Hawa Mahal: Palace of the Winds

If you’ve ever traveled to Jaipur, India, the façade in the city will most certainly catch your eye. The Palace of the Winds or Hawa Mahal stands on a high platform adjoining the city wall. The architecture is unique and intricate, and the palace itself resembles a honeycomb screen. The palace is five-stories high and is built of red and pink sandstone. The Palace of the Winds is lined with white borders and motifs that are painted in a lime wash.

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There are close to 950 windows on the façade, each of them with a projecting balcony and crowning arched roof with a hanging cornice. The small windows have been compared to peepholes, which allow just enough breezes to enter the rooms behind them. The façade was designed to resemble a crown of mukut, worn by the god.

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Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh created Hawa Mahal at a very interesting time in 1799, when females of the royal family observed very strict purdah. This meant that their faces were completely covered. It was built as an extension to the main palace, and it allowed the royal women to observe the goings on in the street.

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The first three stories of the palace are actually one large, wide single room. The arched entrance to the west opens onto a exquisite courtyard surrounded by a two-story building, and on the eastern side, a fourth level rises like a stairway to the heavens. Ironically, there are no stairs, but ramps. The interior is simple and organic, unlike the ornate and fantastical architecture of the exterior. Evidently, it was created in this fashion to provide a resort like experience, instead of a comfortable residence.

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The Palace of the Winds was dedicated to the Hindu deity Krishna, to whom Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh dedicated it.

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Dubbo Zoo - hotels and accommodation

I've visited several zoos around the globe, with the hopes of encountering endangered species that many will never have the chance to see in their natural habitat. There's one particular zoo, one in which I haven't seen firsthand, which was brought to my attention by a friend who visited Sydney several years ago. The Taronga Western Plains Zoo  is a combination of amazing encounters with Koala bears, as well as observing Asian Elephants frolicking in the mud in the wallow. Consequently, the zoo is known worldwide for its conservation of the coral reefs, black rhino, meerkats, and tigers, amongst many other species. The Taronga Zoos have won countless tourism awards which have, essentially,  shed light on wildlife conservation.

If you're traveling to the Taronga Zoos, there are several options for Dubbo hotels and accommodation, and many of them, have wonderful ratings through AAA. Rates range anywhere from $141.00 a night to $112.00, and less. The hotels provide basic amenities to provide you comfort and a good night's sleep. After all, you'll be spending two consecutive days at the zoo, so you'll need a comfy bed. All of the hotels and accommodations are family friendly and are run by reliable, recognizable companies. Regardless of where you decide to stay, you'll have something to look forward to the morning. I mean, who could pass up some meerkat pups exploring their abode, or their parents, sunning themselves in all their glory in a Buddha pose. Gotta love these guys!

Facts About the Taronga Zoos

• Did you know that you can obtain a Certificate III in Captive Animals? This certificate is essential for those of you looking into Zoology or Marine Biology. 
• Taronga Western Plains Zoo has several samples of the Great Barrior Reef on display in their frozen zoo.
  
• Taronga has committed to the long term support of Wildlife Protection Units in the Sumatran Tiger’s habitat to help reduce illegal logging and poaching.

Zoo Info

Taronga Zoo is open every day of the year, including Christmas Day from 9am to 4pm. The entry fee includes two consecutive days’ admission and last entry to the Zoo circuit is at 3pm.

Adults $46
Children (4-15 years) $23
Children under 4 go free

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Temple of Artemis in Ephesus

Turkey is one my favorite travel destinations in the world. The combination of geological wonders and archaeological sites brings hundreds of thousands of tourists a year, flocking in to see what richness Turkey has to offer.  Since I have a fondness for archaeology, I was thrilled to find Francois' piece on the Temple of Artemis. Francois is an expert in international travel destinations, so if you have a moment, check out his piece on the Artemis Temple.

The Temple of Artemis, also know as Artemision in Ephesus, Turkey, was one of the Seven Wonders of the World and ruled the religious and social life of the city for centuries. It is located close to the Isaa Bey mosque and a fig trees field. Pausanias used to say that this temple exceeded in beauty and splendour everything man had produced so far. The monument would have been constructed upon order of the Gods after Artemis’ birth. Pliny the Elder also declared that during its history, the temple was pillaged and destroyed seven times, each time rebuilt at the same place and with even more magnificence. The last reconstructions were the most remarkable of all, according to a legend.

[Thanks Francois]

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Renting an Apartment in Calgary

Over the next coming year, my fiance and I will be planning our move up north. We have both come to an agreement about the area, but University of Calgary came up in a conversation when my fiance received an offer in the mail to continue graduate work there. Personally, I've never been to Canada and I wasn't exactly familiar with the universities, as I hadn't considered them for my academic discipline. I proceeded to tell my fiance that we would have to visit prior to him applying, and I figured looking into Calgary apartments for rent would be my first stop.

Mind you, I'm quite finicky about the sites I use for information, and especially for finding new housing, so my first, and only, stop was at a top rental site called Rent Calgary. This site offers visitors the most up to date home, townhouse and apartment information and availability. It's a user friendly site so be afraid to look around. Once you click the area of Calgary you want to move to, you'll be presented with photos, descriptions, and prices of the houses, apartments, and town homes available for rent in that area. You can sort the results by price, bedroom, bath and square footage. It only takes a moment to find a new home in a location you'll love.

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