The Twelve Most Amazing Train Rides in the World

Since the first steam-powered locomotive was displayed in 1804, trains have shaped the lives of humanity. By allowing people and freight to be carried along known routes in high speeds, trains made the world smaller, trade goods more available and travel more comfortable and swifter. Thanks to the transcontinental railroad that connected America’s east & west, the United States became an economic superpower.

Besides their cultural and historical significance, trains also allow you to travel in comfort, while experiencing incredible vistas. These 12 train-rides are some of the world’s most scenic and luxuriant rides in the world, and should be experienced by everyone.

1. Hiram Bingham

If you want to travel the jungles of Peru in style, then the Hiram Bingham is for you! This deluxe train travels to Machu Pichu, while providing its passengers with high-end accommodation and dining.

2. The Ghan

Australia's Great Southern Rail from Adelaide to Darwin is a 54-hour, 2,979km (1,851mi) train ride that crosses Australia from north to south. The name "Ghan" is actually an abbreviation of its original name - "The Afghan Express".

3. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

Also known as “The Toy Train”, this train uses t vintage British B Class steam locomotive for its daily tourist trips. The train climbs the Himalayas up to heights of over 2,200m (7,200ft), on a route that is 78km (48mi) long. Considering it’s using such old locomotives, it’s astounding that it is still functioning so efficiently!

4. The Adirondack

This train runs between New York and Montreal, through the magnificent Hudson valley and the Adirondack mountains which gives it its name. While the train often suffers from delays, the 11-hour trip is so beautiful, most people agree that it's worth it.

5. The West Highland Line

Voted as the most scenic train ride in the world, for several consecutive years, the West Highland Line travels between Mallaig and Glasgow in Scotland. The locals refer to it as 'Rathad Iarainn nan Eilean' ("Iron Road to the Isles").

6. Brocken railway

The highest mountain in Germany is called Brocken, and lends its name to this train. The Brocken train provides the most comfortable way to get to Brocken mountain's nature reserve.

7. First Passage to the West

This track is famous in Canada for uniting the east and west of the country over a hundred years ago. Nowadays, this historic track offers a luxury 2-day ride along some of Canada's most gorgeous views.

8. Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express

The world's longest train ride, the Trans-Siberian Express is a 9,288km (5,771mi) long ride, crossing Russia from Vladivostok in the east to Moscow in the west. The Golden Eagle is the most luxurious ride along this line. Offering spacious sleeping cars, gourmet dining and the most scenic views in Asia.

9. The Maharaja Express

The most expensive luxury train in the world, the Maharaja Express enjoys a reputation of having the best services in the world. Mind you, the cheapest fare for an adult is nearly $7,000...

10. El Tren Crucero

Travel along Ecuador's Andes in luxury. This train chugs along the avenue of volcanoes, passing by dormant and even active volcanoes along its route. You can also experience the locals way of life along the route at various stops.

11. The Eastern & Orient Express

The Eastern & Oriental Express has been awarded a place on the "World's Top 25 Trains" list by The Society of International Railway Travelers for its beauty, service, dining, and off-train experiences. It runs between Singapore's Woodlands Train Checkpoint and Hua Lamphong, Bangkok, stopping at Kuala Lumpur, Butterworth and Kanchanaburi.

12. Bergen Railway

Travelling Norway from Bergen to Oslo, this train crosses Europe’s highest plateau on its 495km (308mi) long trip. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful rides in the world and won high praise in the Lonely Planet travel guide.

Home Remedies of Different Countries

Each country has its own wisdom, collected through centuries. It can be wisdom regarding literature, the ways of human interaction, or about how to make the best pasta. It can also be about medicine.  Each nation, each people, have their own remedies as per details given below:

Sri Lanka Coconut to battle fat A resident of Sri Lanka eats, on average, about 116 coconuts a year, and the people living in this tropical paradise have the lowest risk of obesity in the world.   The reason? Coconut oil is rich in fatty acids of medium length that absorb swiftly in the body, accelerate the rate of metabolism and calorie burn in the body, and give a lasting sense of being full. A study conducted on the topic found that consuming about 2 spoons of coconut oil a day, 170 gram or 300ml, can help the person lose about 1.3 kg a month.

Austria Yoga to beat insomnia The use of yoga to decrease stress is known, but in Austria it is also used to battle insomnia. According to a study by Pennsylvania University, a yoga exercise of about 20 minutes a day is just as useful as taking a sleeping pill.   In addition, the yoga reduces stress, chronic tension and depressed moods within two weeks time. The reason is that the gentle stretching and controlled breathing make the body secrete the GABA neurotransmitter, which has a calming effect on the nervous system.

Indonesia Ginger to boost cardio health Indonesia has the highest consumption rate of ginger in the world. Locals don't just throw this tasty root into their foods, the use it to make tea, candy, bread and other foodstuffs. They see it as a plant with great benefits for the heart - and are now backed up by science.   Researchers from Stanford claim that half a tablespoon of ginger a day will reduce risk of clogged arteries by 27%, and it is also twice as efficient as aspirin at preventing dangerous blood clots.

India Turmeric to stabilize blood sugar levels In India, the turmeric is not only a tasty spice, but a medicinal material used to treat high blood sugar levels. Studies have shown that the active ingredient in turmeric - curcumin - reduces and stabilizes the levels of sugar in the blood, as well as helps the pancreas secrete insulin when the blood sugar levels rise. One must take at least half a teaspoon a day for results.

Japan Mushrooms to control cholesterol levels Edible mushrooms are considered food in Japan, but even more so as medicine. The average Japanese woman consumes about 8 kilograms (17 pounds) of mushrooms a year. Adding mushrooms to your daily diet can help reduce the levels of cholesterol by up to 30%, according to a study by Pennsylvania University.

England Mustard to battle muscle pain   Soaking in a hot bath with mustard seeds is a traditional English remedy for muscle pain. The unique build of the mustard causes the body to secrete toxins through the skin pores, improve blood flow, relax tense muscles and help heal damaged tissue.

Germany Chamomile tea to battle gas   This is an old German remedy that now has science backing it up. Stanford University researchers found that sipping 2 glasses of chamomile tea a day can reduce that bloated feeling as well actual gasses in the digestion system.   The chamomile reduces the secretion of cortisol, a hormone secreted during times of stress and causes stomach cramps.

Russia Garlic vs. Viral infections Russians use garlic when they need to battle colds, the flu and most other infectious diseases. A study conducted by the University of Florida recommends consuming one clove of garlic a day. According to the study, garlic contains organic composites that help fight viral infections, and consuming one clove of garlic a day can decrease the risk of infection by 43%.

Finland Coffee to battle depression   The Finnish are among the biggest coffee consumers in the world - each of them sips, on average, 1,640 cups of coffee a year (that's more than 4 cups a day). When coffee first arrived in Finland in the 18th century, it was sold as anti-depression medicine. Drinking 2 cups of coffee a day can reduce depressed moods by 34%, drinking 3 - by 42%.  According to the study, the combination of caffeine with the antioxidants found in coffee, energizes the brain and causes it to secrete anti-depression hormones such as serotonin and dopamine.

New Zealand Honey to battle sinus and throat infections. Unpasteurized honey is a very common remedy in New Zealand for taking care of inflammation in the sinuses and throat. According to researchers from the universities of Illinois and Amsterdam, the natural antibiotics and the enzymes in the unpasteurized honey destroy almost 100% of germs and viruses - including those that cause throat ache and sinus inflammations.

Egypt Coriander vs. food poisoning Coriander is one of the oldest spices in the world, and a traditional Egyptian medicine for stomach problems. Now, a study published in the farming and food chemistry journal shows that the seeds of the coriander hasten the healing process after suffering from inflammation of the bowels and other stomach problems. Coriander kills the bacteria responsible for stomach pain, including E-Coli and Salmonellae, by creating holes in the outer shell. So next time you have a really upset stomach, mix one spoon of coriander powder in hot water and soak for 5 minutes. Drink 3 glasses of this a day until you feel better.

How to solve Common Computer Problems?

Anyone who owns a computer will encounter technical difficulties at one point or another, often causing no little amount of frustration. While some of these technical difficulties require professional help, there are quite a few that can be easily solved, even by novice users.

Before you start troubleshooting your technical problems, restart your computer – you’d be amazed at how many problems a reboot solves. After you’ve restarted the computer, make sure that your operating system is up to date. Sometimes the problem is a result of an old version of some file or another, which an update can correct in minutes. Making sure that your Windows Update feature is active help in fixing bugs and improving system performance. If you have a peripheral that is misbehaving, try turning it off and on again. Problematic USB devices can be switched to another USB port. Now that we’ve exhausted the basics, let’s deal with the 10 most common PC problems. 1. Slow Computer First, you need to know that videos or websites that take a while to load are not necessarily slow because of your computer; they can also be affected by network interferences. If your computer is slow in opening programs, things stall or hang while in use, or the boot up process takes more than a couple of minutes, then you might have a slowness problem on your hands.

Now, once you’ve established that the computer is the culprit, check the main suspects - A Full Hard-Drive (HDD) and too many processes running in the background. When the hard drive that holds your operating system (usually designated as C: ) is full, the operating system can’t write files quickly, as it needs to search and allocate space for it. The searching process takes time, which will result in a slowdown of your system’s performance. Delete any unneeded files such as movies, photos, music, or move them to another hard drive. Use a program Visipics to remove any duplicate images. Uninstall any programs you don’t use anymore

Alternatively, having too many processes running in the background will also slow down your computer, as they require both computing power, as well as the faster, short-term memory – RAM. To clear it, click on the start button, in the search field, type: msconfig and then go to the “Startup” tab. Now, you don’t want to unmark anything that is a Microsoft process. What you should look for are names Google Update, AdobeAAMUpdater, Steam Client Bootstrapper, Pando Media Booster, andSpotify. These can be unchecked, and you should be able to feel the difference after a startup. 2. The Internet is Slow Feeling your downloads, browsing, and streaming music and videos takes too long? Check that your slowness is Indeed, network related. Go to Speedtest.net and run a test to see if you are getting your package’s worth of speed or not.

Minimum speeds should be at least 50% of the ISP’s advertised speeds, and your ping should be under 100. If your results do not correspond with these, then something is hogging your bandwidth, or there’s a network problem. First, check to see that there aren’t any torrent clients running in the background. They will often minimize to the tray and continue downloading and uploading files, which uses a lot of bandwidth. Next, check that your network card’s drivers are up to date (if you haven’t updated your operating system, this might be the time). Next, try turning your modem off and on again. If it has no On/Off button, just unplug and plug it back in. If none of this helped, call your ISP and tell them there’s a problem on their end, and let them fix it. 3. The Computer Keeps Restarting This could just be the result of a series of Windows Updates, which require several reboots sometimes. Take a look and see if the restart process mentions “Updating Windows”, if so – just have some patience, it’s worth it.  Now, another cause might be mechanical – Is your computer making odd noises? Is it unusually hot? If your computer is not brand new, you might need to clean the dust that accumulated inside the box. Once you’ve exhausted all of these tests, consider taking your computer to a specialist. 4. I’m Getting Popups All the Time If you’re not browsing the internet, yet are still getting popup ads, it’s most ly a form of malware called “Adware”. These are sneaky programs that can be tricky to get rid of. As in #3, run avirus scan and a malware scan, and search online for “(advertiser name) adware removal” – you should be able to find a solution.

5. My Search Page Looks Weird There’s a type of malware called “Browser Hijackers”, which take over your browser and direct you to sites they want you to see, for which they usually get paid. These nasty pieces of software also steal your private information, such as searches, personal details, and even credit-card number. Follow the instructions in #4, but if all else fails, go to a specialist. 6. I Keep Disconnecting From the Wi-Fi Wireless problems can occur because of several reasons (router, computer, ISP). If your Wi-Fi signal is weak, it can cause disconnections and slowness, so make sure you’re in range and are getting decent reception. Next check that your computer’s wireless adapter has up-to-date drivers. If none of this works, call your ISP and see if they can help. 7. Constant “Security” Warnings While Browsing While this may be one of the most annoying problems, it’s also incredibly easy to fix. Check that your computer’s clock shows the correct time and date. If it doesn’t, right-click on the clock and select “Change date and time settings” to correct it manually.

8. The Printer Won’t Print If your printer has ink, paper, and updated drivers, try unplugging it, then plugging it back in. If the problem continues, double-click on the printer icon on your taskbar and check to see what the printing queue says. Click on the “Printer” menu item in the printer window and make sure that “Use Printer Offline” is not checked – this will stall the printing queue. 9. Email Attachments Won’t Open If you can’t open the attachment, it’s probably because you don’t have the right software. You can always google the type of file it is (such as .PDF, or .RAR) to find out how to open it, or use the site http://fileextension.info/  to find out what the file is and how to open it.

10. Why Doesn’t This Program Work on My New PC? If you recently upgraded your computer, it’s possible that the old program is not compatible with the new operating system on your computer. If you’re using an old installation file, try searching for a new version online. Additionally, if you’ve changed from a PC to a Mac or visa verse, then you should know that the two systems are incompatible, so programs from one won’t work on the other. If it’s an online game that is driving you crazy, maybe you need to update your Flash or Java plug-ins.

*What if I Have No Idea What I’m Doing? Knowing your limitations is a good thing. If you don’t feel you’re skilled enough, ask someone for help, or go to a professional. There are also many tutorial videos on YouTube, so all you have to do is search.