Berlin Street Art – the colorful face of one of the world`s metropolis

“Imagine a city where graffiti wasn’t illegal, a city where everybody could draw whatever they liked. Where every street was awash with a million colours and little phrases. Where standing at a bus stop was never boring. A city that felt like a party where everyone was invited, not just the estate agents and barons of big business. Imagine a city like that and stop leaning against the wall – it’s wet.”

― Banksy, Wall and Piece

Source: flickr.com/ Iwan Gabovitch



Street Art in Berlin – a love-hate relationship which leaves behind an impression

Who doesn’t know the colorful buildings, commuter trains and walls of Berlin? Berlin’s street art community keeps on growing and becomes more and more valuable to the capital. For years, street art had been regarded as unwanted doodles and was actively dismissed. Now, these works of art have become a symbol of Berlin`s vibe and culture. The richest street art areas in the capital are undoubtedly Friedrichshain, Mitte and Kreuzberg.

 

Do you want to get to know this side of Berlin?

Berlin street art variety creates great interest and attracts a lot of visitors. The best way to explore the sites is by cycling around Berlin. Bike rentals can be found anywhere in the city. A very good overview can be found on berlinandbike.de. Another interesting option, could be taking part in a guided street art tour, organized by Original Berlin Tours. This is the ultimate way to meet nice people and get a lot of insider tips. What can you expect on such a tour? Just watch YouTube video of Paul Schaerf and you will find out.

What to consider when you’re planning your own, unique and unforgettable trip to Berlin

Berlin is the place for short trips in Germany. The capital attracts thousands of visitors not matter what time of the year. Thus, it is a challenge to find good accommodation. Don’t forget to book your hostel in advance. Take a look on  eBay Kleinanzeigen where private apartments are on offer regularly. There are tons of Hotels in Berlin which, depending on the location, differ significantly in price. Still, no matter where you end up to in Berlin, you will always find a good choice of public transport services. Together with timetable information and the BVG and the associated app, you can get real time information on available public transport. An overview of the network can be found here:



What to see and experience in Berlin!

Here are some appetizers:

Source: pixabay/ Pixel-Sepp

Source: pixabay/ Pixel-Sepp

Source: pixabay/ PeterDargatz

Source: pixabay/ PixelAnarchy

Source: pixabay/ PeterDargatz

Source: pixabay/ cocoparisienne

Source: pixabay/ PeterDargatz

Source: pixabay/ PeterDargatz

Source: pixabay/ PixelAnarchy

Source: pixabay/ PixelAnarchy

Source: pixabay/ tomwieden

Source: pixabay/ diaan11

Source: pixabay/ Pixel-Sepp

Source: pixabay/ cocoparisienne

Source: flickr.com/ Mr. iMaax

Source: flickr.com/ Thomas Euler

Source: flickr.com/ Muleonor

Source: flickr.com/ Muleonor

Source: flickr.com/ ShannonBadieeZimmerman

Source: pixabay/ tbreyer

Source: pixabay/ Iwona_Olczyk

Source: pixabay/ PublicDomainPictures

Source: pixabay/ PublicDomainPictures

Source: pixabay/karlherl

Source: pixabay/Tommes64

Source: flickr.com/ GillyBerlin

Source: flickr.com/ zak mc

Source: flickr.com/  steffenz

Source: flickr.com/ young-germany

50 natural phenomena you didn’t know

The world is an awesome place and the power of nature reminds of how insignificant we really are. This includes a cave in Vietnam that is 4km in length and houses and entire jungle! Also, in antarctica there is a 1.3 million year old volcano that is nearly 4000 meters high. The incredible coloured mountains of the Arc of Danxia in China stretches a massive 1700 kilometres. In Indonesia there are a total of three stunning volcanic lakes with azure blue waters. The Stone Forest in Madagascar contains 90% of animal and plant species that are found nowhere else in the world! In 2005 thousands of frogs rained down on Odzaci in Sebia. The largest recorded hailstone is 15.24 centimetres in diameter.

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Do you live in one of the most popular countries world?

A map has been produced of the most popular countries in the world according to the number of yearly arrivals. The top 20 are: Marcao SAR in China with 12,900,000 visitors, Poland with 13,400,000, Canada with 16,000,000, Greece with 16,400,000, Saudi Arabia with 17,500,00, Thailand with 19,500,000, Ukraine with 21,400,000, Hong Kong with 22,300,000, Austria with 23,000,000, Mexico with 23,400,000. At number 10 we have Malaysia with 24,700,00, then Russian federation with 24,900,000, Germany with 28,400,000, UK with 29,300,00, Turkey with 34,000,000, Italy with 46,200,000, Spain with 56,700,000, China with 57,600,000, USA with 62,700,00 and (drumroll please), France! With a total of 81,400,000 visitors per annum!

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The 50 most visited tourist attractions in the world

The most visited tourist attractions in the world are: The Las Vegas Strip at number one with 39,668, 221 visitors a year. Next is Time Square in New York City with 39,200,00 visitors a year. In third place in Central Park also in New York city and it sees 37,500,000 people a year. The incredible architecture of the Union Station in Washington is next up with 32,850,000 annual visitors. Niagra Falls is next on the list with 22,500,000 visitors a year. New York’s spectacular Grand Central Station is next in line with 21,600,000 yearly visitors. Fanenuel Hall is next on the list and this stunning marketplace sees roughly 18 million tourists each year. With 17,536,00 visitors a year, Orlando’s Disney Kingdom is next up on the list. Lastly, but by no means least is the Forbidden City in Beijing, which sees 15,300,000 visitors a year from all over the world.

The 50 most visited tourist attractions in the world

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Did you travel more than the Simpsons?

Believe it or not, The Simpsons are extremely well travelled! During their 25 seasons on the air, The Simpsons have been all over the world. For example in one episode Homer went to Iceland. In another episode they went to London and made like the Beetles at Abbey Road. They also went to Ireland and spend most of their time in an Irish Pub! In another episode Bart gets to go to France on an exchange programme, without his sister! Italy is another European destination that the Simpsons visited and were sent by Mr Burns. Abu and Homer also went trekking in India in one episode and Lisa once went to Brazil to track down her penpal who has stopped writing to her. And in one hilarious Episode the Simpsons family found themselves in Antarctica after being thrown off a cruise ship!

 

Everywhere the Simpsons went  – Source: Venere

 

 

 

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Here are important things that all travellers should know in every continent!

Here are important things that all travellers should know in every continent! In Europe you should know the names of at least eight cathedrals, which side of an escalator to stand on, the names of four German sausages, how to plan around a siesta in Spain, always have small change for toilets, what time to drink cappuccino, how to say no in Turkey and not to mix vodka in Russia.
In Asia you should know how to pronounce Laos, how to accept food or gifts, how to cross the road in Vietnam, the meaning of a horn honking, where to put toilet paper in India and know to nod for no and shake your head for yes in Sri Lanka!
In the Americas you should know how much to tip, the $20 tip trick in Las Vegas, to always remove shoes in a Canadian home, never call a waitress in Argentina, what a pisco sour is, how to use a toilet without touching the seat, understand personal space, how to point in Cuba and which hand to pour wine with in Argentina and Chile.
In Africa you should know the meaning of African time, how to motion someone, what a Xhoha Smiley is, which hand to eat with, not to point with index finger and where to keep your eyes during conversation.

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Dining etiquette around the world

Different places around the world have different dining etiquette. For example, in Portugal you should never ask for salt and pepper, this would offend the chef’s seasoning skills. Also, in Portugal you should always leave a 10% tip. In france it is considered unsophisticated to split the bill. You should also keep you hands above the table and do not bite into bread, tear off a chunk before eating. In Japan you should never cross your chopsticks, lick them or use them to pass food. However, it is polite to drink from a soup bowl and make loud slurping noises! In Italy you should never ask for cheese if it isn’t offered and a 5 to 10% tip is expected. In India, it is impolite to leave a meal unfinished. Also, you should never eat with your left hand as it is considered unclean (toilet paper is not generally used). In Thailand food is shared within the group, also you should not take the last bite. Lastly, belching is considered very polite in China!

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Best things to do with kids in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is a great city for adults and kids alike. There are plenty of superb attractions for kids, this includes the Los Angeles Seaworld, going whale watching, the Aquarium of the Pacific, Santa Catalina Island, Hermosa Natural Park, Los Angeles Zoo and go up in the Orange County Great Heluim Balloon. There are also many sports activities, including surfing, sea kayaking, seeing a game at the Dodger’s Stadium, enjoying the PEE WEE Bowling League and going swimming at Los Angeles Stadium. There are also cultural attractions, such as the Venice Canals, Watts Tower, see the New Year parade in Chinatown, the Renaissance Pleasure Faire and the Mediaeval Times Dinner and Tournament. Kids can also visit the Warner Bros film studios and even register to be an extra in a movie!

50 THINGS TO DO WITH KIDS IN LOS ANGELES

Image courtesy of OMG  Los Angeles Accommodation

The difference between Los Angeles and yogurt is that yogurt comes with less fruit.

– Rush Limbaugh

Travel while you Work – Office hopping

Who doesn’t dream of travelling the world but still being able to make an income? I’m not talking about becoming a pilot or a war correspondent but just keeping your job and changing the scenery from time to time.

Last year I did exactly that and feel refreshed and rejuvenated by the experience. Like many things in life it happened almost by chance. Some friends in New Zealand wanted to do a house swap in Europe for a few months and although tempted I was worried about leaving the comfort of my home office and handy coffee machine. However, that initial idea proved to be the catalyst for a great extended workoliday. I can be flexible with my work as I write software for financial market traders so really I could do that sitting on a rock in the desert if there was an internet connection.

The more I thought about it the more I liked the idea and the more the wanderlust got hold of me. I have done this job for 10 years and my clients, who are worldwide, have often thrown out wild invitations like: “When you come on down to Dallas I’ll take you for the best steak in town,” or “Ever tried a Moreton Bay Bug? No? Next time you’re in Sydney I’ll take you to the best harbour side restaurant in the country.” etc. The decision was made – we were off! Having formulated a travel plan it gave me much pleasure to write to clients – Sorry folks, I’m on my way get those wallets out! – Well, I wasn’t quite as obvious as that but you know what I mean…

After an initial panic from my partner Jane, it didn’t take me too long to persuade her of the benefits of abandoning her dreary daily commute to town in an overcrowded train for six months. We had fun planning the trip, made easy by the web; it seems amazing that the internet is only 25 years old and we can’t imagine living without it now. For me the priority was to meet clients, not only to be able to keep up the contact but to keep the money rolling in to fund our travels; although Skype is a great tool it can’t beat the communication benefits of meeting face to face.

My office outfit is usually jeans, T-shirts and trainers so it came as a bit of a shock to realise I would have to pack a suit and tie for meetings. I had to look the part as I had found a company that had a comprehensive worldwide network of fully equipped office space to rent so I could set up meetings to suit my itinerary. Our basic travel plan from London was Zurich, Dubai, Delhi, Singapore, Sydney, Auckland, Los Angeles, Dallas, Boston, then Halifax before heading back across the Atlantic to London.

Being a would-be travel writer, Jane willingly took on the task of filling in the gaps and route diversions with a tourist trip, e.g. camping in the desert, renting campervans in New Zealand and America, a train journey in India, snorkeling off Queensland, sea-kayaking in Nova Scotia etc.

The only stress was stopping my suit from looking too crumpled and making sure I had an ironed shirt, but all in all it was an immensely rewarding experience in all senses of the word. The personal meetings with my clients cemented our relationships, my business grew. We met so many new people and Jane’s travel blog will hopefully sow the seeds of a new career for her.

By the way, the Moreton Bay Bug, a distant relative of the lobster, turned out to be delicious and the Texan steak was the size of a dinner plate!

A Different Way to Meet People

“People come, people go – they’ll drift in and out of your life, almost like characters in a favorite book. When you finally close the cover, the characters have told their story and you start up again with another book, complete with new characters and adventures. Then you find yourself focusing on the new ones, not the ones from the past.”

— Nicholas Sparks (The Rescue)

Hitchhiking is one of the best and cheapest ways of travelling. It is defined as soliciting a ride by standing at the edge of the road, facing traffic, with your hand thumb extended upwards. Hitchhiking saves you a lot of money in addition to spicing up your travels by giving you an opportunity to experience great things that you could never have planned or dreamed of; things that were spontaneous and memorable.

The world is full of adventure and experience; in addition to the freedom and spontaneity presented by hitchhiking, you get the opportunity to meet a lot of different and interesting people with diverse backgrounds and different psychologies.

This video (I Love People: 5,000 Miles, 930 people, 162 seconds) shows exactly how fun it can be for anyone to just wake up one morning get a ride from strangers, and along the way create friendships.

“But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked. “Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.” “How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice. “You must be,” said the Cat, or you wouldn’t have come here.”

— Lewis Carroll (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland)