Thursday 6 December 2012

Cuba



Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, as well as the Isla de la Juventud and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. To the north of Cuba lies the United States (140 km or 90 mi away) and the Bahamas, Mexico is to the west, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica are to the south, and Haiti and the Dominican Republic are to the southeast.


Basic Information
Capital city                        Havana
Official language                Spanish
Government                      Unitary Marxist-Leninist Socialist Semi Presidential Republic                
President & Premier          Raúl Castro
Independence from           Spain and US
Declared from Spain         October 10, 1868
Declared from US             May 20, 1902
Currency                          Cuban Peso (CUP) and Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC)
Time zone CST                 (UTC−5)
Drives on                          The right
Internet TDL                    .CU
Calling code                      +53

                                                                       Cuba Map


View Larger Map



Province
Cuba is subdivided into 15 provinces and one special municipality (Isla de la Juventud). Here are:

Artemisa
Granma
Isla de la Juventud
Pinar del Río
Camagüey
Guantánamo
Las Tunas
Sancti Spíritus
Ciego de Ávila
Havana
Matanzas
Santiago de Cuba
Cienfuegos
Holguín
Mayabeque
Villa Clara


Largest Cities in Cuba

These are the largest cities in Cuba, listed in alphabetically
Bayamo
Manzanillo
Camagüey
Matanzas
Cardenas
Moa
Ciego de Avila
Palma Soriano
Cienfuegos
Pinar del Río
Guantánamo
Sancti Spiritus
Havana
Santa Clara
Holguín
Santiago de Cuba
Las Tunas


Havana's Climatic Conditions
Havana has a tropical climate and enjoys a sunny and hot weather making it as a busy tourist destination
around the year. It would be a pleasant experience for you to visit Havana in the months of December
and January.


Cuba Attractions

Today you’ll still see the vestiges in buildings parched for a coat of fresh paint, in the back alleys, in many colonies. But there’re also huge shopping malls, and spanking new hotels along a sparkling beach and imported techno-soda-water-pop in discos. The tourist can happily skip all that though, and stick with the cha-cha-cha and the bolero, with rum and the rumba, enjoy the newly restored colonial buildings and partake of that which makes Cuba a dream destination for many.

Havana is teeming with parks, plazas, and museums, surrounded by beaches, and swaying every night to the rhythms of salsa. Simon Bolivar House, Palace of Fine Arts, National Museum of Music, National Museum of the Revolution, Museum of the City, Museum of Guanabacoa, Jose Marti Memorial and natal house, The House of Africa, the Hemingway Museum, Guyasamin House Foundation, Carmen Montilla House, The Blue Ferret (home of Cuban painter Carlos Henriquez), Historical and Military Park "El Morro la Cabaña (headquarters of Ernesto Che Guevara), The Arab House to name a few.

Havana
Havana lies on the northern coast of Cuba, south of the Florida Keys, where the Gulf of Mexico joins
the Caribbean. The city extends mostly westward and southward from the bay, which is entered through
a narrow inlet and which divides into three main harbours: Marimelena, Guanabocoa and Atarés.
The sluggish Almendares River traverses the city from south to north entering the Straits of Florida a few miles west of the bay.

Havana  is one of the most visited city in the country and famous by its tourist attractions. One of the most interesting sight of Havana are the beaches. Playa del Este is a complex of several beautiful beaches in the city, it is only 25 kilometers from the central of Havana. One of the most popular beaches in Playa del Este is Santa Maria del Mar.

                                                           Havana Map


                                                      Santa Maria Beach Havana, Cuba

                                                      Capitolio Street, Havana, Cuba


                                                              Castillo-Del-Morro-Cuba-


                                                             Havana City, Cuba


                                                                          Cuba Flags
















Wednesday 5 December 2012

Fernanda Romero




Profile
Popular name              Fernanda Romero
Birth name                   Maria Fernanda Romero Martinez
Birth year                    1983
Birth place                   Mexico city, Mexico
Occupation                  Actress, Model and Singer


Career
Fernanda Romero began her singing career when she joined BMG's recording ensemble group, Frizzby, who began touring Central America to promote their two top ten singles. They performed for Pope John Paul II at the famous Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Romero began her acting career as host of the Univision television show Control, followed shortly by an appearance on the Telemundo telenovela La Ley del Silencio. These led to her first film offer, a role in the film Creature of Darkness, and several more small roles. Romero's breakout role occurred in the film The Eye. This exposure to American audiences led to more Hollywood films, including The Burning Plain, Drag Me to Hell and Red Canvas. In 2009, Romero returned to Mexico to star in Eternamente tuya.














Monday 3 December 2012

Colombia




Republic of Colombia  is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the northwest by Panama; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the east by Venezuela  and Brazil;  to the south by Ecuador and Peru;  and to
the west by the Pacific Ocean.



Baic Information
Capital                         Bogotá
Official language           Spanish
Other language             English
Government                 Unitary presidential constitutional republic
President                      Juan Manuel Santos
Vice President              Angelino Garzón
Independence from       Spain
Declared                      20 July 1810
Recognized                  7 August 1819
Time zone                    COT (UTC−52)
Date formats                dd−mm−yyyy (CE)
Drives on the                Right
Internet TLD               .co
 Calling code                +57




                                                Popular City in Colombia
No
City name
Department
No
City name
Department
1
Bogotá
Bogotá
11
Santa Marta
Magdalena
2
Medellín
Antioquia
12
Soacha
Cundinamarca
3
Cali
Valle del Cauca
13
Pasto
Nariño
4
Barranquilla
Atlántico
14
Villavicencio
Meta
5
Cartagena de Indias
Bolívar
15
Manizales
Caldas
6
Cúcuta
Norte de Santander
16
Montería
Córdoba
7
Bucaramanga
Santander
17
Bello
Antioquia
8
Pereira
Risaralda
18
Valledupar
Cesar
9
Ibagué
Tolima
19
Buenaventura
Valle del Cauca
10
Soledad
Atlántico
20
Neiva
Huila


                                                               Tourism in Colombia


Colombia is now safe to visit and travelers are discovering what they’ve been missing. The diversity of the country may astonish you. Modern cities with skyscrapers and nightclubs

People say: ‘if only it weren’t for the violence and drugs, Colombia would be paradise.’ Well the drugs may still be here but the violence is gone, at least for now, and it is, indeed, paradise. It is an easy country to fall in love with, and many travelers do. It could well become your favorite country in South America.

Colombia has major attractions as a tourist destination, such as Cartagena and its historic surroundings,
Bogotá, the nation's capital, has become Colombia's major tourist destination because of its improved museums and entertainment facilities and its major urban renovations, including the rehabilitation of public areas, the development of parks, and the creation of an extensive network of cycling routes.
Bogotá owns the largest moorland of the world, which is located in the Sumapaz Locality.

Bogotá Tourist Destination
The hotels in the historical center of La Candelaria and its surrounding areas cater to lovers of culture and the arts. This area also has the bulk of hostels in the city as well. The hotels located near Ciudad Salitre are intended for visitors who make short stops in Bogotá or need proximity to El Dorado International Airport. Important landmarks and tourist stops in Bogotá include the botanical garden José Celestino Mutis, La Quinta de Bolivar, the national observatory, the planetarium, Maloka, the Colpatria observation point, the observation point of La Calera, the monument of the American flags, and La Candelaria. There is also Usaquen, a colonial landmark where brunch and flea market on Sundays is a traditional activity. The city has numerous green parks and amusement parks like Salitre Magico or Mundo Aventura. Just outside the city you can find the salt cathedral and very near candelaria you can find the Cerro Monserrate. . There are also several areas of the city where fine restaurants can be found. The G Zone, the T Zone and La Macarena are well known for their gastronomic offerings.

Other Attraction in Bogotá
Bogotá  Botanical Garden                         Bolivar Square
Capitolio Nationl                                       Gold Museum
La Candelaria                                            Luis Angel Arango Library
Maloka Museum                                       Monserrate
Usaquen                                                    Zona Rosa
National Museum                                      Children's Museum of Bogotá
Botero Museum                                         Jorge Eliecer Gaitan Museum
Zona G                                                      Modern Art Museum
Parque Jaime Duque                                  Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira


                                        Bogotá  Botanical Garden, Colombia


Shopping malls
There are more than 100 shopping malls in  Bogota  The notable malls are
Centro Andino, Centro Mayor and Santafé





Tourist Attraction in Colombia
Colombia has much to offer; whether you are looking for an affordable destination  Who want to experience the amazing Amazon rain-forest, while away the hours on a beautiful beach, or visit one of the thoroughly modern cities.  Here are some various alternative tourist attraction to visit:


Medellin
Medellín lies within the Aburrá valley and is bisected by the Medellín River (or Porce), which flows northward. North of the valley are the towns of Bello, Copacabana, Girardota and Barbosa. To the south of the valley lie Itagüí, Envigado, Sabaneta, La Estrella and Caldas. Medellin is certainly one of the most beautiful cities in South America, with plenty to see and do; a superb mixture of modern, bustling city, whilst retaining its unique heritage and beauty. There are many attraction and exciting things to do while in Medellin, from museums, visiting lakes, fishing, waterskiing, jet skiing, amusement parks, water parks, aquariums, visiting small “pueblos” or towns. Many many fun and exciting discos, parasailing, skydiving, many beautiful and modern shopping malls that are even nicer than the USA.  It is simply impossible to get bored in this city.

Medellin Women
A woman in Medellin also called a “ Paisa”, is seen by many as the most beautiful of the Colombian Latinas. A famous Colombian saying goes: "If you want a business type woman, go to Bogotá, if you want a pretty mistress, go to Cali, but if you want a beautiful wife, go to Medellin."

Safety in Medellin, Colombia
Medellin, Colombia is like any other big city in the world,  So be careful at the night, try not to go and
pass through a lonely roads







Amazon Rainforest, Colombia
The Amazon Rainforest produces around 20% of the worlds oxygen and contains half of the planets estimated species of plants, animals and insects. A tour can easily be arranged from Leticia which is the capital of Colombia’s Amazonas region and there are a number of jungle lodges to stay at (July and August is the driest time of year to visit).




Cartagena
Cartagena de Indias or Cartagena is another of Colombia’s popular cities which combines a wealth of history – to be found in the old walled city – with modern conveniences, 5 star luxury hotels and beautiful Caribbean beaches Cartagena faces the Caribbean Sea to the west. To the south is the Cartagena Bay, which has two entrances: Bocachica (Small Mouth) in the south, and Bocagrande (Big Mouth) in the north.





                                                   Desierto de La Guajira, Colombia


Time
Popular times to visit Colombia include the most famous festivals such as the Cali's Fair, the Barranquilla's Carnival, the Bogota Summer Festival, the Ibero-American Theater Festival and the Flower Festival is when the most foreign tourists go to Colombia. Many people visit Colombia during Christmas time and the celebrations surrounding the Independence of Colombia. The Ministry of Tourism considers high seasons the Holy Week, summer (June, July, August, September) and Christmas season. During the holy week many travel to the Caribbean Region of Colombia or visit popular landmarks like Las Lajas Cathedral, Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, the towns of Santa Cruz de Mompox, Guamal or Popayán where Roman Catholic traditions and rituals are performed, among others.


UN World Heitage Sites
There are a number of UN World Heritage Sites located in Colombia:
Cartagena
Los Katíos National Park
Malpelo Island
Santa Cruz de Mompox
San Agustín, Huila
Tierradentro
The Cannon Museum
Taganga


Volcanoes and Waterfalls
Amacayacu National Park               Cabo de la Vela
Cocora Valley                                 Los Navados
Doña Juana                                     Gorgona and Malpelo Islands
Los Katios National Park                Munchique National Park
Serrania de la Macarena                  Sierra de Nevada
Panaca Park                                    Tayrona Park
Tatacoa Desert                                Chicamocha Canyon National Park
El Mariposario                                 Perias Blancas


Travel Alert:
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office recommends against all travel to some areas and against all non-essential travel to others, please check with your relevant national government.

For many years serious internal armed conflict deterred tourists from visiting Colombia, with official travel advisories warning against travel to the country. However, in recent years numbers have risen sharply, thanks to improvements in security resulting from President Álvaro Uribe's "democratic security" strategy,

See also
Colombian Celebrities