Cambodian national dress

Cambodia's iconic checkered scarf. Much more than fabric, it's a national symbol of unity and pride. Woven from cotton or silk, its classic red/white or blue/white pattern is instantly recognizable.

This ultimate multi-tool is used daily as a head cover, baby sling, towel, bag, or belt. While formal wear like the sampot exists for ceremonies, the krama represents the practical, resilient heart of Cambodian culture—worn by everyone and woven into the very identity of the nation.

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Vietnam

The most famous Vietnamese costume in the world and popular among the population is called aozai.

There are both female and male types of aozai, but in the 20 century, along with the change of style (the transition to a bisexual cut, the transfer of buttons to the side and the cut according to the figure), it began to be worn mainly by women. The costume consists of a long dress with slits on the sides and spacious trousers.
Men usually wear a khandong aozai costume — an aozai dress complete with a khandong, a special headdress in the form of a ribbon wrapped around the head on the forehead and back of the head.

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Guatemala
Sombreron – The Hatter

He is known as Cipitio, Tsipe, the Hatter or the Goblin. According to beliefs, the Hatter is no taller than a finger, and can hide under a pillow. He is dressed in black but is belted with a bright belt. His hat is so big for him that the brim hides him by half. Also, the Hatter wears high-heeled shoes, so his approach is always clearly audible.

The Hatter likes to get on horses and tie their tails and manes. He ties such small knots that the owners of the horses have to work hard to untangle them.
He also likes to harass and annoy long-haired girls with big beautiful eyes. When he likes a girl, he doesn’t leave her in the sun or in the shade. He comes to her at night when she is asleep, and tangles her hair, dances and sings to her with his guitar.

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Costa Rica

El Meko-Melo, a small monkey with red eyes, an arrow on the tip of his tail and huge claws, comes to punish married couples who often argue and cause harm to themselves and others. Costa Ricans claim that this monkey sits in a tree at night near the house of a dysfunctional couple and if one of the spouses shows up, El Meko rushes at him/her and kills him/her. A few lucky people escaped from the terrible monkey with the help of prayer.

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Canada
“The Enchanted Canoe”
One Christmas night, lumberjacks who were felling forests 500 kilometers from home in Montreal decided to visit their families. Who could help them come all this way and return to work in the morning? Of course, the Devil. They made a deal with him. He drives them home but they have to keep quiet the whole way.

They got into a canoe, on which the Devil carried them into sky. They flew silently through the night sky over the frozen Ottawa River, over the frozen lakes. But ahead, Montreal, their hometown, sparkled with Christmas lights. In anticipation of the long-awaited meeting with their loved ones, the men forgot the agreement and screamed with joy.
After that, the Devil took over their will. Since then, they have been flying through the sky in canoe, appearing only on Christmas night.

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Australia
Australia’s flag holds three key symbols:
• The Union Jack – reflecting the country’s history as British colonies and loyalty to the former Empire.
• The Commonwealth Star – originally six-pointed for the six colonies, it gained a seventh point in 1908 after Papua was added.
• The Southern Cross – a bright southern constellation symbolizing Australia since early settlement, linked by some to the virtues of wisdom, justice, courage, and moderation.

The colors—blue, red, and white—mirror the British flag, representing Australia’s European past and historical ties. Blue also carries added meaning: some see it as a nod to Australia’s island nature, others as a tribute to the sea journey of its first settlers.

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Guatemala
The flag of Guatemala features three vertical stripes: blue, white, and blue. The colors, inherited from the flag of the United Provinces of Central America, carry deep meaning. White represents honesty, peace, and purity, while blue stands for legality and justice. The two blue stripes specifically symbolize Guatemala's unique geography—a nation between two oceans (the Pacific and Atlantic) and the sky above it.

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Cambodia
Cambodia's national flag has changed many times, but has almost always featured the Angkor Wat temple.
The current flag, adopted after independence in 1948, consists of three horizontal stripes: blue at the top and bottom, and a wider red stripe in the center. A white depiction of Angkor Wat is centered on the red band.
The colors symbolize the national motto: Blue for the King, Red for the people, and White for religion (Buddhism), together representing "Religion-Nation-King."

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Papua New Guinea
The flag of Papua New Guinea is unique and highly symbolic. It is diagonally divided into black and red, colors central to Papuan art.
· The black upper section features the Southern Cross constellation, representing the nation's historical ties to Australia and its use as a navigational guide in the Southern Hemisphere.
· The red lower section depicts a Raggiana bird-of-paradise, it is listed in the red book and it is necessary to protect this species and take care of it. Its presence is exceptionally rare on a national flag and also serves as an unofficial symbol for the conservation of this vulnerable species.
Notably, the design was created by 15-year-old schoolgirl Susan Hareho Karike and officially adopted on July 1, 1971, after winning a national competition.


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Chile
The flag consists of two equal horizontal stripes: the white one (at the top) and the red one. In the upper left corner, there is a blue square that has the same height as the white stripe. In the center of the square there is a white five-pointed star – a guide to success and fame. The blue color symbolizes the sky, white – the Andes covered with snow, and red – the blood shed in the struggle for independence.


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Where to go in search of immortality?

To Cambodia, obviously!
The unique Angkor Wat Temple, which is located in the jungles near the city Siem Reap, is known as the largest religious monument in the world. Angkor Wat was built by the Khmer Rouge in the 12th century, and today the magic of its architecture is emphasized by the trees and their roots that frame the buildings.
Angkor Wat was conceived as an earthly embodiment of the heavenly abode of Vishnu. Its symbols are the five sandstone towers towering above the temple walls. The towers represent the peaks of Mount Meru – the center of the universe. The temple complex is surrounded by a wide rectangular pond that symbolizes the milky ocean from which the elixir of immortality of amrit arose.


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Tikal National Park, Guatemalа

The ancient Maya city of Tikal is one of the greatest archaeological sites in Central America. It is one of the most significant monuments of Maya architecture that have survived to the present day. The city was the capital of the Mutul kingdom, one of the most powerful Maya kingdoms.
Located in northern Guatemala, surrounded by jungles, the park includes more than 3 thousand structures of the city, which existed from 600 to 900 AD. The ancient pyramids, temples, squares and foundations of all kinds of buildings provide a visual representation of the complex community in which people lived in that distant time.


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Ecuadorian cuisine is known for its variety of soups. The sancocho soup, for example, can easily replace a full meal
1. Here is a recipe for sancocho, adapted for the realities of the Russian market.
Ingredients:
• Pork: 400g
• Chicken: 300g
• Pumpkin: 300g
• Carrots: 2
• Potatoes: 3
• Corn: 1 cob
• Sea salt: 1 pinch
• Hot red pepper: 1g
• Cilantro: 3 sprigs
• Green onions: 3 stalks
• Olive oil: 2 tbsp
• Lime juice: 2 tbsp
• Garlic: 2 cloves
Instructions:
1. Chop the chicken and pork into large pieces. Trim the meat, and use the bones for the broth. Sear the meat in a small amount of olive oil over high heat until golden. Transfer to a pot and cover with water, just enough to submerge the meat. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, reduce the heat, and simmer covered on low heat for 1.5 hours.
2. Peel and cube the pumpkin. The size and shape of the cubes don’t matter, as the vegetables will partially break down during cooking. Slice the carrots, potatoes, and corn (into rings). Add some of the broth to the pumpkin, cook until soft, and mash into a puree.
3. Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the pot and separate it from the bones. Add the pumpkin puree, carrots, potatoes, and the white part of the green onion stalks to the broth, and season with salt. Return the meat to the pot and cook on low heat for another hour.
4. Add the corn and cook for another 15-20 minutes.
5. Season the finished soup with lime juice and mashed garlic mixed with salt. Add Tabasco or red pepper, and sprinkle with chopped green onions and cilantro. Enjoy!


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Chilean Pastry - Pan de Pascua

Ingredients:
• 2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 100g candied fruits
• 1/3 cup almonds
• 1/4 cup seedless raisins
• 1/8 cup dried apricots
• 1/8 cup grape juice (or rum)
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 lemon
Instructions:
1. Soak the dried fruits: Soak the apricots and raisins in grape juice overnight.
2. Prepare dry ingredients: Sift the flour with the cinnamon and baking powder. Dust the candied fruits, nuts, raisins, and apricots (after draining the juice) with a little flour. This will keep them from sinking during baking.
3. Cream the butter and sugar: Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time while mixing. Then, add the honey, lemon zest, and grated ginger.
4. Mix in dry ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture while mixing at low speed. Fold in the fruits and nuts.
5. Bake the cake: Pour the batter into a buttered pan. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake for 25-30 minutes.
6. Check the cake: Test with a skewer or toothpick. If the top is browning too fast, cover with foil, lower the temperature to 160°C (320°F), and bake for another 10 minutes.
7. Cool and serve: Let the cake cool, dust with powdered sugar, and enjoy.
Be careful to avoid sudden temperature changes during baking, as the cake may sink.

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Chichen Itza: The Ancient Wonder of the Yucatán

Located near Cancun, this legendary Maya city means “Mouth of the Well of the Water Sorcerers.” Its monumental ruins reveal Maya-Toltec mastery.
Key Structures:
· El Castillo – The iconic 24m stepped pyramid dedicated to Kukulkan
· Temple of Warriors – A striking four-tier pyramid with columns
· The Great Ball Court – The largest ancient ball court in Mesoamerica (135m long)
· The Observatory (El Caracol) – Used for tracking celestial movements
· The sacred cenote – is a natural well with thedepth of about 50 m, which served for sacrifices.
· Group of a Thousand Columns – Once a grand marketplace or gathering space
Richly carved reliefs, sculptures of gods, and intricate artistry survive throughout the site, making it a UNESCO treasure and one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

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Complex of Goguryeo Tombs

It is located in the cities of Pyongyang and Nampho in North Korea and in China.
Many of the tombs are decorated with wall paintings.
The tombs are almost all that remains from the culture of Goguryeo, an early feudal state that had a significant impact on all countries of East Asia.
There are more than 10,000 tombs in total, but only about ninety of them, currently excavated in China and Korea, have wall paintings, and 63 are part of the Koguryo Complex, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is believed that this complex was used as a burial place for rulers and members of the ruling family.

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The Kuk Swamp

Kuk Swamp is an ancient farm site in Papua New Guinea. It is in a high valley, 1,550 meters above the sea, and covers 116 hectares.
This place is special because it shows how people there started farming on their own, 7,000 to 10,000 years ago. We know this from what archaeologists found:
· Around 5,000 BC: They made the first garden beds on the swamp's edge to grow food.
· Around 2,000 BC: They built a smart system of drainage ditches to better control the water.
They grew many different plants for food, like yams, taro, bananas, nuts, sugarcane, and leafy greens.

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The Ban Chiang Archaeological Site

Ban Chiang is in northeast Thailand, in Udon Thani province. It is the remains of an ancient Bronze Age settlement.

The Discovery
In August 1966, a Harvard student named Stephen Young was doing research near the village. He tripped on a tree root and fell into the mud. There, he found pieces of old pottery. The pottery was made in a simple way and had an unusual shape.
Young sent the pottery to museums in Bangkok. Later, it was studied at the University of Pennsylvania.
The Excavations
The first official dig happened in 1967. The oldest graves found did not have any bronze objects. Because of this, they are believed to be from an even earlier time, the Neolithic era.

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The Victoria Regia is the largest water lily in the world.
Its leaves can be over 2 meters in diameter. The edges of the leaves are turned up, forming a large bowl shape.
The leaf’s unique structure with natural water channels allows it to float on water even during heavy rain. A Victoria Regia leaf can support the weight of an adult or two children.
Victoria Regia is an aquatic plant that grows in shallow waters. It roots in the soil at the bottom of the water body and spreads branches over an area of about 20-30 square meters. It is the national flower of Guyana and appears on the country’s coat of arms.
It grows in the Amazon, Orinoco, Paraná rivers, and Guyana.


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Rainbow Trees

This is a real tree, not something painted! It is called the Rainbow Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus deglupta).

What Makes It Colorful?
The tree grows very fast and sheds its bark every year. When the old bark peels off, it shows a bright green layer underneath. As this new bark ages, it changes color to purple, blue, orange, and red. Older trees have more colors, and the pattern is always changing. They can grow up to 75 meters tall.
A Useful Tree
Besides being beautiful, this tree helps fight malaria. It absorbs so much water that it can dry out swamps, leaving fewer places for mosquitoes to breed.

Where to Find Them
They grow naturally in places like the Philippines, Indonesia, and New Guinea in moist forests up to 1800 meters high. Because of their stunning look, they are also planted in many other places as decorative trees.


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