From your city right going east about a mile away or perhaps a bit less may be the Botanical Garden in the Philippines along the stretch of Leonard Wood Road. Amongst popular traveler spots in the Philippines, it showcases not just vegetation and flowers but a rich native heritage, as well.

It can be also identified as Igorot Village simply because of a number of Igorot huts featured in the premises. You can find basically native Igorots roaming there within their customary colorful native attires, some even dressed as warriors, though very friendly and accommodating. Several tourists have their photos taken with these regional tribesmen on the Baguio Botanical Back garden in the Philippines.

It absolutely was originally named Botanical Park in the pre-Martial Law years but renamed Imelda Park in the 1970s when Martial Law was enforced in the nation, right after the then First Lady Imelda Marcos, wife of former President Ferdinand Marcos. Later on, right after the Marcos Regime, it absolutely was renamed Baguio Botanical Back garden, and will probably be officially declared so for the centennial celebration of Baguio in September 2009.

Baguio Botanical Back garden in the Philippines is among the Pacdal Circle as well as the popular Teachers Camp. From your city, going to this place costs Php 12.00 inside a public jeep. This region is basically between thickly forested traveller spots in the Philippines where tranquility and relaxation may possibly be enjoyed as individuals roam close to to appreciate flowering vegetation numerous of which are endemic for the city.

Site visitors are dealt with to amazing sights of diverse shrubberies displaying varied shades of leaves and flowers, shady trees, winding paths top to Igorot houses, a charming wooden bridge, plus a sacred Igorot meeting place that inspires spiritual meditation. There’s also a souvenir shop for mementos to remind visitors of their experience of the back garden.

Couple of traveler spots in the Philippines have seeds of exclusive flowering vegetation offered for sale. On the Baguio Botanical Back garden in the Philippines, there is certainly no need to bring home bulky vegetation in pots. Just buy seeds in little packs and plant them in the backyard as shortly as one will get home. They’re simple to grow. Just make certain to plant them inside a cool corner of the yard. Igorot vendors themselves will instruct patrons on tips on how to care for that vegetation.

After a tiring tour of Baguio, it is often a refreshing point to stop by the Baguio Botanical Back garden in the Philippines and be enthralled by the delightful brightness and bloom of the surroundings that alleviate one of strain and exhaustion. Other traveler spots in the Philippines may possibly also offer gorgeous organic scenery, but this back garden also provides a appear right into a exclusive heritage and culture.

The Baguio Botanical Back garden in the Philippines provides much more than colorful vegetation and flowers to visitors. It can be between traveller spots in the Philippines that inspire awe inside a centuries-old ethnic culture kept intact to this day. A go to for the Baguio Botanical Back garden in the Philippines may possibly also spark a fondness for vegetation in individuals and begin them to culture exclusive Baguio shrubberies again home.

To get a chance to style authentic, yummy, and irresistible Chinese delicacies, folks staying in Baguio City can drop by at Central Park Restaurant, which is found at 6 Carino Street. Fantastic support, great foods, and cozy ambiance are three main motives why people very easily discover it very conducive and inviting to dine inside of this Baguio restaurant. For as small as 100 pesos, people can already style a minimum of a single in-house specialty. Moreover, people who hope to indulge in a minimum of two to three specialties in the home ought to put together a minimum of 200 pesos to 300 pesos.

Central Park Restaurant in Baguio City is proud to present a nice and intensive menu, comprised of innumerable tasty treats as well as appetizers, primary entrees, and desserts. The Fried Dumplings is very delectable, specifically the sauce that goes with this particular particular dish. Yet another enticing appetizer is Lumpiang Shanghai, an authentic Chinese language dish which is crispy on the outside but very tender and juicy on the inside of. For people who like a vegetable dish cooked inside a slightly diverse and unique way, they can try ordering Fried Taro, which is very nutritious and scrumptious.

When it arrives to ambiance, people will unquestionably appreciate the cozy yet cheerful atmosphere inside of Central Park Restaurant in Baguio City. Overall, the position is each classy and inviting, that are two main characteristics typically found only in first-class dining facilities. This Baguio restaurant has friendly and accommodating foods servers, clean comfort rooms, and decent amenities inside of. Moreover, you will find also other notable good delicacies inside of this position just like Spareribs with Chili, which is largely a spicy deal with comprised of tender meat covered with relatively sweet sauce.

Central Park Restaurant is exactly situated at 6 Carino Street, which is a very available spot in Baguio City. Yet another specialty in the home is Patatim, which is served with specific pleasant tasting white bread known as Cuapao. One in the most enticing pork dishes out there inside of this Baguio restaurant is Crispy Pata, a very popular neighborhood deal with that arrives having a nice pleasant sauce. For dessert, folks can try the super specific Crispy Banana, a delectable deal with popular among normal people. Yet another favored dessert amongst folks who frequently dine inside of this position is Halo-Halo, which is created up of crushed ice, plus other important components just like sweetened banana slices, condensed milk, ube, leche flan, sago, nata de coco, and gulaman.

Folks can ask even more questions about Central Park Restaurant in Baguio City by calling the phone variety (074)-447-0659. Drop by at this extraordinary Baguio restaurant to get a chance to experience tasty Chinese language specialties, a cozy ambiance, and cost-effective foods costs.

Central Park Restaurant can be a classy dining facility in Baguio City that specializes on authentic Chinese language delicacies. Some in the notable dishes out there inside of this premier Baguio restaurant are Spareribs with Chili, Patatim with Cuapao, and Crispy Pata. Moreover, other must-try treats out there listed here are Fried Taro, Lumpiang Shanghai, and Fried Dumplings.

Although not directly travel related I recently read that the night of November 17/18  (time for the lower 48 united states) that from just about anywhere in the world you will be able to see the Leonid Meteor Shower.

If you can believe it scientists are predicting as many as 500 meteors per hour in this shower.  For those of you with high powered cameras you are going to have a rare opportunity of catching some wonderful photography.

The meteors may be able to be seen for as long as a week, but the night of the 17/18 should be the most spectacular.

Here is a great website about the Leonid Meteor Showers.

Image from http://meteorshowersonline.com/leonids.html

So many of you may ask what are meteor showers?

According to scientists which I do not profess to be beyond enjoying a good heavenly display a meteor shower is an increase in the number of meteors at a particular time of year.  Sounds simple enough right.  Well it get’s deeper.  The debris that becomes most meteor shower is the debris that is shed from comets as they orbit the sun.

If the earth passes through a stream of debris spread after a comet orbiting the sun then we here get to partake of a heavenly display.  Depending on the location of earth in respect to the stream of debris it appears as if the meteors are falling from the constellations.  So be sure to keep an eye on the ‘Big Dipper’ it may seem like part of it is falling.

Os should I say keep an eye on ‘Leo’ since meteor showers are named by the constellation from which meteors appear to fall.  Leonid is named fo the constellation Leo.

So if you are like me you will be asking the question, how can I best view a meteor shower?

First and foremost is go somewhere dark.  If you live in a bright city your viewing pleasure will definitely be diminished.  This would be a great time to take a road trip away from the city.

Next, drive north!  If you drive South the skies could become darker but the glow will dominate the northern horizon, which is where ‘Leo’ rises.  Now that you have headed North find a secluded area.  Perhaps at a state park or out an old logging road.  Try to be secluded enough that any other traffic in the area will not blind you sensitive night vision.

Once you have located your ‘spot’ it is time to get comfortable.  Bring lots of blankets so that if it is safe you can lay out on the grass/ground and enjoy the view from your back on a nice pillow and blanket.  You want to position yourself so that your entire vision is filled with the stars of the sky.  Put the horizon in your peripheral vision.

You should easily be able to see the meteors with your naked eyes as they streak by.

This should be a truly spectacular vision and you can bet that I will be out there viewing it.  I wish that I had camera equipment sophisticated enough to capture it.   Perhaps I will do some electronics shopping in the next two weeks.  In the meantime, get ready I just might have a giveaway for whoever can produce the best photo of this heavely event.

Note, that I have added a countdown to this day on the sidebar.

Sitting on the train to Bordeaux, France (leaving from Paris) I had a couple of other travelers in the train car.  I quickly found out that the gentleman sitting next to me spoke English though he still needed some practice and the lady across from me was very quiet until I got her talking about her children, their families and her 28 grandchildren.  She was from Australia, but on her way to visit them.  The last member of our car was around twenty years old and was dressed for the summer.  The gentleman next to me would talk to me but never took his eyes off of the young french student.  She said what university she attended but I could not reproduce it as she was speaking in French.  The train hurried on it way passing Beaugency and then farther south through Blois.

I had a layover for a couple of hours in Tours.  Two hours is really only enough time to stretch your legs and grab a bite to eat but not really long enough to site see.  Back on the train we crossed the river La Frillie’re, I really like water and all of the beauty to see around it.  Back when I was in college we would float down the river on our backs using just a wet suit.  It was the Yakima, a small and sometimes fast river.  Those were the good old days!

I slept through Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine and was eating in the restaurant car while we went through Cha’tellerault and Poitiers.  At Angoule’me still going south we crossed another river, the river Lavagnac and turned West at the town of Arveyres.  The river on our right and my car facing to the left I could see the town and I noticed a little orchard with trees all lined up in perfect rows in the distance.  I could not tell what type of trees or fruit they may have produced because they were too far away to see.  I am very interested because I live in Wenatchee, Washington and they have many fruit orchards, I even have one behind my back fence.  Pears if I remember correctly.  You know the word Arvory in Portuguese means Tree.  I wounder if they had a lot of trees in the area?  Must have been a long time ago because most of the trees have been replaced by farm land… anyways, I digress.

The train then passed through some city like areas.  The homes were thicker in the Bassens suburb.  There was some industrial buildings to the right of the train that kind of follow the river.  I think we were really getting close to Bordeaux.  I am told that we are only a few minutes away from the train station by the gentleman sitting next to me.  He still has not stopped staring at the 20 year old university student the whole trip; he is really missing some great scenery.  The river was a blue-green farther up but now it has a brown kind of stirred up look.  Maybe the industrial park had something to do with that.

I said my good-byes to my fellow passengers as we got off the train at the Gare Saint-Jean train station.  It took me some time to get to the front exit of the station, as it is big.  I am standing in front of the station and I have two roads in front of me.  “Which one should I take” I ask my self.  The roads are Rue (Rue means Road by the way), so Rue Saint-Vincent De Paul and Rue Euge’ne Le Roy.  What is it with all of the saints!  Seems like everything is named after a saint in France.  Lots of Catholic influence from back in the day I guess.  You think they would have run out of saints by now.  I am not liking everything being name after a saint so I chose Rue Euge’ne Le Roy.

I secure my pack onto my back and am off down the road Eugene.  I go two blocks and come to Aquitain Hotel Sarl on my left.  It is late afternoon so I decided that this looked like a likely spot to find a bed.  I went in.  After getting my room key and heading for the elevator I noticed the restaurant.  So I droped my pack in the room and go to get some dinner.  There are some couples in the restaurant but mostly business types.  Must have something to do with the business buildings across the road from the hotel.  The food was great though I was pretty messed up by the train food that I had eaten for dats.  After finishing my meal, which I had to point at the menu to order because my waiter did not speak English.  I headed to my room for the night.

The room is comfortable and after breakfast I grab my pack and I am off.  I had planned to walk all through this city because I have some time in my schedule.  There were not very many people on the road this early in the morning.  I decided to continue down Rue Eugene till I ran into a road that said it was a dead end.  Before takign it I took a look at my map and decide to go right on Rue Malbec.  There were lots of homes on this road all packed really tight together.  Looks like they were sharing walls.  That is not uncommon in many parts of the world, but very common here it seemed.  I also saw a lot of that when I lived in Bazil  but they were built out of brick and cement not wood.  I decided to go right because my map showed a main road called Course de la Marne a couple of blocks up.  Once I found the road I continued left for several blocks.  By this time it was getting hot out and my brain was telling me that I needed to find some shade.  That is when I saw the park across the road from where I was.  That was perfect, my first park in Bordeaux and just in time because I needed the shade.

This park was mostly walkways and benches surrounded by trees.  The park looked old and well used.  They must have had a pool of water maybe a fountain in the center of the park at one point of time.  Now the center is a big hole with no pool and no fountain.  Either they ran out of money to keep things going or they were getting ready to make a change.  Hard to tell what they were planning to do and with a lack of tourist activity to motivate them it could be sitting for a long time.  The was honestly the only part of the park that looked bad.  The rest was great and I especially liked the green grass under foot.  I even removed my shoes to  feel the grass between my toes.  I loved this park just the way that it was and I do not think that I would have enjoyed it as much as I did if it was more of a touristy park.

I really enjoy seeing areas of cities that have not been polluted by the invasion of people.  Including the fact that as in many areas of Brazil you can walk freely with out being attacked by vendors trying to sell you little pieces of junk that tourists must have to remember their trip.  I am off on another topic that is better left alone… or I will go on forever.  But truly I really have to comment on the parks.

I seem to have a knack for finding parks with wonderful grass and trees in all of my travels.  Seems to be that people have a need to get back to nature.  France and Brazil have wonderful parks and they seem to be in all the cities even though they are not plagued by tourist.  People have a need to escape the cement jungle and get close to a tree to smell the flowers as it were.  I really think that says something about the human race, no matter what culture, a park that takes you back into natures grip is a wonderful thing.

Place de la Victoire

I am off once again as I continue down Course de la Marne life has began to emerge from homes as stores open and the city takes on a new day.  Several blocks from the park I come to a square that intersects a couple of roads.  Not long after reaching it I found myself standing at the center of the square trying to decide which road or rue to follow.  I stood next to a square pillar at the center of the square, though square is not really the right word as this square is round.  Another cool site at this location was the Roman looking doorway at one end of the Square.  The statue is not a person but more of a symbol of something though I cannot tell what it says on the bronze plaque.  Just then I noticed a post card on a rack next to a news stand of what looks like a big ball made of lines that has some roads going to it and around it.  It is an aerial shot of an intersection with a giant globe made out of white lines.  I am like “wow that is really cool, I need to go and find this thing”.  I bought the post card to send to friends and as I made my purchase, which I tried to do speaking broken French.  I asked about the the location on the post card.  The man finally understood me and pointed tot he statue located at the center of this square.  “No, no” I say and he points to the post card and then to the center of the square again.  My mind is like a steel trap and things finally start to come together.  The stark white lines, four rows of small square cobblestones, across that run all over this square are what form the giant ball that can only be seen from very high up in the sky.

Cool that I have found it I learned that it is called the Place de la Victoire, not cool that I almost walked on it and almost never knew what I was walking on I must have been distracted by the sculpture of the turtle with a beard.

I will continue to explore the city of Bordeaux in my next post.

Lord out

Abroadening's Post Image. Click to be taken to Abroadening.

101 Most Awesome Adventure & Travel Twitterers You Should Be Following

It was very exciting today to be included in this great list as number 37 at Abroadening.com.

The best thing about this blog carnival or I suppose I should say twitter carnival is that not only did Mindaugas Markus (the owner of abroadening)  list out the great twitterers but he also gave a short bio about them.  I thought this really added a personal touch that sets his list apart from all the other lists.

Thanks Mindaugas for the great list.  I will be visiting it often.  He definitely just scored a coveted place on the ProMapTraveler Blogroll.

Cape Cod

We are 6 months into ProMapTraveler and I must say I am very happy to say that we are averaging over 3,000 visitors a month, we have + 200 posts, 6 advertisers, +200 subscribers, +4500 twitter friends, we have been sought out for many product reviews, had 4 giveaways and have some very regular commenter’s.

We have regular guest posts and have a few new people coming soon as writers for ProMapTraveler.

Overall it has been a great start.  So what are the most popular posts you ask, well read below to see a list of the ten most popular posts since we began in march.

1. Cape Cod
2. 1,665 Steps and some Flashing Search Lights
3. The 12 Beaches, Santos, Brazil
4. Diamond Shopping
5. Carrousel, Rotary Fountain, Clocktower and Tons More
6. Lisbon, unofficial Capital but my Official Capital for History and Fun
7. Anti Pirate
8. Romantic Getaways In Central Florida: Vacation Ideas For Couples
9. Architecture Taken To A Whole New Level
10. Northern Highlands and Island of Skye Scotland

Which one is your favorite post?  Do you prefer another that is not on this list?  Let us know in the comments!

Thanks for helping us begin with a bang, and I thank you in advance for sticking with ProMapTraveler.com and making the next 6 months better than the first.

Fire Mountain

The volcanic island of Lanzarote in the Canaries is best known as a year round holiday destination.  Boasting a clement climate even in the depths of winter, low rainfall and an abundance of beautiful beaches.

But this small speck of Spain offers much more than just sunshine and sun loungers alone.  As the island is also home to some fascinating visitor attractions, many of which were developed by a highly creative local artist called César Manrique.

The Jameos Del Agua

The Jameos del Agua was Manrique´s first major project on Lanzarote.  Created in the late 1960´s, he was attempting to illustrate to his fellow islanders that it was possible to develop visitor attractions that worked in harmony with the island’s raw volcanic terrain rather than against it.  Providing an alternative model to the water parks and golf courses so popular elsewhere in Spain.

Manrique´s transformation of this huge collapsed lava tunnel into an underground grotto and concert venue proved an instant and massive success.  Putting holidays in Lanzarote firmly on the map for the first time and attracting VIP visitors such as Hollywood legend Rita Heyworth.  Who declared the Jameos; “The Eighth Wonder of the World”.

Plaza de Consitucion Teguise

The Timanfaya National Park

The Timanafaya National Park remains Lanzarote´s undisputed star attraction though.  As nothing else on the island can match the raw majesty of the eerie vistas here.  Created by volcanic eruptions which engulfed Lanzarote during the 1730´s and then again in 1824.

This activity created hundreds of new volcanic peaks and a carpet of lava which covers around done third of the island.  Leaving much of Lanzarote looking like the surface of the moon.

The Valley of 1000 Palms

This green and verdant valley in the north of the island is the ideal antidote to the arid volcanic scenery of the south.  Resembling a huge African oasis, with the crowns of thousands of palm trees swaying gently in the breeze.

Local legend has it that this was all created by local villagers, who used to plant one palm tree for every new born girl and two for a boy.  Creating a breathtaking site on an island otherwise largely devoid of flora.

Palacio Marques in Teguise

Historic Teguise

A visit to Lanzarote´s former capital of Teguise is like stepping back in time.  As this was the first settlement to be established by the Spanish conquistadors in the 15^th century and is still home today to a treasure trove of colonial architecture.  Some of which, such as the Palacio Marques, dates back as far as 1455.

Jardin de Cactus

This is yet another magnificent Manrique creation, which celebrates the plant world’s spikiest species.  The Jardin de Cactus is well known to botanists worldwide as the home of over 1400 different types of cacti – and 10,000 plus individual plants.  Making this one of the most comprehensive collections of its kind in the world.

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire. It is one of the most famous sites in the world.  It is is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones and sits at the center of the densest complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds.

Archaeologists had believed that the iconic stone monument was erected around 2500 BC, as described in the chronology below.

The site and its surroundings were added to the UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1986 in a co-listing with Avebury henge monument, and it is also a legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument. Stonehenge itself is owned by the Crown and managed by English Heritage while the surrounding land is owned by the National Trust.

Many also believe that Stonehenge was probably erected as some part of an astronimical calendar.  The unique cicrle of stones is oriented on the rising and setting of the sun.  The orientation of the stones has also excited attention for they seem to match the outcrops in north Pembrokeshire in Wales.

It is said that the best time to view the stones is at sunset.

The following picture is a fabulous image that shows distinction between the blue of the sky and the yellowish-green of the grass around the gray stones of Stonehenge.  Truly a magnificent display of photography.

Stonehenge by Peaces

The rays illuminating the stones provide a breathtaking display of the suns majesty.  Simply Stunning!

Stonehenge by winjohn

One word is all that I can utter “WOW”.   Seeing Stonehenge in the background behind this rock with the vivid colors of the sky, clouds and grass is a beautiful image.  This picture makes me wish I was there to see it in person.

Stonehenge2 by winjohn

As I said above, the time to see Stonehenge is sunset.

Stonehenge by mario mp

I would love to hear what you think of these images I found.  Let me know if you like them or leave a comment to let me know where another masterpiece of yours or one you have found is located around the web so that we can share it with everyone.

When I hear the word London my mind automatically thinks of St. James Place, Westminster and Big Ben.

Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north-eastern end of the Palace of Westminster in London.  Although the name Big Ben refers to the bell it is often extended to include the clock or the clock tower as well, which is how I will reference it here.

Big Ben is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world and recently celebrated its 150th anniversary in May 2009.

Visual Media has often made Big Ben a symbol of the United Kingdom and London.  By using the clock tower as a visual point a movie, commercial or picture can indicate where they are in London very simply.  Likewise, in audio media the chimes have been used.

As I was photo walking the web I came across some great images with creative commons licenses that allow me to share them with you.  Feel free to visit the images and see what else the photographer has to offer.

Big Ben by LazySunday

Pigeons in London by dlfletcher

Big Ben by hylaszq

London Silhouette by Peter W

Check out some of our other pirate posts:

Arrgh, Come get some Booty!

Anti Pirate