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kat3rinamarquez's JournalTop Places To Visit In Australia
Australia is a vast country, there’s no doubt about that. To put it into context, it’s pretty much the same size as the continental USA. So, while you wouldn’t consider covering the whole of the US territory in one long trip, the story with OZ is a bit different.
Most of the cities and top places to visit in Australia are located along the coast or not too far from it, and there’s no better way to see them than on an epic road trip. But even so, there are quite a few things to know before travelling to Australia – one of them is that you would need a good few months.
Top Places To Visit In Australia
1- SYDNEY, NSW
Sydney is the largest, most populated city in Australia and is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world, along with Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro and Hong Kong.
Many of the places to see in Sydney are around the harbour area. This area attracts visitors from all over the world and it’s not hard to see why, with the iconic Opera House on one side, the Harbour Bridge that offers the perfect backdrop for photos – you can also climb it! – and many other landmarks around the city that are along or offer views of Sydney Harbour.
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Thailand Travel Guide
Thailand is the home of beautiful beaches and stunning temples and mouth-watering street foods in Asia. Thailand is rich with its cultural heritage. It's known for tropical beaches, opulent royal palaces, ancient ruins and ornate temples displaying figures of Buddha.
Things to know about Thailand:
- Thailand currency is known as Thai Baht. 1 US dollar is equal to 30 Thai Baht.
- Electricity is 220 Volts so be sure to bring with your travel adapter.
- Eating directly off a fork is considered crude; instead, use your fork to push food onto your spoon.
- Don’t talk about the king. Seriously, not a word. This is very important for Thailand travel.
- Cover up your elbows and knees when visiting temples, wats, monasteries, palaces, etc. I’d recommend bringing along a light jacket or cover-up even on days when a temple isn’t on the itinerary — you never know when you’ll stumble across a beautiful wat you’ll want to check out!
- Don’t take a taxi driver’s word on it if they say an attraction or site is closed for the day; many times they will use this tactic to try to “suggest” other destinations which earn them a commission. If in doubt, just thank them for the information and ask another driver.
- You will see some roaches. Some days I saw none, other days they were crawling over my feet while I was trying to drink a mojito. Yeah, they are a little gross, but it’s not a deal-breaker. Better than rats, am I right?
Thailand Visa
In Thailand people from US, UK, EU is given 30 days visa if you’re traveling through air and 15 days if you’re traveling through the land. However, if you wanted to stay longer in Thailand you need to apply for a Tourist Visa.
Best time to visit Thailand
Weather in Thailand varies throughout the year. The country has two seasons all year long which are cool and dry season same with the Philippines. Most of the time tourist visit Thailand between November and early April.
Things to bring in Thailand
Camera
Most important to bring in Thailand aside from visa or bathing suit is your camera in order not to miss the epic and breathtaking views in the country. If you’re into road trip you can also rent a motorcycle in Thailand.
Slip-On Shoes
You have to take your shoes off frequently in Thailand — not just for entering someone’s house or a temple, but also to go into a cafe, restaurant, shop, or massage parlor. Instead of wasting time unlacing impractical hiking boots or strappy sandals every time, pack a pair of breathable, slip-on shoes.
Water Bottle
You can refill water bottles with filtered water for just a few cents in Thailand, so save some money (and space in the landfills) by bringing your own water bottle and filling up as you go.
Bug Spray & Sunscreen
You can get both in Thailand, but to avoid high prices and to make sure you have some right when you land (these aren’t “just in case” items; but no, malaria is not an issue). I’d suggest packing at least a small bottle of each before leaving.
Sweater or Sweatshirt
Though it’s usually hot and muggy throughout most of the country, you’ll want something warmer for the plane ride and chilly AC on busses. Furthermore, temperatures have been known to drop to as low as 68 degrees in Bangkok during the high season (December – February). So, a hoodie is perfect.
Land of Smiles
Thailand is also known as a happy country. This one of their pillars in Thailand even if they are frustrated or upset they still maintain a positive aura. Thailand is one of the friendliest countries in Southeast Asia.
Don't touch people’s heads
You don’t want to miss with Thai people one of their unique cultures in Thailand is not to touch other people head. Thai people consider touching your head as very rude since they believed that the head is the highest part of your body and they consider it sacred.
Take off your shoes
In visiting local homes, small shops and authentic restaurant this is local etiquette in Thailand. This is a sign of respect as well in their culture.
Muay Thai
Obviously from the word itself Muay Thai is the national sport in Thailand it is a contact sport combination of kickboxing which includes elbows and knees quite similar to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the United States.
Nightlife in Thailand
The same with other Southeast Asian countries Thailand also have night events or night party where you can hang out with your friends after a tiring day of adventure most common night party is Beach Party.
Budgeting in Thailand
Thailand is a budget-friendly destination in Southeast Asia this is also the reason why tourist commonly visits this place aside form its beautiful beaches and epic diving destinations.
Island Hopping
There are more than 300 islands in Thailand that you can visit one of the gorgeous destinations you can visit is in Andaman Island this specific island can provide a jaw-dropping and nerve-wracking diving experience you won’t miss out in traveling to Thailand.
Ride a Tuk-Tuk
Your Thailand escapade is not complete if you haven’t experience riding a Tuk-Tuk. This famous ride in Thailand equivalent to Yellow Cab, taxi, etc. This right is affordable depending on your negotiation with the driver. This is one of the best rides you can experience most especially in your having a night tour in the busy city of Thailand.
Taxis are more comfortable, but tuk-tuks give you a better view. Both are terrifying. If you go to Patpong road at night (Bangkok’s equivalent of the Red Light District), ask your taxi to come back and pick you up at a certain time. Otherwise, you’ll have a hard time fighting all the other drunk people to find a ride back to your hotel.
Floating Market
This is also one of the reasons why I consider Thailand one of the unique places in the world if Venice has its famous Canals, Thailand has it own Floating Market. The most famous Floating Market in Thailand is located in Damnoen Saduak where you can see fresh fruits, cooked foods and more.
10 Facts About Ocean Pollution That You Need to Know
I recently went to the Philippines for family travel and we had the chance to island hop somewhere in the Visayas region of the country. The beaches here are totally fantastic! There are also several dive spots that won't disappoint newbie divers nor master divers.
Along the way, we were able to snorkel to one island where turtles are abundant. I should say, I was very happy to see that there are several sanctuaries in the area and really pushing to preserve these beautiful creatures.
On the way home, our guide decided to hop on to one more island and we were thrilled as our paid trip was supposed to be 3 islands only. We were approaching the super small island when we were all surprised by what we saw. There was trash everywhere!
This broke my heart and the other tourists who were with me. We asked our guide if this was a normal scenario on the area and he said that there isn’t normally any single trash on the island. He also made it a point that it might be due to the changing current and of the wind.
We ended up not being able to enjoy the last island and went home. On the way home I can’t stop thinking about the tragic scenery we just witnessed. I can’t help but think, how have we become so unconscious about this issue?
Indeed the ocean remains one of the vastest and diverse places on our planet but has become so vulnerable to something as simple as the human touch. The environment is, unfortunately, being threatened by ocean pollution and our marine life is paying for the price. It is suffering at an alarming rate.
With my increasing curiosity and interest on the topic, I looked up some facts about Ocean Pollution. Here, I will share some of those that blew my mind:
1. According to a study, 18 billion pounds of plastic trash is accumulated in our oceans every year. More than plenty, right? This is more than enough trash to cover every foot of coastline around the world. Scary, huh?
2. 80% of the trash that is found in the ocean is from land sources. This includes individuals, industry and improper waste management. And the remaining 20% is from ocean-based sources, like fishing, shipping, and cruise ship industries.
3. Single-use plastics are the most common items that are found in coastal cleanups. These include food wrappers, plastic cigarette butts, plastic bottles, bottle caps, straws, and plastic drink stirrers.
4. Inside the Pacific Ocean, an island of garbage that is twice the size of Texas exists. This is the North Pacific Gyre off the coast of California. This is deemed as the largest oceanic garbage site in the world. Here in the immediate vicinity, the number of floating plastic pieces outnumbers the total marine life six to one.
5. Fishes and other marine life, unfortunately, cannot tell the difference between plastic and food. Once ingested, these marine creatures can’t digest it. The plastic fills in their stomachs, accumulates there until they starve to death.
6. Plastic wastes make its way to the deepest parts of the ocean. Studies found out that the crustaceans in the Marianas Trench — the ocean’s deepest point, have plastic traces in their stomach.
7. There is too much plastic garbage in the ocean, enough to circle the Earth 400 times.
8. The chemicals that are present in heavily polluted waters can make their way back to us. These can cause serious health issues such as hormonal problems, nervous system damage, reproductive problems, and kidney damage.
9. A recent survey shows that ocean pollution is more prevailing in deep waters (more than 2,000 feet deep). Commonly found are plastic bags, fishing equipment, metal cans, shoes, glass bottles, and tires.
10. More than one million sea birds die each year due to ocean pollution.
It breaks my heart that this is happening and I hope everyone would make an effort to save our ocean.
Fight Plastic Pollution by Asking Companies #IsThisYours?
In 2017 a lobster captured the world’s attention after a fishing crew caught it off the coast of New Brunswick, Canada. What made this particular crustacean special, and the subject of numerous articles, news stories, and op-ed pieces, was the Pepsi logo “tattoo” imprinted on its claw.
Exactly how the tattoo got there is unclear — perhaps the lobster’s claw was briefly trapped in a Pepsi can; perhaps a Pepsi-branded box was the culprit. But either way, evidence of the physical effect of ocean trash on a sea creature was delivered to a global audience, sparking fresh concerns about the sorry state of the world’s ocean.
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Keep Water Softeners from Harming Our Waters
A water-softening system is designed to reduce dissolved minerals in hard water. These minerals primarily include manganese, magnesium, calcium, and metals such as ferrous iron ions, which can cause several types of issues, including the following:
• These ions make soap and detergent basically useless. The metal ions react with soaps and detergents, eliminating their ability to form a precipitate and lather. When water is softened, you will need fewer detergents and soaps for laundry and cleaning. Softened water also lengthens the longevity of textile and fabric through numerous wash cycles.
• The ions in the electrolyte can also cause metal corrosion in the plumbing system in homes and commercial spaces.
• Magnesium and calcium carbonates cause scale buildup, as they tend to stick and attach to the surfaces of water hears and pipes. These also cause boilers to insulate, impairing water from heating. For this reason, the boiler will need more energy to heat the water. With softened water, you can save energy.
Safety Concerns with Water Softeners
The main issue with hard water is that it is abundant with minerals, particularly magnesium and calcium. These minerals may be harmless to human health, but they do cause several problems within the household.
As mentioned, it is difficult for water to lather well when it is hard. With hard water, your hair will turn out dull, your laundry dingy, and your dishes dirty and spotty. In worst cases, your plumbing system will be affected because of the hard-mineral scale buildup in the hot water tank and the entire plumbing system. You end up wasting a lot of energy since your water heater or boiler needs work too much to bring water to heat, raising your carbon footprint and wasting your money.
Water softeners have long been used to address this problem. The process of softening water effectively removes minerals in the water and replace them with salts – usually sodium chloride – through the ion exchange process. In turn, you won’t have to deal with residue in dishes, laundry, and your skin; and it also protects your boiler in the process.
Though salt-based water softener systems have their advantages, they, unfortunately, cause problems in the environment:
1. Excess usage of water: Through a process called regeneration, water is able to flush itself regularly. According to the EPA, however, a conventional water softener uses approximately 25 gallons daily, or up to 10,000 gallons yearly.
2. Salt buildup in our waters: Sodium chloride ends up getting released into the environment, affecting streams, rivers, and aquifers, especially in places where high concentrations of salts are already recorded because of activities such as agricultural runoff and road salt application.
Be Kind to Our Waters: Avoid Salt-Based Water Softeners
Salt, both chloride ions and sodium ions, pose serious threats to the environment including destroying the biochemical balance in the soil and damaging marine and aquatic life in the discharge areas, be it oceans, lakes, or rivers.
It costs a lot of money to remove salt from the treated wastewater, so the best thing we can do is reduce salt discharge into the sewers from the get-go. We can avoid discharging a lot of salt into waters by using newer and safer water softening systems. These salt-free systems do the work without harming the environment.
To minimize the problem caused traditional water softeners, the EPA has set water quality standards the minimize the amount of chloride released into the environment by water treatment plants. It's a good thing that a lot of communities are now void of using salt water softeners. In fact, some communities in the US have now restricted or completely banned the use of salt-based water softener systems.
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Name: Katerina MarquezGender: Female
Member since: Sun Jun 2, 2019, 02:02 PM
Number of posts: 47
