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Sadly, Havana’s Diva-like splendour is being chipped away by the ravages of time. UNESCO has declared old Havana a world heritage site and funds begin to flow into projects all over the city, but work has only just started.
Havana is a grid-plan city, making it easy to navigate its broad avenues and side streets, originally lined with splendid churches and mansions of the city’s former aristocracy. They have suffered greatly from neglect, and many are now crumbling and decrepit.
For three hundred years, urban life in the Cuban capital took place intramuros, or “within the city walls”. Then, in the early nineteenth century, a building boom began. Havana’s city walls were pulled down to facilitate city planning and road building between the old Intramuros Plaza and the newer Extramuros Plaza.
Gateway to the New World.
The city of Havana was founded in 1515 where the Cuban capital stands today. Its naturally protected harbour began operation slightly later, in 1519. Havana’s central Caribbean location was a boon to the city’s development.
All the important trade routes to and from Mexico and Peru passed through here. Havana was named the capital of the Cuban colony in 1607 and unofficially proclaimed the gateway to the New World. Although its population would remain in check for a century or more, its progress as a commercial and political centre was continuous and uninterrupted.
Hemingway’s Cuba.
In the early twentieth century, American Prohibition brought tourism of a sort to Havana for the first time.
The Caribbean metropolis, especially the Vedado district, where the 142-metre tall memorial to national hero Jose Marti stands, became a jet set stomping ground where everyone could enjoy a bottle of rum, an aromatic cigar and a little salsa dancing.
Ernest Hemingway was drawn to Havana, and many of his novels were written here. He was locally famous for downing a glass or two and smoking a thick Havana cigar. The long Cuban party ended on New Year’s Eve in 1959, when rebels under the command of Fidel Castro marched into the city.
There are still night clubs in, modern-day Havana, once again attracting thousands of visitors. La Habana Vieja (Old Havana) was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. Some of its loveliest buildings were converted into museums. Visitors looking for culture will find that the city has churches, palaces, castles, monuments and markets.
Cathedral Plaza is a popular attraction and one of the most beautiful squares in the city. The steeples of the Cathedral of San Cristobal de La Habana dominate the look of the square. Not far from the square is the 1588 Real Fuerza Castle, the oldest surviving colonial fortress in the New World. The Plaza de las Armas, its streets lined with swaying royal palms, has been the Cuban centre of power and government for four hundred years. The majestic Capitanes Generales Palace, home of the National Museum, is on the west side of this plaza. It is one of the grandest buildings in Cuba.
Hand-Rolled Cigars.
Central Havana functioned as the red light district of the city prior to the Revolution; currently one might rather say it glows in pale pastels. Visitors tend to avoid this area as a rule, most preferring to stick to the comforts of the Vedado district and the famous attractions of Old Havana. There is nevertheless a great deal to see in central Havana. The district is dominated by the monumental El Capitolio Nacional, built as a more ornate twin of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. as if to mock capitalism.
Havana’s oldest cigar factory is located on the west side of the Capitolia. The approximately 400 people employed here continue to roll cigars the old-fashioned way, by hand.
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After climbing 508 metres up the Taipei 101 tower, the highest structure in the world, it can be seen easily from anywhere in the city, one can look down on the genuine Taipei amidst all the modern buildings: temples, markets, the National Palace Museum and in between them, the many old streets and lanes where everyday life in Taipei actually happens.
First steps
There was a swamp there about 300 years ago, right where one of Asia’s most modern cities now stands. Only the Pingpu, the original people of Formosa, who lived in the higher lying regions around the Taipei Basin, were able to reach this area by canoe.
Han Chinese from mainland China came later to fish and trade, but they stayed on the banks of the Tarsui River and did not venture into the area of modern Taipei. In 1709, a Chinese farmer named Chen Lai Chang from Chuanchou laid the cornerstone of a farm in Takala, which is now central Taipei. From then onwards, the number of settlers continually grew. The original settlement was known as Manka.
From Manka to Tataocheng
The administration of Manka and the surrounding area was mainly handled by immigrants from various parts of mainland China. Because of differing views regarding the future of the administrative structure, tensions between the residents soon escalated. The violent confrontations that resulted came to an end in 1823.
One of the groups that was defeated fled from Manka, on the bank of the Tamsui River, to Tataocheng. There they began to make the land arable land laid the foundations for a flourishing community. Tataocheng surpassed Manka in the nineteenth century, and became the centre of Taipei Prefecture in 1875.
Fast development
When the Japanese colonised Taipei in 1895, they built their main district in Taipei, and the city continued to develop steadily thereafter, even after the departure of the occupiers in 1945 and after the break with mainland China. Within a hundred years, the once rural district had developed into the administrative, economic and cultural centre of Taiwan.
Manka, Tataocheng and Chengnei have all lost their original appearance, but a number of historically important sites have been restored, including the Lin Family Villa and Garden, once the home of a very powerful family in the nineteenth century, as well as the Peace Park and the 1919 Presidential Palace.
Modern city with ancient traditions
Today, all glass office high rises, luxury condominiums and modern shopping districts are situated along wide, tree lined boulevards. Elegant restaurants, stylish nightclubs and appearances by international stars are all part of people’s lives. Yet the traditional culture and way of life carries on below the contemporary surface.
Everywhere you go, you stumble on timeless scenes: believers praying to their gods in ancient temples, long religious processions winding their way through the streets to the accompaniment of firecrackers, and little shops offering herbal medicines that have been relied upon for millennia. Clearly, this is one of the oldest cultures in the world.
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The Lithuanian city of Vilnius exudes southern charm under the northern sun. Positioned in the natural amphitheatre of the surrounding Lithuanian hills, Vilnilus has much to offer visitors besotted with classical buildings.
Vilnius, which can look back on a thousand years of Lithuanian history, can boast one of the largest historical town centres in Eastern Europe. Among its almost 1,500 buildings are representatives of nearly every European architectural style and historical period. Vilnius has wonderful examples of architecture from the Gothic, Renaissance, baroque, neoclassical and Jugendstil periods, all of which are located within easy sauntering distance of the town centre. The uniqueness of the Old City of Vilnius led to its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994.
Heathens and Christians
After most of Europe had adopted Christianity and prayed to a single Christian God, the population of Vilnius continued to pray to their pantheon of heathen deities. For centuries, it mattered little. Founded in the eleventh century as a walled fortress at the convergence of the Vilnia and Neris Rivers, the city has always been well protected from invaders.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t until Vilnius became the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania under Prince Gediminas in 1323 that other nations took an interest in its economic potential. The German confederation, Poland and the Russian czar all cast their envious eyes on Vilnius, each wanting a piece of its wealth and prosperity. Merchants, businessmen and priests arrived in droves, and with them came Christian missionaries. Soon afterward, most Lithuanians finally became Christian.
The Jesuits in Vilnius
As a result, unlike many of the other cities in the Baltic region, Vilnius became an eastern outpost of the Roman Catholic Church, and a multitude of glorious baroque churches and buildings greets visitors today. In the wake of the Reformation, a period of industrious building activity was begun under the support of the Jesuit order.
Jesuit activities were also at the heart of Vilnius’ intellectual revival, as the first Jesuit University was founded in 1579. Today, the University Quarter is recognized as a one of a kind architectural ensemble. Its buildings were inspired primarily by the styles of the early Italian baroque. Its courtyards, the church of St. John the Baptist, the clock tower, the observatory and the library are unparalleled anti City of churches. Vilnius lost its political significance following the union of Lithuania with Poland in 1569.
From this point onwards, rulers and occupying forces came and went. The city suffered greatly, again and again bowing to the will of more powerful nations. The construction of churches, however, continued unabated and Vilnius became known as “the Rome of the East”, a city noted for its abundance of churches and cloisters. Rapid growth continued to attract craftsmen, artists and labourers to the city, and by the beginning of the nineteenth century, Vilnius was the third most populous city in eastern Europe: only Moscow and St. Petersburg were larger.
Vilnius today
After fifty years of occupation by the USSR, Lithuania gained its independence in 1990, and Vilnius was announced the capital of the modern, democratic state. Lithuanians are busy restoring their city today, in full recognition of the weight of history.
More than buildings need to be restored; the very identity of Vilnius needs to be remade as well. As the Lithuanian government proudly proclaims, “here we are not only repairing the facades, but also the foundations”. The president of Lithuania resides in a residence near the towers of the university, in the midst of the lively Old City. An office and business quarter has recently been established nearby, on the opposite bank of the Neris River. Vilnius, already a growing tourist destination, has set its sight on once again becoming the economic centre of the Baltic.
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Located in the centre of Europe, Vienna is both a bustling city and a city known for its coffee houses, historic districts, beautiful parks, elegant squares and romantic courtyards.
Vienna means cafe culture, music and wine. Where else can one so happily spend all day sitting in a cafe, reading a magazine, sipping a Viennese coffee or drinking a glass or two of wine?
Roman Vindobona, founded in the year 15 CE, was completely destroyed by the Germanic migrations of the fourth and fifth centuries. With the Roman legions long gone, only a small settlement remained. The name Vindobona is likely a version of the Celtic “Vedunia”, which means “torrent”, a reference to the settlement’s location on the banks of the famous Danube River.
Vienna was a city of doubtful repute at the end of the twelfth century. Its ruler, Duke Leopold V, was complicit in the abduction of the English king, Richard Lionheart, on his way home from the Crusades. The two noblemen had clashed during the Third Crusade.
Forced to stop in Vienna, Richard was recognised and arrested. A huge ransom was paid for his release, roughly twenty five tons of silver, an enormous sum for those days. The duke used the silver to start a mint, the vast profits from which enabled him to grow the city and build new fortifications. Although Emperor Henry VI had given his blessing to the duke’s illegal activities, the pope had not, and in 1194 Leopold V was excommunicated.
The first version of Vienna’s cathedral was completed in 1147 as a small parish church, and was far too large for the tiny population of Vienna at that time. The city would not become important for another ten years, after it was named capital of the Duchy of Austria. A hundred years later, the original church was replaced by one built in the Romanesque style. Its facade, known as the Roman Towers, was preserved when construction of a Gothic church began in 1340.
In 1359, Duke Rudolf IV laid the cornerstone for the soaring Gothic nave, which was completed in 1474. Vienna’s early dukes had not been successful in elevating the town to a bishop’s see, which was necessary for St. Stephen’s to be declared a cathedral; it had always been simply a church within the diocese of Passau. It did not become the seat of a bishop, and thus formally a cathedral, until 1469. St. Stephen’s has undergone many changes since then. As tastes changed, the interior and exterior were upgraded to reflect the times. Recent restoration has uncovered traces of older versions of Vienna’s beloved “Steffl”, as the church is known locally.
The sixteenth century was very much focused on rebuilding Vienna’s fortifications, which had been damaged during the Turkish siege of 1529. Work was not quite finished when the Turks returned in 1684. They were stopped just outside Vienna, the gateway to Europe, and never got that far again. Bombardment from Turkish positions in what is today the Wienerwald (”Vienna Woods”) left the city badly damaged in the wake of the Turkish retreat.
Rebuilding Vienna brought a large number of baroque architects to the city. The most beautiful constructions from that era are noble and royal residences, including the Schonbrunn, Liechtenstein, Schwarzenberg and Belvedere Palaces.
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Almost everyone who comes to Copenhagen visits the little mermaid harbour. Hans Christian Andersen’s popular fairy tale is about a young mermaid willing to give up her life in the sea and her identity as a mermaid to gain a human soul and the love of a human prince.
Love is capricious. In the end, the unhappy mermaid looks on mutely as her beloved abandons her in favour of a real woman. In Andersen’s fairy tale, the little mermaid throws herself into the sea, dissolving in the foam. Today, the bronze mermaid cast by Eric Eriksen sits on a rock on the harbour.
Vandals have attacked the statue on several occasions, but luckily, city officials keep the original bronze moulds in a secure location. Identical replacement parts are always available.
When Denmark became a kingdom in the tenth century, what would later become the great city of Copenhagen was a small, non-descript fishing town named Havn. Located at the entrance to the Baltic Sea, its strategically advantageous location attracted the attention of the Danish crown. Recent archeological discoveries show that by the 11th century, Copenhagen had already grown into a small town with a large estate, a church, a market, at least two water wells and many smaller suburbs spread over a fairly wide area.
Havn was transformed virtually overnight into an important business hub. The building of Slotsholm Fortress in 1167 is usually said to mark the city’s founding. Three years later, Copenhagen was given its current name, which in Danish means “merchant’s harbour”. In 1443, the emergent city became the official capital of the Kalmar Union of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. When the union disbanded in 1523 it became capital of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Amalienborg, the famous winter palace of the Danish royal family, stands on a broad, paved, octagonal plaza. Four nearly identical palaces were built along the four diagonal sides of the octagon. At the centre of this beautiful rococo complex, one of the loveliest in Europe, is an equestrian monument honouring King Frederik V. A changing of the guard takes place outside the palaces each noon.
The best view of the Old City of Copenhagen may be from the wide platform on top of the Round Tower. Although the tower is only 36 metres high, the spiral staircase to the top winds around 209 metres. It was once possible to ride to the top on horseback, as Peter the Great did when he visited.
Unfortunately, horses are now banned from the tower. Trinity Church is adjacent to the tower, with the shopping districts of Stroget and Straedet nearby. Most of the Old City is off limits to cars, making it one of Europe’s biggest pedestrian zones. Christiansborg Palace is on the small island of Slotsholm, the site of the original fortress, which is today joined to the rest of the city by several bridges.
The palace was once home to the Danish royal family, and is now the seat of the Danish government and its parliament, the Folketing. This is the sixth building to stand here since the 1167 founding of the city. Invading armies, fires and modernization have all taken their toll. While the first castle on the site stood from 1417 into the late eighteenth century, rebuilding and renovation has been fast and industrious ever since.
The present Christiansborg was built in the early twentieth century. Accessible from every quarter of the city, Tivoli Gardens amusement park first opened on 15 August 1843. Visitors can take a trip in a small boat on the moats once used for Copenhagen’s defense or take a pleasant ride on the big wheel looking down at the city from on high. It has a new, zero-G roller coaster (”the Demon”) and twenty-five other rides, as well as many restaurants and concert venues.
The mime presentations in the Pantomimes are extremely popular. After 150 years of continuous operation, neon signs are still banned in Tivoli. Instead, more than 110,000 incandescent lanterns brilliantly illuminate one of Europe’s oldest surviving pleasure gardens. The white bulbs hung from trees contribute to Tivoli’s uniquely old-fashioned atmosphere, even as the roller Demon hurtles by.
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Tehran is currently among the most densely populated capitals on the planet, yet for many centuries Tehran was nothing more than a small, insignificant city on the stage of world history.
Aga Muhammed Khan, founder of the Qajar dynasty, chose Tehran as the capital of the Persian Empire in 1795, largely because of its location on the cool Elbur hillsides. And so it has remained to this very day. Only after a terrible earthquake in May 2004 was there heated discussion of moving the seat of government from Tehran to a less earthquake prone region of the country.
Palaces and museums
The bulk of Tehran’s older buildings date back to the period of Qajar rule in the 19th century. Foremost among these structures is the Golestan, or Rose Garden Palace, the old seat of the shahs until 1979. Today it serves as a museum, and its most famous exhibit is the stunning Peacock Throne. Exactly 26,733 precious stones decorate this amazing throne of the former Persian rulers. While there are always crowds in the museum, the palace garden is a peaceful and beautiful oasis in the heart of Tehran.
The Iranian capital has a large number of museums worth seeing in addition to the Golestan Palace, including the Archaeological Museum and the National Museum. Many other cultural sites are inviting and worthy of a visit. Tehran’s bazaar is legendary and one of the biggest in the world.
The traditional Zurkhaneh (House of Strength) in the center of the bazaar is a special kind of sports venue: up to twenty five athletes at a time emulate their forebears, swinging maces and rings to the accompaniment of drums and tribal music. This distinct form of athleticism, called bastani in Persian, originated under the reign of the Mongols, who forbad the locals to engage in any kind of physical training. The Persians trained in secret in order to be ready for the day when they would free themselves from Mongolian rule.
Modern Tehran
Impressive testaments to Persian rule in this city include not only historical monuments and the traditional souk, but also numerous modern structures. The symbol of modern Iran is a more recent building, the Shahyad (Freedom) Tower on Azadi Square, built in 1971 during the reign of the last shah.
From the observation deck one has a fantastic view of the entire city, and can see all the way to the distant, snow capped Elbur Mountains. Another important symbol of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Ayatollah Khomeini Mausoleum, is located in southern part of the city. Four narrow minarets, each 90 metres high, surround its shining gold cupola.
Those who would prefer to flee the noise of the city head out of Tehran travelling north, toward Darband and Darrake at the foot of Tochal Mountain in the Elbur Range. While travelling through the northern neighbourhoods of Tehran, a visit to the Saadabad Palace, the summer residence of the last shah, is definitely worth making.
Once you reach your final destination, there is a chance to enjoy the clear mountain air and to sojourn at one of many traditional cafes and restaurants. For a taste of adventure, you can also take the longest cable car ride in the world up Mt. Tochal, and come down via one of the five ski slopes.
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Vanuatu consists of more than eighty islands, located about 2000 kilometres north-east of Queensland. The largest island, Espiritu Santo, is 4010 square kilometres. Australia is a mainly a flat land, but most of Vanuatu’s islands are dominated by mountainous regions. The highest peak, Mt Tabwemasana (1880 metres), is on Espiritu Santo. The Earth beneath Vanuatu is unstable, and there is volcanic and earthquake activity.
Vanuatu has been inhabited for more than 3000 years. Separate communities developed, but trade between islands was common, and canoes were used to move people and produce.
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to come to Vanuatu, in 1606. Next I came the French in 1768, then the British led by Captain James Cook in 1774. Cook named the islands the ‘New Hebrides’. During the 1840s, traders and missionaries made contact.
From 1887 to 1980 control over the New Hebrides was shared by France and Britain. During World War II, the New Hebrides were a key base for the Allies in the battles to prevent the Japanese taking control of the South Pacific and Australia. Vanuatu gained independence on 30 July 1980.
About 200 000 people live in Vanuatu, the same number as in Hobart. Most people live on the islands of Efate, Espiritu Santo, Malakula and Tanna. Unlike Australia, 95 per cent of people in Vanuatu are indigenous. They are known as Ni-Vanuatu, and like Aboriginal Australians they have a special relationship with their land.
The remaining five per cent consist of French, Australian, New Zealand, Vietnamese and Chinese people, as well as other Pacific Islanders. Three main languages are spoken — English, French and Bislama (a form of pidgin English).
The literacy rate in Vanuatu is {poor|low}, and most students do not attend secondary school. But, in Port Vila, there is a technical college and a campus of the University of the South Pacific.
The economy is centred around farming, and major agricultural exports are beef and cocoa. Most people are involved in subsistence agriculture. There is also a large timber industry, and tourism is important to the economy, providing work in tourist areas, such as Vila.
The Country of Tonga
Tonga lies about 650 kilometres east of Fiji. It consists of 150 islands, and 40 of them are inhabited. The capital city is Nuku’alofa, which is on Tongatapu, the main island.
Polynesians first settled in Tonga about 3500 years ago. Captain James Cook made several visits during the 1770s and named the islands the Friendly Islands. Tonga gained full independence from Britain on 4 June 1970, but remains a member of the Commonwealth. Kings and queens have ruled Tonga for more than 1000 years. The reigning king is Taufa’ahau Tupou IV.
The population of Tonga is approximately 110 000, which is similar to the population of Cairns. Most people are of Polynesian descent, and they speak English and Polynesian. They are committed Christians with the main denomination being the Free Wesleyan Church.
The economy of Tonga revolves around agriculture and fishing, with pumpkins, coconuts and bananas being major crops. Education is important in Tonga, and school is compulsory for children between the ages of six and 14.
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Thailand is a kingdom in southeast Asia on the Indochinese and Malay peninsulas. Through most of its history Thailand was called Siam. The people call themselves Thai, which in their language means “the free people.” In 1948 the Thai government changed the name of the country to Thailand.
Thailand has an area of about 511,770 square km, which makes it not quite as large as the American state of Texas. About sixty one million people live there, which is nearly three times as many as the population of Australia.
The People of Thailand
The first people in the region of Thailand were Negritos, a Negroid pygmy people. The Negritos became mixed with invading Mongols and tribes from China to produce the modern race of Siamese. There are two main groups in the population, the true Thai and the Lao. Thailanders are rather short, but well built. They have brownish skin and straight black hair.
Thailanders are an independent and courageous people, and there are no caste divisions in Thailand. All the people, including the women, have equal rights. Thailand is a very musical country, although its music sometimes sounds strange to Western ears, and the people are artistic dancers.
Education in Thailand is provided mainly by the Thai government through the Ministry of Education. A free basic education of 12 is guaranteed by the Thai constitution, and a minimum of nine years’ school attendance is mandatory.
Thailanders are noted for their artistic abilities, ranging from the making of jewelry to the architecture of the beautiful Buddhist temples. There are many religious festivals in Thailand, with colorful costumes and ceremonies.
The people speak the Siamese language, which is a member of the Indochinese family of languages. Religion plays a very important role in Thai life. Religion is considered an essential foundation of society, it is not only the major moral force of Thai family and community but has also contributed to the molding of freedom loving, individualistic, and tolerant people for many centuries.
Hinayana Buddhism is the national religion of Thailand, but there is total religious freedom and all major religions can be found in practice. There is absolute freedom of religion - Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and other faiths are practiced and protected by the constitution. Buddhism is the faith of 95 percent of the population, 4 percent are Muslims, 0.5 percent and Christians, and the remainder Hindus, Sikhs and other religion.
Despite the fact that Buddhism is the faith of majority, both the king and the government uphold and support all the religions accepted by the people. Amidst rich diversity of beliefs, until recently people of Thailand have always lived together in peace and harmony.
How they Live
Thailand is largely a nation of farmers, fishermen, and lumbermen. The principal foods of the people are rice and fish. Nearly all of the farm land is planted with rice. In addition to the large quantities eaten by the people, Thailand exports a large quantity of rice as well as electronic products. Other farm crops include cotton, sugar cane, tobacco, corn, soybeans, peanuts, and sesame seeds. The rivers of Thailand are full of fish, and large catches also are made in the Gulf of Thailand (previously the Gulf of Siam). Much of Thailand’s wonderful food contains seafood dishes.
Three-quarters of Thailand is covered with forests from which come the country’s famous teakwood, as well as bamboo, ebony, rosewood, boxwood, and Palmyra palm. The forests provide important quantities of lac (a resin deposited on trees by the lac insect) , rubber, oils, dyes. and tanning bark.
Thailand has large and varied mineral resources, the most important of which are tin, wolfram ore, coal, copper, antimony, gold, iron, manganese, molybdenum, silver, lead, gypsum, and lignite. There is a growing hi-tech economy and foreign countries have been encouraged to build factories there for the production of chemicals, textiles, and other goods.
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