Mexico Travel Savings Holiday

Mexico Travel Guide - The News Mexico mexico travel guide Situated in the southwestern part of mainland North America and roughlytriangular in shape, Mexico stretches more than 3000 km (1,850 miles) fromnorthwest to southeast. Its width is varied, from more than 2000 km (1,200miles) in the north and less than 220 km (135 miles) at the Isthmus ofTehuantepec in the south. Mexico borders two major bodies of water, thePacific Ocean (with the Gulf of California between the mainland and theBaja California peninsula) to the west and on the east the Gulf of Mexicoand the Caribbean Sea that lead to the Atlantic Ocean. Here are foundcoastal plains, whereas central Mexico consists of high plateaus andrugged mountains, including volcanoes, the highest of which is thePico de Orizaba at 5 610 m. The terrain and climate vary from rocky deserts in the north totropical rain forest in the south. Mexico's major rivers include theRo Bravo del Norte (Rio Grande) and the Ro Usumacinta on its northernand southern borders, respectively, together with the Ro Grijalva, theRo Balsas, the Ro Pnuco, and the Ro Yaqui in the interior. $page topical links link 1 link 2 link 3 Favorite Mexico Vacations Acapulco Cancun CaboSan Lucas Cozumel Guadalajara Ixtapa Mazatlan MexicoCity Monterrey Playa del Carmen PuertoVallarta San Miguel de Allende Mexico Newsletter subscribe to the newsletter States of Mexico Aguascalientes BajaCalifornia BajaCalifornia Sur Campeche Chiapas Chihuahua Coahuila Colima DistritoFederal Durango Guanajuato Guerrero Hidalgo Jalisco Estado deMexico Michoacan Morelos Nayarit NuevoLeon Oaxaca Puebla Queretaro QuintanaRoo SanLuis Potosi Sinaloa Sonora Tabasco Tamaulipas Tlaxcala Veracruz Yucatan Zacatecas Search Now: Mexico Travel Savings Holiday Inn Hotels in Mexico Cheap Tickets To Mexico Travel Book Reviews Mexico Forum Discussion Forum Link Partners link 1 link 2 link 3 history ofmexico | food anddrink | mexican culture | arts of mexico | handicrafts of mexico | learnspanish travel tips | maps of mexico | pictures of mexico | about the mexico travelguide | mexico travel books | forum newsletter | advertise | sitemap © 2005 TheNewsMexico.com's Mexico Travel Guide

Austria Travel Guide @

Austria Travel Guide @ TravelNotes.org Car Hire Cruises Flights Hotels Tours Vacations About Travel Notes™ Destinations Budget Travel Feedback Search Travel Forums Travel Writers Africa Asia Caribbean Europe Middle East North America South America Oceania Austria Austria Travel Guide @ TravelNotes.org About Austria , Austrian Cities , Austrian Culture , Austrian Media , Austrian Tourism , Budget Accommodation in Austria , Map of Austria , Regional Austria . Round The World Flights - Free TravelNotes e-mail Flag of Austria Austria , sterreich in German, is an Alpine country; once you get out of Vienna. Local Currency Convert your currency into euro . Buy a Map of Austria Countries neighbouring Austria are: Hungary , Slovakia , Czech Republic , Germany , Switzerland , Liechtenstein , Italy and Slovenia . National Anthem of Austria. Food Travel Fiction Health Kids Bios Humor Mags Software Gifts Tech Business Other Your Ad Here Travel Notes Mailing List News Headlines World News Directory of newspapers and news sources from around the world. Hotel City Search : Hotels in Austria Find and Book a Hotel in Austria Hotels in Austria by City : Graz , Innsbruck , Kirchberg in Tirol , Linz , Salzburg , Vienna . About Austria The Danube runs across the north of the country, from Passau through Linz and Vienna and out towards Bratislava. The rest of the country is very mountainous, especially in the south and west. Of Austria's numerous lakes, two of them form borders with her neighbours. In the west, Lake Constance, or Bodensee, is shared with Germany and Switzerland , while the Neusiedlersee, south-east of Vienna, adjoins Hungary in the east. Austria's Bodensee town is Bregenz, in Voralberg, and the region is popular with cyclists in the summer; crossing between Germany and Switzerland. There's also some cycle activity around the Neusiedlersee -- Fert, in Hungarian. The area makes a great escape from the capital in the summer, and it's also a bird sanctuary. Austrian Tourism Enter Austria : Getting to Austria, and other information for tourists. Regional Austria Austrian Regions : Austria is divided into nine provinces. Austrian Cities Austrian Cities : The main attractions for visitors to Austria. Austrian Culture Austrian Culture : Austria's illustrious history leaves a lot of memories behind. Uncover the delights of former glory. The official language of Austria is German , although many people speak English. Learn German in Vienna : Alpha Sprachinstitut is a private language school specialised in German as a foreign language for visitors to Vienna. Austrian Media Austrian News : News from Austria. A selection of Austrian news resources online. Europe Travel Forum : From Albania to Vatican City, Scandinavia to the Mediterranean, Europe is culturally eclectic and full of lavish history. Join us in the travel forums if you have a question about Europe or would like to share your experiences about travelling or living in Europe. The Internet TravelNotes.org Travel Through The Back Door: Germany and Austria Flight Tickets : Save money on Round The World flight tickets. Travel News : Get the inside scoop with the latest travel features and tips. Past Articles . Airlines & Airports : This travel article points you to airlines and the three letter airport codes with links to their websites. Cyber Cafes : The Internet Caf Guide. Travel Guides : Travel guides are a Godsend and a tremendous amount of research has gone into them; but which one is best for you? Weather Outlook Car Hire Cruises Flights Hostels Tours Vacations Destinations Budget Travel Feedback Meta-Travel Travel Forums Travel Writers Africa Asia Caribbean Europe Middle East North America South America Oceania Travel Directory : Europe : Austria Travel Guide -- Submit to Travel Notes | Advertise on TravelNotes.org | Favourite Destinations | Magun'sCompass | Travel Articles | Writers | | Airlines | Airports | Car Hire | Cruises | Flights | Hotels | Online Reservations | Vacation Rentals | | Casinos | Olympics | World Cup | General Disclaimer | Meta-Travel | Search Resources | | TravelNotes is a Trademark of TravelNotes.org | Travel Notes Blog | Add URL | Add to Favorites The URL for this page is: http://www.travelnotes.org/Europe/austria.htm

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Japan Travel International Travel

Metropolis - Japan Travel: Jesus in Japan JAPAN TODAY | METROPOLIS | CLASSIFIEDS | PERSONALS | JOBS Issue Index Original Features Features Mini Features Cultural Features Life in Japan Big in Japan Rant & Rave Cars & Bikes Health & Beauty Interiors Practical Jobfinder Money Talks Tokyo Tech Web Watch Food & Drink Food & Drink Restaurant Reviews Bar Reviews Word of Mouth Travel Travel Features Japan Travel International Travel Travelogue Style Art Artifacts Fashion Tokyo Talk In Store Buyline Music Japan Beat CD Reviews In Person Concerts Clubbing TRAVEL Jesus in Japan Jesus' supposed resting place Photos by Mary King Mary King hunts down the Messiah in the small village of Herai in the wilds of northern Japan. Church bells will ring out louder this year as millions of Christians across the world join in songs of praise for Jesus Christ's 2000th birthday. While most turn their thoughts to Bethlehem, Nazareth and Jerusalem, few know of the important role some claim Japan played in the life of Christ. There are probably very few Christians who have even heard of the small village of Herai that lies tucked away in the northern reaches of Aomori Prefecture, but some here maintain this to be the place where Jesus settled, married and died at the ripe old age of 106. Although it's commonly held that Jesus grew up as a carpenter in the Galilee town of Nazareth, according to the legend of Herai, or Shingo as it's now known, the 11 "missing years" of Christ's life not accounted for in the New Testament of the Bible were spent in Japan. According to the local legend, Christ first came to Japan, aged 21, during the reign of the 11th emperor, Suinin, and landed at the port of Hashidate on the Japan Sea coast. Apparently, he settled in Etchu province where, under the tutelage of a great master, he studied Japanese language, literature and various other subjects. The Legend of Daitenku Taro Jurai (Daitenku Taro Jurai was the name Christ is said to have later taken) claims that at the end of his 11-year stay, Christ returned to Judea, aged 33, where he taught about the "sacred land" of Japan. But, unfortunately, "Christ's teachings about Japan were considered too radical," and he was condemned to death. The New Testament teaches Jesus was crucified at Golgotha, rose from the dead after three days and later ascended into Heaven. However, according to the legend of Herai, Jesus escaped this fate, and instead his brother Isukiri was nailed to the cross and died. Christ, meanwhile, fled with his disciples and went into hiding, carrying locks of the Virgin Mary's hair and his brother's ear. After an arduous journey across Siberia, Christ finally returned to Japan and settled in Herai where he changed his name, married a Japanese woman called Miyuko, fathered three daughters and lived to the age of 106. Devout Christians may insist that the Garden Tomb, which lies not far from Damascus Gate outside the Old City of Jerusalem, is Jesus' true burial site, but the people of Herai have another story to tell-marked by a large wooden cross, Jesus' tomb ( Juraizuka ) sits alongside his brother's ( Judaibo ) in Herai. Isukiri's tomb holds his ear and locks of the Virgin Mary's hair. It's hard to imagine anyone, let alone Christ, would have schlepped out to one of the remotest parts of northern Japan in days of old, as even today it demands a great deal of effort to reach the village. Herai epitomizes the middle of nowhere. The place is little more than a lonely grocery store, a sprinkling of farmhouses and scraggly garlic fields and rice paddies blanketed with snow at this time of year. Most tourists either already know about the tombs, as well as the "pyramids" said to predate those of Egypt, or are so intrigued by the wild talk they hear of Herai while trekking out near Towadako Lake they can't resist coming to check it out. Remains of the Mirror Stone pyramid Pyramid scheme The first pyramid of the "O-Ishigami Pyramid" circle, we are told, was discovered in August, 1935 on Mt Towari, exactly one day after the discovery of Christ's tomb in the village. According to the "history of the Divine Age" found in the documents of the Takenouchi family, there are seven pyramids in Japan, dating back tens of thousands of years and older than the Egyptian pyramids. Legend has it that the largest of these "pyramids," the Mirror Stone, used to stand upright and had writing engraved on it, but fell over during an earthquake in 1857 and became embedded in the ground. Disappointingly, not one of the rocks slightly resembles a pyramid in the Egyptian or Mexican sense, but apparently Japanese pyramids are different from those found elsewhere. They were triangular rocks situated on the top of mountains and used for sun-worship in ancient times. A local standing by what may be Jesus' grave Tomb of the unknown Savior The "pyramids" are a five-minute drive from the Kirisuto no Sato Denshokan (Village of Christ Legend Museum; Tel: 0178-78-3741), where you can read about the history and customs of Herai, and catch the audio-visual show of the Kirisuto Matsuri (Christ Festival) held in the early summer. The museum is open from April to October. Contact the Shingo Business and Tourist Section at Shingo Village Office (Tel: 0178-78-2111) for visits during other times of the year. The present museum, open for the past five years, also records the uncanny circumstances surrounding the tombs of "Christ and his brother Isukiri" as well as old folk songs and customs that resemble ancient Judaic-Christian ones and various theories that either support or quash links between the Japanese and Christians of Jewish descent. Even the name of the village, Herai, is said to be derived from the word Hebrai (Hebrew). It sounds like a tall tale, but no stranger than stories of burning bushes, the parting of the Red Sea and water being turned into wine. For the people of Herai too, the revelation that Christ is buried in their village came as a shock when documents claiming Jesus had resided in Japan were discovered in Ibaraki Prefecture in 1935. Said to be Christ's will and testament and the proof that he had lived and died in Japan, the "Takenouchi documents" later proved to be fake. For years, many villagers felt that the shroud of mystery surrounding the large ancient tombs in a bamboo thicket had finally been lifted. The documents explained some of the village's customs, such as marking a cross on the forehead of a child when it first leaves the home and why Sanjiro Sawaguchi, a village elder, had "blue eyes like a foreigner." The museum explains mysterious local customs The tombs are located close to the Kirisuto no Sato Denshokan, marked by two large wooden crosses and are sitting on a small hill overlooking those of the Sawaguchi family-local garlic farmers who are said to be the descendants of Christ and who, to this day, care for their great ancestor's tombs. "Somebody special lies there but I don't really believe it's the tomb of Christ. It's probably the tomb of a foreigner who settled in the village at some point. It's certainly interesting that some of the old customs in this village are said to be similar to those of ancient Judea, and it may explain why some people in the village have blue eyes. But this village has always been Buddhist and the Shinto shrine in the village is more than 1000 years old, so I really don't think that there are any ancient links between Japanese and Jews or Christians of Jewish descent," said Yoshiteru Ogasawara, who runs Nobara Pension (Tel: 0178-78-2484). Regardless of what you believe, Herai makes an interesting-if somewhat barren-destination, and you're guaranteed a great travel story to share with friends. Getting there: From JR Ueno stn, take the Tohoku shinkansen to Morioka stn and change to the express train for Hachinohe. From Hachinohe, take a bus to Gonohe, where you can change to a bus for Shingo (Herai). For information on the local bus service, contact the tourist section of the Shingo Village Office (Tel: 0178-78-2111; Fax: 0178-78-2118). Getting around: Those seriously thinking of venturing out to this part of the world to see the tombs and the "pyramids" should consider hiring a car or taxi from Hachinohe or Gonohe as the local bus service is irregular, and getting around Herai on foot is nigh-on impossible, especially during the winter months. TRAVELOGUE WORLD TRAVEL TRAVEL FEATURES JAPAN TRAVEL: SEPTEMBER 389: God speed The mother of all Shinto temples, Ise Grand Shrine AUGUST 385: Hattoji Highland hamlet JULY 380: Nagasaki Remembrance of things past 378: Kawagoe From modern Tokyo to "Little Edo" 376: Tottori Tottori's stunning landscapes JUNE 375: Kyushu Bed and bath under the volcano 373: Ryogoku Land of the giants 372: Osaka Universal Studios Japan MAY 371: Osaka Amerika-mura: Osaka's funky town 369: Mie Mikimoto Pearl Island 368: Takarazuka Hyogo-ken's all women theater group APRIL 365: Kawasaki Kawasaki's annual fertility festival 364: Aomori A day on Fear Mountain MARCH 362: Nagano Chill out snowboarding 361: Asuka One foot in the grave FEBRUARY 356: Yamanashi Hakushu's hidden treasures 355: Waseda Tram Trip A streetcar named... 352/3: Aomori Jesus in Japan 351: Kumamoto Under the volcano in Kyushu 350: Sado Island Explore the forgotten charms of Shukunegi ISSUES 348- ISSUES 298- TOP

Taiwan Travel Guide Overview

Taiwan Travel Tips and Advice | iExplore.com FORBES' #1 ADVENTURE TRAVEL SITE 5 YEARS IN A ROW — TIME MAGAZINE TOP 50 Keyword Search: -- Home Trip Finder Travel Guides Community Special Offers Store My iExplore advertisement -- Home Travel Guides Far East Taiwan Do's and Don'ts Taiwan Travel Guide Overview Tours Where to Go Activities General Info History Weather Travel Tips Dining Shopping Visa & Health View Trips to Taiwan Far East Overview Browse Taiwan Photos Taiwan Questions and Answers Read Taiwan Journals Find a Taiwan Travel Buddy Taiwan Travel Tips & Advice Social Conventions Handshaking is common. Casual wear is widely acceptable. Ancient festivals and customs are celebrated enthusiastically and traditional holidays are important. Entertainment is usually offered in restaurants, not at home. Visitors are not expected to entertain. Chinese culture in the form of drama, opera and art is very strong. Despite rapid industrialization and development, the way of life is very much Chinese, steeped in tradition and old values. Tipping Tipping is not an established custom, although it is on the increase. Taipei hotels and restaurants add 10 per cent service charge and extra tipping is not expected. It is not customary to tip taxi drivers. The standard tip for porters is NT$50 per piece of luggage. International Travel: Travel warning Earthquakes (mostly minor) occur regularly and typhoons and tropical storms are a risk: visitors are advised to learn about emergency procedures for such events on arrival. Air The national airline is China Airlines (CI) (website: www.china-airlines.com ). EVA Airways (BR) offers flights to destinations throughout Asia (excluding China, PR), Australia, Europe, New Zealand and North America. Other airlines serving Taiwan include British Asia Airways , Continental Airlines , Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways . Approximate flight times From Taipei to London is approximately 15 hours including a stop in Hong Kong. International airports Chiang Kai-shek-Taipei (TPE) is 40km (25 miles) south of the city (travel time - 30 minutes). Airport facilities include an outgoing duty free shop, post office, car hire, bank/bureau de change, bar/restaurant and tourist information. Buses depart every 15 to 20 minutes for both Sung Shan (domestic) airport and the main railway station. Taxis and buses are available to the city center. Kaohsiung International (KHH) (website: www.kia.gov.tw ) is 9km (4 miles) from the town center. Airport facilities include an outgoing duty free shop, car hire, bank/bureau de change, post office and bar/ restaurant. A regular bus service is available (travel time - 30 minutes). There is a taxi service to the town. Departure tax None. Sea Ferries run regularly between Keelung and Kaohsiung ports (Taiwan) and Okinawa (Japan). There are also sea links between Kaosiung and Macau. Duty-Free The following items may be imported by persons over 20 years of age without incurring customs duty: 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 454g of tobacco ; 1 bottle (not more than 1l) of alcoholic beverage ; reasonable quantities of perfume ; other goods for personal use up to the value of NT$20 , 000 (NT$10 , 000 for passengers under 20 years of age) . Prohibited items Narcotics, arms, ammunition, gambling articles, non-canned meat products, fresh fruit and toy pistols. Publications promoting communism are prohibited, as are items originating in Albania, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China (PR), Cuba, Korea (Dem Rep), Laos, Romania, Vietnam and members of the CIS. All baggage must be itemised and declared in writing. Internal Travel: Air Far Eastern Air Transport , Mandarin Airlines , Transasia Airways and Uni Air are amongst the domestic airlines that run services to local destinations from Sung Shan Airport, Taipei. Sea There are reasonable connections from local ports. For details, contact port authorities. Rail Services are provided to destinations all over the island by the Taiwan Railway Administration (website: www.railway.gov.tw ). The main tourist routes are Taipei-Taichung-Chiayi-Tainan-Kaohsiung (a top-class service), Taipei-Taichung-Sun Moon Lake (with the last leg of the journey by bus), Chiayi-Alishan (with spectacular mountain scenery) and Taipei-New Hualian-Taitung (scenic coastal route). Air-conditioned electric trains run at least hourly from Taipei to Kaohsiung; some trains have restaurant cars. Children under three travel free; children aged three to 13 pay half fare. Train tickets can be purchased at many major hotels in Taipei, as well as at the main railway station. Road Traffic drives on the right. There is an adequate road system joining all major cities. A highway links Taipei and Kaohsiung. Some main streets have English signs. Congestion can be a problem, and mudslides may block mountain roads. Bus: There are both local and long-distance bus and coach services. Taxi: These are plentiful and inexpensive (metered). The destination may have to be written in Chinese for the driver. Car hire: This is available in major towns. Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required. Urban A number of private bus companies provide extensive services in Taipei. An unfinished Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, a monorail train, serves Taipei and its suburbs. Metered taxis are available in Taipei; tipping is not expected, but it is starting to come into practice. TRAVEL TIMES The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Taipei to other major cities/towns: Air Road Rail Kaohsiung 0.40 5.30 4.40 Tainan 0.40 4.30 4.10 Taichung 0.30 2.30 2.30 Hualien 0.30 7.00 3.00 Taitung 0.50 10.00 5.30 Sun Moon L. - 4.30 - Alishan - 6.00 - Kenting - 6.30 - Makung 0.40 - - Sponsored Listings ( Add your listing ) advertisement Advertisement -- advertisement Why iExplore? About Us Advertise Site Map Privacy Policy Travel Agents Contact Us © 2005 Adventure Travel with iExplore --