India: Hinduism

So, as I stated before, India is an extremely diverse country; one of the ways the country is diverse is in the multiple religions that are practiced there. In fact, four major world religions were started in India: Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Along with these four religions, Islam and Christianity are also practiced in India. 

India's majority religion, which is practiced by over 80% of the people residing in this country, is Hinduism. Hinduism itself is an extremely diverse religion. Hindus believe people should have freedom of belief and worship. Different Hindus have different beliefs of gods spanning from monotheism to polytheism and even atheism. Hindus understand that there are many different religious beliefs. There are many different gods and goddesses of the Hindu religion that are worshiped by different people in different places. The oldest scripture of Hindu, the Rig Veda, has what is called the "Poetry of Creation." This is a hymn  that symbolizes Hindu beliefs about creation, and I think that while we are in the Hindu majority country, we should take sometime to read this hymn:

There was neither non-existence nor existence then.
There was neither the realm of space nor the sky which is beyond.
What stirred?
Where?
In whose protection?
Was there water, bottlemlessly deep?

There was neither death nor immortality then.
There was no distinguishing sign of night nor of day.
That One breathed, windless, by its own impulse.
Other than that there was nothing beyond.

Darkness was hidden by darkness in the beginning,
with no distinguishing sign, all this was water.
The life force that was covered with emptiness,
that One arose through the power of heat.

Desire came upon that One in the beginning,
that was the first seed of mind.
Poets seeking in their heart with wisdom
found the bond of existence and non-existence.

Their cord was extended across.
Was there below?
Was there above?
There were seed-placers, there were powers.
There was impulse beneath, there was giving forth above.

Who really knows?
Who will here proclaim it?
Whence was it produced?
Whence is this creation?
The gods came afterwards, with the creation of this universe.
Who then knows whence it has arisen?

Whence this creation has arisen
- perhaps it formed itself, or perhaps it did not -
the One who looks down on it,
in the highest heaven, only He knows
or perhaps He does not know.

Since we've learned a little about Hinduism and it's importance to the culture of India, I think we should visit a Hindu temple while we are here. This temple  is known as the Kapaleeshwarar temple, and is an extremely important temple located in southern India. Now, while were are visiting this temple, it is important to know a few basic things about visiting Hindu temples. It is important to dress appropriately. Keep in mind that this is a holy place for many of the people India, so please make sure to wear long pants or a long skirt and a long sleeve shirt. Before entering the temple, it is important that we all remove our shoes and leave them outside the temple. In some temples, leather is not allowed also, so we should probably leave that behind just in case. While there, make sure not to take any pictures without permission, as different temples have different guidelines on what pictures people are allowed to take. Finally, it is important to keep in mind that we are guests, and therefore many not be allowed in certain parts of the temple. We must enjoy what we are allowed to explore and be respectful of this religion and culture.

India: Taj Mahal

So, I must say, one of the nice things about traveling around the world from the comfort of my couch is that I don't have to worry about logistics. If we were traveling around the world for real, we would have to carefully plan out where we were going to go when, and make sure we travel in order to make efficient use of our time and money. We would not, for example, travel from Iceland to India without stopping at other nations along the way. After all, we wouldn't want to backtrack. But, since we are doing this from the comforts of our homes, that's exactly what we are going to do. Our next stop is going to be India!

India is a country in South Asia. The capital of India is New Delhi. At the 2011 census, the population of India was 1,210,193,422, and it continues to grow at a fast rate. Right now, India is the second most populated country in the world, behind China. It is believed, however, that India will pass China by the year 2025. India and its culture were long ago affected by many of the trade routs that went through it. It is an extremely diverse country with a lot to see and learn about. There are numerous different religions practiced in this country and a number of languages spoken. The two official and most widely spoken languages are Hindi and English. However, there are many regional languages that are also recognized, and it is believed that there are several hundred different languages spoken in different parts of the country.

I am extremely excited for this trip! India has so much rich culture and so many wonderful things to see. It is, however, a little overwhelming too. We could spend months in India just traveling, and we still probably wouldn't be able to see everything.

We should start our journey with one of the most well known attractions in India, the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is a large mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. It was completed in 1653 after 21 years of construction by thousands of people. The Taj Mahal was built by emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal after her death. After his death, Shah Jahan was also buried there next to his wife.

The Taj Mahal attracts several million tourists a year, so we should expected it to be rather crowded when we visit. It is especially busy in October and November as it gets cooler in India, so the "busy season" is probably starting. The grounds are open from 6am to 7pm Monday-Thursday, so it's a good thing were visiting today! It is also open on Fridays from 12-2 so that Muslims can visit the mosque to pray. Please keep in mind that there are strict rules on what can be brought into the the Taj Mahal. The only things allowed are water in a clear bottle, small video cameras, regular cameras and cell phones. Women are also allowed to carry small purses. Please make sure to pack light for this trip, so we don't have any problems getting in!

Iceland: Historic and Cultural Sites

Okay, well, I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the natural wonders Iceland has to offer! A lot of different tourist activities occur in the outdoors in Iceland, and one could spend months just exploring the outside world. However, I would also like to take a look at some of the art and culture this country has to offer.

There is so much culture in Iceland, and I wish we had time to explore it all. At least for this trip to Iceland, however, we will just focus on a few. Maybe we can come back some day and see a few more!

We cannot leave the country without visiting the National Museum of Iceland. This museum, which was established in 1863, is located in Reykjavik. It has beautiful exhibits that allow viewers to look into Iceland's history and culture. The main part of this museum is entitled Making of a Nation. We can really enjoy learning about Iceland's history starting from when it was settled in the 9th century. The museum contains 2,000 artifacts depicting Iceland's history from all different time periods. There are also numerous pictures and forms of multimedia that we can look at to truly learn about and understand Iceland.

Good news! I got us tickets to see the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. This Orchestra has been around since its first concert in 1950. The orchestra is known all throughout Iceland and is funded primarily by the state. We are lucky enough to see one of the 60 or so concerts the orchestra performs every year. They perform numerous of types of music ranging from classical to contemporary. This is a definite must see, and I'm glad we get to enjoy this unique cultural experience on our trip!

While I wish we could spend more time in Iceland, there are far too many countries to see. Before we leave, I would like some time to to explore Skalholt. Skalholt is an important religious and historic building in Iceland. The state religion of Iceland is Christianity, and has been since 1000 AD.

Skalholt was the home of the first bishop in Iceland when the country was Catholic, and it was the home to many bishops after him. Many people in Iceland stayed at Skalholt in the winter as well. This place is also where the Iceland officially changed its official religion from Catholicism to Lutheranism and where the New Testament was translated to Icelandic.

In 1963, a new church was built at Skalholt; a deputy bishop has resided there since 1992. This site is very important to and respected by the people of Iceland, and I think it is wonderful that we get to visit it and learn about the religious culture of the country.

I hope you have enjoyed visiting Iceland as much as I have! Seeing the beauty this nation has to offer and learning about the deep history and culture it holds have been such great experiences. I'm sorry we have to leave so soon, but there are so many more nations to explore. I hope you continue to join me on our trip!

ICELAND: Outdoor Scenery

So, to start our trip around the world, I would like to visit a country that has always intrigued me: Iceland. Iceland is an island country located in northern Europe. It was settled by the Nordics in the 9th century, and the official language, Icelandic, is still very similar to that spoken by the Vikings. Iceland has a population of about 320,000 people, and most of those who live in the country live near the coast. The capital of Iceland is Reykjavik; almost half of the population lives in this city and the towns surrounding it. 

Iceland has gorgeous scenery, and I would like to spend some of our time in this beautiful country exploring the unique outdoor adventures this nation has to offer. One thing that makes Iceland's environment unique is how much of the country is covered in glaciers. In fact, more than ten percent of the country is glaciated. We cannot leave Iceland without taking a glacier tour. These tours allow  tourists to explore the glaciers and see the beautiful scenery of Iceland.

Iceland is also well known for its volcanoes. This is especially true after the eruption of one of its volcanoes in 2010, which interrupted air travel in much of Europe due to the ash that was released. There are 30 active volcanoes in Iceland, and 13 of them have erupted in the past 2,000 years. Iceland is also well known for its hot springs; hot springs are bodies of water that are generally 6.5 degrees Celsius or more above air temperature. While we're visiting this beautiful country, we must take some time to bathe in the hot springs. Blue Lagoon is one of Iceland's most well known hot springs, and many tourists enjoy swimming there while visiting the country. The volcanoes and hot springs, while a great part of Iceland's scenery and tourism, are also an important of the energy supply. Iceland harnesses the energy from volcanic energy, natural hot water supplies, and rivers, and it uses this clean and renewable energy to supply the island with about 80% of all its energy needs.

Iceland's scenery is gorgeous and very different from other countries we will be visiting. I hope you enjoyed our time relishing in the natural beauty this country has to offer!

Introduction

Hi, I'm Ashley! So, despite the name of my blog, I've never traveled around the world and have no plan of doing so in the next few months or even  years. I wish I did though; that's why I created this. When I was 12, I spent a month in Spain. I had never been on a plane before that summer, and I had not been outside of the United States and Canada. I was intrigued by the culture and loved every minute of my time over there. Since then I have wanted to travel to so many different countries to explore and learn about the culture. Unfortunately, this is not practical for a number of reasons, and I have not been able to explore the world. Luckily for me, I live in a time where the internet is easily accessible and where I can find more information than I have time to read on every country in the world. So, I'm going to take that amazing journey I have wanted to for years. I will visit all of the countries I have wanted to explore, but I'll do it from the comfort of my home using my computer. I want to learn about all of the tourist attractions and popular places people explore when they do visit each of these countries. I also want to explore culture, food, religion, and other aspects that make these countries unique. I hope that through this journey, I will enjoy exploring and learning about other cultures even though I don't have the opportunity to travel around the world. I hope others will enjoy learning and exploring with me!