The Hamptons: Spotlight Destination for the 2007 Miss Liberia in the US Contestants

This year the Miss Liberia US contestants will be visiting one the top vacation resorts of America's most famous and social elite "The Hamptons Long Island New York"
Having a background in the travel industury, I decided to do little reasearch on the history, culture, people and tourist info and share it with our readers.
Just 160 kilometres north-east of Manhattan, along the far end of Long Island's South Fork, the Hamptons are a collection of small villages on property purchased by the English from the Shinnecock Indians in the 17th century.
Tourism began here after the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) was completed in the late 1800s and weary Manhattanites began flocking to the east end for the white sandy Atlantic beaches, unspoilt beauty and prime real estate.
While the breathtaking beauty remains, the Hamptons grown to accommodate New York's fashion, media and entertainment elite. It is a place where a $US30 million ($38.7 million) home can be considered a bargain; where top-flight restaurants burst at the seams; 20-something professionals blow their annual budgets for summer share houses; and P. Diddy sightings are a dime a dozen
South Hampton vs East Hampton
Southampton is the grande dame of the settlements. Founded in 1640, the town screams (or is that whispers) old money, which is to say, modestly ostentatious. Most homes are clad in the standard grey clapboard and front streets with cutesy names such as Meadow Lane. But these are mammoth mansions, protected by four-metre hedges and surrounded by acres of lawn with to-die-for beach access.
East Hampton, on the other hand, is what most people have in mind when they say that the Hamptons have become the sixth borough of New York City. The village has exploded in the past decade to become a resort version of Madison Avenue, packed full of luxury goods stores such as Gucci, Polo and Tiffany & Co. The vibe is a hybrid of pleasantville Americana and 21st-century materialism.
East Hampton is also the culinary heart of the Hamptons. Media bigwigs and high-flyer financial types, and those trying to marry either, cram into restaurants JL East and Nick and Toni's. Not surprisingly. Manhattan-style waitlists often apply at both restaurants - but the wait is worth it.
Polo: The Sport of Kings in the Hamptons
The game of polo also known as The sport of kings has roots reaching back to 600 BC (Before Cocktails were served in the tent) when the Turkomans beat the Persians in a nationalistic show of pride. One of the earliest celebrity polo players was Alexander the Great who used the metaphor of the game to describe his thirst for conquest, “I am the stick, the ball is the world.” The name polo actually derives from the ball, thought to come from “pholo” meaning ball or ballgame in Tibet or “pulu” the Tibetan willow from which it was meaning ball or ballgame in Tibet or “pulu” the Tibetan willow from which it was made.
There are six periods in the match, each lasting 7 minutes, with a half time break where spectators come on to the field. The basic objective of the game is to get control of the ball to either pass to a teammate or drive the ball down the field to attempt to score a goal.