Thursday, June 11, 2009

Fiire Rainbow























This is a Fire Rainbow-- the rarest of all naturally occurring atmospheric phemonema.

Clouds have to be cirrus, at least 20,000 feet in the air, with just the right amount of ice crystals and the sun has to hit the clouds at precisely 58 degrees.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Where’s the Best Place to Live in Canada?

Discovering Victoria in British Columbia, considered one of the best places to live in Canada

Anyone considering a relocation to Canada will be only too acutely aware of how vast a nation it is offering such a diverse array of locations in which to live. And so the question on most people’s minds will be where’s the best place to live in Canada. Naturally this is a tricky question to answer definitively because everyone has different requirements from a hometown location…but there is one city which stands out.

Victoria in British Columbia on the southernmost tip of Vancouver Island ranks incredibly well in terms of its economic, real estate, climate, attraction and amenity ratings and this makes it one of the best places to live, work or retire in Canada.

In a recent survey by Canadian Business Online, the city of Victoria in British Columbia consistently ranked in the top ten of all locations in the nation in terms of elements deemed essential to people looking for a new location to live in…

For a start – and of massive importance to those concerned about the harsh climate in Canada – Victoria has one of the best climates in the entire country. It enjoys what’s known as a sub-Mediterranean climate and regularly enjoys temperatures in the twenty degree centigrade range in the summer, hardly ever dipping below freezing or suffering a snow covering in the winter. In terms of official weather statistics, if you’re going to be living in Canada in Victoria you can expect 2,183 hours of sunshine a year, at least half the rainfall of New York, at least eight frost free months a year, low humidity, cooling offshore breezes in the summer and the perfect climate to enjoy a very outdoor centric lifestyle.

The climate together with the exceptionally strong national and international transport links that Victoria enjoys means it is very popular with expatriates. And it’s fair to say that the population of the city is very proud to have chosen Victoria as their home! This is evident in the pride the community takes in arranging events and activities year round in Victoria. The city is very sociable – again, a plus point with those relocating who will want and need to get out and about, meeting new friends.

The city is as popular with retirees as it is with those of working age. There is an excellent balance in age demographic in this part of British Columbia. Because of the popularity and attraction of the city a number of leading businesses have chosen the city to base themselves in and this is a draw for expatriate professionals.

In terms of those with families, the educational standards and facilities in Victoria are fantastic, there are public and private schools and universities and colleges to choose from, and around 72% of the population of the city has at least some tertiary level education behind them - which is way above the national norm.

Finally, in terms of amenities and facilities in Victoria – it’s a leading artistic, cultural and historic centre, it’s home to many annual festivals, it has neighbourhood parks and community parks, museums, golf clubs, yacht clubs, marinas, fitness centres, ice rinks, tennis courts, stadiums, arenas, a car race track and a horse racing track – proving you’ll never be bored living in Victoria.

If you are thinking about living in Canada and you’re wondering where best to locate yourself, take a closer look at Victoria and see whether it’s the sort of location that you could happily call home.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

New Zealand Attractions

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City of Taj

Taj Mahal at Sunrise















Taj Mahal after Sunrise













Overview of the destination

A tip for the tourist who will be visiting Agra in future. Always visit the Agra Fort first, and then the Taj. It will enrich your experience of visiting the Taj. Of course, we know that our ultimate destination is TAJ, but looking at the Taj from the Fort is simply amazing. It enhances your urge to visit the Taj. But IF you could control yourself dont visit Taj that day (if you have enough time). Go to Taj the next day and make sure you enter at dot 0600hrs (Fridays closed). It is a different experience to see Taj during the sunrise.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping

Do not forget to visit Sikandra, the tomb of Akbar, the great. The natural beauty will definitely surprise you .

Activities & things to do
You can try the Tonga ride in Agra. Dont forget to visit Fatehpur Sikri. the Mughal architechture is at its best over there.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc.
Best time to travel is in between September and February. Try to reach with enough time in hand to search for a hotel. Be sure to check the tarrif before any transactions.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Travel the World Quiz

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Monday, December 1, 2008

Golden Triangle (Ooty -> Mysore - > Bangalore)

The road route from Ooty to Mysore is an amazing drive and scenic. There are two routes from Ooty

Routes

1. Ooty - Kalhatti - Masinagudi - Theppakadu - Bandipur - Gundalpet - Nanjangud - Mysore - Mandya - Bangalore

2. Ooty - Pykara - Naduvattam - Gudalur - Theppakadu - Bandipur - Gundalpet - Nanjangud - Mysore - Mandya - Bangalore.

Difference

The difference essentially between the two is the Ooty to Bandipur section.




















The Kalhatti route (1) is shorter by almost 35 KMS, but is a very steep and winding road with with 36 hairpin bends in a stretch of about 45 KMS.


The Kalhatti route takes you through Vegetable farms and then enters into thick jungle stretches. There is a valley view point along the way, where you can spot some wildlife if you are lucky but do carry a pair of Binoculars.

The Gudalur route is a scenic stretch winding through needle view point, Pykara lake, tea plantations and some eucalyptus groves. An area called Naduvattam on this road is a perrenial misty stretch and it is a great experience driving through.

Both these routes meet up at Theppakadu in the Mudumalia wildlife sanctuary and then it is a thick jungle stretch all the way past Bandipur. There's plently of wildlife in the form of Deer, Bison, Elephants, Langurs etc right by the roads and is a great drive.

The Mysore to Bangalore road is a regular highway passing through towns of Srirangapatna, Mandya etc. The thrill is essentially in the jungle and ghat stretch.

A few tips:
- Make sure your spare tyres are in good condition (if you are not on one of the newer self sealing ones)and your tools for tyre change are in order.

- Keep your wipers and fog lamps in good shape for you may need them in this season

- Be careful of animals on the roads and if you do encounter any of those, just pull up and let them pass. Don't honk or try to rush them and you will be OK
























Saturday, November 1, 2008

Mesmerising glow


valankulam
Thats Valankulam for you!!!! Well thought UK bypass. Flyover railway crossing on Sungam - UK(Ukkadam) bypass Road. No need to travel through Townhall hectic traffic to reach destinations like junctions for Palghat/Pollachi, Eachanari. This is a time saver taking just 5-10 min to reach those junction.

Bored of Coimbatore.......Advantages:
Go Spidey Go!!!!
1) Just like a Cauvery River Bridge connecting srirangam temple in Trichy, this may become a time passing hangout for evening walkers, chatters, bird watchers. No crow after 7 pm though.Joggers kindly excuse, you need to run for life, if lorries, scorpio, sumo travel via this in low speed of 80kmph.


2) With wonderful view of green patches round the valankulam, those who are bored of Coimbatore, but likes to travel a lot on weekends, can take their vehicle and start from Gandhipuram, then thru flyover to Ukkadam, take right into townhall, comeback to Gandhipuram. And another round, until fuel gets over :)

3) Pleasant Stay at Police Station guaranteed, when anywhere in the city you are asked for papers by policemen and you surrender your "Hindu Newspapers". ["Be Careful"..I am telling to myself]