100 Years to Lenin

Thirty eight years ago, in 1970 there was a hundred year anniversary of Vladimir Lenin, the guy who inspired Russian people to overthrow the previous Tsar government in Russia in 1917. He was a real icon for many Russians and so in one Siberian town some woodcutters decided to celebrate this anniversary by cutting all the trees on a big field leaving only those that would form a really huge message “100 Years to Lenin”. There were no Google Earth back there, no satellite photos on Internet, no Internet itself, so they didn’t do it for some Internet trick, like “See what we have down pointing your sat pictures browser to …..”. The real reasons are not clear and forgotten now, maybe they got an order from Moscow to make such a big message for American spy satellites, maybe it was their own wish to create something that cannot be observed from the Earth by a regular person. Anyways now, 30 years later we can see it. You can see it from Google yourself following this link.

TOKYO — A record number of climbers scaled Japan’s Mount Fuji during the summer season and deaths and injuries rose as many underestimated the trek, city officials said.

Some 247,066 people climbed the mountain in July and August, beating the previous record of 220,277, set in 1987, said Kazuwa Okuwaki, an official in Fujiyoshida, a nearby city.
Four people also died from injuries sustained while climbing, marking the first deaths since 2005, said Toshiya Arai, a local police official.

Mount Fuji is Japan’s best-known landmark and climbing it is viewed by many as a tourist outing. Gift shops along the trail sell trinkets and soft drinks, and travel companies offer one-day express tours from downtown Tokyo, which is only about 60 miles away. (more…)

David Rumsey’s amazing collection of historical maps has been available as a layer on Google Earth since 2006. Now they are available on Google Maps!

Historical Maps

The David Rumsey Google Map Collection contains an amazing 120 historical maps overlaid on Google Maps. For, example, the screen shot above shows an 1832 map of London overlaid on the current Google Map of London (it also reveals that my house in east London was been built on top of a marsh). Each map’s transparency can be adjusted with a slider button, so it is possible to find a location on the present Google Map before overlaying the historical map.

Highlights of the new maps include the first accurate survey of Yosemite Valley, California, from 1883, maps of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Washington DC, Denver, Chicago, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Calcutta, Lima, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Beijing, Tokyo, Kyoto, and more – all from times ranging from the 18th to the 20th centuries.

Via: Google LatLong: New Rumsey Historical Maps and new ways to view them

Toronto shopping

Toronto is the largest city of Canada which colorful neighborhoods are absolutely charming and make you feel cosy and homey. However that doesn’t mean you cannot find great shopping areas here. Old Town Toronto, the most popular part of this city, offers many shopping destinations for either people who will to find nice souvenirs for friends and relatives or trend addicts who seek only best and hottest.

If you plan your visit to Toronto, check the following shopping destinations.

Kensington Market is the oldest and most well-known market in Toronto. It has over 100 shops that sell various goods from all around the world. Actually, Kensington Market is so big that it can be traversed by bike. You can find here all kinds of stuff including new and vintage designer clothes, furniture, accessories, footwear and many other items. If you get tired of wandering from shop to shop, take a seat at one of countless cafes or restaurants. (more…)