A Ghostly Galaxy Has A Dark Secret

By Judith E Braffman-Miller

Long ago, soon after the Universe was born, there was an ancient era before the first generation of stars caught fire. In this black swath of featureless space, that was the primordial Universe, opaque clouds of mostly hydrogen gas collected along enormous, heavy, and invisible filaments composed of a mysterious non-atomic substance that astronomers call the dark matter. It is generally believed that the first galaxies were dark, amorphous clouds of gas that pooled at the hearts of dark matter halos, and the relentless gravitational pull of this invisible substance served as the "seeds" from which the billions upon billions of galaxies were born in the primordial Cosmos. In March 2018, a team of astronomers announced their new discovery of a bizarre, unique galaxy--the first of its kind--that seems to contain no dark matter at all. This mysterious and exceptional beast inhabiting the galactic zoo is unique because galaxies are commonly thought to contain more invisible dark matter than the so-called "ordinary" atomic matter that composes a galaxy's stars, gas, and dust.

The first galaxies were born from concentrations of the invisible dark matter, and this exotic material gravitationally snared "ordinary" (baryonic) matter. Clouds composed mostly of hydrogen gas ultimately floated down into the secretive, invisible ghostly halo of the mysterious dark substance.

In the modern Universe, there are some galaxies that keep themselves well-hidden from the prying eyes of curious astronomers. They are big--like our own enormous starlit spiral Milky Way--but, unlike our own dazzling pin-wheel whirling in space, they host so few stars for their size that they are dim and diffuse. Indeed, they are so diffuse that some scientists have compared them to "giant cotton balls".

However, new observations derived from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope (HST) of the strange galaxy whose dark matter apparently has gone missing, have revealed this oddity that sets it apart from any other known galaxy in the Universe--even the diffuse "giant cotton balls". This invisible form of non-atomic matter serves as the underlying scaffolding from which galaxies form--and this galaxy doesn't seem to have any. Dark matter composes the bulk of the Universe's matter content, and it is the invisible glue that binds visible, "ordinary" matter together. Dark matter interacts with atomic matter only through the force of gravity, and its gravitational effects on objects that can be seen reveals its ghostly presence.

Dubbed NGC 1052-DF2, this phantom-like galaxy contains at most 1/400th the amount of dark matter that astronomers expect to see. How it formed is, therefore, a complete mystery. This non-conformist galaxy apparently travels to the beat of a different drum than do others of its kind. NGC 1052-DF2 is by no means small--it is as big as our Milky Way. However, this galaxy has managed to elude discovery because it hosts only 1/200th the number of stellar constituents as our Galaxy.

Based on the colors of its attendant globular clusters, NGC 1052-DF2 is approximately 10 billion years old. It is situated about 65 million light years from Earth. A globular cluster is a compact spherical cluster composed primarily of old stars. Globulars are located in the outer region of a galaxy.

"We thought that every galaxy had dark matter and that dark matter is how a galaxy begins. This invisible, mysterious substance is the most dominant aspect of any galaxy. So finding a galaxy without it is unexpected. It challenges the standard idea of how we think galaxies work, and it shows that dark matter is real: it has its own separate existence apart from other components of galaxies. This result also suggests that there may be more than one way to form a galaxy," explained Dr. Pieter van Dokkum in a March 28, 2018 Hubblesite Press Release. Dr. van Dokkum is of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, and lead researcher of the HST observations.

Given NGC 1052-DF2's large size and faint appearance, astronomers classify it as an ultra-diffuse galaxy. A 2015 survey of the Coma galaxy cluster revealed that these faint, large galaxies are surprisingly abundant. Nevertheless, no other ultra-diffuse galaxy known has been found to be as depleted of dark matter as NGC 1052-DF2.

A Dark And Ancient Mystery

Dark matter is thought to be an exotic form of matter that cannot dance with light or any other form of electromagnetic radiation and, as such, is invisible--or transparent. According to the Standard Model of Cosmology, the Universe is composed of about 4.9% "ordinary" atomic (baryonic) matter, 26.8% dark matter, and 68.3% dark energy. The dark energy, which accounts for most of the Universe, is even more of a puzzle than the dark matter. The most widely accepted theory explaining dark energy is that it is a property of space itself, and it is causing the Universe to accelerate in its expansion in the direction of its own doom. As the Universe speeds up in its expansion it grows ever larger and larger; colder and colder--destined to become an enormous, frigid expanse, as its fires go out like the light of a candle, leaving literally everything in a nightmare of emptiness.

The badly misnamed "ordinary" atomic matter is extraordinary. This runt of the cosmic litter of three accounts for literally all of the elements listed in the familiar Periodic Table, and these atomic elements create the familiar world that we can experience with our senses. It is this relatively small percentage of atomic matter that created life in the Cosmos. The calcium in your bones, the oxygen that you breathe, the iron in your blood, the water that you drink, the sand that you walk upon are all composed of so-called "ordinary" matter. Most of these atomic elements were manufactured in the incredibly hot nuclear-fusing furnaces of the Universe's stars. The Big Bang birth of the Universe, thought to have occurred about 13.8 billion years ago, only produced the lightest of atomic elements--hydrogen, helium, and small quantities of lithium. The stars cooked up the rest--all the way up to iron. But, the heaviest atomic elements of all--such as gold and uranium--formed when a massive star perished in the fireworks of supernova blast. These brilliant stellar explosions hurled into interstellar space the dead progenitor star's freshly forged batch of heavy atomic elements.

According to the Standard Model of the formation of large-scale cosmic structure, particles of the mysterious and exotic dark matter at first danced together gravitationally to construct a crowded region of space--the dark matter halo. Eventually, the dark primordial halos gravitationally snared floating clouds of pristine hydrogen gas. Hydrogen is both the lightest and most abundant atomic element in the visible Universe. As a result of this, galaxies and their constituent stars emerged out of the primordial darkness.

Billowing, amorphous, dark and opaque, the pristine clouds of ancient gases gathered together, and then tumbled down into the secret hearts of the bizarre dark matter halos. As time passed, the first generation of baby stars were born, and their newly-lit raging fires sparkled within the first galaxies that served as primordial stellar cradles.

Even though dark matter is transparent and, as such, invisible, it is generally believed to exist because of the extremely important differences astronomers have observed between the mass of enormous celestial objects--calculated from their gravitational interactions--and the mass determined from the visible atomic matter that they host--such as stars, dust, and gas.

The existence of the dark matter was first suggested by the Dutch astronomer Jan Oort (1900-1932), in his effort to make sense of the orbital velocities of stars dwelling within our own Milky Way. In 1933, the Swiss-American astronomer Fritz Zwicky (1898-1974), also proposed the real existence in nature of a weird form of abundant and invisible matter. Zwicky had come to the conclusion that some form of invisible "missing mass" floated phantom-like in the Universe--and that this invisible matter influenced the orbital velocities of galaxies inhabiting distant galactic clusters. Convincing evidence for the existence of the dark stuff was derived from galactic rotation curves by the Caltech astrophysicist Horace W. Babcock (1912-2003) in 1939. Babcock, however, did not attribute his highly suggestive observations to dark matter.

At last, in the 1960s, the great astronomer Vera Rubin (1928-2016) became the first to offer convincing evidence that dark matter really exists in nature. Rubin, who was familiar with Zwicky's work, based her theory on galactic rotation curves. Soon after Rubin's study was released, a number of important observations were conducted by other scientists that suggested the existence of the ghostly and invisible dark stuff. The new discoveries were based on observations that took into account the gravitational lensing of background objects by foreground galaxy clusters such as the Bullet Cluster, the temperature and distribution of searing-hot gas lurking within galaxies and galactic clusters, and--more recently--the pattern of anisotropies observed in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation that formed in the newborn Universe at the time of the Big Bang. Gravitational lensing is a phenomenon suggested by Albert Einstein in his Theory of General Relativity (1915), when he came to the realization that gravity could warp Spacetime--and, as a result, have lens-like effects.

The galaxies of the visible Universe switched on less than a billion years after the Big Bang. In the primordial Cosmos, the invisible and bizarre dark matter snatched at clouds of primarily hydrogen gas, and hoisted them in. These pristine clouds of gas were destined to evolve into the ancient nurseries of the first generation of newborn stars.

Eventually, the whirling, somersaulting, floating gas clouds, along with the ghostly, non-atomic dark matter, danced together throughout the ancient Cosmos. Gradually, they combined to create the structures seen in the modern Universe.

The theoretical existence of the dark stuff is an important component of recent models explaining cosmic structure formation and galaxy birth and evolution--as well as offering an explanation for the anisotropies seen in the CMB--the relic radiation left over from the Big Bang itself. All of the lines of evidence, collected so far, suggest that galaxies, galactic clusters, and the entire Universe contain much more matter than what can be observed with electromagnetic radiation.

Giant Cotton Ball

Dr. van Dokkum and his team discovered NGC 1052-DF2 using the Dragonfly Telephoto Array, which is a custom-built telescope located in New Mexico, that they had designed to detect these giant ghostly galactic "cotton balls". They then made use of the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii to measure the movement of 10 giant stellar groupings called globular clusters inhabiting the galaxy. Keck revealed to the prying eyes of the astronomers that the globulars were traveling at relatively slow speeds--less than 23,000 miles-per-hour. Stars and clusters dwelling in the outskirts of galaxies hosting dark matter travel at least three times faster. From those measurements, the astronomers were able to calculate the galaxy's mass. "If there is any dark matter at all, it's very little. The stars in the galaxy can account for all the mass, and there doesn't seem to be any room for dark matter," Dr. van Dokkum explained in the March 28, 2018 Hubblesite Press Release.

The astronomers then used NASA's HST and the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii to discover new details about this strange one-of-a-kind galaxy. Gemini revealed that the galaxy does not show signs of an interaction with another galaxy. HST also helped to further identify the globulars and measure a precise distance to the galaxy.

In addition, the HST images unveiled the galaxy's rather unusual appearance. "I spent an hour just staring at the Hubble image. It's so rare, particularly these days after so many years of Hubble, that you get an image of something and you say, 'I've never seen that before.' This thing is astonishing, a gigantic blob that you can look through. It's so sparse that you see all the galaxies behind it. It is literally a see-through galaxy," Dr. van Dokkum continued to explain in the Hubblesite Press Release. This extreme giant cotton ball galaxy doesn't seem have a central region, or even spiral arms and a disk, that are typical features of a large galaxy, such as our own. However, NGC 1052-DF2 doesn't look like an elliptical galaxy, either. The giant cotton ball also shows no evidence of a central black hole haunting its heart. Most--and probably all--large galaxies, including our Milky Way, are thought to house a central black hole. These very heavy supermassive black holes can weigh-in at millions to billions of times solar mass. Indeed, even NGC 1052-DF2's  globular clusters are unusual. This is because they are twice as large as typical stellar groupings observed in other galaxies.

"It's like you take a galaxy and you only have the stellar halo and globular clusters, and it somehow forgot to make everything else. There is no theory that predicted these types of galaxies. The galaxy is a complete mystery, as everything about it is strange. How you actually go about forming one of these things is completely unknown," Dr. van Dokkum continued to explain in the March 28, 2018 Hubblesite Press Release.

Nevertheless, the astronomers have come up with some possible explanations. NGC 1052-DF2 is located in a group of galaxies dominated by an enormous elliptical dubbed NGC 1052. Galaxy formation is both a violent and turbulent event. Because of this commotion, Dr. van Dokkum proposes that the growth of the young NGC 1052 billions of years ago possibly played a major role in the mystery of NGC 1052-DF2's missing dark matter.

Another possibility is that gas traveling toward the giant elliptical NGC 1052 may have fallen apart, and in this way created the weird NGC 1052-DF2. The formation of NGC 1052-DF2 may have been aided by strong winds flowing out from the young supermassive black hole lurking in the heart of NGC 1052. These possible scenarios are still speculative, however, and they fail to explain all of the characteristics of the dark matter-depleted galaxy, the astronomers told the press.

The team is already searching for more dark-matter-depleted galaxies, and they are currently analyzing HST images of 23 other cotton ball galaxies. A trio of these diffuse galaxies appear to be similar to NGC 1052-DF2.

"Every galaxy we knew about before has dark matter, and they all fall in familiar categories like spiral or elliptical galaxies. But what would you get if there were no dark matter at all? Maybe this is what you would get," Dr. van Dokkum commented to the press.

The team's results appear in the March 29, 2018 issue of the journal Nature.

Judith E. Braffman-Miller is a writer and astronomer whose articles have been published since 1981 in various journals, magazines, and newspapers. Although she has written on a variety of topics, she particularly loves writing about astronomy because it gives her the opportunity to communicate to others some of the many wonders of her field. Her first book, "Wisps, Ashes, and Smoke," will be published soon.

Benefits of Using Poetry in Language Learning

By Fizza Syed

Educational benefits of using poetry

Poetry could be used as a medium to teach language as it shows a path to teach basic language skills. Some of the educational benefits of using poetry are explained by Sarac:

Different viewpoint for language:

It broadens the seeing perspective of learner, as they begin to use language in a completely different way. The grammar used in poetry is different (it does not follow typical grammar rules) for example, incomplete sentences. The syntax is also different for example, in this verse "women and men both little and small; cared of anyone not at all" the structure of sentence does not follow typical grammar use. The vocabulary used is also different for example a word "no one" used in a poem does not belong to standard English vocabulary, but in the poem it gives the meaning poet wants to explain. A poet might use slangs and jargons in order to make his poetry more meaningful In this way learner catches a different viewpoint towards language by going beyond the known uses.

Motivates the reader:

Poetry always have hidden meanings which are never expressed clearly, in order to grasp the original meaning the reader has to explore more and poetry triggers the unmotivated reader to find out what is inside. By reading a single verse almost every person out of 10 would come up with a different interpretation.

Emotional association:

Whenever reader reads a piece of poetry, and get its original idea they start to find associations between the words and their own life and when reader is able to do that he/she will generate emotional responses. Thus, poetry evokes feelings in the heart and mind.

Learning figures of speech:

Reading poetry makes the reader able to identify different figures of speech used in it for example, metaphor, personification, simile, imagery and irony etc as they are a part of daily language

Properties of poetry:

Poetry is an enjoyable experience in learning a new language with the properties of rhythm and rhyming, both of which portray love, affection and appreciation for the power and sounds of a language. Thus, the reader becomes more familiar with the supra-segmental aspects of language I.e. pitch, stress and intonation.

Semiotic elements:

This is the general study of signs and symbols and their functions in a language and these elements are perfectly learned by poetry. In poetry nothing is as clear as it is said, there are always some deeper meanings and to portray those deeper images there is a need of signifier and signified which are used by the poets in poetry.

I Wanted To Embrace The Swedish Culture

By Oliver JR Cooper

Once I knew that I would be going to Sweden, Stockholm, I started to think about what it would be like. Going away didn't consume my mind, though, as I was engaged with what was taking place in my life.

I wanted to go away, no doubt about it; but I wasn't in a position where I needed to get away. What I was doing was fulfilling and this stopped me from getting too caught up in what I would be doing whilst I was away.

A Different Climate

What was different about this trip was that I would be going somewhere that was cold, and this made a change. In the past, I had generally gone to countries that were warm and were only a few hours away.

Yet, even though I was going somewhere cold and it would only take a few hours to get there, I thought that it would be unlike anywhere I had been before. So, when the time came for me to go away, I started to get excited.

The First Signs

On the plane, the safety video was in English and then it was followed up in Norwegian, due to the airline that I was flying with. But even though I wasn't going Norway, this made it even clearer that I was going away.

Soon after this, I landed in Stockholm and when I got off the plane, heard people talking in another language. It wasn't until I got outside and was exposed to the cold temperature that I fully realised that I was in another country.

Extremely Curious

It was incredibly cold and, as I didn't go to sleep the night before, I just wanted to go to sleep. Nevertheless, now that I was away I wanted to find out more about Sweden and to experience their way of life.

The reason for this is that when I go away, I don't expect to bring my way of life with me and to live how I would back home. I want to find out what is and what isn't acceptable, what kind of food they eat, and to learn about their history, among other things.

One Moment

While I was walking around the city, I saw an advertisement that spoke about where I could find tapas to eat. Now, I have tried taps in the past and I enjoyed eating them, but I wasn't in Sweden to eat tapas.

Similarly, I didn't go to there to eat McDonald's or to have a coffee at Starbucks; I was there to experience the Swedish way of life. I thought about how there is a fine line between adding things to a culture and enriching it, and adding things and completely destroying a culture.

No Different

When it come to the main shopping area, for instance, I could have been anywhere in the world; it was no different to being in London or Australia. The same could be said for the hotel that I stayed in.

After I started to walk around the old town I could see that I was somewhere different. This was a special place, and what helped was that I was with a friend from Sweden who could show me around.

A Wonderful Time

Seeing these buildings and finding out about the history of Stockholm, Sweden was thoroughly enjoyable. I even had the chance to write on the wall of a coffee shop - whoever goes there can leave a message or just write their name on the wall.

I wanted to see the Viking burial ground and the 17-century ship, but I didn't have time in the end. There is plenty to see and do here if you are looking for somewhere different to explore.

Prolific writer, author, and coach, Oliver JR Cooper, hails from England. His insightful commentary and analysis covers all aspects of human transformation, including love, partnership, self-love, and inner awareness. With over one thousand seven hundred in-depth articles highlighting human psychology and behaviour, Oliver offers hope along with his sound advice.

To find out more go to - http://www.oliverjrcooper.co.uk/

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Journey Of The Braves

By Elijah Godwin Marvis

We all know that going to Europe is a good thing, because it is obvious that one could make it bigger and faster there than here in Africa, but the question remains; by which means do Africans travel to Europe mostly, and what are the challenges?

Of a long time history, Africa has always seemed to be so difficult for the poor masses to survive in it, despite the fact that it is highly recognised world widely for its mighty farming potential and other sources of wealth that occur naturally, such as; Minerals, Fossil, Fuels, Timber, etc. That is to say, with what Africa has, if there be good leaders, it could feed the world. But its selfish politicians only care about themselves, ignoring the tears of the poor citizens. But nevertheless..

(Life goes on)

As a young boy or a young girl growing up into a poor family, your parents may not be able to sponsor you throughout your study. Or if paraventure you have acquired a university certificate but could not find a job, at that point in life, you may begin to have negative thoughts, self condemnation, asking yourself some silly questions like; "why is my own case different?" "Will I ever make it in life?" Well, "you will make it" but it all depends on your spirit, because everyone is destined to be great in his or her own world, but fear, environment and lack of information hinder many from ruling their destinies, leaving them with no choice than to be just "dreamers". But now I think its the right time you convert those your great ideas and plans into "action" in order to touch those hopeful dreams. All you need to do is to make some positive changes by going out to acquaint yourself with good people, those who you feel they know more than you do, because "If you are not informed, you will be deformed". Along the line, you will hear different opinions, suggestions and advices on how to make it in life from different people. Don't decide yet, meditate with your Bible/Koran, ask God in prayer to guide and lead you into making the right decision. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

(Good, that you have done that)

Now, of all the stories and suggestions that you have heard, I know that you might have also heard about "traveling to Europe by foot" isn't it? Well, it is real and it is not a bad idea, because one has to take some risks in order to achieve something great in life, since they say that "life is not a bed of roses" especially for those who were not born with silver spoons in their mouths. But at the same time, I must also tell you that the journey is not adviceful or encourageable, you just ought to know that it doesn't give life guarantee. The chances of being persecuted along the way is 100%, the chances of death is 70%, while the chances of survival is 30%. But let it not drive you up the wall, you just have to be "BRAVE". (Deuteronomy 13:6)

Now that you have made up your mind to hit the road, that is to embark on this long hazardous journey, get yourself prepared. Far from the fact that you will have to be transited many times from one place to another, the journey is called "TPPR", (Two Parts of Perilous Routes), commonly known by people as "See Agadez see Libya, See Libya see Italy" or "See Agadez see Morocco, see Morocco see Spain", therefore, you have the choice to make either to Morocco for Spain, or to Libya for Italy. When you get to one of these two African countries, you may decide to stay and work for a couple of time, or you may decide to cross Europe without delays, the choice is yours, but you must have with you at least USD $1,000 before you say "goodbye to your people" that will sustain you for both feeding and transportation fees.

(Good luck!)

Now, let us take the route of Libya. As a Nigerian, Beninese, Ghanaian, Gambian, Togolese, Senegalese, Cameroonian, your first arriving point will be "Agadez" the largest city in the central Niger, this is where most people from different parts of Africa amass, while making their transportation's connections, because the city lies in the "Sahara desert". Know that this is the largest desert in the world, covering a surface area of about 3.5 million square miles, you could find it sandy and some areas stony, it is roadless and treeless, maybe you could find a single dry tree at a certain area, but not assured, although, it depends on the area your compass navigates you through. Therefore, it is obvious that you will stand the risk of high sun intensity during summer, or heavy cold during winter, and you will find nowhere to dulge them. The minimum period of time to spend on the first movement through "Sahara desert" is four days, that is from "Agadez to Gatron", Gatron is one of the Libya's states sharing a common boundary with "Niger", however, that still depends on your connection, if you make a bad one, you could spend more days.. Notwithstanding the fact that you made a good connection, there is still 50% possibility of missing your way, which would result your driver into driving around the desert, including where he has passed before, without even noticing. For this reason, people spend two weeks or more in the desert, then, your food and water will have finished. Whenever this problem occurs, women are sustained longer than the men, because they can Urinate up to five times haven't drunken any water, whereas the men can only urinate twice. You may survive for some days without food, but definitely not without water, subsequently, at a certain point, you as a man will have to buy "Urines" from the women to drink, while the women will drink from theirs.

Those drivers are mostly from Chad and Niger, they are very wicked and they don't value human's life. If a passenger falls down from the vehicle, they will never stop to pick him or her, and we know that the desert is very wide, so, it is possible that one may not see another vehicle passing through that same area within two days, for these reasons people die. There are two types of vehicles that are being used, (911, also known as combined) the one you're seeing its picture on top here. Then, Hilux, one man's business). 911 is likely safer because it is a combination of different connections, they always keep their eyes on it to make sure it delivers in peace, and again even if one falls down while on the move, which is usual, one could also run to meet them because it runs very slowly, other passengers would lay helping hands to lift him or her up. But the disadvantage is the fact that it runs at a snail's pace (very slowly) so, it is beyond a reasonable doubt that it could spend not less than 10 days in the desert, even though nothing happens to the vehicle apart from the usual stops for people to eat and sleep for like 3 hours. The Hilux is quicker but incurs more risk, if at all nothing goes wrong, you could see Gatron within four days, but obviously, it will encounter some obstacles like; getting spoilt, but the drivers are mechanical engineers themselves and they will have with them everything it would take to fix it. Far from that, it will encounter an obstacle like; sinking in the sandy area, which will demand everyone to come down (to push). Bear it in mind that no matter the quantity of food and water that is taken along by all the passengers which will be allowed by the drivers into that small vehicle that will also Carry up to 42 passengers, they must finish within three days, therefore, you must be prepared to stay without food and water for at least one day, and that's if nothing goes wrong. But if paraventure the vehicle encounters any, or all of these problems, you will spend more than you expect, then, where would you gain the strengths to push the vehicle out of the soft, sandy-hill areas? You will have no choice than to wait for God's miracle.

Your drivers will tell you all to say your last prayers, that you have come to the end of the road (everybody must die), then, they walk a little distance away from you to lie down, smoking and drinking alcohol. During this period, their hearts have turned to stones and are easily provoked, if anyone of you cries louder than others, they could shoot the person. They have accepted death even before you, but they seek for a little opportunity to kill everybody before they die.. Don't worry, all you need is to be prayerful and faithful, desert is disastrous but also miraculous. (Isaiah 35:1-10) After you might have given up, you may be crying until you sleep off, but really, someone might wake you up for good, or better still, before you all wake up in the morning, you will find out that "Breeze has blown the sandy-hill away" demanding no one to push the vehicle again. That's the way God works for his children in the Sahara desert. If not, this is why people die.. Apart from the problems of the vehicles, there are still other challenges that people do face which affect the women mostly. They are sometimes raped by the drivers. And again, whenever they get mad at you for noise makings and complaints, they could drop you, forcing you to sleep with one another at gun points. For this reason do women get unwanted pregnancies before reaching their destinations.

(Oh! You have arrived in Gatron at last, thank God.)

The moment you get here, the transportation's connection you have made has expired, you will have to make another connection that will drive you from "Gatron to Sabha". Beware! Because there are many Black Africans that reside here doing all sorts of violative businesses like; Human trafficking, Forcing women into prostitution, etc. Each of them has a place called "Ghetto", and in one of these places will you stay for at least three days before moving to Sabha, (whichever state you get to in Libya, it is your driver that is responsible to find you a ghetto nearby). If you are a woman going to Europe for prostitution, then, Gatron is the place you may start from, either being forced or voluntarily. If you are a man, your ghetto boss's target would be either duping you to frustration, or selling you to poor Libyan farmers, where they will imprison you to labor for them, yet, getting no payment. Therefore, while in the ghetto, you will need to be very careful and fast in making your connection to Sabha, it is a straight road and a half day journey without much stress. The people there can be extremely wicked and helpful, but that will depend on your first impression the very day you arrived. Once they see you as a wise and a serious person, they will even be the one to help you find a good connection.

You have finally arrived in Sabha. Which means (you are now fully welcomed to Libya). Sabha is one the metropolitan states of Libya, highly populated by foreigners from different parts of the world, mostly Africans. It is hotter than for example; "Lagos" in Nigeria. If your money was stolen along your way before arriving here, there is nothing to worry about, in Sabha you could do some odd jobs like; Washing cars, or buying yourself a Hammer and a chisel, with which you would use in breaking down old houses, pulling old tiles, etc. This job is common in Libya, and it is generally called "Kasora", through which you could raise another money to continue your journey. But, mind you that human trafficking which I mentioned earlier that goes on in Gatron happens most in Sabha, so, whenever you go out from the ghetto where you are staying to work or to somewhere else, you will have to be very vigilant, otherwise, you may be kidnapped by the Libyans themselves (Asima boys) demanding you to pay a huge amount of money before they release you, one could also be kidnapped more than once if not careful, and this has frustrated many people, leaving them with no choice than to remain in Libya and forget about moving to Europe, because they cannot raise the amount needed for the transport fee to Tripoli where they will make the last connection to Europe. But, if you have not lost your money in the first place, I would suggest you to make a quick connection to Tripoli without wasting much time in Sabha, because for as long as you stay in a ghetto, you must be paying for rent, however, it is not always much, because there would be many people in a single room, as large in number that you may not be able to turn your body after you have laid down. Such places are always cheap, and that is how every ghetto in Libya is. But, to avoid contacting diseases, or falling into the hands of these slave traders, it would be better you find your way to Tripoli as soon as possible, because Sabha is as dangerous as a broken bottle.

There are two connection alternatives for going to Tripoli, it is either through straight road or through desert. But, the two options have equal risks, although, it is unpredictable that you cannot figure out which one would be safer.

Straight road, this is just a day journey, however, it costs more than of the desert route. If you have the vaccination card/yellow card, which Libyans call "X pataka", then, you may be somehow free from the police, but definitely not free from the Asima boys and some of their police men that are crazy, but if you don't have this card, it's worst. You would stand the risks of being held by the police on the way, the penalty would be sending you to prison, and then deport you back to your country after some months you will have spent in the prison with hard labor. And again, the so called Asima boys are always the drivers to take people to Tripoli from Sabha, therefore, with or without this card, they sometimes divert their passengers to a secluded area where they would be kept for a long time, demanding money from them at gun points. Obviously, they will collect from everyone like twice or more, then, if you happen to be involved and you have just the money for crossing to Europe, it would be obvious that you will call home for more money. When they feel that they are due with what they have gotten from you all, they will take you to Tripoli, but that is if anyone among them is merciful to plead and convince the others, if not, they will abandon you all there. Think of how secluded that place might be, and for the fact that you have no document guarding you, if you wander about searching for the main road, you may get yourselves into the hands of another group of criminals, or the police men, which would eventually land you in prison and also back to your country thereafter, this reason people die... (Solutions) Never you think that Libya is a country that its route was discovered only for the reason of crossing to Europe because of the Mediterranean sea, majority of Africans live and work there, and don't even think of going to Europe for the kind of money they make. Consequently, whenever people find themselves into a situation like this, they obscurely search for uncompleted buildings. Libya has always been and will always be under infrastructure, that is to say, anywhere you are in Libya you will always see a lot of buildings under construction, and the builders are always foreigners, mainly Africans. African workmen in Libya are likely good, unlike those ones into business like, (Ghetto bosses). So, you will find a building under construction, and the people there could help you for shelter and job until the money for your journey completes.

Desert way, first of all, I want you to know that the previous desert you have experienced is more risky than the one you're about to enter, because it is a boundary between two countries, even a single helicopter flying across, you cannot find there, and there is no network for phone calls. While this very desert is inside a country, therefore, there are possibilities that the drivers could make calls if your vehicle misses its way, and you could also be seen by helicopters within two days, and again the Xpataka is not necessary. But the truth is that you will experience more pains than your first trip in the desert because of how the drivers will stack you on the Hilux like "Geisha sardines", covering you with an opaque trampoline and putting up blocks round the edges.

This way, desert forces will not notice what they are carrying. The journey is not more than three days if no obstacles, but nevertheless, it is possible for one to die on that Hilux after his breath is ceased for the way they stacked you. Despite the fact that the journey is three days or more, there would be no stops for food, lest the desert forces catch you. But if unfortunately they meet these forces, they would have no choice than to drop you and go their ways, these forces are normally with dictative dogs, they could find you whichever area you are.

It is true that desert is big, but it is wide open, therefore, they must find you. But if none of these obstacles happen, then, you will only suffer pains, hunger and thirsty, the drivers mostly go on credit, hoping to collect their money when they get to Tripoli, therefore, they always try their best to make sure they deliver you for their money, that is to say, the thought of abandoning you in the desert is out of their plan, unless something else happens unexpectedly.

(Wow! You have just completed your first step of journeying through the two parts of Perilous Routes. Congratulations!)

This is Tripoli, the state capital of Libya, so, it is more peaceful and secured than other states of Libya, because of numerous police men patrolling around its cities. There are no much Asima boys, and the ones there operate with fear. But for the sake of the police, you are to hide yourself more than ever, so that you will not be cought, remember (you have no document). Here is the final place where you will have to make your connection to Europe, be careful!

There are two main places involved in this business of crossing Africans to Europe, they are; Tripoli and Sabratha/Zawiya, because they share boundary with the Mediterranean sea, but you are not to decide whether Tripoli or Sabratha. Now you're at the Ghetto, you will just have to pay your crossing money to the ghetto boss, and then, dedicate your life to God, praying without ceasing, because you're about to embark on a suicidal journey, and you will never know the day. If it would be from Tripoli, then, the suffering would be less, but if it would have to be from Sabratha, then, you will still have to be stacked on a Hilux or Truck like Geisha sardines again, or even in the boot of a car. While in the ghetto, you are not allowed to come outside the way you were allowed in Gatron and Sabha, because the police knows that ilegal immigrants are crossing from Libya to Europe through Tripoli and Sabratha, so, the security is very tight.

Wether from Tripoli or Sabratha, the next place to move from the ghetto is to the camp, is it built in a secluded area and not too far from the seaside, there are many camps, but they will just have to take you to one of them. It is just like an empty plot of land surrounded with high fence, so that no passenger could run, once you get there, (There would be no going back). You will meet thousands of passengers there, people from other connections, too. And I'm sorry to tell you, life in the camp of Libya is hell, you will suffer so much that you will regret ever embarking on this journey in the first place. Why? It is because your movement determines on wheather, they don't just push you to go and die on the sea, they always make sure that the sea would be calm for at least three days. Therefore, your date of departure would be unpredictable, you may spend one to four months, even more or less while waiting for weather. Then, your money will have finished long ago. However, your connection men will bring food for you weekly, but definitely cannot feed thousands of people. Many will contact diseases from dirts, and they are always contagious. Many will also die of hunger and sickness... The worst thing is that even when there is good weather, they could only push like four boats, which contains 120 passengers each, so, your being among would depend on how lucky you are. Sometimes Libyan police do come there to carry people to prison, but it doesn't happen always, so let us assume that it will not happen and you will not die there, perhaps you may contact a minor disease, but don't worry, when you get to Europe, (Oyibo female doctors) will treat you for free.

Welcome to the seaside!

It is always at the night that they will bring you here from the camp because of police, and again, the fear of the sea if they allow you see it in the day time. The boat is called 'Lampedusa', it is made of trampoline with a small engine, they will pump it in the morning of the night that they will have to take you there, just to be sure that it doesn't have a single leakage. You will not be allowed to wear any clothe that has 'zip', nor put on iron belt, or anything relating to sharp objects, lest it tears the boat. Immediately it is 1:00am they will start the loading.

once it is done, one person among you will be chosen as the captain, then, another intelligent person will volunteer himself out to read the compass. Normally, it is one day journey with the Lampedusa, then two days with ship. The ships are the rescuers, the countries involved in the business are Malta, Turkey, Germany and Italy. Therefore, you may not know the people that will rescue you. They are already between the European's and African's territory waiting, for they have seen you with helicopter, but cannot cross their territory, neither would they come close to the Lampedusa, because it's always coming with heavy waves.

Why do people die? Apart from the fact that no one goes with any sharp objects, the boat can still burst for one of these four reasons; Fighting in the boat. Pain is something that is sometimes unbearable, almost a day journey with a boat carrying 120 people, it is obvious that women sitting down must develop leg pains, and must point fingers at each other, and from quarrelling to fighting, then, the boat could burst. Compass strategy. Mediterranean sea is as wide as a desert, therefore, if your compass's reader misses the direction, then, you have lost your way, the captain will keep rotating around without noticing it, two days you're still on the boat. The planks used in constructing the under it will disorve, then, water comes in. Spoilt engine. This boat is built for only going and not to return, therefore, they won't spend much money constructing it. Its engine could spoil along the way, then, the wave will keep rotating it until its planks get desorved. Impatience. This is one of the reasons people die most in the Mediterranean sea. When you see the rescuers, you are not supposed to move your body, for they will from the ship come to you with small flying boats.

They will have with them enough lifejackets that will reach everyone, but when they start sharing it, people leave their positions to drag with people in the front, then, the boat will capsize.

Before you get to the European territory, there are still chances of you being cought on the sea by the Libyan Navy or Asima boys, toeing you back to Libyan prison, and from there back to your country. But if God be on your side, then, your journey would be a successful one. Once you have gotten onto the ship, I can assure you that you would be in Europe in the next two days, either Germany or Italy, mostly.

GOOD LUCK!

Himachal Pradesh - Gateway to Empyrean

By Shashvat Gethe

India is a scenic land blessed with unique culture, colorful people, royal history and picturesque locations. There is no dearth of pleasant surprises in India; Himachal Pradesh is one such scenic state that resembles a paradise. The moment, tourists step into this delightful mountainous state, they can sense excitement and fun. Himachal Pradesh is composed of deep valleys, spectacular mountains peaks, green lush gardens, apple orchards, ancient temples. Apart from viewing the immense magnetizing beauty of this mountainous state, many tourists also intend to taste the element of adventure games. While planning itinerary, do not forget that some time can be devoted to adventurous activities like ice skating, skiing, rock climbing, biking, paragliding, river rafting, and trekking, horse riding, fishing and angling.

Nature lovers and adventure seekers easily get besotted with charming landscape of Himachal Pradesh. This state is a treasure of striking landscape. In fact, its capital Shimla is referred as "Queen of Hills." The magnificent and heavenly view of snow - capped peaks, cool breeze of air, captivating surrounding makes all the sections of Himachal Pradesh an exemplary tourist destination. Newlywed couples just love to enjoy their honeymoon in this sparsely populated area. The serene surrounding, divine tranquility infuses element of romance in their evening colorful. Perhaps, the pastoral scenery of Himachal Pradesh is the perfect platform to keep cornerstone of lasting relationship.

Himachal Pradesh has all elements in ideal order to celebrate a perfect vacation. Very few places on this Earth have excellent combination of beauty, art and entertainment. While the rest of the world is blindly pursuing modernism, Himachal Pradesh and its inhabitants have retained its anarchic culture, rituals, church and houses of Scottish and Victorian architectures. The majestic beauty of this mountainous state is so enchanting that for a few moments tourists forget the agony of their materialistic life. Ironically, human lust to exploit wealth of nature has extended enormous damage to ecological balance. Kudos to endeavors of natives and nature lovers, the pristine beauty of this state has been successfully preserved.

The tourists are happy to notice dazzling smile on the rosy cheeks of residents. The charm of this mountainous paradise is hard to be described in words. This mountainous state is dotted with pleasant destinations. Do not miss any opportunity of closely watching blooming orchards, valleys enveloped with gaudy flowers and gushing steams. Pleasant weather is always present to accompany tourists. If you are keen to enjoy a few moments of relaxation and forget worries of life then, make a memorable trip to Himachal Pradesh. Surely, this will rejuvenate body, mind and entire soul.

How A Passing Star Lit Up The Ancient Sky

By Judith E Braffman-Miller

For millions of years all human beings, both early and modern, had to find their own food, and were forced to spend most of each day gathering plants and hunting animals in order to survive. Then, within only the past 12,000 years, our species made the revolutionary transition from being hunters and gatherers, to being able to produce our own food. Nevertheless, about 74,000 years ago, modern humans almost became extinct as a result of dramatic climate changes, and the human population may have been reduced to only about 10,000 adults of reproductive age. It was around this time, approximately 70,000 years ago, that a small reddish star floated close to our Solar System and gravitationally shook up comets and asteroids--sending them screaming inward towards our young Sun. In March 2018, a team of astronomers from the Complutense University of Madrid in Spain and the University of Cambridge in England announced that they have verified that the movement of some of these comets and asteroids was effected by that close stellar encounter.

At a time when modern humans were first beginning to migrate from Africa, and Neanderthals were dwelling with them on Earth, Scholz's star--named after the German astronomer who discovered it--floated less than one light-year from our Sun. Currently, this little red star is almost 20 light-years away, but 70,000 years ago it created a disaster when it wandered into our Solar System's Oort Cloud, a remote reservoir of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) located at the outer limits of our Solar System. TNOs are icy and dusty comet nuclei that dwell in the distant dark deep freeze of our Sun's region of gravitational influence.

This discovery was first made public in 2015 by a team of astronomers led by Dr. Eric Mamajek of the University of Rochester in New York (USA). The details of that catastrophic stellar flyby, the closest documented so far, were published in the February 10, 2015 issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Stellar Ships That Passed In The Night

Our Sun is a solitary star, but even though it lives alone, it sometimes has visitors. Such a visitor was the dim and alien Scholz's star when it paid our Solar System a visit. This faint, small stellar invader is thought to have skimmed through the Oort Cloud--the remote shell of comet nuclei that surrounds our entire Solar System.

Scholz's star is a low-mass red dwarf star that is a member of a binary system, and it sports the puny mass of merely 8% that of our Sun. The other member of the duo is a brown dwarf, a failed star, that is even smaller than Scholz's star with a mass of only 6% solar masses. Red dwarf stars are the smallest true stars in the Cosmos, as well as the most numerous and longest-lived. In contrast, puny little brown dwarfs are fascinating little stellar failures. This is because, even though brown dwarfs are likely born the same way as true stars--from the collapse of an especially dense blob of material embedded within one of the many giant, dark, and frigid molecular clouds that haunt our Milky Way Galaxy--they never manage to gain sufficient weight to ignite their nuclear-fusing star-fire. Even though puny little brown dwarfs never acquire sufficient mass to begin the process of nuclear fusion, they are still more massive than gas giant planets, such as our own Solar System's spotted and banded behemoth, Jupiter. Red dwarf stars, in contrast, did manage to acquire enough mass to begin the process of nuclear fusion--which produces sufficient pressure to battle against the force of gravity, thus keeping the star bouncy against its own fatal collapse. Radiation pressure pushes the stellar material out and away from the star, while gravity tries to squeeze everything in. The two warring forces help a star maintain stellar equilibrium--but the end must come, sooner or later. As soon as the star finishes burning its necessary supply of nuclear-fusing fuel--whereby it fuses heavier atomic elements out of lighter ones--gravity wins the war against its rival, and the star collapses. However, it is likely that there are no dead red dwarf stars in the Cosmos--yet. Small stars take their stellar "lives" easy and burn their fuel--very, very slowly. Indeed, it probably takes trillions of years for a red dwarf to perish, and our Universe isn't even 14 billion years old yet. In contrast, massive stars live fast and die young, and some may only "live" for millions, as opposed to billions--let alone trillions--of years. Our Sun is a small star, but it is much more massive than a red dwarf. Our Star is approximately 4.56 billion years old, and it has about another 5 billion years to go before it blows off its outer gaseous layers, leaving its relic core behind in the form of a tiny dense object called a white dwarf.

Scholz's star is an inhabitant of the Monoceros constellation, which is located about 20 light-years from Earth. However, when the tiny faint red dwarf closely brushed our young Solar System in Earth's prehistory thousands of years ago, it would have appeared as a 20th magnitude star. This is about 50 times more faint than can usually be seen with the naked human eye at night. However, Scholz's star is very magnetically active, and this can make it "flare". For one brief shining moment on a cosmological time scale, Scholz's star can potentially become thousands of times brighter. This means that it is entirely possible that Scholz's star was visible to our prehistoric ancestors 70,000 years ago--for minutes or hours at time during its rare episodes of flaring.

Scholz's star is more formally designated WISE J072003.20-084651.2. It derived its less technical nickname to honor the astronomer Dr. Ralf-Dieter Scholz of the Leibniz-Institut fur Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP) in Germany. Dr. Scholz is the first to have announced the discovery of the dim little red dwarf star late in 2013. The WISE component of Scholz's star's formal name refers to NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission, responsible for mapping the entire sky in infrared light in 2010 and 2011. The J part of the formal designation refers to the red dwarf's coordinates.

The little star's trajectory suggests that 70,000 years ago it floated about 52,000 astronomical units (AU) from Earth (0.8 light-years)--which is equal to 5 trillion miles. One AU is equivalent to the average distance between the Sun and Earth, which is about 93,000,000 miles. The authors of the 2015 paper noted that they are 98% certain that Scholz's star skimmed the Oort Cloud, a mysterious and unexplored domain situated at the edge of our Solar System. The Oort Cloud is generally thought to be the home of trillions of frozen, glittering, icy comet nuclei that are about a mile--or more--across. This distant cloud is also thought to be the origin of long-period comets that swing into orbit around our Sun after their orbits have been gravitationally disrupted.

The Oort Cloud is named for its two discoverers, the Dutch astronomer Jan Oort (1900-1992) and the Estonian astronomer Ernst Opik (1893-1985). This spherical shell is the habitat of icy planetesimals, left over from our Solar System's formation more than 4.5 billion years ago. Icy planetesimals were the building blocks of the quartet of giant gaseous planets inhabiting the outer Solar System--Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. In contrast, the asteroids--mostly found inhabiting the Main Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter--are the relic population of rocky and metallic planetesimals that built up the quartet of solid inner Solar System planets--Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. In the primeval Solar System planetesimals--both icy and rocky--collided with one another and merged to create ever larger and larger bodies, thus forming the familiar planets of our Sun's family. The Oort Cloud is thought to surround our Solar System at a distance of as much as 100,000 AU, which situates it half-way to the nearest star to our Sun, which is Proxima Centauri.

The Kuiper Belt and Scattered Disk--which also house frozen comet-like objects--are less than one thousandth as far from our Sun as the Oort Cloud. The outermost edge of the Oort Cloud marks the boundary of our Star's region of influence. It is the boundary of our Sun's gravitational dominance.

The Oort Cloud is generally believed to be composed of two regions: a disk-shaped inner cloud called the Hills cloud, and a spherical outer cloud. Most of the remote, frozen inhabitants of the Oort Cloud are made up of ices, such as water ice, methane ice, and ammonia ice.

Our Sun was probably born as a member of a dense open stellar cluster containing thousands of sibling stars. Many astronomers believe that our newborn Sun was either unceremoniously evicted from its natal cluster as the result of gravitational perturbations caused by other stars, or that it simply floated away of its own free will about 4.5 billion years ago. Our Star's stellar siblings have long since wandered off to more distant regions of our Milky Way Galaxy, and there very well may have been as many as 3,500 of these nomadic solar-siblings.

Today, our Sun is in active mid-life. It is a main-sequence (hydrogen-burning) star on the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram of Stellar Evolution. As stars go, our Sun is not particularly special. Our Solar System is located in the far suburbs of our majestic--though typical--barred-spiral Galaxy, the Milky Way.

Shining In The Prehistoric Sky

Two astronomers from the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain), the brothers Dr. Carlos and Dr. Raul de la Fuente Marcos, along with their colleague Dr. Sverre J. Aarseth of the University of Cambridge (UK), have now analyzed, for the first time, the nearly 340 objects objects dwelling in our Solar System with hyperbolic orbits (very open V-shaped, as opposed to the typical elliptical). In the process, the three astronomers discovered that the trajectory of some of these objects are influenced by the passage of Scholz's star.

"Using numerical simulations we have calculated the radiants or positions in the sky from which all these hyperbolic objects seem to come," explained Dr. Carlos de la Fuente Marcos in a March 10, 2018 La Ciencia es Noticia (SiNC) Press Release.

"In principle, one would expect those positions to be evenly distributed in the sky, particularly if these objects come from the Oort Cloud. However, what we find is very different, a statistically significant accumulation of radiants. The pronounced over-density appears projected in the direction of the constellation of Gemini, which fits the close encounter with Scholz's star," he continued to note.

The exact time in which Scholz's star passed close to Earth, as well as its position during prehistory, coincide with the date determined in the new investigation--and also with those calculated by Dr. Mamajek and his team. "It could be a coincidence, but it is unlikely that both location and time are compatible," Dr. De la Fuente Marcos continued to explain in the March 10, 2018 SiNC Press Release. He further pointed out that their simulations indicate that Scholz's star approached even closer than the 0.6 light-years proposed in the earlier 2015 study as the lower limit.

This close brush with the little red star 70,000 years ago did not disrupt all of the hyperbolic objects in our Solar System, only those that were closest to it at that time. "For example, the radiant of the famous interstellar asteroid Oumuamua is in the constellation of Lyra (the Harp), very far from Gemini. Therefore, it is not part of the detected over-density," Dr. De la Fuente Marcos added. He further said that he is confident that new studies and observations will confirm the idea that Scholz's star passed close to us in relatively recent times. Indeed, it is likely that are ancestors, gazing up at the sky, saw its dim reddish light in the dark nights of prehistory.

Judith E. Braffman-Miller is a writer and astronomer whose articles have been published since 1981 in various newspapers, magazines, and journals. Although she has written on a variety of topics, she particularly loves writing about astronomy because it gives her the opportunity to communicate to others some of the many wonders of her field. Her first book, "Wisps, Ashes, and Smoke," will be published soon.

Discover Things to Do In Frankenmuth, Michigan

By Sherry Trautman

Frankenmuth, a Bavarian themed town, is unlike any other city in Michigan. It feels like you have stepped back in time to when things were simpler, perhaps a little more peaceful. It's a place where families can enjoy quality time together while forgetting the outside world. I enjoy visiting Frankenmuth throughout the year, not just in the summer.

Within about one square mile, this quaint town offers visitors a taste of Bavaria as they wander in and out of shops, enjoying chocolates, tasting wines, sampling cheeses and of course, dining on delicious famous chicken.

Speaking of chicken, it is impossible to talk about Frankenmuth without mentioning its world-famous chicken! Zehnder's and the Bavarian Inn are owned by brothers, Mr. William Zehnder and Mr. Edwin Zehnder. The restaurants are located across the street from each other with both offering all-you-can-eat chicken dinners with all the trimmings in a beautiful Bavarian themed atmosphere. Consistent with the theme, cheerful servers dressed in Bavarian style uniforms deliver your hearty meals.

The Bavarian Belle Riverboat is another Frankenmuth favorite. For just a few dollars (cash only), you can sit back and relax as the river boat captain guides the beautiful covered boat down the Cass River. As a bonus, the Bavarian Belle is a family owned and operated business. As such, the father and sons operation strives to offer you the best possible experience with every trip down the river. Oh, and they pop delicious popcorn for each trip down the river!

As you take in the sights, the river boat captain will point out wildlife along the shore, sneak in witty jokes and share informative history about the area. There is never a dull moment as he points out homes of prominent Frankenmuth residents and discusses the Star of the West Milling Company as you catch sight of their operation near the river.

Wandering along Main Street is a feast for the eyes and stomach. Frankenmuth Cheese Haus attracts visitors young and old for a photo opportunity standing next to a huge wedge of bright yellow cheese with a mouse popping its head out at the top. Handmade candy, sausage and chocolate shops with large open windows draws in curious visitors. Don't miss the hidden Castle Shops located on the lower level of the Bavarian Inn Restaurant.

South of the Bavarian Inn Restaurant toward the east is the nostalgic Covered Bridge. Vehicles and pedestrians alike can cross this bridge with safe walled pedestrian walkways on either side of the bridge. Be sure to walk on both sides of the bridge to enjoy the scenic view of Heritage Park and the beautiful downtown area. It's especially exiting to cross the bridge as the Bavarian Belle glides below.

Lastly, the River Place Shops located at the south end of Main Street offers culinary delights such as SugarHigh Bakery that won Cup Cake Wars in Season 7, The Popcorn Wagon for 40 flavors of yummy popcorn and La Crepe du Jour for sweet and savory handmade crepes. River Place Shops contain oodles of family owned businesses catering to our taste buds, beloved pets and children. Clothing stores, wineries, a distillery and leather goods are sure to delight shoppers of all ages. Not to mention a small river meanders through the shopping area.

In closing, Frankenmuth contains more than meets the eye. Take the day or the weekend to explore this city rich with history and charm. Frequent festivals and events will bring you to Frankenmuth time and time again. You'll be amazed with the hidden gems you discover during each visit!

Discover a few more off-the-beaten-path things to do in Frankenmuth, Michigan at   https://www.travel-mi.com/Frankenmuth.html. Lots of tips and ideas so you are in-the-know as you plan your trip to Frankenmuth!

Quick Fixes To Planning Your Trip to Boston, MA

By Pamela Lawson

This article is perfect for those looking for quick tips to traveling in Boston, MA, the place where most people would say the history of America began. Below, you'll find useful tips and points to keep in mind and prepare before and during your trip to this New England peaceful paradise.

Boston Is Of Resolutions, Culture, Traditions, and History

The reason why Boston remains to be a popular tourist destination is that it is undeniably one of the most revolution-rich cities in the United States. Deep within its history, there's a mishmash of tradition, culture, constructive transformations, new-found freedom, and revolutions. It was home to some of the most inspiring and forward-thinking thinkers of our time and broke barriers historically and culturally.

Here's the thing about a trip to Boston, MA - much of what you do and what you experience depends on the time of the year. The city boasts of historic indoor and outdoor shopping destinations like Faneuil Hall to make your heart skip a beat, giant ocean tanks and aquariums like the New England Aquarium, museums of fine art like the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, theaters, legendary grand homes of renowned historical and public figures strewn throughout its unprecedented landscape.

Easy Transit In and Out of Boston, MA

It takes less than an hour's flight from New York City and about one hour and a half from Connecticut by Amtrak. Of course, with a charter bus, making pit stops in between is a must. It offers opportunities to savor the mysteries of old towns, soak in the untainted countryside, explore uncharted landscape... and, of course, let's not forget that selfie.

Tips For Planning Your Itinerary in Boston, MA

First up would be finding the most affordable and convenient flight into Logan International Airport in East Boston, Worcester Regional Airport, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport or the T.F. Green Airport in Warwick in neighboring Rhode Island. Ironing out how you're getting into the city will always be the most important item on your agenda.

For those who are traveling in a large group, suffice to say, Charter Bus Boston would be more than happy to be at your service! Getting a group in and out of Boston would be a breeze with a bus at the ready, complete with chauffeurs and experienced staff at hand. This way, you wouldn't be flying blind... and in this case, it would be driving blind.

Where to stay in Boston, MA? Next up would be a place to catch the important shuteye in between trips to museums and a place to call home for a while. Research reveals that staying in the midst of Boston, MA can cut a big chunk out of your budget so, if you're looking to save a buck or two, try looking for accommodation on the outskirts of Boston. The ride in and out of the metropolis might take approximately 30 to 40 minutes per trip but with a well-planned itinerary, it won't matter much. After all, it sounds like a great time to catch a quick nap on the charter bus too.

Things to do in Boston, MA - planning and putting together your travel itinerary could be fun and simple if you're traveling in a small group or as a couple. However, for large groups with people of varying preferences and differences of opinion, the better idea would be to group your friends up in accordance with their interests. For instance, list down attractions categorically for the foodies, art lovers, shoppers, fitness enthusiasts, history lovers, kids and the elderly. Our tip would be to keep things flexible and loose. Having a good idea of what you want to do is different from being unable to shapeshift according to current situations. If it's raining, hiking should, needless to say, be struck off the list. Another tip would be this - book admission tickets ahead of time and note down the opening hours.

Checking the weather channel. With four very clear, distinct seasons, Boston's weather has a reputation for being more than a little dramatic. Winters sees snowfall throughout December right through to March; spring is growing season which means you can ditch the jacket; summers are humid but completely in control; while fall weather makes it seems like it is the best weather on earth. This is particularly important if you have young children or elderly travelers with you. Knowing what to bring ahead of time will save you a headache or hunting things down in the middle of a city you're unfamiliar with.

Keeping Everyone On The Same Page, On The Same Bus

Moving around in a large group can take a toll of just about anyone and we're here to make the trip more memorable. Once you've got your trajectory planned out, get in touch with our friendly customer service personnel and we'll hook you up with the best Boston charter buses in the market. Relax in the comfort of the bus while getting the chance to bond with your fellow travelers is literally priceless in every way.

Pamela Lawson of Charter Bus Boston is a long-time fan of traveling, and Washington D.C. is merely one of her stomping grounds. She contributes regularly to Charter Bus Boston when she is in between breaks. Find out more about Boston and the wonderful things to discover on Bus Charter Boston or book a quick charter bus right now! Find out more about the affordable rate at http://www.charterbusboston.com today.

Foodie Adventures in Downtown Washington DC

By Brian Gate

The food-ventures that you can experience in downtown Washington DC is, literally, endless. Whether you're wishing for a waterfront dining experience, would like to experience fine dining in a five-star hotel, or sample an exquisite, innovative culinary concept, it's all right here in DC. 'Chocolate City', as it is sometimes fondly called, has seen a rush of incoming International-style diners in the past decade and some would argue that no other city within its vicinity has seen the same level of explosion.

Here, you'll find hip renaissance-style eateries, local pop-ups, unique coffee shops and creative cafes dotting the downtown dining scene. This says a lot about the growth the historic city's experienced through the years.

Below is a short list of favorite diners and restaurants located in various neighborhoods in D.C.

Georgetown - At The Intersection Of The Old And New
Boasting of a unique historic charm, Georgetown, one of Washington DC's oldest neighborhoods, has a smattering of chic locations throughout. Upscale, modern bars along M Street, quaint cafes are strewn across Wisconsin Avenue, while celebrated diners with five-star ratings to their names have diverse menus of options for people of all ages.

There are indoor and outdoor seatings overlooking the stunning Potomac River, Kennedy Center, Watergate and Key Bridge available at the Sequoia Restaurant, traditional American fares at the family-owned Nick's Riverside Grille, and a delightful experience to be had at the award-winning, flagship restaurant of Founding Farmers. The restaurants have the ability to attract tens of thousands of regular locals and new tourists rain or shine. Some charm the socks off their patrons with delectable dishes, while others leave a lasting impression because of its authentic, family-friendly urban farmhouse feel.

Sequoia Restaurant

The Washington Harbour

3000 K St NW, Washington, DC 20007

(202) 944-4200

Highlights: Sunday brunch buffet, wedding venue, and live jazz entertainment

Nick's Riverside Grille

3050 K St NW, Washington, DC 20007

(202) 342-3535

Highlights: relaxing atmosphere, authentic pasta dishes, fresh-out-of-the-water seafood and scrumptious steaks

Founding Farmers DC

1924 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20006

(202) 822-8783

Highlights: authentic recipes, farm-to-table feel, classic and chic atmosphere

Shaw - A Conglomeration Of Hip Foodie Stops

It's been a long time coming that Shaw made a name for itself as one of the chicest neighborhoods in Washington DC. Charged with an eclectic feel, the streets are lined with raved-about restaurants, brag-worthy bars, and cool jazz lounges. If you're looking for fast food and quick eats, you'll soon be disappointed. Because it caters to foodies who demand exceptional service, florid designs, and slates of culinary masterpieces, it has a mish-mash of must-visit neighborhood restaurants that are all unique in their own ways.

Rows of 19th-century buildings now house family businesses, modern retail outlets and swanky theaters like Lincoln Theater and Howard Theater. It was, after all, famously called the 'Black Broadway'. While rustic 'The Pig' has walls lined up with fun pig-centric and historic signs, there are also quaint eateries at The Shay apartment building. The iconic Old Ebbitt Grill with its mahogany woodwork and classic beveled glass decor, located merely steps away from the White House, you'll get to sample authentic traditional American saloon food.

The Pig

1320 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005

(202) 290-2821

Highlights: delicious sandwiches and large portions of food, a full bar with happy hour, and kid-friendly menu

The Shay

1924 8th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

(855) 419-4683

Highlights: wide variety, chic atmosphere, kid-friendly cafes and bakeries

Old Ebbitt Grill

675 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20005

(202) 347-4800

Highlights: patronized by President Grant, Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt and Harding, journalists and celebs alike. Serves the best traditional upscale American saloon food that will bring you back in time

Diners and Restaurants Near The National Mall
Seeing The Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and the U.S. Capitol Building will evoke all types of patriotic emotions about the country's history. Even when you're surrounded by such majestic structures around America's front yard, tourists in their Washington D.C. charter buses are easily tempted with delicious aromas wafting in from neighboring restaurants, diners, and cafes. The iconic structures' weight of importance are not outdone by but are complemented by the vast array of available memorable meals in town.

With Taylor Gourmet offering freshly-baked loaves and starters, fire-roasted meats, home-grown vegetables and ingredients and off-the-wall desserts to satisfy every palate, Occidental Grill & Seafood Restaurant, a walk from The White House, has everything from fresh oysters to classic traditional American cuisine. Occidental dates as far back as 110 years ago when it was founded by Henry Willard and it has become a staple stomping ground for foodies since then. You'll also be sending your taste buds on an adventure with a trip to China Chicano, or while savoring the diverse soul food offered by Sweet Home Cafe which is a fancy food court located on the grounds of the National African-American regional museum.

Taylor Gourmet

1116 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002

(202) 684-7001

Highlights: delicious sandwiches, seasonal ingredients, gluten-free options, freshly-tossed salads

Occidental Grill & Seafood Restaurant

1475 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004

(202) 783-1475

Highlights: romantic, high-end ambiance, delicious wines, a short distance from The National Theater, is wheelchair-accessible and is perfect even for Presidents

China Chilcano

418 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20004

(202) 783-0941

Highlights: an authentic cuisine that reflects Peruvian culture and traditions with a touch of influence from Chinese and Japanese cooking styles. Delicious cocktails, flexible menu and kid-friendly.

Sweet Home Cafe

at The National Museum of African American History and Culture

1400 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20560

(202) 633-4751

Highlights: moderate prices, a wide selection of dishes, sides, and desserts based on various regions in the United States.

There is plenty more where that list came from and we'll definitely be writing up more about the new finds as we go along. Even as you get on and off the rented charter bus from museums to art galleries, historic sites to iconic landmarks all around Washington D.C., there are quaint gems to be found at every corner. When they say you'll be spoiled for choice, they're right.

Brian Gate is passionate about food, traveling, yoga, running, writing, music and art. This, he shares with everyone he can, whether in person or in writing. In writing for Bus Charter Washington D.C., he's benefited many. On top reading his articles, you can also rent a professionally-driven Bus Charter Washington DC on the website!

Popular Second Languages in Europe

By Marina Ivanova

Within the U.S., a growing number of people are beginning to speak more than one language. While it's still quite common to run into U.S. citizens who speak only one language, slowly but surely more and more people are becoming bilingual. In our digital age, where globalization and Ecommerce is the norm, speaking more than one language is increasingly helpful and even necessary for people in the U.S., which could explain why more of our citizens are becoming bilingual. This may sound like quite an accomplishment on the part of the American people. But the truth is that people from other parts of the world often speak at least two languages and many times more than that. Europe is one good example.

There are, as of the time of this writing, 24 officially recognized languages spoken in European countries, but there are an additional 60 "unofficial" languages that are commonly spoken by both European citizens and migrant populations. It is estimated that over half of all Europeans can effectively communicate in one other language, and about one-quarter of Europeans can speak two languages in addition to their native tongue, while a smaller number (estimated to be about 10%) speak at least three different languages. There are a variety of reasons why speaking other languages is more common in Europe than in the U.S., but perhaps the most significant is the fact that European countries are smaller overall than the U.S., sharing a continent in which people commonly travel back and forth from one country to another and do business with people from different nations. The U.S., on the other hand, is insular simply by virtue of its size and location - it's quite easy to live inside the U.S. and never travel to another country.

Whatever the reasons may be, there is no doubt that the majority of Europeans speak at least one other language. Perhaps not surprisingly, the most popular second language among residents of Europe is English. This is understandable considering the fact that English is widely recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union and remains so even after Britain's withdrawal from the EU. Coming in second as the most popular second language in Europe is French; third is German; fourth is Spanish; and fifth is Russian. It's interesting to note that in many of the smaller European countries - the Netherlands, Sweden, and Luxembourg, to name a few - an estimated 90% of all residents speak a second language, and many speak more than two.

Although English may be the most widely spoken second language in Europe, as we stated earlier the EU actually has 24 official languages. Among those, the three most commonly spoken and considered to be "procedural" - i.e., those languages in which the EU conducts business - are English, French and German. The remaining languages spoken in Europe are classified as "working languages."

The residents of Europe have good reasons to be multilingual, but speaking more than one language can benefit people inside the U.S. as well. Learning another language not only provides advantages for business people who are likely to encounter associates or customers who speak a different language; it also benefits individuals on a personal level since learning another language is a healthy mental exercise that keeps our minds active. But perhaps the greatest benefit of learning another language is how it creates empathy with people from different cultures, and gives us a deeper understanding of the diversity of the world in which we live. Globalization, after all, does not simply impact trade and commerce; in fact, we are all more closely connected thanks to technology. And we cannot think of a more rewarding and appropriate way to celebrate that connectivity than by learning another language.

At MI Translations, our commitment to our customers is as unwavering as our dedication to providing accurate, precise translation services. We have been able to distinguish ourselves because of our team and the processes we employ to guide our work.

We're committed to excellence in everything we do. It's that simple.

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Essential Things to Know Before Your Trip to Vietnam

By Isabella Smith

Vietnam is one of the best places one could make their travels plans for. Although not too popular with tourists, the country has much to offer for any kind of tourist and traveller. From delicious street food in the old quarter to the beautiful architecture throughout the country, the country and its beauty will not let you down.

Essential Things to Know Before Your Trip To Vietnam

Throughout the city, there are many things the for a tourist to do. Here is a comprehensive list of things you need to keep in mind and to know before you plan a trip to Vietnam:

Currency: Before your travel to a new country, no matter where you are coming from, make sure you have your currency in order. Take extra care when you take your cash and how much money you convert.

Plan ahead: Planning ahead before you visit Vietnam, means to look for reservations and book a place to stay beforehand. Have a travelling agency picked out which would offer a full tour guide and aid your travelling plans such as the Sapa Vietnam tours. Also, plan your itinerary for the area and the cities you plan on visiting, so that you have an idea what to do when you get there.

Master some Generic phrases: Before you go to Vietnam make sure you have some phrases mastered on your fingertips. Here is a list of few words which will help you interact with the locals in the country better:

I'm sorry/ Excuse me: Xin loi. (sin loy)
The Bill Please: Tinh tien!
Hello: Xin ch�o (sin chow)
No Sugar: Khong suong (Khom duong)

Be Prepared to Haggle: Vietnam is one such place where prices go up without warnings when it comes to tourists. So, in order to not get cheated, be fully prepared to haggle with the locals here. A useful tip is to exchange other currency notes for a better deal at local stops.

What to Wear: The country is pretty laid back and allows you to dress liberally, no questions asked. However, it must be remembered that you need to dress appropriately when you visit temples. There are strict clothing regulations there!

Wi-Fi Everywhere: You do not need to worry about internet connections here, or worry excessively about buying some international SIM cards because the country is super connected to Wi-Fi everywhere. And the best part is that it is for Free!!

Vietnam is a beautiful country, the cities are amazing with many options for visitors, and the beaches are serene. A tourist will never run out of things to do here. The country is going to make you fall in love with nature and will make you wish that you could stay there, forever! Sapa Vietnam tours and many other tour agencies offer the first-time visitors an easy guide on what to do when in Vietnam and arrange other things, such as travelling to various places, the accommodations and food.

Know More Details:   https://hanoitravelbus.com/

Isabella Smith had a dream tour to Vietnam with Hanoi Travel Bus and has shared those wonderful experiences in public. Those insights are extremely useful for the people who love to travel to Hanoi.� It was just incredible to relish the beauty of dream locations of Vietnam with the premium service from Hanoi Travel Bus

6 Secrets You Should Know About Samui

By Sarah Mathews

Whether you're tired of work and wanting to escape to the beach, or searching for your own piece of paradise...

Sit back and enjoy the ride, as we take you on our Secret Samui Guide to this enchanting emerald island in Thailand.

1. What is the secret to 'Koh-Samui's name?

Although the coconut tree is often considered the symbol of Samui, the words 'Koh-Samui' are derived from the Chinese words "saboey", which means "safe haven", and "Koh", the Thai word for "island".

Sitting in the southern gulf of Thailand, Koh Samui has been safe from serious natural disasters, with more stable waters than islands on the West coast of Thailand, exposed the beautiful but more dangerous Andaman sea with Monsoons blowing in the from Indian Ocean.

Going back in history, Samui was discovered hundreds of years ago by Chinese and Malay sea traders, who were drawn to the island's natural beauty, abundance of fresh fish and fruit, and many sheltered bays.

Since then Samui has come a long, long way...

It now features famous 5-star resorts and luxury properties with both celebrities and backpackers flocking from around the world to indulge in its intoxicating charms and hidden retreats.

*Top Tip: If you want to sound like a local, try pronouncing the name phonetically as it sounds: 'Ko-sa-moo-ee'

2. Where is Koh Samui located?

The island of Koh-Samui lied sheltered in the Southern Gulf of Thailand, roughly 700 km south of Bangkok, and just an hour to reach by plane.

With an international airport and a mass of ferry connections, traveling to the island is easy. Bangkok Airways offers daily direct 1 hour flights to the island, with many options.

If you're traveling on a budget, there are 4 low-cost airlines also flying from Bangkok to Surat Thani: (the nearest city on the mainland) These are: Air Asia, Nok Air, Thai Smile and Lion Air.

Some of budget flights cheaper are than buses or trains from Bangkok to Koh Samui, however these flights are non-direct, with a 1 hour bus ride from Surat Thani to the pier and 1 & 1/2 hour ferry to the island. With good weather, this is an enjoyable way to arrive to Koh Samui.

Another popular option is the sleeper train from Bangkok to Samui. The upper bunks are for those of who enjoy their privacy and air-conditioning! Lower bunks are less expensive, less private but less cool. This is a slower but more scenic way to arrive to the island.

*Top Tip: If you love diving & snorkeling, try traveling from Bangkok to Chumphon, taking a speedboat to Koh Tao and finishing on Samui.

3. Which are the best areas to visit on Samui?

There are so many villages & towns on Samui it's hard to know what to see! The secret to a successful Samui trip is, knowing where to stay.

Here is our top choice of areas to stay... (Clockwise around the island.)

Bophut & Fisherman's Village:

Fisherman's village was originally a traditional old Thai fishing village...

Recently however, it has reinvented itself as a hip & trendy hang-out, with popular new hotels, restaurants & night-markets on Mondays & Fridays, with a charming new shopping market at the end of the street.

This area is perfect for families or couples, who prefer a bit of peace and quiet. Although the sand may not be as soft as Chaweng beach, it makes up for it with its charming culture, old wooden houses, arts & crafts and clothes shops.

Bangrak & Big Buddha:

Next is Bangrak, with an array of fresh fish markets and ferry piers, and hourly boats taking holiday-makers to Koh Tao island for diving trips, and party-goers to Koh-Phagnan for the famous full-moon parties!

This area has also undergone a lot of changes, and is a popular place for expats, with many local pubs & bars. If you like a late night beer, game of pool, or more, this place is for you.

Around the corner is the Big Buddha, a quieter and more family focused area. Initially, this place was first famous for the local fisherman on the island, as it was the safest spot to shelter during storms.

Plai Laem & Choeng Mon:

Plai Laem is like a little hidden sanctuary on the island. (Referred to as 'the golden triangle' in real estate, sitting between 3 popular towns.)

It is more peaceful which many tourists prefer, and also favourite Koh Samui Property investment area, with high capital appreciation in land prices.

Around the corner is the famous Choeng Mon bay, more family focused, with the new water-park being built in the nearby jungle. This area has all you need for a fun-filled family trip!

Chaweng & Chaweng Noi:

Then we have Chaweng, which simply has so many things to see and do that it get's hard to list them all.

With the softest sand, busiest bars, biggest clubs and the cheapest cocktail buckets this place has a lot going on! Some of the eminent hangouts of this main beach road are the Ark Bar and Green Mango.

This area has also undergone a recent make-over, with the huge Central Festival shopping center, and an eclectic mix of new shopping & dining options to suit all budgets.

Chaweng Noi bay by contrast, is an idyllic paradise around the corner...

Lamai & Hua Thanon:

For those who enjoy deeper swimming waters, with a wide-range of water-sports, beach bars & restaurants, Lamai is popular tourist choice.

Sitting in the South of Samui, it is more bohemian & laid-back than the North East, attracting families, couples, groups & backpackers, seeking a bit more peace and quiet compared to the central party areas.

A funny local landmark along the way is the famous 'Hin Tai Hin Yai' or 'Grandfather & Grand Mother' - giant, granite, rocks naturally shaped like huge female & male genitals.

Snaking around the corner there is the fishing village of Hua Thanon. A charming old village, with traditional wooden Thai homes, giving a rustic feel to the place and culture.

Thong Krut & Laem Set:

Then we have the tranquil Tong Krut and laid-back Laem Set bays with their lush green nature; the perfect place to de-stress on the island...

If you want to try some local southern fresh fish, try the tradional Thai restaurant 'Gallapakkarang' on the Tong Krut beach, with teak wooden interiors and a famous palm tree pointing horizontally to sea.

As you come to Laem Set, wind down your windows and breathe the fresh sea air blowing through jungle. From shooting ranges, to safaris, zoos & waterfalls, there is fun for all the family on this part of the island!

Lipa Noi & Nathorn:

The two perfect places to take rest and watch the sun go down with a tropical cocktail, fruit shake, or whatever tickles your fancy!

With deserted golden beaches, serene and peaceful views, Lipa Noi has a more intimate feel - perfect for romantic walks or sunset dips.

To complete your circle of the island, at the end of the day stop off for a sundowner the 'Sunset restaurant' on the corner of the Nathorn harbor road, you can see a spectacle of ferries & ships arriving.

This more industrial town 'Nathorn' was once the most popular and expensive land on Samui, until tourism arrived to the pristine of beaches of the Northeast of the island.

4. What is there to do on the island?

Almost every activity you can imagine awaits on this tiny island...

Take a day-trip diving off the coast of Koh-Tao or to the Ang Thong National Marine Park: the largest archipelago of over 80 islands.

After, relax with a romantic dinner above beautiful Chaweng Noi bay...

*Top Tip: For those seeking adventure, hire a jeep and drive to the waterfalls & attractions. You may get lost, but that's half the fun!

5. What is the island weather like?

Koh-Samui weather is almost always beautiful. Bright blue skies and a cool ocean breeze is the norm on the island.

However remember it is a tiny tropical island, so be prepared for random outbursts of showers at anytime. The spontaneity of Samui life is one of it's many charms.

For those of you who like it hot, April to June is the best time to BBQ yourself, but the ideal temperature to visit the island late December to the end of March for that perfect tropical island weather experience.

However, be warned that the Christmas/New Year period is especially popular, with many people booking often months in advance!

Also, don't forget the different high & low tides in the seasons can mean a skinny or 100 meter long beach! For idyllic picture-postcode beaches, where you can safely sit on a peninsular of sand in 100 meters out at sea, check out the island's beaches between June - August.

*Top Tip: It can rain any time on the island. If you see the palm treetops shaking at night, reach for your umbrella or run for shelter!

6. What are the building laws on Koh Samui?

One of the secrets to Samui's success, compared to other islands, is a law that no building is permitted to be taller than a coconut tree!

(The regulation is 12 meters high.) This one of the simplest, most beautiful laws on Koh Samui and is there for environmental reasons...

As a result are there are no unsightly skyscrapers affecting the tree tops from the air, and the highest buildings are only four stories high, with many projects opting for a low-rise resort-style developments. An important addition to the various building laws on the island is the prevention of ALL further freehold condominiums being built.

*Top Tip: Always ask to see developers building permits & land titles. Buying 'off-plan' maybe cheaper, but is not without risk.

*The Final Tip:

With so many secrets to Samui it's hard to end the story. The final secret is simply to close your computer and come see for yourself!

6 Things You Do Not Know About Frankfurt

By Zoey Alena

The gleaming city of Frankfurt settled on the shores of the Main River has a charm that is unique in itself. It is unlike any other city you will find in Germany, or for that matter, on the entire continent of Europe. Besides being a global financial center, it still boasts an old-world charm with half-timbered structures speckling its Altstadt or old town. But, if you think that you have Frankfurt all figured out, then think again. Here are some intriguing facts about "Mainhattan" that you most probably do not know.

It's a cradle of nature with Germany's largest inner city forest

Think of Frankfurt and images of towering skyscrapers conjure up. But did you know that the city is also home to one of the largest inner city forests in Germany? Frankfurt City Forest also happens to be one of the world's largest urban forests. So nature lovers, make an Asiana Airlines reservation and get ready to behold some magnificent sights.

It almost became the capital of West Germany

Frankfurt has been a significant center for the longest time. So, it's not surprising that it was suggested to become the provisional capital of West Germany when the country was divided in to two parts after the World War II. However, since it was a major city in itself, making it the capital would have weaken the idea of German unification that West Germany supported. Therefore, a smaller city, Bonn was decided to be crowned as the provisional capital.

It has the most incredible skyline in the country

Well, if you like glistening skylines then get on an Asiana Airlines flight to Frankfurt and do not forget to pack your DSLR because the city is home to some of the tallest skyscrapers in the country. A particular highlight includes Commerzbank Tower soaring to a height of about 850 feet.

It has the most beautiful ruin in Germany

The World War II wasn't just a big blow to the world peace but also left countless incredible structures in ruins. Such was the case with Alte Oper which suffered great destruction in 1944. However, as the opera house laid in ruins for decades, it earned the reputation of the "most beautiful ruin in Germany." However, the structure has now been restored and is a prime attraction that lures people to make Bulgaria Air flight reservations to Frankfurt.

It has Germany's busiest airport

Frankfurt Airport is the major airport serving the city of Frankfurt and happens to be one of the busiest airports in the world. Just in the year 2017, the facility catered to about 64.5 million passengers.

It's a shopaholics' dream with tax-free shopping

Travelers from outside the European Union are entitled to a refund for any VAT that they have paid on merchandise bought during their stay in the city. Do you need any more reasons to embark on a sojourn to this enthralling German metropolis?!

Grab a few   Bulgaria Air or   Asiana Airlines flight tickets and fly to Frankfurt if you like to indulge in some soul-satisfying retail therapy and that too tax free.