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Los Angeles

New travel deals site is a good place for Los Angeles airfare bargains

planeAnyone shopping for airfare to Los Angeles might be interested in a new site that collects all the best deals they can find from all over the internet and puts them into one place. It’s cheaptravelscout.com, and they add many new deals daily, so it could be good to add the RSS feed to your reader so you can be on top of the deals as soon as they come along.

Here’s a recent sale they found on Virgin America, which includes flights from Washington DC to Los Angeles for $169 (one-way, based on RT purchase).

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Featured Articles Peru

Festivals in Peru

festivalThere are about 3,000 festivals celebrated each year in Peru. Most of them celebrate the day of saint patron. The festivities mix both the Christians and Andean religions, creating a very colorful and mysterious event. Especially in the traditional villages in the mountains there are several traditional celebrations related to ancient myths.

Most important festivals in Peru

Inti Raymi

This is one of the most important celebrations dedicated to the Sun. The Sun was a very important God in the Inca culture. The main part of the festival takes part at the Ruins of Sacsahuama (located at just 2 km/1.2 miles from Cusco)

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Featured Articles Peru

Ceviche – the Peruvian national dish

CevicheGastronomy has always been a huge part of the Peruvian lifestyle. In 2006, Lima (Peru’s capital) was declared “Gastronomical Capital of Latin America” which makes eating here even more interesting and the cuisine more appreciated.

What is ceviche?

Ceviche is a form of citrus-marinated sea-food salad, very popular in most of the Latin American countries.

In Peru, raw fish is composted with lime or lemon juice, sliced onion, minced Peruvian ají limo and Andean chilli. The marinated mixture is served at room temperatures. Often it’s accompanied by canchita (chunks of corn, sliced sweet potato and seaweed).

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Peru travel guide

Manu National Park

Manu Ntl ParkManu National Park (Parque Nacional Manu) is the largest national park in Peru, covering an area of 15,328 sq km/ 5,918 sq miles. It has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and even today it’s fairly inaccessible by road.

Location

Manu National Park is located in Madre de Dios and Paucartambo, Cusco. The park includes the entire basin of the Manu River, from the Andes up to the Amazon plains.

There are two mains routes to the park:

  • a gravel road from Cusco to Salvacion followed by a travel along the river;
  • by air from Cusco and then travel along the river.

Flora and fauna

The biosphere reserve protects several ecological zones.

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Featured Articles Peru

Nazca lines

nazca lines spiderNazca lines remain one of the world’s biggest mysteries. Theories about their purpose range from giant calendar to extraterrestrial landing strip. Lately it’s been discussed that they line are part of a water fertility cult. The lines are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most popular travel destinations in Peru.

Location

On a high arid plateau stretching between Nazca and Palpa, spread over 500 sq km/193 sq miles, there are eight hundred straight lines, forming spectacular drawings of animals and plants (see the Spider in the photo).

Nazca is located at about 272 miles/440 km southeast of Lima.

>>book a cheap flight to Lima

Construction and history

The lines are thought to have been created by three different groups:

  • the Paracas people 900-200 BC;
  • Nazcas 200 BC-AD 600;
  • the settlers from Ayacucho at about 630 AD.

The lines were discovered by the American scientist Paul Kosok in 1939 and have dazzled scholars ever since. Maria Reiche, a German mathematician, studied the lines for decades. She developed the theory according to which the lines were drawn to please the gods.

Visiting the lines

Please note that it’s prohibited to visit the lines on foot. They are almost imperceptible at ground level anyway. To view the lines you need to be up in the air. Several travel operators organize flights (lasting 30 minutes) which depart from Nazca’s airstrip in the morning and early afternoon. You can easily book a flight on the spot as there are many charter airlines offering such services.

A full day excursion in Nazca (departing from Lima), including a flight over the lines can cost up to US$250 per person.

If you don’t fancy paying to view the lines, you can catch a glimpse at the lizards, hands and several other figures, from a viewing platform located on the side of the Pan American highway.

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England

Manchester: The Village

The Village, also known as Gay Village, is home to one of the most established gay communities in Europe. During summer the area has a special cosmopolitan and continental ambience, attracting gay, lesbians and heterosexuals alike.

Location and how to get to the Village

The Village is set around Chorlton Street and Canal Street and stretch to Dale Street. It includes Sackville Street, Whitworth Street and Princess Street. The Village is really close to Piccadilly Gardens (just a few minutes walk).

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England Featured Articles travel guide

Manchester: Chinatown

Although the first Chinese restaurants appeared in Manchester right after the World War II, it wasn’t until the 1970s that the streets surrounding Nicholas Street, Faulkner Street and George Street became a center of Chinese culture and cuisine.

Today, Manchester’s Chinatown is considered “the Chinese village for the north of England” and represents a genuine experience with people speaking Chinese and signposts in both languages (Chinese and English).

Location and how to get to Chinatown

Chinatown stretches right in the heart of Manchester, behind the Town Hall and really close to The Village and Piccadilly Gardens.

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England Featured Articles travel guide

Liverpool: Beatles Story Museum

The Beatles are world famous and all music fans should consider a visit to Beatles Story Museum, which is filled with photographs, films and other memorabilia of the Liverpool boys. Songs like Yellow Submarine, Yesterday, Hey Jude, Let It Be, All You Need is Love or Please Mister Postman made history and are still enjoyed by the young generations.

Location

The Beatles Story Museum is located in Liverpool, at Albert Dock in the basement of Britannia Pavilion.

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England

English Snooker

English snooker (or international snooker) is a cue sport (billiards game) of British origin. The snooker played today is a modern version of the 16th century billiards game, played with 22 balls: 15 red balls, 6 colored ones (with different point values) and the cue ball.

The regulation table (used in tournaments) measures 6 ft (1.86 m) by 12 ft (3.66 m), has 4 corner and 2 side pockets with cushions that are more narrow than on American pool tables.