Earth's most breathtaking landscapes

Unforgettable photographs capture a new perspective on the world's most magnificent scenes from Bryce Canyon to Big Ben

 

 A new pictorial volume from the world travel experts at Lonely Planet puts a new and unique perspective on some of Earth's most inspiring scenes.

Looking up from the bottom of Utah's majestic, rust colored Bryce Canyon National Park shows the park, for those who've been there, as its never been seen before.

Among striking shots of an ocean feeding frenzy and Aurora Borealis is a panoramic view of London and Big Ben at dusk that proves human landscapes can be just as breathtaking as those from mother nature.

The title of the book, Lonely Planet's Beautiful World, does not disappoint.
This sampling of the book's 200 or so scenes that depict precisely what makes Earth a living masterpiece is sure to leave you wanting more.

Bryce Canyon: Photographed from below looking up, Bryce Canyon makes Bryce Canyon appear all the more spectacular. This masterpiece of natural erosion in southern Utah's most striking feature is its amphitheater, a multicolored 6-square-mile collection of awe inspiring slopes and spires

London calling: While perhaps not as sublime as Bryce Canyon, a panoramic view of Big Ben, the London Parliament, and Westminster Bridge evokes an undeniable appreciation for man's ability to produce beauty to rival nature's splendors

Explore earth's most inspiring locations with Lonely Planet.

Later, troubles: Held on the full moon night in the month of November, Thailand's Floating Lantern festival in Chiangmai sees the release of thousands of tiny Lanna-style hot air lanterns believed to rid the people of their troubles.

Plum delicious: England's picturesque, pastoral Lyth Valley is known the world over for its Damsons -- a type of plum -- and the verdant region even plays host to Damson Day each April

Inspiring: Like the striking view of London, this shot taken from the Empire State Building of the mega city of New York sums up humanity's ability to take on almost supernatural feats

Traditional splendor: It hardly looks real, but some people call these impossible Alpine landscapes home. Cheese and pastry making, wood carving, and other traditional arts remain alive and well in areas like these

Champion diver: Even cormorants, a deep-diving seabird, joins the fray in this sardine feast alongside a common dolphin. Some cormorants have been filmed diving as deep as 150 feet into the ocean, the equivalent of a 13-story building

Emerald country: A gorgeous view of the waterfalls at Croatia's Plitvice Lakes National Park where the 20 some Plitvice Lakes take on a characteristic hue thanks to emerald colored algae. The lakes play home to wolves, bears, eagle owls, and 126 species of birds

Snow bird: Pretty male Rufous Hummingbird with lit up gorget, collects nectar of white flowers. The Rufous is seen in the summer in the Northwest U.S. and in western Canada. In the winter, it migrates Florida and a few surrounding areas in the East

Dancing lights: The unique majesty of Aurora Borealis as photographed in the early morning hours in the arctic circle. Also known as the Northern Lights, these fascinating light shows are at their peak when sunspots occur with the most frequency

Do not adjust your monitor: No, this isn't a Wile E. Coyote cartoon, but roadrunners can be found in the area of Red Rock Towers in Monument Valley where Arizona and Utah's borders meet

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2476357/Breathtaking-photos-Bryce-Canyon-Big-Ben.html#ixzz2iqImYZma
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Do good and Don't ever stop doing good

A woman baked chapatti (roti) for members of her family and an extra one for a hungry passerby. She kept the extra chapatti on the window sill, for whosoever would take it away. Every day, a hunchback came and took away the chapatti. Instead of expressing gratitude, he muttered the following words as he went his way:
"The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" This went on, day after day. 

Every day, the hunchback came, picked up the chapatti and uttered the words: "The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes  back to you!" 

The woman felt irritated. "Not a word of gratitude," she said to herself... "Everyday this hunchback utters this jingle! What does he mean?" One day, exasperated, she decided to do away with him. "I shall get rid of this hunchback," she said. And what did she do? She added poison to the chapatti she prepared for him!

 As she was about to keep it on the window sill, her hands trembled. "What is this I am doing?" she said. Immediately, she threw the chapatti into the fire, prepared another one and kept it on the window sill. As usual, the hunchback came, picked up the chapatti and muttered the words: "The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!"

The hunchback proceeded on his way, blissfully unaware of the war raging in the mind of the woman. Every day, as the woman placed the chapatti on the window sill, she offered a prayer for her son who had gone to a distant place to seek his fortune. For many months, she had no news of him.. She prayed for his safe return.

That evening, there was a knock on the door. As she opened it, she was surprised to find her son standing in the doorway. He had grown thin and lean. His garments were tattered and torn. He was hungry, starved and weak. As he saw his mother, he said, "Mom, it's a miracle I'm here. While I was but a mile away, I was so famished that I collapsed. I would have died, but just then an old hunchback passed by. I begged of him for a morsel of food, and he was kind enough to give me a whole chapatti. As he gave it to me, he said, "This is what I eat everyday: today, I shall give it to you, for your need is greater than mine!"

"As the mother heard those words, her face turned pale. She leaned against the door for support. She remembered the poisoned chapatti that she had made that morning. Had she not burnt it in the fire, it would have been eaten by her own son, and he would have lost his life!" It was then that she realized the significance of the words: "The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!"

Do good and Don't ever stop doing good, even if it is not appreciated at that time.

The Extraordinary Underwater Hotel!

Imagine yourselves spending a night at a beautiful hotel, overlooking the vast ocean beneath you. Now imagine you could penetrate the waves with your eyes, see the amazing underwater world, the colorful fish and algae, the otherwordly glow of the sun through the water.

You can stop pretending now. On the private islands of Fiji, at the Poseidon Resort, this dream has become a reality.

Introducing the first underwater 5 star hotel!

This is the first hotel that is completely underwater, at a depth of 12-40 feet under the     waves, in a crystal clear lagoon that offers guests a breath-taking view of coral reefs     and the fish that live around them.

In essence, you get to feel like a fish kept in the most luxurious of aquariums, while      the fish swim free! How about that for reversal of positions?

70% of the room will be made of plexiglas, allowing total immersion in the              underwater environment.

Each suite is carefully being designed to be totally modular, and in case of a malfunction                         or maintenance, it can be raised to the surface individually.

The hotel is going to include 25 suites guest suites and everything else a hotel offers.

Eating in incredible style. We wonder if it's all sea food?

For those guests who have had enough of this spectacular view, they will be                able to darken theglass or use 'virtual drapes' to cover them.

A more beautiful room cannot exist.

What else is here? A restaurant, bar, gym and even an underwater wedding                     chapel for those who'd like to say their vows in a very unique setting.

Laying on the bed, looking up at the sea - this is a unique experience.

A stylish lounge to enjoy a drink.

A library offers a great place to read while also enjoying the fish swimming by.

But it doesn't end there, as guests will have access to four personal submarines that will take them around the lagoon.

For those worried about safety, the resort claims on its website that its buildings            are based on the design of passenger submarines, which it describes as 'statistically the world's safest form of transportation'.

The hotel will be accessed through a special elevator that will take                                                them down from the beach.

Getting out of the water, visitors will find tennis courts, a spa and a 9 hole golf              resort waiting for them. However, this amazing resort fits the pocket of the rich              or those who are willing to spend for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Cost of a              room for a week is $15,000 per person. So if you are planning a romantic week              under the sea, you'll have to shell $30,000 for the experience.

                                                                                  

Bits & Pieces

It was their anniversary, and Aisha was waiting for her husband Rajiv to show up.
Things had changed since their marriage, the once cute couple couldn't-live-without-each-other had turned bitter.
Fighting over every little things, both didn't like the way things had changed.
Aisha was waiting to see if Rajiv remembered it was their anniversary!
Just as the door bell rang she ran to find her husband wet and smiling with a bunch of flowers in his hand.
The two started re-living the old days. Making up for fights, then was d plan for champagne, light music And it was raining outside! It was perfect.
But the moment paused when the phone in the bedroom rang.
Aisha went to pick it up and it was a man. "Hello ma'am I'm calling from the police station. Is this Mr Rajiv Mehra's number?"

"Yes it is!"
"I'm sorry ma'am; but there was an accident and a man died.
We got this number from his wallet; we need you to come and identify his body."
Aisha's heart sank.!!! She was shocked!
But my husband is here with me?"
"Sorry ma'am, but the incident took place at 2 pm, when he was boarding the train."
Aisha was about to lose her consciousness
How could this happen?!
She had heard about the soul of the person coming to meet a loved one before it leaves!
She ran into the other room.
He was not there. It was true!   had left her for good!!
Oh God she would have died for another chance to mend every little fight! She rolled on the floor in pain. She lost her chance! Forever!
Suddenly there was a noise from the bathroom, the door opened and Rajiv came out and said "Darling, I forgot to tell you my wallet got stolen today".
LIFE MIGHT NOT GIVE YOU A SECOND CHANCE. SO NEVER WASTE A MOMENT WHEN YOU CAN STILL MAKE UP FOR YOUR WRONGS!!!
Let's start making amends.
To parents
To siblings
To friends
And many more.
No one has a promised tomorrow.
Have a wonderful Life with no regrets!
This has to be one of the best message!!

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A Generous Will....!!!! TOO INTERESTING

A milkman dying in hospital is surrounded by his two sons, daughter, his wife and the nurse.
He says to his eldest son, "To you Peter, I leave the Beverly houses."
To his daughter, "My pretty Rose, to you I leave the apartments in the Los Angeles Plaza."
"And Charlie, you being my youngest son, I leave you the City Center offices".
And to his wife, "Darling, you get the three residential towers downtown."
The wide-eyed nurse, obviously impressed, tells his wife, "Madam, your husband is very rich! And what's great is he is bequeathing all his properties to his family. You are all so lucky!!"
The wife retorts,"Rich? Lucky? Are you kidding me?? Those are the routes where he delivers milk!"

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What is STRESS?
It's The Gap Between Our Expectation & Reality...
More The Gap.
More the Stress.
So Expect Nothing & Accept Everything...good mrg.

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"Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back."
Just like yesterday we entered 2013, now we are in October, the end of the year is here.

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Perfection of means and confusion of goals seem - in my opinion - to characterize our age.
-Albert Einstein
As long as you are going to be thinking anyway, think big.
- Donald Trump

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 Letter from a newly married girl to her mother.

Dear mom,
Like every normal girl, I was excited about marriage right from my childhood days. I never thought beyond the time that I would spend happily with my prince charming. But today when I am married, I realize that marriage is not all roses. It's not just about being with your beloved and having a gala time. There is so much more to it. It comes with its own share of responsibilities, duties, sacrifices and compromises. I can't wake up anytime I want to. I am expected to be up and ready before everyone else in the family. I can't laze around in my pyjamas throughout the day. I am expected to be presentable every time. I can't just go out anytime I want to. I am expected to be sensitive to the needs of the family. I just can't hit the bed anytime I want to. I am expected to be active and around the family. I can't expect to be treated like a princess but am supposed to take care of everyone else in the family. And then I think to myself, 'why did I get married at all?' I was happier with you, mom.  Sometimes I think of coming back to you and getting pampered again. I want to come home to my favorite food cooked by you every evening after a nice outing with friends. I want to sleep on your laps like I have no worry in this world.  But then I suddenly realize, had you not got married and made such sacrifices in your life, I wouldn't have had so many wonderful memories to hang on to. And suddenly, the purpose of all this becomes clear- to return the same comfort, peace and happiness to my new family that I got from you. And I am sure that as time would pass, I would start loving this life equally as you do. Thank you mom for all the sacrifices and compromises you made. They give me the strength to do the same. Love you.
It's an excellent letter for all daughters.

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COINCIDENCE OF LIFE

1. CHURCH has 6 letters so does MOSQUE.

2. BIBLE has 5 letters so does QURAN.

3. LIFE has 4 letters so does DEAD.

4. HATE has 4 letters, so does LOVE.

5. ENEMIES has 7, so does FRIENDS.

6. LYING has 5, so does TRUTH.

7. HURT has 4, so does HEAL.

8. NEGATIVE has 8, so does POSITIVE.

9. FAILURE has 7, so does SUCCESS.

10. BELOW has 5, but so does ABOVE.

11. CRY has 3 letters so does JOY.

12. ANGER has 5 so does HAPPY.

13. RIGHT has 5 so does WRONG.

14. RICH has 4 so does POOR.

15. FAIL has 4 so does PASS.

16. KNOWLEDGE has 9 so does IGNORANCE.
Are they all by Coincidence?
We should Choose wisely, this means LIFE is like a Double-Edged Sword.
WE should always Choose the Better side of Life!!!

Shalom!

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A Touching Story

Isaiah 65:24. - This is a story written  by a doctor who worked in Africa.
One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator). We also had no special feeding facilities.
Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. 
  
Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates).  "And it is our last hot water  bottle!" she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles.  They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.
"All right,"  I said,  "put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm."
The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.
During prayer time, one ten -year-old  girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children.  "Please, God" she prayed, "Send us a hot water bottle today.  It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon."
While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, "And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?"
As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say "Amen?" I just did not believe that God could do this.
Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home.  Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put  in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!
Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the verandah was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly.  Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend.
Then, as I put my hand in again, I  felt the.....could it really be?
I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried.  I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.
Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, "If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!"
Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!  Looking up at me, she asked, "Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?"
"Of course," I replied!
That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator.
And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it "that afternoon."
"Before they call, I will answer." (Isaiah 65:24).

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Four insurance companies are in competition. One comes up with the slogan, "Coverage from the cradle to the grave."
The second one tries to improve on that with, "Coverage from the womb to the tomb."
Not to be outdone, the third one comes up with, "From the sperm to the worm."
The fourth insurance company really thought hard and almost gave up the race, but finally came up with, "From the erection to the resurrection."?

Jokes

Boss : There are 50 bricks on an aeroplane. If u drop 1 outside. How many are left?
Employee : That's easy, 49.
Boss : What are the three steps to put an elephant into a fridge?
Employee : Open the fridge. Put the elephant in. Close the fridge
Boss : What are the four steps to put a deer into the fridge?
Employee : Open the fridge. Take the elephant out. Put the deer in. Close the fridge.
Boss : It's lion's birthday, all animals are there except one, why?
Employee : Because the deer is in the fridge.
Boss : How does an old woman cross a swamp filled with crocodiles?
Employee : She just crosses it because the crocodiles are at the lion's birthday
Boss : Last question. In the end the old lady still died. Why?
Employee : Er....I guess she drowned....err...
Boss : No! She was hit by the brick fallen frm the aeroplane. Thats the problem, you are not focused on your job....You may leave now!!!
Moral: If ur boss has decided to screw u, no matter How much u prepare u will be screwed.


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NIGERIA. Look right and left for vehicles and okada, look up for aeroplane, down for bomb, back for kidnappers, look side, hold ur handbag tight nd watch d person beside u, Then walk zig zag to reach your destination.....

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Very strange But True ?
???????
The Prime minister of this country is Economist,
???????
The President is Economist,
???????
Finance minister is Economist,
???????
And..
Governor of the Reserve Bank is also Economist...
???????
Even Then country's economy is sinking ...
Moral : Too many cooks will spoil the food. .???

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A Nigerian, an American and a German board a plane. As the plane was flying over the sea, Satan came out and said to them: I want u to drop something into the sea, if I find it, u die and if I don't u live. The American quickly plucked a button from his shirt and threw into the sea, Satan dived into the sea and came up with the button. "See!" he said and killed the American. The German threw a pin into the sea. Satan dived in and came out with the pin. "See!" he said and killed the German.

The Nigerian brought out a pure water sachet, opened it and poured the contents into the sea holding back the sachet he said to Satan "Oya begin find water inside water... Idiot".....

Proud to be a Nigerian!!
Even the devil bowed.
Naija rocks......

Arab Sheikhs Are Going Crazy for This $3 Million Motor Home

The world's most expensive mobile home has gone on sale in Dubai for £2 million, or $3.1 million at today's conversion rates, The Daily Mail reports.

The humongous, 40-foot-long eleMMent Palazzo from Austrian company Marchi Mobile is covered with gold and comes with a ton of luxury features, including a 40-inch flat screen, a pop-up cocktail lounge, a fireplace, a master bedroom, and underfloor heating.

The moving mansion can even clean itself. "... the vehicle has been a hit among oil-rich Arab Sheikhs - the state-of-the-art homes even wash themselves after a day's driving through the Middle Eastern desert," the Daily Mail reports.

But the amazing vehicle could also cater to any multi-millionaire or global superstar on the road. It's also available in white (shown here).

Inside, there is ample space for for lounging.

Upstairs (yes, it's a double decker) there's a master bedroom, complete with windows and wall art.

It even has its own en-suite bathroom.

There's also a cocktail lounge area for entertaining.

This is where the driver sits on the top floor.

The eleMMent can expand at the touch of a button to give riders more interior space.

And there's a drop down staircase and pop up sky lounge at the top.

Complete with couches and a table for guests.

This is the WHITE model
 

 

 

 

 

 

Muhammad Ali's advice to his daughters

The following incident took place when Muhammad Ali's daughters arrived at his home wearing clothes that were not modest. Here is the story as told by one of his daughters:

When we finally arrived, the chauffeur escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to my father's suite. As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us. We exchanged many hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day.

My father took a good look at us. Then he sat me down on his lap and said something that I will never forget. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to. Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground, covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell. Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You've got to work hard to get to them."

He looked at me with serious eyes. "Your body is sacred. You're far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too." Source: Taken from the book: More Than A Hero: Muhammad Ali's Life Lessons Through His Daughter's Eyes.