Bangkok (กรุงเทพมหานคร), Thailand

Bangkok is the capital & most populated city of Thailand. The origin of the name Bangkok is not crearly known, they're different theories of the source of the name; it is implied that the name "Bangkok" is a name adopted by foreigns. Also, the ceremonial name of Bangkok has the record guiness for the longest place name in the world. 
Culture

Bangkok is known as the cultural city of Thailand, so it helds many festivals each year. Many of the festivals involve the royal family of Thailand; they celebrate the king's & queen's birthday with big and colorful costumes and decorations all over the city. As well as being the cultural city, it is also known as the capital of the contemporary art; while people are still able to find traditional art in many commercial areas in the city, as well as temples & palaces around the city.

Gastronomy
Thai dishes are well known for the spiciness, so many of their popular dishes are made with chili. Also, in Thai cuisine is important to stand a balance between taste senses in each dish, they need to include a sour, sweet, salty & sometimes bitter flavour to their dishes; this is a very important topic for Thai chefs.


Interesting Sigths
Bangkok is known as one of the favorite spots for tourism. Some of the favorite places to visit are the palaces that Bangkok has. Some are used by the royal family while other are open to public. One of the popular ones is the Wat Pho, which is the biggest buddhist temple in Bangkok, it has a huge reclining Buddha figure that is 46 meters long & is covered with gold leaf. Also, many museums are popular, for their collections of artifacts & contemporary art. One of those Museums is the National Gallery Museum.
Bangkok offers a widely variety of nightlife. The city is famous for its massage parlos, different bars & karaoke venues.

Brazil

Brazil is the largest country in Latin America. It spreads across almost half of South America, and occupies a total area of 8,547,403.5 km2. It is the fifth largest country in the world after Canada, the Russian Federation, China and the United States. 

Except for a small number of islands, Brazil is a single and continuous landmass. The Equator crosses through the Northern region, near Macapa, and the Tropic of Capricorn cuts through the South of the country, near São Paulo. The Atlantic Ocean extends along the country’s entire eastern coast, providing 7,367 km of coastline.

The climate is predominantly tropical with some variation according to the region. The average annual temperature in the north is 28º C and 22º C in the south.

Brazil is known, internationally, for its Carnival, soccer and tourist attractions such as Christ the Redeemer and the Iguaçu Falls. However, as are its people and its culture, the options for fun and entertainment in Brazil are diverse and extreme. 

In the cosmopolitan Brazilian metropolises, such as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador and Brasilia, a broad range of cultural options is available to the tourist, such as museums, international-quality cuisine, operas and symphonic orchestras.

For those who insist on getting to know more about our culture, they can enjoy popular festivities that reveal much of the history, the art and the riches of the Brazilian people. There are options for all tastes: Bumba-meu-boi in the north of the country, the typical gaucho dances and festivals with European influences in the south and, of course, the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro – the grandest party on the planet.

Nature in Brazil also deserves special attention, with several ecological parks and extremely varied ecosystems: the tropical forest in the Amazon region, the stunted vegetation in the Northeast, the Atlantic Forest in the Southeast, the vast swamplands in the Midwest and the pampas in the South. Besides these, in cities such as Curitiba and Rio de Janeiro, it is possible to visit botanical gardens, which are a blend of historical value and Brazilian biodiversity.

                                                                                                        S.C

 

Dubai

Dubai (Cause Dubai article is always good)

History

Dubai’s earliest record was in 1095 in the “Book of Geography”. Little is known about Dubai’s first habitants and how did they got there, even though tools and other stuff had been found.

Dubai came to the protection of the United Kingdom by the “Exclusive Agreement” were UK agreed to protect Dubai against the evil Ottoman Empire back in 1892. During the 1800’s Dubai suffered two great tragedies: the first one was a smallpox epidemia in 1841 that forced people to move to Deira, then a fire burned most homes in Deira in 1894.

However thanks to Dubai’s geographical location traders and merchants were attracted; making Dubai a major trade site. Dubai major industry was pearls; yes pearls exports, until World War I struck and Dubai suffered a major lost in its pearl production, leading to a deep depression. This depression caused many people to starve or migrate.

In 1947 Dubai fought a war against Abu Dhabi because of a border dispute, but then British government said “No war no” and created a buffer frontier that lead to a cessation in hostilities.

After years of searching, oil was found in Dubai in 1971. Remember the deep depression they went to? Well since oil was found Dubai became a major oil exporter and its population increased by %300.

On 2 December 1971 Dubai, together with Abu Dhabi and five other emirates, formed the United Arab Emirates after the former protector, Britain, left the Persian Gulf in 1971. They all agreed to use the UAE dirham as they currency.

Dubai was affected by the 1990 Gulf war; but many companies moved their business to Dubai.

Dubai is now a great place for tourism.

 Culture

Dubai is a highly cosmopolitan society with a diverse and vibrant culture. The influence of Islamic and Arab culture on its architecture, music, attire, cuisine and lifestyle are very prominent as well. Since 2006, the weekend has been Friday-Saturday, as a compromise between Friday's holiness to Muslims and the Western weekend of Saturday-Sunday.

Major holidays in Dubai include Eid al Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, and National Day (2 December), which marks the formation of the United Arab Emirates. Annual entertainment events such as the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) and Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) attract over 4 million visitors from across the region and generate revenues in excess of $2.7 billion (in other words Dubai’s pretty rich). Large shopping malls in the city, such as Deira City Centre, Mirdiff City Centre,BurJuman, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Mall and Ibn Battuta Mall as well as traditional souks attract shoppers from the region.

Etiquette is an important aspect of UAE culture and tradition, to which visitors are expected to conform. In Dubai you need to wear traditional clothing, they want to protect the public from cultural insensitivity.

During celebrations singing and dancing also take place and many of the traditional songs and dances have survived to the present time. Yowalah is the traditional dance of the UAE. Young girls would dance by swinging their long black hair and swaying their bodies in time to the strong beat of the music. Men would re-enact battles fought or successful hunting expeditions, often symbolically using sticks, swords or rifles

Basically Dubai’s culture is reigned by the Islamic religion.

Food

Arabic food is very popular and is available everywhere in the city. Fast food, South Asian, and Chinese cuisines are also very popular and are widely available. The sale and consumption of pork, though not illegal, is regulated and is sold only to non-Muslims, in designated areas of supermarkets and airports.

Now if you want to drink alcohol while you’re on Dubai, you need a special permit. Alcohol consume is regulated and can be found on bars and hotels; but just at night, since Dubai is known for its wild- I mean- nightlife.

Places you shouldn’t miss
Everything. Every single place of Dubai is amazing. But here are some examples:

Dubai’s Opera House It’s a cultural center with capacity of 2, 500 seats, a theatre of 800 and a 5,000 square meters in art galleries. Burj Kalhifa It’s a skyscraper located in the center of a great complex that crosses town in a transversal way. Aquadventure This water park is located in the Atlantis hotel, it has slides, swim with sharks, artificial beaches and much more. Desert Safari This is a tour onDubai’s desert, it’s amazing since you can do sand board, ride a camel or even have a henna tattoo. Al-Mahara Restaurant Now if you go to Dubai you can’t miss the opportunity of going to this amazing restaurant. I would go into detail but since it’s the world’s most expensive restaurant… go under your own risk. Ok so these are just examples; but since Dubai is one of the most expensive cities in the world I think that’s enough… watch the next pictures of Dubai and feel bad for not being able to afford going there.  This is the view from a skycrapper from Dubai Dubai's famous nightlife.

Porto Alegre, Brasil

 

History

Porto Alegre began as a large farm whose surroundings were inhabited by Indians from several different tribes. A small village formed in the area in 1752 by settlers mainly from the Azores, and in 1772 the parish of São Francisco do Porto dos Casais was formed. A year later the bishop changed the parish's name to Nossa Senhora Madre de Deus do Porto Alegre (Our Lady Mother of God of the Happy Port) and the city was selected as the location for the provincial government.

Porto Alegre had become a city of 12,000 inhabitants by 1822, the year the Brazil gained independence. The main port facilities were built between 1845 and 1860. By the end of the century the population had risen to 73,000. The city became known worldwide in 1963 through hosting the World University Games. In 1985 the people of Porto Alegre joined the movement for free elections and one of the largest demonstrations took place in the city.

Culture

Carnival/Carnaval

The Porto Alegre Carnival began in the 18th century with the entrudo, a prank brought over by the Portuguese from the Azores, whereby people threw flour, water, and "limão de cheiro" missiles at each other.  

The corso, a parade of floats down Porto Alegre's streets, was a celebration enjoyed by the more well-to-do of the city's inhabitants.

One of the most important Carnival personalities is King Momo. At the beginning of Carnival, usually in February, he receives the keys to the city from the Mayor of Porto Alegre, symbolically governing the Carnival during the four days of revelry. Vincente Rao was the most popular King Momo.

Cuisine

One of the most famous foods of Brazil, churrasco (slow-grilled and -roasted meat), originated in Rio Grande do Sul. But cuisine is eclectic here, and rice and beans sit on southern tables beside Italian and German dishes, thanks to the South's many European immigrants. Colonial coffee is the elaborate 5 PM tea, with breads, pies, and German kuchen, popular among the Germans in the South.

The traditional beverage is the "erva mate". The Chalet of the XV de Novembro Plaza is one of the most traditional bar-draught beer-restaurants in the city, where the last "lambe-lambe" photographs of the region work ("lambe-lambes" are photographers who develop pictures outdoor using the oldest method known).

Religion	Percentage	Number
Catholic	73.15%	995,330
Protestant	9.33%	126,879
No religion	8.16%	110,959
Spiritist	4.29%	58,380
Jewish	0.49%	6,627
Jehovah's Witnesses	0.45%	6,092

Source: IBGE 2000. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has a temple in Porto Alegre.

Porto Alegre was one of the first cities in Brazil to develop a recycling program and has been acknowledged as having the best management practices in the country.

Places you shouldn't miss:

Piratini Palace

Praça da Matriz

Public Market

Mario Quintana Culture House

Farroupilha Park

Usina do Gasômetro

Moinhos de Vento Park

Shanghai (上海), China

Shanghai is the largest city of the Republic of China, as well as the most populated city in the world. It is located in the Yangtze River Delta in eastern China. The chinese characters of its name translates to Upon-the-sea, meaning that it was named when a town and a river where together on the same area.


Culture
Shanghai is known as the modern city of China. Many different & modern artifacts were first used in Shanghai.
In the latest 5 years, Shanghai has been widely recognized as a new influence and inspiration for cyberpunk culture. Futuristic buildings such as the Oriental Pearl Tower and the neon-illuminated Yan'an eleated Roadare, are a few examples that have helped to boast Shanghai's cyberpunk image. 
Also, Shanghai was the birthplace of Chinese literature,cinema & theater.


Gastronomy

Xiao long bao, or soup dumplings, are an emblematic piece of Shanghai cuisine, it is made from hot steaming dumplings filled with a mixture of meat, which melts after the dumpling heats by steaming.

There is a specific way of eating the dumplings; you should pick the bum and dip it on a vinegar and ginger mixing on your table, proceed making a hole with your chopsticks and letting the soup get to your spoon, then eating the dumpling carefully and slurp the soup from the spoon.

This type of dumplings are very popular, so you might find them easily all around town.

Interesting sights

• The Shanghai Museum of Art & History has one of the best collections of chinese artifacts in the world. 
• The Jadde Buddha Temple is one of the most famoust buddhit shrines in Shanghai.
• The Nanjing Road is considered to be the #1 commercial street in China. You will be able to find everything you want, from special & cheap souvenirs, to the most luxurious world famous brands.

                                                                                                                                                             L.R

Busan (부산), South Korea.

Busan is South Korea's second largest city, right after Seoul. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the world's fifth busiest seaport. This city has a lot of names, being Busan the most common, but it's original name was Busanpo. It was named after the shape of a mountain behind Busan Port.

Culture and attractions

Busan is a city filled with street vendors, but there are also large and jam-packed department stores with lots of different shops, which commonly include expensive ones. That's why there is one thing that connects all of Busan's people: they all love to shop, and they do it really often.

Jagalchi Market is a market set by the seashore; it sells various sea products and is one of Busan´s prides. It has a huge selection of fresh seafood, which starts to sell since early morning.

The greatest diference between Busan and the other Korean cities is that Busan has ocean tours, this means that you can explore the city and it's surrounding areas by ship.

Busan holds the largest aquarium in South Korea, it is called Busan Aquarium. There are aproximately 250 species with 40 separate exhibits wich include penguins, otters, piranha, sea jellies and much more.

One of the most significant festivals in Asia is held annually in this city, this is the the Busan International Film Festival or BIFF. The purpose of this festival is to introduce new films and fist-time directors, especially those from Asian countries. It includes a film market, various cinema funds, a 17-day film academy and a cinema forum.

Busan is also home of the Busan Biennale, a grand-scale art exhibition with the purpose of exposing local art on an international level and spreading modern art. This festival is held every two years and it consists of a Contemporary Art Exhibition, a Sea Art Exhibition and a Busan Sculpture Project.


Gastronomy
Most of the traditional dishes of Busan are a result from the Korean War, because the city was the biggest refugee destination at that time, so a lot of people went there and adapted the cities recipies. 
Some special dishes we can mention are: dongnae pajeon (savory pancakes with chili peppers and seafood), milmyeon (wheat flour noodle soup) and dwaeji gukbap (pork soup rice).

The Machu Pichu Secrets

This is not an article like the other ones. Today I’m going to talk about one of the 7 wonders of the world, Machu Pichu, and some of its secrets.

Located in Peru in the Cusco region. The name "Machu Pichu" comes simply from its geography. I literally means "old peak".

It is the most famous city of the Incas, is accesible by train from Cusco or traveling along the "Camino Inca". The city was discovered by the Spanish Conquerors and remained lost for centuries. Machu Pichu is an architectural jewel, which combines perfectly the architectural style with the beautiful natural environment that surrounds it. 

 Here are some of the top interesting things of one of the most beautiful places of the world.

• Hiram Bingham III was the explorer who discovered Machu Pichu in 1911. He was actually looking for Vilcabamba, which was a hidden capital that Inca used as a refuge after the arrival of the Spanish conqueror in 1532. When he came across the magnificent Machu Pichu, Bingham spent all his life trying to find the lost city of Vilcabamba and since then, trying to prove that Machu Pichu was actually the lost city of Inca.
• Peru is one country where earthquakes are not unusual. Inca builders had their ways of constructing the magnificent masterpieces that we all heard about, so that they would resist any earthquake; Inca constructers did not used any type of mortar, but rather, a technique based on perfect size precision. This bricks were cut with such accuracy, that they fit perfectly in their location, in such a way that not even a credit card can penetrate. When an earthquake occurs, the bricks "dance" but don't fall. This is one of the reasons why Machu Pichu, and many other Inca sites, are still standing.
• One of the Machu Pichu's best kept secret is the Temple of the Moon. Those of you who do get to climb on Huayna Pichu, should not leave it without visiting the hidden temple, one the far side of the peak.

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S.C

Zaragoza, Spain.

The city of Zaragoza is the capital of the Zaragoza Province and of Aragon, in Spain. It is situades on the Ebro river, in a valley with lots of different landscapes. It is famous  for its folklore, its gastronomy and various interesting sights. This city was founded more than 2,000 years ago, being home for iberians, romans, goths and moors, who influenced on its culture.

Zaragoza is one the biggest and monumental spanish cities, and it is also economically active because of it hosts important national carnivals.

Culture

Zaragoza is really known because it is linked with the begginings of Christianity in Spain. The legend says that the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint James, standing on a pilar, while he was praying by the Ebro River. She gave him a type of pillar as a symbol, and he built a chapel on the spot where Mary had appeared.

There is a major festival celebrated to this virgin called  'Las fiestas del Pilar', celebrated on October 12th. A lot of activities are made on this day, but one of the most outstanding is the flower offering to the virgin. 

Another celebration of this city is the 'Batallas de moros y cristianos', when everyone dresses up like a moor or a christian with swords, sticks and shields to represent the old fights that these two groups had. Sometimes this representations are perfomed at theaters, alongside with poetical recitals and dances.

Gastronomy

Pepitoria: Is a specific way of cooking meat, people take out the juice of the cooked meat and mix it with egg yolk and almonds.

Ternasco: This is known as a young lamb, and it is typical form this type of food.

Interesting sights

Some distance from the centre of the old city is the Moorish castle (or palace) Aljafería, the most important Moorish buildings in northern Spain and the setting for Giuseppe Verdi's opera Il trovatore(The Troubadour).
The most important Zaragoza museums are the Museum of Fine Arts, with paintings by early Aragonese artists, 15th century, and by El Greco, Ribera and Goya, and the Camón Aznar Museum.