America Zoom

Nature is great blessing for all the living beings and there are many things in nature that we human beings can’t argue about. Mother Nature sometimes surprises us so much that we just stand with our mouth wide-open. Consider the case of heavy rocks which are just plain stone-dead. Can you imagine these rocks moving? Yes, you’ve read it right. The Death Valley in California is a place where the rocks seem to just get up and move when no one is looking.

If you have been wondering what people in South America eat, take a wild guess. Their primary food is pizza! Pizza forms the base of a South American’s meal. How interesting?! I wonder where they got this habit from. The answer obviously lies in the Italian immigrants to Sao Paulo.

Everybody in the world knows that Dinosaurs lived, walked and thrived on earth some millions of years ago. But there is very little evidence to prove their era. Few skeletons here and there, few fossilized remains in various museums across the world. But, ever heard of a place where one can actually see fossilized Dinosaur footprints and find fossils of creatures that lived 250 million years ago!

If your idea of a perfect holiday is to be with your loved ones on a mesmerizing tropical island where nature’s whispers and murmurs are the only chatter you can hear, then head to Little Whale Cay, a private island in the Bahamas.

Little Whale Cay can perfectly be described as nature’s own paradise, where the palm-fringed, white sandy beaches surround pristine water and exotic birds, butterflies, and foliage on the turquoise lagoons create a picturesque scenery.

The above picture shows a unique and unusual castle located on the beach in the famous South American resort of Punta del Este. Designed by the legendary Uruguay architect Ravasani, it’s a wonderful castle that provides comfy atmosphere that betting an unforgettable experience.

It seems, the Chinese are very keen on preserving their heritage and culture. It is so much so that they closed down the American coffee store ‘Starbucks’ in China, and opened up their own version of the coffee and tea shop.

The state run coffee shop now stands on the premises where Starbucks once stood. This particular Chinese hot beverage shop stands up for everything Chinese. It even sells the chinese tea. I think China is trying to sort of nationalize everything and promote local brands to boost up local economy. One way, this is a good deal.

The U.S. Library of Congress is going to display the first map to use the name ‘America‘, created by ancient German cartographer Martin Waldseemuller.

This world map is the first document to indicate the western hemisphere and label the Pacific Ocean. The cartographer drew this map in early 1507. Later the map was lost in a library of a German castle for 400 years and was rediscovered in 1901. Ultimately in 2003 US Library of Congress purchased the 12 sheets of 4-ft by 8-ft document for 10 million US dollars from Prince Johannes Waldburg-Wolfegg. Now the Library is going to display this precious treasure of cartography in public.

This map has drawn lots of attention not just because of its antique value but also for some unsolved doubts and confusion,that it has created among the research scholars and specialists. The map maker displayed the Pacific Ocean as its own body of water long years before it was found. He had also portrayed South America almost seamlessly. Before sketching the map Waldseemuller collected lots of information from the famous explorers like Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci and some other unknown Portuguese and Spanish resources. But John Hebert, Chief of the Geography and Map division of library believes that as the way Vespucci described,it was almost impossible to draw such a near-perfect sketch of America. Library of Congress said that the map represents a total contemporary view of the world. Another doubt is also troubling the specialists. They are busy finding the reasons why the German scholar stopped using the name ‘America’ in the next maps. Rather he started indicating this land as ‘terra incognita‘ or ‘unknown land’. Afterwards he also gave misgivings as he first mistakenly named that new territory as ‘America’ after Vespucci’s first name, thinking that he [and not Columbus] had discovered that.

The researchers believe that the map may disclose some more unknown facts. However, for the time being, the library has decided to exhibit it in its specialized display casing from December 13, 2007.

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Tired of football, basketball or other boring sports? Well, here’s real sports news. Every year, an exciting sport event popularly known as Wife Carrying Championship takes place in Maine. You’ll be surprised to know what men get if they win the contest. Men earn their wife’s weight in beer plus five times the partner’s weight in cash and a chance to compete in the World Championships in Finland. Sounds amazing!

Inca mummies have been the matter of interest for scientists ever since the archaeologists unearthed them. Eager to know more facts about these Inca children, scientists are continuously examining these mummies. Now, scientists have yielded the startling insight into the lives of these Inca children.

This is the first hotel in US to customize its facilities for motorcycle enthusiasts and travelers. Scheduled to open in March 2008, in Milwaukee, home to the manufacturing unit of the legendary motorcycle Harley Davidson, Iron Horse Hotel is the country’s first modern luxury boutique hotel with a separate facility for the large and growing segment of motorcycle enthusiasts.

Announcing the hotel’s special biker suites and facilities Tim Dixon spokesman for the Iron Horse Hotel said,

Today’s motorcycle riders are senior executives, CEO’s and successful entrepreneurs. These are weekday business travelers accustomed to luxury hotels. We’ll offer this customer the business services they expect along with features and amenities that address their needs as riders.