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World Culture

World Culture

The art of coffee

Famous Saudi coffee roasters Elixir Bunn opened their new location in Riyadh, designed by Azaz Architects. After building a strong reputation for their coffee, it was time to build an atmosphere to complement their famous drinks. Coffee in Saudi Arabia is well-rooted into the local culture and could be traced back to times prior to the…

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Bali high

In Bali beauty and blessings are an industry. Hotels advertise “meditation area” on road signs, shoppers visit Reborn Gifts, graffiti is simply “KARMA” spray-painted in capitals. Its allure is obvious and since 2006’s book Eat, Pray Love, the island’s come under increasing pressure from tourism: international visitors rose from 4.8 million in 2006 to 6.5…

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Rough roads for travellers and gypsies

The UK government’s current plan to ‘tackle unauthorised traveller camps’ and ‘give the police new powers to arrest and seize the property and vehicles of trespassers who set up unauthorised encampments’ follows a long line of legislation aimed primarily at Travellers and Gypsies. Past regimes, from the Tudors to the present, have attacked the culture…

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Saari and some cold showers

After arriving downhill at Saari and some cold showers, we began the journey to our next destination- Chopta. The drive from Saari to Chopta was about 45 minutes long and every curve of the road exposed different perspectives of the natural setting. As we gained more altitude, the endless snow capped peaks lined our horizon.…

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The giant shadow of Ikebukuro

HEARTLANDS: ZOSHIGAYA Small winding streets and low-rise houses. Zoshigaya is only a short walk away from the malls, highways and flashing lights of Ikebukuro, but feels like a silent suburb in comparison.  This homely heartland has maintained its Showa-era (1926 – 1989) atmosphere, with winding lanes lined with family homes and small shops selling everyday…

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Belize it or not

Already popular with American retirees, the seductive beauty of Belize is now attracting an increasing number of European retirees looking to a Caribbean lifestyle as an antidote for years spent focusing on a career. It’s not the world’s cheapest retirement destination by far, but it’s certainly one of the loveliest. Establishing residency is far easier…

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The bones of religion

European churches are known to have some intriguing and creative architectural features, but a wall made of human leg bones is a bit more inventive than you might have expected. While excavating the grounds of Saint Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium, ahead of the planned construction of a new visitor center, archeologists discovered entire walls…

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Whatta lotta Guatemala

Guatemala is a breathtakingly diverse country, where a new adventure awaits around every winding corner. With lush jungles, pristine lakes, surf beaches, colonial towns, vibrant markets, and not one, not two, but 37 volcanoes, there truly is something for every kind of traveler in Guatemala. With 42,043 square miles of adventure waiting to be uncovered,…

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Kyoto thatched-roof dwellings transport you back in time

Located 1 hour 40 minutes by bus from Kyoto Station, the town of Miyama offers a view into Japan's rich agricultural heritage. Designated a semi-national park, the town is home to some 39 thatched farmhouses where people still live today. Miyama spans multiple hamlets that are scattered throughout the mountains and valleys, about 50 kilometers…

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Germany

Germany, (officially: the Federal Republic of Germany; German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is the largest country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by Denmark, to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic, to the south by Austria and Switzerland, and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. Germany is a…

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