Canyons of Ihlara Valley: The Place To Touch the Ancient Past

Ihlara Valley and its canyons may be seen in Cappadoccia, Turkey. Camping travelling in such a place will be something you'll never forget.

You may rent a car but remember that fuel is very expensive in Turkey (about 2,5 dollars).

We will go to Ihlara valley through the salty lake of Tuz. Due to evaporation the lake loses most part of its water in summer and on the dried bottom there forms a layer of salt 30cm thick. In winter it dissolves again in fresh water that the lake get from rain and flows from the ground. 

High water in the lake, it's quite shallow in fact.

Shore of the lake

Landscapes not far from the lake

Near Selim village

This place is hard to miss - here is only one road, and on the right is a burial of the monarch.

You will have to buy a ticket to visit this national park, however is it honest to pay for seeing forests and mountains?

However this place is definitely worth seeing: it's unique, beautiful and rather unusual.

Building of churches started here in the IV century. They were decorated with plain and low-paint frescos of the Syrian origin (beginning of the IX century). All in all there were built 105 churches in the valley till XIV century.

Temples are something to impress here - dark, destroyed but with frescos remained. When you see or touch them it seems you touch the past...

Dimensions of the temples are impressive too, hard to imagine how they could build something like this...

Incredible that they still exist!

Preserved frescos. Probably few people go this far to this part of the valley cause the images of Christian saints are not restored here.

The temples outside

And it's the very national park. It is 15 km long and stretches from the north to the south.

The north part of the park (usually tourists are taken to the south).

Over the canyon

Near Ihlara village. This valley is often jokingly called "a little Grand Canyon"

Sunsets are fantastic here!

Modern Berlin: Reminding of the Past

Berlin is not only the capital of Germany but a huge city with a great history. Its eastern and western parts greatly differ from each other. So let's explore both of them.

This is eastern Berlin.

It has been in the ideological, economical and cultural dependence on the Soviet Union for almost the entire second half of the 20th century. That resulted in its architecture.

Wonders of Beijing

Let us make a tour to Beijing and reveal the most interesting places in the capital of China.

Forbidden city

In Jinshan park

View of Forbidden city

Blossoming Tulips of Skegit Valley

In 1940s in the marchy valley Skegit there settled a family of immigrants from Holland. The bog of Skeget occupied a huge territory. And why tulips aren't boggy flowers? The company http://tulips.com/  opened by that family calls itself the biggest producer of tulips. 

And in our days, each year, approximately all population of state Washington and British Columbia come to the little village in the valley to see the wonderful tulips. Very many wonderful tulips.

The tulips blossom in industrial scale, but it's not quite clear why. Only those tulips whose glomes haven't opened yet can be sold to stores, but on the other hand, tourists wouldn't come to see at such tulips that don't blossom. One has to pay to enter the territory, but not much and not everywhere.

American tourists taking photos.

A Lesson In Nepal

We've already seen a lesson in Cambodia, now let's move to Nepal and discover what spiritual values pupils have there.

This is a little village Gandruk hidden among the Himalayas.

Not for all children the way for knowledge is easy. Some pupils go to school from neighbouring villages for 1,5-2 hours. There are no buses, children have to get over mountains, forests and follow the slippery paths in any weather.

Happy Birthday, the Queen of the Netherlands!

The 30th of April is the day when Holland celebrates its favourite holiday - Queen's Birthday (Konninginnedag).

Queen Beatrix has been rulling the country more than 20 years already and her influence on the political life of the Netherlands is enormous. In 2000 it was 110 years of the continuous governing of Holland by queens. Though this "tradition" cost the Netherlands the crown of the Luxemburg dukedom where accoding to the law, throne succession in the female line was forbidden. Its own royal dynasty appeared in the Netherlands only in 1815. Three Wilhelms had changed on the throne before 1890. And then came the turn of women.

After the queen dowager Emma's mother the throne was taken by Wilhelmina who reigned during the two world wars. In 1948 she gave the crown to her daughter Juliana who agreed to recognise the independance of Indonesia and Surinam who afterwards abdecated the throne giving it to Beatrix.

The 30th of April is the birthday of Juliana, but not Beatrix, who was born in January, 31st. For 32 years of Queen Juliana's governing the Dutch got used to celebrate her birthday in April, 30th and when her daughter Beatrix became a queen she didn't change the date of the holiday.

Each citizen has an orange costume for this day. Orange is the color of the royal house d'Orange-Nassau. They decorate streets with ribbons, garlands, balloons and flags - and all of them are orange.

Inflatable crowns, orange of course too, are in great demand as well. National flying flags and portraits of the queen are everywhere.

Orange staff are sold everywhere.

Someone even dye their hair red...

Special costumes for pets are not rare too.

On this day in the Netherlands Free Market is held too. By a special order of the queen in April, 30th all stores may sell goods without VAT. So on the last day of April everything may be bought 30% cheaper.

Kids can earn too, theyarrange mini concerts.

Children enjoy sweets.

Hundreds of people are sailing by boats.

This boat even has a DJ.

Noisy music everywhere.

Big concert on the central square.

Disabled people can have fun too.

Composting toilets for men have such an open light construction...

Police has no right to interfere, they patrol the streets to prevent serious incidents. However they happen really seldom.

Spring in Amsterdam

The Beatles Museum in Liverpool

Liverpool is the seaport where previously ships were repaired. What is the most famous thing about Liverpool? Probably many people say The Beatles and will be right.

Today we'll visit the museum dedicated to the popular group. So let's enter.

The beginning of the exposition.

One of the first Beatles pictures and the real instruments from this photo.

The installation from the Hamburg period of the Beatles. It was rather stormy time.

The Mersey Beat, 1964. Before Beatlemania.

Rare guitars.

The Cavern stage where the Beatles popularity began.

Everything was just the same many years ago.

The records shop of Brian Epstein.

In a recording studio.

John Lennon's glasses.

The big white hall dedicated to John Lennon. 

Mathew Street.

Little moorages.

The Cavern club.

Once the Beatles performed here.

And not only they. Other popular rock stars were here. The club works as a pub, you can drink ale or something stronger.

The whole street is studded with shops and pubs.