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Showing posts from 2010

St. Peter's Church, Chennai - A 19th century unknown Church

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St. Peter's church, located near Royapuram Railway Station, India's oldest surviving train station, is a lesser-known but one of Chennai's oldest churches. Called "Madha Koil" by the locals, it was built in 1829 CE. In Tamil, people call St. Peter as Rayappar. Thus the locality was named as Royapuram after Rayappar church, as claimed by a few. However, others do not agree with this viewpoint. When Madras did not have a proper harbor, goods were mainly transported by boats. In the 1770s, many boatmen shifted from Chepauk to the Royapuram locality. They embraced Christianity, and this chapel was built in the 1800s for them. It's a picturesque church having heritage significance. Happy travelling. Visit my site,  krishnakumartk.com , to know more about the travel guides and other books that I have written.

Hanging Gardens of Chennai - Maadi Poonga

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Hanging Gardens, called "Maadi Poonga" in Tamil, is an unknown heritage site in North Chennai. Maadi Poonga is located in the Royapuram region of North Chennai. The British East India Company, which ruled India once after settling down in Madrasapattinam (the current George Town Area, which was the original Madras/Chennai), constructed a six km long fortification to protect the residents of Madrasapattinam. In 1768 CE, it was decided that the walls needed to be built to protect the Black Town from potential enemies like the French and Hyder Ali. Paul Benfield was the contractor, and John Call was appointed as the Chief Engineer for this work. The work started in 1769. The north side wall was more or less over. It was decided that the tax would be levied on the merchants who passed through the walls to fund the construction of the west side wall. Due to opposition from the public, it was not implemented fully. Even the west wall was never completed. However, the Road alongs

The Pride of San Francisco - Golden Gate Bridge

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Golden Gate Bridge, the pride of  San Francisco , rather the pride of California state, is undoubtedly the most popular tourist destination of San Francisco city. This tourist site is visited not only by those who travel to San Francisco, but even by those who just pass through the town. Anyone who visits California would definitely wish or try to visit the Golden Gate Bridge. There are around 16 million tourists who visit the Golden Gate Bridge every year. Unfortunately, this is where the maximum number of suicides happen in the US. The Golden Gate is the North American strait connecting San Francisco bay to the Pacific Ocean. Ferries were the only mode of transportation to San Francisco from Marin Country before the Golden Gate Bridge was constructed. The Golden Gate Bridge, a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, was completed in 1937. Since then, it has become the symbol of San Francisco. The Golden Gate Bridge is the most beautiful and photographed bridge in the entire worl

The Aquatic Park and the Maritime Museum - San Francisco

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San Francisco , a paradise on earth, has many important tourist spots. Fisherman's Wharf is one of them. There are many places within Fisherman's Wharf which worth visiting. This blog post will introduce you to the Aquatic Park and the San Francisco Maritime Museum.   The Aquatic Park is located towards the eastern end of Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. The park is small but lovely. It is the top site in Fisherman's Wharf. One path from the park would lead you to the picturesque sandy beach of San Francisco. You can find hundreds of people walking, jogging, or just sitting and watching the sea on the beach. San Francisco beach is very much loved by most tourists visiting San Francisco. Near the Aquatic Park, the historical building of the Maritime Museum is located. The design of the building is unique, and it is about 70 years old. The small museum houses some models of antique vessels and a few ship-related objects. The best place of the museum is the balcony at

The Maritime National Historical Park, San Francisco, USA

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The Maritime National Historical Park at Hyde St. Pier in  San Francisco  is where your imagination can travel to the 19th century. You will get a breathtaking view of the collection of historical ships at this site. The Fisherman's Wharf of San Francisco is a popular tourist destination with many interesting sites. The Maritime National Historical Park is one of the exciting tourist sites at Fisherman's Wharf. You can find a lot of ships and related objects of the 19th century and early 20th century in this park which cannot be found anywhere else. Riverboats were the only mode of transport once, and the wheels used in those riverboats were of unique style. The engines used for loading and unloading cargo during the 19th century, called "donkey engines," are found in this park. A small beautiful boat house and the superintendent's office are beautiful structures in the garden that cannot be ignored by any tourist. Balclutha, Eureka, Hercules, C.A. Thayer, Alma,

The historic ships of San Francisco

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Anyone who would travel to  San Francisco  as a traveler would realize that Fisherman's Wharf is one of the most popular travel destinations in San Francisco, representing the entire city's culture. There are many attractions in Fisherman's Wharf - some are important sites, and some are not so important. The place where the historical ships are found is something unique you should visit. Pier 45 - Main Entrance The main entrance of Pier 45 at Fisherman's Wharf of San Francisco is a heritage site. Behind the main door, you can find two historic ships of the US - USS Pampanito, the submarine, and SS Jeremiah, a World War II ship. You can go aboard both the submarine and ship by paying a nominal fee at the ticket counter located at the entrance. USS Pampanito is a submarine. It served as a United States Navy ship and completed six war patrols from 1944 to 1945. Then, it served as a Naval Reserve Training ship from 1960 to 1971. Now, the submarine is preserved as a mem

Pier 39 - The Bay is Yours

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Wanna have fun with your friends or family? Wanna enjoy good dining and wine, or wanna relax and do window shopping? Wanna watch sea lions or have a remote view of Golden Gate Bride? Wanna do some major shopping? Pier 39 is the place, man! Go there and splurge. Pier 39 - the bay is yours. Shop, dine, and discover. Pier 39 is one of the most popular travel destinations in  San Francisco . The walking tour of Fisherman's Wharf starts from Pier 39. Those who visit Golden Gate Bridge generally visit Pier 39 too. I would say that Pier 39 represents the entire San Francisco culture. This is such a lovely place that you would definitely want to go again and again. Pier 39 is full of shops - all sorts of shops. Crab House, Eagle Cafe, Hard Rock Cafe, and Pier Market Seafood Restaurant are some of the notable restaurants of Pier 39. Candy Baron, Chocolate Heaven, and other options are available for snacks and sweet treats. For gifts, apparel, jewelry, and other accessories, you can find a

San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf - Walking Tour

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Fisherman's Wharf is one of the most popular travel destinations of  San Francisco , a famous West Coast city located in California in the US. Fisherman's Wharf, the home of San Fransisco's colorful fishing fleet for 125 years, is known for its varied shopping options, historic waterfront, delicious seafood, and picturesque sights. Getting around the Fisherman's Wharf is too easy. You can walk all the way or go by bicycle. Cable cars, city buses, tourist buses, rental cars, taxis, and limos are readily available. Horse-drawn carriages are also open. Depending on your interest, you can choose any mode of transportation. Fisherman's Wharf is such an important travel destination as it is considered that this is the place where San Francisco begins. 1. Start your exciting journey of exploring Fisherman's Wharf from Pier 39. Pier 39 has many restaurants, shops, and other attractions along the sides of the picturesque waterfront. There is an aquarium named "Aqu

The historic Ferry Building of San Francisco

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San Francisco , one of the most famous cities in the US, has a lot of tourist attractions, including the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz island. There is another travel destination in San Francisco, which may not be very popular among international travelers today, but still remains a vital picnic spot/shopping place for the locals and an important travel destination for American travelers. The ferry building is the destination I am talking about, which was once described as "a famous city's most famous landmark". The Ferry building was opened in 1898, and it became the transportation focal point for those arriving from the East by train and Marin residents who worked in San Francisco. Til the 1930s, the only way to reach the city was by ferryboat. In those days, up to 50,000 passengers off the boat traveled through the ferry building every day. After the opening of the Bay Bridge in 1936 and the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937, the usage of the Ferry building became very li

San Francisco Travel Guide

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It has been very long since I updated my blog with US destinations....now Indian Columbus is back in the land of the original Columbus. :-) This time, let me explore a fantastic destination called San Francisco, with which I fell in love. I am dying to revisit this city....such a great place. Even though I have yet to thoroughly explore this wonderful city, I will share my little experience in the form of a travel guide in my next few blog posts. Alcatraz Island San Franciso gained popularity due to Gold Rush in 1848; I wouldn't mind losing my savings in the form of gold to revisit this extraordinary destination in the US. I am wondering where to start and where to end. There are so many places of interest. Golden Gate is the most important travel destination in San Francisco. There is no second thought on this. You know? 16 million tourists visit Golden Gate Bridge every year. Incredible, right? Pier 39 Alcatraz island is the second most sought-after travel destination i