#Top 10 tourist countries in the world

[jounetyfinder]

top 10 countries for tourists || world tourism

want to travel in the world but where?? if this is your first thing comes to your mind when you thought about traveling. here is the … source

[ventique18]

~ Dragon x dragon 🐉🌸♀️ ~

🌸 finds 🐉's stack of architecture drafts, with the latest one being a blueprint for a place housing a hundred people.

🌸: "Oh what's this? Are you planning to build a hotel?"

🐉: "I am planning for our future."

🌸: "Really? That's a good idea! Especially to complement the plan you mentioned before. That you want to start opening up Briar Valley to tourists since it's one of the few places left in the world with such abundant nature and magic."

🐉: "No, I'm trying to build a separate castle for our children."

🌸: "Isn't this... Isn't this a bit lavish for one or two kids... And I'm sure you'd want them to live with us?"

🐉: "In case we have 100 children."

🌸: "What?"

🐉: "I've been seeing videos of this man named Little John building things for his and his wife's 100 children. His ideas are a bit shoddy and a rather unfit environment for a hundred children, but looking ahead and planning for the future is an important attitude to have."

🌸: "Hornton, just... Let's focus on Briar Valley's economics first, okay?"

🐉: "Children are good for an underpopulated country's future economy."

🌸: "Encourage immigrants."

🐉: "Even better having dragon manpower on top of that."

🌸: "Dragons need hundreds of years to mature."

🐉: "And we have thousands of years to live."

🌸: "This is not The Sims. I am not going to pop out an egg every ten years for the rest of my life, you--"

🐉: "Well during that time I myself might be able to find out a way to help--"

🌸: "Before that time, I'm going to divorce you."

The next day, he approaches her and proposes that he's fine with 50 children. They compromise and settle with 10 spaced out an average of once every 50 years at least.

Magicam reels... Architecture Magicam reels has started rotting his brain. He might start ordering shiploads of galvanized steel at this rate.

** My s/o showed me videos like these because he finds them funny af and it was funny af for me too because I thought of Malleus and his goal to single-handedly repopulate Briar Valley and save his species from extinction by rearing 100 children 😭

[copperbadge]

Hey Sam. If you're so inclined, could you recommend a few 'must eat' places in Downtown Chicago? My hotel will be near the Red Line (Grand station) and I'm fine walking a good 10 minutes for awesome food. I'm planning my trip and trying to put together a few food places for lunch and dinner and such. Pizza, burgers, bbq, donuts, steak, sushi..., I'm flexible!

You know, honestly, I don't eat out much anymore so I'm not sure where the best places to get a bite are. I'm going to make some recommendations but they're about to be a mixture of "If you come to Chicago this is somewhere everyone goes" and "This is somewhere Sam personally likes to eat but which you may not go for." :D

So, if you're at Grand, you are pretty much on top of the Weber Kettle Grill. Weber Kettle Grill does GREAT grill food and my parents always want to eat there when they come into town. If you ask to sit at the chef's table, you'll be seated at what looks like a bar, but it also looks all the way down the row of giant indoor grills the chefs use to cook the food. If you want something quieter and less busy they also have a fairly large dining room.

If you want a real Chicago experience, there's a Portillo's pretty close to you (that one's called "Portillo's & Barnelli's"); Portillo's is a local chain that does burgers, dogs, and crucially Italian Beef. Italian Beef is my go-to Chicago food for people who (like me) don't want to eat Deep Dish Pizza. It's a crusty roll filled with shredded braised beef; you can get it with sweet peppers, hot peppers, or no peppers (they might call it "giardinera" which is the local term for the pepper relish they use). If you get it "dipped", once the sandwich is made it's dunked in a flavorful jus before being wrapped up; if you don't like wet bread I'd skip this, but I love it. If you REALLY don't like wet bread, maybe get a Chicago Style hot dog instead. Portillo's is also famous for being The Place Where they make you a milkshake with an entire slice of chocolate cake in it. You can also just get a slice of cake, which is fantastic.

There's also an Al's Italian Beef near you if you want a more local experience. Locals absolutely can and will eat at Portillo's, the food's not better at Al's, it's just a bit more tourist-friendly than Al's tends to be.

If you want that true authentic Chicago deep dish experience (pie crust filled with cheese and then topped with sauce) Pizzeria Uno and Pizzeria Due are very close by; they vie for the dubious honor of having invented the deep dish pizza. I can't recommend it, but if you want it, hit one of those.

If you're not from the midwest and would like to sample a decent approximation of Detroit style deep dish (thick bready crust topped with cheese and then sauce) Jet's Pizza likely delivers to your hotel. I can't recommend going to a Jet's, many of them don't have anywhere to sit and eat, and for a pizza joint they're a bit costly, but it's very good pizza. My Detroit friends say it's a perfectly acceptable pie by their standards.

Volare Ristorante is a nearby hidden gem if you're in the mood for upscale Italian; I really like their pasta, but they are on the pricier end. If you're walking east on Grand to get there, you do have to go under Michigan, and you will likely fear that you will be stabbed and left for dead in this weird underground cavern, but I promise you, it's smelly but safe.

Goddess And The Baker and Beatrix are both good places to pick up breakfast. If you wish to glimpse Hell, the Starbucks Roastery at Michigan and Erie is one of the largest buxes in the country (possibly the world?) and is a FUCKING NIGHTMARE to navigate, but it's certainly an experience.

If you're venturing into the Loop, Russian Tea Time is a fun place to have afternoon tea and the a la carte food is also quite good; they're very close to the Art Institute. There's not much to eat if you're going to the museum campus, and my favorite Greek place closed down, but Minghin Cuisine is a good Chinese place (I've eaten there) and AO Hawaiian Hideout is supposedly some of the best Chinese in the city (I have not eaten there).

If you are craving Chinese, you can also catch the Red Line directly to the Chinatown stop and browse, I've never had a bad meal in Chinatown. When you get off the train, if you go north to the station exit with only stairs, you can exit, look left, and see the "new" Chinatown that's basically an outdoor mall; if you go south to the escalator exit, once you leave turn right and you'll see the big pagoda entrance to "old" Chinatown, which is more shops than restaurants. New Chinatown has some excellent bakeries, and also a Korean fried chicken place, Bonchon, that's extremely good. Usually when I take friends we go to Joy Yee which has a huge menu and also bubble tea.

As a final plug I'll list The Berghoff, which is in the loop (off the Jackson Red Line stop); it's pretty hefty German cuisine, all excellent food, and also is a top notch place to take anyone with gluten issues -- the owners have a kid with a gluten intolerance and the restaurant has an exceptional gluten-free menu with unusually strict protocols to prevent cross-contamination in the kitchen.

And if you want to get a little baked first, you are pretty close to Sunnyside dispensary, which is a very nice dispensary with super friendly people. If you take the Red Line to Roosevelt or are in the area, Grasshopper Club is less expensive, just as friendly, and Black-owned, and they've been my go-to for a couple of months now. At either one you can walk-in to speak to a budtender about what you'd like, or you can preorder online, but be aware that there are limitations on what out-of-staters can purchase. Having sampled most of the gummies out there, I'd recommend Mindy's (any flavor is good but the black cherry is my preferred). Do bring ID, you will be carded.

I hope you enjoy Chicago! If you have more questions feel free to hit me up here or at copperbadge@gmail.com if you'd like to have more of like, a dialogue :) Have fun and eat well!

[ardri-na-bpiteog]

Maybe I'm being boring and No Fun and it's Not That Deep but it's my blog and I can say what I want 😠.

But my whole thing about people on the internet constantly talking about how Paris is so shitty and terrible that it causes psychiatric distress in tourists is that:

The primary reason for it is not that Paris is uniquely awful, it's because Paris is heavily romanticized in media leading some people to have extremely high expectations that are not met when it turns out to be a large city with the typical large city problems.

"Paris syndrome" affects an extremely small number of people and is largely noted in Japanese tourists, who come from a country that is uniquely safe, clean, and orderly. The vast majority of cities in the world are significantly dirtier, more chaotic, and more dangerous than many areas of Japan.

Paris is in the top 10 most visited cities and France as a whole receives the most international tourists of any country in the world. Obviously some experiences are going to be negative, but it's clearly not widespread enough to deter the millions of tourists who visit Paris every year 🤷.

I think if you go to Paris with the realistic expectation that it's a major city with one of the highest population densities in Europe and a metro area population of over 18 million people and will not be a perfect, idealised theme park, you can enjoy the city for what it is.

[stephensmithuk]

The Illustrious Client

First published in the US in 1924 and the UK in 1925, the latter as a two-parter, this forms part of Case-book.

The first part in The Strand ends with Watson seeing the newspaper headline about the attack on Holmes.

Northumberland Avenue is a street running from Trafalgar Square to the Thames Embankment. It includes a pub called The Sherlock Holmes.

The Carlton Club was founded by the Conservative Party and was long its defacto headquarters. Originally on Carlton Terrace, it moved to Pall Mall in 1835, with the building rebuilt in 1856. A direct hit by a German bomb in 1940 destroyed the building and the Club moved to 69 St James's Street, former home of Arthur's Club. Women were not allowed to be associate members until the 1970s and not full members until 2008, with Margaret Thatcher getting honorary membership when she become Tory leader in 1975. She later become club president in 2009, although by his point she had dementia and died in 2013.

The general consensus is that the "Illustrious Client" is no less than Edward VII himself, who Holmes may have previously gotten the Beryl Coronet back for.

Prague was then under Austrian rule.

The Splügen Pass, used for travel since Roman times, connects Switzerland and Italy and with its great height, hairpins and spectacular views, is considered one of the greatest driving challenges on the planet, having featured in Top Gear. The San Bernandino tunnel has taken most of the non-tourist traffic and it is now closed in winter for safety reasons.

Kingston upon Thames, known as Kingston for short, is a town located 10 miles SW of Charing Cross. Until 1965, it was in Surrey before becoming part of Greater London and part of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. Surrey County Council were based there until 2021, when their offices moved to Reigate.

The Hurlingham Club in Fulham is where horse polo's rules were established - it even hosted Olympic polo in the 1908 London Games, but the fields were compulsorily purchased by the local council after the Second World War for housing. It was also home to pigeon shooting and was home of world croquet, still holding major events in the latter. Edward VII was a keen patron of the site.

Charlie Peace was an English burglar and double murderer, executed in 1879. He ended up featuring in Madame Tussaud's Chamber of Horrors, which was oddly enough replaced between 2016 and 2022 with an immersive Sherlock Holmes Experience... which at £66.50 a ticket was a bit too expensive.

HMP Parkhurst, a Category B prison located on the Isle of Wight, merged in 2009 with HMP Albany to form HMP Isle of Wight, although each part retains its own name. Notable inmates include the Kray Twins, Peter Sutcliffe, Ian Brady and currently Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadžić.

Hypnotism was rather in vogue by this time.

Apaches were the name given to various criminal gangs in Paris; named after the Native American tribe. There are various suggestions as to how that came about.

Montmartre, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, was widely known for its artistic community during this time, with many a famous name living there due to the low rents. It's still there and development is restricted due to the historic character. Pigalle, Paris's red-light district, is next door.

Kitty Winter would feature as a character in Elementary, played by Ophelia Lovibond. Gruner turns up as well.

"Tinker’s curse" is Kitty saying, in the language of the time, that she does not give an [expletive deleted].

Ruritania is a fictional country first featured in the 1894 Anthony Hope novel The Prisoner of Zenda. It has become a byword for quaint small European countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

China was still an Empire in 1902, nominally ruled by the Guangxu Emperor, aka Zaitan, but an 1898 coup resulted in his loss of any real power; he was even in house arrest for a while. He died in 1908, probably poisoned by arsenic. His nephew, Puyi, would be the last Chinese Emperor and is beyond the scope of this article.

I cannot discuss Chinese pottery in any depth and so will not attempt to.

Some husbands might have questioned the gallantry of King Edward VII, who had a box for his mistresses at his coronation.

Armorial bearings are the "shield" part of a coat of arms. The British royal one traditionally depicted a bare-breasted woman as part of the harp on the bottom left, but this is no longer standard practice.

Edward VII, while having no actual political power, was able to exercise quite a bit of influence behind the scenes, especially in foreign and defence policy.

All criminal prosecutions are brought in the name of the monarch, rendered "R" (Rex or Regina) in text and "the Crown" when spoken). i.e. R vs. Winter. In addition, judicial reviews (i.e. is this government decision legal) are also brought in the name of the monarch, with the name of the actual plaintiff in brackets since a 2001 change to the format, e.g. R (Smith) vs. Secretary of State for the Home Department. It is common for initials to be used in those brackets to protect the identity of a plaintiff, such as the recent decision on flying migrants to Rwanda.

[useless-catalanfacts]

Im not sure if you're a hiking person, but How is hiking/nature in Catalonia? I've been learning the language for the past few months and i am interested in visiting and I really love being out in nature and hiking

Hi! First of all, sorry for the delay in answering, I've been very busy this week and I've left the blog on queue, I'm catching up today.

There's lots of cool places to hike!

Historically, hiking has been very important for keeping alive the culture and language, ever since the 19th century (as a way to getting to know the country and its history, since the population had been denied its own history) and especially until the Franco dictatorship (we have mentioned before how people used going hiking as a way to get away from the police and being able to speak Catalan during the times of illegalization).

There are many hiking associations in Catalonia, you can find them with names like "centre excursionista" or "grup excursionista". I don't know how long you're staying, but if you were to stay for a relatively long time I'm sure you could probably find some hiking association near wherever you stay.

Otherwise, you might also be interested in Wikiloc. It's a website (created by a Catalan) where everyone can upload the routes they like. It's very popular and there's lots of hikes in all areas, and it shows you the route and all the information and what you can see in the way.

There's many places to hike in all around the country. There are many natural parks, with 16 being recognised above the other in (Southern) Catalonia + 1 in Northern Catalonia.

From North to South, by type of landscape:

IN THE PYRENEE MOUNTAINS:

1. Regional Natural Park of the Catalan Pyrenees (Northern Catalonia).

Includes the Canigó mountain, legendary and symbolic mountain for Catalans. If you go there for Sant Joan festivity (June 23rd), you can join the hike to go get the fire on top of the mountain (we explained it in this post).

There's many hikes in the websites Tourisme Canigou and Sud Canigó.

2. Parc Nacional d'Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici

This is another beautiful park in the Pyrenees and the Sant Maurici lake. It's the only natural park in Catalonia that is considered a National Park in the Spanish system.

3. Parc Natural de l'Alt Pirineu (High Pyrenees Natural Park)

Beautiful mountains and, just like for all the other parks in the Pyrenees, near valleys with beautiful villages of Medieval origin with a heritage of Romanesque churches (the ones in Vall de Boí are recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

4. Parc Natural de les Capçaleres del Ter i del Freser

Where the Ter and Freser rivers are born. It includes the Núria Valley (Vall de Núria).

5. Parc Natural del Cadí-Moixeró

Includes the iconic Pedraforca mountain.

ASLEEP VOLCANOES:

6. Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa (Natural Park of the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone)

Includes the Fageda d'en Jordà (Jordà birch tree forest) and cool Medieval towns like Santa Pau, Besalú, Castellfollit de la Roca, els Hostalets d'en Bas, and more.

COASTAL PARKS:

7. Parc Natural del Cap de Creus (Creus Cape Natural Park)

Beautiful coastal area in the Costa Brava, also includes the Medieval monastery Sant Pere de Rodes. In the area there's lots of typically Mediterranean-style towns with white walls, some of them very touristic and some of them less so.

8. Parc Natural del Montgrí, les Illes Medes i el Baix Ter

In the coast of the Costa Brava, it's very beautiful. Also near lots of cute towns of Medieval origin.

9. Parc Natural dels Aiguamolls de l'Empordà (the Empordà Wetlands Natural Park)

And on the opposite end of Catalonia:

10. Parc Natural del Delta de l'Ebre (Ebro Delta Natural Park)

Where the Ebro river reaches the Mediterranean sea. Famous for its rice fields and birdwatching. It's very flat, so it's a good idea to hire a bike and bike through the paths among the rice fields to the sea.

OTHER MOUNTAINS:

11. Parc Natural del Montseny

12. Parc Natural de Sant Llorenç del Munt i l'Obac

13. Parc Natural de la Muntanya de Montserrat

Montserrat is one of the most famous and sacred mountains in Catalonia. It has a very characteristic shape and landscape and is home to a monastery over 1000 years old that guards the Moreneta (black Madonna, patron saint of Catalonia).

14. Parc Natural de Collserola

Collserola is the mountain range that overlooks Barcelona city.

15. Parc Natural de la Serra de Montsant

Located in the Priorat wine area (to take into account if you are wine lovers), the Monstant mountain range is located in a very rural area with lots of vineyards cultivated on the mountain slopes and also lots of historical tiny rural chapels, as well as the ruins of the Escaladei Carthusian monastery.

16. Parc Natural dels Ports

Mountains and lots of natural swimming pools you can bathe in.

You'll be able to find hikes in the websites of all of them.

I hope this was useful and that you enjoy your holidays!

[chronicangelca]

I actually think it would be really funny if Gotham had a reputation for being like, a really cool and fun place that you want to go.

Like I know the running gag in fandom (and a little bit in comics, too) is that Gotham is a cesspit, famed for its insane vigilantes and impossibly high rates of violent crime, but when I think about real-life cities with very high crime rates and sort of a smoggy aesthetic, they are often places that people want to go.

Like, New Orleans is in the top ten cities in the world for homicide rates according to the data from 2022 (all the other 10 are in Mexico, and I can't speak as much to them because I've never been, but I at least recognize Tijuana, which is #5, as a place other people seem to refer to as a tourist destination for Americans), and yet there is a very real and very large crowd of people fully devoted to going there every year for Mardi Gras. I know multiple people who fantasize about living in the French Quarter, and when my grandparents took me there once as a teenager, I remember driving around with my grandmother to look at all the old, pretty buildings.

People famously think of New York City as a dangerous city with high crime rates (although the last few years have really reflected those crime rates going down), and yet it is also one top 10 of the most popular cities in not only the US but the world for tourism. My Dad lived in upstate New York from 2021 until this year, and just moved to North Jersey (significantly closer to the city), and for a while, he would rent a hotel in Times Square for a weekend every time I visited. If a band or artist is touring the US, it would practically be a crime to skip NYC, and there are the huge drawing forces of tourist destinations like the Statue of Liberty and Broadway. In fact, I lived halfway across the country from NYC and I still knew people who went on high school field trips there with their theatre programs.

I grew up in a college town in Southwest Missouri, and for most of my young adult life, I must have gone to St. Louis at least a half-dozen times a year. We went on a field trip to Six Flags when I was in 8th grade. I took a mini-vacation there in July 2023 where I paid for an Airbnb for a week and went to the zoo three or four days in a row so I could really take my time with it. I went on a day-trip in May of this year with a friend from work where we walked around the city to the tune of 19,000 steps. And all of that despite the fact that I spent my entire life hearing about the gang violence permeating the city, and the fact that St. Louis was ranked as the most dangerous city in the United States for several years in my lifetime.

I just moved to Philadelphia, which is in the top 50 cities in the world for homicide rates (see the link on New Orleans), because I've been coming here since I was a teenager and it's always been a home away from home to me. And when I went on my first walk around the neighborhood after moving here, I proudly bragged to my friends about how I had only been catcalled five times, two of which were by the same dude (some guy on my block who yelled at me at the beginning and the end of my walk) and one of which was by a child, so statistically that was a pretty good walk.

My point with all of this is that there are lots of very dangerous places in the world that people still idolize and want to go to. Within the lore of DC Comics, Gotham is a city that was first established in the early 17th century, with beautiful Gothic architecture and the Delaware Bay framing its edges. It would also be the largest city in New Jersey by a long shot, and I can imagine that with the real-world affectionate rivalry between New York and Jersey, citizens of the state would loudly defend Gotham as the superior city to NYC, cesspit or no (the same way that Missourians will hold Kansas City over Kansas' head until the end of time, or until they give back what's rightfully ours).

I imagine people from all sorts of places and all walks of life would go on two-week trips to Gotham during summer vacation to see whatever iconic landmarks stuck out to them, or maybe even to try to catch a glimpse of Batman and the other famous vigilantes-- I think if I heard that there was a vigilante in one of the big cities only a few hours away from my hometown, I probably would have been drawn to it like a magnet the second I was old enough to decide where to spend my breaks.

Also, just looking at it realistically, most of Gotham's crime happens at night and in very specific parts of the city-- which is also true of big cities in the real world. So it's extremely likely that a tourist could spend weeks or even months in Gotham and still never be directly subject to the sort of crime that Batman and Robin and whoever else might be there at the time are dealing with. I can easily imagine plenty of folks from Metropolis deciding to take a day trip to Gotham, which is just across the bay and would logically only take a couple hours tops to get to (assuming there's an operational ferry, and why wouldn't there be?), walking around the city looking at gargoyles and trying famous restaurants, and then packing on up and going back to Metropolis to say, "Yeah, people talk a big talk, but I've been to Gotham and it really isn't that scary."

You know, the way we all do with real cities.

[rose-in-a-fisted-glove]

How to budget for traveling and travel on a budget (East Coast USA)

Right, so I’ve seen enough posts lamenting that travel is for the old, the rich, or for schooling to realize this is not something Known.

There’s a third group of travelers in the United States. People who make enough money to not be paycheck-to-paycheck, but not enough to save for say an apartment/house or to buy a car straight out.

This first set of examples is for a 9 day (7 days on the ground) vacation to Europe from the United States. You’d want around $2,000 for this sort of trip. How I used to do it was by saving $60/month for 2 years and then add tax returns to make up the last of it.

 FLIGHT

$1,200 in the post-Covid world will get you from most parts of the East Coast of the USA to most parts of Western and Central Europe (I choose Boston to Frankfurt as an expensive to expensive option).

LODGING

A nice clean safe hostel is going to cost an average of $30- $50/night for a bed in a dorm room. Personally, I like to go with either 6 or 8 bed dorms for a good mixture of savings and not feeling like you’re in a barracks. If we go with the higher end of $50, a 8 night stay would be $400

FOOD

Now, most hostels have breakfasts included in the room costs.

A cheap lunch of street food or at a sandwich shop is usually $10-15, there’s also the option of going to the grocery store and making picnic lunches to go, if your hostel has a fridge option. Assuming you’re buying a lunch every day,, that would be about $70- $105

An entree and a beverage at a sit down but cheaper restaurant is going to be an average of $30- 35. Assuming you’re buying dinner at the higher end, that would be $200- 250

Some notes here: This is the higher end of budget that I’m talking about. It certainly is possible to get pizza every night or go to the grocery store and cook food at night. I just find eating the local cuisine to be a part of the trip that’s very enjoyable. If it’s not for you, dinners cooked in the hostel kitchen is a very good way to save money

A second note, in some countries, you can get larger lunch specials for less money and make that your main meal instead of dinner. But! The benefits of saving should be countered against the benefits of time saved not eating in the middle of tourist time mid-day.

OTHER

At this point, you should have anywhere from $50- $150 left on the 2,000 depending on how you budget food.

Tickets are harder to budget for in general because a single attraction tends to range anywhere from free to $40+. To give some examples from the top of my head:

The Louvre is $20, The Parthenon is $20, Pompeii is $15, Hagia Sofia is free, Prague castle is $10, The German Federal Parliament Building Dome is free (and was seriously 100% a highlight of my trip to Berlin), Most walking tours in most cities should be around $10-15, and so on.

Questions?

[irismfrost]

July 12 - Taipei 101

Today, we visited Taipei 101. Built in 2004, it is the tallest building in Taiwan and currently the 11th tallest building in the world, with 101 floors totaling 508 meters tall. This building isn't just unique for its height, but the engineering behind it. Taipei 101 has a Tuned Mass Damper that we visited on the 88th floor. This damper is 660 tons, 5.5 meters in diameter, and made of steel plates welded into a gold sphere. It acts as a center of gravity that sways in place of the building. It is connected to strong steel cables that help it move. It can sway up to ~5 feet and is built to survive a magnitude 10 earthquake, typhoons, and strong winds. The 89th floor is the main tourist area, with a 360 degree view of Taiwan. Everything on this floor is within glass and there are *vibey* decorated areas that make the space seem peaceful. They also have a gift shop and food in the center of this floor. You can see everything here. As you walk up to the 91st floor, you feel the wind first. Then you see Taiwan. This is basically the same view as the 89th floor, except it's outside.

Not only is this building tall, but it was the record holder for the fastest elevator from 2004-2015. It moves up at 1010 meters per minute. That means you can take the 5th floor to the 89th floor in 37 seconds.

This building is also special because of the traditional Chinese architecture built into such a modern building. It has 8 tiers with 8 floors each (lucky number) that are wider on the top than the bottom. This traditional style represents financial richness and everlasting vitality. It is no coincidence that this is where the Taiwanese stock exchange takes place.

Academic Reflection

Before we visited Taipei 101, I read about it. Reading did not prepare me for the massive damper I saw. There were even diagrams in the reading but I could not imagine a huge swinging ball in the middle of a building - it just seemed so unreal. Even after seeing it with my own eyes, it is hard to comprehend its existence. The technology innovated here is intentionally symbolic of Taiwan's entrance into the global economy at the beginning of the 21st century.

Taipei 101 is luxury. It is an engineering marvel, holds the Taiwanese stock exchange, has an upscale mall with international luxury brands, has a food court, an attaching building, and every other bell and whistle you can imagine. The city of Taipei seems to be the epicenter innovation in Taiwan and is the avenue in which Taiwan is defining itself as a country of progress. Taiwan is putting itself on the map and growing its independence. I assume this is an empowering feeling for many Taiwanese people (though I have not asked), especially because Taiwan has been invaded so many times. Even now, Taiwan's political status remains ambiguous.

[beautiful-basque-country]

Kaixo! How safe is Basque Country, especially Bilbo? There are some articles online that put Bilbo and Donostia on the list of the least safe cities in Spain, but of course that lists are always subjective to the different manipulations. How safe can tourist feel if they are there for the first time, is it ok to walk around Bilbo at night?

Kaixo anon!

First off, I'm really interested to know your sources or, at least, how old the info is, because I've never ever heard that Donostia and Bilbo are among the most dangerous cities in Spain. EVER.

Was it maybe the Daily Express? If it was - and just to clarify if someone else read it too - to make its ranking, the Daily Express has been based on data published by the website Numbeo. This information, as mentioned on its own site, is based on the opinions received by website visitors in the last 3 years. This means that voters may or may not have been to the city they voted for. In the case of Bilbo, the score is based on the criteria offered by 159 people. Bilbo has welcomed +2M tourists each year in these last 3 years that the poll was running.

Spain is one of the safest countries to visit, and ranked 7th safest country in the world for LGBTQ+ travelers; neither Bilbo nor Donostia are listed among the 10 most dangerous cities in Spain, while Donostia made it into the top 10 safest cities; Bilbo has placed 4th in terms of safety in the World Best Cities ranking this year.

That said, there are 4 key points that may apply to every country: - the bigger the city, the higher the crime rate / insecurity. - the more touristic the city, the higher the crime rate / insecurity. Also, touristic cities tend to be safer for locals than for tourists. - the more we as tourists take preventive measures, the lower the chance to get our goods stolen or be pick-pocketed. - no place is 100% absolutely safe 24/7.

I'm not denying that some tourists may have had bad experiences here, but in general, Euskal Herria is among the safest places in the world for visitors. Much bigger and better known tourist spots ie. Paris, NY, Rome or London, are way more dangerous and still they keep welcoming tourists.

So if you finally dismiss EH as your holiday destination, at least now you know that it shouldn't be due to a supposed lack of safety ^_^.

[jontycharles8]

TOP 10 TOURIST PLACES TO VISIT IN INDIA

India, renowned for the enormous number of tourist destinations spread over its vast territory, is a melting pot of cultures, natural beauty, adventurous activities, and stunning beaches.

If you are planning a trip to the country, you should not miss the following locations (well, at least not all of them). We have covered all of our favourites, from hill stations to beaches to cities, highlighting the culture and much more in order for you to enjoy the finest of India's tourism.

AGRA

Agra is one of the most visited cities in India due to its abundance of historical sites. The Taj Mahal, one of the world's most renowned structures, is, of course, at the top of this list of Agra attractions.

Along with the Agra Fort, Akbar's Tomb, and Fatehpur Sikri, this marble-clad structure is a stunning example of Mughal architecture. Also a terrific place to feast on delicious Mughlai cuisine.

GOA

With 51 beaches along its coastline, Goa is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Its white sand beaches, palm trees, low tax rate, wonderful coastal food, and laid-back demeanour make it a fantastic tourist destination in India.

Winter is the greatest season to visit this location because the weather is ideal (though this is when it can get expensive, too). In addition to the beach, the city's nightlife is not to be missed.

AMRITSAR

Amritsar, founded by Guru Ram Das in 1577, is regarded as the spiritual capital of Sikhism. The Golden Temple, the holiest gurudwara of the Sikh religion, is located in the heart of the old city. Locals refer to it as Harmandir Sahib Gurudwara.

The Akal Takhat and Mata temples are among well-known attractions in this city. Lassi and chicken tikka are two excellent dishes to sample in Amritsar.

SHIMLA

Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, is one of India's most renowned hill stations. With the Town Hall at its centre and a magnificent view of the Himalayas, this location attracts a large number of tourists.

Visit the Viceregal Lodge, Christ Church, and Gorton Castle to discover Shimla's true heritage. The snowy mountains and small lanes are worth watching and exploring throughout the winter months.

MUNNAR

Munnar, located in Kerala's Western Ghats, is one of the most tranquil and picturesque tourist destinations in India. The hill station features exceptional natural beauty in the form of rolling hills, picturesque valleys, virgin forests, waterfalls, streams, national parks, tea and spice plantations, and meandering pathways.

However, it is Munnar's unmistakable colonial beauty that attracts travellers time and time again. There are many churches, English colonial bungalows and cottages, and other structures in the hill station, which was a popular vacation destination for the British.

COORG

Coorg or Kodagu, which is surrounded by gorgeous mountain ranges and boasts a lush green terrain, is yet another clichéd holiday spot that lives up to the reputation. This hill station in the Indian state of Karnataka is a favourite weekend destination for nature enthusiasts and those in search of solitude. Coorg's allure is unparalleled, from its verdant hills and sparkling streams to its quaint villages and expansive coffee and spice farms.

Since Coorg enjoys beautiful weather throughout the year, it is a popular destination for Bangalore residents seeking to escape the chaos of the city.

OOTY

Udhagamandalam, usually referred to as Ooty, is a hill station in Tamil Nadu. The mild climate, the view of India's Western Ghats, and the tranquil environment make this a wonderful vacation spot for families and friends.

It is renowned for its tea plantations, lush gardens, bungalows from the British era, and spicy cuisine. During the summer holidays, when many families spend a week or two here, the area is typically congested. Once a little town, Ooty is now a bustling tourist destination with year-round activity.

MANALI

Manali, located in the Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh, attracts visitors with its natural beauty and serenity.The hill station is popular by tourists from across the nation, particularly during the summer months when cities swelter in the searing heat.

The hill station's beauty is enhanced by snow-capped mountains, dense forests, riverine valleys, and beautiful streams, making it one of the most popular holiday destinations in India. Manali also features a magnificent blend of rich cultural past and modernization, which is another of its many endearing characteristics. In addition to enjoying the tranquilly and natural beauty of the area, you can indulge in exhilarating adventure activities.

[leoinjapan]

A week in Colombia

Day 1

i arrived at El Dorado Airport at 4am, having slept not that great on a six-hour overnight flight from Toronto. my friend had booked me a taxi straight from the airport to her apartment; taxis here are really cheap, around 4 pounds to get across the entire city. Uber is also widely used here, although you should sit in the front seat as they are not actually allowed in Bogotá. apartments in Bogotá are really well protected, with different security measures to keep you safe. first i napped for a few hours and then had a delicious vegan bowl made by my friend's lovely mom. then my friend showed me around her neighbourhood, Chapinero, a historically queer district in north Bogotá. i learned how Colombia is a really queer and trans-friendly country, where gay marriage is legal and trans people have complete right of self-determination to change their documents, even with non-binary options, as well as gender-affirming healthcare!

for lunch my friend treated me to patacones, a mashed plantain baked to a crisp and topped with delicious toppings. she also showed me some awesome bookstores, such as Nada and Tornamesa. i tried delicious local chocolate from Fruto de Cacao. the weather was amazing at around 23 degrees celcius, not too sunny but pleasantly warm with no wind. luckily i did not suffer immediately from the altitude sickness that many tourists get when they arrive, as Bogotá is the highest capital city above sea level in the world.

we went back to watch a documentary about Lemebel, a queer icon in latin america (my friend was scandalized i had not heard of him). then i napped a bit more, which was a mistake; i woke up feeling so sick that i couldn't eat!

then we went to Theatron, latin america's biggest queer club. the streets that were empty before came alive with music and thousands of people. we had hotdogs from Nomáda Bogotá which were lovely, but sadly i was too sick to eat. Theatron has over 15 rooms with different types of music and live shows, and a capacity of over 6000. entry is less than £10 on saturdays (cheaper on other days) and includes a drink (gatorade for me)! my friend tells me more and more straight people come to the club now, but it was still very queer-friendly and one of the coolest club experiences i have ever had.

Day 2

for lunch my friend took me to a delicious vegan restaurant that does all traditional Colombian food, called Maria Candela. i tried ajiaco, a Bogotán dish of a herbal soup made with different kinds of local potatoes and chicken. it was so yummy, cheap and super filling!

i then went on a general tour of Bogotá hosted by Beyond Colombia. the guide was super enthusiastic and taught me so many things i didn't know about Colombia. we walked around important sights in its history, tasted the local traditional alcohol called chicha (fermented corn and sugar), and walked around the iconic La Candelária district. it was so colourful, full of street art and intricate crafts.

we then went to see Past Lives (again) at the cinema. the cinema quality was amazing, and the popcorn tasted really good! during Oscars season, you can get a pass to all the Oscars movies in february.

Day 3

in the morning i took an Uber to the bottom of the Monserrate, a mountain in Bogotá. it costs about £6 for a return journey on the cable car up the mountain to its peak, where you will find a church, a tourist market, and some restaurants. you can hike up the mountain yourself, but it takes around 2 hours. on the holy week, people walk up barefoot or on their knees on a sacrificial pilgrimage up the mountain to the church. in the church is the Black Madonna, based on the same iconic statue on the Montserrat mountain in Catalonia.

(this is also when i found out i got into the university of tokyo starting in april!)

it was super foggy on the 3000 metre high mountain and we could barely see the city. it started to pour with rain and my umbrella was not enough. unfortunately i got cold and wet without a coat, and was also exposed to high levels of UV up on the mountain, which led me to develop a fever later that evening...

i tried a bit of coca tea on the mountain. in Colombia and other countries in the Andes mountain range, people have been consuming coca leaves for centuries. coca tea contains a small amount of cocaine with mild stimulant effects, much like caffeine in coffee, and is completely harmless. Colombians use it to cure altitude sickness, nausea, and other stomach upsets.

i took my friends i made on the tour to Maria Candela again and i tried frijolada, which is a wholesome bean soup that i really loved. after that, i went to the Botero Museum/MAMU which has some really unique art from international artists, paintings by the iconic Colombian painter Botero, and a current exhibition highlighting indigenous culture and art (all in Spanish). it's free to visit so i definitely recommend going!

when my friend heard i felt sick, she took me to get aguapanela. panela is unrefined sugar, which you put in hot water for a nice soothing beverage. the Bogotá tradition is to put pieces of cheese in it, let them melt and then eat them! since i'm vegan i had it with bread. it was very delicious

Day 4

i had a restless night with my fever and decided to stay at home for the day. my tour guide even cancelled, so it felt like a sign not to go anywhere.

my friend's mom was an absolute angel and made me delicious vegan food and hot drinks and before long i felt a lot better

Day 5

in the morning i went on a war and peace-themed walking tour, also operated by Beyond Colombia. our guide was super knowledgeable, condensing centuries' worth of history into three hours. i learned so much about Colombia's recent history and controversies and i highly recommend this tour.

after that, i went to the Gold Museum (or Museo del Oro), which houses pre-Hispanic golden artefacts. in the indigenous culture, gold represented the sun and did not have monetary value; it was used in crafting and often offered back to nature. El Dorado is not a place, but an ancient ritual in which gold is thrown into the water, particularly a large lake near Bogotá; the Spanish dug up a lot of it and melted it into gold bars, but this museum still holds a large collection of 35,000, which is still only about 1% of the original artifacts that have been sacrificed in the ritual over the millennia.

at the end of the day my friend invited me to a collage-making workshop, which was really fun and therapeutic!

Day 6

at 8am in the morning, i took an Uber to the Paloquemao fruit market, where i was to have an AirBnB Experiences tour with my friend's brother, Victor. i was stunned by the amount of fruit i had never seen before. i tried different avocados, guavas, berries, cactus fruit, melons, and more. my favourite was the guanabana, or custard apple, which tastes exactly like custard!

the market is also full of beautiful flowers, vegetables, souvenirs and all sorts. i recommend visiting, though take an Uber as apparently it is not in the safest of neighborhoods.

in the evening i went to the National Museum, which houses an impressive amount of information about Colombian history. there are currently a few exhibitions about indigenous cultural revival. i was most excited to see a small exhibition about Las Traviesas, a collective of displaced indigenous trans women in Colombia, which was a beautiful and inspiring display of art.

towards the end of my visit, i developed a migraine. i got a tasty dinner at Wok and then went home to recover. thank you again to my friend and her mom for taking care of me!

on the day there was a big protest in the city centre in support of the current president. it's better to try and avoid the city centre when there are big protests.

Day 7

me and my friend went on a day trip to Villa de Leyva, a town north of Bogotá in the beautiful Boyacá region, famous for its emeralds. the bus trip took between 4 and 5 hours each way.

the town is absolutely gorgeous, full of cobbled streets and old colonial architecture. it was more touristy than Bogotá, with lots of tourist shops and some tasty food options. i got gelato made with tamarind and tajín (chilli flakes). for lunch, we went to La Maria Bistro which had an incredible brocolli dish that was the best thing i've eaten in a long while.

we went to Casa Terracota, the world's largest ceramic structure. it took 15 years for the architect to bake the house, during which it fell down three times. the construction was incredible and it was a very unique experience. usually the tour is only in spanish, but the guide did a great job translating it to english for me. the crazy thing was that he did his study abroad in Paignton, which is the town next to my hometown!

Day 8

on the last day, my friend and i went into the city to buy souvenirs for my family. there are tons of tourist shops and stalls in La Candelária, and we did our best research to find out which crafts were authentic. for lunch we want to Maria Candela again as the whole city was having a vegan burger festival with several restaurants participating.

in the afternoon we went to see Perfect Days, a really beautiful japanese movie. the cinema in Bogotá was really nice, with great quality screens and tasty snacks.

in the evening we went to my friend's favourite taco place, Insurgentes. the vibe was great and the tacos were delicious (mostly meat but some vegan).

for our final stop, we went to Chiquita. much smaller than Theatron but with a majority queer crowd, the music was on point and the atmosphere was great. there were even a couple of drag performances which apparently happen every night. i really loved this bar, which had a mixture of 90s/2000s pop and latin pop. i could have stayed there much longer but i had to get home to sleep before my flight at 9am.

i am the first to admit i knew nothing about Colombia (or even South America in general) before coming to Bogotá. i was eager to learn, and yet i learned far more than i ever imagined. Colombia exceeded my expectations 100 times over.

the internet is full of scary stories about Colombia, yet i felt safer here than i ever have in the US, for example. the city is so vibrant, colourful, and creative, full of life and soul. it is also the most queer-friendly capital i have been to, with the most amazing clubs you could imagine.

i learned so much about the history of the country, the language, the food, the art, and the gorgeous nature that's around every corner.

but what makes Colombia so, so great is the people. everybody here was so friendly and made such an effort to make me feel welcome, even though i know barely any Spanish. the city feels so alive with passion, hope, and resistance. i am so, so grateful to my friend Estefanía for taking care of me while i was there, looking after me and showing me the real Bogotá, making sure i knew where to go and what to do. she really is the best of us, and i will never forget her kindness 💕

i am so grateful to her incredible mother as well for nursing me back to health when i was sick!

i would come back to Colombia in a heartbeat, but until then, i have to get on the language apps!

[yausheyne]

Beyond the Beaten Path: The Top 10 Undiscovered Wonders in the Philippines

The Philippines, a country known for its breathtaking landscapes and bustling cities, is home to a plethora of hidden treasures waiting to be discovered. This aims to unveil the top 10 undiscovered wonders in the Philippines, guiding adventurous travelers, eco-tourists, and cultural enthusiasts towards these off-the-beaten-path destinations.

1. Danjugan Island: Nestled in Negros Occidental, Danjugan Island is a 43-hectare wildlife sanctuary that boasts untouched coral reefs, pristine white sand beaches, mystical bat caves, lush limestone and mangrove forests, and is surrounded by vast seagrass beds and fringing coral reefs. This secluded paradise is a haven for nature lovers and offers a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in the wonders of marine biodiversity.

2. Buscalan Village: Tucked away in the mountains of Kalinga, Buscalan Village is a remote haven that is not only home to the legendary tattoo artist Whang-od but also showcases the rich culture of the Butbut tribe. Here, visitors can witness the ancient art of traditional hand-tapped tattoos and experience the warm hospitality of the locals.

3. Apo Reef Natural Park: Located in Occidental Mindoro, Apo Reef Natural Park is the world's second-largest contiguous coral reef. With its vibrant marine life and crystal-clear waters, this paradise is a haven for snorkelers and scuba divers. Exploring the underwater world of Apo Reef is like entering a mesmerizing realm filled with colorful coral formations and an abundance of marine species.

4. Mount Pulag: Standing tall at 2,928 meters above sea level, Mount Pulag is Luzon's highest peak. Known for its awe-inspiring "sea of clouds" phenomenon, this majestic mountain offers a challenging yet rewarding hiking experience. As you ascend, the breathtaking panoramic views and the ethereal beauty of the clouds engulfing the summit will leave you in awe.

5. Sohoton Caves and Natural Bridge: Situated in Samar, Sohoton Caves and Natural Bridge is a protected natural area that showcases the wonders of nature. Explore the intricate network of caves, navigate through subterranean rivers, witness cascading waterfalls, marvel at the stunning limestone formations, and cross the natural stone bridge. This hidden gem is a testament to the beauty and diversity of the Philippines' natural landscapes.

6. Tablas Island: As the largest island in the Romblon province, Tablas Island offers a serene and unspoiled escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. With its pristine beaches, enchanting waterfalls, and opportunities for snorkeling and off-the-beaten-path exploration, Tablas Island is a paradise for those seeking tranquility and natural beauty.

7. Kaparkan Falls: Located in Abra, Kaparkan Falls is a hidden gem that mesmerizes visitors with its terraced waterfall cascading over green mossy stones. The falls create a natural infinity pool, inviting travelers to take a refreshing dip and immerse themselves in the beauty of nature. This unique destination offers a picturesque setting that is perfect for relaxation and rejuvenation.

8. Lake Sebu: Situated in South Cotabato, Lake Sebu is a first-class municipality known for its seven majestic waterfalls, stunning lakes, and the rich culture and arts of the T'boli tribe. Embark on a boat ride across the tranquil lake, witness the breathtaking waterfalls, and immerse yourself in the vibrant traditions and heritage of the T'boli people. Lake Sebu is a destination that combines natural beauty with cultural immersion.

9. Balabac Islands: Located at the southernmost tip of Palawan, the Balabac Islands are a hidden paradise known for their pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters, and diverse marine life. Explore the untouched beauty of these islands, go island-hopping, and discover the vibrant underwater world through snorkeling or diving. The Balabac Islands offer a secluded escape for those in search of tranquility and natural wonders.

10. Homonhon Island: Steeped in history and untouched beauty, Homonhon Island in Eastern Samar holds great significance as the place where Ferdinand Magellan first landed in the Philippines. This 20-kilometer-long island offers a glimpse into the country's past and showcases its natural wonders. Explore the unspoiled beaches, hike through lush forests, and immerse yourself in the historical and natural richness of Homonhon Island.

These top 10 undiscovered wonders in the Philippines each possess their own unique charm and story, waiting to be explored. Step off the beaten path and embark on an adventure to uncover the hidden gems that the Philippines has to offer. Whether it's immersing yourself in the vibrant marine life, witnessing ancient traditions, or marveling at the natural landscapes, the wonders of the Philippines are bound to leave a lasting impression. Adventure awaits!

Article Type: Roundups and “Best of” lists:

Target Audience: Adventurous Travelers, Local Filipinos, Eco-tourists, Cultural Enthusiasts, Travel Bloggers and Influencers

Topic: "Exploring Hidden Gems: An Unconventional Tour of the Philippines"

@therealrodthings