I had no idea that when it comes to fiestas and festivals that there are tons in Spain. So, I was bound to see one no matter where I was or what ever time of year it is in Spain. I was fortunate enough to be in Seville during one or the more important events, the Semana Santa, also known as Easter Week. It was a deeply religious celebration and was some what overwhelming.

Easter Week, or the Passion of Christ is celebrated through out all of Spain. The festivities begin with the Domingo de Ramos, or Palm Sunday, and ends with Lunes de Pascua, or Easter Monday. It’s a celebration of life itself and the whole country of Spain comes alive. Each area of all the cities, towns and villas, apparently, put their own accent on the celebration. They are all different, but they all portray the same life, culture, music, dance and color, and all with a very deep religious meaning.

All I had to do to watch the celebration was to go out on my balcony of one of the luxury hotels Seville Spain has and enjoy the procession make their way throught the streets, carrying religious icons and symbols of their faith. In Seville, there are well over 100 of these images through out the city. The procession went on for miles and lasted until the early hours of the morning and every night through the Easter Week. Semana Santa has to be experienced first hand to be fully understood and appreciated. No words would convey or describe the emotions that flow like the river wherever you go. So, If you do have an opportunity to either watch or participate in this festivity, you will not regret one moment of doing so and it will leave a lasting impression on your soul.

The streets of Chinatown in Mauritius are similar to the Chinatown neighborhoods in various cities throughout the world.  One will find many shops along the roads, all side by side, and selling the exact same products.  New items next to used ones, plastic children’s toys, paintings, books and spare mechanical parts are all for sale under one roof.  This is the same scenario in Chicago’s Chinatown in the United States.  The streets are always a-bustle, save for the middle of the hot afternoons when it is so still the only movement is made by the stray cats wondering the streets looking for bits of food along the alleyways.

There are always a lot of hardware shops, same is true in the downtown location of Los Angeles, California’s Chinatown,  with wrenches and screws sharing the same shelves as woks and teapots.  There must be a rhyme and a reason to the organization, but that is something that is illusive and hard to figure out.  Many of the older Chinese residents of the neighborhood in Mauritius have never really ventured out of the area, and often times their accents retain the strength of those having just learned to speak the language.  Close to the district in Mauritius, luxury hotel accommodations are plentiful, and offer one the flavor of the various neighborhoods at one’s doorstep.  In any city, one of the most distinguishable differences between Chinatown and the other neighborhoods is the food.

Be it the smaller shops located in the market places, with unfamiliar meats hanging from the rafters, to the restaurants that offer up the proper experience of a Dim Sum meal, the options are endless.  One is well aware of that fact the moment they turn a corner and embark on a stroll down the sidewalk, as the aroma of the spices and the meats and the vegetables combine to create the scent of China itself.  And should be lucky enough to visit during the Chinese New Year, or any other Chinese celebration, one will be amazed and awe struck at the sights, the sounds and again, the flavors of the feasts.

The island of Mauritius is a combination of many different cultures that have been immigrating to the island for hundreds of years. This is a whole culture composed of those of varied religious, lingual, and racial backgrounds. All of these cultures today, live on the island in peace and in harmony. The festivals that occur throughout the year, draw many people to island, many of them staying in one of the luxury hotels. Mauritius festivals of note are the Idul Fitr Festival, the Cavadee, the Diwali and the Christmas celebration,  each of these representing the different religions that are currently being practiced on the island.

Other evidence of this diversity is found in the many different temples, mosques and churches that dot the island. Sega dance music as its origins on the island, this is the form of music that was created and enhanced over the years by the slaves that were brought to the island on the various trading ships and expeditions. The music quite often times accompanies the Sega dancers, in a dance form that combines pulsating body rhythms with and undertone of political reference and is used to propagate messages that lead to social change and awareness. The Le Morne region of Mauritius was originally used as a shelter for the slaves who had run away from their owners.

During the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century, the slaves came to the region and hid out in the protection of the mountain ranges are on the Southwest side of the island and they are rugged and isolated, and made up of dense forests and almost impassable cliffs. Camps were formed within this cover and the tradition of story telling along with the history of that time period has made this region a symbol of the fight for freedom. This is as far reaching as the many different homelands of the slaves that were brought to the island over the years, far reaching as Madagascar, Southeast Asia, India, and the mainland of Africa. Mauritius became and important stop during the years of the slave trade, many of the traders taking refuge from their travels towards other parts of the world. Many of these slaves escaped their captor’s ships and found their rescue in the mountains of Le Morne.

How has alcohol and the abuse of other drugs affected HIV’s infection and spread?  Immensely, especially in regard to women.  Most women who are known drug or alcohol users or are known recovering addicts have contracted HIV.  Part of the problem stems from women who use intravenous drugs like heroin for their highs:  a number of 46% has been attributed to women who are intravenous drug users.  Another shocking figure comes in the form of women who are heterosexual but have had sexual contact with male intravenous drug uses.  18% of women become infected this way.

Treatment of HIV has come a long way since its first experimental inceptions.  Though many drugs are still very experimental, those infected with the disease have a far greater chance of living a longer and more normal life than at the beginning of HIV’s history of treatment procedures and medications.  Unfortunately, because of their abusive past and continuing use with alcohol or drugs, women and men in general refuse to be compliant with the treatments available for HIV.  This is why addiction treatment is such a necessary first step in the treatment of HIV infected women.  It allows them to get the other kinds of help they need in order to be a fully functional member of society, and more importantly a healthy and happy person.

Other problems arise for women who have contracted HIV and are abusers, problems which an residential drug treatment cannot only treat.  Many women suffering from drug addiction  do not only suffer from a single a couple of diagnoses.  They suffer from multiple diagnoses.  As a result, they are in a frailer state physically than other abusers.  Problems could arise because such patients often have trouble enduring the great encumbrance of the varying medical methods used for HIV treatment and threaded with treatment for drug addiction.  Other disorders of a psychological variety might be affecting the patient as well, and makes treatment that much harder for them.

But there is hope for such women.  Studies have shown that it is possible with great effort and hard work to help women recognize their problem with addiction and treating that addiction successfully.

For four-star hotels, Bangalore has a surplus of comfort and luxury.  Our world-class accommodation offer some of the most splendid features available, with a generous mixture of hospitality and convenience.  We offer a marvelous array of lodgings, and we specialize in the revitalization of the body and spirit.  You will adore the fantastic food available here, prepared by chefs who are trained in traditional cooking as well as the most contemporary innovations.  Fine dining is at a premium here, and conveniently located within your hotel.  Guests here will experience a lovely sense of relaxation, preparing them for new adventures in the city.

Bangalore has a lot to offer travelers of all ages.  It is one of the world’s great centers of technology, and the local economy has been quite good recently.  There has been a trend toward young people returning to Bangalore from time spent abroad, lulled back by its financial promise.  This makes for a fascinating cultural mix, where locals are suddenly getting to know their own city again for the first time.  This has resulted in new and interesting cultural experiments, blending innovation and tradition to the entertainment menu.  In this light, there is the Bangalore Roof Top Film Festival, which brings together audiences for intimate evenings of independent entertainment.

The Roof Top Film Festival is a wonderful way to get to know local culture in Bangalore, as the events are very informal.  People gather with the intention of watching lesser-known films in a neighborhood setting.  It is very community-oriented, which means that there is a strong connection to the local and global, and visitors here can observe and take part in the next wave of film viewing.  This is an open forum where people can see new and exciting work, and discuss what they see in an atmosphere of open inquiry.

The ride on the Metro North railroad from New York City’s Grand Central Terminal is full of breathtaking scenery. A short walk from a best New York City hotel to the station and your on your way for a trip back through historic towns and villages and gorgeous scenery. The train ride begins in the cavernous railway platforms beneath the streets of New York City in Grand Central Terminal. For the first part of the trip the train travels in a subterranean tunnel till it reaches the Bronx when it comes above ground to continue its journey north. After Bronx the train takes up its way along the west bank of the Hudson river at river level. The river is wide near Manhattan, over a mile from bank to bank. On the opposite side of the river you can see the white cliffs of the Palisades of New Jersey as the train passes through lower Hudson river towns like Terrytown, Croton-on-Hudson, and Scarsdale. These are towns that have histories rooted in this continents pre colonial history. Many are very charming and quaint with streets lined with shops and a mixture of architectural styles spanning from the 600′s to present. As you travel further north there are more stops at little towns. A favorite stop for tourists and shoppers is Cold Spring. This towns Main St is lines with wonderfull shops full of treasures, antiques, galleries, beads, jewelry, gifts and curios and bakery, ice cream shop, coffee shops and resturaunts. What makes this town so special and a great stop is that all of this is accessible within walking distance of the train stop. Further up the Hudson the train comes to the city of Beacon, home to the world famous Dia Beacon Modern art museum on the Hudson in gigantic old Nabisco packing factory. The train continues up the river to the its final stop the city of Poughkeepsie. This is a city rich in American history. The colonist government was moved from NYC to Poughkeepsie during the revolution to protect it from the British. In the area are the Roosevelt, Vanderbilt, Moorse, Mills, and Astor estates.

There are few experiences in the world that can even come close to clubbing in Ibiza, and there are many reasons why it has such a tremendous reputation around the world.  One night (and this can extend well into the next day) in these clubs, and you’ll know what the buzz is all about.  Ibiza on its own is a magnificent place, with intensely hospitable island culture, a relatively mild heat, and beautiful vistas all around.  Add to this some of the best parties in the world, and there’s a sense of why clubs here have such a following.  Our clubs are distinctive in their ability to cater to youth culture with excesses of style and grace, providing a stomping grounds for a party that goes on all day and all night.

It’s difficult to spend any time in a club here without hearing the word techno, and there are few who probably really understand what that term really means.  Most people will call any kind of electronic or dance music techno, and although they might occasionally be right, there’s more to it than a purely cosmetic similarity.   The term does certainly refer to technology and music, but there are some key distinctions that are important to keep in mind.  Perhaps most importantly, the music did not begin in Europe, as one might guess, but in the United States.  It is very similar in sensibility and development to hiphop and rap, combining forms to create something very unique and sophisticated.

Techno’s origins are generally accepted as beginning in Detroit in the 1980s.  Three African-American college students, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, and Juan Atkins, aka The Belleville Three, found their inspiration in a late-night radio program hosted by DJ Charles The Electrifying Mojo Johnson.  Their music was a mixture of forms that played with early versions of sampling, and was inspired by ideas drawn from science fiction, and a fascination with and uneasiness toward the future.  This was later integrated with some ideas drawn from Alvin Toffler’s The Third Wave, and began to develop with specific and complicated beats, designed to put the listener into a kind of light trance state.   There are many lines of development between these early stages and what one will hear in Ibiza, but the intentions to alter the consciousness of the listener are still the same.

The largest town in the Scottish county of Aberdeenshire is Peterhead.  The is the most eastern region located in the country, and is the home to the largest port and the largest exporter of white fish in all of Europe.  Peterhead hotels, restaurants and the people of the town have relied on the sea and have been deeply connected to it throughout the town’s history.  Compared to the other villages and towns in Scotland, the history of Peterhead is relatively shorter than the others.

The town was settled by George Keith.  During 1587, he was the fifth Earl Marischal of the country.  This town started out as a very small fishing village on the island of Keith Insch.  This was a perfect place for the industry of fishing, and was one of the reasons for the quick success of the town.  In less than 100 years, the small town had grown and supported one of the largest and busiest ports on the coastlines of Scotland.  The industry as changed throughout the years, adjusting to the times and the markets.

Various focuses have included sealing, whaling, herring fishing and in modern times the off and onshore oil rigs.  The Arbuthnot Museum in Peterhead is located on Saint Peter Street, and this is a great place to investigate the history of the town and the citizens, including a large collection of artifacts and relics of the Inuit People.

These were collected over the years by Adam Arbuthnot during the days when the whaling industry was the major economic support for the town.  Lovers of history and maritime lore is found in the quirky boat shaped building on South Road.  Located in the ship-building is the Peterhead Maritime Museum.  This documents the history and the changes in the fishing industry before the stocks went into decline.  Located nearby is a wonderful restaurant called the Ugie Salmon Fish House, where diners feast on the delicacies of the sea.

Truro, England is a prominent city located in the region of Cornwall. It is central to the area’s structure and serves as its primary administrative basis. The region of Cornwall is dynamic and plays a crucial role in English history and importance. Tourists who visit England and stay in a Truro hotel are often amazed with the beauty of the scenery and amazing historic landmarks that are found there.

The Royal Cornwall Museum is one of the major landmarks and attractions found in Truro. Not only is it the oldest museum found in the region, but it is also the preeminent leader of Cornish history and culture. It has an amazing and diverse collection of artifacts, art and various other elements of the region’s history and society. Some of the collections include Fine Art, Applied and Decorative Arts, Cornish Archeology and Geology. One of the major and universally enthralling features it houses is an unwrapped mummy. The museum is part of the Royal Institution of Cornwall.

The building in which the museum is located was built in 1845 and originally served as the Truro Savings Bank. After this original manifestation it became the Henderson’s Mining School. One of the greatly appreciated by tourists aspects of the museum is that admission to it is free. While this is the case, it is possible and sometimes common that some of the individual exhibits have specific fees. One of the current exhibits is called New Expressions and is a series of photographs that relate to the museum and its history and collections. Another current exhibit is the works of Lynn Pascoe. The collection features original prints that depict the life and work of Ukrainian cauliflower cutters that have immigrated to Cornwall and work the land around Truro. These and others offer unique perspectives and styles that relate to Truro and its culture.

I have spent many a great day and night in New York City! There is more to do than you can fit in in one lifetime. Museums, shopping, site seeing, Broadway, Off Broadway, Opera, concerts and more. From sunrise to sunrise there is never a lack for something to do. I particularly enjoy the museums. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is enormous. It has a gallery with reconstructed Assyrian temples inside, they are in a beautiful rood with one side of glass overlooking the green trees of Central Park. The collection there is vast and spans the entirety of human history. Pre recorded historic art, Egyptian, Roman, Byzantine, Greek artifacts. Paintings from Leonardo de Vinchi to Andy Warhol and everyone you have ever heard of and not heard of in between! The museum area is studded with 4 star hotels new york for your accommodation needs. A short walk from the Met is the Guggenheim, an unusual building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The round structure with its simple lines and form stand in stark contrast to the straight lines and ornamentation of the 1800′s buildings that surround it. The Guggenheim houses modern art shows. Its gallery is an open room several stories height that is round and is accessed by a spiral ramp way lined with art. From there heading to MOMA, the Museum of Modern Art or the Modern as it is called by New Yorkers. This splendid museum houses works of the Dadists, Surrealists, Expressionism and more modern art movements. I remember going to MOMA years ago when the additional floors were added. The entire museum displayed Picasso’s work… Only Picasso. It was wonderful. There is also the International Center for Photography, The Frick Collection The Cloisters, The Museum of Natural History and enndless smaller museums and galleries. Oh and I don’t want to forget another favorite of mine across from the Museum of Modern Art is the American Folk Art Museum. The collection of folk art there is amazing and worth a look. These is wood working, needle work, quilts, hand made garments, from fun and funky to fairly ordinary and mundane but the workmanship is always top notch. Make sure to check museum listings for changing exhibits, you never know what might be showing, you may be surprised.