Discover your inner self as you travel

Travelling is one of life's great joys. It's a way to explore the world and learn about places you've never been before. Here are some ways to travel with a little difference.

The fun lies in the unknown: An itinerary can be helpful but you need not lose your sleep over it. Let your curiosity lead you in exploring a restaurant in a little known corner of the city where you are travelling or a local market which might not be there in the travel guides. Not strictly following a schedule can sometimes give you memories to cherish for all times to come. Be a gypsy at heart.


Find your own path: Get rid of the herd mentality. Just because the whole world is going ga ga over a particular destination, you need rush there. Decide your travel destination as per your interests, passion and the like. And travelling in a group might be easy and safe too but life is not all about playing safe. Travelling is about discovering your inner self.

Explore: Indulge your taste buds and discover the local cuisine. Travelling is all about broadening your horizon. Be open to experiments and allow yourself to soak in new experiments. Be observant the way people speak, the way they dress or the music played in the cafes. Use your senses to the fullest and discover a whole new world. If you are the one who maintains a journal then keep notes. This will also help you to look back with a different perspective.

Weirdest celebrations from around the world

People around the world seem to be celebrating funny days throughout the year. Here's a look at some that stand out.

August 23 was celebrated as Vada Pav Day, not that anyone needs a day to celebrate the staple snack of Mumbai. But it was only six years ago — when a food chain registered the vada pav as its main business and corporatized it — that people start celebrating as Vada Pav Day.

While Vada Pav Day might be one of the 'serious' days celebrated during the year, when compared Proof Read Day, Be Late for Something Day, Namesake Day, Middle Child Day or World Rat Day. We bring to you some of the weirdest days celebrated during the year.

World Nude Day (February 6): The day commemorates setting yourself free. It's not about being vulgar. It's about having fun without your clothes. Many celebrities have done photoshoots and ads on World Nude Day over the years, but we wonder how practical it is for regular folks to celebrate it.

Pi Day (March 14): Just when you thought that you were done with Math and left it behind at school, comes March 14 to remind you to celebrate Pi, which is the relationship between the diameter and the circumference of a circle.

World Rat Day (April 4): It's been a decade since April 4 has been declared World Rat Day. Now you have a day in which you can possibly be nice to the usually reviled rodent.

International Pillow Fight Day (April 6): This has to be one of the most popular days to celebrate, as everyone loves a good pillow fight! Perhaps you can commemorate it with a slumber party.

World Naked Gardening Day (May 8): This day is celebrated by horticulturists for nude recreation. "Although the event is associated with the socio-cultural naturist movement, its founders assert the day is intended to be 'lighthearted, and devoid of politics'. One controls weeds, plants flowers and cuts hedges while naked, and this has been said to be a healthy practice. So next time you want to do something different, wait for May 8.

Towel Day (May 25): Towel Day is celebrated as a tribute to Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. On this day, fans of the author carry towels to work or school for their daily activities to celebrate the fact that a towel is the "most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have". The most important point to remember on this day is to not panic. No matter what the day throws at you, you have your towel to protect you — unless you want to go the Ranbir Kapoor way in Saawariya.

World Naked Bike Ride Day (June 13): Similar to the World Naked Gardening Day, people take to the streets on their bicycles, naked. So go ahead and celebrate your free spirit.

World No Panty Day (June 22): This day is meant for women to celebrate a day that gives them freedom from panties. So all the guys out there might want to mark this on their calendars.

Bikini Day (July 5): It is the anniversary of the invention of the bikini and the goal is for people to head to the nearest beach in their itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny two-pieces.

International Kissing Day (July 6): Have you forgotten the simple pleasures of life? Well July 6 is just the day for you to rediscover that. Go ahead and indulge in some kissing, but spare strangers!

Bad Poetry Day (August 18): Always wanted to write poetry but never been great at penning verses? Then this is your day to celebrate your 'work of art'.

World Mosquito Day (August 20): Yes! There is a day to celebrate mosquitoes too! It commemorates the day when Dr Ronald Ross discovered that female mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans. But we are not sure if that means that you can't kill a mosquito on that day and wait to get bitten.

World Coconut Day (September 2): World Coconut Day was declared in 1998 in Vietnam to generate more awareness on the importance of coconut. So chill out by drinking coconut water through the day.

Boyfriends Day (October 3): Celebrate the day dedicated to your boyfriend by making it special for him or, he can make it special for you.

Mother-in-law Day (October 27): Close on the heels of Boyfriends Day, comes Mother-In-Law Day. Try pamper your moms-in-law on this day.

Riders give Metro overall favorable marks

Even with poorly lit stations, chronically broken escalators, frequently late buses and near daily train delays, a large majority of Washington DC area residents continue to have favorable views of Metro, according to a new  poll.

But riders have growing doubts about the value and reliability of the 37-year-old system, and transit advocates say such concerns could undermine Metro’s efforts to rally support for its plan to modernize the transit system.

An increasing number of people say the subway is becoming too pricey to ride. More people say they are not using Metro because trains are too crowded and more people report that rides take too long. And the system overall is viewed as less reliable than several years ago, as disruptions on Metro’s five rail lines have become routine.

“I think under the circumstances — it’s old and a lot of people use it — it is a pretty good system,” said Ruth Kling of Falls Church, who was a daily rider for 15 years on the Red Line from Union Station to Dupont Circle until she retired. “It’s pretty clean and it seems to run on time. Except for the escalators — that’s a perennial problem.”

Kling’s measured approval was typical among the roughly 1,100 people in the District and close-in suburbs who participated in the survey, which was conducted between June 19 and 23.
Roughly seven in 10 residents, or 71 percent, give Metrorail positive ratings. A 56 percent majority rate Metrorail as good, and 15 percent call it excellent. Few see the system in a negative light, with 16 percent rating the rail system as not so good or poor.

The sampling of public sentiment toward Metro comes at a critical juncture for the subway system, which records about 750,000 trips on a typical weekday. Even as they carry out a massive rehabilitation of the aging rail lines, Metro’s leaders have been rolling out ambitious proposals to expand and modernize the transit system, with plans for redesigned rail stations, simpler fare collection technology and a new tunnel under the Potomac.
But if the riders’ mounting concerns about Metro start to eat into their modest overall satisfaction with the system, it could make it even harder to line up the political and financial support Metro’s leaders will need to carry out their plans, experts say.
“The more you build support by doing a good job every day of carrying passengers, then the more you will have the political support,” said Ben Ross, a local transit advocate.
The Post survey, conducted on cellular and land-line phones, asked a range of questions about Metro and transportation. The Post did a similar survey three years ago and another in 2005.
The overall perception of Metro hasn’t dropped significantly even after several difficult years for the system, including a deadly crash four years ago that killed nine people and injured dozens on the Red Line. More than six in 10 riders continue to give Metro approving ratings in a variety of areas, including value, comfort, safety, operating hours, reliability and general convenience. Convenience to work is where Metro scores lowest, with half of workers saying the system is “excellent” or “good” on this point.
“People are generally much more critical on a day-to-day basis than if they think about their commutes over the long haul,” said Joshua Schank, president of the nonprofit Eno Center for Transportation in the District. “They recognize that most of the time they get to work on Metro on time and safely.”
But the positive marks could turn, Schank said, if Metro doesn’t tend to the concerns that are increasing among riders.

“If the system starts breaking down at a faster rate and if they waste money and don’t keep up a state of good repair, then people will turn,” Schank said. “They’ll say, ‘The system is no longer reliable and I’ll have to change my commuting patterns.’ ”
Increasingly people say they avoid Metrorail because it is too expensive. In a 2005 Washington Post survey, 75 percent of riders gave the subway positive ratings for offering a “good value,” but that has dropped to 67 percent. Metro has had three fare increases in the past five years, and the base rush-hour fare is now $2.10.
Cathy Bernard, who lives in Chevy Chase and mainly takes Metro’s Red and Green lines a few times a week to go to events at Verizon Center or Nationals Park, said she’s seen a decline in Metro as the fares have risen.
“It’s gotten kind of high,” she said of the cost, “and it’s been a steady decline. It’s not as reliable as it used to be and the cars aren’t as clean as they used to be.”
Metro’s reliability ranking has not recovered from a big decline. In the poll, 73 percent gave Metro positive ratings for reliability, similar to the 75 percent in 2010 but down from the 87 percent who expressed this view in 2005.
Kristofer Harrison, 37, who lives in Alexandria, used to ride Metrorail to go downtown a few times a week to meetings but stopped because he became so frustrated.
“It was unbelievable how unreliable Metro was,” he said. “Every time it rained there was a problem.” Now he drives to his meetings.
With more track work and station shutdowns, riders say delays are a factor in whether they use Metro. Fifty-three percent of people who don’t ride regularly say the long travel time is a reason they don’t ride. That is compared to the 46 percent who felt that way in 2010 — before Metro had started its major rebuilding effort.
Mike Miller, 26, of Fairfax said he has been a longtime Metro rider but gave up using the subway on weekends to go into the District because he had to allow up to 45 minutes extra to make sure he was on time.
“With all these delays it is more convenient to drive,” Miller said. “I think service is going down. I’ve lived here my whole life and it hasn’t improved. For a major metropolitan area the service is below average.”
At Metro, General Manager Richard Sarles repeatedly says the agency has worked more aggressively under his three-year-tenure as part of a $5 billion rebuilding effort to repair and upgrade the aging tracks and equipment that have been poorly maintained over the past few decades. But he acknowledges that more needs to be done.
“I don’t want to rest on our laurels,” Sarles said. “The last thing I want to do is say, ‘We’ve done good enough.’ We have to continue to make these improvements or we will slide back in providing reliable service. It will get worse.”


Nicole Chavez and Mark Berman contributed to this report. Clement is a survey research analyst with Capital Insight, the independent polling group of Washington Post Media. Capital Insight pollsters Jon Cohen and Peyton M. Craighill contributed to this report.

All Over World! Amazing summer getaways

Tired of the same old destinations? Whether you want a slice of the extravagant culture of Hong Kong and Singapore, or bask in the quite serenity of the white Roman beaches, or swear by the luxurious hill-stations around the world — there is something for everyone's multifarious tastes in this summer holiday planner.

Hong Kong, Macau: Aptly called the 'Vegas of the Orient' Macau offers the most glittering slew of slot machines and gives Vegas a run for its money.

Greece: Whether its through the pulsing night-life of Mykonos , the earthiness of Delphi or the rugged Cretan mountains, Greece is like a breath of fresh air.

Singapore: Get ready to shop till you drop at the Great Singapore Sale going on till July 28. Enjoy dazzling deals on just about everything, everywhere.

Turkey: The land of the delectable Baklava, Turkey has more to it than just a lick-your-plate-clean cuisine. It is a legacy in itself that will leave you asking for more.

Canadian rockies: If traveling is synonymous with mountains, then the Canadian Rockies is just the place for you.

New Zealand: Be it the rich Maori culture or the adrenaline-rush at the Fox glacier, black-water rafting or zorbing, the Kiwis are sure going to up the excitement in your trip.

Australia: The sun-kissed harbour city of Sydney the festive grace of Adelaide or the gamut of art at Brisbane, Australia is a destination you would want to head the summer-planner.

Spain: Spain's diversity stirs the soul. Wherever you go, you'll find yourself reveling with admiration.
Washington DC: Washington DC is a hub for American politics and history. Attracting as many school field trips as it does travelers the district offers a peek into the country’s democratic origin. There are plenty of free museums to take advantage of but the real draw here is the memorials and monuments dedicated to great American leaders. Spend some contemplative time at the Reflecting Pool within the National Mall, among the most patriotic places in the country. 

Singh Singh Limo DC has been the best choice for ground transportation. With some of the most experienced chauffeurs on the wheel, you are set for a comfortable ride to your destination. Our limo services include ground transportation, airport pick up and drop, limos for several special occasions and much more.

Some Tips - How to make your holiday memorable?

Holidays are just more than videos recording and clicking pictures. Make your holiday more memorable by taking part in the process of holidaying and enjoying the vacation to the fullest.

We have all experienced it – a holiday that whizzes by at the time but, in retrospect, seems to have gone on forever. Scientists say it is all to do with how our perception of time is affected by the number of memories we form.

When we do something new, the hours pass quickly. But all the experiences lead to lots of memories – and when we look back, there are so many that it feels as if we were away for ages.
When we are in our normal routine, fewer memories are laid down. The days seem to drag… but fly by in retrospect.

A vacation with family is more than just taking your near and dear ones to their favorite destination. Holidaying along with family calls for much attention and love and care. There are some tips here, how to enjoy the maximum?

- Talk about the local cuisine available and share some interesting nuggets on the same. If more information is needed, you tab is at your disposable, always!

- Give maximum attention and care to your children. At the same time don't pander to their nagging to buy all and sundry that tempts children so much. However, there are ways to handle this situation pleasantly. Drive the attention away by citing about something that is even more interesting than what they are looking at.

- Keep the mood upbeat by encouraging your children to play and have fun.

- Create curiosity by saying something very interesting about the place you are going to visit.

- Don't just limit your fun to clicking picks and recording videos. Talk about many things and indulge yourself in humor. Holiday is where the entire fun quotient can be exploited to the maximum.

- Buy something that is specific to the region or country you have visited and which can be brought home without worrying about being damaged during travel is something worth given a try. A memento always leads to wonderful pep talk on the trip which will enhance the overall mood at the household.

- A reputable, well known the local area, cheap limo service company can also make the difference!

Baltimore Limo Rental Services at Singh Limo Make Your Events More Special!

A true factor, all people would like to enjoy the luxuries of life and when it comes to the road transport ride in a limo is the ultimate luxury one could dream of. A Baltimore limo rental service at Singh Limo is present to cater this need of people in routine or in the events of importance in their lives. The celebrations could be many for that the service is hired and for every single event either official or personal the upscale limos of latest models are available. Singh Limo DC is a trusted name for the limo service in Washington DC, Maryland & Virginia area. There is good variation pool of fleet in this for accommodating different demand of people. The exclusive expensive limos are maintained in the best shape and people enjoy the professionalism of the man sitting on the driving seat with the luxury of vehicle.

For the people arriving at the Baltimore airport with a purpose to visit the city can be warm welcomed with such a superlative class service. After the flight fatigue the people can relax by riding in one of these limos. The ultimate service has the qualities to make the customers feel very much privileged by the way they received and entertained. For the parties and meetings there are several options in these limos that meet such requirements of the people. The drivers are well dressed in fine uniform and know their job well. All they have to take care of is the comfort of the customers and to follow the plan that is laid down by customers. In addition to this the chauffeurs are very punctual, very much knowledgeable about the city and keep the time to let the customers enjoy more.

For the celebrations in the vehicles there is variety of options and there are different amenities in these vehicles are available to the customers. They can enjoy music, dancing lights and screens to watch what they like to.

Enough space to sit and even dance on music beat with the friends. The group can enjoy traveling together in one vehicle and also the party atmosphere.

For the wedding services the company has good range of limo to offer to the customers. The most important event of life becomes more special with the presence of mind blowing limo. The people find it usual to have a ride in limo at that day but the service of the company is more than the routine limo ride. In the collection of it there are latest models of limousines that compliment the wedding scenes very well. The glazing new vehicles with cozy interior and highly skilled, well trained drivers it is considered one of the top most options to the people of Baltimore area. The company has the capacity to cater the corporate needs as well at a large scale.

The company's 24 hour, live reservations center is available to answer any questions and book all last minute transportation requests. Ask about convenient flat airport rates.

Call Toll Free @ 888-523-8661or visit online at www.singhlimodc.com to learn more about their limo service and make a reservation today.

Travelers airfare based on weight at Samoa Air

If you want to plan flying Samoa Air in the near future? Will have to go for scaling before buying a ticket, because that will tell you how much you will have to pay.

The small airline, which launched last year, is believed to be the first airline to charge based on weight.
The announcement on Samoa Air’s site says that travelers pay for”weight plus your baggage items,” with no “exorbitant excess baggage fees” or charges for bags you don’t wind up bringing.

Travelers booking flights on Samoa Air can type their estimated weight, along with the estimated weight of their baggage, on the airline’s site to learn their airfare. They are also weighed again at the airport, according to the airline.

The policy, much like the airline, has gotten a lot of attention in recent days, but it actually dates to last year. Chris Langton, head of Samoa Air, told CNN that the policy went into effect last November for domestic flights and in recent weeks for international flights.

Obesity remains a major issue in the United States, with more than a third of adults believed to be obese. This is an issue for airlines, which have different ways of accommodating overweight passengers. Southwest Airlines has a policy that lets travelers purchase extra seats if they will “encroach upon any part of” a nearby seat, with the armrest considered the boundary between seats.

The notion of paying based on weight isn't unique to Samoa Air. A Norwegian economist last week argued in favor of “pay as you weigh airline pricing.” The economist, Bharat P. Bhatta, noted in the Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management that this would actually reward passengers who lose weight and therefore pay less, which would in turn help airlines accommodate more passengers (and, therefore, make more money).

Of course, Samoa Air’s decision is “an inspired piece of marketing,” as the Economist’s Gulliver blog notes. Pause for a moment to consider if you knew Samoa Air existed before hearing about this story (either here or elsewhere). Travelers flock to stories about new airline fees, and being charged extra for being overweight certainly counts as a new fee.

One more thing, it will inspire some regular overweight travelers to lose weight as well, because everybody will love the cheap airport service and looking good, well the approach will help the healthy life.

Winter’s last snowy gasp pesters Washington region

By the thousands, people who thought they were uniquely clever called it March Madness, and just as many with long memories wagged their fingers with talk of some year in the past century when it snowed in April. But for most people in the Washington DC region, Monday’s late-season snowfall was a pain in the tuchis.

It felt like winter’s afterthought, a belated delivery of something most people dread in the heart of the season and few were ready to entertain after three cold, dreary months bereft of noteworthy snow.

Even many school children, who draw double delight in the stuff when it shuts down their classes, were robbed of that pleasure because they already were on spring break.

After a frosty start to the day on Tuesday, temperatures were forecast to roll up toward 50 degrees, consigning the remaining snow to the storm sewers. Winter-weary weather watchers said they now believe only what they see for themselves.

“Every time this winter when they've predicted something, it’s never occurred,” said Drucie Andersen of McLean, recalling the warning of a major snowstorm a couple of weeks ago. “After that last one, they kind of lost their street cred.”

On Monday morning, the “ wintry mix” she expected instead dropped more than three inches of snow on her daffodils.

Up to six inches of snow was reported west and north of the District. Reagan National Airport had more than one inch of snow for the first time since January 2011. Power outages, the best bellwether of any local storm’s muscle, were no greater than the number on any sunny day.

A crash Monday morning in the Glenn Dale section of Prince George’s County killed two men, though authorities were still trying to determine whether the accident was related to the snowy weather.
Two of the big school systems — in Fairfax and Montgomery counties — were among several already closed for spring break. In Prince George’s, officials pushed back the start of the school day by two hours, as did public schools in Culpeper, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties.

Nick Peters of Severna Park said his drive into Washington wasn't bad once he got west of the snow-covered highway outside Annapolis. In Middleburg, Va., Jennifer McCloud rejoiced, “I don’t have to slog into town and deal with the slush and the mush.”

The snow was not expected to affect Washington’s renowned cherry blossoms.
“The good thing is we did get a cold snap,” said Carol Johnson, a National Park Service spokeswoman. “So the blossoms aren't out, which means that the snow won’t knock the blossoms off.”
She said the Park Service is sticking with its prediction that blossoms will be at their peak from April 3 through April 6.

“It’s really very, very hard to predict,” Johnson said.
The snow should all be but a memory by Friday, when the Nationals take on the New York Yankees in an exhibition game that will shake the winter cobwebs out of Nationals Park.

Not so fast, say those with a long memory, who remember a snowy ballgame in April, 26 years ago. That was during baseball’s very long winter in Washington, those years without a team when benevolent major league nines dropped in for guest appearances.

In 1987, it was the Phillies and the champion New York Mets, headed north from spring training, who stopped at RFK Stadium for a charity exhibition game.

Like Monday, the forecast that April 5 was for a cold, wet day.
The newspaper said, “Going on 16 years after it left for Texas, baseball is back. Unfortunately, winter is too, but organizers believe the two can coexist for a day at RFK Stadium.”
The organizers proved wrong.

There were 38,437 people in the stands and snow flurries in the air as the two teams trudged from the relative warmth of their dugouts. The fans’ show of support took on civic significance, for the previous autumn Washington had been the only city in the country that had higher television ratings for a Redskins “Monday Night Football” game than for the seventh game of the World Series.

Ted Lopatkiewicz of McLean, now 60, was one in the shivering throng.
“It snowed and it snowed,” he recalled Monday. “They made it to the fifth inning.”
Called after that, it went down in the preseason baseball books as a 1-0 win for the Mets. It went down in the weather books as one of those days when it snowed in Washington in April.


William Branigin, Mike DeBonis, Susan Svrluga, Ovetta Wiggins, Michael E. Ruane, Robert Barnes and Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report.