One side of the Ananda’s central structure measures 175 feet/53 metres. The roof above the central structure comprises five in circumference successively diminishing terraces, each one building up on the previous larger one. Out of the innermost, smallest and highest terrace rises the ‘Sikhara’. This is a 25 layer beehive-like superstructure topped by the golden stupa, which in turn is capped by a ‘Hti taw’ as the upper umbrella of a temple or pagoda is called in Burmese.

The temple’s Sikhara has five in vertical sequence arranged windows and reaches a total height of 168 feet/51 metres above ground. The four smaller structures rising from and above the four corners are small pagodas and down-scaled copies of the main sikhara. The overall design serves the purpose of creating the ragged shape of the Himalayans.

Caused by the heavy earthquake in 1975 the graceful temple sustained severe damage. However, it was relatively quick repaired and the Ananda is still Bagan’s most beautiful and best preserved temple.

The Ananda was built by king Kyanzittha, who is also known as Thiluin Man or ‘Soldier Lord’. He ruled the kingdom of Pagan for 28 years from 1084 A.D. to1112/13 A.D. and lead the capital Pagan into what has become known as the ‘Era Of Temple Builder’. Since he was a deeply religious man he carried the building of religious monuments to a whole new level what developed Pagan into what was called the ‘City of Four Million Pagodas’. But this is not all; under Kyanzittha’s rule Pagan also prospered greatly in economic and cultural terms. This he achieved thanks to the highly skilled Mon people brought to Pagan by his father king Anawrahta after the victory over the Mon at Thaton.

According to legend king Kyanzittha developed the idea to build this temple inspired by the stories of eight Indian monks who told him that they had lived in the ‘Nanda Mula Cave Temple’, a legendary temple in the equally legendary Shandamadana mountain what is actually the Nanda Devi mountain in the western Himalayas (Sanskrit for ‘abode of snow’).

The construction of the Ananda Temple was completed in 1091 A.D. This set at the same time an end to the life of its very able architect who was executed by king Kyanzittha himself in order to avoid the temple’s duplication.

Entering the Ananda’s main structure through its western entrance there are two footprints of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha. They are mounted on pedestals and each of them is as prescribed in the old scriptures divided in 108 parts. In the sanctum behind them are two images depicting king Kyanzittha and his ‘Ga nar par mouk kha’ (primate/arch bishop) Shin Arahan, the Mon pongyi who converted King Anawrahta to Theravada Buddhism.

Shin Arahan died in 1115 A.D. at the age of 81 after having served four kings, namely Anawrahta (who ruled from 1044 to 1077), Sawlu (who ruled from 1077 to 1084), Kyanzittha (who ruled from 1084 to 1112/13) and Alaungsithu (who ruled from 1112/13 to 1167). Behind the two statues is the huge statue of Gautama Buddha who, indirectly though, might be connected to the temple’s name.

The inner passageways are lined from wall to wall and floor to ceiling with rows of niches containing seated and standing Buddha images. The Buddha statues in the lower niches are protected from being damaged or stolen by metal grids.

Outside on ground level at the temple’s corners are ‘Chinthes’ and ‘Manokthihas’ (mythical creatures half-lion half-man that are like nats symbolic of guardians. Their heads and torsos are human and their hindquarters are that of a lion.) Up at the corners of the main sikhara and terraces are statues of nats. Wherever one goes in Burma it does not take long and one sees them; they are important guardians and therefore worshipped by everyone and omnipresent; at home on alters, in nat houses on balconies, in gardens, in trees, in temples and pagodas.

The Ananda Temple is a corridor temple. Its proportions are of exceptional harmony built on the architectural concept of a so-called ‘Greek cross’ of which all four arms are of equal length with a centre dome.

The lower floor of the temple is a chessboard patterned maze of passageways that divides the ground floor into 84 fields that are symmetrically arranged around the centre. The antechamber/vestibule of the western main entrance is one end of the two axes that constitute the centre cross with each of its ends pointing at one of the four cardinal points. The antechamber or porch has on the left and right side an entrance. If one draws a line connecting the two entrances the line divides the vestibule in two equal halves.

The next passageway is the outer corridor that is running parallel to the four sides of the inner structure, thereby forming a square as does the next corridor that forms the inner square of the two.

The inner passageway is running along the four sides of the centre cube with its four niches pointing in direction of the four cardinal points. Each of these niches is housing a huge teak Buddha statue. Entering the Ananda from west and looking straight down the corridor into the temple’s inner part one sees the lower part of a pair of legs and feet. That are the legs and feet of the statue of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha (c 563 to c 483 BC), which is facing west. Gautama Buddha is the 28th Buddha in a long line that is shrouded in the mist of myth and legend beginning with Tanhankara the 1st Buddha.

In the niche to the east is a statue of Konagamana, the 26th Buddha, in the one to the north Kakusanda, the 25th Buddha and the one to the south Kassapa, the 27th Buddha. The present statues are all made of wood. There are people who say that Kassapa (south) is made of bronze. This is not true because only the original was. This copy here is carved out of teak. The statues of Kakusanda and Kassapa are said to be the original statues whereas those of Gautama and Konagamana are later copies. The originals were destroyed; Kassapa most likely by alchemists. As for Konagamana some say by a fire ignited by a careless worshipper’s candle or oil lamp others say by temple robbers. The fact remains that new statues had to be made.

The statue of Gautama Buddha has a height of 28.5 feet/9.5 metres. All of the four Buddha statues are of almost the same height and depict the respective Buddha in a standing posture but with two different cape styles as well as different arm positions and hand gestures. These different symbolic postures/gestures and ways of positioning legs, feet, arms, hands and fingers are called ‘mudras’ what is Sanskrit and means ‘sign’ or ‘token’.

To protect the Ananda the architect put according to king Kyanzittha’s instructions, outside the temple eight nat images and a total of one hundred forty eight crested chinthes’. These statues are guarding the entrances, the corners of the base and terraces/roofs as well as the sikhara of this temple.

The corridor walls and the upper terraces are lined with one thousand four hundred fifty tiles. At the base are about four hundred of them. They are depicting scenes from the ‘Jatakas’. The name Jataka has its roots in the Sanskrit word for ‘birth’ or ‘born under’. They include all of the stories of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha’s different existences before he became ‘Buddha’, the ‘Enlightened one’. The early canon of Buddhism, the ‘Tipitaka’ (Pali for ‘Three Baskets’), comprises a total of five hundred forty seven such stories. These Jatakas that also contain references to the earlier Buddhas and Gautama Buddha’s teachings on mental discipline and morality are used to instruct about moral virtues and the law of ‘Karma’ (Sanskrit for ‘action’). Karma is ‘ones actions and their effect on this and/or future lives’. The story is depicted here at the Ananda Temple very detailed in a series of 80 most skilfully carved tiles. It takes real masters to create something as beautiful as this. These ones are not as usual Terracotta tiles but carved from volcanic stones from Mt. Popa. They are arranged in two tiers and can be seen on the lower part of the outer passageway of the Ananda Temple.

Apart from the fact that the Ananda temple is one of Burma’s main Buddhist pilgrimage sites that is throughout the year of considerable importance to Buddhists (as well as foreign visitors) the certainly most important time is the Burmese month of Pyatho (December/January) when the Ananda Temple Festival takes place. Other pagodas and temples too have festivals and most of them are celebrated during the dry season but the biggest of all is the Ananda festival. This year (2015) the festival is celebrated from the 4th of January to the 19th of January and the festival’s high-time is on the day before the full moon day, at the full moon day and the day after the full moon. Its zenith is an impressive morning procession in the temple’s courtyard on the full-moon day of Patho. This annually held festival is a particularly large, colourful, entertaining and joyous affair and an event not to be missed when being in Bagan.

The main reasons for the festival are to worship Gautama Buddha, celebrate the founding of the Ananda Temple, commemorate important events in its history such as its consecration and collect donations for the funding of repair and maintenance of the temple buildings.

One of the interesting aspects of this festival are perhaps the caravans of bullock-carts with people that come from all over the country to sell their products, celebrate here and make donations; the former being most probably more important to them. The travelling shop owners and their families live here in encampments as long as the festival lasts. Afterwards they move on to the next pagoda festival or return home.

Mombasa is not short of tourist hotspots given its strategic position as a port city. Many local people from interior Kenya have been guilty of overwhelmingly filling the city to capacity during December holidays. From the white sandy beaches, wild habitats and coral reefs, to variety of fishes and snakes, mangrove swamps and coral islands, Mombasa city is a tourism gem for Kenya.

Nature and Wildlife-Related Tourist Attractions-

Haller Park

Arguably the largest wild animal sanctuary in this city, Haller Park is situated in Bamburi estate, a few minutes to the Kenyatta public beach and Bamburi Cement Factory.

• The park hosts numerous species of animals from crocodiles, snakes and spiders to turtles, hippos, giraffes and water bucks etc.,
• The park is home to hundreds of insects and several botanical gardens
• You will get an opportunity to share water taps with friendly monkeys
• The park offers a serene environment, with overgrown indigenous trees that makes you feel that you are one with nature

Also known as crocodile farm, this hot spot is located in Nyali and it is rated the largest crocodile farm in East Africa.

• If crocs are your kind of thing, the Mombasa mamba village will surely sort you out, from the educational videos about the conduct and lifecycle of crocodiles to observing the beasts feast.
• The highlight of the place is the marvelously grilled crocodile that is served hot!

A marine protected zone, Mombasa marine national park & reserve showcases the Kenya’s best in terms of marine life from the sea urchins and coral reefs to diverse fish life

• You can enjoy fishing, scuba diving, deep sea diving and snorkeling here

Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary

Established in early 1930s to preserve a wildlife corridor situated on an ancient elephant migration area, the Sanctuary currently harbors and protects endangered African elephants while conserving indigenous deciduous trees and riparian flora.

• The sanctuary is breath taking and it features meandering water sheds, rolling hills, overhangs and sharp ridges
• Flora and fauna here is diverse comprising of a primordial and exceptional cycad woodland that can grow to almost two hundred years
• You can also enjoy bird watching

Nature Rides

If you would love to get intimate with nature and obtain a 1-on-1 encounter with the locals in their traditional settlements and smell the air filled with scents from palm and mango trees and ocean salt, you may consider taking nature rides and cycle around the city.

Enjoy the amazing creeks, climates and typography of the city on your bicycle

• Maintain good hygiene – If you are in a hot place, consider showering at least twice a day. Apart from that, you must have a pack of sanitizer gels or perhaps wipes at all times. Be reminded that when you are travelling, you are most likely to touch doorknobs, car handles, handrails, bathroom taps and flush levers, and other germ-infested surfaces.
• Be ready for emergencies – You need to write down significant health details such as your medications, blood type, insurance provider, and food allergies on a piece of paper. You have to carry this with you at all times in case of emergencies. Furthermore, you have to let travel agents or tour guides know about your health or medical complications if there is any.
• Do not abuse your body – Travelling is indeed exhausting – this is a reality. Jumping from one train ride to another flight, then on a 4-hour bus ride is fun yet draining experience. You must allow your body to recuperate by having a good night sleep. Apart from that, you can also meditate.
• Stay on a balanced diet – It is quite easy for people to be carried away with cheap fast food during their trip. In case you cannot find restaurants that are within your budget, consider buying raw food products, steamed vegetables, and dried fruits at local grocery stores. You can also include buying sunflower seeds, almonds, protein bars, dates, and lots of water. You must keep your body hydrated at all times.
• Join a yoga retreat – Just because you are travelling does not mean that you have to skip your exercise and diet. Experts say that you can still have an efficient workout routine as well as enjoy your holiday by joining a yoga retreat. This is indeed a great way for you to de-stress and rejuvenate your body with the use of meditative holistic procedures.

Situated in the region of Central Macedonia, Thessaloniki holds the distinction of being the second largest city in Greece. One of the best features of the city is its ease of providing convenient connections whether it is via air, land or sea. Thessaloniki is also a cultural hub that loves hosting several events and festivals throughout the year. Aside from its inclination to foster fun and festivities, is also boasts a long history that takes us as far back as 3000 years. The nightlife scene is one of the highlights of a visit here. When the sun goes down, students studying at the Aristotle University, come out and provide a youthful and hip vibe to the streets.

Walk around the central part of the city, and you will soon appreciate its small size, its slew of attractions and its heritage. This is the oldest part of Thessaloniki, which is further divided into two sections: the historic city center and commercial district; and Ano Poli (Upper Town). Once in the city center, the sea is within easy reach. The city is perfectly situated on the southern part and most roads in this area are parallel and give access to Upper Town. In Ano Poli, you can admire colorful old houses surrounded by Byzantine walls and charming winding alleyways. This World Heritage Site district north of the city center, is also home to grandiose Byzantine churches.

Civilizations like the Ottoman, Roman and Byzantine that were once settled on these lands, still show visible remnants all around the city. Thessaloniki is indeed packed with a number of monuments built during the Byzantine period so much so that it is often perceived to be an open-air museum showcasing Byzantine architecture. One prominent Byzantine church around is the 5th century Acheiropoietos, which is known for its timber-roofed basilica.

After visiting Acheiropoietos, there are still a lot more churches to explore like the 17th century Holy Wisdom of God (Hagia Sophia), the Panaghia (Virgin) Chalkeon built in 1028 and The late 13th century Panteleemon, which is regarded as the first church with a cross-in square and four columns. Other structures to explore include Heptapyrgion castle, the cemetery basilica archaeological site and the 13th century byzantine bathhouse.

After strolling at the city’s large 12-kilometer seafront promenade, seek out the landmarks left by the Romans like the 3rd century palace ruins of the Roman Emperor Galerius and the Roman Forum. If you are looking to discover evidence of the Ottoman influence, you do not need to look hard. The 15th century White Tower, which has become an iconic symbol of the Thessaloniki, is the perfect testament. Other notable Ottoman structures include the Bezesteni building, the 15th century Hamza Bey Cami mosque and the Hamams or Turkish bathhouses.

The “Big Sky Country” is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers, but it also caters to history buffs and those who generally just want a relaxing vacation. One of the attractions that makes Alberta truly special is the Crowsnest Pass. Located along Canada’s Continental Divide and sitting in the province’s southwest corner, Crowsnest Pass is ideal for anyone who wants to experience a mountain retreat, away from the big tourist crowds.

All around this pass, you will see mountains, some of which are snowcapped, serving as amazing backdrops to incredible outdoor adventures. Once here, there is a wide array of activities you can engage in! Bike or hike the hills and mountains of Crowsnest! Fish or kayak in the river, or maybe do both. For each season, there’s always something to do or somewhere to explore.

Crowsnest Pass was originally a coal-mining hotspot. Its five 20th century communities make up the present municipality of the same name. These days, the communities, which are Bellevue, Hillcrest, Frank, Blairmore and Coleman are highly regarded for their rich history and mining heritage. Luckily, they are only a couple of minutes’ drive from each other. This allows you to possibly visit all of them in one day. As an extra bonus for your effort, you will be treated to gorgeous mountainous countryside as you go from one town to the next. If you like hiking, then you can venture into some of the historic hiking trails located in and around these five towns

Another outstanding trait of Crowsnest Pass is its long history. One of its memorable, albeit tragic, moments was the 1903 Frank Slide, which buried a section of the mining town, under millions of tons of limestone. Today, the Frank Slide Interpretative Center stands to tell the story of the notorious rockslide. It has also become one of the biggest attractions in the area. The center is open all year round and offers an awe-inspiring view of the Canadian Rockies. While here, you can also participate in various interpretive programs and presentations. As if one tragedy is not enough to plague the area, another major mining incident took place in the Hillcrest Mine in 1914. With 189 men losing their lives that faithful day; this unfortunate disaster has been recorded as one of the worst in the Canadian mining history.

When you reach Blairmore, take the time to do the self-guided Historical Walking Tour, which leads you to a fascinating collection of heritage houses and old buildings. The last town of the municipality is Coleman. After this stop, the next major step is to cross the great Continental Divide to enter British Columbia. Whether you plan to cross over or return to the starting point (Fort Macleod), consider stopping by the remarkable Crowsnest Museum in Blairmore.

After we received word of the wonderful news following very difficult and tense times, we went to celebrate in Malaga, Spain. And, this is a little story about my now favorite bar in Malaga.

At the end of last year, during the holidays and on a rainy day, we were randomly approached by a man who invited us to join him at the bar he was going to in order to have a drink. It happened just like that out of the blue and as a New Yorker, I was very quick to dismiss and ignore him. I wanted to go into the bookstore where my new English language order awaited me and we smiled and brushed him off.

However, sometimes, things are just supposed to happen. When we exited the bookstore and walked a few steps in the rain, we both turned to find the same man, who was now in the doorway of the bar once again beckoning us. Admittedly, he seemed as if he was already a few sheets to the wind, but he seemed harmless enough.

He invited us into the bar as if he was its designated ambassador. And that is how we wound up visiting the oldest bar in Malaga, Spain and discovering its sweet wines.

The rustic Antigua Casa de Guardia was established in 1840 by Don José Guardia and is celebrating its 175th anniversary this year. The local name for the bar is “El Barril Místico”, or “the Mystic Barrel” because there was a time when the wine was only for a select few because of its rarity.

As Jose, our self-appointed ambassador proudly told us while we stood (there are no chairs) at the oak bar slabs, history reverberates through the walls of this storied establishment and Queen Isabel II designated the tavern as the wine supplier to her court. This sweet nectar has been produced in the same manner almost since the time it was founded.

Jose said we absolutely had to try the Pajarete 1908, which was poured into small shot glasses due to the sweetness of the wine. He was right. I noticed the bartender noting the price for each with chalk on the bar slabs in front of us. They have probably been doing it this way since the beginning of time. What’s the use for paper or a proper bar tab?

Jose went on with his tales of Malaga, the wine and how we would never find anything like it anywhere else in the world. He is probably right because it took me an entire lifetime to taste a wine so sweetly delicious.

He then asked me for a pen, and this is my favorite part of this little story because it charmingly illustrates the difference in cultures. I am an American in Europe and I think like an American, and evidently speak very much like an American.

At one point, Jose asked me for a pen to write down the name of a place for us to visit in Malaga.

As he tried to get the pen to write, I asked in Spanish, “Does it work?”

He paused, looked up from the pen and paper and turned to me. He said he would teach me a more elegant way to ask the same question.

Encompassing a land area of 73,000 acres, Arches National Park’s terrain is mostly arid desert, which is adorned by thousands of pinnacles, spires, balanced rocks and of course arches, made of sandstone. This makes this American national park quite a picturesque and special place to visit.

Out of all the arches you will encounter, Delicate Arch is definitely something you must see before leaving the park. This natural formation has indeed become an iconic representation of the state of Utah. This structure is on the cover of postcards, magazines and travel guidebooks, but to see it with your own eyes is quite the experience. Get up close by standing under the arch. From here, you will truly appreciate the artistic talent of nature; and you can look out at the arid landscape and see the contrasting snow-capped La Sal Mountains in the distance. And the bonus is that the view will not fail to take your breath away.

Most visitors to Delicate Arch make their way to this marvelous landmark by hiking. In fact, Arches National Park is a popular hiking hub! Aside from traveling on foot to the arch itself, you can also make your way to the two official viewpoints, which are identified as the Upper and Lower. These viewpoints share the same trailhead and offer you a fantastic view of the Arch,which is about a mile away.

Second only to Delicate Arch’s popularity, The Devils Garden is very much an attraction worth visiting. The site actually refers to a well-maintained primitive hiking loop that cover 7.2 miles. The loop highlights an area populated by a number of arches and huge sandstone fins. This route is absolutely scenic and has been the longest maintained trail in the national park.

Aside from Delicate Arch and Devil’s Garden, Arches National Park offers hiking enthusiasts a wide range of trails that can suit all ability levels. Most of these trails are intertwined to conveniently showcase the park’s 2,000 sandstone arches. Your biggest challenge as a visitor is to choose which trails to follow. Although, coming back for more hiking adventures is never a bad idea! Some of the most popular hiking routes here include the Balance Rock Trail, the Double Arch, Eye of the Whale Arch, Lower Courthouse Wash and Fiery Furnace, which is often described as a sandstone maze. If you want to see the largest arch on earth, check out Landscape Arch. The Dark Angel is an interesting alternative to the usual arches as it is an impressive sandstone tower that boasts a height of 150 feet.