhou! I know it’s boring to some but maybe we’ll learn a thing or two! 

Here we have is the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall located on the southern Yuexiu Hill. It was completed way back 1931. Don't get confused because there are 3 Memorial Halls made for Sun Yat-sen around Asia. One would be in Singapore, Taiwan, and Guangzhou. Which these 3 Halls made for him, we surely can saw how important he is to the Chinese countries! A short little background about Sun Yat-sen, he was the forerunner of the Chinese democratic Revolution and also the president and founding father of the Republic of China. This is hall has an opera stage inside it, with 2 stories high, it can have a seating capacity of 4,792. Back before, there were a lot of historical events held in this hall. One would be the WW II which the Japanese damaged the hall. But today, it is beautifully preserved by the government for tourist to visit. 

Lastly, let’s head to the exciting part of Guangzhou, a place where you can shop all day long! Just be sure you’ll be wearing comfortable shoes!  

Beijing Lu is known for being the most popular shopping district in Guangzhou for both locals and the foreigners. This place has absolutely everything! There’s a wide range of stores available here,  from cheap ones to high-end ones. But just make sure you wouldn't buy fake items that are being sold at a higher price. Aside from that, you wouldn’t mind getting hungry while shopping because there are a lot of good foods along the way. Street foods are totally something not to be missed! Oh, before we forget, don’t miss out to take a photo by their pedestrian street!

So here ends our blog about Guangzhou china! Hope you’ll learn something from the Corny Bloggers! Stay tuned for our next corny travel blog ;)

Photo Credits to:

Jarold Coojacinto, Queen_luk, enternalwindbilly, Guangzhou Travel guide

Infomation Credits to: Guangzhou Travel guide.