Birders can find new exciting species to observe even in the midst of the largest cities. For example, where I booked a room at a New York Cheap Hotel, Central Park is home to more than 150 species of birds throughout the entire year. I was fortunate enough to pack the right equipment to help me with my birding project.

I’m a recreational birder, so I only needed a few basic birding supplies in order to find birds on my trip. I brought binoculars, a compact, portable pair which helped me easily observe birds no matter where I was. A field guide tucked into my field jacket. A notebook so I could take quick notes on all the species I observed so I can compare and do a positive identification. I found a simple digital camera to be valuable for capturing birding observations quickly and easily so the species could be identified later on without interrupting any other plans I had. I could’ve brought more extensive equipment, like a multiple guides, a fully-equipped field bag or a spotting scope, but they really weren’t necessary for my casual birding vacation.

I knew when to spot birds effectively which increased my chances of finding a new or unusual species during my vacation. The very early morning hours, before any business activity begins, is one of the best times to observe birds feeding and preening after a long night. Later in the afternoon is another feeding time and taking an hour or two for casual birding was a welcome break from my structured vacation itinerary. Plus, putting in a few extra hours into my schedule helped too, like while at the beach, I not only built sand castles, I observed gulls and other shore birds. At the zoo, I visited the aviary and I contacted a birding organization prior to travelling to get tips on the best hot spots.  All of this made my birding a pleasure.

There are so many things to do in Barcelona it’s difficult for a tourist to find time to do them all, and had even greater difficulty deciding what to see and do, since they are all fantastic. It’s even a special experience spending the day in one of the city’s numerous parks, some of which also have museums and cultural centers. In addition to the standard entertainment venues and cultural aspects the city offers, there are numerous festivals that are celebrated throughout the year and they also attract many tourists who fill the Barcelona boutique hotels.

Whatever the reason for visiting Barcelona, and however one’s day may be filled, experiencing the nightlife and club scene is always a great way to wind down or even party all night. There are bars and clubs to suit all interests, personalities, persuasions, ages and genders. It’s difficult to get more diverse than that. 23 Robadors is well known to residents, and is considered to be a true find when tourists open its old doors on the rickety old street. It is an informal club with exposed brick walls and timber beams on the ceiling. It features light jazz on Wednesdays and Flamenco on Sundays.

Aire is a sexual orientation open bar. It is part of the gay disco chain venues known as Arena, though this bar is low key and there is a diverse mix of patrons. It is generally accepted to be a lesbian dance bar, though everyone is welcome and everyone comes. The Baja Beach Club is an intriguing and lively club, featuring go go dancers from both sexes. It blasts dance music and is considered to be a great place for meeting people. It overlooks the beach, which enhances its ambiance, and also attracts the beach crowd. Daguiri is an interesting bar, and generally full of travelers, whether they be general life travelers or tourists. It offers good food and a nice patio to enjoy a drink on a warm summer evening.

According to a 2006 study American workers give back 1.6 million years of vacation time to their employer each year.  And also per 2006 findings, about a quarter of workers in America do not receive paid vacation time.

Comparatively, American workers work two weeks longer than those in Japan and two months longer than Germans, who are reported to sometimes get up to 15 weeks of paid vacation a year.

On average, Europeans get about four weeks of vacation each year.  Only workers in Mexico receive less vacation time than Americans. The country with the most vacation time is Denmark, with 31 days of vacation time.

What is it about Americans and the American worker? Well in corporate environments it’s all a matter of competitiveness. If the top companies only offer one to two weeks of paid vacation time, then certainly companies in that same field will offer the same amount for a similar job or position in that field.

Here’s the thing, Americans are complete workaholics and it’s only getting worse. Most Americans simply can’t relax because they are always tied to their work via their cell phone, blackberry, or I phone. Most people can’t let work lie while they are on vacation and especially with technology these days.

It’s about time that Americans reclaimed their vacation time. Take a trip to Hawaii for goodness sake. But studies show that most Americans feel guilty asking for vacation time so they use their sick time to take personal days or if they have personal obligations.

The American mentality is work hard and play hard. And the output of America compared to Europe is staggering. The Gross Domestic Product of Europe has been grown 2.4 percent in the past five years compared with 5 percent in the United States, and European nations have been looking into changing its vacation policies.

But there is no doubt the American worker needs to chill out too every once in awhile. So take that vacation time, book Lanai vacation packages, and rest and relax people!

The Hawaiian island of Maui  is one of the most alluring, with its gorgeous beaches and verdant landscape.  There are so many attractions in Maui that there is never an excuse to be bored.  From the sensuality of lazing on a soft white sandy beach, to snorkeling, surfing, scuba diving, and sailing, you water lovers will be in heaven.  Whale and dolphin watchers will be satisfied as this island is famous for its schools of both, coming to frolic and enjoy the warm waters as they to have fun people watching.  Horseback riding and helicopter tours are also available for those of you who don’t need to touch the ground, and evenings bring authentic luaus and world-class dining as well as long walks under the stars, or a night of disco dancing.  Take your Hawaii vacation with your family or go with a loved one.  Maui can be fun, exciting, informative, and romantic, satisfying every one’s needs, young and old.

There are wonderful options for staying on this island.  Book a family style Hawaii resort, a hotel room for two, or plan to go camping in one of the lush parks.  You can also rent a condo or a villa to feel like you are home.  Any way you decide to have a Maui vacation, you will have the time of your life, with many exquisite memories to bring home.

Near Bangkoks busy business districts and Bangkok Business Hotels, small farms produce vegetable for markets that are located in and around downtown Bangkok might have little more than half a hectare, whereas commercial rice farms outside the city average over ten hectares. The average commercial rice bolding on the central plain however, are typically over three hectares and all the available land is under cultivation. In the upland to the east of the plain, where maize is commercially grown, the typical farm size is close to 6.5 hectares. Cassava also grows in this area on a somewhat smaller farm, around five hectares. West of the plain, the uplands are committed in part to sugarcane on holdings usually about the size of 3 hectares. In the south, the rugged terrain made of about a quarter of the region is unsuitable for agriculture.

The climate of Bangkok, however, favors the cultivation of rubber trees and the majority of small farms grow rubber as a cash crop alongside subsistence of the rice crops. The type of agriculture engaged in by the small farm, whether a cash crop, subsistence, or a combination of the two vary from region to region. Most of the small farmers whose sole agriculture is the raising of such cash crops as maize, vegetables, fruits and sugarcane on the every disappearing farm land have sustained the local markets with fresh produce for centuries. And provided employment for the rural country folk in need of earning a livelihood, but only having farming skills, but who are also wanting to live a comfortable life in the big city. The small farms of Bangkok employ about one-eighth of the labor force. The small farm sector has provide an adequate amount of food for the rapidly growing population and has produced substantial produce surpluses to even export. The Bangkok’s farmer’s ability to adapt to changing market conditions has contributed to the country’s agriculture success and continue to flourish. A testimony to the David’s verses the Goliaths of agriculture.

Raja Ravi Varma was born in 1848 in Kerala, India. His father was a respected scholar and his mother was a well-known poet and writer. Varma demonstrated his talent early in life and at a young age he received the patronage of a relative, which allowed him to begin his formal training. He would go on to be recognized internationally and play an integral part in the progress of Indian art. His work in miniatures is included as part of the permanent collection at the National Gallery of Modern Art. He is one of the most prominent artists to emerge from Kerala, and his work can sometimes be found at the best hotels Kerala.

Varma’s work is considered to be among some of the best examples of European academic theory fused with traditional Indian traditions. He achieved great recognition for his interpretations of scenes from the epics, such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana. His primary medium was painting and he had an extremely successful career. He is well known for his portrayal of women wearing saris. He presents them beautifully in graceful and shapely forms. He traveled throughout India to find subjects for his paintings and often modeled them after Hindu Goddesses. He gained world recognition in 1873 when he won an award for an exhibition he had in Vienna.

He had an interesting personal life that included marrying Rani Bhageerathi Bayi of the Mavelikara Royal Family and together they had three sons and two daughters. Tragedy struck the home in 1912 when their oldest soon disappeared and was never found. This had a permanent effect on Varma’s outlook. Their second son, Prince Rama Varma, followed in is father’s footsteps and became an artist. He studied at the JJ School of Arts. Their oldest daughter, Princess Mahaprabha, is preserved through history through her appearance in two of Varma’s most prominent paintings.

Much of the city of Barcelona shuts down during the summer months. However, at least one major cultural celebration event takes center stage in this beautiful coastal city. The Festival Grec is a multiple art genre event that includes theatre, dance and music. Performers even take to the streets and present impromptu scenes and monologues for visiting tourists and locals alike. Information for the festival should be available to out of town guests who are staying at one of the 5 star Barcelona hotels.

Montjuic is a large hill on the southwest edge of the city and over looks the splendor of the harbor. The Greek amphitheatre on Montjuic is one of the most well known venues of the festival. This is also the birthplace of the Festival Grec. In 1976 a group of passionate writers, directors and actors got together at the amphitheatre and staged some performances. Another major attraction on Montjuic is the Magic Fountain. The fountain is an amazing combination of light, music, water and motion. The first performance of the Fountain was in 1929 as part of the Great Universal Exhibition. It was designed by Carles Buigas. Other prominent venues for the festival include Teatre Nacional de Catalunya and L’Auditori.

Festival Grec, as it is commonly refereed to, takes place every summer and this year will feature performances from some of the top artists around the world. Among them are Joss Stone, Brian Wilson and Marianne Faithful. It attracts not only international stars but an international audience as well. The amphitheatre is located near Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium. The stadium was originally built in 1927 to host the 1929 Barcelona World’s Fair. It was rebuilt in 1986 to host the 1992 Olympics.

For many years, it has been common for the people of New York to vacation in Florida.  To have a brief respite, especially during the winter months in the city.  It was a fad at one time, for the travelers to purchase baby alligators, and then to bring them back to the city as souvenirs for their children.  The alligators would become too big, and would end up, most often times, being flushed down the toilet.  Urban legend has it that some of these animals survived and bred in the sewer systems of Manhattan.  Growing into giant alligators just under the streets of the city.  And they continue to survive to this day, under the clubs, under the apartments, under the five star New York hotels, remaining hidden from the eyes of the many humans that live on those streets.  So the legend goes.

In 1935 an 8 foot gator was found in East Harlem at the the bottom of a manhole.  It unfortunately was found by teen aged boys, and did not survive.  At the time however, no one actually believed that it had been living down there, just that it may have fallen off of a ship coming from the Everglades, that it made its way up the Hudson River and ended up in Harlem.  In 1959, a book was written by Robert Daley.  This book has become known as a standardized account, of urban legends.  The story follows a retired sewer worker as he discovers the ‘monsters’ in the sewers under New York City, and takes it upon himself to rid the city of this terrifying threat.  This tale was told again in 1960.  The ‘NY White’ was a term previously used to describe the albino alligators, but it was the 60′s, and the legend states that someone in the city had flushed, not baby alligators, but very potent marijuana seeds down the toilet during a drug raid.  No one has ever seen the plants, mind you…as those interested were, of course,  afraid of all the alligators that lived down there.

There have been sightings of alligators over the years, one in 2001 in Central Park and another in 2006 in Brooklyn.  But experts state that the sewer systems of New York are not conducive for their survival.  It is just simply to cold most of the time for them to live, and an alligator needs round the year warmth just to survive, and definitely to reproduce and thrive into colonies under the streets.  Further, the sewers are just too polluted for most animal life, save perhaps the rats. The found alligators are escaped pets, the officials state.  But it does add a bit of excitement, to a late night walk, and passing the steaming man hole covers, and to the imagination and to the lure and legend of such a city.

In New Delhi today, it’s evident that the market for Indian contemporary art is expanding both regionally and internationally.  Sales are strong in showrooms and galleries.  Anupam Poddar is one of today’s most important collectors.  In a short period of time, this young New Delhi–based collector has acquired many works by artists from India, and while doing so has been instrumental in attracting international attention to the Indian art scene while continuing to cultivate it locally.

The Devi Art Foundation, a short drive from the five star hotels in New Delhi, is India’s first nonprofit space and in fact, is India’s first museum of contemporary art.  Artwork from the Poddar family collection form the foundation of the exhibitions at Devi.   Anupam Poddar states that his interest in contemporary art was cultivated by his mother, and his enthusiasm for collecting was the same. He began acquiring art passionately, filling his family home with artwork that he had selected. “There is much care that goes into choosing what is installed,” he says. “It is important for me to be continuously interested in the work and able to live with it.” What does interest Poddar is art that is challenging and often provocative.

In a country where public exhibitions of contemporary art are hard to find, India’s government-run National Gallery of Modern Art seldom shows contemporary work. As interest and commerce in contemporary art increase, other venues, comparable to Devi, begin to emerge. A modern art museum designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron is currently under construction in Calcutta. That museum is scheduled to open in late 2013.

The city of Kolkata was where literacy and artistic expression and thought was born in India.  This has long been a city known for the revolutionary spirit and heritage of the country.  Appreciation for literature and art has made Kolkata a very special and incredible place where new artists, writers and musicians are welcomed and embraced, in a furious manner.  And as many large cities known fortheir appreciation for the arts, such as Chicago, Manhattan or San Francisco, they have a very strong community ties.

Meeting places such as community centers and clubs, cafes and five star Kolkata hotels, often have people meeting for discussions during breakfast or into the evening hours.  Painters and writers and philosophers gather around tables to discuss the issues of the day, the world, their work, and their political and cultural views of society.  In Kolkata, these discussions have gone into the streets, onto the walls as graffiti has become a popular way of expressing ideas.  Nothing is held back, not witty and intellectual banter, nor slander that can be considered a bit outrageous, nor caricatures of political offices.  It is a very intellectually free society.

Many of the buildings are regularly maintained to preserve the artistic integrity of the architecture.  Motifs include styles from all periods of architectural history, from the Baroque era, to the Roman and the Mughal.  Structures have been placed on the list of protected historical buildings.  Some buildings are in a state of decay however, until those who are able, restore and renovate them.  There are many museums of history and art, that celebrate the times in which various works were produced.

As well as with the appreciation of the visual arts, drama and theater and film are supported.  Everything from main stream movie production to folk theater is celebrated.  This appreciation extends to the world of high fashion, music and food as well.  Many book fairs, music festivals and fashion shows occur each year, and the most popular and well respected works of the writers have been translated into various languages.  New, pop music from India is finding its way in the world as well, fusions of the traditional with jazz or rock.  This is a city like none other in India, and welcomes those in the world of the arts with open and anticipatory arms.