7 HAUNTED PLACES IN THE WORLD

1. Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland

This beautiful castle is said to be haunted. Many claimed that there are echoes of the dead from the castle’s empty hall and narrow streets. Back then, people were put under quarantine and there have been reports about ghost dogs, headless drummer, and souls of the prisoners. Edinburgh itself is famous as the most haunted place in Europe. These unrest spirits have been haunting visitors and no one knows exactly when they’ll ever stop.

2. Ohio University, Athens, America

The Ohio University is well-known for being the most haunted college campus. According to the British Society for Psychical Research, Athens, Ohio, is one of the most haunted places in the world. There is tale of a girl, who was probably a witch too, who killed herself after she had written satanic things on the wall with her own blood! There are 5 cemeteries that form a pentagram, surrounding the campus, with the university’s administrative building being at the centre of the devil sign. Sounds creepy? Yes, indeed. There was another story too; a patient suddenly disappeared and was found 5 weeks later. Her body decomposed onto the floor and left a stain that outlines her body! If you don’t believe it, you can witness it yourself at the Ohio University.

3. The Balete Drive

Balete Drive, Quezon City is well-known for its horrific tales. A movie called Peque Gallaga's Hiwaga sa Balete Drive was inspired by this Balete Drive in 1988. Wonder where did it get its name? It got its name after the balete trees, which are known to be homes of paranormal beings. It is said that a white lady haunts the road at night and she would appear in the taxi’s backseats. Some say that she was raped & killed by a taxi driver. Scary? Yes, it is!

4. The Old Changi Hospital

The Old Changi Hospital was built in 1930's and it is rich with its interesting history. The hospital is now left abandoned and a new Changi General Hospital was built to replace it, with more world-class equipments and facilities.  The Old Changi Hospital is said to be haunted and many claimed that they were not alone when visiting this quiet hospital. The Japanese armies were here from 1942-1945. During this period, many prisoners were brutally tortured. Up to this day, unrest spirits were said to be lingering this old hospital. If you wish to experience the eerie feeling, NEVER go alone. Make sure you are accompanied by 2-3 friends. You’ll be surprised of how many eyes will be watching you.

5. Genting Highlands Theme Park

Genting Highlands, Malaysia is famous for its casino and exciting roller coaster’s; but that’s just not it. This infamous theme park has its dark side as well. Many visitors claimed that they have witnessed a man in red, jumping off from the rooftop and vanished before he hits the ground. Some said that there are rooms that shall not be made available in whatever circumstances. 

6. The House of Heredia

In Spain, the Cortijo Jurado or Casa Encantada is a 19th Century mansion that lies in ruins at the A-357 near Campanillas Village in the province of Malaga. It is well-known for being the most haunted place in the province. This mansion was owned by the Heredia family, who was once the wealthiest family of Andalucia. There are about 365 windows,that represent the days in a year. What actually happened here? Legend says that the Heredia family, together with some other rich families in the area had kidnapped young girls for their satanic rituals. The bodies of the victims were buried within the property. Up to this day, there are strange voices and paranormal activities going around this mysterious mansion.

7. The Bermuda Triangle

Infamous for its triangle shape and mysterious disappearance of ships and planes, this place is one place you wouldn’t wish to go! The Bermuda Triangle encompasses a triangle between Miami, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda. It is called the “Devils Triangle” and many a lot of cases have been reported with regards to the disappearance of shipwrecks and planes passing the triangle. The secret of the Bermuda Triangle remains mysterious up to this day.

8.  The Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital

The Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital has its own ghost stories. Some claimed that they have encountered spirits of dead people floating around the hospital. Among the popular claims, the doctor with a surgical knife is the most talked about story. It is said that this ghost doctor holds a surgical knife with his bloody hands and there is a ghost nurse who keeps reminding me if there is any patients going through emergency. 

Exciting Festivals in the Philippines

The Philippines has many kinds of festivals and some of them are weird and rare. Here are some of the popular festivals celebrated in the Philippines:

1. The Hog Parade of Malolos

The Hog Parade of Malolos is celebrated every year, where the pigs are dressed in fancy clothes; they also wear make up! This celebration gathers the locals of Malolos and also tourists. When the parade has ended, everyone will be feasting on all kinds of free pork delicacies served by the local authorities. For your information, Malolos is the country's main pork supplier.

2. Sinulog Festival

Celebrated in Cebu, this colourful festival attracts tourists from all over the world.  It is one of the most exciting events in the country that displays interesting history. This celebration is celebrated each year on the third Sunday of January in Cebu to honour Saint Niῆo, who was a patron of the whole province. You will get to see participants dressed up in colourful outfits, dancing around, accompanied by musical instruments such as drums, trumpets, and gongs. Lots of activities held during this event such as trade fair and contest.

3. Hot air balloon Fiesta

The Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is held in the Philippines every year from around January-February at the Omni Aviation Complex in Clark, in hope that people from all age groups, young and old, to help the industry to move forward, simultaneously providing job opportunities. You’ll get to see fancy and colourful hot air balloons with hundreds of pilots from all over the world. There are also other events apart from hot air balloon such as skydiving, flag jumps, remote-control airplane, helicopter flying, and many more.

4. The Pahiyas Festival

The Pahiyas Festival is another Philippines’ festival, which is known as another fiesta to end all fiestas in the country. Every year, thousands of tourists attend this celebration. The event is held on every May 15, where each household would try to outdo each other in a friendly competition. This is the best time for them to show their creativity. The most creative ones shall be rewarded with cool prizes.

5. Oblation Run

The Oblation Run is an annual event celebrated by some Filipinos. The event was first organised in 1977 at the University of the Philippines Diliman in order to promote “Hubad na Bayani”, a Tagalog play. This is event is usually conducted on December 16 to show protest to contemporary national issues. The participants are usually men and they wear masks to hide their faces; to hide their identities. Some of them, however, are not completely naked. They wear small leaves to cover their genitals and they would offer roses to female spectators.

Amazing Bioluminescent Lake in Australia

Blue is the colour of the sky and ocean, and it is also known as the calming colour. Anything blue attracts me; I couldn’t agree more that it has a strong impact and influence on ones emotions. Can you imagine yourself looking at a blue lake that shines brightly during the night? It almost feels like you are watching a lake that shines as bright as the Christmas tree! Well, in Australia, there is such thing.

In the Gippsland Lakes in Australia, Bioluminescence is a very unique, beautiful, and rare phenomenon. It is the result from various events such as flash floods, storms, and bushfires that attracts a population explosion of one specific type of algae. You must be wondering how this phenomenon may look like. Below is a photo of the Bioluminescence:

The Dabb

Did you know that the “Dabb” is one of the lizard species that live around the dessert areas? This fat-tailed lizard lives on the plains and it is about 3 ½ feet in length. Since this creature is a vegetarian, you don’t have to be scared of it. After all, it won’t bite because it has toothless jaws!

What I like about this creature is that it has such flat body that I find quite funny yet amazing. You don’t see many lizards with flat bodies; I think these creatures are so unique and adorable. I know a lot of people who hate lizards for different reasons; sometimes I get annoyed by them too. I may not be a big fan of the lizard family, but I don't really agree to their slaughtering. This poor innocent animals are killed for its meat and for medicinal purposes. Check out how these creatures are slaughtered: 

First of all, they are captured. For your information, these creatures are difficult to catch. It's a competent athlete and won't give up that easily! =D

This is how it looks like after it's cooked:

This looks like a Dabb Kabbsa. 

These lizards love to bask in the sun early in the morning. They will try their best to stay close with each other and hide themselves from predators. There are ways to find and force them to get out of their hidden ground. This is how the Arabians capture the Dabb:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-WOD51A5y8

You will notice that the Dabb’s hiding ground is flooded with water. This forces the creature to come out of the ground. Once it gets out from the ground, the catcher quickly grabs it and then slaughters it for its meat. I've never tried the Dabb's meat, and am not sure if i should eat it for the sake of trying something exotic. But, one thing for sure is that the Dabb's meat is not the only lizard meat that is made into a delicacy. There are a lot of lizard delicacies from all around the world. I assume that the meat tastes good. What about you? Have you tried it? If you have, let me know! Anyway, I am aware that these creatures were killed back then because there was not much to eat around the dessert (back then people would eat anything for survival). 

Here is a video of a girl trying to catch a Dabb. The Dabb looks pretty exhausted but the girl looks excited and energetic indeed! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHP8rZaz2cc

Enjoy! =D 

THE AL JENADRIYAH FESTIVAL IN SAUDI ARABIA

The Al Jenadriyah Heritage Festival in Saudi Arabia is celebrated every year and it is considered as one of the most famous cultural events in the country. It displays an insight into Saudi’s history, which is important in keeping the customs and traditions of the country. Come to Saudi Arabia to witness its Camel race and unique performances such as singing and dancing. Come and join in the fun!

Some of the exciting activities that you'll enjoy:

1. Camel racing

2. Horse Racing

3. Folk Poetry and tradition

BAMBOO TRAIN IN BATTAMBANG, CAMBODIA

It is a very funny experience to be sitting on a bamboo train. The thought of it makes me smile; looking at it is even more adorable! For those of you who would like to experience something different and unusual, you should take a trip on a bamboo train. Only in Cambodia, this train is unique in its own way. The bamboo train is one of the world's all-time classic rail journeys and it runs southeast to O Sra Lav. Tourists love it, so do I.

I like the fact that this train will be dismantled whenever another train is coming from the opposite direction! The train with fewer passengers would have to be dismantled. You probably ask yourself "What happen if 2 trains accidentally meet each other and get into an accident?" This sounds dangerous, which is probably one of the reasons why this bamboo train might be banned from continuing its service. Oh no! Well, this problem is not impossible but the local conductors are responsible for the trains' schedule. They know the time for each train to move and when they are expected to arrive or reach to a certain destination. You can also hear the tooting sound made by the train as it travels from a great distance. There is enough time for another train to be dismantled. 

If you have never been on a bamboo train, do give it a try. I assure you that you will have a good time. You probably won't get the chance to this next time. Grab the chance while you can! Cheers! =)

Can't get enough of Korea!

South Korea shares its traditional culture with North Korea, but they may vary a little since the peninsula was divided in the year 1945. The Korean culture is very much influenced by its neighbouring country, China. However, it was able to develop its culture and transformed it into a unique culture that represents the people of Korea, which you can see today. 

Food & Beverages

Koreans have lots of nice and delicious food and beverages. You should try Korean wines, they are fantastic! Try “Makkoli”, a traditional alcoholic beverage native to Korea. It is referred to in English as Korean rice wine. It is produced through fermenting a mixture of rice grains and boiled water. It was originally quite popular among farmers in Korea. However, it become more popular in cities. 

On the other hand, Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made of vegetables with a variety of seasonings and it was originally developed as a way to preserve the vitamins and minerals in vegetables over the long winter.  There are a lot of types of Kimchi. Kimchi is the most common side dish (banchan) in Korean dishes. You can try making your own home-cooked Kimchi. The preparation is simple and easy! 

Exciting places of interest

1. Everland Theme Park

 Everland was opened in the year 1976 and it is the 4^th theme park in the world by offering 5 main festivals and cool entertainments throughout the year. It is opened every day and tourists can dine at Everland’s restaurants, such as the Holland Village, Flanders restaurant, Oriental restaurant, Venezia restaurant, and many more! There are also gift shops where you can grab some souvenirs for your friends and family. Do visit the Grand Emporium and Lacian Memorium!

2. Jiri Mountain

Jiri Mountain is considered as the most spiritual among the many South Korea Mountains. It is situated on the southern portion of the Sobaek Mountains and is home to seven Buddhist temples! If you love hiking, you should try exploring this mountain. Trust me; you would fall in love with it!

LocalSIMKad™ Korea

For those who wish to save on their telecommunication when travelling to Korea, take LocalSIMKad™ Korea with you! This will save you from paying expensive roaming charges! If you are looking for convenience, this product is for you. Furthermore, you will get a phone rental when you use LocalSIMKad™ Korea since everyone, including travellers, have to rent a phone when they are in Korea. You can book it 3 days before you travel at www.localsimkad.com and then collect it upon arrival. What a hassle free service, don't you think so? 

For more info on Korea travel, visit http://www.visitkorea.com.my/