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I am not an advocate of personal loans but when things get out of hand like you need to visit your hometown for important family matters, medical issues, anything emergency and pay day is still in a couple of weeks, maybe you can resort to a short term loan this time to finance your travel.

A Pay Day Loan is just right if you need a smaller amount of money immediately and don’t want the long term obligations that are apparent in most Personal Loans. Personal Loans Leader can offer you payday loans up to $1,500. Their application is simple and easy so you probably won’t find it difficult applying for an emergency loan for your urgent hometown vacation. Sometimes you can get your loan the next day. It’s that fast.

Si Satchanalai Historical Park can easily be visited on a day trip from Sukhothai, Thailand. So if you are in Sukhothai province, do drop by Si Satchanalai Historical Park. Here are some of the temples (or wat) you can see upon your visit to this park:

1. Wat Chang Lom, this impressive temple is distinctly Sri Lankan in appearance. The characteristic stupa is supported by 39 laterite elephants which are already worn-out. These elephants are unlike those found at other temples.

Elephants supporting the chedi of Wat Chang Lom

2. Wat Chedi Chet Thaew or “temple with seven rows of pagodas” is located south of Wat Chang Lom. In this temple you can see the main chedi with lotus bud-shaped top and 33 subordinate chedis adorned with Buddha images and other stucco decorative images reflecting Sri Lankan, Pagan, Srivijaya, and various architectural style. This temple is believed to contain the cremated remains of the Sukhothai royal family.

Lotus bud tower (chedi) in Wat Chedi Chet Thaew

3. Wat Suan Kaeo Utthayan Yai is located near Wat Chedi Chet Thaew just across a dirt road. You can see a large image hall within this monastery. This temple is also known as Wat Kao Hong or the “nine-room temple”.

4. Wat Suan Kaeo Utthayan Noi also called Wat Sa Kaeo contains a Chedi with lotus - bud spire with a Buddha image niche on its front and a pond in the West. The architecture is unique in Si Satchanalai due to the brick building in front of the temple. The ruins consist of a whole laterite image hall with laterite roof.

5. Wat Nang Phaya, located southeast to Wat Chedi Chet Thaew, is known for the laterite blocks used to construct the chapel, the external walls are decorated with intricate stuccowork in the art style of the early Ayutthaya era. Another attractive feature of this temple is the main, Sri Lankan-style pagoda supported by a high base adorned with sculptures of elephants similar to those at Wat Chang Lom.

Stucco detail on the viharn building of Wat Nang Phaya

6. Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat Chaliang is located a couple of kilometers to the southeast of Si Satchanalai Historical Park. This large historical complex in Chaliang is one of the most impressive sites here. The decorative stucco work at the main entrance of the temple exhibits the Bayon art style of ancient Khmer. You can also see from this complex a rope footbridge where you can take great photos of the Yom River.

Gate detail at Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat Chaliang

Photo credits: vtveen, jbeaulieu, roadstars, hewy @ flickr.com (in this order)

Related Posts:
Si Satchanalai Historical Park, Thailand
The Charm of Si Satchanalai Architecture

When traveling on a business trip or with family, we don’t mind about transportation in advance coz it’s easy to just hire a taxi at the airport upon arrival. Well, if you have a bigger family, there’s also a van for hire at the airport. And if you have booked a hotel, there are some hotels that provide free airport pick-up and send-off as part of their service so you can avail of this, too. However there are cases when you really need group transportation services, for instance when you organize tours for group of twenty or more people, this number can’t fit in a car or the usual van.

So if you travel to New York City (NYC) with a number of tourists, you would like to book a charter bus NYC. You can do this thru NYC Bus Charters (NYCBC). They offer charter transportation for groups of any size with their 9 to 57 passenger vehicles. They have clean and well maintained vehicles, and their service is always on time. Their drivers are carefully selected. They are courteous and experienced, and drive safely. Much more, NYCBC provide 10% discount for companies that purchase transportation tickets way ahead of time.

So next time you need a transportation service for your group whether you want to use one for hotel or airport transfers, tour your group to amusement parks or have a day trip around the city, Atlantic City, or visit conventions, trade shows, or need some tailored tours, book your trip with NYC Bus Charters. You can visit their website for a free and instant quotation on their special group rates. Or call them at (212) 875-8200 Ext. 110.

If you are fascinated by ruins, ancient Thai architecture and history, a visit to Si Satchanalai Historical Park, Thailand may possibly charm you.

Si Satchanalai reflects a combination of Khmer, Sri Lankan and Thai styles. The architectural and sculptural structures of the Wat or temples are evidence of Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism influences long before the introduction of Theravada Buddhism. Here is what one writer described it:

A journey to the old town of Si Satchanalai does not give only the pleasure of seeing old magnificent ruins. The art, the values, and the religious convictions of our ancestors have made themselves felt in everything that is left at the Si Satchanalai Historical Park. They are ancient records of the past that have a lot to tell about the glory of the Sukhothai Kingdom. (source)

There are four temples situated at the center of Si Satchanalai: Wat Chang Lom, Wat Chedi Ched Thaew, Wat Suan Kaew Utayan Yai, and Wat Nag Phraya. We will take a virtual tour to each of these temples in succeeding posts. You know, its candidate of the week in THAILAND’S TOP DESTINATIONS, so let’s learn more about it.

Related Post:
Si Satchanalai Historical Park, Thailand

Our family went to Stockholm last May on board Viking Lines’ M/S Isabella. We left the port of Turku, Finland at 9PM and reached Stockholm at 6.30AM local time.

We were eagerly waiting for the ship to dock at Turku port that night. Kids were getting bored and impatient but as the ship approached, excitement stirred. It took some time before we could enter M/S Isabella coz it just arrived from Stockholm and so passengers were getting off. As soon as all was clear, we were allowed to enter the ship. And this was the scenario, the cleaners were very busy changing the bed sheets, cleaning the room, etc. they were all in a hurry, running in the hallway trying to finish their assigned job on schedule. Then in a few minutes there was an announcement asking them to leave coz the ship’s departing. Well, they finished their jobs on time.

We booked a four-berth family cabin, our small but comfy room which was equipped with radio plus alarm clock, air-conditioning, toilet, and shower. You could take shower coz toiletries and towels were provided, even plastic cups if you want water from tap. So, don’t worry if you haven’t taken a shower prior to the cruise.

After eating our take-away pizza, the kids were very eager to escape from our cabin. They couldn’t wait to go to the entertainment section where there were arcade games, Wii room, ball pool area, and playroom.

Hubby wanted to have some fun, too. So he tried playing the poker game and luckily win some few Euros which he spent on another slot machine. Something like the pirate game (I forgot the exact name) where you drop one coin at a time and the machine keeps pushing out the numerous coins inside so we could have as much coin as we want, if we are lucky. The game was so exciting and addicting. The kids enjoyed watching their dad play and collecting the coins coming out from the slot machine. They also wanted to play. Hubby kept on dropping coins but we were not so lucky in the end. We lost. Haha…

There are a lot of things to make you enjoy aside from the games. There’s music, food, shopping, and more. So we all had a great time in this cruise.

THAILAND’S TOP DESTINATIONS. According to votes, candidate of the week is: Si Satchanalai Historical Park

Si Satchanalai Historical Park is located in Sukhothai province, Thailand. The park can be found on the bank of the Yom River at Tambon Muang Kao, Amphoe Si Satchanalai. Si Satchanalai is no more than 55 km. from the town of Sukhothai. Ruins of 134 monuments have been discovered in this area.

The site of an ancient community occupying over 2000 rai (320 hectares) of land was declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site (# 574) on 12 December 1991, along with the associated historic parks of Sukothai and Kamphaeng Phet, all considered as the cradle of Thai civilization.

Shown here are photos of two temples found in this historical park.

Wat Lak Mueang in Si Satchanalai Historical Park, Sukhothai province, Thailand
Photo taken by Ahoerstemeier in January 2006 at wikimedia.org.
This temple was named “Lak Mueang” coz it was believed that it might have contained the city pillar of Si Satchanalei due to its unusual shape but subsequent research shows that this is just an ordinary Buddhist temple.

Wat Chang Lom in Si Satchanalai National Historical Park, Sukhothai Province, Thailand
Originally uploaded by Oatz at wikimedia.org

After looking at the photos I posted about North Cyprus, maybe some travel bugs would like to take a short adventure in North Cyprus. Salamis Ruins is just one of the many sights you can see over there. Or maybe the Isles of Scilly?

If you are given the time to take some days off from work which doesn’t happen always coz of hectic work schedule, then take a break and enjoy your days off with a vacation. You might have few dream destinations in mind so plan it now. If you don’t have the budget to travel or it’s not yet payday and you need some cash, get cash advance from Complete Loan Source, a one-stop place for all credit types. They offer financing solutions nationwide for a variety of credit needs including personal loans above $10,000. If you apply for a loan, you get a fast and free obligation loan approval. But think it over. Do you really need a personal loan for a relaxing get away?

If you are on a holiday in North Cyprus, do visit Salamis. Salamis is a must-see place and a great place for a day out in North Cyprus. It is the most important ancient city in Cyprus. The ruins are impressive. The site is over one kilometer long lined with a sandy beach. The site of Salamis was excavated in 1882 but was stopped in 1974 so much of the ruins are still uncovered from the sand dunes.

Salamis Ruins from air, Famagusta, North Cyprus. Photo Credits: TRNC Ministry of Tourism

From the pictures below, you will see the original Roman baths remodeled by the Byzantines and the plunge pools of the caldarium (or cold room).

Salamis Ruins from helicopter, Famagusta, North Cyprus. Photo Credits: TAK News Agency

Salamis Ruins, Famagusta, North Cyprus. Photo Credits: Ersin Taser

Tip to travelers:
1. Take a hat in the summer coz there isn’t enough trees to hide you from the sun.
2. Make sure you have plenty of time coz it might take almost 5km to trudge the entire site.
3. Bring a bottle of water this is a thirst quenching adventure.

More information about Salamis can be read from cyprus44.com.

North Cyprus as the name suggests, is located in the Mediterranean in the north of Cyprus. It is a de facto independent republic. Its official name is the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) however the tourist office uses the name North Cyprus in their effort to promote TRNC.

Most of the historical and scenic places of interest in North Cyprus are museums and churches. One such historical structure is the Walls of the Old City, Famagusta. North Cyprus has also a long stretch of preserved sandy beaches. It is said to be crime free republic and has mild winters. Prices here are affordable, at restaurants or even in terms of owning a property. Could be a good place to retire.

If you want to own a North Cyprus Property and enjoy a lifetime vacation, just contact Wellington Estates Ltd. They also offer mortgage plans if you don’t have enough cash. If you choose to move in to North Cyprus, chances are you don’t have to book for flights, hotels or any accommodation, and travel guides next time you dream of North Cyprus.

Here are some of the photos of the beautiful archipelago, Isles of Scilly.

Aerial view Isles of Scilly taken by Richard Everitt of g4zfe.com.

The aerial view of the Isles of Scilly is really awesome. You have to travel by air to see the isles’ breathtaking beauty from above.

According to Richard “the Isles if Scilly are an excellent place to walk along open cliff land and along nature trails. Scilly is also a unique place for the bird-watcher as the islands are ideally situated for migrant birds.”

Hugh Town, Isles of Scilly taken on April 2008 by traveler James Stringer at Flickr.com

Cromwell’s Castle and Bryher gap, Isles of Scilly taken year 2007 by traveler bobjob64 at Photobucket.com (sorry if the pictures look blurry coz I have to enlarge it a bit to make it the same size as the above)

Cromwell’s Castle is situated on the island of Tresco in the Isles of Scilly. It is actually a coastal Gun Tower built by Oliver Cromwell in 1651-1652. I found two reasons for this castle: it is a replacement for King Charles’s Castle and a structure built to guard the anchorage between Bryher and Tresco.