8/24/2009

Exotic Andros Islands, Bahamas

Long Island Blue Hole, Bahamas

Andros Island is the maximal island of the state and the ordinal maximal island in the West Indies at roughly 2300 square miles (6,000 km²) in area and 104 miles (167 km) long and 40 miles (64 km) wide at its widest point. It is actually imperturbable of three major islands: North Andros, Mangrove Cay, and South Andros. The island has the world's third maximal barrier reef, which is over 140 miles (230 km) long. It is affectionately known by Bahamians as the \"Big Yard\".

The island's chromatic holes are water filled explore systems. They attract explore divers from all over the concern to club sites such as 'Stargate', 'The Guardian' and 'Little Frenchman'. There are chromatic holes in the ocean and inland. Two of the midland chromatic holes on Andros include Charlie's Blue Hole, reputedly first explored by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and the larger Church's Blue Hole and Guardian Blue Hole.

Cave diving is dangerous. Divers order training before incoming any explore grouping and should be accompanied by a guide.

Saddleback Cay


Unlike most of the state islands, Andros's interior has been mostly free of commercial development for the tourism industry, preserving much of its natural beauty. Current state tourism efforts refer to it as the least-explored island in the chain. There are currently efforts being made by the Bahamas National Trust and the Nature Conservancy to establish a domestic park on the island.

There are few hotels and resorts on the island. However Andros, famous for its bonefishing, is home to many lodges which cater to the sport.

southern tip of high cay


The island is filled with uncolored beauty. It has the second largest obstruction reef in the Northern Hemisphere and the third largest in the world, at 140 miles (225 km) long, and has a modify off of over 6,000 feet (1.8 km). The water above the reef averages twelve feet (4 m) deep.

There are more than forty conservativist miles (104 km²) of subtropical forest area and the swamp realty that is colonised by more than 50 species of orchids. Andros is actually made up of three assorted major islands (North Andros, Mangrove Cay and South Andros Island) and hundreds of cays adjoined by these mangrove estuaries and tidal swamp lands. Two cardinal assorted types of birds are native to the island.

Andros Island draws thousands of visitors every year. Anglers become from every over the concern to seek there. It is said to be \"the malacopterygian capital of the world\". Divers become to explore the blue holes and reefs. Andros Island is next to the Tongue of the Ocean, a deep oceanic trench and is famous for its wall diving.

8/21/2009

San Juan,,,is Funtastic Puerto Rico

San Juan color
San Juan color by StGrundy

San Juan is the capital of, and at about 442,000, the largest municipality in, Puerto Rico. It has one of the best harbors in the Caribbean. The municipality module celebrate its 5th Century in 2008 or 2021, depending if they count from the origination of Caparra or the behave of agitated the Caparra settlement to Puerto Rico island (Old San Juan)

not all who wander are lost
not all who wander are lost by manyfires

San Juan is the oldest municipality under the United States dominion. San Juan is located in the north-east of Puerto Rico, and features distinctly century-old architecture, much as land military forts shapely from the 1540s to 1800s, an active harbor, and a rattling active economic Atlantic in the Hato Rey district. San Juan boasts magnificent beaches, hotels, plazas, past sites, museums, etc.

San Juan has a land Atlantic of 122 sq km and a water Atlantic of 29.11 sq miles. The population of San Juan is around 442,000.

Sunset in San Juan Puerto Rico
Sunset in San Juan Puerto Rico by flickrgao

San Juan is a equatorial city, with temperature that ranges in season from 67˚F to 97˚F (19˚C to 36˚C) in summer. San Juan is normally sunny, but has a tendency to receive rain from Apr to November in the afternoon. Be also mindful that San Juan and the rest of Puerto Rico have the possibility of having equatorial systems much as hurricanes from July to November. Cooler temperatures are institute inland in the mountains.

Palacio de Santa Catalina (La Fortaleza)
Palacio de Santa Catalina (La Fortaleza) by Mr.Frankie

San Juan is a dweller dweller municipality with Spanish-based culture, mixed with African traditions and Taíno culture. Museums of recent art subsist abroad. The citizens of San Juan (called Sanjuaneros) are rattling festive, as on the rest of the island. San Juan has bars and discotheques all-around the city, from Old San Juan to even the southern part of the municipality that stay unstoppered to 3:00-4:00 AM. San Juan has become rattling progressive as of late, with its prototypal Metro distinction (called Tren Urbano) and buses. Like most large cities, however, there is a small population of vagrants and beggars lining the streets.

San Juan is the financial capital of Puerto Rico. There are facilities for petroleum and sugar refining, tobacco, and pharmaceuticals.

Puerto Rico - El Viejo San Juan: El Castillo San Felipe del Morro
Puerto Rico - El Viejo San Juan: El Castillo San Felipe del Morro by wallyg

See:

* El Castillo San Felipe del Morro \"El Morro\" : is a sixteenth-century citadel that lies on the northwestern-most point of the islet of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is conception of San Juan National Historic Site and was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations in 1983.
* El Castillo de San Cristóbal, (787) 729-6960. A Spanish assemble in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was shapely by the Spaniards to protect against land based attacks on the municipality of San Juan. It is conception of San Juan National Historic Site. It covers 27 acres of land and is 150 ft tall. Open every day from 9:00 am to 6PM.
* Palacio de Santa Catalina \"La Fortaleza\" (or The Fortress in English) is the official act of the Governor of Puerto Rico, who is Puerto Rico's nous of Government. It was shapely between 1533 and 1540 to indorse the harbor of San Juan. The structure is also known as El Palacio de Santa Catalina (or Palace of Santa Catalina). It is the oldest executive house in the New World. La Fortaleza was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
* El Catedral de San Juan Bautista: contains the spot of the Spanish someone Juan Ponce de León. It was shapely in the 1520's, presently to be wrecked by a hurricane, and then rebuilt in 1540. After existence rebuilt, it was robbed in the New 1500's, and then, in 1615, it was damaged by a hurricane. In 1917, a lot of changes were made to change the building. Tours are presented daily from 8:30AM-4PM.
* Castillo de San Jerónimo is a diminutive assemble settled in the entrance to what is known today as Condado, Puerto Rico lagoon in San Juan. The assemble defended San Juan from attacks by Sir Francis admiral in 1595, Sir George Clifford \"Earl of Cumberland\" in 1598 and Sir Ralph Abercromby.
* Iglesia de San Jose dates back to 1523. This building was originally called the Church and Monastery of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Before Ponce de metropolis was touched to the San Juan Catedral, his body was belowground here for 300 years.
* Ayuntamiento or Alcaldia or City Hall.
* The municipal cemetery of Santa María Madgalena de Pazzis, settled just outside the municipality walls.
* Fuerte San Geronimo is a assemble that was shapely to tighten defense within the city. There is a diminutive museum inside.
* Centro de Bellas Artes is the largest fine arts center in the Caribbean. Concerts, Plays, and Operas are hosted here. This fine arts center opened in 1981.
* Bacardi Rum Factory, (787)788-8400. M-Sa 9AM-4:30PM, Sunday from 10AM-3:30PM. Also called the \"Cathedral of Rum\" and covers 127 acres. Free tour, including a trolley ride around the premises.

8/18/2009

Maldives is Funtastic Island

Floating city, The capital island of Maldives
Floating city, The capital island of Maldives by S U J A

The state (en-us-Maldives.ogg /ˈmɒldaɪvz/ (help·info) or /ˈmɒldiːvz/), (Dhivehi: ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ Dhivehi Raa’j) or Maldive Islands, officially the Republic of Maldives, is an island land consisting of a group of atolls stretching southward of India's Lakshadweep islands between Minicoy Island and the Chagos Archipelago, and about seven cardinal kilometres (435 mi) south-west of Sri Lanka in the Laccadive Sea of Indian Ocean. The twenty-six atolls of state encompass a region featuring 1,192 islets, of which digit cardinal islands are inhabited.

The example inhabitants were Buddhist, belike since Ashoka's period,[citation needed] in the 3rd century BC. Mohammedanism was introduced in 1153. The state then came low the influence of the Portuguese (1558) and the Dutch (1654) seaborne empires. In 1887 it became a British protectorate. In 1965, the state obtained independence from Britain (originally low the study \"Maldive Islands\"), and in 1968 the Sultanate was replaced by a Republic.

The state is the smallest Asian land in cost of both population and area; it is the smallest predominantly Islamic commonwealth in the world. With an average ground take of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level, it is also the land with the minimal maximal point in the world, at 2.3 metres (7 ft 7 in).

capital municipality of state known as the smallest municipality in the world more than 90,000 peoples, 500 ft up in the air...

Maldives Capital City
Maldives Capital City by Shaheed Maldives

A wave in the Amerindic Ocean caused by the 2004 Amerindic Ocean earthquake caused serious damage to the socioeconomic infrastructure which left many grouping homeless, and permanent damage to the environment. After the disaster, cartographers are planning to redraw the maps of the islands due to alterations caused by the tsunami.

Rush Hour in the Maldives
Rush Hour in the Maldives by Danburg Murmur

On 22 April 2008, then Maldives President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom pleaded for a cut in global greenhouse gas emissions, warning that rising sea levels could submerge the island nation of Maldives. In 2009, subsequent president Mohamed Nasheed pledged to make the Maldives carbon-neutral within a decade by moving to solar and wind power.

Maldives, Water Villas in Conrad Hotel.
Maldives, Water Villas in Conrad Hotel. by Ali Saifaldeen

The reef is composed of coral debris and living coral. This acts as a natural barrier against the sea, forming lagoons. Other islands, set at a distance and parallel to the reef, have their own protective fringe of reef. An opening in the surrounding coral barrier allows access to the calmer lagoon waters.

Lagoon:Maldives.
Lagoon:Maldives. by husain7773925

Blue Lagoon View. Maldives Nature.

Maldives Snorkelling : Explore
Maldives Snorkelling : Explore by husain7773925

Snorkelling in the Maldives. Coral Reefs, Opportunity to observe Underwater life in a Natural setting.

Seaplane
Seaplane by Ali Saifaldeen

The state was largely terra incognita for tourists until the primeval 1970s. Strewn across the equator in the Indian Ocean, the state archipelago possesses an exceptionally unique geographics as a small island country. Nature has broken the archipelago into 1,190 tiny islands that occupy a mere one per cent of its 90,000 sq km territory.

Only 185 islands are home to its 300,000 population, while the another islands are used entirely for economic purposes of which business and agriculture are the most dominant.Tourism accounts for 28% of value and more than 60% of the Maldives' external exchange receipts. Over 90% of government tax income comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes.[citation needed].

The development of business has fostered the overall growth of the country's economy. It has created direct and indirect employment and income generation opportunities in another related industries. The prototypal tourist resorts were unsealed in 1972 with Bandos island use and Kurumba Village.

According to the Ministry of Tourism website,the emergence of business in 1972 transformed the economy of the Maldives, moving rapidly from the dependency on the fisheries facet to the business sector. Just in threesome and a half decades, the industry has become the important source of income and livelihood of the grouping of the Maldives.

Tourism is also the country’s biggest external currency earner and the azygos maximal presenter to the GDP. Today, there are 89 resorts in the state with a bottom capacity of over 17,000, providing world class facilities for tourists whose period arrival figure exceeds 600,000.

The report publicised in Dhivehi language, mentions that the sort of resorts has accumulated from 2 in 1972, to 92 by the end of 2007. Up to 2007, a total of 8,382,928 tourists have visited Maldives.

Underwater Restaurant (HDR)
Underwater Restaurant (HDR) by Ali Saifaldeen

Underwater restaurant in Maldives (Conrad Maldives Rangali Island), the first totally underwater restaurant in the world. You have to book a table two weeks before you go there to make sure you get one, there are only 7 tables and it cost around 700$ US for two but it was worth it ????????