Trans Studio, The largest indoor Amusement Park

Trans Studio Resort Makassar is an integrated tourism area in Makassar, Indonesia. Trans Studio built area of 12.7 hectares with investment of up to Rp 1 trillion. The project was inaugurated on September 9, 2009 by Mr. Vice-President of Indonesia Jusuf Kalla. Facilities built in between the shopping center that includes the Trans Trans Walk and Rodeo Drive, and Trans Studio, Trans hotels, and offices of Bank Mega. Trans Studio Building was built area 22,000 m² with 20 meters high which is the largest indoor amusement park in Southeast Asia.
Trans World Studio is in the area of Makassar Trans Studio Resort is located in Global Business Area Integrated Tourism and Tanjung Bunga, Makassar, South Sulawesi, or only about five miles from the center of Makassar (Field Karebosi). Trans Studio Theme Park World Makassar adopted the concept of Universal Studios in the United States. Contains simulation chambers several television programs, Trans TV, or events in Indonesia. Some of them are the Tsunami Island, eerie atmosphere affected by the tsunami and earthquakes. There is also Magic Museum containing objects such as living in a movie Night at the Museum, the Other, Rafting, Magic Corner, Lost City, Terror Twister, and Water Coaster.

Desk update from Abu Dhabi: month #45 on the road but whose counting?

We're back in the UAE and after a couple of days in Dubai (pictured*), we're chained to desks once again in Abu Dhabi - not our desks, but our friends', at their colossal home in the new part of the capital, off the island. The closest thing to a 'home' for us still being in storage in Dubai. A 'desk update' in publishing-speak suggests a guidebook update by phone and email. It's what publishers commission authors or in-house staff to do when they're not inclined to spend the money to send writers on the road. From what we're hearing, it's happening increasingly of late. But we won't have that. Aside from the fact that we still don't have a 'home' to speak of - this week marks our 45th month living out of our suitcases! - travelling is why we do what we do. Why on earth a travel writer would want to write something from a desk without having been to a place we'll never know. We've well and truly researched the stories and reviews we're currently writing up, having spent the last six weeks on the road travelling around Syria, Qatar and Kuwait. But we're paying for it now. We're tired. Chronically tired. My feet are wrecked. We've both been fighting off the flu for a couple of weeks although poor Terry has finally lost his battle. As we write, we're talking to publishers and potential sponsors about future projects - in Thailand, Syria, and the Arabian Peninsula - and in the interim we're considering trips to Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen, Iran, and possibly Kathmandu. We're also contemplating an opportunity that could keep us on the road even longer if it comes off, but more on that in the near future... for now, deadlines await. So what have you been up to and where are you going next?

* the pic is of the view from our room at Jumeirah Emirates Towers where we stayed recently; Terry had photographed the hotel and we'd done site inspections so many times over the years, but never checked in. Now we've stayed, we know why it consistently wins awards for being Dubai's best business hotel. While the rooms are a bit dated in terms of their style, they're impressively appointed, the lobby has always been one of the city's buzziest, and the towers and adjoining Boulevard are home to some of my favorite restaurants and bars, including Vu's, Noodle House and The Agency.

Taipei 101 in Taiwan : The World's Tallest Tower

The Taipei 101 Tower of Taiwan is the tallest building on Earth. Its height above ground is 509.2 m. This includes the 60 m spire; the building also holds the record for the highest roof (440 m).The Taipei 101 Tower contains the world's fastest and most comfortable elevators. The building is thrilling to look at, an impressive tribute to steel, glass and incredibly clever engineering. And yet the design clearly reflects the local Chinese culture; for example, there are eight canted sections, eight being the lucky number in Chinese. Each section is embellished with a traditional Chinese symbol of fulfillment, the symbols being large enough to be visible from the ground.Taipei 101 is currently the world's tallest completed building on earth with its 509 m height. It is located in the East of Taipei (Xin-Yi district), the capital city of Taiwan. The tower consists of 101 stories above the ground. The top floor is at 439 m. The construction of Taipei 101 (Taipei International Financial Center previously) was started in 1999, and finished in 2004. The total cost was about 1,7 billion US dollars. This tower has the worlds fastest elevators (doubledecker) they can get as fast as 63 km / h. The indoor observation deck is on the 89th floor (382m). The total weight of Taipei 101 is 700,000 tonnes, which is such a mass that could possibly make an earthquake. The structure is capable to withstand the largest earthquakes. The 800 ton damper on the top of the tower can reduce up to 40% of the movements. The Taipei 101 Mall is a 6-story shopping mall inside the building. The former tallest building was the Petronas Towers in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur with 452 m height, it only held the record for 6 years (built in 1998). The upcoming world's tallest is going to be the Burj Dubai, which has already overtaken Taipei 101, but until its finished it is not official.

The Sears Tower In Chicago

The Sears Tower has been a Chicago landmark for almost 36. Over that time the Sears Tower has become the destination for millions of world tourists and a daily center of work and commerce for thousands of Chicagoans. The Sears Tower has been America's tallest building for 33 years. And at 442 metres, it's no small competitor -the Petronas Towers only beat it out by 10 metres. It has 108 floors, and from its observation deck 412 metres up, four states can be seen for some 80 kilometres from the tower. It has 108 elevators, for different levels up the tower.The Sears Tower will be Chicago's tallest until the Chicago Spire is completed early next decade, which will be 158 metres taller, at a whooping 600 metres in height. This will also make it the tallest in the US. Other tall towers in the US currently planned are the Freedom Tower at 541 metres, and Crown Las Vegas at 512 metres. The Sears Tower, however, will still be the quintessential Chicago skyscraper. After all, the Chicago Spire will be a condominium building, not such a symbol of the city's endeavour, like the Sears.

Exotic Empire State Building in New York City

The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. Its name is derived from the nickname for the state of New York. It stood as the world's tallest building for more than forty years, from its completion in 1931 until construction of the World Trade Center's North Tower was completed in 1972. Following the destruction of the World Trade Center in 2001, the Empire State Building once again became the tallest building in New York City and New York State.

The Empire State Building has been named by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. The building and its street floor interior are designated landmarks of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, and confirmed by the New York City Board of Estimate.It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986. In 2007, it was ranked number one on the List of America's Favorite Architecture according to the AIA. The building is owned and managed by W&H Properties.

The Empire State Building is the third tallest skyscraper in the Americas (surpassed only by Chicago's Sears Tower and Trump International Hotel and Tower) and the 14th tallest in the World. It is also the 4th tallest freestanding structure in the Americas and the 12th tallest in the world.
source information from wikipedia

Golden Gate Bridge Pictures

Mini History of Golden Gate Bridge :
This bridge is the result of Joseph Strauss, a technician who is responsible for more than 400 images of the bridge, although much smaller than the Golden Gate Bridge, and most of the continent. Strauss spent more than one dekadi to gather support in Northern California. Strauss's initial proposal for this location is not really good, consists of a large Cantilever on each side connected with the suspension concentrated. Another important person of this project include architect Irving Morrow, responsible for the Art Deco touches and colors, and technicians Charles Alton Ellis and bridge designer Leon Moisseiff, who work together in complex mathematics involved.

Krakatau Volcanic Island : Best of Indonesian Wonders of Nature

Krakatau Volcanic Islands, Nestled between the large Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra is the Krakatau Volcano National Park. In the fourth century, a single marine volcano stood at this site, but in 416 A.D., the caldera of the volcano collapsed. The remnants formed a new caldera, or volcanic feature formed by the collapse of land following an eruption, around 7 km in diameter, with the peak’s remnants becoming the three islands of Verlaten, Lang and Krakatau.