Thousands of faithful celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem

BETHLEHEM, West Bank—Thousands of pilgrims and tourists from around the world together with local Christians gathered in the biblical town of Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas Eve in the traditional birthplace of Jesus, with spirits lifted by a slowdown in recent violence and cool, clear weather.

Security was tight in Bethlehem after recent deadly attacks on Christian targets in neighboring Egypt and Jordan by Islamic extremists.

Yet the faithful braved the chilly weather outside the town’s Manger Square as traditional Christmas songs like “Jingle Bells” played in Arabic over loudspeakers and scout groups paraded with bagpipes and sang carols. Elated tourists and local Christians alike wandered around the square illuminated by festive red and golden lights and a large Christmas tree, visiting souvenir shops and restaurants.

Adding to the holiday spirit for the Palestinians, locals celebrated a key diplomatic victory at the United Nations the day before, where the Security Council passed a resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Sharolyn Knight, a 28-year-old teacher from Georgia, said she was in Bethlehem for the first time and experiencing mixed emotions. “It’s been sobering and humbling because it’s a place with a lot of heavy stuff, religious and historical. At the same time, disillusioning because there is so much strife in the place where Jesus was born.”

She said she would come back again, maybe next time with her kids.

“It’s very unique, I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Rodrigo Reis, 23, who came from Louisville, Kentucky, “It’s very meaningful, its Christmas time, where everything started.”

Christian clergymen welcomed the top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land inside the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, the birth place of Jesus Christ, as Christians worldwide begin to prepare to celebrate Christmas this year.

The Rev. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the apostolic administrator of the Latin Patriarchate, is the temporary chief clergyman to the local Catholic population. He traveled from Jerusalem to Bethlehem on Saturday in a traditional procession. Later, he was to celebrate Midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity, built at the grotto revered as Jesus’ birthplace.

“I wish this joyous atmosphere of Christmas will continue in the year and not just for a few days and I hope the coming year will bring a little more serenity and peaceful relations in our country. We need it,” he said.

“I am happy that the war, at least the military war, in Aleppo is finished and that for the first time in Aleppo the Christians can celebrate without fear the Christmas season. I wish that they can now reconstruct, rebuild the city, not only the infrastructure but also the common relations that was a tradition over there,” he told The Associated Press.

The Syrian government assumed full control of Aleppo earlier this month when rebels, including some Islamic militants, agreed to withdraw from their last remaining enclave after more than four years of heavy fighting over the country’s largest city.

Christmas festivities brought a boost of holiday cheer to Christians in the Holy Land, who make up just a small percentage of the population. The region has which has experienced a wave of Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed that erupted over a year ago. The violence has tapered off in recent months, but has not halted completely.

Rula Maaya, the Palestinian minister of tourism, said all the hotels in Bethlehem were fully booked.

“Bethlehem is celebrating today, we are receiving tourists from all over the world,” Maaya said. “All people over the world are looking at Bethlehem so we hope more and more tourists will come during the year and that next year we will celebrate Christmas without occupation.”

Maaya spoke a day after the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Julie Suhain, 20, from Ramallah said she was delighted with the UNSC resolution.

“It’s like getting a Christmas gift,” she said. “We’ve been waiting for this for a long time.”

Despite the Christmas cheer, Mideast politics loom large in the background—the concrete barrier that surrounds parts of Bethlehem is just one hulking reminder. It was built by Israel last decade during the second Intifada, or uprising, when Palestinian suicide bombers attacked buses and cafes.

Israeli says the barrier is meant to keep out Palestinian attackers, but because it dips inside the West Bank, Palestinians see it as a land grab that also stunts their economy.

Security was tight in Bethlehem after recent attacks on Christian targets in Egypt and elsewhere in the region by Islamic extremists.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

28,000 brick models make Legoland Florida a unique theme park

Get drenched in an interactive water ride, have fun on a “dragon coaster” that zips through a castle with smoke-belching creatures, and take all the selfies you want with larger-than-life mascots.

If you think these are just the latest offerings from the usual theme parks in Orlando, Florida, guess again.

As central Florida’s premier resort city, Orlando hosted recently the International Pow Wow (IPW) 2015, America’s largest gathering of travel-related industries, agencies and professionals.

Last year 68 million foreign and domestic tourists visited Orlando, making it America’s top travel destination.

As expected, a huge chunk of these visitors went to Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld. But there’s more to Orlando than the “big three.”

Less than an hour’s drive from downtown is the smaller city of Winter Haven, host to one of the biggest Legoland theme parks in the world—a 60-hectare attraction with close to 50 rides and dining, shopping and entertainment options, including the newly opened Legoland Hotel.

Legoland Florida is aimed at children between ages two and 12, according to the park’s spokesperson, Brittany Williams. “We’re able to create a great experience that suits this particular age group. It’s a great park to grow up with—from Duplo Valley for toddlers, to the Dragon Coaster for older children.”

Even without the rides, Legoland has 28,000 brick models—some as big as a two-story house—that are attractions in themselves.

Weatherproof

Consisting of 58 million Lego blocks, these weatherproof models come in all shapes and sizes—from dragons to giraffes, buses to fire trucks, divers to policemen.

Some are built around natural elements such as trees and rocks, while others blend seamlessly into rides and public spaces like restaurants, souvenir shops and Legoland Hotel’s lobby and check-in counter.

Bound by special cement to ensure people’s safety, majority of these miniature and larger-than-life Lego pieces are left outdoors.

One of our favorites is a whimsical section called Miniland USA.

Much like our old Nayong Pilipino, though smaller, the section has iconic landmarks and buildings from such places as Florida, Washington DC, New York, and Las Vegas.

The last two are the most interesting subsections of Miniland USA because of their iconic structures: Empire State Building, Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Grand Central Station and Rockefeller Plaza in New York; and iconic theme hotels like New York, New York, Paris, Mirage, Treasure Island, Luxor and MGM Grand on the Las Vegas strip.

Apart from capturing details, Lego designers went to great lengths to add such visual flourishes as New York’s yellow taxis, tiny jets of water shooting up from the Rockefeller Plaza fountain, and actual sounds of street life recorded in Las Vegas.

Legoland Florida, which opened in late 2011, grew from an older theme park called Cypress Gardens. Because of its strategic location and beautiful setting, Cypress Gardens lent Legoland a unique look and ambiance not found in other theme parks.

Landscaping

“The setting gives Legoland Florida a very lived-in look, with mature landscaping,” said Williams. “We’ve completely restored the botanical gardens, which offer guests a unique experience.”

Offering a respite from this summer’s soaring temperatures is one of Legoland Florida’s most popular attractions, the World of Chima. Be ready to get wet!

The water attraction has small boats and a viewing deck equipped with water canons. Families on boats are free to spray water at each other and at spectators, all in the spirit of fun. Since they’re also equipped with water canons, spectators can fire back.

Legoland has “milder” roller-coaster rides such as Dragon Coaster and Technic Test Track. The latter simulates a testing site for cars similar to the one found in certain Lego box sets.

What’s Legoland without its trademark learning tools?

The nerve center of building Lego sets is Imagination Zone. It focuses on exploring and creation, with some of the most visually exciting Lego models, including a huge replica of Albert Einstein’s head that serves as the building’s facade.

The Hero Factory is another immersive play area, while Build & Test allows guests to build a Lego car and test it against the competition on a digitally timed track.

“While we’re a park for kids, adults really enjoy learning about the models, especially in Miniland,” said Williams.

Legoland Florida’s botanical gardens can soothe the nerves of even the most harried parents.

Located “130 kid steps away from the resort,” Legoland Hotel is essential to Legoland Florida’s expansion, as it allows guests to savor the theme park experience.

“From the smoke-breathing dragon made of 445,000 Lego bricks to the Lego Castle, brick pit, Lego carpet and 5,000 mini figures behind the check-in counter, every detail in the hotel was designed with Lego in mind,” said Williams.

Before the summer is over, visitors can spend time and have their pictures taken with Lego Friends at the newly opened Heartlake City.

Inspired by a Lego sub-brand for older girls, Heartlake City goes beyond Legoland’s world of primary colors into a realm of pinks, purples, horses and, yes, a shopping mall!

For details log on to www.legoland.com. Delta, one of the official airline partners of IPW 2015, flies daily from Manila to Orlando.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

10 ways to enjoy Russia

To the intrepid traveler in search of exotic sites and adventures, Russia is the perfect starting point for the trip of a lifetime.

Aside from being the largest country in the world, spanning two continents and covering 1/7 of the earth’s total land area, Russia is also home to some of the most awe-inspiring natural and manmade wonders on the planet. (Some of the most widely televised events in the world will be held there, such as the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow in November and the July 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.)



If the mere thought of navigating your way through this vast territory overwhelms you, fear not. Here are some must-sees and dos to get you started.


Moscow

1. Get to know Russia’s rich and colorful past in Moscow. Start at the Kremlin and get to know the seat of Russian political power. Inhabited since the 2nd century BC and known as a kremlin (“fortress”) beginning 1331, here is where you’ll see five palaces, four cathedrals, as well as the official residence of the president of the Russian Federation. The Moscow Kremlin is also home to what the Unesco describes as “religious monuments of exceptional beauty,” such as the Church of the Annunciation and the Church of the Archangel, as well as the Senate and the historic Red Square.

Another interesting tidbit about Moscow: It is home to the largest number of billionaires in any other city in the world—beating New York by a handful of ultra-rich citizens. If you’d like to get more than the usual taste of glitz and glamour, Moscow is the place to be in.

St. Petersburg

2. Feel like a tsar in St. Petersburg. Approximately 400 miles from Moscow and only 90 minutes via a nonstop flight on Aeroflot, St. Petersburg is home to some of the most stunning palaces in the world. Peterhof (Petrodvorets) is a complex of palaces and gardens commissioned by Peter the Great in the early 1700s, and is known as the “Russian Versailles.” It is recognized as a Unesco World Heritage Site, with some famous attractions such as the Grand Palace and the fountain complex known as the Grand Cascade.

Perhaps even grander than Peterhof is the Tsarkoe Selo (Pushkin), which was built by the Romanov tsars in the 18th century and is known to be a symbol of Russian opulence and extravagance. But more displays of grandeur abound in St. Petersburg.

Golden Ring

3. Take a tour around the “Golden Ring,” and explore Russia’s spiritual side. The Golden Ring is a cluster of cities toward the northeast of Moscow, which has become popular with tourists for its many churches, monasteries, and a taste of the Russian pastoral life.

The closest stop would be Sergiev Posad (approximately 83 miles from Moscow), home of the ancient monastery founded by Sergey Radonezhskiy, a saint of the Russian Orthodox Church.

For a more rustic feel, head out to Suzdal (approximately 134 miles and four hours by land from Moscow), and find yourself surrounded by 12th- to 13th-century churches and monasteries. While there, make sure to try medovukha, a light alcoholic drink made from honey.

Lake Baikal

4. If you think Russia is all pomp and overindulgence, head over to Lake Baikal in southeastern Siberia (six hours by plane from Moscow to Irkutsk) for a more down-to-earth experience with Mother Nature’s glory. A place of many superlatives, Lake Baikal is the world’s oldest lake (25 million years old) and also its deepest (1,700 meters deep). It is also the world’s largest unfrozen freshwater reserve and is home to some of the world’s richest freshwater faunas, cited by the Unesco for its “exceptional value to evolutionary science.”

Vodka

5. Indulge in vodka, one of the world’s most popular drinks. No trip is complete without sampling a country’s cuisine, but no trip to Russia would be authentic without a sip (or a glass, or more) of vodka. First produced over 600 years ago, vodka is made by distilling grains such as rye, wheat and barley, and then filtering the liquid with birch charcoal.

Its long and fascinating history has survived the Prohibition era, and it has likewise been instrumental to the wealth and the power of the Russian state.

For a closer look at how vodka is made, take a tour at Cristall, Russia’s largest vodka distillery, located in Moscow.

Art and culture

6. Immerse yourself in fine art and high culture—all in St. Petersburg. The Russians certainly love culture, as seen in more than 2,000 libraries and more than 200 museums and galleries that have been established in St. Petersburg alone.

One of the world’s largest museums, the State Hermitage Museum houses more than three million items and is known for its grand art collection.

For something more intimate and quaint, head over to the (Fyodor) Dostoyevsky Memorial Apartment Museum, where the “Crime and Punishment” author resided during the last three years of his life. Aside from a reconstruction of the Dostoyevsky family home, the museum also houses art exhibits and a small theater for conferences, poetry readings and performances.

Russian ballet

7. Fall in love with (or at!) the Russian ballet. Although ballet was really a French import, the Westernization program of Peter the Great and the establishment of St. Petersburg’s Imperial School of Ballet paved the way, centuries later, for the careers of such important names as Anna Pavlova, Mikhail Foskine and Nijinsky.

Today, one of the most prestigious dance companies is the Bolshoi Ballet, housed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Several well-loved productions are lined up this October, including “Swan Lake,” “Don Quixote” and “Spartacus.” (Visit www.bolshoi.ru/en/)


Matryoshka dolls

8. Take home a set of matryoshka dolls. Perhaps the most iconic of Russian souvenir items is the matryoshka or the babushka dolls, nesting dolls that were first introduced at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris. Usually made of linden or birch, and then hand-painted, matryoshka dolls became globally popular in the 20th century and were manufactured in Sergiev Posad and Semenov, outside Moscow.

Today, the best place to find a wide variety of gift items is in Izmaylovo Market, Moscow. Before heading out there, remember to wear comfortable shoes and clothing, as your shopping trip could easily last the whole day.

Moscow Metro

9. Travel like a local, in style. One of the most magnificent contributions of the Stalin era is Moscow’s opulent metro system, with stations built as “people’s palaces.” Constructed in the 1930s, the Moscow Metro was built by some of Russia’s best architects and artists, and featured fine examples of different architectural styles, iconography, art.

One of the more popular stations is Mayakovskaya, featuring a sky-theme Art Deco mosaic by Alexander Deineka. If you intend to check out each station, give yourself a few days as there are now over 170 stations in all.

Traveling around Russia

10. Tour the vast expanse of Russia. You may want to try Aeroflot, which flies to 28 destinations there. It is also practical to take as it offers connections to other local cities.  (Contact its Philippine ticketing office at 7592191 and 7592192; or e-mail

info@aeroflot.ph)

There is truly much more to Russia than meets the eye, and it offers many unforgettable experiences to those who open themselves up to its charms. Although it may seem like a world away to many Filipinos, in truth, Russia is much closer and more accessible than many of us think. With a bit of research and planning, a few tips from the experts, and a lot of gumption for adventure and exotic cultures, the trip of your dreams could be just a plane ride away.


source: lifestyle.inquirer.net