Pictures disk Picdump — 40 Pics

Funny Illustrations Will Help You Read Chinese In Record Time

The Chinese language is a fascinating and expansive beast — The general rule is that if you recognize around 200 characters, that will allow you to understand around 40% of what you see – from menus, to street signs, through to newspapers and television commercials. That’s enough for most tourists to travel around the country quite easily. If you want to get lost in a chunky novel, you’re going to need to be familiar with around 1000 different characters. And finally, if you’re planning on being an astrophysicist in China, you’re going to have to broaden your range to around 20,000 characters.

 No easy task let us assure you. The great thing about the Chinese literature is that to get a basic grasp of the principles you really only need to understand 8 specific characters. From there you can continue to build on that. Entrepreneur ShaoLan Hsueh was well aware of how non-Chinese readers struggled with the complexities and sheer breadth of the language itself , along with designer Norma Bar she created a fun and concise set of illustrations to help get you started. She’s aptly called the methodology ‘Chineasy‘ and it truly has the potential to be genuine game-changer.

The Hidden Beach in the Marietas Islands

Marietas Islands, off the coast of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is currently gaining a lot of attention by tourists. Many have visited this site before but couldn’t understand the wow factor involved until after an impressive and beautifully detailed capture of this beach was photographed by Thomas Porty.

The Marietas Islands in Mexico is said to have formed centuries ago due to volcanic activity and are entirely uninhabited. The islands are about an hour long boat ride west-northwest from the coast of Puerto Vallarta and are visited daily by hundreds of tourists, yet no one can legally set foot on the islands.

The Mexican government in the early 1900s began conducting military testing on the islands taking advantage of the fact that they were uninhabited. Large explosions and bombings during these testing is said to be the cause for the formation of the many incredible caves and rocks.

After a massive international uproar, prompted by scientist Jacques Cousteau in the late 1960s, the government eventually decided to label the islands a national park, thereby protecting it against any fishing, hunting or human activity. As of now the only human activity that is legal near the islands is snorkeling and kayaking tours that occur daily.

A water tunnel in the Marietas Island lead swimmers to the hidden beach. It is approximately a forty to fifty feet swim through the cave with about five to six feet of space above water level to the rock. As it is not an underwater tunnel, there is no necessity for a scuba gear or to even hold your breath.

 Nearest city: Tepic, Mexico is closest to Puerto Vallarta, making it easily accessible. Other cities like Punta Mita and Zapopan are also fairly close to Puerto Vallarta, making it easy to reach.

How to get there: direct flights are available from almost all major cities to Puerto Vallarta at Gustave Diaz Ordaz International Airport, located just north of Puerto Vallarta. Getting to the hidden beach, Marietas Islands, Puerto Vallarta is relatively simple considering availability of boats that can be booked in advance or on spot for any number of people.

Best time to visit: Puerto Vallarta weather remains pretty much same throughout the year. However, following winter rains, the water of the beach becomes exceptionally clear, taking marine experience of the place to a whole different level.

10 Unique Hotels Around The World

What makes you want to stay in a particular hotel? Location, interior, services or architecture and facade? Today we will list 10 most unique hotels around the world that will caught your eye. Today hotels are not only about the spacious rooms and delicious canteens but they’re also about mind-boggling exteriors and quirky services that make you want to shower money for unique experience. Let’s start with more ‘traditional’ one.

Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Burj Al Arab is a luxury hotel that is located at the heart of Dubai city in United Arab Emirates. It was designed to imitate sail of the ship and is the second tallest hotel in the world. Standing on the artificial island Burj Al Arab is connected to mainland by private curving bridge. It is both luxurious and unique due to its form as well as contents. The hotel has 28 double-story floors and 202 suites and also offers restraints and large seawater aquarium.

Liberty Hotel, Boston, USA

 Liberty Hotel which used to be a Charles Street jail for Boston’s criminals for about 150 years has preserved its old looks even with restoration in 2007 during which the prison bars have been left intact and now provide a unique experience for those interested for about $313 a night. Same in Mexico

Das Park Hotel, Linz, Austria

 Das Park Hotel located in Linz, Austria is an idea of Andreas Strauss who came up with redesigning and actually using sewer pipes as hotel rooms. Each room is equipped with lights, double bed, hut sleeping bags and electronic code lock to ensure safety of your luggage. The hotel complex has toilets, showers, a mini bar and cafeteria and the rest of the services such as electricity are purchased with ‘pay as you go’ system.

Hotel Marqués De Riscal, Elciego, Spain

 This five-star hotel, originally a winery built in 1858 was re-designed by Frank Gehry into a City of Wine with hotel, wine shop, viticulture museum and SPA. To incorporate the feel of Rioja region and Marqués De Riscal bottles into the building architecture Gehry decided to go with pink, silver and gold ribbon-like titanium plates decorating the facade.

Martello Tower, Aldeburgh, Suffolk, UK

 Martello Towers were built to protect against potential Napoleonic attack. But now some of them serve as hotels after some restoration. Living with the wind, sea and rain in the echoing rooms it’s a truly unique historical experience. The features are a solid fuel stove, parking, roof terrace and showers. The dogs are allowed.

Gamirasu Cave Hotel, Ayvali Village, Turkey

 Gamirasu Cave Hotel is located in Ayvali Village in Cappadocia, Turkey. The hotel consists of 30 rooms in troglodyte cave and was opened in 1999. Being one of the most distinctive cave hotels in Cappadocia, Gamirasu was made out of old Byzantine monastic retreat of one thousand years old. The hotel as well as the village provide many activities for their guests from free horse riding to baking and wine-making.

Magic Mountain Hotel, Huilo Huilo, Chile

 The Magic Mountain Hotel or Montaña Magica Lodge is located in Huilo Huilo nature reserve in Chile and it’s spectacular. The hotel was designed after volcano and has a water falling from the top sliding down the windows. The combination of nature and man-made facilities will give you both comfort and unique experience with the nature. Here are hot tubs made of tree trunks right in the forest, here is the Forest Table Restaurant that serves homemade Chilean cuisine and there are spacious rooms with bathrooms equipped with rough-cut wood furnishings. The rates vary from around $250 to $400 per night. 

Hôtel de Glace, Quebec, Canada

 Hôtel de Glace or Ice Hotel in Quebec Canada is one of the most unique hotels in the world. Made out of ice and snow the hotel boasts spacious berooms, jazz suite, ice bar and cafe, hockey suite and an ice chapel. You can marry there and have fun sleeping in -5°C from January 6th, 2012 in 12th edition of this amazing work of art.

Quinta Real Zacatecas, México

Quinta Real Zacatecas is a converted-bullring-hotel in México. The bullring which was built in 19th century has hosted its last corrida in 1975 being later restored and redesigned into a hotel which has preserved the feel and the beauty of its original structure. The former bullring is now a colonial-style patio with flowers and romatic landscapes.

Igloo Village Kakslauttanen, Saariselkä, Finland

Igloo Village is a part of Hotel Kakslauttanen in Finland, which provides traditional and unique futuristic igloos during winter season for residents to enjoy the snow sights and northern lights under the glass ceiling at room temperature.