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Thai traditional dress

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Japanese architecture has traditionally been typified by wooden structures, elevated slightly off the ground, with tiled or thatched roofs. Sliding doors were used in place of walls, allowing the internal configuration of a space to be customised for different occasions.

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Thai tradition dress

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Once upon a time, when giants roamed the earth, two giants had a great fight for reasons that remain obscure. The two hurled rocks and dirt at each other for days that the battle exhausted them so terribly that they just agreed to become friends. This is how the Chocolate Hills was formed.

According to legend, that is.

It was one of the stories that fascinated me when I was a child. In grade school, our books and teachers fed our young minds with legends explaining how things and places came to be. The Chocolate Hills was one of them. In Bohol, however, there are a few more legends that attempt to explore the origins of the hills. Some are more romantic, others are humorous. All of them involve giants, even giant carabaos in one. The version that I was told explained the formation not just of these kisses-shaped hills but also the other great attractions in the Philippines like Mt. Apo in Mindanao and the Hundred Islands in Pangasinan. Not that I believe any of them, I'm too old for giants and legends.

The inner child in me, however, was drowning in glee as we drove to the Chocolate Hills from Bilar. Along with the Mayon Volcano and the Banaue Rice Terraces, it is one of the first tourist spots in the Philippines that I became familiar with. Suffice to say that being in the middle of the site, surrounded by thousands of these giant mounds, was a dream come true.

Although these are not fudge-like at all, these hills are still jaw-dropping! It is an unusual, natural structure in the heart of the Bohol island. There are 1,268 karst hills throughout the 20-square mile area, covering the towns of Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan. The hills are both symmetrical and conical and may be 100 to 400 feet tall. Although these grass-covered hills are usually green, they turn brown during summer (dry season) making it earn its name "Chocolate Hills."

The entire site used to be underwater. In fact, there are many fossils of different shallow marine lifeforms such as corals, mollusks and algae that can be found in the hills. Over time, hills were exposed. I'm not sure whether it was because the land rose or the water receded or both.

There's a viewing area on one of the hills where you can park your vehicle. There are also souvenir shops in the area. But you will still have to climb an almost never-ending staircase to get to the top of the hill, which will give you an awesome view.

I had been to this spectacular site three times and each time, the weather condition was different. My first time, the middle of June - it was raining. I wasn't able to stay longer at the viewdeck to admire the scenery. The second time was early July and it was almost sunset, which gave the place a more surreal, fantastic feel. The grass on both occasions were bright and green. The last time was in the middle of summer and the hills were the most chocolatey that I had seen. It was hot and sunny and the king sun was trying to fry everyone under it. Of the three, the sunset visit was the most unforgettable.

The Chocolate Hills is on the Tentative List of UNESCO World Hetitage Sites. It was officially submitted in 2006 as the Chocolate Hills Natural Monument and is being considered for nomination. In the Philippines, it has already been declared a National Geological Monument in 1988 for its "scientific value and geomorphic uniqueness."

How to get to Chocolate Hills: From Tagbilaran airport, you can catch a trike to the Tagbilaran Bus Terminal located in Dao District. Board a bus going to Carmen (fare is around P100) and ask the driver to drop you off at the Chocolate Hills complex. It's a 10-minute walk up to the complex from here. Chocolate Hills is also included in many countryside tours that are offered by various hotels and travel agencies. The countryside tour also stops at other major attractions in Bohol such as Loboc Cruise, Man-made Forest, and Baclayon Church.

Updated: April 25, 2013

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The Chocolate Hills: Tales of the Giants of Bohol, Philippines | The Poor Traveler Itinerary Blog

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Once upon a time, when giants roamed the earth, two giants had a great fight for reasons that remain obscure. The two hurled rocks and dirt at each other for days that the battle exhausted them so terribly that they just agreed to become friends. This is how the Chocolate Hills was formed.

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This is a photo of an asian samurai armor

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Tale of Autumn Festival.

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Famous Indians Throughout History

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Ruins of an ancient city called Samaria in Palestine

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The ancient fields, found in the Cordilleras, were put on the World Heritage Committee's danger list in 2000 at the Philippine government's request to rally local and international aid, and for better management of their preservation.

"Both actions were successfully undertaken, leading to the conservation of the remote high rice fields," the UN information office said in a statement.

The Philippines culture is alone among southeast Asian cultures in being wholly wood based and the terraces are the only form of stone construction from the pre-colonial period.

Locals continue to produce rice here using traditional methods and the history and beauty of the terraces have made them a tourist attraction.

UNESCO has found £98,000 to aid Philippine efforts to conserve the terraces it said were threatened by deforestation, disuse, climate change and earthquakes.

The steps are located in five towns in the northern Cordilleras, with two clusters in Banaue popular with tourists.

They were named as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, citing the need to preserve the traditions of the tribes that build and maintain them.

Jerry Dalipog, mayor of Banaue town, said UN-assisted conservation efforts should drive tourist traffic to the sites by up to 30 percent.

"Once the tourists are convinced that there are still terraces left to see, more of them will come and visit us," he told the AFP.

Banaue is set to complete a four-month project to repair amphitheatre-shaped rice terraces in the village of Batad, one of the most famous sites, that had been disfigured last year by a huge landslide.

The repair works, estimated to cost £754,964, are being funded by the government and private donors.

Knowledge of how to maintain the terraces is passed down from generation to generation through rituals. Above the steps is a ring of woods that is intensively managed to balance the ecosystem and ensure there is an adequate water supply to keep the terraces flooded.

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Rice terraces in the Philippines preserved

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The ancient fields, found in the Cordilleras, were put on the World Heritage Committee's danger list in 2000 at the Philippine government's request to rally local and international aid, and for better management of their preservation. "Both actions were successfully undertaken, leading to the conservation of the remote high rice fields," the UN information office said in a statement.

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Japan samurai warrior armor 1800

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Vietnamese history art in the ancient history

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Nobleman Japan 18th century in traditional kimono

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The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China.

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Lotus Tower, Colombo, Sri Lanka

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Origin Of Vietnam Descendants. (Legend)

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Shanghai Bridge

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Sensoji Temple, Tokyo, Japan

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Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan.

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First Sino Japanese War

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Entertainment and Celebrity News
"
"Let's volt in!"

Remember Voltes V? I'm sure you just had a sudden feeling of nostalgia.

I think a lot of us can agree that Voltes V was a huge part of our childhoods. Remember rushing home from school to catch the latest episode? Or joining in with its catchy opening theme song?
Photo from Wikipedia
Well, Voltes V doesn't have to be a thing of the past anymore. It's coming back to Philippine TV!

GMA7 just announced that the anime is returning to the network. And it's not just going to be a rerun of those old episodes. Some of GMA7's newest and most popular stars will be lending their voices to bring life to some of the most iconic Japanese anime characters.

Bea Binene (as Jamie Robinson), Derrick Monasterio (as Steve Armstrong), Jak Roberto (as Mark Gordon), Hiro Peralta (as Big Bert), and Ken Chan (as Prince Zardos) are all part of the project.

(RELATED: Official Voltes V Lego? It May Happen!)

Voltes V 's return to Philippine television is in celebration of the show's 40th anniversary.

It's been 40 years! Feel old yet?

Voltes V is set to start on March 27, Monday, at 8:25 AM on GMA Network.
Are you excited to see Voltes V on TV again? Let us know in the comments below!

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'Voltes V' Is Returning To Philippine TV!

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"Let's volt in!" Remember Voltes V? I'm sure you just had a sudden feeling of nostalgia. I think a lot of us can agree that Voltes V was a huge part of our childhoods. Remember rushing home from school to catch the latest episode? Or joining in with its...

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This dress is called an "Ao Dai" it is normal worn on special occasions. There are multiple types of Ao dais.

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Courtesy of those nice people at Viz Media and Fathom Events, the anime movie Mazinger Z: Infinity will be getting a limited theatrical release in the U.S. this February.

Mazinger Z: Infinity deals with the return of the titular super robot and its pilot Koji Kabuto after a 10-year absence. It also sees the return of Dr. Hell and a new threat that has the power to reshape the world.

The film officially opened in Japan this weekend and it will be interesting to see how it does. After all, is one of the most popular mecha franchises in Japan and an all-new movie in the series is something worth taking notice of.

So it is great to see that this new Mazinger Z movie will get a U.S. release in February. If you go to Fathom's website, you can check to see if the movie is playing in your area and book your tickets accordingly.

The two main showings for Mazinger Z: Infinity are on February 11 and 12. Both showings are in Japanese with English subtitles and posters will be available for those that attend, though these will be given out on a first come first served basis and will be limited in numbers.

For those that are not familiar with the original Mazinger Z, the designs have been updated quite a bit for Mazinger Z: Infinity, with the new Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger looking like they are made up entirely of mechanical abs.

Not wishing to miss a trick, Bandai has all manner of toys planned for Mazinger Z: Infinity, the most notable of these is currently a new Metal Build toy out in February priced at 21,600 yen (or around $195).

Normally, the Metal Build toys are done for more athletically proportioned mecha, which pretty much means certain Gundam series and other sleek real robots. So the addition of a very established super robot to this toy line is a curious one.

In any case, if you want to see Mazinger Z: Infinity in theaters then book your tickets as soon as you can, as it looks like this new movie could be a good one for Mazinger Z fans.
Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and do toy reviews over at hobbylink.tv. Read my Forbes blog here.

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'Mazinger Z: Infinity' Will Be Getting A Limited Theatrical Release In The U.S. This February

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Courtesy of those nice people at Viz Media and Fathom Events, the anime movie Mazinger Z: Infinity will be getting a limited theatrical release in the U.S. this February. Mazinger Z: Infinity deals with the return of the titular super robot and its pilot Koji Kabuto after a 10-year absence.

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YueLian Kids Girl Silk Yukata Japanese Traditional Kimono Robe Dress

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The architecture of Thailand is a major part of the country's cultural legacy and reflects both the challenges of living in Thailand's extreme climate as well as, historically.

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Dragon Bridge in Da Nang, Vietnam.

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Ancient India clothing was mainly just cloth tied around various parts of the body.

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Famous Anime Studio, Japan

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Nam San Tower, Seoul.

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Stream full episodes of Initial D free online and get the latest interviews, extras, recaps and fan gifs, all in one place.

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Sri Lanka

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Indonesia: Traditional Clothing

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Thailand Traditional fashion style dresses

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this type of clothing is normal worn on a daily basis as Vietnam gets very hot and the type of material they use to make this is very cooling

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Chinese architecture is an architectural style that developed over millennia in China, before spreading out to influence architecture all throughout East Asia

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This is armour from Indonesia

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This is modern architecture in Iraq.

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Nepal is dominated by the largest mountain range in the world, the Himalayas. The border with Nepal is marked by the tallest chain of mountains in the Himalayas, with peaks such as Mount Everest.

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The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, 

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The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, 

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A Hanbok or Joseon-ot is a traditional Korean dress for semi-formal or formal attire during traditional occasions such as festivals, celebrations, and ceremonies

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Marina Bay Sands Singapore

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this is a Japanese temple

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Asian fashion

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Unleash the power of imagination, fight with units of distinctive skills! Stand up, Vanguard! Cardfight!! Vanguard, card game that realizes imagination.

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this is a cherry blossom landscape

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Samurai Armor

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More Samurai Armor