Amazing travel fact Latvia

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Latvia:

In which country did the first ever Christmas Tree originate?

Latvia in the Baltics

The first written record of a decorated Christmas Tree comes from Riga, Latvia from 1510.

Men of the local merchants’ guild decorated a tree with artificial roses, danced around it in the marketplace and then set fire to it. The rose was used for many year and is considered to be a symbol for the Virgin Mary. 

In some accounts, it all began more than 500 years ago. One of legends says that the first Christmas tree was put up by medieval Brotherhood of Blackheads, the guild uniting Riga’s merchants and craftsmen.

It was decorated with anything that came to hand – nuts, apples, dried berries, flowers, ribbons, toys handmade ornaments and then nicely displayed at the central market square (today Riga Town Hall Square) nearby the Blackheads’ House.

Meanwhile, another story reveals that the tree was decorated with paper flowers and set on fire by the Blackheads at the end of the holiday season; most probably, as it was believed to bring good luck. 

Travel to Latvia

 

 

Amazing travel fact Albania

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Albania:

Do you know Albania is called “Land of the Eagles”.

Amazing right?

Many legends and tales have tried to explain the origin of the name “land of eagles”. The Eagle is one of Albania’s most important symbols which is used in the national flag of the country, in postcards, traditional costumes and handicrafts, literature and history.

Among many others, an old legend says that one day a young boy was hunting in the mountains and saw a big eagle flying above his head with a snake in its mouth. The eagle took the snake at her nest in the sharp peak of a cliff and left it there. The boy became curious and got near to the nest to see the shelter of the eagle by near.

The young boy noticed that inside the nest was a baby eagle which was in danger because the snake was still alive and ready to pinch and poison it. The boy felt compassion for the little baby eagle and decided to kill the snake. He drew an arrow by killing the snake and then he took the baby eagle with him and headed home.

While walking, the big eagle flies around him and begs him to give her baby, by saying: “Why are you taking my baby away?”. The boy replied: “I saved its life so now and after the baby eagle is mine” but the mother eagle was feeling broken hearted and promised him a reward. “Please give me back my baby and I will give you as a reward the sharpness of my eyes and the strength of my arms. You will be strong and impregnable and people will call you in my name.”

The boy accepted and gave back the baby eagle. As the years passed, the young boy grew up being recognized by its land people as strong and heroic. During these years, the little eagle grew up too and accompanied the young boy in hunting for wild animals in wild forests and in each battle with enemies.

The locals were amazed by the bravery of the man and used to call him “The son of the eagles” and the lands where they lived were called The Land of Eagles (Shqiperi) – Eagle (Shqipe).

Travel to Albania

 

Amazing travel fact Miami

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Miami:

Interestingly, the city of Miami was founded by a woman—the only female founder of a major American city.
 
Amazing right?
 
In 1874, Julia Tuttle, who hailed from Cleveland, headed to Florida to visit her father, who lived in the area.
 
Despite the mosquito-infested swamps, she liked what she saw. After her father died and left her his land, she purchased more acreage and then talked railroad builder Henry Flagler into extending tracks southward.
 
Tuttle met with Flagler, a multi-millionaire who was going to extend his railroad south along Florida’s east coast to develop cities and resorts along the way.
 
Tuttle wanted him to extend his railroad to her area. After negotiations, Flagler agreed to do so in exchange for hundreds of acres of land from Tuttle and Tuttle’s neighbors William and Mary Brickell who were the other main landowners in the area.
 
Flagler also agreed to lay the foundations for a city on either side of the Miami River and to build a large hotel. The first train arrived in what became Miami city on April 13, 1896.
 
Miami was officially incorporated as a city in a pool hall meeting days later on July 28, 1896. Its first laundry, first bakery and the first dairy were reportedly started by Mrs. Tuttle. In 1896 the city she had founded was incorporated; by the 1920s, it was a bustling metropolis.
 
In 2010, a 10-foot tall statue of Julia Tuttle, the “Mother of Miami,” was erected in Bayfront Park.
 

 

 

Amazing travel fact Lebanon

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Lebanon:

Lebanon is home to the oldest city in the world.
 
Amazing right?
 
Byblos is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. It’s around 20 miles (30 km) north of modern Beirut.
 
The name Byblos is actually Greek.
 
Interestingly, the world papyrus got its greek name – Byblos – when it was exported to the Aegean through Byblos. So, the English word Bible is really derived from Byblos – it’s a “papyrus book”.
 
Recent excavations found that Byblos was occupied as early as the Neolithic period, from 8000 BC to 4000 BC. It was a chief harbour for exporting cedar and valuable wood to Egypt and was known as Kubna in Ancient Egyptian.
 
We know this because Egyptian monuments and inscriptions are very similar to those found on the River Nile.
 
The world’s first alphabet was created here too. The Phoenician alphabet was born in Byblos. 
 

 

Amazing travel fact Costa Rica

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Costa Rica:

With over 500,000 species of animals, Costa Rica is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries.
 
Amazing right?
 
Costa Rica is covered in blankets of protected jungle and rainforest, where wildlife spotting opportunities are in abundance.
 
Costa Rica is a haven for bird-lovers, but in addition to the variety of feathered inhabitants, Costa Rica has hundreds of exotic land animals to see in the wild, including six species of wild cats.

From the adorable sloths to playful monkeys, tiny colorful tree frogs to mammoth 16 foot crocodiles; from endangered Jaguars to tiny wild jungle cats; from pre historic iguanas to the rainbow of more than 918 species of tropical birds; from gentle giants like the whale shark and giant sea turtle to tiny but deadly snakes and frogs.

Animals are the most beautiful when in their natural habitat.  Watch sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs in Tortuguero National Park or catch white faced capuchin monkeys trying to steal your snacks in Manuel Antonio. Wake up to the sound of howler monkeys in Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula, watch a lazy sloth taking a nap in Puerto Viejo by the Caribbean Coast or spot the stunning humpback whales in Drake Bay, Osa Peninsula. Why not come and find as many Costa Rica animals as you can on your next Costa Rica vacation.

Travel to Costa Rica

 

Amazing travel fact Los Angeles

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Los Angeles:

Do you know which famous 1990 film thrust The Beverly Wilshire hotel in LA into the limelight?

Pretty Woman is one of the highest grossing romantic comedies in history, starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts.
 
In her Oscar-nominated performance, Roberts plays Vivian Ward, a Hollywood prostitute hired by Edward Lewis (Gere), a ruthless corporate raider who changes his ways after he hires her to be his escort at social events while he’s in Los Angeles. Numerous scenes take place and were filmed in Beverly Hills, including a shopping spree on Rodeo Drive and the hotel where Roberts stays, the landmark Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills.
 
For the last 30 years the Beverly Wilshire hotel has capitalized on the success of Pretty Woman. Funny, considering that the hotel appears on screen for just under three minutes of the film’s two-hour running time, as only exteriors of the building were shot there.
 
 

Amazing travel fact Las Vegas

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Las Vegas:

Do you know where we can find the most expensive hotel suite in the world?
 
It comes with 24-hour butlers, a chauffeured car and $10k credit to use in the resort.
 
Amazing right?
 
It is the Palms Casino Resort.
 
It completed a two year renovation last year, rumoured (at about 1 billion dollars), to be the most costly in history, the Palms Casino Resort now has one of the world’s most extensive art collections outside of a museum. The revamped 1395 rooms and suites include the Kingpin Suite, which houses bowling lanes ($15000 a night), and The Hardwood Suite, with its own basketball court ($20,000 a night).
 
Most expensive room?
The Empathy Suite: $100,000 a night
 
What do you get?
In this 8500 square foot, Damien Hirst-designed penthouse you’ll find an outdoor, cantilevered pool ‘hanging’ hundreds of feet in the air, pillars covered in his signature dots, six specially commissioned art works, including two sharks suspended in formaldehyde, a 13-seater bar and spectacular views over The Strip. But until our luck at the roulette table changes, we’ll be slumming it in one of the hotel’s other 702 rooms, which start from a mere $60.
 
Extra treats?
24-hour butlers, a chauffeured car and $10k credit to use in the resort.
 
Who stays?
If you’re a casino big spender (over a million dollars), you get to stay for free but they are tight- lipped about who has actually paid to sleep here.
 
 

Amazing travel fact Chicago

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Chicago:

What famous criminal started a soup kitchen?

In 1931, the Chicago Tribune proclaimed that “120,000 meals are served by Capone Free Soup Kitchen,” making Al Capone out to be a “Robin Hood”.
 
Many of those served by Capone said that he was doing more for the poor than the government.
 
The kitchen employed a few people, but fed many more. In fact, preceding the passage of the Social Security Act, “soup kitchens” like the one Al Capone founded, provided the only meals that some unemployed Americans had.
 
They rose to prominence in the U.S. during the Great Depression. One of the first and obvious benefits of a soup kitchen was to provide a place where the homeless and poor could get free food and a brief rest from the struggles of surviving on the streets. 
 

Amazing travel fact New York

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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New York:

We all know that New York is called ‘The Big Apple’. But do you know how it got its nickname?
 
The nickname is linked to horse racing. 
 
A bit more history:
 
The Big Apple was popularized as a name for New York City by John J. Fitz Gerald in a number of horse-racing articles for the New York Morning Telegraph in the 1920s. The earliest of these was a casual reference on 3 May 1921:
 
“J. P. Smith, with Tippity Witchet and others of the L. T. Bauer string, is scheduled to start for “the big apple” to-morrow after a most prosperous Spring campaign at Bowie and Havre de Grace”.
 
Fitz Gerald referred to the “big apple” frequently thereafter. He explained his use in a column dated February 18, 1924, under the headline “Around the Big Apple”:
 
“The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred and the goal of all horsemen. There’s only one Big Apple. That’s New York.”
 
Fitz Gerald reportedly first heard “The Big Apple” used to describe New York’s racetracks by two African American stable hands at the New Orleans Fair Grounds. Using racing records, Popik traced that conversation to January 1920.
 
In recognition of Fitz Gerald’s role in promulgating “The Big Apple” as a nickname for New York City, in 1997 Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani signed legislation designating as “Big Apple Corner” the southwest corner of West 54th Street and Broadway, the corner on which John J. Fitz Gerald lived from 1934 to 1963. The Hotel Ameritania also once had a plaque which was installed in 1996, according to Popik, but it was removed during renovations to the building and was lost.
 
Evidence can also be found in the Chicago Defender, an African-American newspaper that had a national circulation. Writing for the Defender on September 16, 1922, “Ragtime” Billy Tucker used the name “big apple” to refer to New York in a non-horse-racing context:
 
I trust your trip to ‘the big apple’ (New York) was a huge success and only wish that I had been able to make it with you.
 
Tucker had also earlier used “big apple” as a reference to Los Angeles. It is possible that he simply used “big apple” as a nickname for any large city. But that’s another story.
 

Amazing travel fact Malaysia

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Malaysia:

Genting Highlands Resort, Malaysia is the biggest hotel in the world.

Amazing right?

Most people would assume that the largest hotel in the world would be in one of the large vacation cities like Las Vegas or some tropical island in the Bahamas.
 
It is actually located in Pahang Darul Makmur, which is an area in Malaysia.
 
Resorts World Genting is a premier leisure and entertainment resort destination in Malaysia with over 10,000 hotel rooms, 150,000 sqm of event space, an indoor theme park and more than 165 local and international retail stores and restaurants.
 
Situated atop Genting Highlands, Resorts World Genting stands majestically at 6,000 feet above sea level, and is surrounded by pristine rainforest that dates back over 100 million years.
 
The average temperature is a cool 16 -24 degrees all year round which makes the resort a unique destination for business meetings, exhibitions, conventions and special events.
 

Amazing travel fact New Zealand

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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New Zealand:

Do you know who the first European to discover New Zealand was?
 
Abel Janszoon Tasman was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). He was the first known European explorer to reach the islands of Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania), Fiji and New Zealand.
 
He landed in New Zealand on 13 December 1642.
 
Two names that his expedition gave to landmarks in the far north of New Zealand still endure: Cape Maria van Diemen and Three Kings Islands. (Kaap Pieter Boreels was renamed Cape Egmont by Captain James Cook 125 years later.
 
Captain James Cook, who reached New Zealand in October 1769 on the first of his three voyages, was the first European to circumnavigate and map New Zealand.
 

Amazing travel fact Singapore

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Singapore:

Did you know the Singapore Sling was invented to disguise fruit juice served to ladies as they weren’t allowed to drink alcohol when the bar first opened?

Amazing right?

The historic Long Bar, Raffles Hotel, Singapore is the home of the iconic Singapore Sling. The famous counter shines like new amidst decor that marries architecture and contemporary plantation-inspired motifs.

The earthy décor of the two-storey Long Bar is inspired by Malayan life in the 1920s. The deep, rich colours and lush greenery transport patrons to the edge of a tropical plantation. In keeping with the relaxed atmosphere, guests are invited to brush peanut shells off the table and bar counter to the floor.
 
The Singapore Sling, widely regarded as the national drink, was first created in 1915 by Raffles bartender Ngiam Tong Boon. Primarily a gin-based cocktail, the Singapore Sling also contains pineapple juice, lime juice, curaçao and Bénédictine. Giving it the pretty pink hue are grenadine and cherry liqueur.
 

Amazing travel fact Israel

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Israel:

Did you know you can rappel down 80m (262 feet) through a vertical ‘chimney’ made of salt, and reach the bottom at altitude 400m below sea level?
 
Amazing right?
 
And its in the Dead-Sea, Israel.
 
And the place is called ‘The Colonel’s Cave’.
 
One great adventure, and you don’t even need to have prior experience with rappelling.
 
This salt cave is a natural miracle of the world and to get a close acquaintance with the salty mountain you cannot find a better candidate.
 
The entrance to the cave is decorated with the 80-ty meters deep well which continues with the underground meandering channels. In every corner one can discover a fabulous wealth of the cave- thin threads of white stalactites, salty “snow” under feet, crystals in a form of electric outlets. Salty walls shaped as “wings” sound like bells and sparkle with myriads of lights like a precious stones.

Cave Colonel is the same temperature all year round (+25°С) which makes it a warm shelter from a cold winter winds and natural air-cooler in a hot Dead Sea summer.

This underground world is available only for a few, so the glory of “elite” is waiting for anyone who decides to visit Colonel.

 

Amazing travel fact Montenegro

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Montenegro:

Did you know that there is a canyon in Europe, which is 1300 meters deep and 82 kilometres long? It’s the deepest canyon in Europe and It also has the largest zip line.
 
Amazing, right?
 
Do you know to which country we need to travel in order to see this canyon?
 
Flowing through Montenegro and a part in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tara River is a creation of two rivers in the Komovi mountains in Montenegro – Opasanica and Veruša.
 
In some parts, the walls of the Tara Canyon are 1.333 m deep, making it the second deepest canyon in the world after the Grand Canyon on the River Colorado, but the first canyon in regards to its beauty. Known as the “Tear of Europe”, the Tara River is 158 km long, has 14 different rivers flowing into it, 7 from each side and has 69 rapids on that path.
 
Another interesting feature is the cascades. The loud noise of the cascades can be heard even in the upper parts of the canyon. There are over 40 cascades on the Tara river, the most important being Crna Vrela, Bijela Vrela, Djavolje Lazi, Sokolovina and Bijeli Kamen. The most important spring that flows into the Tara river is Bajlovica Sige waterfall, which crashes into Tara with 100 liters of water per second, falling from the Bucevica cave which is over 30 m high and an astonishing 150 m wide!
 
Tara river takes pride in being on the UNESCO’s list of protected areas in the “Man and Biosphere” program from 1977 because of its diverse flora and fauna! A lot of animals call Tara canyon their home, such as trouts, huchens, graylings and other types of fish, birds like hawks, eagles, capercaillies, griffon vultures etc, then bears, wolves, foxes, chamois, and the rarest of them all in these areas are otters swimming in the Tara river. In the valleys of the Tara Canyon, there are certain herbs and trees that date all the way back to the ice age. Forests are rich with oaks, ashes, birches, beeches, and black pine trees.
 
Most of the year the water level is a class 3-4, only in the spring when the snow melts, and when there are heavy storms in a short period of time, the river is a class 5-. The average temperature of the water is 8° C, and it is drinkable throughout the whole stream.
 
 

Amazing travel fact Miami

Written by Traveltalksteam on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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AMAZING TRAVEL FACTS

Did you know that there is a port which is the busiest cruise port in the world? It is also one of the most modern in the world and home to the largest cruise ships on earth. In 2021, the largest cruise ship was 362 meters long has a capacity of nearly 9,000 passengers and crew, features 23 swimming pools and 18 decks. Amazing, right?

The port of Miami is the busiest cruise port in the world. There are millions of cruise passengers going through Miami each year.

Miami is the main port of entrance for cruises in the Carrabeans and Bahamas.

The port is also one of the most modern in the world and home to the largest cruise ships on earth.

Here are some more big cruise ships:

#amazingtravelfacts #traveltalksplatform

 

Where in the World Abu Dhabi

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world, Amazing Facts.

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Abu Dhabi:

Did you know where there is a “Gold to Go” machine, which spits out 24-karat gold in 320 forms, from gold bars and coins to wearable jewellery in varying weights? 

After a single-day test run in a Frankfurt train station, the world’s first gold bar-dispensing ATM opened to much fanfare in the lobby of the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi in 2010.
 
Since its debut in the UAE, a small but mighty array of these counterintuitive little machines have cropped up around the world – arguably the most fitting of which can be found in the lobby of Las Vegas’ Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino.
 
Guarded by armoured guards, these glittering ATM spit out 24-karat gold in 320 different forms, from gold bars and coins to wearable jewellery, in varying weights. The customer simply has to operate a touch screen to make his selection, pay with cash or credit, and watch his booty pop out of the machine packaged in a sweet-looking black case.
 
 

Amazing Travel Fact Abu Dhabi

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

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Abu Dhabi:

No doubt, everybody has heard about the leaning tower of Pisa. But did you know that there are thirteen leaning towers in the world? In fact, there is one, which was the world’s fastest man-made leaning building.
 
Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel in order to see this architectural marvel?
 
It is indeed the Capital Gate Building in Abu Dhabi.
 
Capital Gate is an iconic leaning skyscraper located in Abu Dhabi adjacent to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
 
At 160 meter (520 ft) and 35 stories, it is one of the tallest buildings in the city and leans at an astounding 18 degrees to the west, four times than the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. In June 2010, the Guinness Book of World Records certified Capital Gate as the “World’s furthest leaning man-made tower.”
 
To make this possible, the central core of the building slants in the opposite direction to the lean of the structure, and it straightens as it grows. The building sits on top of a 7-foot-deep concrete base with a dense mesh of reinforced steel. The steel exoskeleton known as the diagrid sits above an extensive distribution of 490 piles that have been drilled 100 feet underground to accommodate the gravitational, wind and seismic pressures caused by the lean of the building.
 
 

Amazing Travel Fact Panama

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts, Where in the world.

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Panama:

Did you know that there is a city, which is the only capital in the world with its own lush rain forest?
 
Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel to in order to visit this beautiful spot?
 
Lots of cities have parks, many of which are absolutely amazing. The unique thing about Panama’s Parque Natural Metropolitano is that it’s the biggest wildife refuge and forest environment within city limits.
 
Panama City is the only national capital city containing a rainforest within city boundaries. Panama City’s rainforest is the second largest in the Western Hemisphere.
 

Where in the World Ecuador

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world, Amazing Facts.

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Ecuador:

Where does the famous Panama Hat originate from?
 
Despite their name, Panama hats have never been made in Panama. They originated in Ecuador where they are made to this day. Historically, throughout Central and South America, people referred to Panama hats as “Jipijapa,” “Toquilla,” or “Montecristi” hats (the latter two phrases are still in use today).
 
Their designation as Panama hats originated in the 1850s, when Ecuadorian hat makers emigrated to Panama, where they were able to achieve much greater trade volumes.
 
The name “Panama hat” was further reinforced by President Theodore Roosevelt’s trip to oversee the construction of the Panama Canal. Roosevelt used his natural ability to drum up publicity by posing for a series of photos at the Panama Canal construction site in 1906.
 

Amazing Travel Fact Colombia

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts, Where in the world.

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Colombia:

Did you know that there is is a valley that is home to the world’s tallest palm trees? They grow as tall as 200 feet. You have to go through a cloud forest in order to get there.

Amazing, right?
 
Do you know where we need to travel to in order to see these very tall trees?
 
It is indeed in Colombia.
 
High in the Colombian Andes in Los Nevados National Natural Park, you’ll find the Valle de Cocora, a valley that’s home to the world’s tallest palm trees. These towering trees—called wax palms—grow as tall as 200 feet, and are sheltered in a protected range.
 
To get to Valle de Cocora, you must first embark on a six-mile hike. From the small outpost of Cocora, you’ll find a loop trail that leads into a cloud forest, where rain falls almost every day.
 
Colombia, unsurprisingly, is considered one of the world’s 17 “megadiverse” countries—nations that harbor the majority of the Earth’s species.
 
 

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