Category: Asia

The Wailing Wall, Jerusalem, Israel

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The Wailing Wall, or Western Wall or HaKotel and El-Burak, is a retaining wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem located in the Jewish quarter of the old city dating from I century BC and since the seventh century, it incorporates the walls of the Temple Mount, very close to the Holy of Holies (located on the Temple Mount) so that the Jews consider the holiest place for prayer. The pan (57 m long) is just a part of the western wall (497 m long). The rest of the wall is used as a fourth wall by the adjoining houses in the Arab neighborhood; the rest is underground. The Wailing Wall is an Israeli national symbol as well as a Muslim one because it supports the esplanade where are built the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque (the third holiest place in Islam). You enter the square in front of the wall with a door wall, the door Mughrabi or Garbage, where police has strict controls. The esplanade has 3 parts; one that is open to the public, the other two, separated by a partition, are for people who want to approach the wall, one for men and one for women. There are holy arches in underground rooms that line the men’s section where we find the Torah scrolls that are used during prayer services that take place throughout the day.

Tips

If you want to approach the wall, or put small pieces of paper with wishes or prayers in the cracks and crevices, either to pray or put your hand on the wall, you must enter the section that suits you by walking on your front to the wall and to leave the place, walking slowly backwards because you can not give your back to the wall.

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Ko Lanta, Krabi, Thailand

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Ko Lanta is an island of the Andaman Coast of Southern Thailand, in the province of Krabi, known for its diving and long white beaches. It’s about 70km from Krabi Town. It’s 6 km wide and over 30 kms long, 9 beaches lie from north to south along the sunset coast, its coastlines have more than 70 small islands and plenty of forest, coral reefs and under water life. Popular with tourists seeking a holiday away from the parties, its beaches are never full. A paved road runs along the beaches from the northern part of the island almost all the way to the southern tip. The last 8 kilometers leading to the headquarters of the Mu Ko Lanta National Park in the south are quite hilly. The landscape is dominated by a series of mountains covered with virgin rainforest. From January to April is the hot season and from May to December is the rainy one. The sea stays at a warm 29°C all year round. The nearest airports are Phuket, Krabi and Trang. Ko Lanta does not have roads connecting it directly to the mainland, but is served by car ferries.

Tips

The best time to visit Ko Lanta is between the months November to April when the area’s climate is less hot than usual.
You can easily arrive from Krabi or Trang because of a direct road and boat connections. You also have
an express transfer which is a combination of minivan and speedboat travel from Krabi or Phuket Airport.
Private companies on the island operate boat services to many destinations. Tickets can be booked in advance online.
You can also hire a motorbike to visit the island.

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Shanghai, China

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Shanghai is one of the most populous cities in China and one of the largest megacities in the world with over 23.5 million inhabitants. It is located on the Huangpu River near the mouth of the Yangtze River, east of China and consists of 2 parts, Puxi and Pudong (which mean respectively west and east of Pu). The town developed at first exclusively in Puxi, but since 1990, Pudong has become a high-tech construction area where companies and other skyscrapers multiply thanks to the impetus of the government. Nanjing Avenue (five kilometers) is considered the true center of Shanghai. The urban landscape is changing quickly in recent years. Entire neighborhoods, like Dun Hui Fang, are shaved to be rebuilt. It is also known as the Pearl of the Orient and is becoming the financial center of China, thanks to the Lujiazui district. The city has long been a major textile production center of China. Other important manufacturing sectors include the manufacture of chemicals and pharmaceuticals, vehicles, machinery, steel, paper, printing products, electrical and electronic systems and equipment such as computers, radios and cameras. Real estate development is in constant growth, there are 5,000 towers, 120 skyscrapers more each year, and 20,000 permanent construction sites. To see: the Shanghai Museum, the Opera, the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, Yuyuan Garden, the Bund (from where you can see the business district of Pudong with the highest skyscrapers, Oriental Pearl, Jin Mao Tower, World Financial Center, the Shanghai Tower), the Jade Buddha Temple, Jing’an Temple, St. Ignatius Cathedral, the Lupu Bridge, among others .

Tips

The city counts with 12 subway lines, several train stations but the most used transport is the taxi.
There is a line Transrapid (train with a magnetic levitation) that connects the city to the new international airport of Pudong.
If you like museums, visit the Urban Planning Museum on People’s Square where you will find a giant model of the city that allows you to enjoy its real estate development.
You can take a boat trip on the Huangpu to have a beautiful view of the city.
If you like shopping visit the pedestrian shopping street Nanjing East.
You can also visit the antiques market with its famous Bird Market.

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