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Beemster

Beemster is in North-Holland.

By car
The Beemster polder can best be accessed by using the A7 when travelling from Amsterdam or Heerenveen. Use exit 6 (Purmerend Noord), after which you drive away from Purmerend, heading for Middenbeemster. As long as the suffix -beemster is in a town's name, you will know that you are in the polder. The prefixes in the town's name are the place where they are located within the polder. Noordbeemster, for example, translates to North Beemster, Middenbeemster to Central Beemster and Zuidoostbeemster to Southeast Beemster.

See
Since 1999, De Beemster is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The UNESCO describes it as “a masterpiece of creative planning, in which the ideals of antiquity and the Renaissance were applied to the design of a reclaimed landscape.” Between the two lake-floor polders are remnants of the older marsh landscape. Polder Mijzen (just north of Schermerhorn) is a remnant of the peat bogs which once covered the region, traditionally used as grassland. It is designated as a provincial geological monument.

The annual "Beemsterfeest week", a week in which all sorts of activities will be held.

This can be the "Beemstercross", which is a combination of rally and demolition derby on a slippery muddy trail. If you sit front row you're guaranteed to go home covered in mud.

Another activity that will be held is the fair, where locals come to every night of the week to drink some beers and talk.

Sleep
The Beemster is home to several B&Bs and some hotels, you can choose to sleep in the countryside or in the city. Many choose to sleep in the countryside because it offers a spectacular view waking up and it's a great place to start your tour through the Beemster.

title: Beemster


text:
Beer (disambiguation)

 * A village adjoining Seaton in Devon, England.
 * Beer, the alcoholic beverage

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Beer (disambiguation)


text:
Beer (Devon)

 * See beer for the beverage.

Beer is a seaside village in East Devon in the West Country of England. The village rings a small cove with a big beach, with no harbour to speak of. Boats are pulled up onto the beach. In years gone by it was popular with smugglers.

Understand
The village of Beer whose name comes not from the alcoholic beverage but from the old English word bearu, meaning forest, is nearby.

By train
The nearest train station is Axminster, which is on the route from London Waterloo to Exeter.

From Axminster station, you can catch bus service 885 to Beer.

By bus
The village has good, frequent bus services, operated by local company AVMT Buses:

Service 899 which runs from Seaton to Sidmouth via Beer and Branscombe. It is one of Devon's most scenic bus routes.

Service 885 which runs from Axminster to Beer via Colyton and Seaton.

There is also service 52. It runs to Exeter and back once a day.

By car
Beer is a few miles off the A3052. It is well sign posted. Parking is limited, so you might prefer to park in Seaton (a few miles away) and get the bus in.

See

 * Beer Beach and Village. The quaint fishing village and cove is very attractive, take a walk around and take it all in.

 * Beer Quarry Caves. Take a guided tour around these vast caverns.

Events
Beer Regatta Week a week packed with events including daft racing and the famous tradition of 'Barrel Rolling'

Buy
There is a small selection of shops along the village's main street to browse.

Eat

 * Beer Fish and Chip shop
 * The Dolphin  Pub and restaurant.
 * The Anchor Inn  Pub and restaurant
 * The Barrel O' Beer Pub and restaurant
 * Duckys on the beach, serving sandwiches, light lunches, cream teas etc.
 * Chapples on the beach, serving sandwiches, light lunches, cream teas, etc.
 * Osbournes cafe and wine bar.

Drink

 * The Dolphin  Pub and restaurant.
 * The Anchor Inn  Pub and restaurant.
 * The Barrel O' Beer Pub and restaurant.
 * Osbournes cafe and wine bar.

Go next

 * Seaton
 * Branscombe
 * Sidmouth

title: Beer (Devon)


text:
Beer Sheva

Be'er Sheva (also spelled Beersheba; Hebrew: באר שבע) is a desert city of approximately 200,000 inhabitants in southern Israel. It is the eighth-most populous (as of 2019) and second largest city in the country and the gateway to the Negev region of Israel. It is well known to readers of the Bible, but the modern city was founded only around 1900.

Understand
Beer Sheva can appear underwhelming at first glance. As you enter the city, the oversized avenues and partially run down residential building blocks from the 1950s and 1960s make for an unimpressive welcome. However, Beer Sheva can be of interest for any traveller who wishes to experience Israel off-the-beaten-track and there might be no better place to do this, since not even most Israelis are aware that Beer Sheva can be much more than only a stopover on the way to Eilat. The old Turkish town, as run down as it might be, has a very distinct feel and is hugely underrated: it is the only planned Ottoman city in the entire region, erected in 1900 for strategic reasons in order to secure the Negev region and to control the restive Bedouin population. Today, the architectural and historical jewels, culinary highlights, highly welcoming people and the provincial atmosphere of Beer Sheva allow for the visitor to explore the "normal" and "unpretentious" Israel beyond Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. In addition to that, Beer Sheva offers a vibrant student community - based around the university - which has developed a great nightlife one would never expect at first sight.

Beer Sheva and its surroundings give a feel of Israel's strength. On the way down from the north, agricultural fields have replaced the desert; as Isaiah prophesied: "Thirsty deserts will be glad; barren lands will celebrate and blossom with flowers". Also, like Tel-Aviv, a modern skyscraper city has been created out of virtually nothing. Yet, an exciting feel of desert has remained, as Beer Sheva looks with one side right into the Negev desert.

The city is spread out by Israeli standards, as there is no shortage of land in the desert, and there isn't much of a downtown, except for a few streets in the old Turkish quarter. Some modern/experimental architecture was built in the 1960s. Today, this is found mostly in government and public buildings, including the Ben Gurion University and Soroka Hospital buildings.

History
Beer Sheva's importance is its function as a central place for the entire Negev. Historically it developed because of the many wells, the most famous being "Abraham's Well".

According to the Bible, the site of Beersheba is where Abraham and his son Isaac made oaths of non-aggression with the Philistines, represented by a king named Abimelech. Abraham lived in the city for 26 years and his son Isaac lived there for many years as well. It is also from there that Jacob is said to have set out on his journey to "Haran", the birthplace of his mother, to flee from his brother Esau.

Beersheba is also mentioned in Joshua 19:2. It was the southernmost city of Israel in Biblical times - hence the expression "from Dan to Beersheba" was sometimes used to describe the whole kingdom.

The site of Beer Sheva was home to an Arab village at the time of Israeli independence in 1948. After Israel's declaration of independence, the Arabs were either expelled or killed by the Israeli army, and the area was repopulated by mostly Sephardic and Mizrachi Jews who had been expelled from the Arab countries.

Name
Between the two Abimelech stories in Genesis, there are several different possible etymologies for Beersheba's name:

 * in memory of the oath of Abraham and Abimelech (well of the oath)
 * in memory of seven wells dug by Isaac (seven wells), though only three or four are identified
 * in memory of the oath of Isaac and Abimelech (well of the oath)
 * in memory of the seven ewes which stood witness to Abraham and Abimelech's oath (well of the seven).

In Hebrew, the words for oath, "shava" and seven, "sheva" are essentially the same, hence some scholars think that the name Be'er Sheva always referred to the original oath between Abraham and Abimelech and the seven ewes were simply a sign of peace as was customary in those times.

By train
Israel Railways runs comfortable trains from Tel Aviv, Haifa, Netanya and Nahariyya, with hourly departures. Trains also runs from Dimona, the railway network's southern terminus. Beer Sheva has two train stations. Most trains stop at both stations, except for those to/from Dimona which only stop at the north station.

By car

 * From Tel Aviv: Use Highway 20 (Ayalon) to connect to Highway 4 towards Ashdod, then turn to Highway 41 in order to connect to Highway 40 south. Straight to Be'er Sheva approximately 1½ hrs.
 * From Jerusalem: Highway 1 towards Tel Aviv, Pick up route 3 at Latrun interchange, follow for 20 minutes to Route 40 at Re'em Junction. Straight ahead to Be'er Sheva. Total about 1 hr 40 min.

By plane
The closest airport is Ben Gurion International Airport, located outside Tel Aviv near Lod.

Ramon airport is to the south, near Eilat.

By bus
Intercity buses begin/end their routes at the Beer Sheva, which is next to the central train station, near the city center. Buses also make several stops along the road leading in/out of the city.
 * From Tel Aviv: Take line 380 from Arlozorov Terminal, or line 370 from Tel Aviv Central Bus Station. The trip costs only ₪16.5. Both take about 1½ hours.
 * From Jerusalem: Take lines 470 or 446 from the central bus station, costing ₪32.5. Line 470 is direct and takes 1½ hours, line 446 has intermediate stops and takes 1 hour 50 minutes.
 * From Hebron: There are also a few buses coming from the north. Since Hebron is mostly Palestinian, ask the locals how to get on a bus south. You might have to cross to an Israeli town around Hebron first.

Get around
Beer Sheva is served by buses (₪4). Most of these depart from behind the central bus station (on your right when getting off from an inter-city bus). If coming in by train, these will be on your left when coming out of the train station. For details, see the bus map for Be'er Sheva. Pay attention that you can't pay the driver with cash on the buses.

Most taxi cabs in the city will take you anywhere else in the city for around ₪20.

Ride-hailing services such as Gett and Yango are available.

Do

 * A Hebrew list of cultural events in the city - concerts, theater, and more - is available here.

Urban Oasis
Urban Oasis is an art and recreation initiative in Beer Sheva. It consists of dozens of artificial fountains, waterfalls, and other elements spread across the city. They are often architecturally interesting, especially at night when many of them are lit up in bright colors. Some are designed for people to bathe in, a welcome relief on hot desert days.

 * Abraham's Well (described above), an ancient well
 * A restored sakia which draws water from a well to an aqueduct, in Rabin Square
 * City Park, at the junction of Rager Blvd and Henrietta Szold St, contains several large outdoor water installations, including fountains that are designed to be walked in on hot days
 * Fountain at the northern entrance to Beer Sheva, at the junction of Rager Blvd, HaTzadik Mirushalayim, and Avital Avigdor streets
 * Fountain in Shafrir Park, next to the municipality complex and Shazar Blvd.
 * "Globe Fountain" at the entrance to Soroka Hospital on Wingate St.
 * Fountain at Kikar HaMichlalot (Colleges Square) in Shchuna Alef, at the junction of Bialik and Tel Hai streets
 * Fountain at the plaza of the city library and musical conservatory
 * Fountain at the junction of Jerusalem and Beit Lehem streets
 * Fountain at Rabin Square in the Old City
 * Fountain at JNF Square, at the junction of Imber and Kfar Darom streets
 * Fountain the junction of Imber and HaRav Mishael Dahan streets
 * Fountain at the western city entrance, at the junction of Toviyahu and Yigal Yadin Blvd.
 * Fountain between the Neveh Ze'ev and Shchunah Tet neighborhoods, near Joe Allon road and Jericho street
 * Fountain in Nahal Ashan neighborhood, at the junction of HaHashmonaim and Egoz streets
 * Two fountains outside the Grand Kanyon
 * Fountain at Cluj-Napoca square, at the junction of HeArim HaToamot, Professor Gabriel Terek, and Professor Yosef Stern streets
 * Fountain at Nawi square, outside the train station
 * Rainbow-colored waterfall at the junction of Avital Avigdor, Levi Eshkol, and HaMada streets
 * Waterfall in the Australian Soldier Park
 * Mosaic waterfall at the junction of Johanna Jabotinsky and Hativa Shmonah streets

Learn
The Ginsburg-Ingerman Overseas Student Program at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev offers a wide array of short and long-term Hebrew language and academic studies. For German speaking students the German Language Summer University is organized yearly.

The Medical School for International Health at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev offers an MD program for North Americans.

The MAPMES (Master of Arts Program in Middle Eastern Studies) offers an English-language M.A. program to international students.

Eat
24-hour dining at Nafis located at the BIG mega shopping compound. There are also Chinese, Italian, French, Ethiopian, Argentinean, Brazilian, Indian, Bulgarian, Moroccan, Yemenite, Russian, Japanese, Spanish and many Middle Eastern restaurants in town which are moderately pricy. Beer Sheva's culinary offer is spectacular and reflects the cultural backgrounds of the inhabitants of this multi-ethnic city. Locations do change frequently and the restaurants are sometimes located in residential neighborhoods, so advice from locals (and especially students) can be essential.

The major concentrations of restaurants are:
 * - in the Old Town either on the pedestrianized Keren-Kayemet Street (Bulgarian Restaurant) or Smilansky Street (Shabazi, Ahuzat Halperin, Bilbao, Beit haFul, Arabica, Mate Midbar)
 * - in the Civic Center (new city centre) close to the central train and bus stations (Arigato, Kapulski, Mor Noodle Bar, Saba Jebetto)
 * - at the BIG shopping compound (Nafis, Spagettim, Rigoletto, Shipudei haAvaz, and the highly recommended Pitput)
 * - around the main campus of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (mainly Dalet neighborhood) (Gatro, Small India, Ringelblum, Hummus Hamsa, and the highly recommended SUSHI Ishimoto at Derech Metsada street , and a Mehadrin Kosher shwarma place Falafel Liberty at 50 Merkaz Oren with very generous servings.)

Israeli fast food (falafel, shawarma, hummus) is readily available almost everywhere across town. Some places have gained fame for their quality (Hummus Hamsa, Universitat haShawarma, Falafel haKerem, Beit haFul).

 * K = Kosher
 * SD = Student Discount with ID
 * D = Delivery
 * S = Open on Shabbat
 * V = Vegetarian Options

General

 * Arabica - 12 Herzel St (08-627-7802)
 * Saba Gepetto - 109 Rager (08-627-2829)
 * Kifris - 1 Herzel St, old city
 * Matte Midbar - 22 Histadrut St, old city (08-623-3370)
 * Ta'amin - 101 Rasco Ct (08-627-0392)

Chinese

 * China Town - Kanyon HaNegev (08-627-5489)
 * Jade Palace - Beer Sheva Theater (08-627-5375)
 * MOR Noodles Bar - 115 Rasco (077 766 5005)

French Mediterranean

 * Ahuzat Halperin - 23 Smilansky St, Old City (08-665-4854)

Indian-Vegetarian

 * Hodu Ha-Ktana: Ringelblum St (08-648-9801) K,V,D

Italian

 * Balcona - 18 Herzel, Old City
 * Gatro - Sports Center, Ben Gurion Blvd
 * La Piazza - Kiriat HaMemshala
 * Spagettim - BIG Shopping Center (08-665-5122) SD,D,S
 * Pizza Guta - D

Japanese/Thai

 * Ishimoto - Derekh Metsada, (077 7551100) S,D,V
 * Street Food - Tiv Tam, BIG Shopping Centre (08-625-2000) SD

Meat Restaurants

 * Amuna - 58 Keren Ka'emet St, Old City (08-627-8865)
 * Shipuday Sof HaDerekh - 111 HaPalmach St, Old City (08-628-9155)
 * Shipuday HaTikva - Kanyon Kiriat HaMemshelah, near Rasco City (08-665-5722)
 * Mifgash Shaul - BIG Shopping Center (08-623-0161)
 * Schnitzel and Grill - 8 Henrietta Szold, Rasco City (08-628-6619)
 * Chompy - 8 Henrietta Szold, Rasco City (08-645-0130)
 * Nafis - BIG Shopping Center (08-628-2855) S
 * Avazi - BIG Shopping Center (08-665-5274)
 * Meat me at Shiri - 5 Pinchas HaChotziv (08-623-4935)

Moroccan

 * Hmamsky's - Yosef ben Matiyahu (University Gate 90)
 * Yakuta - 18 Moredai Ha Geta'ot St, Old City (08-623-2689)

South American

 * Barzilai - Dimona Rd, Opposite Hutzot Lahav (08-649-9942)

Fish

 * Misadat HaDagim Shel Zvili - 7 HaPalmach, Old City (08-627-5557)

Coffee Shops

 * Mona - 2 Shlomo HaMelech (054 664 7773) S,V
 * Balkona - 81 Herzel St, Old City (08-665-1811)
 * Ma'Afiat HaRishonim - BIG Shopping Center
 * Mocca - 108 Rasco Ct (08-628-4339)
 * Pocoloco - 97 Herzel St, Old City (08-628-2793)
 * Pitput - 122 Herzel, Old City (08-623-7708)
 * Kapulsky - Kanyon HaNegev (08-623-0425) K
 * Betti Bar - 8 Henrietta Szold, Rasco City
 * Siesta - Kanyon Kiriat HaMemshelah and BIG Shopping Center
 * Aroma - Ben Gurion Campus K and BIG Shopping Center (1700701017) S
 * Ashan Hazman - Ringelblum St (077 764 4218)
 * Arcaffe - New side of the Big center S (free wireless, good place to study)

Clubs

 * Forum Factor - Kiriat Yehudit, Industrial Park (08-626-2555)
 * The Q - Kiriat Yehudit, Industrial Park
 * Baraka - 70 Shoshet Bnei Ein Harod, Old City (08-628-7111)
 * Red Bar - BIG Shopping Center
 * Chika - 4 HaSadna St, Derekh Hevron (08-690-0330)

Pubs

 * Belfast Irish Pub - Mitcham Salvador (08-623-7723)
 * Izzy - Intersection, Omer South (052 270 0796)
 * Publo - Near Dalet Dormitories
 * Coca - 50 Arlozarov, behind Gimmel Dormitories
 * Cazma Lounge Bar - 50 Arlozarov
 * Moncheela - Gimel, opposite Coca (052 2626 266)
 * SanGam - Merkaz HaNegev
 * Manga - Teacher's Center, Rager St

Drink
Lots of water, it's in the desert.

And then, go into the student pubs around the university during the semester in order to sense the country-wide famous student life of the city. The pubs around the university are: Publo, Rosa, Manga, Munchilla, Coca, Barbasaba and Grace.

Sleep
Despite its size and university location, Beer Sheva does not offer budget options for light travellers and families. Therefore, your best bet would be to head to Arad and stay there. Arad is less than an hour away, has dorm accommodation and is only ₪8.70 by bus one way. However, you may try BeWeclome, HospitalityClub or Couchsurfing if you are comfortable with it.

Splurge

 * Hotel Arava, 37 Histadrut st
 * Hotel Hanegev, 26 Independence st
 * The Desert Inn
 * Hotel Arava, 37 Histadrut st
 * Hotel Hanegev, 26 Independence st
 * The Desert Inn

Consulates

 * 🇷🇴 Romania

Go next
Be'er Sheva is a convenient departure point for excursions to Arad (Bus: 1 h & ₪8.70), Masada, Mitzpe Ramon and elsewhere in the Negev.

There are also a few buses going north to Hebron, the traditional burial place of the Biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their wives. Check that the bus you are thinking of taking goes into Hebron and not just to the nearby Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba.

There are two good rental car agencies across from the train station (daily rate for automatic ₪200 on a walk in basis), but be careful: police inspectors are on the lookout for traffic and parking violations.

title: Beer Sheva


text:
Bega

Bega is a small town in the Sapphire Coast of New South Wales. It's best known as the home of dairy giant Bega Group, which processes well over 1 billion litres of milk every year into cheese and every other dairy product imaginable and owns numerous brands including Vegemite.

Get in
The main way to get to Bega is by car, as other forms of transport don't go this far south.

From Sydney, head south on the M1 (which turns into A1), and head down for about 6 hours.

From Canberra, head south on the B23 Monaro Highway, and then turn left onto the B72 Snowy Mountains Highway. Keep descending, and then you'll hit Bega.

title: Bega


text:
Begging

When traveling, you will without a doubt come across people asking for money. After all, poor people everywhere will reason that anyone who can afford to travel – by definition – has money to spare. Even a "budget" traveler may be much richer than most local people in some places; according to UN statistics more than a billion people live on less than a euro a day.

Begging is prohibited or criminalized at some destinations; even where begging is legal, it might be associated with crime or dubious businesses.

Give
Consider giving generously if you want to, but remember a few points.
 * Give only when it is your choice. Don't give to obnoxious or intimidating beggars just to get rid of them; this may solve your immediate problem, but it encourages them to try the same tactics on other victims.
 * Keep the amounts in proportion; in a country where many people work long hours for a few euros a day, giving a beggar a euro is wildly excessive. In China, for example, giving one yuan (about 15 cents) is generous; many Chinese would give half that and a beggar who collects 100 yuan a day is making more than most factory or construction workers or most waitresses, even in "five-star" hotels.
 * Keep in mind that, by giving out free money, you are making things more difficult for the next travellers who visit the same venue. Even handing a subway token to someone claiming (falsely) to "just need money for the bus" in a seemingly well-off, industrialised nation will get the passers-by behind you harassed with "I just found this subway token, would you like to buy it from me?".
 * If you do give, be discreet. Otherwise, you may mark yourself as an easy target and attract all the other beggars to see what they can get out of you; this can quickly ruin your trip.

Many people who beg are doing so out of desperation. For others, however, begging is their chosen profession and they may make good money at it by local standards. In certain countries, or in certain cities, beggars will have their schtick which they have honed over the years (or through adult training for the children) and will have key choke points marked out for themselves where they can make good money. Even a truly desperate person doesn't always have the skills (or the taste for violence) necessary to compete in the begging marketplace that surround the tourist hot-spots in these countries, and begging out in the bush is a waste of time. Also note that often, these beggars may be part of a large begging syndicate, and that many of these syndicates deliberately injure and disfigure those working for them, including many young children, as having obvious deformities is more effective at soliciting pity.

Do instead
There are also various possibilities to consider instead of giving money to beggars: Very little of what you spend in many countries will end up in the pockets of local people, especially if you choose to stay in expensive hotel chains. Make an effort to spend some where it will go to the poor. Give the street musicians a few coins, buy some flowers from the hawkers, take a rickshaw or a donkey ride, pick up some local handicrafts, try the street food if sanitation looks OK, or have a beer at a local place instead of a tourist bar.

Play the game; bargain hard and try not to get grossly overcharged, but accept that some people need to make a living off tourists. You are probably often going to pay more than a local would, but there is no point in worrying about that.

Make a donation when you visit a church, mosque, or temple. This is a sign of respect for the local religion. In most places, religious organizations (regardless of whatever faults they may have, or whatever theological disagreements you may have with them) do good work among the poor. If there is a secular organization helping the poor, even better, as less of their money is likely to go to proselytizing.

If tipping is considered appropriate in the country you are visiting, tip often and tip well. If it is not considered appropriate locally, do not even consider tipping except occasionally when you get truly exceptional service. In some places you should never tip. A deposit in a local food bank is more likely to pay dividends than handing out money as a reward to panhandlers who harass passers-by on the street.

Consider donating time and/or money to a local or global poverty reduction program instead of giving change to individuals. Poverty is a complex social issue and begging is a symptom of a bigger problem.

Street papers
In many high-income cities, homeless and poor people are organized to sell a street newspaper, for some individual earning. The street paper organizations typically provide agents with an ID badge, and encourage them to stay off drugs and behave well. Don't buy street papers from intoxicated or unauthorized vendors.

Stay safe
In some cases begging is a fairly passive activity and in others it can be more aggressive and intimidating. If you feel threatened, walk away quickly and head for a nearby shop or restaurant. Dressing in an understated manner (to look less affluent or more like a local) may make you less of a "mark" for begging, and treating people with respect may help avoid altercations.

Especially in very heavily touristed areas, it may be best to hire a tour guide or work out a by-the-day deal with a taxi or rickshaw driver. This will cost you a bit of money and puts you at risk of being led to shops that give guides good commissions, but it will likely keep the beggars and touts off.

Children
It is not a good idea to give children money as they are often sent out for this purpose by their parents or other adults, which should not be rewarded or encouraged. In less developed countries, orphans or unwanted children may end up forced into begging by mafia-type gangs, who appropriate their takings and give little in return. In some countries such as India it's not unknown for children to be purposely deformed to make them more profitable to their parents/masters. See the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" for some examples of this.

If you are considering giving a small gift such as candy or pens to children, recognize that this can lead to more aggressive behavior, including physical fights with his or her peers over your well-meaning gift.

In some third-world locations, including Cambodia, Nepal and Ghana, there have been reports of privately-run orphanages recruiting bogus orphans. The operators lure the kids by telling the families that they will provide an education or a means out of poverty, neither of which materialise. Travellers are then solicited for "donations to help the orphans", which in the finest Oliver Twist "Fagin" tradition go primarily or entirely to those running the scheme while the "orphans" are not permitted to leave the institution. The condition of the orphanage will be kept in its wretched state as this encourages further donations, and the generosity of volunteer travellers is particularly prone to be abused by these operators.

Respect
In Hindu and Buddhist countries giving alms to monks or nuns is an accepted part of the culture, a religious observance for the giver. In Islam, giving alms to the poor is also a religious obligation. Note that some non-religious people may have co-opted this approach to profit from tourist "donations".

Buddhist monks
Buddhism is generally understood to have two main schools, namely Mahayana and Theravada. In both, as in many other religions, lay people donate to support the temples, monks and nuns, schools, and charitable works by religious organisations.

Mahayana Buddhism is the dominant form of Buddhism in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, Vietnam, Singapore and Bhutan. Monks in this tradition are required to be vegetarian (with the exception of Tibetan monks), and either grow their own food or buy it using temple donations. They also generally cook their own food, or have volunteers working in the temple to cook for them. Hence they generally do not beg for food. Mahayana Buddhist monks are also not allowed to ask people for donations. Instead, most temples will have a donation box, and it is entirely up to an individual to decide whether or not he/she wishes to donate, and how much. Theravada Buddhism is the dominant form in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. While it is customary for monks in the Theravada tradition to roam the streets begging for food, they are not allowed to be picky about the food they are given (i.e. they must finish eating whatever is offered to them), and are also not allowed to accept, or even touch money. In fact, offering money to a monk is considered to be disrespectful in most Theravada Buddhist cultures. Instead, monetary donations should go into the donation boxes located in the temples, and even then the money is handled by laymen working in the temples, not by the monks themselves.

Theravada Buddhist monks are also not allowed to eat solid foods after noon, and therefore have to stop begging for alms before then. In addition, they are supposed to avoid sexual temptations and are not allowed to have any physical contact with women. This means they cannot accept alms directly from a woman, and will instead put a piece of cloth on the ground for female donors to place their food on, or be accompanied by a layman who will accept food from women on behalf of the monk. Monks are also forbidden from approaching people to request alms, and must instead wait for people to spontaneously offer food to them.

Monks of either tradition also do not sell religious items, and neither will they offer to grant people "Buddha's blessing" in exchange for money.

As many "monks" seen begging in tourist areas are often bogus, by being aware of these customs, you will be able to distinguish the genuine monks from the bogus ones.

title: Begging


text:
Begues

Begues is a small town near Barcelona. It has a population of 7,000 people (2018). It’s on the mountain although the beach is just 8 km away in Gavà. It’s a quiet and beautiful town. It has a town centre, where there are almost all the shops, bars ands restaurants. In the town centre there is a church. Behind that there is Iglesia’s Avenue, where the people like walking and talking.

Understand
The weather is very different from Gavà, because we are at an altitude of 350 m. The temperature in the winter can be about –5 °C, while in Gava the temperature is always 4 or 5 degrees higher. The summer is very pleasant, it’s sunny but not usually too hot.

Do
Begues is an interesting village for the mountains that belong to Parc del Garraf, where most people come to hike.

title: Begues


text:
Begur Wildlife Sanctuary

The Begur Wildlife Sanctuary is located about 20 km from the Wayanad district of Kerala. It is situated at a place called Mananthavady in Wayanad near the Western Ghats. Begur National Park of Wayanad, Kerala is one of the most beautiful places to see in Wayanad. A dense cover of lush green trees covers the entire sanctuary. Most of the trees over here also have rare medicinal values. All nature lovers will find this sanctuary a wonderful place to visit in Wayanad.

Flora and fauna
The Begur wildlife sanctuary has a huge variety of animals ranging from elephants, deer, tigers, boars, leopards, etc. Besides the animals, one can also find a number of birds in this sanctuary. The best time to visit this sanctuary is from the months of December to May. This is because after the monsoons pour their hearts out, the water hole gets filled and attracts wild animals who come to quench their thirst. The sanctuary is a photographer's paradise. Capture those surreal moments in your camera and relive those moments even after many years.

By plane
Kozhikode Airport is the nearest to the sanctuary, around 80 km away.

By train
The nearest railway station is at Thalassery in the Kannur district and is about 80 km away.

By car
Reaching the sanctuary by roads is the easiest way as Wayanad, Kerala is well connected by a wide network of roads.

Stay safe
While in forest area do not get down from the vehicle you are travelling. Do not throw plastic items and other wastes in the forest. If you are on trek, carry Torch ( flash light) with extra set of dry cell batteries, water, eatables, whistle , mirror, suitable clothes in your backpack , Do not tease the wild animals.

Go next

 * Nagarhole National Park
 * Bandipur National Park

title: Begur Wildlife Sanctuary


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Behshahr

Behshahr is a city of 95,000 (2016) on the coast of the Caspian Sea, at the foot of the Alborz mountains in the Caspian Region in Iran.

Understand
Ashraff was a village of no distinction until it took the fancy of Shah Abbas I. He made it an imperial residence in 1613 and commissioned the construction of a palace and gardens. It declined in the 19th century due to internal disorder and attacks by the Turkmens, and the paladewas left in ruins.

It enjoys the only good harbour on the southern side of the Caspian Sea.

Get in
It is approximately 40 km (25 mi) from Sari.

By plane
The nearest airport to Behshahr is Sari Dasht Naz International Airport from the west and Gorgan International Airport from the east. Sari Airport is about 35 minutes away from Behshahr. Gorgan Airport is about an hour and a quarter away from Behshahr.

By train
Behshahr railway station has been serving the passengers of this city for more than 70 years. First and second class trains from Tehran are available daily.

Local trains are also available every day for short trips for travelers in Golestan and Mazandaran provinces.

By car
Behshahr is 285 km from Tehran. After crossing Haraz and Firoozkooh roads and entering road number 22 after crossing Sari, on the way to Gorgan and Mashhad, you will reach Behshahr 45 km from the center of the province.

By bus
It is possible to travel to Behshahr by bus from all cities.

See

 * Abbas Abad complex – the palace of Abbas the Great is Iran's most prominent non-desert garden, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It comprises a lake, a palace, towers and waterfalls. Abbas Abbad which is famous for its greenery and beauty. The jungle surrounds a lake with a semi-destroyed castle in the middle. It is 9 km southeast of Behshahr city.
 * Chehelston Garden and Mansion
 * The historical tomb and cemetery of Sefid Chah
 * Cheshmeh Emarat historical monument
 * Baghe Shah Gardens
 * Chit Sazi weaving factory

Buy
"Tokhme", vegetable oil, and a dish-soap known as "Rika".

title: Behshahr


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Beichuan

Beichuan (北川; Běichuān) is a county in Sichuan.

Beichuan was located very close to the epicenter of the Sichuan Earthquake on May 12, 2008. The county suffered extreme damage in the earthquake. The old Beichuan county seat was located in Qushan Town (曲山镇) and it was also in the path of a massive landslide on September 24, which buried parts of the city under several stories worth of mud. After the earthquake, the government decided that Qushan would never be rebuilt, or even excavated, but would remain in its current state as a memorial. The county seat was moved to Yongchang Town (永昌镇).

While most of the old city is closed off, there are a couple of areas for viewing the damage and paying respect. A museum opened in the old Beichuan high school in 2011.

Get in
There is a bus from Mianyang, leaving the bus station across from the train station. (As of December 2011 there were no buses leaving Mianyang's other major station, Pingzhen.) There may be other routes from other cities as well.

See
Beichuan Middle School was shown in newscasts around the country after it collapsed and killed all of the students in the lower two floors. The site is now sealed off and viewable by tourists.

There is a view point a little bit up the road where it's possible to see the remains of old Beichuan.

Sleep
While of course you cannot sleep among the ruins of Qushan Town, accommodation can be found in the new county seat and other parts of the county.

title: Beichuan


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Beihai

Beihai (北海; Běihǎi) is a city with an urban population of 570,000 (2010) in Guangxi on the southwest coast of China. It is said to be the fastest growing city in the world. Its centre is Beibuwan Square (北部湾广场; Beibuwan Guangchang) with a huge monument in the middle representing the Pearl of the South.

There is an excellent beach, Silver Beach (quite different from the polluted North Beach), and lots of cheap food, including Vietnamese food, since many refugees came here. The weather is warm for most of the year, however, during winter months, it is not warm enough to work on your tan on the seafront, and it is an expensive choice.

Binhei Road, running parallel the sea promenade is pedestrian only, has been made up to be of supposed tourist interest.

Understand
Beihai is not much frequented by foreigners, and English is not widespread. The dialect spoken in Beihai is a form of Cantonese, but quite a few people also understand or even speak Mandarin. The Qiaogang area is home to numerous ethnic Chinese who fled Vietnam as refugees during the Sino-Vietnamese War.

Expats
There is a lively expat scene in the city, even though insiders guess there are only about 50-75 Westerners around. Meet some of the expats at breakfast around 09:30 at McDonald's (there is only one right at Beibuwan Guangchang) or in one of the bars run by foreigners, for example Tommy's Bar-Restaurant on Waisha Seafood Island, The Way Inn - Holland Bar-Restaurant in Old Street, The Rusty Nail in Haijiao Rd and William Shakespeares bar-restaurant on Jinhaian St.

There used to be an English Corner upstairs at McDonald's every Friday from around 20:00, where Westerners would talk English with Chinese visitors practicing their knowledge of the language.

By train
There are multiple high-speed trains daily from Nanning (downtown) Station as well Nanning East Station that whisk you at 200 km/hr to Beihai in around 1½ hours. There is high speed train service connecting with another popular tourist destination - Guilin as well.

By boat
There is a ferry from Haikou to Beihai harbour (+86 779 3904011) which leaves daily. It takes about 11 hours and costs ¥67-400 depending on accommodation chosen.

By bus
There are overnight buses from Guilin and from Liuzhou going via Nanning. Shenzhen is also connected to Beihai by coach services, get to the metro station Zhuzilin in Shenzhen, right at Futian Bus Station, and take a bus, there is one in the morning and five in the evening running through the night for about ¥200.

From Nanning there are a dozen buses going to Beihai daily, usually from the Landong Long-Distance Bus Station in eastern Nanning along the express way.

There are three bus terminals in Beihai, two of them in the city centre on Beihai Guangdong Rd (one of them quite near to Beibuwan Square; buses to Nanning start from there), but both will be replaced by the huge new terminal about 5 km away on the present outskirts of the city.

Buses to Zhanjiang (3 hours, ¥60) for by example Haikou or Kaiping leave from the terminal at Beihai Guangdong Rd and Beibuwan Middle Rd intersection.

Get around
There are many taxis, motorbike taxis and tricycles. However, they will often try to overcharge you if they know you are not a native of China, or Beihai. Minimum rate for everything moving around apart from taxis stands at ¥4, even though the formal rate is ¥3. Haggling is customary, so do not be afraid to ask for a lower rate. Getting a motorbike ride from the bus station to the port is about ¥10.

Using Didi taxi is also common and easy.

Taxis should use a meter; there is a surcharge of ¥1 to be paid in addition to the fare shown on the meter.

There are many buses going everywhere in the city, but bus lines partly seem to follow rather irrational routes, apparently because the city has been growing rapidly and traffic planning has not kept abreast. Tickets usually cost ¥1-2, to be dropped into a box at the driver's seat, have exact money ready. Buses frequently leave from Beibuwan Square in the centre of the city, but mostly do not run at night.

Hellobike (哈啰单车) share bikes operate in the city. If you have an Alipay account, you can use Alipay to unlock them.

See

 * At daytime it is a relaxed pedestrian zone filled with souvenir stores and a few coffee shops.

Buy
The area produces pearls. They are sold in certain central high rises, for instance near RT Mart. Best place for pearls, and also dry fish, is at the aquatic products market on Yunnan road. There are a few shopping malls, such as Walmart and Wanda, and another one near the train-station.

Eat
There is seafood everywhere and it is very cheap, about half the price of Shanghai or Hangzhou. When ordering anything with meat in a restaurant there is a chance of getting rat meat although you ordered beef.

There are two big seafood markets in Beihai, Donghai Market and Nanzhu Market. The price in Donghai Market is much more reasonable, but the quality is a little bit lower than Nanzhu Market. At Beiyun Market (北云市场) and Guizhong Market you can buy raw seafood. Salted and dried aquatic products can be bought in Shuichanpin Market (水产市场). A delicacy in Beihai (as in other coastal/sub tropical Chinese cities) is half a pineapple on a stick. Yours for less than ¥2.

On Seafood Island (Waisha), on the northern shore there are many places (restaurants as well as tents, etc.), which offer various cooked sea foods. But going to the island restaurants may be difficult for those unable to speak Chinese as the price of seafood is quoted per wubaike (500 grams, also known as jin). In the fishing village Dijiao, there are some small eating places which offer cooked sea food much cheaper.

By far, some of the best eating in Beihai takes place at any of the various night markets. Most night markets tend to start around dusk, and food can be purchased from a wide variety of vendors who, in addition to cooking local seafood, vegetables and serving drinks, also provide plastic seats and chairs.

Pizzas are not so special in Bei Hai any more, but do not expect the Italian variety. Among other places, you will find a pizzeria in Changqing Rd, which also offers food specialities of Western countries.

Drink
There are a couple of music bars (discos) in the city centre, for example The Nest not far from the main office of China Mobile near Beibuwan Square, and at Old Street and No ONE bar in the Triumph building opposite McDonalds and N0. 88 bar in Guizhou Rd, not far from The Nest. In some of these places you have to order a sixpack at a price range above ¥100 if you want a beer, in others you accordingly get charged more for a single drink. Music is usually trendy, noisy and very little room for dancing.

As mentioned above there are 4 western-owned bars:
 * The Rusty Nail in Haijiao Rd. Sports bar, pooltable, soccertable and darts boards. Noisy heavy music, but still on a level to make conversation. Canadian owner named Cy.
 * The Way Inn - Holland bar in Old Street. European pub style. pooltable, dartboards, soccertable. background music, golden oldies. great pizzas and burritos. Dutch owner named Tony.
 * William Shakespeare close to Silver Beach. Big restaurant (core biz) and small bar with draught beer. background music. English owner named Mark.
 * Lai Lai Tommy's at Waisha seafood area. restaurant in stand-alone mansion. Western food and bbq. background music. Chairs outside. Swedish-Australian owner named Tommy.

Sleep
Hotel prices are usually lower than in other tourist cities. The Shangri-La, a five-star hotel, charges about US$60–70 for a single room.

As in all Chinese cities the easiest option is to check the prices of the local hotels through websites like ctrip to get an idea about the price range, then walk to the hotel and check and book the room at the reception.

There are quite a few low cost hotels, for instance near the bus stations: There are a bunch of hotels from ¥35 and up, but do not expect air-conditioning at that rate. Rooms provided with that will cost at least ¥100. Look at the room, then ask for a discount. Depending on the room, the hotel may or may not be willing to turn on the heat during winter months.

A bit more expensive, but still very reasonable, are the hotels around Beibuwan Square, for example Guang'an Hotel on Sichuan Rd.

There is a clean and well done hostel at Qiaogang Town called Seahouse. It has dorm and other style rooms. Dorm is around ¥35-45. The hostel is 50 m from beach.

Go next

 * Take a bus to Hepu and have a look at the newly excavated graves of the Han dynasty there, including a beautifully restored temple.
 * Take a ferry to the scenic Weizhou Island, China's biggest and youngest volcanic island with some of the most beautiful beaches of China's south coast. Ferries leave from the International Passenger Terminal (北海国际客运港) three times a day for ¥150-180.
 * There is ferry to the island of Haikou, capital of the island province of Hainan. This ferry leaves also from the International Passenger Terminal. It leaves at 18:00 and arrives Haikou the next morning. Depending on the class of the cabin tickets are ¥100-400.
 * Dongxing has a couple of water parks.

title: Beihai