Crand Canyon, Arizona

However, that Grand Canyon, in Arizona, USA is a very deep, more than half a kilometer, is not the deepest in the world.
But certainly it is among the richest in their strangeness.

The ancient homeland of Indian tribes, who are still living in the surrounding reserves, comes here close to our idea of the home of youthful Winettu.

Indians are also quite aware of modern world desire and exploit them to great advantage. Quite interesting is one of the things that Indian tribes Hopi have done.

With a financial help from Chinese businessman, they have on their own territory on western edge of Grand Canyon, built a glass terrace for tourists, from which it could been seen a breathtaking vertical depth.

Of course not for free. In million years time, this amazing strong depth, also of one of the ten natural wonders of the world, have been gnaw trough river Colorado with its rapids.

The river looks seemingly soft and tenacious. Moon landscape looks amazing and it was shape by wind, snow, rain and relentless sun.

Even if we feel the Grand Canyon is dead in his eternity, in reality these processes will continue to live, every second, every minute.

Lighter and darker brown and reddish layers are laid down horizontally and are seen as a natural timeline.

Looks as nature would have forgotten to watered deep recession, from more than 400 kilometers long passage, dialect about it is known from ancient Earth period up to the Precambrian.

Is it surprising, if the visitors stay breathtaking looking at this timelessness nature, when compares it with their own impermanence?

Best View over the Grand Canyon is from the southern edge, and for those, who love solitude and despise the crowds of tourists can choose to visit the most beautiful northern edge.

Only that it is not available through all year round and is not always open, it is higher than the South and unfortunately have more severe weather conditions.

Edges are looking at each other with distance of three kilometers on one side, and on the other it could also be separating distance from twenty-nine kilometers.

Often from down there, it’s impossible to see Colorado River, but that doesn’t mean, that there are no rafters on it.

If we count out the original tribes, and later the Spanish, which have travel their way through from Mexico, to find gold towns.

Unfortunate all they could find was burning rocks. Centuries later, it was shown that in these stones lies a numerous Mineral Resources.

After that world has begun to talk about the Grand Canyon, but thanks to Major Wesley Powell, who in the second half of the 19th first century, has wrote about his great expirience and his enthusiasm at the pioneering three-month descent on Colorado River.

Wesley Powel is also a »father« of name Grand Canyon. Since 1919, the area was declared as a national park, which now measure about 5000 square kilometers.

Five million visitors per year In the morning sunrise there is also going up a dark shadow of wild California condor.

In sharp turn under the southern edge he chase away flock of crows, which are not letting him rest.

Squirrels without mop of hair on the ears with thick and rigid tails carcasses, seems to be more like marmots and their cousin hake from the trees.

They live predominantly on the ground, and are not embarrassed when are looking into the overcrowded garbage baskets and through discarded empty bottles and sandwiches wrapper.

Crowd of tourists is really big, statistics shown for about five millions of visitors each year, from which four fifths comes from the United States; in particular the rest is split between British, Japanese and Germans.

Anyone who would like to spend the overnight in Grand Canyon, in the tent, must obtain prior approval on the prescribed form, despite the numerous camps that are there.

For the log cabin with green and pink window frames, it’s necessary to wait more than a year.

Even the oldest rooms in the hotel El Tovar, built in 1905 and restored exactly 100 years later, are not always available, even a simple double room costs 175 dollars, and apartments costs twice as room.

On the web pages you could find numerous offers, some with a fairly aggressive number and variety of accommodation options, payable options, which some adrenaline lovers could afford.

Yoga practice and different types of yoga

In general there are four different types of yoga (for different types of human characters).

In the West, the most popular is »Hatha yoga«, which for different types of human characters can be defined by five fundamental principles.

In general we know four diferent practice of yoga

• KARMA yoga (yoga with altruistic action)
• BHAKTI Yoga (the way of dedication and with selfless love)
• JNANA YOGA (yoga of wisdom and comprehension)
• RAJA YOGA (knowledge of managing body and mind)

There are four fundamental practices of yoga.
Later on, especially in modern world, some yoga masters have combine different ways of yoga, and remodel and transformed it with a Western world.
Quite known “modern” yoga is also Asthanga Ainyasa Yoga.

But today I will write a bit more about general facts about yoga practice, good positive effect on our body and health.

But we should forget that each “way of practice” suits certain individuals, their temperament and personal attitude to life.
That’s way we could sometime here people explaining that in certain yoga practice they just find themselves and can’t imagine going to some other practice.

Although, me, as a yoga practitioner for numerous year now, would recommend to expand you thinking and being with trying out also other practice, maybe one day, at the right moment.

It’s always good that we explore all our possibilities, try new thing, and see if they suits us or not.
As for me, I am dedicated to Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga practice for some years now and I love it.

I can feel something is missing if some days go without practice. But for some time now, I notice, that I can do yoga practice while I am working in the garden, vineyard, go for a long walk, cycling… in all these things.
It is just important that I find that little peace in me.

Enough about me, let me introduce you a bit more thins wonderful thing, called Yoga.

All four ways of practicing yoga leads to the same goal; spiritual development, to deep spiritual knowledge and spiritual truth of life (the internal experience of growing awareness, wisdom and contact with us) and various forms of exercise.

Learing should be gradual and going step by step.

RAJA Yoga (Royal Yoga) is a method which monitors the waves of thought, thereby changing their mental and physical energy into spiritual.
This is the youngest »path« of practice. It is also called Ashtanga Yoga (yoga with eight steps practice).
In Raja yoga is also included most well-known yoga in the West countries, named Hatha Yoga.

The things that we could achieve if we are able to observe what is happening in ourselves are; cognition of our mind, nature of human being and minds.
The Raja yoga science offers us the way to observe our inner world. Studying Raja yoga does require neither faith nor religion.
It teaches us, Not to believe in anything, which we haven’t discovered for ourselves or haven’t been our own experience.
Nevertheless, it requires much time and continuous exercise. This is partly physical, but mostly mental exercised.
Spirit is simply part of the body and the finest works in the body, and vice versa.
If the body is feeling sick, consequently also our spirit is being the way our body feels.
If we are healthy, the spirit remains healthy and strong.
For most people, the spirit has a great influence on the body, with other words, means it is not developed enough.
Raja Yoga teaches that the outside world only robust aspect of the internal, subtle world.
Between mind and material is only apparent distinction, the reality is only one.
The aim of all science is to find unity, one from which all originates.
Raja yoga approach comes from the inner world, to study internal nature, and then manage the whole, both internal and external nature.

To Raja yoga also belongs type of Yoga, called Hatha Yoga.
This is also a general path or technique which leads us to physical health, mental clarity and spiritual enlightenment.
Practicing Hatha Yoga combines Asan (postures), Kriya (purification of body art), PRANAYAMO (breathing exercises), concentration and meditation.

The word hatha itself indicates the objectives of exercise: ‘ha’ means ’sun’, ‘tha’ and ‘moon’, ‘hatha yoga’ is a technique that allows practitioner to balance his solar and lunar energy, and create restoring harmony in the body and mind with balancing the solar and lunar, male and female, active and passive aspects of the individual. This is not possible to achieve without merging breathing and meditation with physical postures.

Five basic principles of yoga

1. CORRECT Exercise (practice and exercise of body postures – Asana). Asana work systematically on all parts of the body; increases flexibility and muscle strength, increase and maintains flexibility of joints and spine, stimulates functioning of the heart and circulatory, modulates the function of glands and other internal organs, improves the awareness and ability to concentrate and regulates the functioning of the nervous system.

After practice, we feel very relaxed and full of energy. Each asana has three stages: the capture retains and abandonment of position. All three are performed as single, continuous movements.
The essential is the retained phase position, which we extend with regular exercise and afterward it’s performed more and more relaxed.

2. CORRECT breathing (breathing exercises – Pranayama). With the help of breathing exercises, we learn how to breathe more deeply and accurately.
Learning to be aware of breathing and the fact that the body, mind and breathing are inextricably connected.
Any anxiety or tension in the mind cause the breathing alters its natural rhythm and depth.
Moreover, with knowledge on influencing to our breathing, we can calm down the mind.
Practicing yoga breathing helps to restore physical strength and control our mental state, because it’s energetically and mentally calming down and balances.

3. CORRECT methodically relaxation (consciousness relaxing) correct exercises can relax the whole body and restore energy supplies.
The real deep relaxation must be threefold: physical, mental and spiritual.
Again it’s very important awareness and the fact that only we could consciously and thoroughly relaxed our self, with our mind.

4. The right food / nutrition. Means that the right diet is a healthy balanced diet, based on natural food.
The body of such human remains light and flexible, with calm spirit and resistance to disease is strengthened.

5. Positive thinking and Meditation, helps to get rid of negative thoughts and calm down the spirit.
Meditation is an integral and important part of yoga exercises!
Contrary to the belief of many, meditation is hard work, which takes a lot of perseverance, discipline and will.
Only with proper and regular exercise, we could achieve the desired effects; inner peace, developing compassion, kindness and love.

With proper deep meditation we can cleanse the mind of negative samples, blind reactions and finally achieved a state of mind, which no longer depends on external influences, as it stays and remains balanced in every situation.

Gibraltar is an overseas territory, which is as a crown colony belongs to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

It is located in southwestern Europe on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula and has a great strategic importance, as strait of Gibraltar is linking the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea and furthermore also Europe and Africa.

Gibraltar is located on the north side of the strait of Gibraltar; this is also the place where Europe is closest to Africa, the most southern point of Europe.

It’s quite amazing standing there and looks over to Africa.

It’s amazing for two things; firstly because of the two totally different cultures and secondly it’s quote unbelievable, that Africa from this point is so close.

It takes only a bit more than half a house with ferry, to take you over to Tangier.

And believe me, this is something totally different that you are use to, while visiting places in Europe.

But don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean in a bad way, no, definitely not.

It’s something like, when people visit India for the first time, and they say, it’s a Big culture shock.

Anyway, it was like that for me. Maybe some other travelers will have different experiences.

Gibraltar history In year 711 Gibraltar was conquer by the Muslims Arabs and the Berber people.

The name Gibraltar comes from Dschebel al-Tariq – Tariq’s mountain.

It is named after Tariq ibn Sijadu, the Moors general who knew and was familiar with the strategic importance of Gibraltar, and has commanded to place the fortress there, around Gibraltar.

Muslims have reign over Gibraltar until Reconquist in year 1462.

From 1309 to 1333 Gibraltar was the first time in hands of Castilians. At 4th of August 1704 British have conquer Gibraltar.

This was during the Spanish succession war.

This attack was a total surprise for Spaniards, because they weren’t attacked at dawn, the morning as usually, but they were attacked during the afternoon siesta.

From year 1730 onwards, Gibraltar was confirmed with a peace agreement in Utrecht, as a British colony.

From 1730 Gibraltar is a formally confirmed as a crown colony. In colony live 28.800 inhabitants.

There is a still tension, which goes long back, between Great Britain and Spain, as Spain wants to acquire Gibraltar back.

The border was closed from 1969 to 1985 between Gibraltar and Spain.

City Gibraltar is located on a narrow band on the east side, where the rock is less steep.

On the southern cape (Europa Point) stands a lighthouse which was built in 1841.

Gibraltar and the famous monkeys Gibraltar is the only place in Europe where monkeys live in liberty.

These are the barbers, also named Magoti monkeys (scientific Latin name is Macaca silvanus). Also for this reason Gibraltar rock is also called Rock monkey.

The origin of these monkeys is not entirely clear.

I guess they have been transported by people from Morocco. In the past, barbarian monkeys lived also in the southern and central Europe, and so far, Gibraltar monkeys could be their descendants.

Gibraltar’s strait which is connecting the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea is of great strategic importance for the armed forces, therefore the United Kingdom has a fleet of Royal navy base in Gibraltar.

From the east side we could see from far away a steep cliff, named Upper Rock, which is located above the bay of Algeciras.

I also shouldn’t forget to tell you, that Gibraltar is a free tax zone, therefore a lot of tourists decided to visit it (while there are in south part of Spain).

While you are there is also worth visiting museums, where you will find out a lot of interesting things about Gibraltar’s history.

ANDALUSIA present a south-westerly part of Spain

Andalusia is easy to describe as a great and exciting, sunny, temperamental and passionate, it is also the home of flamenco, bullfights and beautiful places.

Andalusia is a region which also looks at the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean and this is a reason why it has such a wonderful climate.

Moors have strongly marked this province by its cultural heritage, which you can admire in the larger cities: Cordoba, Seville, Granada…

It is a land of beautiful places with wild spreading landscapes, full of shiny green olive groves.

Moreover you will be attracted to bright sea and snow-covered mountain peaks.

If you decided to visit Andalusia, you will be charmed with villages in white, which are something special.

Furthermore you will not be indifferent at the sight of a beautiful city.

But, on the other hand, Andalusia in many ways represents the diversity of Spain as it is based on the Mediterranean and Atlantic at the same time.

It is a nice quite atmosphere on one side, and cold winter and hot summer on the other side. Nevertheless, I should forget about wide selection of food, from both sides of the sea.

There are numerous vineyards, pastures, orchards, fields and olive groves.

Spanish south side is the link between the Christian and Islamic world. Over the Al-Andalus medieval Europe has be acquaint with Greek philosophy.

Many museums were originally mosques and are as churches today.

Arab forts and towns are still standing today and invite us to visit them. Have you heard about Alhambra in Granada, Cordoba, Seville, Malaga?

Although, we shouldn’t forget, that a very strong historian period in Andalusia was effected by Moors for eight centuries.

You could still see some of their culture in building structure and flamenco dancing, as dough, not a lot people will admit the last.

The most famous building is a beautiful Alhambra Palace in Granada which absolutely worth visiting.

Alhambra was built by the Moors in the 14th century. Situated on a hill above the town, goes out of sight on one side of town and on the other you could see the snowy peaks of Sierra Nevada (3398 m).

No words could describe that. Walking through this palace you could feel how Arab sheikh knew to enjoy life.

Alhambra is Arab place with its mystery and love story, as for example, love between a daughter of the sultan and serf in Generalife.

It is true, that is better being there early in the morning to book your ticket for the day, but believe me and it’s worth waiting.

We bought ticket early morning, for go into the gardens at 12 a.m., and we were lucky.

As most of palaces, which were built by Arabic people, were ruin, Alhambra is the one that lived though in one peace.

Imagine mosaics, shady walkways under arches, palm trees, the smell of myrtle, open gardens with mosaics and numerous fountains.

But I must also admit that most famous are and will remain Granada tapas!

This is an old Andalusia tradition that every drink is served with free delicious little things.

This kindheartedness is possible to experience only in Granada and its surroundings. This should try it out!

In my next few posts I will write more about Seville, Gibraltar and some other nice and places that I would recommend its worth visiting.