The Silk Road is the name for the trade route between the Mediterranean Sea and China. The first users of the road must have lived in the first half of the first millennium BCE, but the name ‘Silk road’ dates from the first century BCE. Its most famous traveler lived more than twelve hundred years later: Marco Polo of Venice (1254-1324 CE).

The Silk Road is basically an extensive trans-continental network of trade routes that connects East Asia, West Asia, South Asia as well as North Africa, North-east Africa and Europe with the Mediterranean world.It was named after the remunerative Chinese silk trade that started during the era of Han Dynasty – the second imperial dynasty of China who ruled between 206 BCE and 220 CE.

These Silk Road was basically meant for the exchange of lucrative goods like jewels, silk, satin fabrics, fine fabrics, perfumes, musk, medicines, spices, glassware and rhubarb etc between traders, merchants, missionaries, pilgrims, soldiers, urban inhabitants and nomads. It also served as a route for the spread of cultural, commercial and technological knowledge and ideas.

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The sender of this article is Afsoon Bukhari (sitting left). She belongs to Tehran the capital city of Iran. Afsoon is one of our regular readers from last six months. She is doing graduation from city college of Tehran.

Habarana, a small city that lies in Anuradhapura district of Sri Lanka, is a place where you can always enjoy real touring extravaganza. A chain of world class resorts adorn the city streets and you would love to stay her for a considerable amount of time. Tourists prefer to visit this place because of its safaris in Habarana jungle. The best place to make you feel thrilling is the adventurous expedition that you can carry out in the safaris of Habarana Jungle. Minneriya sanctuary is also a perfect place to encounter the troops of elephants. You will find people riding the back of elephants.

And here hotels in Habarana become a suitable option for staying because they prove to be the best starting point for relishing these activities. Situated near the eighth wonder of The World Sigiriya and is supposed to be one of the finest places for a holiday freak. So whenever you make any plan to visit this small island of Sri Lanka, you must not miss out on visiting this wonderful spot of Habarana.

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The author and sender of this article is Renuka (standing left). Renuka belongs to  Habarana, a small city that lies in Anuradhapura district of Sri Lanka, is a place where you can always enjoy real touring extravaganza. Renuka is studying MS – IT from Habarana university.

Everyone should set a goal for his life because setting a realistic goal is very important for your success. Goal setting has emotional as well as physical factors. Setting a goal is like making a promise to yourself. If you make a promise and don’t keep it, this undermines your relationship to yourself, your confidence and your self-esteem. It gets worse: when you undermine your relationship with yourself, it will be harder to maintain high quality relationships with others.

This concept may seem a bit expansive, but how do you feel when someone else doesn’t keep their promise to you? Surely, it doesn’t feel good, and it can only feel worse when you do it to yourself. Worst of all, you might have gotten used to letting yourself down, or maybe you’ve come to expect it. Setting even just one realistic health goal and achieving it can help boost your confidence and esteem. The more you build, the more others will take note and treat you with the respect you crave and deserve.

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Dear readers Ramsha Noreen is our permanent reader from Islamabad. Ramsha is medical student. She  promised herself to become a doctor and now she is going to fulfill her promise.

Kashmir is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It is the land of dreams where heavenly experiences are stored beyond imagination. This majestic land has innumerable colors of joy in the form of sparkling rivers, sleepy lakes, startling gardens, regal chinar trees, magnificent temples and mosques, famous historical sites and amazing flora and fauna. It is simply perfection beyond this world. This picturesque state dazzles like a diamond whenever the sunshine gently caresses its beautiful body.

This lovely state is the northernmost state of India. It appears like a jeweled crown on the map of World. The abundance of natural beauty has earned the state a nick name of the ‘Switzerland of the East’. It is mesmerizing to see how this endless beauty never fails to captivate the viewers with its changing scenes from dazzling white snow of winters to blooming fragrance of spring. This is the place where time loves to stand still to adore pristine beauty that is in fact beyond expression. Come and explore the richness of the state and experience the bliss that you have been longing for so long.

Kashmir is famous for its handicrafts. If you are a lover of handicrafts, then Kashmir is the place to be in. A carpet is a life long investment because it may well be the single most expensive purchase during your visit. Kashmiri carpets are world renowned for two things – they are hand made and they are always knotted, never tufted. Here you can shop for pure wool shawls called ruffal which have different counts of wools. Shawls mixed with other fibres like cotton and other cotton derivatives are far cheaper. On the other hand, woolen shawls mixed with pashmina will be far more expensive. If you are an adventurous person, then you should come for trekking in the months of April to November. The ideal month to visit Kashmir is September where green turns to gold and then to russet and red. Enjoy memorable boat ride in the picturesque Dal lake of Srinagar. Once you are in Kashmir don’t forget to savor the tasty food of this place.

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Zoya Naeem in one of our regular readers from Kashmir.  Zoya is doing Masters in Arts. She loves reading books and writing articles on different topics.

Southern California is mild in the winter, with average daytime temperatures of 62-66F (17-19C) on the coast. The likeable city of San Diego, with lovely beaches such as clean-cut Coronado (Some Like It Hot was filmed at the Hotel del Coronado), and a downtown Gaslamp Quarter packed with lively bars and restaurants, is just about as far south as you can go. Combine it with a stay in Palm Springs, a desert oasis east of Los Angeles, with sunshine-sure weather, myriad golf courses, modernist architecture and glamorous hotels.

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The contributor of this article is  Saamia Wasim. Basically from Lahore city Saamia is currently settled  with her family in  one of the most attractive cities of United States, San Diego.