Moraine Lake is best recognized by its deep blue color and the series of 10 peaks that rise above it. For those that don't know, a moraine is a deposit of earth and stones that is carried by a glacier. The lake was named after a moraine left by the nearby Wenkchemna Glacier, and the name is particularly appropriate because Moraine Lake is glacier fed and the sediment and minerals give it its distinctive color.
While Lake Louise shares the glacial origins and rich color of Moraine Lake, the latter distinguishes itself with the 10 sharp peaks that tower over it. Moraine Lake is at an elevation of 6,300 feet and the mountains rise to heights of 11, 636 feet--Temple Mountain is the third highest peak in Banff National Park.

Like the greater park its situated in, Moraine Lake is an ideal destination for nature lovers and outdoor adventurers. There a variety of hiking trails around the lake and in the mountains and wilderness surrounding it. Less ambitious hikers can wander around the right bank of the lake or take in the views of the area on the short Rockpile Intepretive Tour, a trip up to an excellent viewing point. Moraine Lake Lodge offers guided hikes that are free to its guests, as well as canoeing on the lake.
Hikers and backpackers that are up for more of a challenge will find long-distance trails and backcountry routes that start right at the foot of the lake including Larch Valley/Sentinel Pass and Eiffel Lake. There are trails leading to Lake Louise, other area lakes, glacier-carved valleys and mountain passes. For more information, you can view the Parks Canada trail map in the resources below.
Other summer activities in Banff National Park include helicopter tours, icefield tours, whitewater rafting, mountain biking and hot springs. The staff at Moraine Lake Lodge can book activities for you and offer advice and suggestions on what to do.Though it looks like an attraction that must be reached by foot after days of backpacking, Moraine Lake is quite accessible. It is located just 8 miles south of Lake Louise (an equally spectacular lake) and can be accessed from the Lake Louise exit off of the Trans-Canada Highway. Moraine is 120 miles from Calgary. The access road to Moraine Lake is closed between October and May.The eastern edge of the Rockies rises impressively above the Interior Plains of central North America, including the Front Range of Colorado, the Wind River Range and Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming, the Absaroka-Beartooth ranges and Rocky Mountain Front of Montana, and the Clark Range of Alberta. In Canada geographers define three main groups of ranges: the Continental Ranges, Hart Ranges and Muskwa Ranges (the latter two flank the Peace River, the only river to pierce the Rockies, and are collectively referred to as the Northern Rockies). Mount Robson in British Columbia, at 3,954 metres (12,972 ft), is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. The Muskwa and Hart Ranges together comprise what is known as the Northern Rockies (the Mackenzie Mountains north of the Liard River are sometimes referred to as being part of the Rockies but this is an unofficial designation).

The western edge of the Rockies includes subranges such as the Wasatch near Salt Lake City and the Bitterroots along the Idaho-Montana border. The Great Basin and Columbia River Plateau separate these subranges from distinct ranges further to the west, most prominent among which are the Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range and Coast Mountains. The Rockies do not extend into the Yukon or Alaska, or into central British Columbia, where the Rocky Mountain System (but not the Rocky Mountains) includes the Columbia Mountains, the southward extension of which is considered part of the Rockies in the United States. The Rocky Mountain System within the United States is a United States physiographic region; the Rocky Mountain System is known in Canada as the Eastern System.

Pagan ( also called Bagan ), located some 425 miles ( 680 Km ) north of Yangon in Myanmar ( Burma ), is one of the famous religious places in the world. Over 2000 temples, pagodas , stupas and shrines located in this ancient city were designed , built and decorated by master craftsmen and ordinary people in 11~13 AD.

From twilight to dusk, the setting sun on the horizon throwing its last fling of glow over the temples, stupas and pagodas is indeed a splendid and unique spectacle that could take your breath away.

Pagan (Bagan) is the most important architectural complex in Myanmar. It is here in Pagan that the Buddhist religion took deep root, strengthening and broadening the outlook of the whole of society. It is here in Pagan that art and architecture attained a peak of achievement, creating a treasured and enduring heritage for the people. It is also in Bagan that such architectural concepts as organic architecture, the articulation of components, the balancing of horizontality and verticality, the massing of structures, the dramatizing of lighting effects, the creation of monumental and intimate spaces, the enhancement of space with decorative motifs can be seen, and where honesty of structural expression has an unsurpassed definition.

Location
Located 425 miles from Yangon, Pagan stands on the east bank of the Ayeyawaddy, commanding the central plain of Myanmar in a setting which includes the great river flowing north to south and a network of paths and tracks.

On the banks of the Irrawaddy River, more than 3,000 temples stretch across a 30-square-mile plain in Bagan, Myanmar (formerly Burma). Most were constructed between 1057 and 1287 during a building frenzy initiated by King Anawrahta, who formed the first Burmese kingdom in 1044.
Nearly a thousand years after Anawrahta's reign, visitors can climb to the top terrace of his Shwesandaw Paya, or "Sunset Pagoda," to enjoy panoramic views of the sprawling city. Many flock to monasteries, which display ornate murals, such as the Ananda Temple's 554 scenes from past lives of the Buddha.
Over the centuries, Bagan's architectural wonders have survived pillaging by armies, as well as natural disasters, including a devastating earthquake in 1975. But many experts worry that they may not withstand the inauthentic restorations recently sanctioned by the country's military junta. "The real crime is that the temples are being rebuilt without attention to their original appearance," says University of Texas art historian Donald Stadtner.

Some of you might be wondering why I’ve got the names written here in two different ways. Well, I’ll give you a short introduction into the former military junta of Myanmar and recent political history of the country, which will explain why:
Myanmar or Burma, as the country used to be called, has had a military junta in power since 1962. The junta has called itself in various names, for example after the 1990 elections (which the junta lost, but did not respect the vote), it wanted to restore order in the country by declaring the government State Law and Order Restoration Council or SLORC. Later after some inter-junta power struggles it changed its name to State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), the name it had held before SLORC. The SPDC was in power until the military gave up power (nominally at least) in 2008. Before giving up power the SPDC changed the names of the country, major cities and towns into their pre-colonial form. So Burma became Myanmar, Rangoon became Yangon and Pagan became Bagan. They also changed the flag of the country.
The controversy with this is that the people weren’t consulted about these changes, and so Aung San Suu Kyi for example has said in interviews that tourists should refer to the country as Burma, to express their disrespect for the government. In other words using Burma means not accepting the legitimacy of the government. Now, since ASSK was released, she hasn’t given a new statement on this matter and therefore many bloggers still refer to the country as Burma.
So the name is all about politics, not so much whether the names are ‘wrong or right’ (in reality many of the Burmese names are in fact British colonial mis-transcriptions). The UK still uses Burma, while USA changed their course few weeks ago and used Myanmar for the first time when president Thein Sein was visiting Washington. This was seen as ground breaking, because using Myanmar is in a way concession that the present government is legitimate.
Why am I using both? Well, I wish to honour ASSK’s wishes, but at the same time I am thinking that all the Burmese people I spoke to while I was there used Myanmar only, and I did not hear Burma said once during my whole time there. So, I also want to respect the Burmese people and their usage of the language. In Burmese language this really isn’t an issue, because they are saying the names the way they’ve been said for centuries.