Really Nice Vacations

Apparently a fairy left one of her slippers at Yeliu GeoPark, Taiwan,  and it is immortalized thereafter on the lonely shore.

Somehow, it reminds me of Cinderella but the damsel’s glass slipper was picked up by the prince. Does the fairy has no prince? At least the Fairy Slipper will be resting in peace unlike the Queen’s Head which is destined to be decapitated by the elements .. . …  sooner or later.

Yehliu  is a cape on the north coast of Taiwan in the town of Wanli between Taipei and Keelung in the beautiful island of Taiwan. Taiwan is formerly known as Formosa

The cape, also named the Yehliu Promontory,  by geologists is a part of the Taliao Miocene Formation. Apparently it runs 1,700 meters into the ocean and was formed as geological forces pushed Datun Mountain out of the sea.

One of the most distinctive feature of the cape is the hoodoo stones that dot its surface. Based on the shapes, some of these rock formations graced many tour brochures. Among the more well-known ones is The Queen’s Head”. This  is an iconic image in Taiwan and an unofficial emblem for the town of Wanli. Other formations include “The Fairy Shoe”, “The Bee Hive”, “The Ginger Rocks” and “The Sea Candles.”

The picture here is taken earlier this year. According to the locals, the Queen has  “slimmed” down over the years due to the harsh wind and tough climatic change. In fact, some said the Queen is bound to be decapitated due to the punishing elements shining and blowing at her.  So if you are passing by Taiwan, do make a trip to Yeliu Geopark. You don’t want just to see her neck only.

Went to Hong Kong for business and during one of those long boring meetings, my peer cheered us with this meaningful joke. I got him to email over so that I can share with more people here:

A holy man was having a conversation with God one day and said, “God , I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.”

God led the holy man to two doors.

He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.

In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man’s mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished.

They were holding spoons with very long handles, that were strapped to their arms and each found it impossible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful.

But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.

The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.

God said, ‘You have seen Hell.’

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one.

There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man’s mouth water.

The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, ‘I don’t understand.. ‘

‘It is simple,’ said God . ‘It requires but one skill.

You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.

After reading Versa Creations’ Completing 2008, Creating 2009, I borrowed the questions and “remodel” them to relate to traveling.

Traveling 2009

What would you like to be your biggest travel triumph in 2009?

What travel advice would you like to give yourself in 2009?

What is the major effort you are planning to maximize your traveling pleasure in 2009?

What would you be most happy about traveling in 2009?

What major indulgence are you willing to experience in 2009?

What would you most like to change about your traveling plans or habits in 2009?

What are you looking forward to learning during your traveling in 2009?

What do you think your biggest risk will be in 2009?

What about your work, are you most committed to changing and improving in 2009, so that it can serve your traveling bug better?

What is one as yet unvisited country/place you are willing to explore in 2009?

What brings you the most joy and how are you going to do or have more of that in 2009?

Who or what, other than yourself, are you most committed to loving and serving in 2009?

Paris is an old city full of intrigue with a long history; also known as affectionately as the City of Lights. Many couples decide to take short stay in Paris as it is probably the most romantic city in the world; you can never become bored in this beautiful city.

This city is also equally well known for its gothic architecture and markets; including famous sights like the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe to name just two internationally famous landmarks. Fortunately for tourists, Paris has a first rate transportation system; the underground train system or Metro can take you to anywhere within the city and is simple to use.

You can’t miss the Eiffel Tower, mainly because it’s over three hundred meters high; it can be seen from any point within the city and the superb views just can’t be matched by those looking at it from the ground. At night, it comes alive with lights that have to be seen to be believed; if you are really enthusiastic you can take a tour where the guide will tell you how this beautiful tower was built.

A trip down the Champs Elysees is encouraged when you visit Paris as this is the city’s most famous street; if you want to see famous, designer label shops and the restaurants, this is the place. This avenue may be select but it attracts large numbers of visitors daily; top class hotels are found here, although if you want to stay at a more reasonably priced hotel, they are available outside of the city center.

If you are an art lover you will enjoy the Louvre, a truly amazing museum; it contains almost a third of a million exhibits and is in fact one of the biggest art museums in the world. There are enough art exhibits to keep you occupied for more time than your short stay in Paris would allow; the Mona Lisa is one such world famous work of art which should not be missed. Over the years, Paris has been home to many of the world’s famous artists; the likes of Monet, Picasso and many others lived in the city for years and some of their work can still be seen today.

Of course, Napoleon commissioned the construction of the Arc de Triomphe, another Paris landmark; engraved with the names of generals that commanded his troops, it has become a popular photo spot for tourists visiting Paris. It also features an observatory to take in surrounding views; in particular those obtained along the lanes that lead from it.

This city has a huge variety of places to visit, many of these have not even mentioned here; these are however, the most popular with regular tours arranged, many of which are either free or at a subsidized cost. Unfortunately, short stays in Paris can be demanding on visitors; what you aren’t able to this time will have to wait for another occasion.

Author:
The author of this article is Tushar Mathur who writes his own Travel Blog at http://travel-eat-sleep.com

The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.

~ G.K. Chesterton