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Asuncion is the capital city of Paraguay. It is also one of the unexplored gems of South American travel. For some reason the city has not been discovered by mainstream tourists yet and it might even be hard to find destination guides for Paraguay at your local bookstore, and it’s even more difficult to find specialty resources such as a gay destination guide.

The location where Asuncion is situated today was most likely visited by the Spanish conqueror Juan de Ayolas n the 16th century. He was searching for a way to get to the silver mines of Bolivia. He was eventually killed by the aborigines on one of his return trips. Later, a Senor Juan de Salazar was dispatched to search for his lost countrymen, but alas this was in vein. It was the year 1537 when Senor De Salazar visited the present day location and decided to build a fort. He called it Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion.

It wasn’t long after the erection of the fort that word got out and it soon became an important base to explore from – both Bolivia’s Santa Cruz and Argentina’s Buenos Aires were founded by expeditions that left from Asuncion. Hence the name “the mother of cities”.

The city is situated on the banks of the river Paraguay. The old city overlooks the Bay of Asuncion, a natural harbor from where many boats leave to destinations as far away as Brazil.

The old city around the harbor, including the main street (Avenida Palma), is a decaying old place with lots of charm and character. As you stroll past the many quaint artisan’s shops you start to feel it’s heartbeat and very quickly you will be intoxicated by the smells and sounds of Asuncion. Soon you will be offered chipa bread – which is famous in this part of the world. You will want to stop and explore the beautiful lace articles on display, like Nanduti spiderweb lace for which Paraguay is well known.

Asuncion has many stately old hotels like The Grand Armele and the Asuncion Palace, both situated downtown near the harbor. The Armele offers spectacular views looking across the bay and the river. The evergreen Chaco on the other side of the river stretches as far as the eye can see.

Because of it’s heat in the summer months, the locals tend to frequent its many restaurants, bars, night clubs and open air festivals at night. Paraguayans love music and sing spontaneously in the streets. It’s not strange to hear a group of people walking and singing their favorite songs.

In the eastern part of Asuncion you will find Villa Morra – an upmarket neighborhood with fancy shopping malls and large Spanish villas. All the malls have food courts with a variety of local and international food available. Multi-screen cinemas are the order of the day. This is also where you will find the modern concert hall established by the Paraguayan National Bank with regular classical music concerts.

Asuncion has hotels in all price ranges. The cheaper ones tend to center around Plaza Uruguay. There are several five star hotels in the vicinity of Plaza de los Heroes.

Destination guides for Asuncion are difficult to find. We recommend that you print this page and keep it for reference purposes.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Air Travel

Air travel has become very popular in the last few decades. There are a wide variety of reasons that have contributed to the increase in popularity including convenience and safety. The following are some of the positive and negative factors involving air travel.

Disadvantage: Airplanes Cause Pollution.

The major shortcoming of air travel is the pollution caused by it. Airplanes emit greenhouse gases into our atmosphere which contributes to things like global warming. Global warming increases the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere and people who want to avoid such a rise in temperature are alarmed by this effect. In order to overcome this problem many airlines nowadays make efforts to become more environmental friendly. One of the ways in which you could do this is by retrofitting winglet on the aircraft that makes the aircraft fuel efficient. In addition, many airlines have started upgrading their fleet of aero planes to modern fuel efficient aircraft by spending millions of dollars.

Disadvantage: High Cost

People refrain from traveling by air because of the high cost of air travel. It is frequently much less expensive to fuel up the car and drive to where you need to go instead of flying. You can take advantage of discount
airline travel to obviate the high cost of travel by air. Ultimate decision for flying or driving is dependent on whether you get a good deal on the airfare or not.

Disadvantage: Fear of Flying

There are a number of people who just don’t want to fly. If anyone has travelled in a flight which has hit an air pocket you will see that they have gone through a lot of rough weather due to turbulence and this can be rather terrifying.

Advantage: Speed of Travel

The greatest advantage about air travel is that it is much faster to reach between places as compared to other means of travel; however these places have to be connected by air. The duration of travel by road between two different places in the United States may be a few days as compared to travel by flight which will take only a few hours. This gives you extra days for enjoying your vacations because you save a number of days by traveling by air.

Advantage: Easy to Travel Long Distances

It is possible to cover long distances by flight in a reasonably short time whereas it is difficult to cover far off destinations by other modes of transportation. traveling to any destination in the world is possible if you travel by air. In the event of your opting for other modes of transportation you will find the travel time is quite long as compared to flying between these destinations.

Advantage: Safety

One of safest mode of travels out of all the forms of travel available is air travel. Car accidents wherein people die happen in thousands every year. Even train derailments causing deaths are also being heard of very frequently. This is not to say that air accidents do not take place; however frequency of such accidents is very small. Decision making on the mode of travel has been very easy for many people who consider safety as the main factor for opting to fly.

Choosing air travel is a personal decision, based on the factors discussed above along with a multitude factors not discussed here. For most travelers safety, speed of travel and cost are the over riding factors. As long as cost remains affordable air travel will continue to grow in popularity.

Greece is a land of mysteries, mythologies, tales of man’s ancient past and the immense developments it has gathered over the last three millenniums.  It is famous for having had a flourishing economy, wonderful beaches, some actually first class Greek hostels and an unparalleled hospitality to supply, since graduating to be a modern western european state.  Travelers flock its landscape, as a result, to listen to its 3000 years old account and be a witness of its past glory.  {However ,} there are several other activities aside from visiting the archaeological sites that one should think about undertaking while being in Greece.  We’re going to talk about a few of these out of doors activities, in the course of next few paragraphs. 

Camping, hiking and trekking across lovely islands like Mykonos, Santorini, Tinos and Naxos is a preferred activity in Greece these days.  Steep rocks and natural environment make these trekking expeditions fun and excitement.  Greek hostels and tour operators often help you plan out these journeys according to your needs.  Vans and mini buses are pressed into service to ferry up folks to rocky mountains where they can climb up sheer slopes under watchful eyes.  Such 7 to fourteen day long camps can cost anything from $ 1000 to $2500 per applicant. 

As an alternative, one should try undertaking a yacht journeys that will sail thru scenic Greek islands.  These trips may last up to 3 weeks and may cover many consequential towns and breathtaking spots as they move from one to another holiday maker destination.  There are several routes that one could opt to have their vacations planned.  Greek hotels, in conjunction with major tour operators, will be offering to order such yacht journeys for you.  Travelers can take part in hiking, snorkeling, and carry on doing similar other stuff while being part of such tours.  Exploration of various heritage sites and visiting taverna-lined harbors will also be part of your fun and relaxation! 

Cycling and biking across Greek mountains and countryside is yet another way of enhancing one’s experience of holidaying.  {However ,} no heavy help may be garnered either from Greek hostels or tour operators in this example, and one should try looking out for online resources instead.  Some biking and cycling enthusiasts will extend direction and logistic support, to help carry out your biking expeditions.  They will lead you into areas deep inside the Greek country and will help you bike through some very unorthodox routes.  You will be ready to have a close look at Greek country as you go on. 

Visiting Greece’s archaeological sites is a key way of vacationing in Europe.  {However ,} it could be further enhanced by undertaking additional outside activities like biking, camping and sailing through various Greek islands.  There can not be a smarter way than spending more time in the Greek country to begin to know more about its culture heritage and life.  Greek tourism has taken a good note of this aspect and accordingly worked out plans to provide you with many further outside activities apart from extending an access to world-class Greek hotels and beaches.

For more information about travel and useful tips for tourists, visit famouswonders.com and check out Mycenae history.

A staple through history, Greece is a country full of stories and landmarks that have stayed for many centuries.  This fact is appreciated by the 15 million or more folks that visit this country annually. 

if you’re thinking about planning a visit to the area here is some recommendation to be certain you get the maximum out of your Greece vacation. 

To start your vacation in Greece, you must visit the Acropolis.  This locale has been outlined tons of times in photographs, books, and flicks.  This is an area where legends were born and geniuses gathered. 

Just below the Acropolis is the town of traditional Agora.  While in ruins, walking through the area that is over 2,500 years old permits you to tread on the same ground as Plato and Socrates. 

Discover Greece from the air.  There’s no easier way to actually take in the significant town of Athens than by seeing the entire thing, at once, by air.  There are many chopper tours available that may give you a 30 minute ride in the skies over Athens, indicating all of the landmarks you won’t need to miss. 

It’s worth using the time to make a stop at the national Archaeological Museum with a wide selection of historic antiquities.  It is regarded as one of the planet’s best museums. 

if you’re looking for a great outdoor experience while on your holiday in Greece, bring your hiking shoes and take a stroll down the Vindos Gorge.  This northern Greece location is the deepest canyon in the world, as recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records. 

looking out for a small water time?  Head to the beaches of Crete.  These beaches are some that many european visitors have tried to keep as a secret for their own delight for many years. 

if you want to make a difference while in Greece and are attached to the oceanfront, there’s an organization called the ARCHELON Sea Turtle Protection Society that is always searching for volunteers.  They need people who will help them monitor the nesting habits of the sea turtles each summer. 

there are events you can take part if to do as the Grecians do is you decide to holiday at the right time of year.  These are some to think about. 

If music is your escape from the world, the Rockwave holiday is held each summer.  It is a three-day event in which 3 stages are consistently heralding music.  One stage features metal, one showcases rock, and another plays dance music. 

Try out a local sports event.  If you’re there in football season ( football for US people ) you may need to try to go to a Hellenic countrywide League soccer game.  Be sure you’re up for it.  Football fans in this area are passionate about their sport and can even typhoon the field if they don’t like an official call. 

if you are the athletic type, head to Greece in Nov and strap your trainers on.  This is when the Athens marathon is run, on the same route as the Olympic marathon.

Where do you want to travel in the world? For an idea of where to go on your next vacation, visit famouswonders.com. While you are on the site, also take a look at Santorini Greece.

We have visited several luxury Country House hostels in North Yorkshire in the North of England and trust that the following will help in your hunt for suitable exclusive Country House hostels in this gorgeous rural part of England.  This area of the country has numerous old English market towns and hamlets located in the countrywide Parks of the North Yorkshire Moors and the Yorkshire Dales. 

The following Country House hostels all have our private recommendation:-

The Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel – located by the stream Wharfe at Bolton Abbey Nr Skipton in the Yorkshire Dales.  The hotel is the property of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.  A hearty welcome awaits-your luggage will be taken for you from your automobile to your bedroom which will be beautifully appointed.  We stayed in a room in the original part of the hotel which had a pony racing theme.  Fires burn in inclement weather in the entrance hall and the lounges.  The Michelin starred restaurant serves beautiful wine and food and there is also an excellent brasserie for informal dining.  The spa is found across the road in what appears to be a converted barn and includes a little gymnasium.  The staff are extremely charming providing a top ~ first ~ first-class service with nothing being too much difficulty.  Having borrowed an umbrella and wellies which are offered by the hotel by the front door for your personal use we took a short walk by the river Wharfe in the snow to the ruined Abbey and then crossed the stream by way of the stepping stones.  Returning to this beautifully appointed Country House Hotel we enjoyed tea and scones in front of a roaring fire in one of the lounges.  If you are visiting the Yorkshire Dales you have to stay at The Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel – you will not be disappointed.  Incidentally dogs are tenderly welcomed the hotel having 2 resident dogs who will appreciate sharing your biscuits! 

Lastingham Grange – located in the beautiful town of Lastingham a few miles from the market city of Pickering where the North Yorkshire Moors train line is found.  This Country House Hotel has been owned and run by the same family for a number of years with many guests returning time upon time.  Set in several acres including beautifully maintained gardens you can walk out of the front door of the hotel and within a 5 minute walk be on the North Yorkshire Moors enjoying impressive views.  We were warmly greeted on arrival and taken direct to our room which was well elected.  We enjoyed tea and scones in the lounge which had a roaring fire-the Darjeeling tea is the best we have tasted.  Dinner was memorable with the food being of a high standard as was the intensely personal service – it was like staying in somebody’s home.  You cannot fail but to relax in this standard Country House Hotel.  Dogs are welcome. 

Alan Hope and his wife Anne have stayed at many other exclusive Country House hotels in England.

How would you like to see the top 100 wonders in the world? Visit famouswonders.com and browse through the top destinations in the world and be sure to check out Stonehenge in England.