Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Perfect vacationing in Philadelphia!

As soon as I heard that we are leaving for Philadelphia for a study tour, my happiness new no bounds. I have heard a lot about this magnificent city and its rich culture. Our guide gave us lot of information about this city. We had studied about the American history in our class and now we got an opportunity to know more about it. Though one can witness vestiges of American history in this city, it does not mean that foreign cultures do not exist here. Several ethnicity find a home here. We were anticipating cross cultural experiences once we reached this city. The preparations started in full earnest once the program was decided. Since several cheap international flights ply their services to this city, we decided to book our airline tickets on any one of them.

This global city not only offers a chance to see many tourist attractions here but also a chance to come closer to the American culture. Visitors from faraway places come to this city and to help them reach this destination, many leading airlines are offering flights to Philadelphia. One can also find cheap flights to Philadelphia.

Though our guide had offered us lot of information regarding this city, I decided to search for more on the Internet. I came to know about Germantown, one of the oldest settlements in the city. This section is just two miles long but reflects the culture of the place. This section was settled by William Penn followers who spoke a lot about religious tolerance. As the name suggests, one can see an eclectic mix of American as well as German culture. Traditional German architecture can be seen in the many buildings and monuments in this area like Mennonite Meeting House and Maxwell Mansion and many churches.

Just like Germantown, the city also boasts of Chinatown. The place originated from Chinese laundry establishment. Spanning across a several mile radius, the area is inhabited by about thousand people. One can find Chinese artifacts and products in the markets and the restaurants located here offers Asian cuisines. In this area, a friendship gate is also located that is well appreciated by the visitors coming here. Decorated with Chinese style archways, this ornate gate mesmerizes visitors coming here. To commemorate 125th anniversary of Chinatown, recently a mural was also painted. One can enjoy Chinese as well as Thai cuisines.

Several museums, art galleries, historical attractions and artistic venues also offer a glimpse into American culture. Jazz venues, installation of art works and historical attractions also offer a chance to understand the history of the place. 

Presently on hiatus, the Lights of Liberty offer an outdoor show that offers a peek into the history of the place. The cultural sector of the city is now recovering from the negative impacts of the Great Recession and in the near future, it is going to rise with leaps and bounds. All this information increased my excitement a notch higher and booking cheap flights to Philadelphia, my dream of visiting this city enhanced considerably. Prominent airlines US Airways and British airways offer their services to this city.

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