Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca is located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It is one of the highest commercially navigable lakes in the world and, taking into consideration the volume of water, it is also the largest lake in South America. The western part of the lake lies within the Puno Region of Peru, and the eastern side is located in the Bolivian La Paz Department.

Lake Titicaca is fed by rainfall and melt water from glaciers on the sierras that abut the Altiplano. Five major river systems feed into Lake Titicaca: Ramis, Coata, Ilave, Huancané, and Suchez. More than 20 other smaller streams empty into Titicaca, and the lake has 41 islands, some of which are densely populated.

The origin of the name Titicaca is unknown. It has been translated as "Rock Puma", allegedly because of its resemblance to the shape of a puma hunting a rabbit, combining words from the local languages Quechua and Aymara, and as well as translated as "Crag of Lead." Locally, the lake goes by several names. Because the southeast quarter of the lake is separate from the main body (connected only by the Strait of Tiquina), the Bolivians call it Lago Huiñaymarca and the larger part Lago Chucuito. In Peru, these smaller and larger parts are referred to as Lago Pequeño and Lago Grande, respectively.

Shopping in Singapore

Shopping in Singapore

A flea market is a place where you can buy cheap goods as well as second hand items. They can be either bought or exchanged for other items. The reason why they are much more popular than regular markets is due to the extreme variety of items you can discover there: small treasures of antiques, curios and knickknacks of all sizes, shapes, times and colors are arranged into little stacks and sold. They may have lost their original luster but these items have never lost their appeal exuding from their quaint designs, silently urging you to keep them as souvenirs.

If you go for shopping in Singapore but have never been to the Thieves Market, you are definitely missing a whole adventure. Located along the Sungei Road, the Thieves Market is the oldest and biggest flea market in Singapore. The name sounds a bit intimidating but there is a story behind it: in the past the flea market on Sungei Road used to sell stolen goods along with used goods and so it soon became infamous as the Thieves Market. There used to be a perennial saying that goes like if you lose something valuable at home then come to the Thieves Market to find it.

After going through ups and downs that brought a negative reputation to this road, the authorities have stepped forward and taken measures to cleanse the flea market. Today it has become a thriving market teeming with street peddlers. You may not hear the mechanical greetings or see forced smiles on their weather beaten faces as they will not mind whether you buy their items or not. The peddlers here represent the very life and blood of a flea market, being worlds apart from the sophisticated ambience you experience at the malls all the time.

The kind of items you find here are overwhelming and not all may appeal to your taste but have patience and indulge in every moment you spend here. You might discover something quite valuable and timeless hidden among those countless items. For example, you can shop for mobile phones, bikes, electric goods, look-alike watches, household items, sports goods, toys and even clothes.

Enjoying the Foods and Drinks of Singapore

Enjoying the Foods and Drinks of Singapore

Singapore is commonly known as a shopping haven, a safe and secure traveling destination, a beach and city holiday rolled into one and a meeting point of many cultures and religions. Singapore is also the melting pot of many foods and drinks from all over the world.

You can satisfy your gastronomic desire for sumptuous cuisines at any time of the day and anywhere in the island. Singapore's unique blend of food and drink is considered very special. Below, I will present a list of six must-try foods and drinks when you visit Singapore.

Singapore Sling. A cocktail originally invented for the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel in the early 20th century. The original recipe uses gin, cherry brandy and Benedictine; the concoctions though differ in other parts of the country and the world. The drink is shaken and strained into a glass before adding in club soda. You can find the drink in most bars in Singapore.

Chicken Rice. A local favorite, this dish has been considered as being a national dish by several food critics. You can choose a serving of roasted, steamed or barbequed chicken with rice cooked in chicken stock and garlic. Add a dash of chili sauce and dark soy sauce, a plate of chicken rice is both a tasty and filling meal.

Laksa. While there are many versions of this dish in Malaysia, a Singapore version has its roots in the Peranakan community. Rice noodles are cooked in coconut spicy gravy and sprinkled with prawns, bean curd and chicken. It is a very rich and indulgent dish that will leave you craving for more.

Fried Carrot Cake. Certainly a comfort food for many Singaporeans, fried carrot cake is a mix of diced radish and egg tossed in soy sauce. A common hawker food, this dish is oily and spicy but promises a truly satisfying gastronomic experience.

Satay. If you are familiar with kebabs on skewers in Mediterranean dishes, Satay is the local version of meat on skewers. You can get chicken, beef and lamb Satays served with peanut sauce. Hotels usually add Satays as a side dish to its fried rice or fried noodles.

Ice kacang. An all-time favorite, Ice Kacang is a delightful dessert to end a meal. With a base of jelly, red beans, corn and Attap seeds, ice is grated on top of them and topped with various colored sugar syrup and condensed milk. It is truly a purely indulgent treat to satisfy your sweet tooth and a great way to quench your thirst in sunny Singapore.

Find the Best Online Casinos

Find the Best Online Casinos

Since there are a lot of casinos on the internet currently, the knowledge of which online casinos are the most safe and trusted establishments to play at can be more important than knowing how to play and navigate the different games available. Selecting an all-around excellent online casino with the best in fairness and safety features can be a complicated task, but it does not have to be: you need to exercise certain caution and to analyze your expectations. Casinos are of two types: web-based and download casinos, the last of them being more popular. In order to use them, you first have to download specific software and then start playing games.

Before choosing any particular online casino, it is essential to ensure the specific casino has the requisite license for operation. Also, the top casinos should assure you of the utmost security of your financial transactions. An online casino should offer customer support on all seven days of the week and twenty-four hours of the day. You should be able to contact support personnel of the casinos through telephone, e-mail, live chat, or even fax. Another prerequisite of best online casinos is their loyalty points, bonuses, and other incentives.

In conclusion, the best casinos can be found also on specialized gambling portals listing the trustworthy casinos. Even so, it has to be mentioned that you need to remember to research the prospective internet casino before opening a new member account. After you have done so, do yourself a favor and gamble at a casino only as a way to have fun. After all, that should be its purpose: the gambler who does not become attached to winnings or losses will ultimately have a pleasant experience.

A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities

I am sure that you know very well the story A Tale of Two Cities written by Charles Dickens. It is, in fact, the story of the uprisings in France. Beginning with a man named Jerry Cruncher who is chasing a mail coach holding, he delivers a letter to Lorry telling him that he needs to wait in the city he is traveling to (Dover) for a young woman. He meets the young woman, named Lucie Manette, which tells him that her father (thought dead) has been found in Paris. Lorry brings Lucie to Paris, traveling first to a city called Saint Antoine where they meet the Defarge's. They are the leaders of a group called the "Jacques" who are the revolutionaries that are also housing Lucie's father (in such agony after his imprisonment in the Bastille for eighteen years). The family is reunited, but Dr. Manette (Lucie's Father) is still distressed.

In 1780 a man named Charles Darnay is on trial for treason. Two british spies are trying to frame the innocent Darnay for their own profit, but in the court room Darnay is saved from the death penalty. Charles becomes very fond of Lucie Manette, starting to fall in love. After the French government discovers the things of Charles past and his true identity, the best of times turns into the worst. The Defarge's lead an attack on The Bastille were Dr. Manette was held prisoner, as a revolt against the French aristocracy. Mister Defarge discovers the the letter in Dr. Manette's jail cell that will change someone's life forever. Will Lucie and Charles remain together? Will be Dr. Manette sent back to the place that he suffered so long ago? Will France ever be able to find its peace?

In a few words this was the plot synopsis. If you didn’t have the book around, you can search pdf files in order to download it for free. I personally enjoyed reading this story. There were many things in this book that I found extraordinary: the way that Dickens is able to connect all of the characters to each other, or the descriptive level of the book, Dickens being sure that doesn't miss any detail, making possible for the reader to picture out the entire image.

In conclusion, I would recommend this book because you will be able to learn a lot from it. There is a lot of suspense and it is hard to tell what is going to happen next. If you like history then you will like for sure this book. After you’ve started it, is very hard to put it down and I guarantee that you will want to read more and more until you will be able to find out how it ends.

Nightlife in Athens

Nightlife in Athens

It is said that the nightlife of Athens rivals with that of New York, London and Paris and maybe surpass those cities. Even though the recent events may question seriously your decision of visiting or not this city, one thing is for certain: you won't find more restaurants, bars, and clubs in a smaller area than you will in Athens with the majority of the nightlife being in central areas. Below I will select some of the best locations in this city in order to have them in mind when you are looking for dance clubs, live Greek music, or bars & lounges.

DANCE CLUBS:

Akrotiri. A summer spent in Athens is not complete without a visit to this club located on the coast. Here, the cosmopolitan ambience and the pulsing music, bring clubbing to a whole other level.

Ammos Beach. This well-known summer spot is situated directly on the water and hosts dance parties with DJs from all over the world.

Island. Just as the name suggests, breezy island surroundings and exceptional sea views offer a laid-back atmosphere. But as the night goes, the lounge tunes make way for beats on which you will dance all night long.

Venue. One of the leading dance clubs in Athens boasting three dance floors and a calendar of exclusive dance parties.

LIVE GREEK MUSIC:

Ammos. Here you can find a great mix of modern, mainstream and more established Greek music.

Athinion Arena. Here, the live Greek music program is more like a Vegas show, featuring dancers and acrobats. A unique twist to the average bouzouki night.

Thea. This live show features some young Greek singers that are sure to lighten up the mood and get you on the dance floor.

Mostrou. In other words, traditional Greek music presented in a tavern-style atmosphere in the heart of Athens.

BARS & LOUNGES:

Balthazar. This lounge is a tropical paradise in the centre of Athens with breezy décor and posh clientele. It is definitely a place to see and be seen.

Baraonda. It is an exclusive outdoor bar and restaurant offering great cuisine and a swanky garden atmosphere that attracts a fashionably cool crowd.

Istioploikos. A well-known café-bar overlooking the port of Mikrolimano provides a laid-back atmosphere to enjoy drinks with your friends.

Soul. This eclectic bar is separated into three areas whit different DJs and it is sure it will please a wide range of musical preferences.

An Invitation to Inspiration from Peugeot

An Invitation to Inspiration from Peugeot

Peugeot has enjoyed a special relationship with the French people for 200 years, establishing this automobile as a marker of their emotions. To celebrate the 200th anniversary of Peugeot’s industrial adventure, the company invites all Internet users across the Europe to express the emotions inspired by the car of tomorrow and post their feelings on this virtual wall on their recently launched website, from 6th of May till 5th of October 2010.

Using photos, texts and videos, you can choose your own way of expressing the view of the automobile as a true space for living, sharing and feeling. The best entries will win prizes including preview road tests of the 508 or VIP week-ends at the Le Mans 24 hour race. All your desires can be expressed through six emotionally expressive themes: performance (by sharing the strongest sporting moments), environment (presenting the most beautiful feelings inspired by the natural world), emotions (describing memorable emotions inspired by creative design), movement (catching and communicating the vibrations of the city), connectivity (showing how the outside world and its technologies have taken up residence in the car) and vision (bringing on the wall some unusual holiday incidents, or hilarious moments).

Scuba Diving Destinations

Scuba Diving Destinations

Scuba diving is an excellent way to see some beautiful sites. The tropical coral diving sites with their colorful sea life are the most famous, but other attractions can be mentioned here including rocky reefs, shipwrecks, caverns or caves. Let’s find out together some of the major dive destinations in the world:

The Island of Cozumel, Mexico. The island is surrounded by gorgeous reefs and pristine clear water; perfect for scuba diving. On a good day visibility can be up to 200 feet. Gentle currents running parallel to the reef are a drift diver's dream. There are 19 popular scuba diving reef areas, including dramatic swim-through teeming with marine life. Cozumel is a friendly place for the foreign tourists, having affordable accommodation and buzzing night life. Cave divers will enjoy a trip to the mainland to scuba dive the cenotes (freshwater caves).

Seven Brothers Islands, Djibouti. Djibouti has a unique ecosystem where the mix of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean results in an abundance of marine life. Between the months of September and January, Djibouti is home to resting migrating whale sharks. It is common to see many whale sharks, including juveniles, which tend to stay close to the coast during their visit. Seven Brothers Islands is the major attraction to Djibouti waters. This breathtaking reef system comprises of seven islands covering a vast area. Monumental drop-offs with stunning soft corals carpeting the walls, schooling fish and big pelagic can all be expected.

Fiji Islands, South Pacific. Fiji offers an incredible scuba diving experience. It is the "Soft Coral Capital of the World", the home of the "Great White Wall", the "Yellow Tunnel" and other famous underwater beautiful places. Scuba diving conditions and visibility are unrivalled all over the year. Because of its clear water and dazzling coral, Fiji is a favorite hangout for professional underwater photographers.

Heron Island, Australia. Heron Island is literally a coral island rising above the famous Great Barrier Reef. With excellent scuba diving places, just a few steps from the shore, you can strap on a snorkel and stay under 20 feet for hours. Heron is a quiet island, devoid of industry or day trippers, which is ideal for the scuba diver who wants to bask in a relaxed casual lifestyle during surface intervals.

Koh Tao Island, Thailand. It is a tourist-friendly resort island that caters especially to scuba divers. Surrounded on all sides by colorful reefs, the island is also well known for opportunities for close-encounters with elusive whale sharks and grey reef sharks. The scuba diving is excellent, but despite desperate marine conservation efforts shark hunting is offered as a tourist diversion and many people travel to Koh Tao just to kill the local fauna.

Tired of Searching for the Right Phone System?

Tired of Searching for the Right Phone System?

Even if you have a small or a large business, your office phone system is very important for your business as it allows you to communicate with your staff and your clients, easily and efficiently. Unless you have a very small number of staff, you will have to search for a sophisticated phone system that can improve productivity and enhance customer service. Below, I will try to present you some helpful tips to be used when searching for phone systems for your office.

Choose the quality. Avoid the temptation to save some costs by under investing in a system. Despite the wide use of the Internet, telephone services continue to be an essential business communication tool. Make sure you invest in a known brand, a reliable system that's going to be able to support your business as it grows.

Use the existing equipment. A great way to save money on installation costs is to choose a telephone system that is compatible with or can make use of telephone handsets or outlets that you already have.

Make a list of the features you need. The features which I’m referring on this point include: call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID, call return, call blocking or call trace.

Choose the right dealer. Choosing a reputable dealer with positive customer testimonials is vital. When researching your prospective dealers, find out how long they have been in the business, whether they've done jobs for companies or businesses similar in size to yours, and what skills, qualifications or experience the technicians have. Don't be afraid to ask them for information about their customer service track record so you can get an idea of how the company would handle the situation if you had a telephone or equipment emergency.

Consider also the budget. Because the installation costs of a new office phone system can be relatively high, be sure to ask your system dealer about any leasing or financing options that may be available if your business's current cash flow is limited. Keep in mind that interest may apply to leasing arrangements, so it may be more cost effective to pay up front. Also, find out if your dealer is willing to take away the existing phone system and give you a discount on the new one.

The Invisible Bridge

The Invisible Bridge

The Invisible Bridge is the first novel written by Julie Orringer. Published in May 2010, it is a marvelous achievement. The author of the novel has that rare talent that makes a 600-page story very readable, even at its grimmest. Building vivid worlds in effortless phrases, she takes us in 1930s Budapest just as a young Hungarian Jew, Andras Lévi, departs for the École Spéciale d'Architecture in Paris. He hones his talent for design, works backstage in a theater, and allies with other Jewish students in defiance of rising Nazi influence. And then he meets Klara, a captivating Hungarian ballet instructor nine years his senior with a painful past and a willful teenage daughter. Against Klara's better judgment, love engulfs them, drowning out the rumblings of war for a time. But inevitably, Nazi aggression drives them back to Hungary, where life for the Jews goes from hardship to horror.

The World War II and the Holocaust have been covered so extensively in many formats, and yet there are so many under represented stories. This book takes up one of these side stories, the story of Jews in Hungary, and brings the day-to-day realities of the war to life just to touch you in the way, only a personal story can.

The brilliance of Orringer's novel is the tender and poignant testimony of the human spirit, the fragile structure of a human being standing against the barbaric forces of history. As I said before, it is a touching story of the power of love, the foundation of life which withstands the horror and tragedy, grief and despair of war.

Buying Pearls for Your Special Someone

Buying Pearls for Your Special Someone

Buying pearls for your special someone (your wife or your girlfriend) is one of the most thoughtful, meaningful and romantic gestures you can ever make. Items like rings, necklaces, bracelets or ear rings made from pearls will always express your lasting love and devotion. The magic, mystique and enduring appeal of a pearl jewelry make it a natural gift for that special occasion in your life.

But, most guys know as much about buying pearl jewelry as about brain surgery or rocket science. The good news is that buying fine jewelry for your special someone does not have to become a very hard task. When you know some basic things about pearls, you can set your mind at ease and select the perfect jewelry that will stun and amaze your loved one.

Since pearls come in a variety of shapes, colors and overtones they are the versatile, perfect choice to support any woman’s look, style and personality. Below I will present two of the most beautiful types of pearls that you should have in mind when you want to buy such gift:

Southsea Pearls. Available in an array of colors from the palest moonlight to molten gold, the southsea pearls display a satiny luster that begs to be touched. Celebrated by collectors everywhere for their amazing sizes, your loved one will feel very sophisticated when wearing these pearls.

Freshwater Pearls. These are the latest best-kept secret. The freshwater pearls that look very similar to the ones presented above in size and luster are the affordable alternative to the most expensive ones. With uniformly round shapes, exceptional luster, shimmering orient, and an array of natural colors such as peach, lavender and white, these pearls are sure to charm and surprise your more modern and contemporary girlfriend or spouse.

Now that you received a little crash course in pearl selection, you are ready to venture out and buy some amazing pearl jewelry for the woman you love. To this end, you can consider also online stores like Pure Pearls which offers pearls from the most popular types to the rare ones, both cultured and wild collected from all over the world. At the end of the day, I guarantee that she will treasure this gift for a lifetime!

Advantages of Living on a Farm

Advantages of Living on a Farm

Everyone has their own idea of what living on a farm is like and what are the advantages. And if I would want to name just a few of them, I will definitely speak about: peace and quiet, lower stress, and fresher air.

The life on a farm starts early, in most cases before the dawn. Depending on the size of the farm and the work that it does, the farmer might be getting up by 4 a.m. to get started on a day that lasts well past dusk. There are crops to tend to, livestock to feed and water and other chores that need to be done, often in a race against the heat of the day. The farmer must keep one step ahead of his animals, his crops and his machinery, because letting anything slide for even one day can lead to a complete disaster.

But living on a farm is not all work and no fun. Many farms have ponds to swim and fish in, or trees to climb. Farms with livestock can be very educational as young ones are born. There is nothing sweeter than a newly born lamb, horse, cow or even pig. Of course, if the farm is in the business of raising animals for meat for personal use or for profit, then the children should be made aware of that from the very start.

Asking what it is like to live on a farm might actually be the same as asking what it is like to live in a mansion, or a shack. You live your life, eating, sleeping and trying to make a living just like anybody else. Your office is just out in the barn and your commute may be from the seat of a big tractor. You are the boss, the animals or the crops are your employees as you all pull together to accomplish your end goals. Meetings are held at dawn, and vacation is during the off season. And at the end of the day, living on a farm is simply living!

A History of Cuban Music

A History of Cuban Music

Since music and dance have always been a way of life in Cuba, all styles and their evolution would fill an entire book. For example, in the urban centers, contradanza, based on the French, salon style contredanse, evolved into the still popular danzon. Urban street music, influenced by African religious rituals, Christian religious carnivals and Caribbean carnival music similar to Brazil’s samba mixed together and gave birth to rumba and conga.

The music of the countryside, known collectively as musica campensina, gave rise to guajira, the lyrical, sweet musical form that extols the virtues of the land and Cuba’s beauty. The trova, another rural style of music from the eastern part of the island, dispersed news and gossip, often through satire. The Cuban bolero, evolving from the trova, is the epitome of the romantic love song. And finally, reflecting influences of all of these earlier musical styles is the heart of Cuban music, the son. As waves of immigrants migrated north to the U.S., Cuban music fused with other musical formats in the urban centers. In the mid-twentieth century, new, popular musical styles were born from this fusion giving us the mambo, cha cha and salsa. In order to download music just for having a little taste of these marvelous styles, you can search for artists like Celia Cruz, Arsenio Rodriguez, Ibrahim Ferrer, Omara Portuondo or Compay Segundo.

Today, it’s difficult to say who invented some of the popular Cuban musical forms: for example, does salsa come from Cuba or from New York? But not this answer is important here. What really matters is the fact that Latin music continues to evolve and to reflect a global heartbeat.

Make Sushi at Home

Make Sushi at Home

Sushi is a food that is eaten worldwide in both casual and formal settings. If you don’t have the ability or experience to eat sushi in a high class or formal experience you can make your own sushi at home and it can taste just as good as when the chef made it.

But first of all, you must understand exactly what sushi is: a roll of fish or other sea food wrapped up with rice. These ingredients are placed inside of seaweed, also known as nori. There are two different types of sushi: simpler (contains only one type of filling which can be fish, seafood, or just a simple vegetable) and futomaki, also known as fat maki (contains two or more fillings for a fuller type of sushi).

Sushi can be rolled or folded in different ways. Hand made sushi, known also as nigri sushi, is the most common type and includes pressed rice along with some toppings. Another type is known as maki sushi which is rolled up, the seaweed being wrapped around rice and a filling.

In order to make sushi a few basic ingredients are required: seaweed, short grained rice, seasonings (i.e. ginger root, wasabi, or soy sauce), raw fish or vegetables like avocado, cucumber, carrots, or asparagus. If you want to include seafood shrimps, eel, or salmon will be a good idea.

Now that you have the ingredients, the actual process of making the sushi follows: place the seaweed on a bamboo mat in order to be filled and after that spread a very thin layer of rice on top of the seaweed. At this time, any ingredients you wish to be placed inside the sushi are now placed in the middle of the nori. Now it is time to roll the sushi. Hold the bamboo mat edge and roll it. Be sure that the roll is tight but not tight enough that the fillings seep out of the edges. After the roll is complete the bamboo can be separated and the roll is left intact. The entire sushi is now ready to be sliced into sections. Depending upon the size you want each roll to be, cut it into sections.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and try different ingredients and combinations. You never know with what kind of creation you will come up.

Sources: 1

Special Use for Sunglasses in Various Sports

Special Use for Sunglasses in Various Sports

Sunglasses have to meet special requirements when worn for sports, needing shatterproof and impact-resistant lenses. Also, in order to keep the glasses in place during sporting activities, a strap or other fixing is typically used in this respect.

For water sports, the so-called water sunglasses (or water eye wear) are specially adapted for use in turbulent water, in the case of sports such as surf. In addition to these features, water sunglasses can have increased buoyancy to stop them from sinking should they come off, and they can have a vent or other method to eliminate fogging. These sunglasses are used in water sports such as surfing, windsurfing, wakeboarding, kayaking, jet skiing, and water skiing.

Mountain climbing or traveling across glaciers or snowfields requires eye protection because the sunlight (including ultraviolet radiation) is more intense in higher altitudes, and snow and ice reflect additional light. The most popular glasses for this purpose are the so- called glacier glasses or glacier goggles. They typically have very dark round lenses and leather blinders at the sides, which protect the eyes by blocking the sun's rays around the edges of the lenses.