Archive for October, 2010
Beach Bumming In Paris
With palm trees in the breeze on top of two miles of golden sand it could be Palm Beach or Palma de Mallorca. But it’s central Paris and the Paris Plage project the manmade beach along the river Seine. Lastminute preparations went on all night with workmen smoothing out the 2000 tons of fine sand now spread on what’s usually a busy motorway. Deck chairs sunloungers and colorful sun umbrella had sprung up everywhere. And by lunchtime it is impossible to find a free chair.
For people who live in Paris and have made a decision to spend the summer in the city and for those who are not citizens of Paris and have decided to spend the summer in the city there is some good news as Paris Plage is there to entertain the people of Paris.
Traditionally the first beach stretches on the Seine River’s right bank between the Tuilleries and Pont de Sully. The beach comes with some exciting improvements each and every year. Besides the usual beach sports activities like beach volley there are rowing matches several ball games and aerobic courses in the swimming pool and dance contests. The activity is dependent on preferences if one is inclined to be less active then one can relax in one of the numerous hammocks or beach beds that are strategically placed under colorful umbrellas and tropical palm trees.
The second beach around 700 meters long is between Port de la Gare and La Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir. The initiative recognized as “a bit crazy” by the Socialist mayor Bertrand Delanoe started in 2002 and has become a permanent annual event. It was welcomed by all Parisians who showed what a good idea they thought it was. In addition to lie around on the sun beds visitors can take part in a range of free sporting activities including petanque and volleyball and dance in the oldtime dance cafes known as ginguettes.
However it has to be kept in mind that the Seine river is not fit for swimming in. According to project designer JeanChristophe Choblet the aim of this beach is lazing and strolling by the water. It was never contemplated that one will have to pack bucket and spade for a weekend in Paris.
In addition to providing a great place to lie down and absorb the calming atmosphere of the riverside the Paris Plage plays host to numerous concerts all through the summer. From comedy to triphop and choreographed dance routines the bizarrely located beach offers a selection of entertainment for everyone.
However the idea of Paris Plage is in fact liberal so as to meet the need for holidays of those who cannot leave. But for that to happen it would be necessary that Paris looks beyond the small water area of the p?riph?rique and develop it fully so as one would be delighted to visit Paris Plage.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Anil Gupta recommends that you visit http://www.bookings.fr/city/fr/paris.html?aid=305255 for more information on Paris hotels.
Bangkok Patpong Red Light District – What To See And Where To Stay
The exotic city of Bangkok has three popular red light districts and if you’re short on time and had to choose which one to visit then Patpong should be it.
Patpong is easily reached by Bangkok’s public train systems and located in the commercial business district. In the daytime you could never tell that Patpong is a street filled with sex and sleaze and it only comes alive when the neon lights from the go go bars declare that they’re open for business.
There are two streets that most visitors frequent Patpong 1 and Patpong 2.
The busiest and most lively street is Patpong 1 which has the more popular go go bars such as King’s Castle and Queen’s Castle these go go bars are very popular and shouldn’t be missed. At 6PM the police shuts the street down to traffic and vendors begin setting up shop to sell knock offs of all kinds such as handbags jeans and yes Rolex.
With all the shopping available in Patpong 1 it is easy to see why it has become more commercialized as backpackers and vacationers match the amount of single males visiting Patpong.
But the biggest business of all in Patpong 1 of course is the sex for sale. Go go bars massage parlors and sex shows abound as hundreds of touts try and convince you to follow them and they’ll show you “The best time of your life”.
Patpong 2 on the other hand is less lively and unlike it’s sister street Patpong 2 is less crowded and frequented more by males who enjoying hanging out in the open air bars. The go go bars in Patpong 2 are less popular so you might want to skip it.
There are plenty of great hotel options near Patpong and some of them do not require their guest to pay a fee for taking a companion back to their rooms. Budget hotels such as Rose Hotel to classy hotels such as the Montien do not require such fees but there are plenty more hotel options.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Check out Bangkok Patpong Red Light District Guide for helpful maps and other tips on visiting Patpong.
Jim Hunt is an expat in Thailand. Through the dozen years he’s been living there he has become the unofficial welcome mat to visiting friends from all over the world.
Bangkok Dolls Museum A Remarkable Exhibition Of Hand Made Dolls
Situated in Pratunam Bangkok the dolls displayed in this museum are the works of world class doll makers giving scrupulous attention to detail during the creation process. Each design is planned after extensive research where antique costumes are based on ancient Thai legends temple murals and other historic Thai illustrations. The unique feature in these dolls are that all material used to make them are supplied locally.
The traditional costumes of the dolls represent different levels of village and rural life in Thailand which includes farmers at work villagers in traditional folk dance during the festive season hill tribes and their colourful display of costumes vendors selling their harvest the models of khon dance traditional drum dance and more. The special feature in the museum is the depiction of the Thai version of Ramayanaya portraying the battle between Rama and king Ravana. It has 35 characters acting out the scene on a 3 meter long set.
The quality of the dolls produced in this museum is represented in the accolades that have been won by them at the international competitions. As a result these dolls were on display in other international museums in Paris New Delhi and Chicago. If visitors are interested in dolls in international costumes this place has a separate section offering everything ranging from Australia South Korea USA France Russia and Turkey etc. The gift shop that is attached to this museum sells factory made dolls while antique and new designs are kept in the museum for appreciation. This place offers the perfect souvenir for anyone visiting Thailand and is open from 8 a.m to 5 p.m from every Monday to Saturday where admission is free of charge.
During your visit to Bangkok Dolls amp; Museum Bangkok hotel accommodation can be easily found in Bangkok President Solitaire.
About the writer: Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.
