tourism

The advantages of tourism

2010-10-28T01:27:00.001-07:00

Abundance of some factors of production makes them more affordable compared to others, lacking, as well as the production of any tourist services requires a combination of factors, the travel service is produced with the use of cheaper surplus factors will be relatively cheaper not only in the domestic market of this country, but and externally. As a result of this tourist service will have a comparative advantage. Thus, the country exports are tourism services, the provision of which is based on excess for its factors of production, imports and services for which it is endowed with the factors of production is much worse. Countries specialize in the manufacture and sale of tourist services in which they have an advantage and they are cheaper. For example, resorts in Spain, Greece, Tunisia and Morocco have attracted a large flow of tourists a favorable climate and excellent ocean beaches.
Despite the fact that the theory of Heckscher - Ohlin shared by most modern specialists, it has limited application.
Noted economist W. Leontief in the mid 1950's. attempted empirical verification of the main conclusions of the theory of Heckscher - Ohlin and came to a paradoxical conclusion. Using interindustry balance model "input - output", based on data from the economic development of the United States for 1947, it showed that American exports was dominated by relatively more labor-intensive goods, with imports - capital. Given that in the early postwar years in the U.S., unlike most of their trading partners, capital has been relatively redundant factor of production, and wage levels were significantly higher, in line with the theory of Heckscher - Ohlin U.S. would have to export the capital-intensive goods and import - labor-intensive. Thus, the empirically obtained result clearly contradicts the fact that the theories Heckscher - Ohlin, and therefore called "Leontief paradox". Subsequent studies confirmed the presence of this paradox in the postwar period not only for the U.S., but also for other countries (Japan, India, etc.).
Numerous attempts to explain this paradox it possible to develop and enrich the theory of Heckscher - Ohlin model by taking into account the additional circumstances that affect the international specialization of countries, including the following:
1. heterogeneity of production factors, especially labor, which can vary significantly by level of qualification. As a result, exports of industrialized countries may reflect the relative redundancy is not in general labor, and labor of highly skilled, while developing countries export products that require significant labor costs for unskilled workers. We can say that in the case of Leontief paradox of U.S. exported a very unique "labor intensive" products, which are used in the production of work, absorbed the high cost of human capital;
2. significant role of natural resources that may be involved in the production process only in association with large amounts of capital. To a certain extent explains why exports from many developing countries rich in natural resources is capital intensive, although the capital in these countries is not a relative excess production factor;
3. impact on international specialization policies of the state, which could restrict imports and stimulate domestic production and export of products or services of those industries where extensive use of relatively scarce factors of production.

Factors Affecting the Travel Industry

2010-10-28T00:22:00.000-07:00

Experts stress that the so-called syndrome of Sept. 11 still has an impact on the world tourist market, though its influence is sometimes exaggerated. Factor of the terrorist threat seems to have firmly taken its place in the modern world, but in 2002, as in any case, experts believe the WTO and its impact on tourism was local and limited in time. The greatest damage the tourism industry, apparently, brought the attack on the Tunisian resort of Djerba, reflected on the dynamics of tourist arrivals throughout North Africa, since it was made in anticipation of high season. Bombing in Mombasa that occurred in late autumn, had on the tourism industry in Africa is much less of an impact. Did not cause a serious crisis in the tourism and terrorist attacks in Indonesia, although Bali tragedy turned to the country falling tourist traffic by 2,2%. This suggests that the world economic situation is having on international tourism is a much bigger impact than the terrorist threat.
Over 60% of all arrivals of foreign tourists and 70-75% occurring in the world trips come from industrialized countries.
In 2002, increased by 3,2% and the average duration of travel was 9.4 nights (10.4 days). By 10,6% increased level of expenditures when traveling through Europe, due to inflationary pressures and the transition of several countries of the euro, which resulted in higher prices for tourist services. By purpose of travel leading beach tours related to the presence of water (cruises, lake tourism), medical tours and event tourism.
Long-term prospects for tourism professionals seem optimistic. According to a forecast by the World Tourism Organization in 2010 in the world each year will travel about 1 billion people by 2020 - up to 1.5 billion people, and revenues from tourism may be about 2 trillion dollars. USA.
For 83% of world tourism is now one of the five main sources of income, and for 38% of tourism - the main source of income. Tourism ranked first in the world among all the other sectors of the economy on the number of jobs. If in 1998 the tourism sector employed 115 million people, it is projected that by 2020 the world will create 550 million jobs.
Currently, tourism in different countries developed very unevenly. Mostly tourists depart from the highly developed countries, which are, in the terminology of the World Tourism Organization, the countries - suppliers of tourists. The group includes state ¬ of state, where the percentage of people traveling to foreign travel, higher than 10. The number of these countries is low (12-17), but their list is constantly updated. Until recently, their number, in addition to highly developed countries in Western and Northern Europe, North America and Japan, were States in Eastern Europe, the Persian Gulf area. Today their place are actively engaged in the newly industrialized countries, developing nations have reached a high degree of development - the Republic of Korea, Singapore, etc.
Countries - suppliers of tourists form the main stream of tourists in developing countries. Outbound tourism in developing countries are poorly represented.
All specialists in the field of tourism agree that the basis for the development of tourism is the economic and social progress. A more detailed analysis allows us among the many that affect tourism development highlight the major factors: political, economic, social, demographic, cultural, educational, scientific and technical.

Macedonia for Tourists: National Parks, Lakes, Mountains, Picturesque Houses, Historical Monuments

2010-08-14T06:59:00.000-07:00

Macedonia (officially the Republic of Macedonia), is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeastern Europe. A landlocked country, the Republic of Macedonia is bordered by Kosovo to the northwest, Serbia to the north, Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south and Albania to the west. The country's capital is Skopje, with 506,926 inhabitants. It has more than 50 lakes and sixteen mountains higher than 2,000 m.
In antiquity, most of the territory that is now the Republic of Macedonia was included in the kingdom of Paeonia, which was populated by the Paeonians, a people of Thracian origins. In 1944 the Anti-Fascist Assembly for the National Liberation of Macedonia (ASNOM) proclaimed the People's Republic of Macedonia as part of the People's Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The new republic became one of the six republics of the Yugoslav federation. Following the federation's renaming as the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1963, the People's Republic of Macedonia was likewise renamed, becoming the Socialist Republic of Macedonia. The state dropped the "Socialist" from its name in 1991 when it peacefully seceded from Yugoslavia.
Macedonia is a landlocked country that is geographically clearly defined by a central valley formed by the Vardar river and framed along its borders by mountain ranges. The terrain is mostly rugged, located between the Šar Mountains and Osogovo, which frame the valley of the Vardar river. Three large lakes — Lake Ohrid, Lake Prespa and Dojran Lake — lie on the southern borders, bisected by the frontiers with Albania and Greece. Ohrid is considered to be one of the oldest lakes and biotopes in the world.
Macedonia also has scenic mountains. They belong to two different mountain ranges: the first is the Šar Mountains that continues to the West Vardar/Pelagonia group of mountains. The second range is the Osogovo–Belasica mountain chain, also known as the Rhodope range.

Mavrovo National Park
The Mavrovo National Park covers an area of 73,088 hectares and is the largest of the three national parks in Macedonia. The Mavrovo National Park abounds in flora with over 1,000 plant species. The fauna in the Mavrovo National Park is rather diverse. It consists of 140 bird species. The most famous man-made lake in Macedonia is definitely Lake Mavrovo. This 10km-long and 3km-wide lake covers an area of 13.7 sq km and is 48m deep. The beautiful landscape in this area will enchant those who enjoy walking, cycling, and hiking in the summer months, while for those who like skiing Mavrovo is the most famous winter resort. The Mavrovo Ski Centre has three chair lifts and 11 ski lifts. The length of the chair lifts is 4,800m with a capacity of 1,900 persons per hour. With these lifts, skiing is possible from 1,255m to 1,860m above sea level.

Pelister National park
Pelister National Park is filled with exquisite flora and fauna. The beauty of the landscape is enhanced by the diversified wildlife: bears, roe deer, wolves, chamois, deer, wild boars, rabbits, several species of eagles, partridges, redbilled jackdaws, and the endemic Macedonian Pelagonia trout.
Pelister is the oldest and second largest national park in Republic of Macedonia after Mavrovo. It is one of the leading tourist areas in the country, since it is a well-known ski resort, along with Ohrid, Prespa, Dojran, Popova Shapka, and Krushevo.

Galičica National park
Galičica mountain is situated across the border between the Republic of Macedonia and Albania. There is a National park on the Macedonian side of the mountain, situated between the two biggest lakes in the republic: Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa. It stretches on an area of 227 square kilometres (88 mi²).
The floral life in the National Park Galičica represents over 1000 species, of which large number of relicts and endems have the final frontier of its range exactly on the mountain Galičica.
Beautiful views across the lakes and neighbouring mountains can be seen from the Galičica peaks. The highest one is peak Magaro (2254 m).

Ohrid Vacation, Travel, Tourism
Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year, and is referred to as the Macedonian Jerusalem. The city is rich in picturesque houses and monuments, and tourism is predominant. It is located southwest of Skopje, west of Resen and Bitola, and east of Elbasan and Tirana in Albania.
A town of vast history and heritage, it was made a UNESCO heritage site in 1980. Ohrid is without a doubt the jewel in Macedonia's crown. Nestled between high mountains up to 2.800m and Lake Ohrid, it is not only a place of historic magnificence but also of outstanding natural beauty.

Prespa region
Prespa is a region in Republic of Macedonia. It shares the same name with the two Prespa lakes which are situated in the middle of the region. The largest town is Resen with 9,000 inhabitants.
The two Prespa Lakes – Golema (Great) and Mala (Small) are the only ones on the Balkan Peninsula to have islands. The five- Golum Grad, Mala Grad, Pirg, Agios Achillaeos and Vidrinec- are located in the three countries that share the lakes today, Macedonia, Albania and Greece. With its irregular coastline, plethora of bays, extraordinary cleanliness of water, pristine nature, and setting between three national parks, Prespa is truly a place one must visit.

Dojran
Dojran is a city located on the western shore of Dojran Lake in the south-eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia. Dojran is made up of two fisherman's towns; Nov (New) Dojran (settled from the end of World War I to World War II) and Star (Old) Dojran, which contains both old ruins and recent construction, especially hotels, resorts and restaurants. Dojran is located 170 km from Skopje, 59 km from Strumica and some 30km from Gevgelija. The nearest airports are Thessaloniki International Airport and Skopje Airport.

Great White Shark Makes Australian Beaches Dangerous

2009-11-22T11:36:00.000-08:00

A GIANT shark that could be up to 6m long has sent shockwaves across Australian beaches after a great white shark was nearly bitten in half.

Tourists holidaying in the state of Queensland have been warned to stay out of the water by authorities who fear a giant shark might be prowling the coast.

Concerns were raised after a 3m great white was found dead with two huge bites taken out of its body.

Experts believe the bites were made by an even larger predatory fish that may be 6m long, judging by the size of the bites.

The great white was savaged after it got snared on a drum line — a baited hook attached to a buoy — near Stradbroke Island, north of Brisbane.

The wounded creature was still alive when a crew hauled it onto a boat, close to Deadman’s Beach.

"It certainly opened up my eyes. I mean, the shark that was caught is a substantial shark in itself," Queensland Fisheries’ Jeff Krause told Australia’s Daily Telegraph.

Swimmers have been warned to stay out of the water near the island.

The attack also worried many at a nearby tourist Mecca — Surfers Paradise, south of Brisbane.

"Whatever attacked and took chunks out of this big shark must be massive," said surfer Ashton Smith, 19. "I’ve heard about the big one that’s lurking out there somewhere. We’re all being very, very cautious."

Drum lines and shark nets are used to defend swimmers from sea predators, but these have been criticised for occasionally trapping migrating whales.

Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin said the capture of the bitten shark, and the indication of a larger one feeding in the area, bolstered the decision to keep defences in place.---irishexaminer.com

Fiji Economy to Improve Due to Chinese Tourists

2009-11-22T11:31:00.000-08:00

The Fiji government and tourism stakeholders said on Tuesday they expect tourism numbers to boom with increased airlines servicing Fiji and a direct flight from China to the Fiji resort city of Nadi.

It has already been confirmed that Australian airlines Jetstar, a low-cost Qantas subsidiary, and V Australia will start servicing Fiji within months with competition expected to heat up.
The direct flight from Hong Kong to Nadi starts on Dec. 3.

Fiji will get direct connectivity to the Europe market with direct Air Pacific flights from Hong Kong to Fiji's resort city of Nadi.

Fiji's Tourism Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said opportunities and tourism numbers were expected to increase dramatically.

The Chinese Embassy in Fiji said the direct flight from Nadi to Hong Kong will boost tourist arrivals from China.

The Chinese Embassy Counselor in Fiji, Fei Mingxing, said the recent move by Air Pacific was a great one and would increase tourist numbers from Asian countries.

For the first time, Air Pacific in its 2008 and 2009 financial year, recorded 1 million passengers on their carrier destined for Fiji and the introduction of new routes are expected to rake in millions of dollars.

The direct flight from Hong Kong to Nadi move has been welcomed after Air Pacific noted a fall in demand from the Tokyo-Nadi route.

Air Pacific recorded losses from this route and that was why they canceled it.

Despite four years of attempting to improve the number of tourists for the Tokyo-Nadi route, results were negative.

Hong Kong is popular for being a major hub and it is hoped that the new move would place tourism as a major source of income for the Pacific island nation.

Fiji has the largest market share of Chinese visitors compared to its neighboring Pacific island countries.---english.people.com.cn

Ecotourism Supported in Kazakhstan

2009-11-17T13:04:00.000-08:00

Dagmar Schreiber, a German living in Kazakhstan, has devoted the last 20 years of her life to helping rural villages in Kazakhstan to explore opportunities in tourism. Currently, the government does not provide much support for tourism in rural areas, because this does not fit into its picture of displaying Kazakhstan as a modern country. After 20 years of being liberated from the then Soviet Union, Kazakhstan has changed its infrastructure tremendously, however, the first priority has been given to developed areas like Almaty and Astana.

The EU and some gas companies had supported ecotourism, but that support is vanishing because of the global financial crisis. Thanks to idealistic people like Dagmar Schreiber, ecotourism is slowly becoming more popular, but it will likely take another 20 years to see any noticeable changes in the rural areas.

Most of the rural population lives in small villages relying on family businesses, which truthfully are not providing any real income and almost no public services. Unemployment reaches as high as 80 percent in many places, and with the villagers not having access to any money, most must live off the land within their family structures. Ecotourism not only brings desperately-needed money to the small communities, it also helps in education, understanding, and development. Because of eco-tourism, many rural villages are starting to gain access to electricity, and taxable income is staying in these rural regions for their own future development.

Kazakhstan, the 9th largest country in the world with only 16 million people, has huge amounts of open spaces. Tourism opportunities abound with visits to snow-topped mountains, deep forests, cool lakes, vast steppes, and rich wildlife. Whether you are seeking relaxation or an adventure, this country provides exhilarating opportunities to experience nature’s beauty, but perhaps the most moving experience a traveler can have in Kazakhstan is to actually stay with a family in a rural village.

The proud people of Kazakhstan place great honor on receiving guests. In the villages of Ugam, where people only opened their homes to visitors in the summer of 2005, travelers who have found their way there report on the warmth of the welcome and how good it was to experience the Kazakh village life. The distant communities of Ridder and Katon-Karagai present more of a challenge to the visitor, but that just adds to their appeal, and the people of Ridder have recently received training and advice from staff at a resources center and are eager to welcome visitors into their homes.

Crystals - New Eco-friendly Hotel in Las Vegas Has Achieved LEED+Gold Core and Shell Certification

2009-11-17T11:12:00.004-08:00

Crystals design becomes largest retail space to achieve LEED+ Gold Core & Shell
With the completion of the ginormous CityCenter development in Las Vegas imminent, Studio Daniel Libeskind has announced the news that the project's retail and entertainment district, Crystals, has achieved LEED+ Gold Core & Shell certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The achievement makes a record-breaker of the development which is now the largest retail district in the world to have reached this sustainable goal post.
Opening in December, CityCenter was created with a vision to introduce a new level of environmental consciousness to the world-famous Strip and has emerged as a leader in sustainable urban development. Crystals' achievement marks the fourth LEED Gold certification for CityCenter; previous recipients are ARIA Resort's hotel tower, ARIA's convention center and theater, and Vdara Hotel & Spa. CityCenter is poised to achieve a combination of LEED Gold and Silver ratings throughout its remaining hotels, residences, dining and public spaces.
The LEED Core and Shell recognition means that all aspects of the design, excepting the tenants individual interiors, were evaluated in the decision process. Significantly aiding the achievement was Studio Daniel Libeskind's dramatic multi-faceted exterior. Pertaining to the name, the glass canopy 'depicts the detailed beauty of a quartz crystal', and importantly allows an abundance of natural light to penetrate the shopping district. In addition, water savings of an estimated 1.8 million gallons through efficient water fixtures, a preferred parking scheme for alternatively fuelled vehicles is in place, Forest Stewardship Council certified woods are used and radiant floor cooling allowing only the occupied proportions of the building to be cooled.
Richard Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair, USGBC, said, "From its intense focus on water conservation to the multiple strategies for energy efficiency, the CityCenter team has delivered several exceptional properties that qualify for the LEED Gold rating. Extreme climates challenge the most creative of project teams, and the CityCenter team has risen to the occasion and then some. We congratulate them on their significant achievement."
Crystals' interior was designed by David Rockwell and Rockwell Group, creating a 21st century park that will celebrate nature and the seasons, and feature "changeable artwork" such as abstract hanging gardens, a lush flower carpet and more.---worldarchitecturenews.com

Crystals - New Eco-friendly Hotel in Las Vegas Has Achieved LEED+Gold Core and Shell Certification

2009-11-17T11:12:00.003-08:00

Crystals - New Eco-friendly Hotel in Las Vegas Has Achieved LEED+Gold Core and Shell Certification

2009-11-17T11:12:00.001-08:00

Chile to Develop its Tourism Industry

2009-11-17T10:53:00.001-08:00

Chile's tourism industry has considerable potential to grow off a smaller base than the more mature sectors in Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina. It is very much a work in progress.
Factors in Chile's favor include a wealth of natural attractions, some of the highest levels of personal safety and security in Latin America, a sound economy, and solid investments being made in the tourism infrastructure.
In addition to its continental territory - a narrow strip of land approximately 4,200 kilometers long on the western coastline of South America - Chile also comprises an Antarctic territory, a number of offshore islands and the enigmatic Easter Island with its mysterious statues.
Chile is well-placed to exploit the new strongly-emerging trend towards adventure holidays, eco-tourism, and the focus on sustainable development. The southern tip of Chile is, for instance, already the jumping-off point for Antarctic tours.
The government is quite supportive. It's appropriately named "plan de accion de turismo" (plan of action for tourism) developed in conjunction with SERNATUR, the national tourism board, has the quite realistic goal to increase the number of tourists from 2.5 million in 2007 to 3.0 million in 2010.
The latest World Travel and Tourism (WTTC) report forecasts a contraction in Chile's tourism sector this year, a consequence of the global financial crisis. It expects that after years of steady growth, the travel and tourism sector contribution to GDP will fall slightly (in local currency terms) form CLP4,205mn (US$8,048) in 2008 to CLP4.179 (US$6,810) in 2009. WTTC expects the industry to grow again after the downturn and to reach CLP8,166 (US$10,930) in 2019.
Direct employment in the sector in 2009 will be 118,700. Including employment in indirect, supporting sectors, the tourism industry represents 302,500 jobs, or 4.6 percent of total employment in Chile.
At present, just one in three visitors arrive by air. The larger number travel overland. While some are tourists from outside Latin America traveling through several countries in the region, most are residents of the neighboring countries. In the current economic climate, this is not a bad thing since it has insulated the Chilean industry at least somewhat from the global downturn.
The growth potential for the industry, however, lies principally in drawing tourists from outside the region. Some of the more prominent recent developments are the substantial investments by hotel groups and resorts in different regions of Chile, tour operators, and casino resorts. New legislation has been passed allowing up to three casinos per region - for the 15 regions in Chile. The rising level of investment stems in part from a substantial measure of international confidence in the Chilean government.
Substantial investment programs are also under way in the country's ski resorts around the capital, Santiago, at Portillo, Valle Nevado, Farellones, La Parva, and El Colorado, and in the southern resorts, particularly Termas de Chillan. In the coastal tourism destinations, Vina del Mar has been transformed by the construction of luxurious apartment buildings along its beaches and by other resorts in the coastal area between Rocas de Santo Domingo and Algarrobo. In the North, La Serena and San Pedro de Atacama have also received huge investments in recent years.
A new sector to watch is the veritable boom in special-interest tourism. Outdoors activities, wine tours, fishing, whale watching, eco-tourism, and gaming are all benefitting from government encouragement and growth. Given attractive incentives for investment in tourism, and the sound financial and business environment in the country, it is expected that the future development of tourism investment projects for areas such as Patagonia, Chiloe Island, Vina del Mar, La Serena, and San Pedro de Atacama will continue to expand to cater to international tourists, as well as internal visitors.---www.eturbonews.com

Burj Dubai - World's Highest Skyscraper

2009-11-17T09:51:00.000-08:00

Standing in the shadow of the Burj Dubai Kye Ho Kim of Samsung Construction rattles off the list of records the building will break. Standing about a half mile high, it will be the world's tallest building, with the most floors (164) and the world's highest and fastest building. "This building is going to break so many records," said Kim, whose company is building the $4 billion tower, scheduled to open later this year. "This is kind of a project like the first exploration of the moon. Nobody can challenge it."
It may not rank with manned missions to the moon, but right now there is nothing else like the Burj Dubai on Earth. As the project is metaphoric for the strength of Samsung Construction, the company itself symbolizes the growth of South Korea onto the world stage. A country once devastated by war and still divided by north and south has rebuilt itself into a modern capitalist democracy with companies with a global reach such as Samsung
Samsung has cornered the market in giant building construction, building the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and Taipei 101 in Taiwan -- both previous world-record holders.
"Think about the Americans when they constructed the Empire State Building in 1931," Kim said. "So have we ... in a very short period of time we are now the leading company in the world."
Some of Korea's more impressive building projects are happening at home. In the midst of the recession, construction of Songdo -- a 1,500-acre new free trade zone built on reclaimed land two hours out of Seoul -- continues apace, with a projected cost of $35 billion. Developers hope it will be the eventual home of 75,000 people.
It's considered one of the world's largest private real estate development ventures in history, a joint project with South Korea's Posco and Gale International, a U.S. real estate developer. "Under construction today is about $10 billion" of the project, said Chris Sausser, executive vice president of Gale International. "The project we're building has been able to attract multinational companies, investors as well as residents."
Postwar South Korea was based on a "growth at any cost" model, but the South Korean government has pledged 2 percent of its GDP for the next five years dedicated to green development. The country, already the world's most wired, plans to develop next-generation Internet connections that use less computing power. Indoor lighting initiatives are replacing traditional bulbs with lower energy LED lights.
"Green growth is not a plan B, it is plan A," said Kim Sang Hyup, executive director of the Green Growth Committee. "We are going to contribute to the global community by action, not talk."---cnn.com

Breakfast on Sydney Harbour Bridge

2009-11-02T10:46:00.000-08:00

For the first time in its history, Australia's iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge closed this past Saturday so 6,000 people could enjoy the ultimate picnic breakfast. Dubbed "Breakfast on the Bridge," the free event saw an Australian landmark transformed into the ultimate family venue, including laying 10,000 square meters of Kikuyu grass and the best of local produce and musicians showcased.

"This is Sydney at its very best and another extraordinary event proving we can do anything," said NSW Premier Nathan Rees. "Images from the event will be sent around the world, highlighting once again our amazing outdoor city. The government's investment will be returned 10-fold by another boost to our world class reputation."

NSW Minister for Tourism Jodi McKay said Sydney is Australia's premier events city and "Breakfast on the Bridge" again demonstrates the city's ability to host major events.

"This event is a fantastic international advertisement for the energy and vibrancy of Sydney. Picnickers on the bridge were from all around the globe; there were several birthday celebrations and even a successful marriage proposal during the picnic," said Ms McKay.

NSW produce distributed included 9,500 Batlow Apples (Snowy Mountains); 7,000 handmade Cutterway Creek raspberry jam (Southern Highlands); 4,800 loaves of Abbott's Baker Bread (Sydney); 6,750 Yalla Yoghurt (Riverina); and 6,000 cups of Mocopan coffee.

Set to become an annual fixture on the Sydney events calendar, "Breakfast on the Bridge" is part of Crave Sydney, a celebration of Sydney's unmatched way of life with 31 days of food, outdoor art, and fun during the month of October.

Sydney's outdoor lifestyle has developed in response to a warm temperate climate and an extraordinary natural environment, coupled with the breathtaking beauty of the harbor and famous architectural icons such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the World-Heritage listed Sydney Opera House.---www.eturbonews.com

Best Locations for the Early Ski Season

2009-11-02T10:41:00.000-08:00

Whilst the rest of us are delaying the purchase of our winter coat in a week heralded by the Met Office as the “official Indian summer”, eager skiers are already polishing their goggles in preparation for winter and the early ski season.

The advice for anyone wanting to hit the slopes before the New Year is to head high and head north and, if that fails, there are plenty of ski resorts that have invested in snow making systems to guarantee a winter wonderland. Nevertheless, the early ski season always runs the risk of frustratingly grassy slopes and lush landscapes. So, in order to avoid any disappointment (and broken ski poles) we reveal the best resorts to head for in order to ensure a snowy December.

Val Thorens (France)
Europe's highest ski resort in the huge Three Valleys ski area is an excellent bet for good snow - most slopes here are over 2000m. With the slopes located virtually on your doorstep, you won't miss a minute.

Niseko (Japan)
Japan?s most famous ski resort is gaining worldwide popularity. With the help of Siberian weather fronts providing consistant snowfall, it is normally open by late November for skiers to enjoy its powdery snow.

Åre, (Sweden)
Northern Europe?s largest and most advanced ski resort boasts a season which starts in November. It even guarantees eager skiers that at least ten pistes will be open from 12 December, providing them with plenty to choose from. The opportunity to night-ski is an added bonus.

Tignes (France)
Marketing itself as a ?sure-snow? resort, Tignes welcomes skiers from mid December, making it a good choice for early slope action. If this is too late in the year for you, kick off the season even earlier on its impressive 20km of glacier runs.

Zermatt (Switzerland)
Skiing starts in late November at this famous Swiss resort. Skiing in the shadow of the Matterhorn mountain makes this area particularly picturesque. With lifts that take you to a giddy 3899m, you're guaranteed good views.

Saas Fee (Switzerland)
If you are the type of skier that needs a rest once in a while then be prepared to be entertained as the world?s best freestyle snowboarders descend on Saas Fee for the LG Snowboard FIS World Cup in early November. The ski area is between 1800m and 3500m high, meaning that once you are ready to push off again, there will be plenty of snow.

Livigno (Italy)
Skiing here normally starts in late November and, being one of the higher resorts in Europe, it boasts 3000m high pistes. A further bonus is the tax free status making this a destination for the budget-conscious skier and a great place to buy presents.

Whistler-Blackcomb (Canada)
Whistler Blackcomb has invested in snow making facilities, helping to ensure a lengthy ski season that begins in late November. Plus, this Canadian super resort has repeatedly been voted the best ski resort in the world and is set to host the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Mammoth (California, USA)
This is the highest ski resort in California and boasts 400 inches of snow annually meaning its season starts in November and can last until June. Skiers and snowboarders alike come here to enjoy one of the USA?s premier mountain destinations.

Solden (Austria)
Solden is another resort which boasts year-round skiing so when it comes to early season trips, it is an excellent bet. With state-of-the-art mountain railways, it provides the pleasure of skiing without the queues.---www.independent.co.uk

Asian Healthcare is Among the Best in Medical Tourism

2009-11-02T10:36:00.000-08:00

Asian Healthcare industry sets to network with almost 2000 international delegates from around the globe to understand latest trends of rapidly growing medical tourism industry as they participate at large in world's largest medical tourism and global health congress in Los Angeles on Oct 26th-28th.

The congregation is a flagship event of Medical Tourism Association (MTA), the US based non-profit organization working dedicatedly to set global standards for the burgeoning medical tourism industry.

Medical Tourism Association President, Renee-Marie Stephano said, "Medical Tourism Industry is globally recognized as one of the fastest growing industries, and has weathered current financial meltdown affecting key economic sectors. The congress comes at an appropriate time to provide necessary impetus to the sector through ushering meaningful dialogue amongst the industry movers and shakers."

"Asia provides high-end quality healthcare services at absolute affordable price and has emerged as a leading medical tourism destination, given that patients would like to travel for affordable and quality healthcare while fulfilling some of their tourism dreams," she added.

Official Asian government representatives, Ministers and healthcare providers will have the opportunity to prearrange up to 50 networking meetings to develop new relationships and contracts with insurance companies, agents, employers and medical tourism facilitators from large consumer markets such as US, UK, Canada, Europe, Russia and the Middle East.

Mr. Nasser Al Budoor, Minister's Office and Director, International Affairs Ministry of Health UAE said, "Medical Tourism is a fast growing industry as patients travel from one country to another for high quality healthcare, providing many opportunities. Since this congress will play an important role in exchange of knowledge and resources, I will join to represent UAE and to learn, share and network with industry colleagues and experts."---www.ftnnews.com

Andalucian - the Land of Flamenco and Gazpacho

2009-11-02T10:28:00.000-08:00

If you're like most Americans, your image of Spain is the region of Andalucia, famous for windswept landscapes, whitewashed hill towns, flamenco and gazpacho. While visitors gravitate to the region's big cities of Granada, Sevilla and Cordoba, Andalucia's hill towns -- a charm bracelet of cute villages perched in the sierras -- offer a taste of wonderfully untouched Spanish culture. Ronda, 60 miles southeast of Sevilla, is one of the largest white hill towns. It's also one of the most spectacular, thanks to its gorge-straddling setting. Ronda is easy to visit because it's one of the few hill towns with a train station. The real joy for travelers lies in exploring the winding back streets and taking in the panoramic views, whitewashed houses, and exuberant flowerpots.
Ronda's stunning ravine divides the town's labyrinthine Moorish quarter and its newer, noisier, and sprawling Mercadillo quarter. The New Bridge, massive yet graceful, has mightily spanned the gorge since the 18th century. Look down (carefully) into the ravine -- it's 360 feet deep and 200 feet wide.
To Spaniards, Ronda is more famous for being the birthplace of modern bullfighting than for sporting a gorgeous gorge. In the 16th century, two kinds of bullfighting existed: the type with noble knights on horseback, and the coarser, man-versus-beast entertainment for the commoners (with no rules ... much like when WWF wrestlers bring out the folding chairs). In the 1700s, Francisco Romero melded these two forms, injected some rules, and created bullfighting as we know it today, complete with scarlet cape (though bulls are actually colorblind -- the red was to disguise the blood).
Ronda's bullring (and accompanying museum) is Spain's best -- superior even to Sevilla's. Built in 1785, 5,000 seats and 136 classy Tuscan columns surround the two-tiered arena to create a kind of 18th-century Italian theater feel. In Ronda, bullfighting is considered an art, not a sport -- newspapers cover fights in the culture section, not on the sports pages. Lovers of the "art" of bullfighting will explain that the event is about much more than the actual killing of the bull -- it's about celebrating the noble heritage and the Andalusian horse culture. The bulls -- and I -- disagree.
Ronda is not only about bullfighting. Drop by the Santa Maria church, built on the site of a former mosque and an earlier temple to Julius Caesar, for its interesting mix of Moorish, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque fusion (or confusion). Ronda's unusual Lara Museum, which has everything from sewing machines and matador outfits to torture devices, hosts flamenco evenings three times weekly.
For a look at Ronda's Moorish past, tour the ruins of the Arab Baths, which come to life with a video. The Bandolero museum features bandit lore and paraphernalia from the time Ronda was the romantic home of 19th-century banditos -- the Jesse Jameses and Billy el Ninos of Andalucia. To learn more about the history and prehistory of Ronda, tour the Mondragon Palace.
To really see prehistory, day-trip to the Pileta Cave, the best and most intimate look a tourist can get at prehistoric cave paintings in Spain. The farmer who owns the cave is a master at hurdling the language barrier. As you walk the cool half-mile, he'll spend an hour pointing out which paintings are five times as old as the Egyptian pyramids. The Neolithic and Paleolithic drawings of black, ochre, and red are mostly just lines or patterns, but there are also horses, goats, cattle, and a rare giant fish, made from a mixture of clay and fat by finger-painting prehistoric hombres.
Ronda is fun after dark. While day-trippers from the touristy Costa del Sol clog Ronda's streets during the day, locals retake the town in the early evening. I enjoy the fine tapas scene. Instead of picking one place, I do a tapa pub crawl, going from bar to bar sampling signature dishes such as lechuguita (a wedge of lettuce with vinegar, garlic, and a secret ingredient), huevo de codorniz (a tiny piece of oily toast with a slice of ham and a fried quail egg), and asparagus on a stick sprinkled with manchego cheese grated coconut-style.
If a bar has a cardboard sign, "Hay caracoles" in its window, it's advertising it has snails, a special treat served from late spring through early fall. At tapas bars, you'll eat standing up, just like the locals.
The paseo (early evening stroll) happens in the new town, on Ronda's major pedestrian and shopping street, Carrera Espinel. Join in. Walking the streets, you feel a strong local pride in a community where everyone seems to know everyone.---cnn.com

Walled Cities that Take You Back Into Europe's Middle Ages

2009-10-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

Medieval walled cities are definitely one of the most romantic places to see. Until today they maintain their medieval atmosphere and you can easily imagine soldiers guarding the gates, armies trying to conquer the city, medieval markets… So let’s go for a trip to the Middle Ages!

Ávila, Spain
Ávila is located in Castile-Leon in Spain. The walls of Ávila are the most preserved medieval walls in Spain. They were built in 11th century. It is advisable to make a one day trip from Madrid to visit this city, since Ávila is not a tourist destination by itself.

Girona, Spain
Girona is another walled city in Catalonia in Spain that is worth seeing. Although all the walls of Girona were systematically destroyed and rebuilt in 19th century this city lures visitors for its medieval atmosphere. The wall walk is opened daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; another walk is outside the town walls where you can enjoy a very nice view of the old city from there. The path is lined with cypress and flowers and it is a nice place for romantic walks. Girona was founded by Romans and became a medieval hub where Christians, Jews and Arabs converged and so an architecturally interesting city emerged.

Carcassonne, France
Carcassone has 46,500 inhabitants and is located 808 km south of Paris. Its walls come from the 6th, 7th, 8th century and you can be sure you can’t find better preserved walls coming from that period anywhere in the world. The landscape around Carcassonne is littered with romantic castle ruins. So there is much to see also outside the city.

Lucca, Italy
Lucca’s walls were built in the 16th century. In 19th century trees were planted on the walls, so you can now walk or cycle on the 5 km long oval ramparts.

Rhodes, Greece
Medieval city of Rhodes is surrounded by walls with 7 gates and a moat. There is also a castle in the city. In 1309 the Knights of Saint John found a haven in the city of Rhodes, when they were booted from the Holy Land.

York, England
The walls of York are 3.4 km long and are the longest best-preserved town walls in England. The walls have 5 main gateways and 45 towers. The famous York ginnels - fifty little thoroughfares within the city walls - are also to be found here. You can use these medieval shortcuts to explore the city as if you were running from trouble in the big streets.---www.travelvideo.tv

US Church Offers Tourists Polygamy Tours

2009-10-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

Members of a US church group are now offering travellers “polygamy tours”, which will enable them to have a look at life in a polygamous community.
“The Polygamy experience: A guided tour of Colorado City” offers visitors the chance to “learn the story of the US’s largest and most secluded polygamist colony” with a four-hour guided tour of the US towns of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah.
The locals are not very comfortable with outsiders, with the towns’ practice of plural marriages and history of sexual assault charges, of which the group’s leader Warren Jeffs was convicted two years ago, landing them under the scrutiny of police.
However, tour operators hope to show the public that polygamists are actually peaceful people, with Richard Holm and his brother Heber being among those launching the tour.
Holm was exiled from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), which controls both Colorado City and Utah, in 2003, while Heber left the community 35 years ago.
Holm says that the four-hour tours will give travellers the chance to ask any questions they may have about polygamy.
“Why the prairie dresses and long braids? No makeup? More than one wife? All questions to be answered during ‘The Polygamy Experience’,” News.com.au quoted the tour’s advertisements as stating.
A passenger bus seating 29 people will ferry tourists into Arizona, where guides will discuss the origins of fundamentalist Mormonism and give travellers the opportunity to take in the town’s famous sites, and even includes a picnic.
The tours cost 69.95 dollars for adults and 59.95 dollars for children.
Holm has promised the tours will be respectful, but FLDA spokesman Willie Jessop told the US’s Salt Lake Tribune the tours are a scam.
“They want to come into the community like it’s a spectacle, when for us, it’s like the circus is coming to town,” he said.
“We hope people have more of a life than to be suckered into that sort of scam,” he stated.
However, Holm is confident the tours will be successful, and says that the public reaction has been very positive.
“I have had dozens say that it is a good idea and they would love to go into the community and see what is going on and haven’t dared go off the highway with all the reports and rumours and things of that nature,” he added.---www.thaindian.com

Two New Hotels in Paris and New York

2009-10-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

The debut of two new hotels in two iconic cities - the Renaissance Paris Arc de Triomphe and the Renaissance New York Hotel 57 - are charting a bold new image for the Renaissance Hotels & Resorts global lifestyle brand. "With more than a $2 billion infusion in hotel renovations by our owners and franchisees and a new brand team in place, Renaissance is now positioned to be the first truly global lifestyle brand in the Marriott portfolio," said Tina Edmundson, senior vice president lifestyle brands and Renaissance operations.

The breakthrough simultaneous launch event today in Paris and New York will feature live performances by cutting-edge British singer/songwriter Mr. Hudson in New York and indie rocker Santigold in Paris. "This incredible celebration and these artists speak to the Renaissance brand's deep belief in helping guests discover moments that transcend the every day," said Edmundson.

The Renaissance experience and its new modern brand identity launches today with these two events and a brand new web portal for the collection of 140 gems in 28 countries around the world. The new website, www.renaissancehotels.com, uses storytelling and experiential packages and promotions celebrating the uniqueness and rich travel experiences at each hotel and location.

"The Renaissance experience appeals to guests who want to discover something new with each and every stay. Our guests are current and in-the-know. They are passionate about travel, architecture and history, and they want a hotel experience that allows them to get the most from a trip - to discover the unique character of their destination," said Edmundson.

New brand elements include:

New hotels: Every stay offers guests a unique point of view and different perspective, whether at one of Renaissance's historic icons or ultra-modern hotels. Renaissance Hotels & Resorts continues to add to its portfolio with a pipeline of 24 hotels opening over the next three years. These properties include the Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel, the Renaissance Malmo Hotel in Sweden, the Renaissance Doha City Center Hotel in United Arab Emirates, the Renaissance St. Pancras Hotel in London and the Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel in Thailand. New visual identity: The Renaissance Hotels & Resorts identity, including the logo, has dramatically changed, providing new visual cues to bring the brand in line with the updated hotel experience. The new visual identity of the brand is modern and simple and the new logo represents a cleaner more modern typography, while keeping the "R" icon as a singular nod to the historical side of the brand. RenaissanceHotels.com: The new Renaissance Hotels & Resorts web portal is now not only visually striking but offers a robust Renaissance experience for guests encouraging discovery about both the destination and hotel. Renaissance Chic: The Renaissance design point of view is current, compelling and always inspiring. From imaginative menus to eye-catching decor to luxurious cotton-rich linens, it is all about stimulating the senses. New retail strategy: The new www.CollectRenaissance.com will launch this fall allowing guests to take Renaissance style home. New food & beverage strategy: Restaurants at Renaissance are developed to appeal to local clientele as well as guests. Our hotels deliver "indigenous" food & beverage, offering quintessentially local food at the hotels. New partnerships: Renaissance has strategically aligned itself with like-minded brands including the new car-share program Hertz Connect, Absolut Vodka, Jack Spade and Strida Bike.

As part of the celebration, Renaissance New York Hotel 57 and Renaissance Paris Arc de Triomphe are also hosting a silent auction to benefit Kiva.org, a non-profit organization that is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs around the globe. Kiva's mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. The silent auction attempts to honor Renaissance Hotel 57's origins as a hotel for women and later as a shelter for women by benefiting Kiva.org, whose entrepreneur base is 83% women working to pull their families out of poverty. Invited guests in New York City will be able to bid on an incredible Renaissance discovery package -- New Year's Eve in New York City including 3 night stay at the Renaissance New York Hotel Times Square plus front row seats to the festivities in Times Square at Two Times Square restaurant and Renaissance partner offerings including Strida foldable bikes and Connect by Hertz weekend getaway cars. In Paris, invited guests will be able to bid on an incredible weekend getaway at the Renaissance Paris Arc de Triomphe including 2 night stay and tasting experience at the hotel's restaurant Makassar.---www.traveldailynews.com

Travel Industry in Argentina Offers Both Business and Leisure

2009-10-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

Travel companies probably don’t have to do much to sell would-be travelers on the merits of the generally temperate weather in Argentina, so its growing appeal to Americans goes well beyond the climate.
“More and more Americans are becoming aware of the ‘new world wines,’” said Mollie Fitzgerald, co-owner of Frontiers International Travel in Wexford, which offers hunting and fishing expeditions to the country, as well as “elegant journeys” for the nonsportsmen. “For sure, the wines in Argentina have come to the forefront.”
As a result, Fitzgerald said, the past five to seven years have seen an increase in “boutique hotel properties” that have upgraded the quality of accommodations.
Michael Cobb, CEO of ECI Development Ltd., agreed, noting the climate in Argentina is perfect for soil and growing grapes, leading to the Mendoza region in the West becoming a highly popular destination.
In 2007, more than 2.2 million tourists came to Argentina through Ezeiza International Airport, according to numbers from the country’s Tourism Secretariat provided to the Argentine Post. That was up 15 percent from the previous year.
Americans ranked second among tourists that year, with more than 286,000 visiting the country. It’s those kind of numbers that have Pittsburgh-rooted companies excited about the country.
ECI Development, which has resort communities in Nicaragua, Belize and Costa Rica, is actively pursuing locations for a resort community in Argentina because of its rise in popularity.
The country offers more than wine tasting tours. Frontiers, which sends about 3,000 people a year to the country, according to Fitzgerald, is a popular destination for fly fishing and hunting.
And “for the nonsporting traveler, certainly Buenos Aires offers a wealth of opportunities,” Fitzgerald said, including whale watching and hiking. “I think Buenos Aires has a really cosmopolitan atmosphere. It’s not like other South American cities. It has a very European feel to it.”
Cobb said another thing that makes Argentina, and many other South American countries, palatable is the cost. People doing business with ECI often are seeking property for retirement or second homes.
“We do a lot of informal survey work. Informally, I can tell you that, yeah, the idea of having a Napa Valley-type of estate for $250,000 or $350,000 … it’s 10 cents on the dollar of what it would cost in the real Napa Valley.”
Cobb said the downturn has only made South America more popular, feeding his interest in putting property in Argentina. From a development standpoint, Cobb expects to pick up property in Argentina in the next 12 to 18 months, and expects to have property for sale within three years.
The interest in Argentina extends beyond just the recreational. Other area companies such as Kennametal, H.J. Heinz Co., Mine Safety Appliances and PPG Industries have a presence there.
Kennametal has a sales office that employees about 18 people, according to Christina Reitano, manager of corporate communications.
And MSA has a sales and distribution company there that employes about 30 people.
“What led us to Argentina was that it’s the second-largest economy in South America,” said Ralph McIntyre, regional business director for Latin America and Africa. “Argentina, being on the eastern side of the Andes Cordillera, has a mining potential which is not fully realized.”
Fitzgerald said the only headaches in doing business in Argentina come from air travel, since everything flies through Buenos Aires.
“You can’t fly, for example, from San Martin to Cordoba,” she said. “There’s no route system in the country to connect. Everything transits back to Buenos Aires.”---www.eturbonews.com

Top Ten Travel Mistakes

2009-10-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

Traveling to foreign countries definitely belongs to the lifestyle of people living in the 21st century. Although we live in the so called global world, the cultural differences between various countries still remain. No wonder you are very likely to make a cultural faux pas when you travel abroad. Tourism-review.com brings you the Top 10 faux pas from all over the world announced recently by Guardian.co.uk, so learn more.

1/ Thumb-up sign in Iran
In European countries and in the US a thumb up sign means in fact, that everything is OK (all correct). Showing a thumb-up sign is an easy way how to show, that you are having fun, good time or that nothing goes wrong. But this sign doesn’t work like this everywhere – e.g. in Iran. The same gesture is called bilakh in Iran meaning an unquestioned insult. Literally it means “Sit on this”. Another sign Americans and Europeans have to be careful of is the sign, again meaning OK, when the thumb meets the forefinger in a circle. In Turkey and Brazil this gesture tells the other person you are comparing him or her to the ... ehm ... filthiest part of human anatomy.

2/ Patting someone on the head in Thailand
Head is considered to be sacred in Buddhist countries. Head is in fact the seat of soul and touching it is insulting even for a small child. Another gesture an American or European tourist has to be careful of is pointing with finger. It is considered to be very rude for instance in Malaysia, where the people point with the whole fist and the thumb at the top indicating direction. Filipinos for instance only point to an object by shifting their eyes towards it or pursing their lips and pointing to it with their mouth.

3/ Ireland – a British Isle?
Almost every country has its taboo themes. Aborigines in Australia, dowry deaths in India, human rights in China; these are themes to cause offence. The Irish for instance don’t like their Isle to be called one of the British islands. If you start chatting with foreigners it is always better to start with some neutral topics like food and beauty of the landscape. With these topics you can never make a mistake.

4/ Barbecue in Argentina and gaucho dress
Some tourist can’t resist the temptation wearing a local dress while visiting a foreign country. To wear batik in Indonesia is absolutely fine. In Argentina is a faux pas to dress as a gaucho, and even more embarrassing is to visit parties and barbecues (asados) dressed like this. So whenever you visit a foreign country please get informed.

5/ Enter a Japanese temple or home with the shoes on
Not only in Japan but everywhere in the East you should be prepared to remove your shoes and drop your hat of. The Japanese will often give you a pair of slippers to take you from the front door to their living room, where they should be removed before you step on the tatami (the red mat). Be careful, wear always clean socks!

6/ Bunch of 12 wrapped carnations at a German dinner party?
Bunch of flowers seems to be a perfect gift to delight your hostess. In many countries its particular varieties, colors and numbers have its hidden meaning. Carnations are used for funerals in Germany, Poland and Sweden. In Belgium, Italy, France, Spain and Turkey they use chrysanthemums for the same purpose. In France and Austria red roses suggest romantic interest, while in Mexico and Chile are yellow roses a sign for grief and separation. Give a bunch of flowers always unwrapped in Germany, Sweden and Poland! An odd number of flowers are unlucky in China and Indonesia; even number is considered to be unlucky in India, Turkey, Russia and Germany.

7/ Names in China
The Chinese are used to write their names in different order than is normal in Europe and America. The surname goes first followed by the last name. So calling Mr. Li Wong Chee “Mr. Chee” is the same as calling Mr. James Dean “Mr. James”. Not to confuse foreigners the Chinese sometimes reverse their name, which causes nothing else but mess.

8/ Giving a bottle of alcohol to Muslims as a gift
Islam does not allow people to drink alcohol. So if the Muslims drink, they certainly do not do it publicly. To give a Muslim a bottle of cognac, drawing attention to his private love for that drink, is not a very good idea. Dogs and pigs are considered to be unclean animals in Islamic countries, so your faux pas can be even bigger when you give a Muslim alcohol in a handmade pigskin bottle holder. This is then a real offence!

9/ Drinking and talking during a toast in Georgia or Azerbaijan
In northern Europe, Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union drinking toasts is taken very seriously. In Scandinavia and Germany you should always meet your eyes when saying Skal or Prost! In Russia you should drink the vodka in a single gulp. In Georgia and Azerbaijan the toasts often go for hours. They are orchestrated by the tamada or toast master. It is considered to be rude to talk or sip between the toasts.

10/ Leaving your chopsticks upright in a bottle of rice in Japan
The more you hold your chopsticks apart from your food, the more sophisticated you are considered to be. You should always hold the chopsticks at least in the two-third up. You shouldn’t cross them over each other, point at people with them or rest them on the opposite side of your plate. The worst thing you can do with them is to put them upright in a bottle of rice. This is a Japanese funeral rite when the chopsticks are left by the bedside of the newly deceased.---www.tourism-review.com

Top Ten 10 Tips for Those Wishing to Visit the EU

2009-10-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

Planning to travel around the European Union? Not sure what to do when in emergency or when your flight is canceled? Check out these tips released by the EU for all tourists getting ready to visit the good old Europe.

1/ Who to Call in an Emergency
112 is the phone number that can be called to reach emergency services throughout the EU, from fixed or mobile phones, free of charge. It is available in all 27 Member States. Some member States have introduced 112 as their main emergency number, while in most Member States, 112 operates alongside national emergency numbers. Each Member State is responsible for the organisation of its own emergency services and the response to 112 and national emergency calls.

2/ Avoid Road Accidents
Every year 10,000 people die in road accidents in Europe due to drivers being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. One out of four accidents can be linked to excessive alcohol and drug consumption, even more so in the holiday period. The Commission adopted in January 2001 a recommendation for the level of alcohol permitted behind the wheel: 0.5 mg/ml in the blood for all drivers, 0.2 mg/ml in the blood for novice drivers and professional drivers. This recommendation is not legally binding and therefore the permitted level of alcohol can vary across Member States (e.g. Sweden, Czech Republic, Slovakia have adopted a zero-tolerance approach). Of course, the safest course of action is still to never drink and drive.

3/ Flying in Safety
The list of airlines banned in the European Union acts as a strong incentive to remedy safety deficiencies. Withdrawal from the list is indeed possible, when the parties concerned put effectively in place sound corrective action to comply with all relevant safety standards. The concept of a Community list is increasingly proving to serve as a preventive rather than punitive instrument for safeguarding aviation safety. This is illustrated by the numerous instances where the Community has successfully addressed potential safety threats well ahead of resorting to the drastic measure of imposing restrictions. This list has greatly contributed to making Europe's skies safer and could be used to help gradually move towards an international strategy based on cooperation between countries around the world. These airlines are not allowed to fly to or from the EU. However, the EU cannot prevent banned airlines from continuing to fly elsewhere in the world. If you are planning to take a flight which takes off and lands outside the EU, you may wish to check yourself the EU's blacklist to verify whether the airline in question is not banned from flying in the EU for safety reasons.

4/ Security at Airports
Air passengers can only take liquids with them in individual containers with a maximum capacity of 100 milliliters each. These containers should be packed in one transparent, re-sealable plastic bag of not more than one liter capacity per passenger. These restrictions are necessary as the threat stemming from liquid explosives unfortunately still exists. Until adequate technology to detect such explosives has been developed and deployed at airports, passengers are only allowed bringing liquids in small quantities or if these are really needed during the journey for example medicines or baby food. All other liquids have to be packed in the checked baggage.

5/ What to Do When Your Flight Is Canceled
Before going to the airport, check the time of departure (flights can be rescheduled). If your flight is cancelled or in case you are denied boarding, ask for reimbursement of the full cost of the unused ticket or segments, or rerouting to the final destination at the earliest convenience. You may also be entitled to compensation between €250 and €600 depending on the flight distance and the delays incurred when rerouted. Furthermore, the airline should inform you about your rights and the reason for the cancellation or the denied boarding. It should also provide you with assistance in relation to the waiting time (meals, drinks, communication facilities and a hotel room for the night, if necessary). If passengers feel airlines do not respond in a satisfactory manner to their complaints, they can lodge a complaint to the national enforcement body in the EU Member State (or in Iceland, Switzerland and Norway) where the incident happened. When the incident concerned an EU airline and it took place outside of an EU Member State, the passenger can lodge a complaint in the EU Member State of destination.

6/ Influenza A (H1N1) & Denied Boarding
If you are denied boarding because you are a suspected case of Influenza A (H1N1) and the measure is neither based on a decision of a sanitary authority or a medical certificate, you should be entitled to reimbursement or rerouting as well as compensation. In other words, the decision to deny boarding should not be purely based on a discretionary and unilateral decision taken by the airline.

7/ Disabled Persons & Passengers with Reduced Mobility
The non-discrimination of disabled persons and passengers with reduced mobility because of any permanent or temporary handicap is guaranteed for air passengers under existing EC regulation and for rail passengers under legislation coming into force on 3 December 2009. You are invited to notify the need for assistance to the airline or to the tour operator at least 48 hours before the flight departure. The managing bodies of airports will be informed accordingly and shall be responsible to provide assistance up to the aircraft gate; then assistance is to be provided by the airlines. The assistance is free of charge.

8/ Web Site Price Transparency
Applying full price transparency is an obligation under the air services regulation. This means that when consumers book a flight ticket online, the final "comprehensive" price must be available since the initial page, enabling people to compare prices across airlines and make a real choice. In case of optional price supplements, they have to be indicated in a clear and transparent manner.

9/ Lost & Damaged Baggage
In the event of damage, you should complain to the airline within seven days and in the case of delay within 21 days from the moment when the baggage was placed at your disposal. Any other action in court must be brought within two years from the date of arrival. You can get reimbursed up to €1,100 by the airline company in case your luggage is lost or damaged. If you carry expensive items you should subscribe for private travel insurance, or you can benefit from a higher liability limit by making a special declaration at the latest at check-in and by paying a supplementary fee. In case of difficulties with the airline concerned it is advisable to refer to the national consumers' association in your country or to the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net).

10/ Travel Package
When consumers buy a travel package, they are entitled to know what they are paying for and what is included in the package deal under Council Directive 90/314/EEC of 13 June 1990 on package travel, package holidays and package tours. Any brochure made available to consumers must indicate clearly and accurately the price and all relevant information, such as destination, itinerary and the means of transport used, type of accommodation, meal plan, passport and visa requirements, health formalities, timetable for payment and the deadline for informing consumers in the event of cancellation.---www.europa.eu

The Ten Snowiest Cities in America

2009-10-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

Snow is one of the good things that people associated with winter. Of course, this is the good snow, the snow that falls very lightly and gently, the snow that doesn't trap your car in, the snow that has just the right amount of stickiness to build a snowman. Everyone loves that snow. The snow that won't stop falling, that is bitterly cold and wet, and that builds up so tall that you have to shovel it out of your driveway is not so popular. No matter if you love it or hate it, there isn't anything to be done to change it. If you are wishing for more snow, you may want to take a trip to these places. If you are looking to get away from the snow, these are the places you should avoid. Here are the cities with the highest average snow fall in the United States.

Talkeetna
Alaska is just one of those states that is synonymous with the word "cold," so it comes as no surprise that one of its cities receives the tenth most snow fall. Talkeetna, Alaska averages 115 inches of snow each year.

Sault Sainte Marie
The city with the ninth most snow fall in the United States is a little closer to most people than the previous one. Sault Sainte Marie is located in Maine and receives about 117 inches of snow on average each year.

Syracuse
Syracuse jumps into eight place for the most annual snow fall with only one inch more than the previous city. This New York city averages 118 inches of snow on a yearly basis.

Marquette
Michigan is another one of those states where you would expect a lot of snow. Marquette, Michigan takes the number seven spot on the list of snowiest American city with a very large difference from the city at number eight. Marquette receives 144 inches of snow on average each year.

Yakutat
Another Alaska city earns a spot on the list of snowiest cities in the United States. Yakutat, Alaska is ranked number six with an average snow fall of a 191 inches each year.

Blue Canyon
Some may be surprised to find that this city is located in California, but don't forget about all the California ski resorts! Blue Canyon, California earns its spot as number five on the list with an average of 240 inches of snow falling there every year.

Mount Washington
Located in New Hampshire, Mount Washington takes the number four ranking for the snowiest American city. This city sees, on average, 261 inches of snow with every new winter.

Valdez
Alaska claims a third city on the list of the snowiest cities in the United States. Valdez, Alaska earns its number three ranking by a very large margin. Valdez residents enjoy an average of 326 inches of snow per year.

Mount Baker
The city with the second highest average snow fall every year is Mount Baker, Washington. Mount Baker receives an incredibly high 647 inches of snow on average every single year.

Rainer Paradise
Rainer Paradise, another Washington city, claims the top spot on the list of snowiest cities in the United States. Rainer Paradise sees a record amount of snow every year. With an average of 676 inches of snow every year, Rainer Paradise deserves to be number one.---www.associatedcontent.com

The Sunniest Cities in the United States

2009-10-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

Sunshine makes you optimistic, sunshine prevents depression! Tourism-review.com brings you America’s top 8 sunniest cities according to the list of Matador Trips. All of the cities enjoy sunshine for more than 70 per cent of annual daylight hours. Visit the cities where depression has no chance!

Yuma, Az
90% days of sunshine
Yuma is not only the sunniest city in the USA but according to The Guinness Book of World Records, it is also the sunniest place in the world! The landscape around Yuma is in fact a desert, but thanks to the Colorado and Gila rivers there are many possibilities to enjoy a wide range of water sports and beat the heat!

Las Vegas, NV
85% days of sunshine
This city definitely does not know the word darkness! The sun is shining 85% of the year in Las Vegas and at night the sun is replaced by the neon of the numerous casinos. But there is more Las Vegas has to offer the visitors than craps tables and glittering lights of the strip. Bikers, hikers and rock climbers can visit the Red Rock Canyon; Lake Mead is a good place where to go to escape the heat. Swimming in cool water is always the best choice.

El Paso, TX
84% days of sunshine
The history of El Paso and its future is tied to its sister metropolis Ciudad Juárez, the city that lies across the river. Several festivals give people an excuse to get out under sunny skies. Fiesta de las Flores takes place every Labor Day weekend, Día de los Muertos (late October, early November) commemorates the cultural connections between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez. La Que Buena Gordita festival is an opportunity for fans of Mexican cuisine. Nothing else sounds more delicious in El Paso!

Albuquerque, NM
76% days of sunshine
Albuquerque is the largest city of New Mexico, and its inhabitants are renowned for taking advantage of the outdoors. Albuquerque is located between the Rio Grande and Sandia Mountains and offers its visitors wide range of activities: from golf to hang gliding. The city hosts Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta every October. The Fiesta lasts for 9 days and it is the largest festival of this type in the world. You can see more than 700 balloons there.

Key West, FL
76% days of sunshine
Key West mixes the mild temperatures with sunshine, which is an ideal combination. It is the southernmost continental city of the US and also famous as a haunt of Hemingway. The ocean offers wide range of activities from testing the softness of the sand to deep sea excursions. The Old Town is an ideal place for two wheels explorations, so rent a bike and explore the city!

Lake Charles, LA
72% days of sunshine
Lake Charles is located in Louisiana famous for its petrochemical industry. The city has however much to offer to its visitors. It is the center of Cajun culture and its dozens of annual fiestas have earned it a nickname – “The Festival Capital of Louisiana”. Lake Charles Mardi Grass still draws the crowds. Parades, live-music, and a gumbo cook off, that is why people go there. The Lake Charles festival has more family-friendly atmosphere than the one in the New Orleans. Later in the year the Contraband Days Festival lures attention of many history lovers.

Grand Junction, CO
71% days of sunshine
Grand Junction is the largest city on the Colorado’s Western Slope. It is not far away from the Colorado National Monument (and, further a field, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park) so it offers wide range of activities from whitewater rafting to hiking and biking and anything you can think of. Even winters are in Grand Junction very sunny, so do not forget your sunglasses.

Honolulu, HI
71% days of sunshine
Honolulu is the capital of Hawaiian Islands and it has been a beacon for sun seekers for centuries. It is not necessary to describe the beauty of Hawaiian beaches – they are world known. Diamond Head Crater and the tropical mountains of interior Oahu offer a unique possibility for hiking. Honolulu also hosts the sixth-largest marathon in the world. So if you are keen on running, go to Honolulu and take part!---www.tourism-review.com

The Most Over-rated Tourist Locations in Users' View

2009-10-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

A new book extract naming five of the worst over-rated sites generated a pantheon of comments - and a raft of other suggestions
Two weeks ago we ran an article on over-rated ancient and historical sites taken from The Road Less Travelled by DK Eyewitness Travel, a book which also suggested alternative and less-crowded sites.
The article highlighted Stonehenge, Petra, The Colosseum, Machu Picchu and Angkor as among the most over-rated - choices that some of you concurred with but which many of you violently disagreed with.
We also asked for your views of other over-rated sites - and promised copies of the book, signed by Bill Bryson, for the three best and/or most entertaining.
Here they are - plus a Top 10 of other tourist sites you believe to be wholly over-rated and worthy of inclusion in the book.

THE THREE WINNERS
I've been to all of these sites except Angkor Wat and cannot say that I would discourage anyone to see any. The trick is not to do them the obvious way. When I visited Petra I stayed overnight on the site with Bedhouin nomads, not the tourist village. When I visited Machu Picchu I travelled on local buses up the valley and stayed in most of the villages on the way. I then stayed at the foot of the site the night before so I could be on site for sunrise. I was alone for an hour. I also saw the sunrise over Abu Simbel in Egypt pretty much alone. Use your imagination! - Matthew Blakeway
The whole idea for Stonehenge is that it is in the middle of a great plain. To be able to have the full Luna and Solar effects. This is why English Heritage built the visitor centre under ground. What does he want a theme park with rides with Spinal Tap sized models on sale? The non access to touch the stones came about because the of erosion problems for unsettling the stones and to stop the mindless few who deface or grafitti the stones (this happened at Avebury a few years ago) - Paul Dobie
Sure, if you're a well-traveled, multilingual adventurer, Colombia and El Salvador offer untouristed wonders aplenty. But for first-time travelers, folks with mobility issues, or people who simply want to see it, Machu Picchu really is fabulous, and convenient. And honestly, it all comes down to attitude. Some tourists just won't be happy with anything. If Machu Picchu is too crowded, then Kuelap will be too hard to get to, the rainforest too rainy, the volcanoes too steep, whatever. Other tourists will wait all day for Monteverde, not see a single quetzal, slip in the mud, and then find a huge spider in their overpriced hotel room... and say, "Oh cool! Take a picture of me with this huge spider for my Facebook!" Guess which tourists have more fun. This is a great article, but remember that it was written by a travel writer who has probably seen and done it all. If you want to go to Machu Picchu, well, just do it - Friendly Skies

10 OTHER ANCIENT AND HISTORICAL SITES YOU FIND OVER-RATED

CHICHEN ITZA, MEXICO
All my life I'd wanted to see this site and I was really excited when I finally had the chance. The ruins themselves are spectacular, I was impressed by how clean the site was and I can't say it was particularly overcrowded on our visit last September but, although I knew you could no longer climb the main pyramid, I did not know that every building would be roped off - a la Stonehenge. My recently published guide books spoke of a narrow passageway leading into one of the buildings from which you could see the internal structure and the inside. The reality - roped off and inaccessible like everything else. Not being able to get anywhere near the structures would have been a big enough let down but add in a constant barrage of "only one dollar" from locals lining every walkway selling tatty tourist junk - most of which did definitely not cost "only one dollar" - and young children accosting you in open areas for the same purpose and a disappointing experience became quite an uncomfortable one. Not recommended - Vicky Jacobson

KNOSSOS, CRETE
Has huge potential, and a wonderful history, enhanced by the Mary Renault novels, but still has little to offer. Clumsy concrete add ons courtesy of Arthur Evans, a hundred years ago, fresco mockups, and nothing much else. The best relics from Knossos are in Athens museums. Massive queues. They readily take euros from thousands of culture hungry tourists every day, but how much of that goes back into excavation and renovation? - Chris Frankland

TROY, TURKEY
Home of Helen, the face that launched a thousand ships and legend of her Trojan Horse. All that is left is a pile of rubble and a naff wooden horse built by the Turkish tourism board 15 years ago.... not worth the trip or the entrance fee - Michael Lally

GLASTONBURY TOR
Steeped in the mythos of the Holy Grail (it overlooks one of the 20,000 or so possible resting places of the elusive magical drinking vessel), the Tor requires a near vertical climb of a giant, muddy mound. On reaching the summit, you are greeted by a singularly underwhelming stone... thing. What was once a church is now nothing more than an empty bell tower. And I do mean empty. Four walls and no ceiling. Much is made of the view, but in reality, on a standard English summer's day at that altitude, you'll see no more than a particularly blind mole with a bag on its head. And then you have to descend, which can take the form of an endless downward spiral in the mud . But don't worry if you're injured, the neighbouring Challice Well springs the water of eternal life.....I'm sure it wasn't brown with bits in in the Bible, mind - Adam Brett

VENICE
Although it's too easy to descend into snobbery, it must be granted that even the world's greatest spectacles can be ruined by excessive tourism. The place to be seen is simply overwhelmed by the people seeing it. Case in point...Venice. More like a lemming farm than Vivaldi's hometown. The few remaining inhabitants have become worn-out props in a play that too many people have shown up to see - Paul Latshaw

GRAND CANYON SKYWALK
I visited in June 2008. It was an hour's drive off road where you were greeted with a $20 parking fee on arrival. To get to it was another $30 to go on a bus tour, and an additional $30 if you wanted to get off and actually go on the Sky Walk. Taking your own photos was prohibited, the only option was to purchase photos taken on your behalf. We didn't bother with any of this - after paying the $20 to park and finding out the other costs we got back in the car, drove on to Las Vegas and never looked back - Andrew Everett

MONA LISA, THE LOUVRE, PARIS
Crowds six deep with barriers six metres from the painting. Very underwhelming - Rob Dunbar

PYRAMIDS, CAIRO
The Pyramids and Sphinx! I had believed, until we tumbled out of our coach, that they were located in the middle of the desert, miles from the nearest city or town. They are RIGHT next to Cairo and to be frank, boring, which may explain why there were so few people there. A massive let down to all of us on the trip made worse by the locals trying to force you to buy their wears - was little different to the antipodean chuggers on a British high street. The only upside is the history of both wonders. Reading about them is a lot more interesting than the visit - Al S

LITTLE MERMAID, COPENHAGEN
The most overrated tourist attraction I've ever seen is The Little Mermaid statue. I lived there for a year and despite telling everyone to not bother they all have to go and tick it off...only to find the worlds most ordinary and uninspiring statue in the middle of nowhere surrounded by Japanese tour buses - Sam P

SPANISH STEPS, ROME
I would add the Spanish Steps to this list. Unimpressive and ultimately, just steps. Lots of them - Chris P---www.timesonline.co.uk

The Most Dangerous Mountains on the Planet

2009-10-19T12:17:00.000-07:00

Take it or leave it, this morbid article on the climbing world’s most dangerous mountains has a few interesting nuggets. Did you know that K2 is thought to have a curse against women? Or that Mt. Washington in New Hampshire is more dangerous, stats-wise, than Denali? Read on for the full scoop, a list of the World’s 10 Most Dangerous Mountains for Climbing. . .

1. ANNAPURNA, Central Nepal (26,545 ft.)
On this mountain, the 10th highest in the world, about 130 climbers have summited the avalanche-prone peak, but 53 have died trying — making Annapurna’s fatality rate of 41% the highest in the world.

2. NANGA PARBAT, Kashmir (26,657 ft.)
Known affectionately as the Man Eater, this craggy monster in Kashmir is an enormous ridge of rock and ice. The peak is the ninth highest in the world and its southern side features the tallest mountain face on the planet. Nanga Parbat claimed 31 lives before it was conquered by Austrian Herman Buhl in 1953.

3. SIULA GRANDE, Peruvian Andes (20,814 ft.)
In 1985, the duo of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, whose journey was chronicled in the book and film Touching the Void, attempted the western face of Siula Grande: a sheer, vertical ascent that had never been completed. They made it to the summit but Simpson fell during the descent, breaking his leg. Then Yates, lowering the injured Simpson down by rope, lost sight of him over a cliff. After an hour passed, with his position slipping away, and Simpson unable to secure himself, Yates cut the rope. Incredibly, Simpson survived the 100 ft. fall into a crevasse. Over the next three days he subsisted on melted snow and hopped the five miles back to camp, arriving shortly before Yates, assuming Simpson had perished, was due to depart for home.

4. K2, border of Pakistan and China (28,251 ft.)
The second highest mountain in the world, this peak has a nasty reputation, especially when it comes to female climbers. The first woman to reach the summit was the legendary Polish climber Wanda Rutkiewicz, who got to the top in June 1986. Over the next 18 years all five female climbers who summited this peak were killed. Three died during the descent down K2, two others on nearby mountains. Rutkiewicz also perished close by, on Kangchenjunga in 1992. The curse was finally broken in 2004 by Edurne Pasaban, a 31-year-old Spanish mountaineer, who remains alive to this day.

5. KANGCHENJUNGA, border between India and Nepal (28,169 ft.)
In 1999, a new James Bond novel found the uber-agent trekking up its dramatic ridges. James may have stopped to admire the gorgeous view, but, as our hero knows well, looks can be deceiving. Avalanches and bitter colds have made this one of the deadliest mountains in the world

6. THE MATTERHORN, border between Switzerland and Italy (14,691 ft.)
These days the principle danger on the Matterhorn is its popularity, with overeager tourists sending loose rocks onto the heads of fellow climbers below.

7. EVEREST (29,029 ft.), border between Nepal and China
With its marquee status, it would be easy to assume that this is the deadliest mountain of them all. But pound for pound, Everest claims a fairly small percentage of climbers (9%), considering the number that attempt it every year.

8. MT. WASHINGTON (6,288 ft), New Hampshire
To experience a killer mountain a little closer to home, look no further than this New Hampshire peak. The rapidly shifting weather, hurricane force winds, and summer ice pellets scouring this slope have claimed more than 100 lives. Temperatures at the peak can descend to -50 degrees Farenheit. In fact, the strongest wind gust ever measured on Earth was recorded on this peak, a gale of 231 mph.

9. DENALI, Alaska (20,320 ft.)
The mountain is prone to earthquakes. And the combination of high altitude and extreme latitude also means altitude sickness kicks in much faster. (At the equator, a peak this size would have about half as much oxygen at the summit than at sea level; because of the latitude, the percentage on Denali is far lower.)

10. Mt. Fuji, Japan (12,388 ft.)
Sometimes you don’t have to be a tall mountain to be a lethal one. Take Mt. Fuji, for example. At its base sits the Sea of Trees, a large expanse of cedar, pine, and boxwood trees that was the only area not overrun by lava and ash during a massive eruption in 1707. This forest, know as Aokigahara, has attained cult status among Japanese as the perfect place to die. Rumors about the woods abound: locals speak of magnetic fields that disorient search and rescue operations; the forest’s population is said to consist of snakes, wild dogs, and the occasional demon.---gearjunkie.com

The Cleanest Countries in the World

2009-10-18T05:07:00.000-07:00

Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in Northern Europe -56.7

Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway , is a country in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula.

Canada
Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America. Extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean, Canada shares land borders with the United States.

Sweden
Sweden, officially the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe.

Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked nation of 7

New Zealand
New Zealand is a country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two large islands and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands.

Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the mainland of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania and a number of other islands in the Southern, Indian and Pacific Oceans

Austria
Austria, officially the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe

Iceland
Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland is a country of northwestern Europe, comprising the island of Iceland and its outlying islets in the North Atlantic Ocean between the rest of Europe and Greenland

Denmark
Denmark, officially the Kingdom of Denmark is the southernmost and geographically smallest of the five Nordic countries if its offshore territories are excluded, and the largest if they are included---www.1iverating.com

Ten Scariest Airports in the World

2009-10-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

Nervous fliers, stop reading! Travel + Leisure has come up with a list of the world's scariest runways that can make even the most relaxed travellers grip their armrest.
1. Paro Airport, Bhutan
Tucked into a tightly cropped valley and surrounded by 4900-metre-high Himalayan peaks, Bhutan's only airport is forbidding to fly into. It requires specially trained pilots to manoeuver and land through a channel of tree-covered hillsides.
2. Princess Juliana International Airport, St. Maarten
The length of the runway is just 2180 metres which is fine for small or medium-size jets, but as the second-busiest airport in the Eastern Caribbean, it regularly welcomes wide-body jetliners like Boeing 747s and Airbus A340s which fly in low over Maho Beach and skim just over the perimeter fence.
3. Reagan National Airport, Washington, DC
Located smack in the center of two overlapping air-exclusion zones, Reagan National requires pilots flying the so-called River Visual into the airport to follow the Potomac while steering clear of sensitive sites such as the Pentagon and CIA headquarters. On taking off, pilots need to climb quickly and execute a steep left bank to avoid flying over the White House.
4. Gibraltar Airport, Gibraltar
Pinched in by the Mediterranean on its eastern flank and the Bay of Algeciras on its western side, the airport's truncated runway stretches just 1828 metres and requires pinpoint precision.
5. Matekane Air Strip, Lesotho
The 399-metre-long runway is perched at the edge of a couloir at 2300 metres. You drop down the face of a 609-metre cliff until you start flying. Says bush pilot Tom Claytor: "The rule in the mountains is that it is better to take off downwind and downhill than into wind and uphill, because in Lesotho, the hills will usually out-climb you."
6. Barra Airport, Barra, Scotland
The airport on the tiny Outer Hebridean Island of Barra is actually a wide shallow bay onto which scheduled planes land with the roughness of landings determined by how the tide went out.
7. Toncontin Airport, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Having negotiated the rough-hewn mountainous terrain, pilots must execute a dramatic 45-degree, last-minute bank to the left just minutes prior to touching down in a bowl-shaped valley on a runway just 1862 metres in length. The airport, at an altitude of 1000 metres, can accommodate aircraft no larger than Boeing 757's.
8. John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York
Pilots have to avoid interfering with flights into New York's two other close-by airports, LaGuardia and Newark. Set up in 1964 as a noise-abatement measure, this approach forces pilots to have a reported 457-metre ceiling and a eight-kilometre visibility before lining up with runway 13L and the waters of Jamaica Bay.
9. Madeira Airport, Funchal, Madeira
Wedged in by mountains and the Atlantic, Madeira Airport requires a clockwise approach for which pilots are specially trained. Despite a unique elevated extension that was completed back in 2000 and now expands the runway length to what should be a comfortable 2743 metres, the approach to Runway 05 remains hair-raising. Pilots must first point their aircraft at the mountains and, at the last minute, bank right to the runway.
10. Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, Saba, Netherlands Antilles
Perched on a precipitous gale-battered peninsula on the island's northeastern corner, the airport requires pilots to tackle blustery trade winds, occasional spindrift, and their own uneasy constitutions as they maneuver in for a perfect landing on a runway that's just 396 metres long.---Reuters.com

Sustainable Tourism in India - Is It Possible?

2009-10-18T04:54:00.000-07:00

What can an upcoming country learn from tourists and tourism is the first thing that comes to mind after many visits across India. Quite often it is the tourist who is “supposed” to be the wrongdoer when it is actually the other way around. We talk about sustainable tourism little realizing whether the cities and towns we live in rarely provide us an opportunity of leading a sustainable life. With an ever-increasing population the pressure it builds on natural resources leaves little room for doubt; we need more introspection from our own side. Needless to say, die-hard patriots who believe nothing negative should be said or spoken may have a point.
However, it is important to constantly keep on presenting perspectives based on some insightful experience gained over the past. To the point of being extremely pragmatic, I must admit the more attentive we are to predicaments that will become irremovable obstacles, the easier will be our task in future.
Recently, a friend of mine who built a house for himself in southern India remarked that water could be sourced from the bore well only at a depth of six hundred feet, while a couple of years earlier he had been able to source it at four hundred and fifty feet. Only this afternoon, friends who had been on an air-conditioned journey by train across India couldn't help complaining about the constant intrusion of cockroaches inside the compartment they were traveling in. “Never again in a train,” they said. I could barely blurt out a reply.
The question uppermost in most peoples mind is with population reaching staggering heights is: will we be able to provide just that amount of extra space many tourists long for? High density of population does leave many tourists wondering how do they manage. For example, a cycle rickshaw ride in Varanasi from downtown part to the ghats has many heads shaking more in disbelief and less in amusement. It's an experience of a lifetime, most brochures say. I sit back and wonder: is this the best we can afford or could we make it better?
You can't help noticing a huge burst in numbers when you are in the vicinity of railway station, quite obviously people living in the surrounding areas find the surrounding area an ideal ground for their livelihood, paying little heed to the comfort level of a visitor. The challenge of existences overrides all other priorities. One cannot help but agree, because if begging on the street is able to provide a square meal to a family of four, then providing sanitary surroundings gains little importance. One can then reasonably infer that either the administration has failed or we (read: locals) have chosen to give it the blind look. As a journalist quite rightly remarked in one of her recent articles, there is no use boasting about us having the largest number of people in the “young” category (in the world) when we cannot provide a decent dignified life to half the number.
Over the years a number of incidents, I have come across make me realize India may lose the opportunity if it doesn't address the situation quickly. An unattended corpse at the railway station in north India, a railway station without water supply for the complete day, local completing their morning rituals over make shift toilets built on stilts, where the human waste runs into flowing streams in the mountainous regions, the absolute disregard for spitting in most public places, untreated garbage hills within city and town limits, our complete indifference to increasing noise levels (be it from impatient horns or sound speakers blasting high decibels of incomprehensible music) makes me wonder how locals have such complete disregard for basic issues. The root cause once again shifts to India’s growing numbers, where on an average, each year the country add one Australia to our population base, which is roughly equal to twenty million people. When India adds its insensitivity and its blatant belief in not addressing this issue because it would effect sense and sensibilities, locals are effectively pulling the coat over their own head.
Tourism can sensitize local communities about comfort levels that need to be maintained in order to support a growing industry that has the lowest level of pollution as compared to other forms of industrialization. By means of interacting, it will help locals realize a certain amount of sanitation is the need of the day. Most importantly, it will help local authorities understand that often the best they do may not be sufficient. At a recent conference of tour operators, it was heartening to note that large amounts have been made available to local governments to increase spending in infrastructure and other facilities that would greatly increase amenities provided to tourists. This indirectly would benefit the locals with greater development in the region.
Off course, the next question that concerns all is whether development would be sustainable or would it simply meaning cutting forests to make way for the roads. Surprisingly, tourism is not on the list of the ten most important projects to which the government will offer preferential treatment, though tourism contributes more than 6 percent to India’s GDP. This is sad, but true.
Global warming is beginning to play havoc with weather patterns, India had unpredictable rains all through this season. Some pundits predict drought is around the corner while the weatherman is still hopeful of more rains during the months of September and October. Days are becoming increasingly hotter, while artificial gadgets available in cities and towns in the form of coolers helps keep tempers and temperatures down. A leading economist predicts more than 80 percent of India will live in towns and cities in the next two decades, which, while being a cause of encouragement for all, could have unseen consequences in store for us (if development is done in a haphazard manner).
A welcome initiative is the UNDP project begun three years ago and seeks to promote rural tourism. It is a brilliant move because it encourages tourists to live and experience life in Indian villages, while it also seeks to protect the livelihood of the villages in the form of preservation of their traditional arts and crafts, the produce would quite naturally be picked up by visiting tourists and encourage locals to produce more and act as a deterrent to move to the big cities and towns in search of employment. Close to thirty villages have already been identified and rural tourism is being promoted in these places. More villages will join the platform: some light at the end of the tunnel.---www.eturbonews.com

Some of the Weirdest Buildings in the World

2009-10-18T04:47:00.000-07:00

This July, the American Institute of Architects forecasted steep declines in nonresidential construction spending through 2010. Spending is projected to decrease by 16 percent this year and another 12 percent in 2010. With less money flowing through the industry, high-end design projects are likely to be scaled back; architects, builders and regular folk are opting for retrofits with more practical design. While the demand may be turning to minimal and frugal architecture, unusual design still holds a place for museums and other prominent locations, primarily because it is so effective at turning heads. Here are some of our favorite unusual designs for museums, offices, homes and libraries—and why they are so effective at drawing attention.
Waldspirale
Background: Friedensreich Hundertwasser, an Austrian architect and painter, designed this building, which contains 105 apartments and a restaurant.
How It’s Strange: Buildings are not usually this gaudy. “It’s fantastical,” says Toby Israel, a design psychologist and author of Some Place Like Home. Hundertwasser, known for his colorful, irregular-shaped buildings, chose windows of different shapes and sizes for this apartment. In addition, the building’s colors are meant to represent layers of sediment rock.
30 St. Mary Axe
Background: This is the second tallest building in the City of London. Opened in 2004, it is commonly referred to as the Gherkin, after the cucumber-like fruit. Its suggestive shape also earned it the nickname “Towering Innuendo.”
How It’s Strange: The building’s roundness is striking; its maximum circumference is only two meters less than its height. Such roundness is rare because it requires computer-aided design, as well as a more costly construction, Israel says. In addition, the Gherkin is mostly windows, with 24,000 square meters of external glass, a unique, energy-efficient building approach.
Habitat 67
City: Montreal, Canada
Background: This apartment building was built for Expo 67, the 1967 world exhibition held in Canada. Although Habitat 67 was supposed to provide affordable housing after the Expo ended—much like the stated plans for Vancouver’s Olympic Village— its apartments go for luxury apartment prices because of the unique architecture.
How It’s Strange: The apartments look oddly positioned and disjointed, but Israel says there’s actually a purpose behind the design: Habitat 67 is made from 354 cubes, stacked so that no window faces toward another window to provide privacy. “It’s unusual-looking,” Israel says, “but it’s user-friendly.”
The Egg
City: Albany, NY
Background: This building is the Center for Performing Arts. It holds two theaters for concerts and shows, one seating 450 people and the other with capacity for 892.
How It’s Strange: You won’t see many copies of this design because it requires an intensive support system. A heavily-reinforced concrete beam helps maintain the egg shape and transmit its weight to the supporting stem, which extends six stories underground. The end result is a building that looks like a sculpture, with an interior without straight lines or corners.
Community Bookshelf
Background: This funky building is the parking garage for Kansas City’s Central Library. It features 22 book titles, which the Kansas City Public Library Board of Trustees selected from library members’ suggestions.
How It’s Strange: This is another case of using huge realistic objects to catch the eye; the book spines measure approximately 25 by 9 feet. The book titles include The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes and Romeo and Juliet.
Guggenheim Museum
Background: Renowned architect Frank Gehry designed the Guggenheim Museum in an industrial city in Northern Spain. Glass walls link the building’s striking curves, which are made of stone, glass and titanium.
How It’s Strange: The building fits into a style of architecture called deconstructivism, which is known for “stimulating unpredictability and controlled chaos,” Israel says. A building of this complexity is rare because it requires advanced technology to design. For example, Gehry created these mathematically complex curves with a 3D computer design program initially developed for the aerospace industry.
Ferdinand Cheval’s Ideal Palace
Background: Ferdinand Cheval, a rural postman, built this palace between 1879 and 1912. He had no background in architecture or masonry, and a uniquely shaped stone was the inspiration for the project. Today, the castle is a popular tourist destination.
How It’s Strange: The palace mixes architectural styles from different epochs and places, such as Northern Europe, China and Algiers. Cheval used a variety of materials, including limestone, shells and stones, to create this elaborately carved building. He spent almost three decades just gathering stones for the project.
Lotus Temple
Background: Officially known as the Bah‡’’ House of Worship, this temple is one of the most visited structures in India. Over 8000 people attended its opening ceremony in 1986.
How It’s Strange: The building is designed to represent the lotus flower, a religious symbol for various religions prevalent in India, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. “When it comes to spiritual architecture,” Israel says, “you’re looking for some kind of personal meaning or connection.” The temple consists of three sets of petals, covered in marble, and it is open at the top.
Cadet Chapel
Background: The chapel is part of the United States Air Force Academy. It’s an all-faith place of worship, with four separate chapels—one for Protestants, Catholics, Jews and Buddhists.
How It’s Strange: This chapel is a spiritual building designed to have viewers experience religion—and the house of worship—in a new way, Israel says. It consists of 17 spires soaring 150 feet into the air.
Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum
Background: The building, opened in 1996, serves as a museum.
How It’s Strange: The circular building resembles a UFO. A cylinder 29.5 feet in diameter supports the entire structure, which makes it seem like it’s floating above the surrounding water. In addition, the building was treated with a heat-resistant material that has been used to protect NASA rockets.
Cube Houses
Background: The 38 cubes, built on top of a pedestrian bridge in 1984, are residential homes that overlook a commercial area with restaurants and shops.
How It’s Strange: Architect Piet Blom wanted each cube to represent an abstract tree—taken together, all the cubes are supposed to make a forest. The tilted cubes sit on hexagonal poles. Each one is three stories, with the top story a three-sided pyramid covered in windows.
Library of Alexandria
Background: The library is located almost exactly where an ancient Egyptian library once stood. This modern version rises 11 stories and attracts 1 million visitors a year.
How It’s Strange: The most striking feature of the library is its large, slanted disc, which represents a rising sun. This is supposed to symbolize an emerging place of learning; in addition, sun discs played a role in ancient Egyptian religion and mythology.---www.netflipper.com

Sicily Considered the Best Destination on the Planet

2009-10-18T04:41:00.000-07:00

Readers of Conde Nast Traveller voted Sicily as their favourite island holiday destination, beating “rivals” such as The Maldives and Barbados. Indeed, so impressed were the magazine's readers with Sicily’s climate, food, people and hospitality that the island came top in the overall rankings - 1st place in The World’s Top 100.

Meanwhile, for the 2nd time in 3 years, Conde Nast Traveller readers voted thinkSicily as one of the Top 10 Villa Rental Companies in the world. The only specialist regional operator in the top 10, thinkSicily is the obvious choice for anyone wishing to visit Sicily.

thinkSicily has had another excellent year with thousands of satisfied clients enjoying a stay at one or more of their villas, all of which are exclusive to thinkSicily and impossible to find anywhere else. This ensures that the company's stringently high standards correspond to the equally high expectations of its clientele.

Working in close collaboration with their award-winning local team, thinkSicily's London office expert travel consultants design bespoke villa holidays for all manner of groups: families, honeymooners, friends, wedding parties, once-in-a-lifetime extended family get-togethers and much more. Transfers, helicopter rides, boat charters, in-house cooks, Mount Etna adventures and guides can all be arranged to ensure everything goes smoothly or to add something special and unforgettable to the holiday.

As testified to by Conde Nast Traveller Readers, Sicily is a fantastic destination, and thinkSicily the best specialist villa rental company for the island - the perfect combination for your 2010 holiday! If you've never travelled to Sicily, now is the time to do so! And if you've been before, you will know there is always something more to see and do on this most varied and multifaceted island.---www.traveldailynews.com

Sell Smoke-free Cigarettes for Passengers Flying Ryanair

2009-10-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

Passengers flying with Irish budget carrier Ryanair and banned from smoking while on board can get their nicotine fix by inhaling "smokeless" cigarettes, the airline announced this week.
The new range of cigarettes, which do not have to be lit but provide a nicotine "hit" for smokers, are available on all Ryanair flights, the Dublin-based airline said in a statement received on Monday.
Ryanair said smokers no longer had "to worry about long flights without a cigarette as it launches a new range of smokeless cigarettes to ensure passengers get their required nicotine hit without breaking the law by 'lighting up' onboard".
It added: "Smoking on commercial flights has been illegal since the 1990s but now to cater to passengers' demands, Ryanair has introduced Similar Smokeless Cigarettes, which look and feel like a real cigarette and deliver a small amount of nicotine through inhalation."
The smokeless cigarettes are available to passengers aged over 18 years old, while a pack of ten costs six euros (A$10.20).---www.smh.com.au

New Hotelier Rules Anger Hispanics - Change Name and Speak English Only

2009-10-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

Larry Whitten said a woman recently walked into his hotel wanting to speak with him. "She was one of these mountain people that live around here," Whitten said, "one of these potheads who escaped society."
Whitten owns and operates the Whitten Inn in Taos, and, for the last month, protesters have stood outside holding signs and shouting "Boycott! Boycott!" from the sidewalk at anyone who heads toward the hotel's front doors.
The "mountain" woman had talked with the protesters and wanted to hear Whitten's side of the story.
The controversy began after Whitten fired several hotel workers and told some to use Anglo versions of their Spanish first names like Martin and Marcos (they were instructed to go by Martin, without the accent, and Mark instead). Whitten also told employees they couldn't speak Spanish, at least when they're around him.
"This mountain lady who wanted to hear the truth, she asks me, 'When you told Martin his name was gonna change, did you ask him how he felt about that?' " Whitten said.
"I said 'Lady, I'm not running a nursery.' When the Marine Corps teaches you to hit the dirt because there's a grenade, you don't say, 'Hey fellas, you wanna hit the dirt or you wanna get your ass blown up?'"
Whitten came to Taos this summer to take the reins of financially strapped Paragon Inn, a hotel described by one reviewer on TripAdvisor. com as "Old, dusty and dirty." Determined to make his new investment a success, Whitten enacted a host of policies he says are standard practice in all his hotels, including having some employees change their names. He quickly fired at least seven people. Now, former employees and other members of the Hispanic community in Taos are calling him a racist, the daily boycott protests off Paseo del Pueblo Sur/N.M. 68 -- the main road into Taos from the south -- are denting the Whitten Inn's bottom line, and a prominent national Latino organization is threatening to sue.
Whitten said that he is in the "distressed hotel business" and that the Paragon Inn is the 29th hotel he's taken over. One of his first acts as owner was to hold a meeting with the employees. At that meeting, everyone was fired, then rehired on a probationary basis (except for two workers under 18, who Whitten said couldn't stay on because of insurance issues).
Martin Gutierrez, 21, is one of the employees sacked soon after Whitten took over.
"At that first meeting, he told us things weren't working out the way the business was being run, that we, the employees, were running the business down and most of us probably wouldn't like his ways," Gutierrez said.
One of the many rules Whitten established was that no employee could speak Spanish in his presence. Whitten has another policy he institutes at his hotels, which has gone over poorly with Hispanics in Taos -- he insists employees "simplify" their names.
Martin Gutierrez was told to go by Martin, without the Spanish accent on the second syllable. "When you say Martin with a Spanish accent, and you try to embellish it, I thought he was saying 'My thing,' " Whitten said.
Another employee, named Marcos, was told to change his name to Mark. Or Bill.
Whitten, 63 and a veteran of the Marines, runs a tight ship. He insists employees arrive for shifts 10 minutes early, and he's crafted a philosophy strictly tailored to the idea that he must not lose a single customer.
About two weeks after he took over, five employees said they needed a meeting, and one called the police to ensure their protection. Whitten said they were all in his office when one of the workers called him a white supremacist.
"The whole meeting was about this," Whitten said. "Not name changes, not culture, not speaking Spanish." That same employee called him "white (expletive)," Whitten said, and so he fired that worker and those who had rallied alongside him.
Whitten also said he needed to shake up the hotel's loose atmosphere. Last week, he made an employee write the words "One moment please" 100 times after failing repeatedly to use that phrase with customers being put on hold.
Two days after the meeting and the firings, the picketing started.
The League of United Latin American Citizens was alerted to the situation at the Whitten Inn and is considering legal action.
A LULAC representative was sent to Taos and organized a news conference. When she got here, LULAC National Youth President Jessica Martinez saw the words "LULAC group says owner a white (expletive). Who's the real racist?" on the Whitten Inn marquee.
That day, Martinez wrote a letter threatening legal action if the sign wasn't changed (LULAC says it wasn't one of their people who used the racial slur), and the letter was delivered by police.
The words quickly came down.---www.hotelsmag.com

Learn Some Unspoken Rules of Air Travel

2009-10-09T11:52:00.000-07:00

THEY are the unspoken rules of air travel, yet many passengers appear to ignore them.
Airline seat etiquette boundaries are often broken; resulting in in-flight fights and air rage rants.
From rows over the arm rests to arguments over body odour, travellers’ holidays are ruined before they have even arrived at their destination.
Somewhere along our travels we have forgotten how to be good passengers.
So let’s get a few things straight… farts belong in the toilet; singing out loud to the music on your iPod is a no, no and never, ever, take your shoes and socks off.
From cross cabin conversations to knowing when to climb over your fellow passenger, become the perfect passenger with our ultimate guide to seatmate etiquette.
1. Go slowly when tilting your seat back, and it's nice to tell people behind first, especially when food and drink is served
2. Farts belong in the toilet
3. Farts belong in the toilet
4. Try not to resemble the Cookie Monster when eating your in-flight meal
5. Don't have your iPod too loud, and don't sing, hum or tap along to the song you're listening to
6. No inappropriate stretching near fellow flyers
7. Make sure you won't flop onto the person sitting next to you when you are asleep
8. No cross cabin conversations with the people in the other aisle
9. Don't talk when passengers are trying to sleep/listen to music with earphones
10. Don't knee or kick the seat in front. Same goes for your kids
11. If you need to go to the toilet a lot, ask to switch seats
12. Armrest stays down except under mutual agreement
13. If your seatmate has nodded off and you have to get out, you are allowed to crawl over them if you know you can do it without waking them up---www.news.com.au

Lake Forest To Witness the Opening of $22 Million Holiday Inn

2009-10-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)], the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms, announced today that the Holiday Inn Irvine South/Irvine Spectrum will open within a month.
The property will showcase the brand’s new sign, which is the seal of approval that this hotel exemplifies the standards of the $1 billion Holiday Inn brand relaunch program. The Holiday Inn brand relaunch is the largest in the history of the hospitality industry, with more than 3,200 hotels around the world being updated - improving quality and driving consistency at Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels around the world. The global estate is expected to be relaunched by the end of 2010, and more than 1,000 hotels have been already been relaunched to date.
“We are thrilled to welcome this property to the Holiday Inn family of hotels with the brand new sign and everything it represents. Holiday Inn hotels are specifically designed for business and family oriented leisure travelers in need of a full-service lodging experience, and this property fits well within that offering,” said Gina LaBarre, vice president, Brand Delivery, the Americas, IHG. “Development in Irvine is important in expanding our Holiday Inn consumer base and growing an even stronger presence across the Americas.”
The 148-room Holiday Inn Irvine South/Irvine Spectrum offers a variety of amenities including an outdoor pool and spa, sundries shop with ATM, and iPhone docking stations with radio alarm in each guestroom.
The hotel’s dining facility, Kem’s Restaurant, features the Holiday Inn Best-4-Breakfast menu, featuring signature items such as Cinnamon Supreme French ToastTM and Skillet InspirationsTM. Kids 12 and younger eat free at Holiday Inn when ordering from the kids’ menu in the hotel restaurant and accompanied by a dining adult. Room Service Right…On TimeTM, also a standard at all Holiday Inn hotels, ensures that guests’ room service orders are accurate and delivered on time, every time. Guests can also enjoy the hotel’s lounge, Kem’s, which will offer contemporary American cuisine. With more than 900 square feet of function space, the hotel will also be available for business meetings.
Standard Holiday Inn guestroom accommodations feature comfortable queen or king-sized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair, cable television, hairdryer, coffee maker, iron and ironing board. Guest beds are made using crisp, white bedding with pillows that come in two comfort levels: “soft” and “firm.” Bathrooms include a specially designed showerhead that offers superior pressure, as well as a signature shower curtain with curved rod and new amenities. Guestrooms provide a work desk and ergonomic chair, data ports and complimentary USA TODAY® newspapers.
Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts participates in IHG’s guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards. The industry’s first and largest guest loyalty program has 44 million members. Priority Club Rewards membership is free and guests can enroll by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG’s more than 4,300 hotels worldwide.
The Holiday Inn Irvine South/Irvine Spectrum is owned and managed by SoCal Hospitality, LLC, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group. The hotel is located at 23131 Lake Center Dr. Lake Forest, CA 92630.---california.realestaterama.com

In 2009 We Have the Lowest Hotel Prices Since 2003

2009-10-09T11:40:00.000-07:00

Don't put off plans to travel around the world much longer -- a new survey shows hotel prices are at their lowest in over five years, thanks, in part, to the economic downturn.
The latest Hotel Price Index (HPI), by Hotels.com, found average room prices across the globe fell 17 percent in the six months to June compared to the same 2008 period, and to the same levels as 2003, as the economic crisis kept away guests.
A large number of hotels also opened shortly before the financial doldrums, further dampening prices, said Nigel Pocklington, vice president of marketing for Hotels.com.
"It's a fantastic time for travellers," Pocklington said. "Hotel prices have pretty much collapsed, they're down to the same levels as 2003. Exchange rate fluctuations have helped make a lot of destinations much cheaper."
"Demand for travel, especially business travel, has been hard hit by the economic crisis, and at the same time there's a lot of hotel rooms on supply. This falling demand and rising supply can only mean one thing -- price cutting."
The HPI tracks real prices paid per hotel room rather than advertised rates. It is based on prices actually paid by customers at 78,000 hotels across 13,000 locations, and the latest index covered the period from January to June 2009.
Latin American hotels saw the steepest price fall year-on-year of 18 percent, as the H1N1 flu outbreak hit tourism hard, while North American hoteliers cut prices by 17 percent. The average price for a hotel room in a European hotel was 16 percent lower than a year before, the survey showed.
In Asia, where hotel prices had been holding up better than those in other regions, the decline in business travellers sent prices falling 17 percent. Only hotels in the Caribbean appeared immune, reducing rates by just 1-2 percent.
"Not since 2001, in the aftermath of 9/11, has there been such a collapse -- surely the word is justified -- in global hotel prices," David Roche, hotels.com president, said in a statement.
The Italian island of Capri was able to get away with charging the world's highest hotel rates during the six-month period -- USD$279 a night, up 12 percent compared to last year.
Moscow saw the steepest fall in prices -- more than 50 percent -- followed by Mumbai.
But with the exception of Capri, the rest of the world's 10 most expensive destinations saw dramatic falls in prices paid by travellers compared to the same year-ago period.
As for the rest of the year, Pocklington said it would all depend on how quickly the economy would, or would not, recover.
"We're unlikely to see declines of this rate in the future, so it may well be stabilising by the end of the year," he said. "But, with prices closely tied to the level of economic activity, who knows?"---news.airwise.com

Greece In Search for Investors Willing to Give 1-Billion-Euro for Crete Airport

2009-10-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

Greece said on Tuesday it is inviting would-be investors to bid for a concession to build and manage a 1 billion euro airport on the resort island of Crete. The Greek government will contribute 220 million euros ($315.9 million) towards construction of the new facility at Kastelli, which will replace the existing airport at Heraklion, Crete’s biggest city, Environment Minister George Souflias said in a statement.
The government will hold a 55 percent stake in the new airport’s operating company. The winning bidder, which will provide the bulk of the funding, will have the remaining 45 percent and operate the airport for 35 years.
The new airport will have a capacity to handle between 5.5 and 10 million passengers per year and is projected to start operations in 2015, Souflias said. Greece, one of Europe’s biggest tourism destinations, is seeking private investment to help improve its infrastructure and attract more visitors. Crete is one of the country’s biggest resort islands.
Concession contracts have financed infrastructure projects in Greece, as the government is faced with chronic budget shortfalls and a high public debt. Athens airport, the country’s biggest, is managed under a concession held by German engineering firm Hochtief. Investors must submit bids for Kastelli airport by Feb. 9, 2010. The government expects to pick the winning bid in the first half of next year, Souflias said.---www.caribbeannewsdigital.com

Countries With the Highest number of Hotel and Resort Spas

2009-10-02T22:02:00.000-07:00

Relaxing massage after a day-long sightseeing tour around the city – is there any better way to get back your strength for the next day of your exciting holiday? Hotel and resort spas are a hit these days. Besides all kinds of massage you can enjoy often a whole range of unique procedures including hydro therapy, mud baths and much more. Euromonitor International announced the top countries with the highest number of hotel & resort spas.
10/ Mexico
No. of hotel/resort spas: 469
A current trend observed in spas is the shift from traditional spa centres with holistic treatments to the concept of medical spas, which are supported by medical equipment but continue providing consumers with relaxation therapies which improve their quality of life and health. Amongst the most important medical treatments offered are lymphatic drainage, which helps with weight loss and cellulite reduction. Another piece of equipment used is the hyperbaric chamber, which provides more oxygen to the body. This trend brought the opening of medical spa centres in the main capital cities and tourist destinations, which mainly attract foreign tourists. However, Mexican travellers are attracted by these novelty treatments, and are willing to pay for them.
9/ South Africa
No. of hotel/resort spas: 510
Many hotel/resort spas are located in areas of natural beauty and are used to complete a bundle of attractions geared at satisfying the needs of foreign and domestic tourists alike. These are most often found at hotels that are more likely to appeal to leisure tourists who want to unwind away from the city.
8/ Canada
No. of hotel/resort spas: 523
Spas are trying to build their own identities and differentiate themselves through their products and services, by promoting them as unique. There is an increase in foreign treatments and experiences, such as the growing number of Nordic spa services, particularly in Quebec. This is a spa experience based on the concept of alternating hot and cold temperatures over the course of two-to-four hours. Others attempt to attract more visitors by importing speciality creams and products from other regions of the world, with growing emphasis on source locations in Asia and the Middle East. While this is a growing trend, particularly among new establishments, other outlets are 'going back to basics' by offering all-natural and non-toxic products and services that were the norm decades ago within the spa industry.
7/ Italy
No. of hotel/resort spas: 579
In Italy there are hundreds of spas and traditional thermal baths, spa water treatments, healing mud treatments and a vast range of other therapies, relaxation techniques and seminars. Italy has some 2,300 mineral water sources in 930 locations, about a thousand of which are utilised. Two thirds are cold, while the rest exceed 20ºC, reaching up to l00ºC, which can thus be considered geothermal.
6/ New Zealand
No. of hotel/resort spas: 580
Rotorua’s thermal waters and mud have been recognized for their health-giving properties since pre-European times. Tour groups from North Asia (including South Korea and China) are the prime targets for spa business in Rotorua, with an expectation that spa treatment will relieve their muscle, joint and pain problems. Approximately 44% of all tourists coming to Rotorua are inbound travellers who come to experience the region’s natural spa.
5/ Brazil
No. of hotel/resort spas: 593
Overall, the number of resorts/spas is set to continue growing in the next five years. This is likely to spur health and wellness tourism not only in the Northeast region but also across the country, especially in areas where this type of tourism product has not yet been fully developed and which present enormous opportunity for growth.
4/ Australia
No. of hotel/resort spas: 611
Australian spas have attempted to integrate the mysticism of Australia's indigenous cultures into their offerings, incorporating products such as Australian plants and soil – featuring recipes and wisdom shared with them by tribal elders – and names such as "The Dreaming" – a reference to the mythical "Dreamtime" of ancient Aboriginal Australia – into their massages.
3/ Austria
No. of hotel/resort spas: 900
Hotel/resort spas offer every conceivable treatment – from traditional natural cures such as Kneipp's or an Austrian hay bath to all sorts of massages (Balinese massage, Thai massage, trigger point massage, Shaolin monk massage) as well as sound therapy, water therapy or Ayurveda to name but a few. New treatments are also being developed such as Haki Stretch and Relax (developed by an Austrian therapist), which is specifically designed for the tight neck and shoulder area of people who spend many hours in front of a computer.
2/ Japan
No. of hotel/resort spas: 1,040
Spa resort Hawaiians is the leader of spa-complex attractions, and is comprised of several spa amusements (spa pools), with the traditional style of theatre spas, stage shows, banqueting facilities and hotels. One of the spa pools is the largest in the world, and appears in the Guinness Book of Records.
1/ USA
No. of hotel/resort spas: 1,471
Spas have become an integral part of mid to high-end American travels. Consumers may play a full day of golf and have a massage at the end of the day as part of their trip. This trend has extended to men, who do not have as strong a presence as women, but who are also slowly gaining a stronger presence in spas.---www.tourism-review.com

Club Med About to Present Luxury Villas in Mauritius

2009-10-02T21:52:00.000-07:00

Club Med has responded to the demand for its upscale products, listened to feedback, and will soon be launching 26 uber-luxe private villas at its signature Mauritius resort, designed to help couples and families and friends find peace and relaxation in today’s modern world of technology, busy family life, endurance style working weeks, and off the dial stress levels .
A must-do destination for couple, the world renowned tropical island of Mauritius is home to Club Med La Plantation D’Albion, set in this exotic location, it is a near new, magnificent resort, where from April 2010 the 26 private pool villas will be available.
All guests, staying in the resort and the villas, will be able to take advantage of all-inclusive packages that Club Med is world famous for.
But for now, take advantage of the Save up to 30% offer* and stay in your choice of accommodation, room or suite (suite extra cost) in at La Plantation d’Albion Mauritius for 5 nights from $2998 (12+) from Perth, $2933 (12+) from Sydney, $3033 (12+) from Brisbane and $3256 (12+) from Melbourne.
Book from 15th Sep 09 to 31st Oct 09 and travel from 15th September till end of April 2010 (some blackout dates apply). Minimum five night stay, offer valid for Australian residents, Save 30% on land stay only, valid for low season, and for all ages.
The infinity edge pool overlooks the Indian Ocean, and some rooms have outdoor showers, with suites offering space and luxurious surroundings to make even hardened urbanites unwind in an instant.

Listening to the slosh of waves, the call of birds and the sounds of mother nature is a recipe for mental restoration in Mauritius, and coupled with French-Creole delicacies and sporting activities, you’ll feel refreshed and renewed in no time at all.
All inclusive really does include everything, airfares & taxes, accommodation, meals, open bar, sports activities and tuition, entertainment nightly, and a Day Spa is also on hand to de-stress (at extra cost).

Imagine your holiday has been hassle free to book with one phone call or a few clicks of a mouse and Club Med has completed the booking for you with one up-front price. Air fares & taxes, accommodation, three gourmet buffet meals a day, wine and beer with lunch and dinner, all day open bar and snacking for sunset drinks, an after dinner refreshment, or a romantic nightcap on the beach.
You are free to relax, make new friends if you choose, or simply reconnect with your loved one, sans modern technology and all its inherent distractions.
Your overwater suite, indoor/outdoor beach villa, or modern cool superior room is fitted with every amenity, and is a welcome haven to get loved up and feel like a couple again.---www.etravelblackboard.com

CityCenter of Las Vegas to Open in Three Months

2009-09-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

In just three short months, the world will be introduced to CityCenter. An extraordinary urban resort destination brought to life by eight world-renowned architects, CityCenter will debut a new era of resort experiences with an ambition to refine and redefine Las Vegas.

Conceived to bring a true center to The Strip, CityCenter will be much more than a collection of resorts and residences; it's a community – a welcoming environment for people to gather, relax and enjoy. Great pedestrian corridors, dynamic public spaces, authentic richness and diversity of experiences will evoke the energy of the world's most exciting places. CityCenter's public Fine Art Collection will enliven the street and engage passersby. As if in a strolling gallery, guests will happen upon works by world-renowned artists such as Maya Lin or Nancy Rubins as they wander through CityCenter's walkways, hotels and residences.

A true community also has regard for its surroundings. Upon opening, CityCenter will be one of the largest sustainable developments in existence, bringing a new level of environmental consciousness to the world-famous Strip. The U.S. Green Building Council already has awarded Gold LEED® certification to ARIA's hotel tower, convention center and theater; as well as Vdara Hotel. CityCenter's remaining venues are poised to receive a combination of Silver and Gold LEED® ratings.

"CityCenter bridges the vitality of Las Vegas with the experiences travelers seek when they visit great cities around the world, whether London, Hong Kong or San Francisco – spectacular architecture, culturally significant art, great public spaces, sophisticated hotels, unique restaurants and incredible amenities," said Bobby Baldwin, president and CEO, CityCenter. "It is an evolutionary destination that aims to transform Las Vegas as a new symbol at its core, like the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the Pompidou in Paris or the SONY Center in Berlin."

CITYCENTER'S GRAND OPENING SCHEDULE:
Vdara Hotel – December 1, 2009
Crystals retail and entertainment district – December 3, 2009
Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas – December 4, 2009
ARIA Resort & Casino – December 16, 2009
The Harmon – Late 2010
Residential occupancies slated to begin mid-January 2010

KEY ELEMENTS:
ARIA Resort & Casino – December 16, 2009
ARIA Resort & Casino will be a fusion of energy, inspiration and vision, featuring an unprecedented combination of striking architecture, sustainable design, high-end service and spectacular amenities. Even in a city such as Las Vegas, with its extraordinary history of dynamic cutting-edge developments, ARIA will be demonstrably different than anything that has preceded it.

Architecture. Designed by the world-renowned firm Pelli Clarke Pelli, ARIA's two breathtaking curvilinear steel and glass towers embody the excitement and vitality of Las Vegas in a 21st century building; a crystalline, undulating form gleaming in the desert light. Soaring open spaces, ranging from ARIA's three-story lobby to its guestrooms, will fill with natural light and evoke breadth and freedom.

Dining. ARIA has assembled many of the best and brightest chefs and restaurateurs from around the country, uniting a pair of remarkable Las Vegas newcomers with those who have played integral roles in the development of Las Vegas' culinary scene: Masayoshi Takayama, Shawn McClain, Michael Mina, Julian Serrano, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Sirio Maccioni, Jean-Philippe Maury and The Light Group. Each will deliver a concept totally new to their repertoire.
Entertainment. ARIA will take one of the most captivating, hip-swiveling forces of all time and re-create an old-school vibe in its intimate approximately 1,840-seat theatre. The visionary team at Cirque du Soleil has partnered with CKX, Inc. and its subsidiary Elvis Presley Enterprises to create a permanent production celebrating the timeless musical legacy of Elvis Presley. This production aims to pay tribute to Elvis' music and life, fusing dance and acrobatics, live music and iconic tracks, nostalgia and modernity, high technology and raw emotion. Extraordinary artistry, astonishing acrobatics, stunning special effects and The King will rev up vintage Vegas into a show like no other.

Art. At ARIA, famed artist Maya Lin is creating an approximately 84-foot silver cast of the Colorado River, which will be her first work of art displayed in Las Vegas; Jenny Holzer will display a thought-provoking LED sign spanning more than 280 feet; Tony Cragg has commissioned three sculptures that examine the relationship between nature and the man-made world: Bolt, 2007, Bent of Mind, 2008, and Untitled (tall column), 2008; and Antony Gormley will display Feeling Material XXVII, 2007, an 8-foot sculpture that uses spiraling steel to depict the silhouette of a human body at the center of an orbiting energy field.

Accommodations. Within ARIA's 4,004 guestrooms, including 568 suites, panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows will offer magnificent views of Las Vegas' striking skyline. Modern décor, lavish amenities, cutting-edge entertainment and next-generation technology will be the hallmark of these plush retreats.

Guestroom Technology. ARIA will feature the most technologically advanced guestrooms in the country. As guests first enter, they are "greeted" as curtains open, lights turn on and the TV displays a menu of preferences. Guests can wake up through controlled temperature, preferred music or TV channels and the opening of curtains. One touch can make-over the entire room: the "good night" button turns everything off – from TV and music to lights – as the privacy notification turns on.

Spa. In ARIA's 80,000-square-foot spa, nature's healing properties take center stage. Salt, stone, earth, fire and water join to create a spa experience that will elevate guests to a meditative state. The two-level Spa will feature 62 treatment rooms, a full-service salon, an advanced fitness center and Las Vegas' first co-ed spa balcony, featuring an outdoor therapy pool and views of ARIA's spectacular poolscape.

Nightclubs, Lounges and Bars. ARIA will feature 10 chic bars and lounges, including Haze Nightclub by The Light Group, a colossal cutting-edge space in which guests will be challenged to question their sense of perception and reality. Designed by award-winning interior design firm, ICRAVE, the nightclub will feature large hanging props over the entryway that will draw guests to a grand staircase transporting them to the mezzanine level where they will enjoy a bird's-eye view of the action below. The main dance floor will peer up at a wall of interactive projection screens stretching 100 feet across on a performance structure where impromptu acts by world-renowned artists will regularly take place.

Meetings and Conventions. ARIA will provide a premium meeting experience with 300,000 square feet of technologically advanced meeting and convention space. A spectacular glass curtain wall will span the entire north façade of the three-level meeting facility, allowing guests the ability to enjoy the brilliance of natural light that streams in from ARIA's lush poolscape.

Pools. ARIA's vast 215,000-square-foot pool deck is a tropical oasis in the heart of the desert. Shielded by lush plantings of oversized palm, acacia, pine and bottle trees, the soft and sensual paradise will feature three primary pools, Liquid – an adults-only pool – hot tubs and more.

Casino. ARIA's casino approaches the gaming experience in a new light; natural light, to be specific, which streams onto the gaming floor in pools of illumination. Offering 150,000 square feet of gaming, ARIA's unique layout and design elements will allow guests to enjoy the energy and excitement of their favorite selections in a more personal and intimate setting. For high-end players, exclusive salons will offer high-limit slot and table games in private environments. Throughout the casino, never-before-seen technologies will allow ARIA to provide guests with unmatched customer service.
Reservations. Nightly room rates range from $179 to $799; suites range from $500 to $7,500. Reservations can be made for Dec. 17 and beyond via www.arialasvegas.com or 866-359-7757; concierge service and reservations for spa, salon and restaurants will be available beginning November 9.

Vdara Hotel – December 1, 2009
Vdara Hotel is an internationally inspired all-suite hotel and spa designed for those who love the excitement of Las Vegas but prefer to enjoy it in an exclusive, non-gaming and smoke-free environment. Physically connected to Bellagio and directly adjacent to ARIA Resort & Casino, Vdara offers access to all of the entertainment, gaming, shopping, dining and nightlife at CityCenter and in Las Vegas, while also providing a retreat from it all.

Architecture. Designed by RV Architecture, LLC, led by Rafael Viñoly, Vdara's distinctive crescent shape and unique skin of patterned glass will create one of the most striking design statements in Las Vegas. The sleek, shimmering structure will afford guests some of the most breathtaking views the city has to offer. Within, open spaces accented with materials and colors inspired by the warm desert landscape will fill with natural light to evoke a sense of peace and sophistication.

Dining. Martin Heierling, the acclaimed innovator behind Bellagio's renowned Sensi, will serve as executive chef for Vdara. Inspired by the ancient trade route spanning from Venice to the Far East, Silk Road will incorporate subtle spices and exotic ingredients to create modern trans-ethnic cuisine. Silk Road will transform as the day evolves, from fresh and lively at daybreak to chic and sexy at nightfall.

Art. For Vdara, Nancy Rubins has created one of the most visually stunning commissions at CityCenter with Big Edge. Measuring approximately 57 feet wide and 75 feet long, Big Edge is a colorful composition of numerous aluminum rowboats, canoes and other small river and ocean vessels finessed into a gravity-defying form that Rubins calls "a blooming flower." Peter Wegner has commissioned a solar-themed wall piece entitled Sun, 2009, and a lunar-themed piece entitled Moon, 2009. Sun soars to approximately 45 feet and Moon reaches approximately 34 feet high. Vdara also acquired Frank Stella's Damascus Gate Variation I, 1969, which features a design of interlaced semicircles made of fluorescent alkyd resin on a 96 x 384 inch shaped canvas.

Accommodations. Soaring 57 stories, Vdara will host 1,495 modern hotel suites, including 250 corner-end units, ranging from approximately 500 to 1,650 square feet. Each will feature a gourmet kitchen; many suites also will include a washer and dryer as an added convenience. Characterized by open floor plans and panoramic windows, the rooms will deliver expansive views of the city and mountains creating a relaxed and harmonious environment infused with an urban rhythm.

Spa. Vdara Health & Beauty, an 18,000-square-foot, two-level spa, salon and advanced fitness facility, is a sensuous spa sanctuary that spotlights holistic health and wellbeing in an intimate environment. Comprised of 11 treatment rooms and three distinct relaxation lounges, it will offer a selection of signature treatments that use quality ingredients derived from organic herbs, flowers, fruits, vegetables and essential oils. Vdara Health & Beauty is the first Las Vegas spa recognized by the Green Spa Network for its commitment to the environment and guest health.

Bar and Lounge. Bar Vdara, an eclectic lobby lounge, will be a setting inspired by nature that works as well for a morning espresso as it does for a late-night cocktail. Bar Vdara will connect to an intimate outdoor space that creates the feeling of being in a secluded garden oasis where guests can lounge on spacious swings as the nearby reflecting pool creates a shimmering mirage of twinkling stars overhead.

Meeting and Social Event Space. Vdara's conference facilities will welcome guests to a world of sophistication as rich in design as it is in technological and culinary offerings. Vdara will be the premier choice in Las Vegas for customized executive meetings, corporate, social and banquet functions for 10-400 guests in an upscale boutique hotel setting. Vdara's beautiful pool also will be available for private events and provide the dynamic backdrop of CityCenter and the Las Vegas Strip.

Pool. Rising above Harmon Circle, Vdara's luxurious Sky Pool & Lounge will invite guests to relax and socialize in an interactive environment surrounded by cutting-edge design and phenomenal views. The Sky Pool & Lounge will feature fully appointed retreat and spa cabanas with semi-secluded plunge pools, and a high-energy bar and lounge open day and evening. Guests can enjoy made-to-order cocktails and gourmet tapas by Chef Heierling.

Residences. Vdara also will be home to sophisticated condo-hotel units, including studios, deluxe studios, one- and two-bedroom residences as well as studio, one- and two-bedroom penthouses (single and two story).

Crystals retail and entertainment district – December 3, 2009
Crystals will house more than 500,000 square feet of sophisticated retail and dining. Designed by Studio Daniel Libeskind* with interior architecture by David Rockwell and Rockwell Group, Crystals will combine dramatic architecture with exclusive offerings from the world's most elite brands to become a preeminent shopping destination.

Architecture. Libeskind conceived Crystals' exterior to be a dynamic sculpture that presents a work of art from every angle. The multi-faceted, brilliant glass canopy depicts the intricate beauty of a quartz crystal that welcomes an abundance of natural light into the stunning three-level experiential environment.

Atmosphere. Within, Rockwell was inspired to create an abstracted 21st century park that will reintroduce and celebrate nature and seasons. A central element of this design is the three-story sculptural tree house that reaches 70 feet from the ground level to frame an oculus in the roof. Visible throughout Crystals, the tree house will serve as a meeting point for guests and unfold on the second level to surround the terrace seating at Mastro's Ocean Club. Crystals also will feature "changeable artwork" in the way of abstract hanging gardens, flower carpet and more. As the seasons change, so will the artwork, and all will be offset by intriguing murals and water features.

Retailers. Large-format luxury retailers Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Prada, Christian Dior, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, TIFFANY & CO., Mikimoto and Ermenegildo Zegna will be among the exceptional brands presented under Crystals' multi-faceted canopy of unprecedented brilliance. Unique-to-the-market retailers opening their first locations in Las Vegas include Tom Ford, Assouline, Kiton, Miu Miu, Paul Smith, Porsche Design, de Grisogono, H. Stern, Marni and Boutique Tourbillon.

Dining. Restaurants opening their first Las Vegas locations at Crystals include Eva Longoria Parker's BESO and Mastro's Ocean Club, joining an exciting new pub concept by Todd English. Wolfgang Puck will open two innovative new restaurant concepts, including a contemporary interpretation of a traditional French brasserie with tastes of the Mediterranean region. Many more luxury brands and dining concepts will be announced at a later date.

Art. In The Park between ARIA and Crystals, guests will find Henry Moore's Reclining Connected Forms, 1969-1974, a sculpture inspired by the fundamentals of the human experience. Measuring approximately 10 feet tall and 17 feet long by 7 feet deep, the abstract work of art displays a baby wrapped in its mother's embrace. On The Strip near Crystals, CityCenter has acquired works by French designer-sculptor François-Xavier Lalanne. CityCenter will showcase three of Lalanne's edition of Tourterelle, 1997, a large-scale turtledove crafted from aluminum and wood with a seat carved into its body and wings.

Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas – December 4, 2009
Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas will be a sophisticated sanctuary of modern elegance. The 47-story, non-gaming hotel and residences will deliver spectacular accommodations, superlative dining, an unparalleled spa, and the legendary service of the renowned hotel group to Las Vegas for the first time.

Architecture. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox with contemporary interiors by Adam D. Tihany, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas acts as a gateway to CityCenter, while simultaneously conveying a sense of intimacy and seclusion for guests and residents. The interlocking glass and metal elements of the façade draw inspiration from traditional Chinese motifs and serve to create a level of transparency that invites a flow of natural light within.

Dining. Situated on the 23rd floor will be the first U.S. restaurant by world-renowned, three-star Michelin Chef Pierre Gagnaire. Twist by Pierre Gagnaire will infuse the simplicity of classic French cuisine with a modern spin, relying on a pairing of flavors and textures for which Gagnaire is renowned. Guests also can enjoy small bites and high tea rituals at the Tea Lounge; fresh preparations of world-class cuisine at MOzen Bistro; and gourmet pastries, sandwiches and more at Amore Patisserie, located directly on Las Vegas Blvd.

Art. Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas will display Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen's Typewriter Eraser, Scale X, 1998-1999, a 19-foot stainless steel and fiberglass sculpture that depicts a giant blue and red typewriter eraser with the bristles of the brush turned upward in a graceful gesture. In its lobby, the hotel will feature sculptures soaring as high as 11 feet by Jun Kaneko: Untitled, Triangle Dango, 1996; Untitled, Dango, 2002; and Untitled, Dango, 1992. Jack Goldstein's Untitled (Volcano), 1983, depicting an explosive and vibrant image of an erupting volcano, also will be featured in the lobby. The property's exterior will display Masatoshi Izumi's sculpture Untitled, 2007-2008, made of large pieces of intricately carved basalt, a form of lava that has cooled on the surface of the volcano.

Accommodations. Spacious and welcoming, 392 rooms and luxurious suites and 227 residences will provide ultimate comfort in a sophisticated setting. Boasting floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the city, surrounding mountains and glittering lights of The Strip, these well-appointed rooms will combine contemporary elegance with subtle Oriental design. State-of-the-art environmentally conscious technology and cutting-edge entertainment systems, a Mandarin Oriental hallmark, will be found in every guestroom and suite.

Spa. The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas will be a 27,000-square-foot oasis for serenity and rejuvenation. This 1930s Shanghai-design inspired spa was developed to reflect the glamour and fusion from that era. This two-level relaxation haven will feature a menu based on Eastern methodologies with Western applications. The Spa includes 17 treatment rooms, including seven Couple's Suites, multiple relaxation and water experiences, a Rhassoul for women and a co-ed Hammam. An expansive Fitness Center with a Yoga and Pilates Studio and Technogym cardiovascular and strength equipment also will be available.

Bar and Lounge. Also located on the 23rd floor with windows overlooking the spectacular Vegas skyline, the 82-seat Mandarin Bar will provide an elegant respite from the bustling bars of the Las Vegas Strip. Decorated with plush furnishings, the boutique Mandarin Bar will offer creative snacks and an extensive cocktail menu. A team of molecular mixologists will be available to develop customized concoctions upon request, and there also will be a separate VIP room, available by reservation.

Meetings and Social Event Space. More than 12,000 square feet of versatile space, state-of-the-art facilities and unparalleled service will make Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas an ideal venue to present a variety of events, from a grand-scale conference to a glamorous wedding. The meeting space will be situated on the hotel's third level, flooded with natural light through floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook The Strip.

Pool. Guests and residents will enjoy a magnificent pool facility featuring 20 cabanas and a Pool Café, serving seasonal market-fresh fare. The property's two lap pools are in the shape of long blades, symbolic of blades on the Mandarin's signature Fan logo.

Residences. One of Las Vegas' most desirable addresses, The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas will have a private residential entrance. Owners of these 227 luxury condominiums will enjoy full access to Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas' amenities – including housekeeping, in-room dining, concierge, access to The Spa & Fitness Center and other personalized services to complement their lifestyles.

Veer Towers
Veer Towers, CityCenter's most unique residential development, will be a masterful translation of energy and excitement into physical form; its two 37-story glass towers will shimmer day and night. Inclined at five-degree angles – a feature celebrated by the development's name – the towers will seem to dance with each other.

Architecture. Architect Helmut Jahn conceived Veer Towers to symbolize spirit and optimism with a strong iconic value; by leaning them they became a sculpture. Lobbies and public spaces will be developed by notable designer Francisco Gonzalez-Pulido** to showcase impressive works of glass and metal with plenty of natural light.

Residences. Each tower will house approximately 335 modern condominium residences ranging from 500 to nearly 3,300 square feet available in studios; deluxe studios; one, two and three-bedroom flats and penthouses. Open floor plans will feature floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall windows that capture spectacular views of Las Vegas and the surrounding CityCenter. Light-filled rooms, natural textures and a range of whites will infuse streamlined interiors with openness.

Modern kitchens, living and dining areas will be ideal for entertaining and spacious spa-styled bathrooms will invite retreat. High-end appliances and fixtures will provide efficiency and sleekness as floor-to-ceiling windows showcase the Las Vegas vistas. Residences will be filled with contemporary, European-style features and designer-selected fixtures.

Amenities. Atop each striking tower, residents will enjoy an amenities floor featuring an unequaled view of Las Vegas complemented by an infinity edge pool,, hot tub, a sun deck and a patio for outdoor entertaining. Within, Veer will feature recreation rooms for special events or casual celebrations, private media rooms with panoramic windows, a fitness center with men's and women's steam rooms, and a business center.

Art. On display at Veer Towers will be two large-scale commissioned works by Richard Long. Entitled Circle of Life and Earth, Long's two mud wall drawings each will measure approximately 80 feet high by 50 feet wide.

Entertainment. Veer will rise from Crystals, CityCenter's spectacular retail and entertainment district, giving residents unprecedented access to the best of stylish, big city living. Upscale dining, lavish shopping, electric nightlife and entertainment will be just steps away.

American Airlines Staff Arrested by US Agents Over Drug Raids

2009-09-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

US agents arrested 21 people, nine of them American Airlines employees, accused of smuggling suitcases loaded with cocaine on flights from Puerto Rico to the United States, authorities said on Tuesday.
The accused, 20 of whom were detained in Puerto Rico and one in Miami, were charged with a conspiracy to distribute more than 9,000 kg (19,800 pounds) of cocaine aboard American Airlines commercial flights, according to an indictment released by the US Attorney for the US Caribbean territory.
The operation involved the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Puerto Rico Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Of the 23 suspects named in the indictment, 21 were detained by mid-morning on Tuesday, DEA officials said. The two remaining suspects were being sought in San Juan.
"With these arrests the DEA closes another route for thousands of kilograms of cocaine to reach the United States or any other part of the world from Puerto Rico," DEA Special Agent in Charge Javier Pena said in a statement.
The indictment alleged the ringleader of the trafficking ring, American Airlines employee Wilfredo Rodriguez-Rosado, had since 1999 recruited and organised a group of fellow airline employees to smuggle suitcases loaded with cocaine onto American Airlines aircraft bound for different cities in the continental United States.
Prosecutors said members of the group worked together to fill suitcases with cocaine and, taking advantage of their position as American Airlines employees, smuggled them from the airline's cargo area at San Juan's Luis Munoz Marin Airport aboard flights to the United States.
Minnette Velez, spokeswoman for American Airlines in San Juan, which is the airline's transport hub for the Caribbean, confirmed that company employees had been arrested.
"Whenever the authorities bring a situation like this to our attention, we work with them. That was the case here," she said.
American Airlines issued a statement saying: "As a company, we hope that the actions of a few employees don't reflect negatively on the tens of thousands of ethical American Airlines employees who work hard to serve the public daily."
If convicted, the defendants face a minimum of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment, with fines of up to USD$4 million.
Prosecutors said they would seek the forfeiture of USD$18 million worth of property belonging to the defendants, including a number of residences and businesses.
The US Attorney for Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodriguez-Velez, said US authorities would intensify their efforts to prevent Puerto Rico being used as a trans-shipment point for drugs to the US mainland.---Reuters.com

Air China Provides Special Lhasa-Kathmandu Route

2009-09-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

Air China has seen a huge increase in Chinese tourists visiting Nepal. There are now 70 times more Chinese tourists visiting the country than in 2002, the year that Nepal became a tourist destination for Chinese people.
Air China is the only airline that connects these two dream destinations, with flights between Lhasa, Tibet, and Kathmandu, Nepal -- a route that has been available since 1988. This is the only route that provides breathtaking views of the legendary Mount Everest to its passengers.
Aircraft on this route are flown by experienced pilots, and incorporate advanced technology, including Required Navigation Performance (RNP), ensuring optimal safety levels.
Passengers from all over China can visit Kathmandu with Chengdu acting as a hub for a number of cities in Tibet, and a number of cities in other parts of China.---www.sunherald.com

Adventure Tourism Operators Put the Lives of Tourists at Risk

2009-09-29T03:34:00.000-07:00

New Zealand's booming thrillseeker tourism industry is to be targeted to weed out "cowboy" operators who are putting tourists' lives at risk.
A letter from a British man who lost his young daughter while river boarding - riding a body board on fast-flowing rapids - sparked a comprehensive inquiry into the state of the industry.
Emily Jordan, 21, drowned in Central Otago's Kawarau River in April last year after getting trapped between rocks.
The operator, Queenstown's Mad Dog River Boarding, was fined $NZ66,000 and ordered to pay $NZ80,000 in reparation to the Jordan family.
It wasn't the only recent death in the adventure sector, enjoyed by thousands of Australian tourists each year.
In March, 18-year-old New Zealander Catherine Peters fell to her death after doing a commercially-run bridge swing at Manawatu Gorge, in the lower North Island.
A wisely-worded letter from Ms Jordan's grieving father, Chris, has convinced New Zealand Prime Minister John Key that the sector needs to be urgently reviewed.
Mr Jordan said standards were not being monitored and that safety investigators only looked into problems after accidents.
Announcing the inquiry on Monday, Mr Key said he believed most in the sector operated well, but there were concerns that there were some cowboys and that safety standards were not being monitored.
"Tourism is critically important to New Zealand and we must do all we can to ensure visitor safety," Mr Key said.
The wide-ranging investigation will be led by Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson and will involve the Civil Aviation Authority, Maritime New Zealand, the Tourism Ministry and the Tourism Industry Association.
It will report on ways to improve risk management and safety.---www.theage.com.au

2009 World Tourism Award for Sustainable Tourism Organizations

2009-09-29T03:24:00.000-07:00

Tony Potter, CEO and Managing Director, CHI Hotels & Resorts announced that Tourism Cares, Gap Adventures and Cyrene, Libya are the 2009 World Tourism Award Honorees.

Corinthia Hotels, together with American Express, International Herald Tribune and Reed Travel Exhibitions, co-sponsor this prestigious Award which will be presented at World Travel Market Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at Excel Centre, London.

The World Tourism Award, inaugurated in 1997 and celebrating its 12th Anniversary, was established to recognize “the extraordinary initiatives by individuals, companies, organizations, destinations and attractions for outstanding accomplishments in the travel industry.”

The 2009 Honorees are being recognized for their dedication to sustainable tourism and the preservation of natural and cultural heritage. The first award will honor Tourism Cares, in recognition of "its extraordinary work to preserve the travel experience for future generations by awarding grants to natural, cultural and historic sites worldwide; awarding scholarships to the future tourism workforce and organizing volunteer projects to help restore tourism-related sites."

The second award will honor Gap Adventures, in recognition of "its exemplary commitment and vision to 'give back' by creating and supporting Planeterra, matching all donations to this foundation dedicated to sustainable community development worldwide through travel and voluntourism."

The third award will honor Cyrene, Libya, in recognition of "Libya's unique approach in establishing an integrated model for North African Archaeological and Heritage Preservation and Management with an emphasis on the education and training of local nationals for employment in the development and maintenance of this site; and for Engineer Saif Shahat's initiatives taken to ensure the protection of Libya's Heritage Sites and the quality of its tourism."---www.travelmole.com

What About Plastic Surgery in Argentina

2009-09-19T04:15:00.000-07:00

James Brandon is concerned about getting old and looking older. So the 44-year-old events planner from Canada decided on plastic surgery to help bring his boyish looks back.
Like many people struggling through the global economic crunch, cost was a concern, and Brandon soon realized that having surgery at home was beyond his budget.
So he began investigating options overseas and quickly settled on a city that has become one of the most popular destinations in the world for plastic surgery -- Buenos Aires, Argentina.
"I learned that Argentina has a high standard and long history of plastic surgery," Brandon said.
In August, Brandon traveled 5500 miles (8,800 kilometers) south from Toronto to Buenos Aires for liposuction, a nose job and eye lift -- all at a fraction of Canadian costs.
"For what I'm getting done probably, it would have cost me about $50,000 dollars back home and here [in Argentina] it's about $10,000 or $11,000," he said.
Argentina's weak peso and world-renowned surgeons have turned it into a Mecca for cosmetic surgery tourism. Watch how Argentina is attracting cosmetic surgery patients »
Thousands arrive annually for procedures and then stick around to soak up the sexy urban vibe of Buenos Aires, a city where looking your best is paramount.
"I've definitely noticed here that people are obsessed with the way they look. I've seen many people with plastic surgery," says Brandon.
Ever since Argentina devalued its currency in 2002, dozens of plastic surgery tour operators have opened in Argentina, offering promotions for international clients that include 'tummy tucks and tango' as well as trips to snow-capped Andean peaks, subtropical waterfalls and polo ranches.
Estimates say that 1 in 30 Argentines has gone under the knife, making surgeons here some of the most experienced on the globe. Medical tourism has seen a huge jump over the past decade, and is projected to be a $100 billion dollar global industry by 2010, according to the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions.
"You can get excellent plastic surgery here at two or three times less than the cost in the United States or Europe," said Dr. Williams Bukret, a Buenos Aires-based surgeon who performs around 180 plastic surgery procedures a year, most of them for foreign clients.
"In our society we understand that it is important to feel better, to feel good and to look great," he said.
But some say that Argentines are too obsessed with their image, leading to high rates of eating disorders, especially amongst young women. Experts partly blame the country's volatile history - especially the ruthless military regime that ruled in the 1970s and 80s -- for these body image issues.
"We had a difficult past and we try to forget. And so we try always to be young and always beautiful. It's difficult for us to understand our past," says Dr. Mabel Bello, director of the Argentina Association Against Bulimia & Anorexia.
Striving to look beautiful in Argentina can be a burden, especially if you are a foreigner, says Boston-native Tracey Bates, who has lived in Buenos Aires for the past 18 months.
Bates recently elected to have rhinoplasty surgery in Buenos Aires, and has also welcomed several American friends who have traveled to the city for their own plastic surgery procedures.
"There is a pressure here, you hear it from all the Americans that come: 'Maybe we are a little bit chubbier than them. All the girls here are beautiful with perfect skin' -- so it would be a pressure," says Bates, 35.
James Brandon felt the pressure as well. It is what led him to Buenos Aires for cosmetic surgery, as well as his decision to record his experience for a planned documentary film about plastic surgery within the gay community.
"I am turning the camera on myself and in the process maybe learning more about myself, learning why I really want to do this, and why I feel the pressure," he says.
As long as the pressure persists - and the price is right - people will continue to travel in search of that perfect look.---cnn.com

Tourists Stay Away from Fiji

2009-09-19T04:14:00.001-07:00

The travel brochures might depict a tropical paradise but the climate for tourism in Fiji's famous Denarau Island appears to be turning chilly.
The latest figures show Australians and New Zealanders are staying away from the resort hot spot in droves.
Visitor arrivals to Fiji are down 30 per cent compared to this time last year and occupancy rates sit below 50 per cent, a drop from the healthy 70 per cent average seen in previous years.
Visitors to five-star resorts like those on Denarau are most deterred, despite massive discounts of up to 80 per cent offered on stays at classy hotels and flight deals designed to counter the slide.
On top of this, three major developments on the island have hit trouble in recent months, including receivership of a Hilton resort extension that was funded by dozens of Australian and New Zealand investors.---http://world-tourism-news.webnode.cz

The United States Are Wrong About Honduras Tourism

2009-09-19T02:32:00.000-07:00

The U.S. is continuing to play political hardball with Honduras. And the Central American country’s tourism industry has had enough of a situation they feel the United States has all wrong.
At risk is a faltering tourism industry and potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in aid as the two countries bicker over the legalities of the country’s removal of President Manuel Zelaya earlier this summer.
The Hondurans say the move was in strict adherence to the country’s constitution, whereas the U.S. government insists the move was a coup. To make matters worse, the U.S. has issued a Travel Advisory against travel to the country, which is heavily dependent on tourism as well as aid from the United States.
“The U.S. government calling for a travel advisory is incorrect and unfair to the people of Honduras. They didn’t do anything wrong and are being punished by the Obama Administration for an exercise in democracy,” said Eugene Albert, owner/developer of Infinity Bay Spa and Beach Resort on the Honduran island of Roatan, who is an American citizen living and working in Honduras. “The Obama administration is asking the Honduran government to go against their own constitution to reinstate [Zelaya].”
“This was all done legally and with due process with the constitution of the country,” insists David Schwartz, Managing Principal of The Management Consortium, a Miami-based developer in the process of creating the Aquarius Roatan Beach Resort and Marina, an 86-acre mixed use project.
Albert said the move had squelched tourism from the United States, even as cruise ship companies continue to allow ships to visit Roatan, the central hub of Honduran tourism. The Canadian government has also refused issuing a Travel Advisory on visiting Roatan.
In a nutshell, the Zelaya situation was prompted by the leader’s desire to call for a referendum to change the country’s constitution. According to people interviewed for this story, the country’s constitution can be reformed in several ways except for some specific clauses. One of those clauses is that a president may only serve a single four-year term.
Zelaya attempted to change that constitutional article in what some are deeming a Chavez-like power grab. Chavez is the leader of Venezuela, a socialist country that many view as being anti-democratic.
He attempted this by saying he was doing a survey of 1,200 people to their opinion of the matter, but it quickly because obvious to Congress and the courts that this was going to be a referendum - a poll of the entire citizenry. Something that Zelaya is not empowered to do.
The country’s attorney general cried foul, as did the Honduran Supreme Court - even as ballot boxes were flown in from Venezuela for this vote. “He blatantly called for a referendum to establish reelections or lengthening his period in office,” said Elias Lizardo, a developer with RLD.
According to Lizardo, the Supreme Court met and agreed the president was in flagrant violation of a court order to not hold this vote and was therefore no longer president of Honduras.
The day before the illegal referendum was to take place, Zelaya ordered the miltary to distribute the ballot boxes. The General said no because it’s illegal as per the Supreme Court, and he was subsequently fired. Congress said you can’t fire him.
“This was not a military coup. The police didn’t have the jurisdiction to remove him. It was up to the armed forces to execute the arrest warrant,” said Lizardo, who noted that, up until that time, the military had proven to be extremely loyal to Zelaya since he, among other things, had doubled their budget. “The military simply refused to take an illegal order.”
Meanwhile, Roatan tourism is suffering. The Aquarius project temporarily stopped, but is back on track. But even so, its developers are worried their negotiations with a major U.S. brand will falter because of what those close to the situation consider U.S. ‘meddling.’
“This directly affects tourism. With our project we stopped, took a deep breath and then the Board recommitted to the project. We are budgeted and moving ahead even though we’re going a little slower,” said Schwartz.
Even with all that’s going on, some are hopeful for the future of visitor arrivals from the United States. Albert said he sees tourism as a whole picking back up. And numbers from nearby countries such as Guatemala are remaining steady.
“We feel the world jumped on board too quick and got the facts and no one wants to eat crow and say the Honduran government followed the constitution. Honduras would have been fine if CNN stayed out of it. In this situation Honduras was guilty until proven innocent and it put a damper on tourism,” said Albert. “We are pretty tough and surviving. The people are great people here and don’t deserve what we gave them.”
The outside world is like 95 percent in seeing this as a military coup. In Honduras it is the other way around, where only 5 percent see it that way. We only have Taiwan, Japan, Columbia and Israel on our side at this point. The facts are, this is an example of the checks and balances system working,” said Lizardo.---Source: hotelinteractive.com

Thailand Presents Medical Travel Magazine to Focus on Medical Tourism

2009-09-19T02:30:00.000-07:00

The Health Travel Industry Research Society of Thailand (HTRIS Thailand) launched a medical travel magazine to promote Thailand's medical tourism industry to the world.
The 120-page glossy magazine will come in full colour and be distributed monthly to than 60 countries through Thailand’s embassies and consulates, chambers of commerce, trade promotion offices and tourism information centers throughout the world.
It will highlight the very best of Thailand’s medical, hospitality, tourism, travel and wellness industries, according to the HTRIS secretary-general Chatree Niramitvijit.
“We are working with industry representatives to inform the world about the best offerings, promotion discounts and package deals” he said.
Niramitvijit added that the media watchdog for the medical tourism industry, The Research Society, had an important role in furthering the development of the medical sector in the country.
“The society’s purpose is not only to analyse how the world market views the international service industries such as healthcare, travel, security, hospitality, wellness and tourism in Thailand”
“But also to ensure that the increasingly aggressive promotion from competing nations in the region do not overshadow Thailand’s primacy in the region as a favourite medical travel destination.”

Revenue for the Asian medical travel industry is forecast to grow at least 14% over the next four years.
Despite the growing threat from neighbouring nations including Singapore, Malaysia, India and the Philippines, Thailand has said it is confident in obtaining a greater share of the regional market.
Medical costs in Thailand are lower than in Singapore and five times less than US prices.---http://www.etravelblackboard.com

Thai Airways to Use Internet

2009-09-19T02:26:00.000-07:00

Thai Airways International newly appointed Executive Vice President for Commercial Pruet Boobphakam made its first official media appearance.
With an important announcement: Thai Airways will finaly use internet to sell its fares, a decision taken as part of a new strategy to raise $2.96 billion in revenues this year through simple but effective marketing action.
Let’s be fair: Thai Airways (TG) has had a website for many years. And people could book fare on line. However it consumed a lot of time and energy. “The site is extremely inconvenient with at least four to five clicks before accessing a fare. The range of fares was very limited with no flexibility according to travelling dates. Our customers could generally find cheaper fares in their travel agencies or even at our sales’ counters. I want the customers to be able to find immediately the fare they are looking for. In fact we will take AirAsia as a model for the simplicity of their booking engine” explains Boobphakam.---http://world-tourism-news.webnode.cz

Some of the Most Wonderful Caves of on the Planet

2009-09-19T02:21:00.000-07:00

Cave of Crystals (Mexico): world's largest known natural crystals
Known as "the Sistine Chapel of crystals," Mexico's Cueva de los Cristales (Cave of Crystals) contains some of the world's largest known natural crystals—translucent beams of gypsum as long as 36 feet (11 meters). The cave is 950 feet (290 meters) underground. The Naica mining complex, which yields lead, zinc, copper, silver, and gold, zigzags nearly half a mile underground (760 meters). Deep inside Naica mountain, the Cave of Crystals is a horseshoe-shaped cavity in limestone rock about 30 feet (10 meters) wide and 90 feet (30 meters) long. Volcanic activity that began about 26 million years ago created Naica mountain and filled it with high-temperature anhydrite gypsum. When magma underneath the mountain cooled and the temperature dropped, the anhydrite began to dissolve. The anhydrite slowly enriched the waters with sulfate and calcium molecules, which for millions of years have been deposited in the caves in the form of huge selenite gypsum crystals.

Majlis al Jinn Cave (Oman): world's second largest cave chamber
Majlis al Jinn is the second largest cave chamber in the world. It is located in a remote area of the Selma Plateau at around 1600 meters altitude in The Sultanate of Oman. It was discovered in 1983 by Don Davidson, a geologist studying water resources in the Sultanate. Davidson presumably died some ten years later when he left Oman permanently and went hiking in the Andes. He rented a car, drove it to a trailhead, left a note on it saying where he was going, and was never seen again. Access is through a hole in the ground with a rope. The inner height is between 120 and 150 metres. The cave floor 300 by 200 metres. To give an idea of scale, the Great pyramid of Giza of Egypt (the largest Eygptian pyramid) would almost exactly fit inside the cave chamber; that is, its base is approximately the area of the chamber floor, and its height is also similar.

Waitomo Glowworm Cave (New Zealand): a glowworms' paradise
The Waitomo Glowworm Cave is a cave on the North Island of New Zealand, known for its population of glowworms, Arachnocampa luminosa. These glowworms spin a nest out of silk on the ceiling of the cave and then hang down. Then, the larva glows to attract prey into its threads, so that the roof of a cave is covered with larva can look remarkably like the heavens at night. A hungry larva glows brighter than one which has just eaten. A silicon strand is lowered from the ceiling, alongside hundreds of others. Beautiful though these threads are, they have a sinister purpose. To trap its prey it [the cave glow worm] goes fishing with a line of silk. That ghostly blue light is the result of a chemical reaction taking place inside a special capsule in its tail... Insects seem irresistibly drawn towards the source and then get trapped by the sticky lines. Once stuck, there is no escape. Now it's just a matter of reeling in the line and slowly consuming the catch - alive. By ensnaring the insects that hatch in this cave, these glow worms have solved the biggest challenge that permanent cave dwellers face finding a regular and reliable source of food.

Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves (Austria): largest Ice Caves known to man
There are many ice caves throughout the world, but the Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves in Austria are some of the largest known to man. They are located within the Tennengebirge Mountains near Salzburg and stretch for a remarkable 40 kilometers. Only a portion of the labyrinth is open to tourists but it's enough to get a taste of what the remaining network is like: a truly mesmerizing palate of Mother Nature's handicraft. Ice caves are very different from normal caves. They have a strange feeling about them, as though they are not from this planet, and one has just temporarily stepped into their world when spelunking their depths.
Cave of the Ghost (Venezuela): so vast that two helicopters can comfortably fly into it
"Cueva del Fantasma" — Spanish for "Cave of the Ghost" — is so vast that two helicopters can comfortably fly into it and land next to a towering waterfall. A waterfall coming down one wall forms a small pond at the floor. When it was recently discovered, researchers also discovered a new dendrobatid frog species, Colostethus breweri, named for the frog's identifier, Charles Brewer-Carías.
Fantastic Cave Pit (USA): deepest known cave pit in the continental US
Fantastic Pit is 586' deep, which is the deepest known cave pit in the continental United States. This pit is big enough to hold the Washington Monument (555'). It is a truly fantastic rappel, it takes almost 8 seconds for a rock to hit the bottom.
Dongzhong Cave (China): a primary school
Not actually a fascinating cave in itself, until you consider dozens of children attend everyday to the school on it! The Dongzhong (literally meaning "in cave") is a primary school at a Miao village in Ziyun county, southwest China's Guizhou province. The school is built in a huge, aircraft hangar-sized natural cave, carved out of a mountain over thousands of years by wind, water and seismic shifts.---www.oddee.com

Relationships Between Indonesia and Brazil Strengthening

2009-09-18T06:31:00.000-07:00

Relations between the world’s two biggest resource-rich nations – Brazil and Indonesia – are booming, with expanded trade and investments and a personal rapport between the two countries’ leaders, says Brazil’s new ambassador to Indonesia Manuel Innocencio de Lacerda Santos Jr.
“With the tremendous increase in our political and economic relations, both countries agreed to establish a strategic partnership last year. In fact, bilateral relations have been booming in recent years,” Ambassador Santos Jr. told The Jakarta Post in a recent interview at his office in Jakarta.
Santos Jr. said Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had a close personal friendship and had already visited each other’s country.
“The leaders have very good chemistry between them,” he said.
Brazil, which has a US$1.60 trillion GDP, is a fast-emerging global player.
The key signs of Brazil’s rise include the dynamic leadership of Lula; the newly found oil wealth; expanded exports; booming agriculture; political and financial stability; low inflation; a consumer boom; and huge flows of foreign and domestic investment
After a decade of ups and downs and experiments with democracy, Indonesia has been moving along the same trajectory as Brazil: Both are now members of the influential Group of 20 (G20) economies.
Santos Jr. said he came to Indonesia at the right time.
Brazilian National Day: A Capoeira artist performs at a reception in Gran Melia Hotel in Jakarta, on Monday. The reception was organized by Brazilian Ambassador to Indonesia Manuel Innocencio de Lacerda Santos Jr. to celebrate Brazil’s 187th National Day. Local band Bossa Nova also entertained the guests, who mainly consisted of the Brazilian community, diplomats, businesspeople, public figures and senior officials. JP/Wendra Ajistyatama
“I was so lucky to come to Jakarta at the right time. It was quite natural for both countries to discover one another’s economic potential at the same time,” Santos Jr., who submitted his credentials to President Yudhoyono on Aug. 12, 2009, said.
“We saw an enormous increase in our bilateral trade last year,” Santos Jr. said.
Bilateral trade jumped to $2.36 billion in 2008, a huge increase from the $1.47 billion in 2007. During the last five years, trade has, in fact, more than tripled; in 2004, the bilateral trade value was just $771.83 million (see graphic).
Santos Jr. said Indonesia mainly exports yarn, natural rubber, fixed vegetable fats and oil, automotive spare parts, and cocoa to Brazil and imports the semi-finished products of iron and pig iron, iron ore, soybean oil cake, cotton, tobacco and leather from the land of the samba.
“What is surprising is that we still have a lot of room for further growth in our bilateral trade. Actually, we have lot of work to do,” Santos Jr. said.
As well as exports and imports, Brazil has been looking for closer cooperation in the areas of biofuels, agriculture, culture, tourism and climate change.
“We are very good at producing ethanol and are ready to help Indonesia develop its biofuel industry,” Santos Jr. said.
On the investment side, Brazil’s biggest investment is in PT Inco.
“The Brazilian company has bought the parent company of PT Inco, which is based in Canada.
Brazilian companies are interested in investing in Indonesia and we also want Indonesian investments in Brazil,” Santos Jr. said.
When asked about his main mission in Indonesia, Santos Jr. said he would work to make the strategic partnership a reality.
“My main mission in Indonesia is to strengthen the overall relationship and realize the strategic partnership,” Santos Jr. said.
He added that in mid-October, the countries will design an action plan on strategic partnership during their Joint Commission meeting in Brasilia.
However, in the growing bilateral relationship, there is a missing link.
“We don’t have transportation links between the two countries. It is very important to have air links, so this is another of my priorities,” Santos Jr. said.
Brazil is one of the biggest beef producers and exporters in the world.
“We have been working for quite some time to bring our beef to Indonesia. I do hope the Indonesian government will allow us to export our beef here soon, as we would like to see our steak houses in Jakarta,” Santos Jr. said.
Although Brazil is well-known for its samba dance and soccer, the media- friendly Brazilian ambassador has other plans.
“I would like to introduce to Indonesians a Brazil that is beyond samba and soccer,” Santos Jr. said.
Brazil, the only colony that became the capital of its colonial master Portugal, is very good at various types of music and martial arts.
“I have seen Indonesians playing Brazilian music here. They were really good,” he said.
His Embassy is planning to organize several cultural programs in the coming months, he said.
Santos Jr. says he is very happy to be working in Indonesia.
“I feel at home here. People here are very friendly. There are so many similarities between us,” Santos Jr. said.
Santos Jr. joined the Brazilian Foreign Service in 1980. During the 29 years of a distinguished diplomatic career, he has served in Germany, Czech Republic, Iraq, Canada, Congo and Sao Tome and has been awarded numerous decorations and merit awards.---www.eturbonews.com

Unexplainable and Mysterious Places In the World

2009-09-18T06:26:00.000-07:00

Many popular experts suggest possibility that mysterious sites around the world were created with help of advanced knowledge and technology (possibly more advanced than our current one) possessed by lost civilizations. Others do not believe that there ever was very advanced civilization on earth and all of the superb knowledge was handed down to us by ancient astronauts who came down from heaven. Most scientists do not subscribe to any of these ideas and try to explain ancient enigmas on the ground of religion and ritual.

Stonehenge

Who has never heard about Stonehenge? I guess it is one of the most popular mysteries. So, what’s the point about this megalithic wonder? Why does this place cause controversy in the scientific community?

Stonehenge is a megalithic monument on the Salisbury Plain in Southern England, composed mainly of thirty upright stones (sarsens, each over ten feet tall and weighing up to 45 tons), aligned in a circle, with thirty lintels (6 tons each) perched horizontally atop the sarsens in a continuous circle. There is also an inner circle composed of similar stones, also constructed in post-and-lintel fashion. You can say that there are a lot of great monuments all over the world, many of them are more interesting. What is special about Stonehenge? All those questions that have no exact answers. What was its function: an astronomical observatory, a religious site, or something supernatural? Who built it, and how?

Some have suggested that Stonehenge was built by Druids, but we don't really know much about the builders. The archaeology points to a construction date between 5,000 and 3,000 years ago, so it was built even before the first metal tools were used by humankind.

Regardless of who built the stone monument, the design and construction involved thousands of people. To drag huge stones from Marlborough Downs, 30 kilometres to the south of Stonehenge, would have been quite a feat. And how was it possible to erect those stones? It is an amazing feat of engineering, and there are many legends that reflect the inability to explain how the heavy stones could have ever been transported by primitive humans. Stonehenge is even mentioned within Arthurian legend, that names Merlin as the engineer.

One more interesting thing is that Stonehenge is angled such that on the equinoxes and the solstices, the sun rising over the horizon appears to be perfectly placed between gaps in the megaliths. This is doubtless not an accident, and probably contributed to the stories of its mysterious origins.

Nazca Lines

Nazca Lines are the most outstanding group of geoglyphs in the world, they are located in the Nazca Desert, between the towns of Nazca and Palpa on the Pampas de Jumana in Peru. Etched in the surface of the desert pampa sand about 300 hundred figures made of straight lines, geometric shapes and pictures of animals and birds - and their patterns are only clearly visible from the air.
There are 3 mysterious aspects to Nazca Plateau:
• First, the straight lines, many kilometers long, crisscross sectors of the pampas in all directions.
• Second, many of the lines form geometric figures: angles, triangles, bunches, spirals, rectangles, wavy lines, etc.
• Third, many lines form animal patterns.
Nazca Lines Map Extract:
It is believed that the geoglyphs were built by a people called the Nasca- but why and how they created these wonders of the world has defied explanation. Since the Nazca lines cannot be recognized as coherent figures except from the air, it is presumed the Nazca people could never have seen their work from this vantage point, there has been much speculation on the builders' abilities and motivations.

Could these geoglyphs be effigies of ancient animal gods or patterns of constellations? Are they roads, star pointers, maybe even a gigantic map? If the people who lived here 2,000 years ago had only a simple technology, how did they manage to construct such precise figures? Did they have a plan? If so, who ordained it? It all seems so otherworldly. To comprehend the Nasca lines, created by the removal of desert rock to reveal the pale pink sand beneath, visitors have proposed every imaginable explanation - from runways for spaceships to tracks for Olympic athletes, from op art to pop art, to astronomical observatories.
Easter Island
Easter Island (Rapa Nui in the indigenous language), is a Chilean-governed island in the south eastern Pacific Ocean. Rapa Nui is a small, hilly, now treeless island of volcanic origin. It's been called the most isolated inhabited territory on Earth, but there is another aspect that sets it apart from any other place on Earth - its hundreds of megalithic human-like statues that face inland from the shore. These enigmatic statues are called moai.

Almost all moais were carved out of distinctive, compressed, easily worked volcanic ash. The largest one weights up to 165 tons, and its height is almost 22 meters. Some upright moai have become buried up to their necks by shifting soils.

This massive production of megalithic works on an island that is absolutely barren, with just grass, immediately captures our imagination. How did it all happen? Who built these statues? And why did they build them? Some scientists suggest that Easter Island inhabitants, the Rapanui, came from Polynesia. But similarities to Indian stone statues around Lake Titicaca in South America are striking. Is this accidental or not? Scholars are unable to definitively explain the function and use of the moai statues. Some of them suggest that the statues were symbols of authority and power, both religious and political.

One of the biggest riddles about Easter Island is how the statues 'traveled' from the quarry to their platforms or ahus, sometimes as far as 20 or 25 kilometres away? Rapa Nui legend has it that the moai "walked from the quarry". But less than one third of all carved moai actually made it to a final ceremonial ahus site. Was this due to the inherent difficulties in transporting them? Were the ones that remain in the quarry deemed culturally unworthy of transport? Or had the islanders run out of the resources necessary to complete the Herculean task of carving and moving the moai? Easter Island is more well known as Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua, meaning ‘The Navel of the World’ and as Mata-Ki-Te-Rani, meaning ‘Eyes Looking at Heaven’. These ancient names and a host of mythological details point to the possibility that the remote island may once have been both a geodetic marker and the site of an astronomical observatory of a long forgotten civilization.---www.amolife.com

Top Locations for Medical Tourism

2009-09-18T06:22:00.000-07:00

Medical tourists from different countries travel for health care purposes to those countries having quality healthcare services at reasonable prices. So they spend extra money on travel, health care and accommodations on the places of treatment. Medical tourism is an old concept because thousands of years ago people traveled for medical purposes or for spiritual treatments to different countries. Many factors are considered while choosing a destination place for medical tourism such as high healthcare services and costs, waiting for certain procedures, availability and affordability of international travel, quality and latest technology used in the treatment.

Some of the most popular places include Europe, Japan, Middle East, UK, United States, Canada and Costa Rica. These places are popular due to the quality of their health care services, technology and competency of physicians. The hospitals of Bolivia, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, Cuba and Turkey are popular for Cosmetic surgery treatments. Surgeons of South American countries like Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Argentine lead in plastic surgery due to their experience and knowledge. Plastic surgery is very common in Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Colombia and US. Slovakia, Belgium and Poland are entering in the business of health care and medical tourism.

A large number of Americans are going abroad for health care although the facilities of health in US are also available. There are many intermediary companies which provide help in medical tourism. These companies offer global health care at reasonable costs. There are different commissions and societies which care for the quality and standards of the hospitals available for medical tourism. Countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, India and Costa Rica have many infectious diseases as compare to North America and Europe . So medical tourists need to stay for some time in the country which they choose for health care because travel soon after surgery can create many complexities. Tourists having breath and heart related problems avoid long flights and combine their vacation tours with medical tours.

American Places

The quality of healthcare in Canada is not less than that of America but medical tourists can save 30 to 60 percent of their costs as compare to America. Medical tourists can save up to 80 on healthcare services in Costa Rica as compare to US. Costa Rica is popular for cosmetic procedure, dental, weight-loss and orthopedic surgeries. Knee replacement surgery is very cheap so patients travel to Costa Rica for medical tourism. Patients from all over the world travel to Cuba for the best quality of healthcare services and fine reputation of their doctors. Medical tourists of Europe and Latin America travel to this destination because of its situation and save up to 60 to 80 percent as compare to the charges in US. The hospitals of Cuba are best known for cancer treatment, cosmetic surgery, joint replacement, eye surgery and addictions rehabilitations. the government of Cuba has taken many steps to increase income from medical tourism and patients of US, Canada and UK visit Cuba for medical treatments. Dominican Republic is very popular destination for hip replacement, bariatric surgeries, plastic surgeries, knee replacement, eye surgeries and all other medical treatments. Medical tourists can save from 50 to 75 percent as compare to the costs in US. The plastic surgery and dentistry healthcare services of Mexico are appreciated by all the world. The costs of these treatments are one-fourth to one-fifth of American costs. The quality of health care services in Mexico is very high and medical tourists are satisfied.

Quality health services, location and dollar as the official currency are the reasons that Panama is famous for its medical services. The medical professionals of Panama are trained by US and use the latest technology to provide quality healthcare services. Medical tourists can save more than 50 percent of healthcare costs as compare to Europe and US. Dental implants, assisted reproduction, cosmetic dentistry, plastic surgery, cardiology, orthopedics and pulmonology are the popular procedures in medical treatments. Surgeons of Brazil have gained world wide fame in cosmetic surgery.

South American Places

Orthopedic surgeries , Cosmetic surgery, transplant surgery, eye surgery and cardiovascular are popular procedures in Colombia. Healthcare services in Colombia are cheap and foreigners can get human organs from Colombia. The doctors of Columbia are experienced and have worked in many countries of Europe and US.

Asian Places

China has gained popularity in stem cell treatments. The medical professionals of India are popular for hip resurfacing, heart surgery and areas of advanced medicine. The treatment costs in India are very low which is nearly one-tenth to the treatment costs of US. The healthcare service in Malaysia are also very popular and the doctors of Malaysia are trained in the hospitals of US and UK. New Zealand is a popular medical tourism destination for fertility treatments and non-acture surgical procedures. The doctors are trained in the hospitals of UK and US. The costs of healthcare services are very low as compared to US. Thailand is popular in organ transplant and cardiac surgery at lower prices.

Europe

Moreover British and Canadian medical tourists don’t wait long and travel to Germany for medical treatments. Novel cancer and spine surgery are well treated in Germany at lower prices. Dentistry services in Ukraine are provided at lower costs. High class material and equipment is used in dental clinics and hospitals. There are many suitable places for medical tourism but a medical tourist chooses according to his own choice and affordability.---www.lost-in-malaysia.com

Top Locations for Coffee Tourism

2009-09-18T06:17:00.000-07:00

Best place to find the coffee of the rich and famous: Kona, Hawaii
Frequent Kona visitor MilwVon traditionally spends her last day in Hawaii filling bags with the area’s celebrated beans. She went straight to the source on one recent trip, touring hillside coffee plantations Greenwell Farms and Kona Joe. She got to view the entire roasting process, starting with picking coffee cherries off the trees and ending with cups of the Kona Joe coffee purported to be among the best brews in the world.
Best place to volunteer at a coffee farm: Quizarra, Costa Rica
For a prolonged caffeine high and the thrill of contributing to ecologically sound growing practices, visit or volunteer at La Finca Escondida, a farm with an “international reputation” recommended by Shady Ady. While he was living near the organic coffee plantation, the temporary resident loved visiting it for “tremendous views” and a “diversity of species.” He says that there are so many things to do there, you’ll never get bored—and you’ll have plenty of coffee to keep you going.
Best place to enjoy a best-kept secret: Vientiane, Laos
SeenThat’s favorite place to sip Laos’ coffee-and-condensed-milk specialty is in the city’s morning markets. They seem like very public places to drink coffee that has the effect of “blackening the drinker’s teeth and tongue,” but since he says it tastes a lot like chocolate, it sounds worth the risk. And the markets are one of the few places you’ll find the delicacy; SeenThat reports that “despite the extremely high quality of the local product, Laotian coffee is mainly ignored by the world, maybe a result of the low yields.”
Best place to sip coffee in the clouds: Boquete, Panama
After hiking Panama’s cloud forest, reward yourself in the manner of ext212 and become a “coffee snob” at Boquete’s Kotowa coffee plantation. Seconding ext212’s raves about the coffee is buzz_1919, who explains that you have the altitude and climate to thank for the coffee’s great heights.
Best place for a formal cup of coffee: Vienna, Austria
“Come early, linger, and leave late” is becks’ recommendation for milking the enjoyment of Vienna’s coffeehouses. We can only imagine how good Kaffee and Sachertorte taste when served by a waiter in the customary tuxedo.
Best place for cheap beans and free samples: Coban, Guatemala
Both ToeAnne and lcampbell direct Coban visitors to Finca Santa Margarita for a tour of the coffee-making process, “plus free samples!” Beyond the free stuff, they recommend buying loads to take home: it’s “fresh, delicious, and cheap here.”
Best place to learn the basics: San Juan, Honduras
SkewedStyle visited a coffee farm as part of a longer hike around San Juan, where she was able to “watch the adorable children of the family pick some beans as an example, hull them, and then giggle uncontrollably in front of the camera.” Her host then showed her how to toast the coffee on a “large, flat stovetop,” a lesson that San Juan’s tourism cooperative says is widely available.
Best place to try the unusual: Java, Indonesia
For the truly die-hard coffee fan, Java’s local drink packs the most exotic punch on the planet. Marianne downed a cup offered by her hotel, only to learn afterwards that it was kopi luak—the beans were previously digested by an endemic cat. But she says that she “really enjoyed the taste of this coffee” and ordered a second cup even after being fully informed of her drink’s past.---www.igougo.com

The Story of the Mysterious Easter Island

2009-09-17T06:54:00.000-07:00

Easter Island is the world's most isolated inhabited island. It is also one of the most mysterious. Easter Island is roughly midway between Chile and Tahiti. The triangular shaped island is made mostly of volcanic rock. Small coral formations exist along the shoreline, but the lack of a coral reef has allowed the sea to cut cliffs around much of the island. The coastline has many lava tubes and volcanic caves. The only sandy beaches are on the northeast coast.
The inhabitants of this charming and mysterious place called their land: Te Pito o TeHenua, 'the navel of the world.'
It sits in the South Pacific Ocean 2,300 miles west of South America, 2,500 miles southeast of Tahiti, 4,300 miles south of Hawaii, 3,700 miles north of Antarctica. The closest other inhabited island is 1,260 miles away - tiny Pitcairn Island where the mutineers of the H.M.S. Bounty settled in 1790.
Archaeological evidence indicates discovery of the island by Polynesians at about 400 AD.
In 1722, a Dutch explorer, Jacob Roggeveen, sighted and visited the island. This happened to be on a Sunday, Easter Sunday to be precise, and the name stuck: Easter Island (Isla de Pascua in Spanish).
What he discovered on Easter Island were three distinct groups of people, Dark skinned, Red skinned, and very Pale skinned People with red hair".
The Polynesian name of the island is Rapanui, which is a name given by a Tahitian visitor in the 19th century who says that the island looked like the Tahitian island of 'Rapa,' but bigger, 'Nui.'
Inhabitants are of Polynesian descent, but for decades anthropologists have argued the true origins of these people, some claiming that ancient South-American mariners settled the island first.
What many early explorers who visited the island found, was a scattered population with almost no culture they could remember and without any links to the outside world.
The Easter islanders were easy prey for 19th century slave traders which depreciated even more their precarious culture, knowledge of the past, and skills of the ancestors.
When we think of Eastern Island we think of of huge stone carved figures - monoliths- that dot the coastline. They are called Moai - (pronounced moe-eye). Moai are statues carved of compressed volcanic ash on Rapa Nui (Easter Island). The statues are all monolithic, that is, carved in one piece. However, less than about one-fifth of the statues that were moved to ceremonial sites and then erected once had red stone cylinders pukau placed on their heads. These "topknots," as they are often called, were carved in a single quarry known as Puna Pau.
About 95% of the 887 moai known to date were carved out of compressed volcanic ash at Rano Raraku, where 394 moai still remain visible today. Recent GPS mapping in the interior will certainly add additional moai to that count. The quarries in Rano Raraku appear to have been abandoned abruptly, with many incomplete statues still in situ.
However, the pattern of work is very complex and is still being studied. Practically all of the completed moai that were moved from Rano Raraku and erected upright on ceremonial platforms were subsequently toppled by native islanders in the period after construction ceased.
Although usually identified as "heads" only, the moai are actually one piece figures with heads and truncated torsos.
The most widely-accepted theory is that the statues were carved by the Polynesian colonizers of the island beginning by about A.D. 1000-1100. In addition to representing deceased ancestors, the moai, once they were erect on ceremonial sites, may also have been regarded as the embodiment of powerful living chiefs. They were also important lineage status symbols.
The moai were carved by a distinguished class of professional carvers who were comparable in status to high-ranking members of other Polynesian craft guilds. The statues must have been extremely expensive to craft; not only would the actual carving of each statue require effort and resources, but the finished product was then hauled to its final location and erected.
It is not known exactly how the moai were moved but the process almost certainly required human energy, ropes, wooden sledges and/or rollers. Another theory is that the moai may have been "walked" by rocking them forward.
By the mid-1800s, all the moai outside of Rano Raraku and many within the quarry itself had been knocked over. Today, about 50 moai have been re-erected on their ceremonial sites.
Ancient island legends speak of a clan chief called Hotu Matu'a, who left his original home in search of a new one. The place he chose is now known to us as Easter Island. When he died, the island was divided between his six sons and then, later, sub-dividied among their descendants.
The islanders may have believed that their statues would capture the chiefs' "mana" (supernatural powers). They may have believed that by concentrating mana on the island good things would result, rain would fall and crops would grow. The settlement legend is a fragment of what was surely a much more complicated and many-faceted, mythic sketch, and it has changed over time.
Ron Fisher in his work Easter Island Brooding Sentinels of Stone, mentions as one explanation for the statues that "two classes of people, the-so-called Long Ears and Short Ears, lived on the island. The Short Ears were enslaved by the Long Ears, who forced the Short Ears to carve the Moai. After many generations and during a rebellion, the Short Ears surprised the Long Ears killing them all, which explains the abrupt end of the statue-carving.
All of the Moai were toppled in tribal wars about 250 years ago. Many have recently been rebuilt - starting in the 1950's. They sit on rocky lava strewn about telling a story of fallen monuments of a long lost civilization who created them. The Moai were depictions of their ancestors. The Rapa Nui were ancestor worshipers and only had one diety - Make Make. The Moai were excavated for the first time by Thor Heyerdahl in the 1950's and were photographed at that time.
Ahu Akivi is an especially sacred place. Ahu Akivi is a sanctuary and celestial observatory built about 1500 AD which was the subject of the first serious restoration accomplished on Easter Island by archaeologists William Mulloy and Gonzalo Figueroa, with excellent results.
As in the case of many religious structures on Easter Island, it has been situated with astronomical precision: it's seven statues look towards the point where the sun sets during the equinox.
Ahu Akivi is an unusual site in several respects. A low ahu supports 7 statues all very similar in height and style. The site is odd in that it is located far inland and the statues were erected to face the ocean. The only site where this was done. Like other Easter Island sites the statues were found knocked off the ahu, lying face down in the ground. In 1960, Archeologist William Mulloy's team spent several months raising the statues to their original positions.
During the excavation and restoration of this site many cremation pits were uncovered behind the ahu. The pits contained fragments of bone, shells, fishing implements, and obsidian flakes. Whether sites like these were used regularly for cremations and or burials is not certain. At other sites skeletons have been found buried within the ahu structure, but these burials are believed to have occurred after the statues were toppled.
Folklore holds that its seven moai represent the seven young explorers that legend says the Polynesian King Hotu Matu'a dispatched from across the seas, probably from the Marquesas Islands, to find this new homeland for him and his people. They are among the few moai that face the sea.
These seven stone giants may well symbolize those seven explorers, but no one knows for sure. Just as no one knows what any of the moai really represent or why only a few of them face the sea.
The generally accepted theory is that these majestic stone statues were built to honor Polynesian gods and deified ancestors such as chiefs and other figures important in the island's history. Most of them are attributed to the 14th and 15th centuries, although some were erected as long ago as the 10th Century.
Their function, it is believed, was to look out over a village or gravesite as a protector. They may also have been status symbols for villages or clans.
The seven at Ahu Akivi each stand about 16 feet high and weigh about 18 tons. The tallest moai on the island exceed 30 feet. Moai in the range of 12 to 20 feet are common. Even the occasional tiny moai that you come across are at least 6 feet high.
The ahu of Easter Island vary in length - the longest one is 300 feet, while some that hold one moai are only several feet long. Each ahu has a stone masonry base that slopes upward to a high terrace upon which the moai rest. Some terraces are as high as 15 feet above ground level. All are fairly wide - the bases of the moai that stand upon them measure as much as 10 feet long by 8 or 9 feet wide.
The island's volcanic rock from which they were carved is softer and lighter than most other rock, but even the smallest moai weighs several tons. Some of the moai have been estimated to weigh as much as 80 to 90 tons.
Many of the moai - there are hundreds of them - are erected at sites miles from the quarry at which they were carved. How could so few people move them even a couple of feet, let alone several miles, and without breaking them?
And once they did move them, how did they erect them? Even today, using powerful cranes, it would be no simple task.---www.crystalinks.com

The Mystery of Nazca Lines and the Story of Paracas

2009-09-17T06:50:00.000-07:00

Nasca is a unique place due to the mysteries of its marvelous lines and figures, drawn with spectacular perfection, by the gods... by aliens... by giants or by ordinary people? The beauty and magnitude of the lines must be observed from above.
The drawings and their meaning are even more mysterious than their origin. It is not even known how long it took to create them, nor how the creators were able to measure them with such perfection, since there were no aircraft in those days.
This mystery inspires many theories.In terms of science, these lines have a series of characteristics potentially aimed at astronomy or agriculture. Or perhaps they were created to direct extraterrestrial, as the lines are related to the earth’s magnetic field, the horoscope, and may other mysteries, which in the final years of the 20th century have not yet been deciphered. Its a place in the desert where the ancient Pre-Incas drew beautiful, specifically designed, giant forms, a work that would be impossible to carry out in current times without sophisticate observation methods.
However, without a doubt, we can guarantee that your visit to Nasca will be unforgettable... Don’t miss this enchanting experience!
PARACAS, ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST VALUABLE AND IMPRESSIVE COASTAL HABITATS
Millions of years ago, a cataclysmic earthquake brought about changes to the land, that together with the confluence of two great ocean currents, El Niño and la Peruana or Humboldt, created an environment where aquatic life could flourish, encouraging abundant growth of plankton and phytoplankton, essential components for marine life. There is an astonishingly diverse variety of biologic life.

In Paracas reserve, scores of sea lions can be seen lazily basking in the sun align with condors and giants turtles easing their way through the water.
The winds, the sea temperature, and other weather factors have created a habitat for thousands of species of marine fauna and flora, ranging from tiny fish and mollusks to great seals.
The scenery is beautiful, a fact that ancestral cultures were well aware of, because it was in this rich area that a major civilization flourished. Paracas, famous for its weavings, the finest in the world, inimitable even today. Paracas opens up a wealth of possibilities for tourists. You can enjoy them all thanks to the facilities now available.
Continuing south on the Pan American highway is Pisco, a port city that gave its name to the clear white grape alcohol used in Peru's national drink, the pisco sour. The invention of pisco was actually a mistake by Spaniards trying to introduce grapes and wine production into the dry coastal area of the New World. However, once they tried this potent, yet smooth, beverage they decided it had merit of its own.
A pisco sour is a cocktail made from pisco, lemon juice, egg white and sugar syrup, whipped and served with a dash of Angostura bitters.
The city, now with 80,000 inhabitants, joined the bandwagon when revolutionary fever overtook the continent in the early 1800s. Half a block from the town's Plaza de Armas is the Club Social Pisco used as the headquartersfor liberation leader General Jose de San Martin while he was fighting the Spaniards.
A statue to this Argentine hero of the independence war is found on the main plaza - the same square where boat trips to the Ballestas Islands can be arranged. Originally, Pisco stood in another spot not far away. But an earthquake in 1687 and subsequent pirate attacks badly darn_ aged the structures in the city, prompting the viceroy, Count de la Monclova, to order it moved. Construction of the opulent baroque cathedral started shortly thereafter, only ending in 1723.
Pisco's small airport serves as the emergency landing strip when heavy fog prevents planes from descending in Lima; passengers are then bused to the Peruvian capital or wait until the weather clears before flying north again. From 1960 to 1970, small propeller planes of the foreign-owned Consorcio Ballenero buzzed the waters offshore in a now defunct project to localize and count groups of whales that regularly ply Peru's coast.
Then, in late 1988, Peruvian scientists, in conjunction with experts from the Natural History Museum at the Smithsonian Institute in the United States, announced the appearance of a new whale species. Named the Mesoplodon Peruvianus, one of these mammals was inadvertently picked up by fishermen working the waters between Pucusana and Pisco. The 4-meter (13foot) long whale is one of the smallest members of the whale family.
Poor man's Galapagos: Some 5 km (9 miles) down the coast from Pisco is the Bay of Paracas, named after the Paracas winds - blustery sand storms that sweep the coast. Transformed into an ecologically-delicate national park, and a popular spot for New Year's Day camping, Paracas is a wildlife reserve boasting a wide variety of sea mammals and exotic birds, among them the red and white flamingos that allegedly inspired hero General San Martin to design the red and white independence flag for Peru.
The beach is lovely, although craggy for swimming and the waters contain jellyfish. A monument marks where San Martin set foot in Peru on September 8, 1820 after liberating Argentina. (A law passed by the National Congress makes September 8 a provincial holiday.)
Not long after the Argentine's arrival, a shipload of British troops under the command of Lord Cochrane dropped anchor in the same bay and headed to shore to help San Martin plan his strategy against the Spanish. The British motivation was to break Spain's monopoly on trade in the region.
The famous Candelabro, a candelabra-shaped drawing scratched on to the highest point of a cliffside overlooking the bay, can be seen from the beach although it is best viewed from a boat. Some scientists link the drawing to the Southern Cross constellation; others say it is actually a stylized drawing of a cactus - a symbol of power from the Chavin culture, which flourished farther north but whose influence has been found great distances from its seat of power. The magic associated with the cactus is related to its hallucinogenic powers and use by high priests in ancient Indian cultures.
Recommended from the Bay of Paracas is a visit to the Ballestas Islands, part of a national reserve where sea lions, seals, penguins, guano birds and turtles rarely found at this latitude converge before photo-taking tourists.
Dozens of bird species thrive here, among them albatross, pelicans and seagulls. Also worth a visit in a fishing boat or launch is Punta Pejerrey, nearly at the northernmost point of the isthmus and the best spot for seeing the Candelabro.
On the exact opposite side of the isthmus is Punta Arquillo and the mirador de los lobos, or sea lion lookout point. This rough androcky place, reachable only after an hour's trek on foot, takes visitors to a spot above a sea lion refuge. Looking down, the adventuresome find themselves nearly face to face with a congregation of noisy sea mammals. On lucky days, a look skyward is rewarded by the sight of a pair of condors soaring above. These majestic birds sweep down on sea lion carcasses, then use the intense coastal winds to wing themselves up to the high altitudes they normally frequent. So well-known was the Andean birds' presence at Paracas that, when the nature reserve was being named, one scientist pushed for the moniker "Parque Nacional de los Condores" (Condor National Park).
During the last century, this region was important for its guano - mineralrich bird droppings used as fertilizers in Europe. Extensive exploration of the peninsula is best done with the help of a guide as paths are not clearly marked and it is easy to become lost. In June and August, Paracas is foggy - a reaction to the heat and extremely sparse precipitation combined with the water-laden ocean winds that caress the coast. A meteorological office here recorded only 36.7 mm (11/2 inches) of precipitation during a 20-year period.---www.peru-explorer.com

The Mystery of Egyptian Pyramids

2009-09-16T06:44:00.000-07:00

There are about 110 pyramids currently known in Egypt, many in a state of great disrepair and almost unrecognisable. Some were built as burial places for kings and others for queens. A pyramid also may have represented a stairway for the king to ascend to the heavens. Another possibility is that it was symbolic of the primeval mound on which the sun god/creator was born.
How the Egyptians managed the complex organisation of labour and the physical movement of large stone blocks is still a matter for debate. Pyramid construction may have involved ramps being erected around the pyramid. Blocks of stone would have been pulled up on sledges and the ramps dismantled later. It is believed that most of the labour for the construction of the pyramids would have come from farmers who were available during the inundation season when the Nile River flooded and farmland was underwater. It would also have been an ideal time for the transportation by boat of large stone blocks from their quarries to the pyramid sites.
The earliest pyramid was the Step Pyramid of king Djoser of the Old Kingdom's 3rd Dynasty over 4,600 years ago. The pyramid was the largest structure ever erected at Saqqara, the necropolis that overlooked the ancient capital of Memphis. Its construction was initially in the form of a low mastaba tomb upon which extra levels were gradually added to give it a step-like appearance.
Underneath Djoser's pyramid was a complex system of corridors with a burial chamber lined with Aswan pink granite about 28 metres underground. The entrance was sealed with a three-tonne granite plug. The pyramid's outside would have been cased with fine limestone, but this was removed long ago. Nearby were the Mortuary Temple, a Great Court and various other structures.
The first true pyramid was developed for King Sneferu during the 4th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. It is referred to as the Red Pyramid, because of its colour, or the North Pyramid because of its position at Dashur south of Cairo. It was about 105 metres high with its sides measuring 220 metres.
The largest pyramid ever built was the Great Pyramid at Giza southwest of modern Cairo (see Giza and the Pyramids). Built for king Khufu, this pyramid was completed around 2550 BC.
It is estimated that the pyramid contains approximately 2,300,000 blocks of stone with an average weight of 2.5 tonnes each and some up to 15 tonnes. Its sides measure 230 metres in length. The structure would have towered about 146.6 metres high, but it is now a little shorter owing to the outer casing having been removed to build many of Cairo's buildings during the Middle Ages. The interior design was changed during the pyramid's construction and the burial chamber was relocated.
One of its most spectacular features is the enormous sloping Grand Gallery. At the Gallery's top is a low corridor which leads into the King's Chamber, the walls of which are made of polished granite. A large granite sarcophagus is open and no burial goods have ever been found.
To the east of the pyramid, some of the smooth basalt paving of the mortuary temple remains and the causeway which led to the river temple is now buried with the valley temple being under modern buildings. Small pyramids for queens are adjacent to the Great Pyramid, as are boat pits.
In 1954, a large cedar boat was uncovered in one of the pits and then reassembled. It is now on display next to the pyramid. A second boat remains in pieces in another covered pit. The boats may have been provided for the deceased king to travel through the underworld.
The Giza Plateau also is home to two other large pyramids for the subsequent kings, Chephren and Menkaura. As with the Great Pyramid, both of these pyramids have valley temples and mortuary temples connected by causeways. However, next to Chephren's valley temple is the famous 73-metre long Sphinx and its associated temple.
Despite controversy over its age, most Egyptologists believe that the Sphinx was carved from a rocky outcrop at the same time as Chephren's pyramid.
The resources for building enormous pyramids during the rest of the Old Kingdom could not be mustered and the pyramids were both smaller and less well built. The 5th Dynasty pyramid of Unas at Saqqara is famous for its Pyramid Texts - the first funerary texts carved into the walls of any pyramid. The pyramid is located just south of the walled enclosure of the pyramid of Djoser.
During the Middle Kingdom, kings again built themselves pyramids, but being largely of mud-brick, they have not survived very well. Elaborate interior designs failed to stop ancient tomb robbers from breaking in and stealing the burial goods.
The time of large pyramids had passed, although small pyramids were used in some New Kingdom private burials as superstructures for funerary chapels. Restored examples exist at Deir el-Medina, the village of the workmen who constructed the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
Pyramids were also built south of Egypt in ancient Nubia (the northern part of today's Sudan), where there are actually more than in Egypt. Although being influenced by the Egyptian pyramids, the pyramids in Nubia had their own style and were built on a smaller scale and with steeper sides. In the case of the Nubian pyramids, the tombs of owners were usually underground with the pyramid built on top. The last pyramid was built in Nubia in the 4th century AD.---homepage.powerup.com.au

The Mysterious Stonehenge

2009-09-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

The megalithic ruin known as Stonehenge stands on the open downland of Salisbury Plain two miles (three kilometres) west of the town of Amesbury, Wiltshire, in Southern England. It is not a single structure but consists of a series of earth, timber, and stone structures that were revised and re-modelled over a period of more than 1400 years. In the 1940s and 1950s, Richard Atkinson proposed that construction occurred in three phases, which he labelled Stonehenge I, II, IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc. This sequence has recently been revised in Archaeological Report (10) published by English Heritage.
Phase I (2950-2900 BCE)
Stonehenge Phase I (2950-2900 BCE)
The earliest portion of the complex dates to approximately 2950-2900 BCE (Middle Neolithic). It is comprised a circular bank, ditch, and counterscarp bank of about 330 feet (100 metres) in diameter. Just inside the earth bank is a circle of the 56 Aubrey holes that held wooden posts.
Phase II (c. 2900-2400 BCE)
After 2900 BCE and for approximately the next 500 years (until 2400 BCE), post holes indicate timber settings in the centre of the monument and at the north-eastern entrance. The Aubrey Holes no longer held posts but were partially filled, some with cremation deposits added to the fill. The numerous post holes indicate timber structures but no clear patterns or configurations are discernible that would suggest their shape, form, or function.
Phase III (c. 2550-1600 BCE)
During Phase III the monument underwent a complicated sequence of settings of large stones. The first stone setting comprised a series of Bluestones placed in what are known as the Q and R Holes (sub-phase 3i). These were subsequently dismantled and a circle of Sarsens and a horseshoe-shaped arrangement of Trilithons erected (sub-phase 3ii).
The Sarsen Circle, about 108 feet (33 metres) in diameter, was originally comprised of 30 neatly trimmed upright sandstone blocks of which only 17 are now standing. The stones are evenly spaced approximately 1.0 to 1.4 metres apart, and stand on average 13 feet (4 metres) above the ground. They are about 6.5 feet (2 metres) wide and 3 feet (1 metre) thick and taper towards the top. They originally supported sarsen lintels forming a continuous circle around the top. Each lintel block has been shaped to the curve of the circle. The average length of the rectangular lintels is 3.2 metres (10' 6"). The lintels were fitted end-to end using tongue-and-groove joints, and fitted on top of the standing sarsen with mortice and tenon joints. The Sarsen Circle with its lintels is perhaps the most remarkable feature of Stonehenge in terms of design, precision stonework, and engineering.
Sarsen stones are hard-grained sandstone with a silaceous cement. They were probably brought to the site from the Marlborough Downs, about 30 kilometres to the north of Stonehenge.
The Trilithons are ten upright stones arranged as five freestanding pairs each with a single horizontal lintel. They were erected within the Sarsen Circle in the form of a horseshoe with the open side facing north-east towards the main entrance of the monument. They were arranged symmetrically and graded in height; the tallest is in the central position. Only three of the five Trilithons are now complete with their lintels. The other two both have only one standing stone with the second stone and lintel lying on the ground.
Bluestones may have been added next (sub-phase 3iii) but were subsequently removed.
In sub-phase 3iv, a Bluestone Oval added within Trilithon Horseshoe and a Bluestone Circle added outside the Trilithon Horseshoe but inside the Sarsen Circle.
The term "Bluestone" refers to various types of mostly igneous rocks including dolerites, rhyolites, and volcanic ash. It also includes some sandstones. The Bluestones at Stonehenge are believed to have originated from various outcrops in the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire in Wales. How they were transported to the site at Stonehenge has been the subject of much speculation.
In sub-phase 3v, an arc of stone was removed from the Bluestone Oval to form a Bluestone Horseshoe.
In the final sub-phase (3vi), two circles, one inside the other, known as the Y and Z Holes were dug for the placement of stones but were never filled.
Probably also dating to Phase III are the four Station Stones (only two of which survive, and one of them has fallen). These sarsen stones stood just inside the Bank on more or less the same line as the Aubrey Holes. Two of the Station Stones were surrounded by circular ditches 10 to 12 metres in diameter. These have caused the area enclosed by the ditch to appear mound-like and have lead to the erroneous identification of each mound as a burial barrow.
Assigned to Phase III are also Stoneholes D and E and the recumbent sarsen known as the Slaughter Stone located on the north-east side in a break in the bank-and-ditch in what is regarded as the main entrance of the monument.
At this time was also laid out an earthwork known as the Avenue that extends north-east from the break in the bank-and-ditch.
Located further along the Avenue , and most likely dating to this period, is the so-called Heel Stone (Stone 96). The sarsen Heel Stone is approximately 16 feet high (4.88 metres), with another 4 feet (1.22 metres) buried below ground. The Heel Stone is surrounded by a circular ditch of approximately the same dimensions as the ditch surrounding each of the two Station Stones. The stone now leans out of vertical but most likely once stood upright. Originally, the Heel Stone may have been paired with another stone now missing (Stonehole 97).
Finally, mention should be made of the so-called Altar Stone, a large dressed block of sandstone that lies embedded in the ground within the Trilithon Horseshoe and "in front of" of the central and largest Trilithon pair. Two fallen stones now lie across it. The stone is believed to be Cosheston Beds Sandstone from south Wales, and is the only example of this type of stone at Stonehenge. It is 16 feet long (4.9 metres), 3 feet 6 inches wide (1 metre), and 1 foot 9 inches thick (0.5 metres).---www.witcombe.sbc.edu

The Most Mysterious Locations in America

2009-09-16T06:32:00.000-07:00

From UFO hotspots on the West Coast to mystifying castles in Florida, weird and wonderful places await.
Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park, CA
The Mystery: People have long scratched their heads over the “Sailing Stones,” which mysteriously move across the sandy playa’s surface on their own, leaving visible tracks in their wake.
Fact: Given that these rocks chart a new course once every three years, it’s no wonder no one has ever seen them in motion. Some theorize that, in winter, wet clay and strong winds—which can reach speeds of up to 90 mph—are to blame, but no one is 100 percent certain what causes this curious natural (or unnatural?) phenomena.
Mount Shasta, Redding, CA
The Mystery: This stunning snow-capped peak in the Cascade Mountain range, 60 miles south of the Oregon border, has long been considered one of the planet’s great “cosmic power spots,” luring everyone from Native Americans to Buddhist monks and hippies. Its sacred slopes are home to a potpourri of mysteries: spontaneous altered states; UFO sightings; crystal caves; encounters with Ascended Masters; underground military bases; even the rumored home to Lemurians, surviving members of a sensitive super-race some believe existed 12,000 years ago during the time of Atlantis.
Fact: A chance encounter with a strange group of warm, seemingly enlightened people in Shasta Valley inspired James Hilton to author the classic 1933 novel Lost Horizon, a tale about the idyllic community of Shangri-La. Others claim similar real-life experiences, but the mountain’s sheer natural beauty is inspiration enough for most.
Skinwalker Ranch, Uintah Basin, UT
The Mystery: Its name may be a tongue-in-cheek twist on filmmaker George Lucas’s Skywalker Ranch, but this 480-acre compound in northeastern Utah is the site of many unexplained—and harrowing—incidents: roaring underground noises, the appearance of menacing blue orbs, attacks by shape-shifting beasts, and evidence of animal mutilations.
Fact: Purchased in 1994 by a couple looking to raise cattle and quickly put on the market two years later, the area—according to local Native American folklore—is legendary for its dark energies. The ranch is now managed by the National Institute for Discovery Sciences, a paranormal research organization.
Oregon Vortex, Gold Hill, OR
The Mystery: Measuring 165 feet in diameter and known for producing intense feelings of vertigo, this curious site in southern Oregon has attracted visitors since the 1930s. Here, balls roll uphill, brooms stand on end, and people appear to grow and shrink inside its centerpiece, a former gold mining outpost called the House of Mystery.
Fact: Whether caused by gravity anomalies, a concentration in the Earth’s magnetic fields, or paranormal presence, the Vortex’s strange phenomena is well documented, and animals still refuse to enter its sphere. Native Americans referred to it as Forbidden Ground.
Paulding, MI, Home to the Paulding Light
The Mystery: For more than a century, on clear nights, unidentified spheres of light appear like clockwork on the horizon of this four corners town. To date, there’s no logical explanation for the luminescent red, white, and green balls that dance on the edge of the forest, but they are rumored to be the ghost of a railroad brakeman who met his fate on the tracks.
Fact: Locals and the curious regularly line up by the dozens for the bizarre light show; the Michigan Forest service has even posted signs guiding sky-gazers to the best viewing spots.
Coral Castle, Homestead, FL
The Mystery: Made from 1,100 tons of megalithic-style limestone boulders—some heavier than the Pyramids’ and bigger than those at Stonehenge—this unusual structure, located 25 miles south of Miami, was built from 1923 to 1951 by a single man, a diminutive Latvian immigrant named Edward Leedskalnin, as an homage to the love of his life who left him on the eve of their wedding. But how did he do it?
Fact: Leedskalnin claimed he knew the secret to the Great Pyramids’ construction, and was once witnessed levitating stones. Other construction details—no mortar, precision seams, impossible balancing acts—have also stumped scientists for decades.
Sattva Sanctuary, Trout Lake, WA
The Mystery: At the base of Mount Adams lies an incredible hotbed of UFO activity: a wooded ranch-cum-spiritual retreat owned by James Gilliland. The founder of Enlightened Contact with ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence and the Self-Mastery Earth Institute has been hosting seekers at “the ranch” since 1986. Thanks to so many unexplained light shows, almost no one leaves disappointed.
Fact: Countless visitors to the consciousness-raising compound, including many prominent scientists, report staggering UFO eyewitness accounts: documented sightings, sounds, even alleged contact of the third kind. One wave included as many as 50 unidentified craft. The curious public is welcome Monday through Thursday to conduct its own sky-watches. (Reservations: 509-39... .) Coincidentally, it was after seeing a UFO near Mount Adams in 1947 that pilot Kenneth Arnold first coined the term “flying saucer.”
Ringing Rocks Park, Bucks County, PA
The Mystery: Deep in the woods in this 128-acre park is a large field of mysterious boulders that, when struck, sound like bells, as if they are hollow and made of metal. Each summer, hundreds of visitors flock here, hammers in hand, to perform their own “rock concerts.”
Fact: While scientists have determined the stones are made from a volcanic substance called diabase, there’s no explanation for their unusual ringing properties, nor for the eight-acre field itself, which is situated high on a hillside, not at the bottom, ruling out that it may have been formed by a glacier or avalanche.
Mel’s Hole, Manastash Ridge, WA
The Mystery: The nine-foot-wide bottomless hole and former dump site on Mel Waters’s former property near Ellensburg, Washington, is awash in mystery, which includes its professed ability to “reanimate” dead animals. Some speculate the opening is actually a tunnel, giving rise to the “Hollow Earth” theory first proposed by astronomer Edmond Halley (of comet fame) in the 17th century. The most pressing secret: where does the hole lead?
Fact: Waters—who has since moved—reported sinking a fishing line some 15 miles into the pit in an attempt to find the bottom. He never found it. He also claimed the abyss would shoot black rays and could bring animals back to life; a neighbor tossed a dead dog into the hole only to have it return, alive, from out of the woods. Some believe the discovery is a blow hole for Mount Rainier, but no one knows how to account for the high strangeness.
Lake Michigan, Home to the Lake Michigan Monster
The Mystery: Locals and cryptozoologists have long believed there’s an enormous prehistoric creature living in the second largest of the Great Lakes. Sightings from around its shores—Cross Village, Harbor Springs, Northport—date as far back as 1817 and tell of a 60-foot serpent or “sea panther,” as local Native Americans referred to it (because of its catlike head and lizard body), that likes to emerge at dusk.
Fact: While the beast, if it truly exists, is thought to be a land-locked plesiosaur. Similar sightings have also occurred in the other northernly lakes, including Lake Champlain—home to Champy—and Lake Erie, where proclaimed creationist Carl Baugh discovered a carcass of a three-foot long “baby monster” in the early 1990’s. He had the creature, probably a burbot, stuffed and placed on display at the (now closed) L & D Bait and Tackle shop near Cleveland, Ohio

The Most Amazing Places in Mexico

2009-09-16T06:24:00.000-07:00

10. Playa del Carmen
One of the best places to enjoy the white sand and turquoise blue waters of the Carribean coast.
9. Belize Coral Reef
Mexico is home to the world’s second largest coral reef located off the coast of the Yucatan peninsula. It stretches from southern Quintana Roo, Mexico and all along the coast of Belize down to the Bay Islands of Honduras. It is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world.
8. Ixtapa-Zihuantanejo
A great place for ecotourism, including opportunities to participate in wildlife conservation programs to help protect the endangered hawksbill turtle and Olive Ridley sea turtle.
7. Cancun
2 million annual visitors can’t be wrong.
6. Loreto
Home to the largest sustainable development in North America and the migration of blue whales.
5. Peña de Bernal
At 350m, la Peña de Bernal is the largest rocky formation in Mexico. If you like to climb or hike, this is the spot to be in Mexico. I also heard the views are spectacular.
4. Los Cabos
At the tip of the Baja Peninsula you can spot grey whales, go scuba diving, and enjoy the scenic views.
3. Las Barrancas del Cobre (The Copper Canyon)
A 60,000 square km national park ideal for hiking and exploring the vast canyons and a 16,000 kilometer labyrinth of rivers.
2. Puebla
5,000 colonial buildings, most built during the 16th century. Known for the architecture of the Cathedral de Puebla.
1. Chichen Itza
The most frequently visited of Mexico’s Mayan sites, that served as the principal ceremonial center of the Yucatán.---www.visitmexico.com

The History of Antarctica

2009-09-08T23:48:00.000-07:00

The existence of the prehistoric civilization in Antarctica started drawing attention of professional historians after the World War II. The hypothesis can be proved by the medieval maps and research of the Western paleogeologists and glaciologists.
In January 1820 the lieutenant of the Russian Imperial Fleet Mikhail Lazarev discovered a new continent. At the beginning of the 20th century famous Russian Brockhaus and Efron encyclopedic dictionary contained an article, according to which the continent was insufficiently explored and that there were no flora and fauna. Besides, the author mentioned the variety of seaweeds and sea animals that inhabited the Antarctic waters.
About twenty years later the head of the Istanbul National Museum Halil Edhem found an old map while revising the library of Byzantine emperors in the old sultans palace. The author of the map depicted the Western coast of Africa, the Southern coast of South America and the Northern coast of Antarctica. Halil was astonished. The ice edge of the Queen Maud Land south of 70th parallel was free of ice. The author mapped a mountain chain at this point. The name of the cartographer was well known to Edhem. It was the admiral of Ottoman Empire Fleet Piri Reis, who lived in the first half of the 16th century.
In 1949 the joint British-Swedish expedition conducted a thorough seismic exploration of the southernmost continent through the thick ice. The results coincided with the map of Reis. However, it was a mystery how the map data were to agree with the level of science of 1513.
Piri Reis himself explained on the margins of the map that the map was based on a lot of previous sources, some of which belonged to his contemporaries, while others could be dated with as early as the 4th century B.C. One of thу sources, for instance, belonged to Alexander the Great. Thus Reis could not be made responsible for the data presented on the map.
Medieval maps show Antarctica without ice cover or partly covered with ice. The accuracy of maps of the 16th century is incredible. In terms of the technical means their data can be compared with those of the end of the 18th century and sometimes with those of the 20th century.
According to the Reis's map the coastal edge of the continent is not covered with ice. Oronteus Finius's map that was composed 18 years later shows plateau-glacier around the South Pole within the 80th and sometimes 75th parallels. 200 years later academician Buache depicted Antarctica without the ice.
In 1949 the admiral Berd's expedition was drilling the Ross Sea bottom approximately in those places where Finius marked the riverbeds. The cores contained fine-grained rocks, well-mixed deposits, brought into the sea by the rivers, the heads of which are located in the middle latitudes (i.e. not covered with ice).
Scientists of Carnegie Institute of Washington managed to establish precisely that Antarctic rivers that contained these deposits were flowing about 6000 years ago. Only after that, about 4000 B.C. the ice began accumulating at the bottom of the sea. This fact was preceded by a long period of warmth.
As a result, the maps mentioned above depict Antarctica of the period when Egyptian and Sumerian civilizations were born. Most of the historians disclaim this point of view.
However, there is a hypothesis that between the fifth and the tenth millenniums B.C. a human civilization lived on the planet. It possessed great knowledge in navigation, cartography, astronomy, thу level of which was not lower then of that of the 18th century.
This civilization was rather a predecessor of the ours than a product created by aliens. Its age could be several millenniums. It was probably located on the northern coast of the southernmost continent or the archipelago of large islands – that was Antarctica that had a moderate climate at that time. Later it could occupy the northeast of the African continent.
The civilization could have disappeared because of the icing up of the southern land that began not earlier than in the tenth millennium B.C. Another possible reason could be large inundations that led to long-lasting local floods, which are not disclaimed by archaeologists. Such natural disasters could destroy almost the whole material culture of the protocivilization. It can be possible that some part of it is covered with thick Antarctic ice. Another possibility is that some of the representatives of this protocivilization could have survived. In this case they could have pass their knowledge to Egyptians and Sumerians.
Humans cannot but hope that further archaeological research will solve the mysteries of the southernmost continent. There could be lots of surprises hidden here.---www.english.pravda.ru

Tanzania Visited by Roman Abramovich

2009-09-08T23:47:00.000-07:00

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who is better known here as the owner of the popular English Premier league Club Chelsea, is in the country for a visit that is a vote of confidence in our tourism sector.
No wonder, his arrival on Wednesday has stirred the north of the country, which is home to some of best tourist attractions in the world.
Mr Abramovich will during his 10-day tour attempt to scale Mount Kilimanjaro. The Russian is one of the wealthiest people in the world. During his stay, the international spotlight will certainly be on Tanzania, and that's good news for tourism.
What better marketer would the country need than the Russian billionaire, whose word of mouth, after he savours the tourist attractions, should boost high-end visitors! We are here talking about fellow members his billionaires' club, and other associates, family and acquaintances, not to mention the spending by his entourage even on souvenirs.
Tanzanian tour companies must step up efforts to attract more high-end visitors like him and many others who have come and gone without much publicity.
But as we come up with initiatives to attract more visitors from far a field, it's a pity that many Tanzanians hardly visit their own tourist attractions. The lovely scenery and historic artefacts are largely left to be enjoyed by others.---www.allafrica.com

Some of the Weirdest Museums in the World

2009-09-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

The Bunny Museum, Pasadena, California
The Museum: If Monty Python’s killer Rabbit of Caerbannog freaked you out, you may want to steer clear of this museum. What started as a simple Valentine’s Day gift—a plush bunny holding an “I Love You This Much” banner—in 1993 exploded into a collection of some 23,000 bunnies—stuffed, ceramic, plastic, and more. Husband-and-wife duo Candace Frazee and Steve Lubanski have spent the last 15 years collecting bunny paraphernalia; they converted their Pasadena home into a museum of quirky collectibles, urging curious travelers to “hop on over” to peruse their unique collection.
The Exhibits: The most recognizable item of the collection may be the Elvis “Parsley,” a water pitcher shaped like a bunny dressed as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. But the strangest exhibit of this museum is definitely “The Garden of Broken Dreams,” a graveyard of broken bunny artifacts. Says a sign: “No broken bunny is thrown away, just planted to grow again!”

Shinyokohama Raumen Museum, Yokohama, Japan
The Museum: Ramen noodles have been a staple in the Japanese diet since 1958, when the instant version was introduced. Since then, its popularity has exploded—Japan now has some 200,000 ramen restaurants. Naturally, the best way to pay homage to this prolific noodle was to create a three-floor museum showcasing the dish’s seemingly countless variations.
The Exhibits: The two underground levels of the museum are a re-creation of Tokyo’s Shitamachi neighborhood, circa 1958—the year of the Ramen. But it’s not just for viewing—eight restaurants here offer the chance to sample different takes on the classic dish (opt for the smaller portion so you can sample several flavors). On your way out, stop by the souvenir shop to pick up a package of the museum’s original chocolate ramen—cocoa-flavored fried ramen with chocolate sauce.

Museum of Toilets, New Delhi, India
The Museum: Who knew that toilet artifacts date back to 2500 B.C.?This museum displays those primitive relics and details the evolution of toilets across the globe. But the museum’s not just for laughs: founder Dr. Bindeswar Pathak’s mission is to highlight the still-present health issues from improper sewage drainage—namely those in India, where he says two-thirds of the country is without proper plumbing.
The Exhibits: Ever wondered why it’s called a “throne?” Look for King Louis XIII’s multifunctional throne and you’ll find the answer. To be used during open court sessions, it’s clear the king was not a modest man (and a master of time management).

The Burt Reynolds & Friends Museum, Jupiter, Florida
The Museum: You may know him only as the star of Smokey and the Bandit, but residents of Jupiter, Florida, also know him as a generous contributor, establishing a number of theater-centric programs since purchasing a ranch here some 30 years ago. Volunteers run this not-for-profit museum, dedicated to preserving the legacy of “the Bandit.”
The Exhibits: Sure, there are keys to the 10 plus cities he’s received, notes from A-listers like Jack Lemmon and Elizabeth Taylor, and an impressive collection of sports memorabilia, but the pièce de résistance is the sleek black Firebird Trans Am the beer-smuggling Reynolds, a.k.a. Bo “Bandit” Darville, drove in the classic 1977 film, Smokey and the Bandit.

Museum of Bad Art, Dedham, Massachusetts
The Museum: The museum known as MOBA will never be mistaken for its acronymically similarly New York cousin, MoMA, or the Museum of Modern Art. The Museum of Bad Art has procured a collection of nearly 400 pieces, many from the trash, with a mission “to bring the worst of art to the widest of audiences.” Its main gallery, so to speak, is in the basement of the Dedham Community Theatre, in Dedham, Mass., appropriately located outside the men’s restroom.
The Exhibits: One of the museum’s most popular pieces, The Athlete, is a drawing—made entirely with crayons and pencil—of an ancient Olympian in a pink toga and hurtling a discus. One of the more disturbing paintings is that of a young woman staring blankly ahead, holding the bloodless, severed head of a horse (the artist, apparently, had an “inability to deal with the hindquarters.”)

Velveteria, Portland, Oregon
The Museum: During a 1998 reading at the Voodoo Museum in New Orleans, the concept of a museum dedicated to velvet paintings was discussed, and since then, Caren Anderson and Carl Baldwin, now museum co-owners, began collecting, opening the Velveteria in 2005. The gallery can display up to 350 paintings, but the entire collection exceeds 1,000 items.
The Exhibits: One of the more notoriously unusual paintings in the collection is the Unicorn Combover which depicts the mane of a unicorn wrapped around the head of a young woman. And the black light room may call to mind college days; as it implies, black light illuminates the paintings.

Sewer Museum, Paris
The Museum: Paris developed its first sewage system around 1200 A.D., when King Philippe Auguste declared all streets be paved, with a drain running along the middle for waste. Today, some 1,300 well-organized miles of tunnels lie under the City of Light, and travelers can explore 1,500 feet of them on foot, via “sidewalks” running along the walls.
The Exhibits: Hold your breath and take the plunge—no, not literally!—to the city’s rather pungent underbelly (some say the stench isn’t as bad as you might imagine). While underground, be on the lookout for the wagon-vanne, a trolley that is essentially a manual flusher, helping to keep the canals clear of, ahem, debris.

Kazoo Museum, Eden, New York
The Museum: Established in 1916, this still-working kazoo-manufacturing company not only is the only metal-producing kazoo factory in North America, but it’s still using original equipment installed more than a century ago.
The Exhibits: Check out kazoos in the shape of liquor bottles (made to celebrate the end of prohibition), and stop by the Make Your Own Kazoo station, where even children can operate the metal-stamping equipment.

Leila’s Hair Museum, Independence, Missouri
The Museum: Former hair stylist Leila Cohoon has spent a good deal of her life working with hair. There was the salon work, of course, but she discovered her real passion in an antique store, buying and restoring hair art: wreaths, jewelry, and portraits with real hair glued on. Cohoon began collecting hair art in 1949 as a hobby; pinched for storage space, she opened her museum in 1990.
The Exhibits: Much of the museum consists of 18th-century hair art, like a pair of wreaths crafted from the hair of two sisters whose heads were shaved upon entering a convent. There’s even a bit of Hollywood here: The museum boasts strands of Marilyn Monroe’s hair, as well as a wreath woven from the donated hair of Phyllis Diller.

Museum of Torture, Amsterdam
The Museum: Visitors here are transported back 500-plus years, to a time when the governing bodies used extreme methods to inflict pain and/or death on those who had broken the law. The dim lighting adds to the eerie feeling created by the medieval torture and punishment devices.
The Exhibits: What torture museum would be complete without a guillotine?Perhaps more terrifying, though, are “The Inquisition Chair,” covered in spikes and straps, and “The Skull Cracker,” a vice-like tool that delivered what it promised.---www.travelandleisure.com

Daily Tea Party in Iran Every Morning

2009-09-07T06:27:00.000-07:00

Every morning, in houses all over Iran, a gas burner flickers to life under a kettle that will continue to boil all day. It boils through morning prayers, lunches of rice and kebabs, afternoon conversation and late into the evening meal, sustaining talk of politics, gossip and news well into the night.
The kettle contains tea, one of the most important cornerstones of Iranian culture, and the tea house is its centuries-old keeper.
Tea houses, or chaikhanehs, have been in existence since the Persian empire. They gained prominence after the 15th century, when coffee was abandoned in favour of tea leaves that were easier to come by through China’s silk road.
Though once the purview of men, chaikhanehs have increasingly become frequented by all members of society, and especially by Iran’s large youth population. In a country that officially prohibits clubs or bars, the chaikhaneh is one of the closest public things to a “chill out” venue teenagers can retreat to.
Even in socially conservative cities such as Yazd, a centuries-old cultural stronghold in the middle of the country, mixed groups of teenagers will stop for a tea and a meal at the local tea house.
Iranian tea comes in a variety of subtle flavours, but its defining characteristic is its deep reddish-brown colour, which tea-drinkers can choose to dilute with water depending on their preference. Despite its cultivation in the country’s northern provinces, other teas from Sri Lanka and India are also widely consumed as the country imports a majority of its tea in order to meet the large demand.
Most chaikhanehs will serve tea on the stronger side unless otherwise indicated by the drinker. The stronger the tea, the higher the concentration of tannin and caffeine, so a good cup of tea is like a good cup of coffee for those who take it straight. Because of its bitterness, many prefer to have sugar with their tea. The traditional way to do this is to take a sugar cube and place it between your teeth. You then sip the tea and allow the sugar to melt. Iranians, especially in colder regions of the country, find this a convenient way to drink multiple cups. Crystal, or rock sugar, can be found throughout the country and bought in spice shops for this specific purpose.
The taking of tea is a ritual unto itself: most meetings or formal occasions will begin with the offering of tea, and most meals will end with it. In the chaikhaneh, tea can be served after a meal or with a water-pipe (though water-pipes are now technically banned in public places); it is rarely served before or during a meal. Some chaikhanehs have takhts, or low-rise platforms covered in rugs and pillows that you may recline on. Remove your shoes before doing so; most meals are served on a tablecloth laid at your feet.
Traditionally, tea is served from a samovar, a heating vessel originally imported into Persia from Russia. Literally meaning “self-boiler”, the samovar is used to keep water hot for prolonged periods of time through a fuel-filled pipe in the middle of the structure that heats the contents surrounding it. Made from copper, brass, silver or gold, the samovar is still used throughout Russia, central Asia and Iran, and ornate versions from the -Qajar dynasty may still be found in use.
These days, companies like Tefal and Kenwood sell modern electric versions. The industry is so competitive that celebrity endorsements – such as the footballer Ali Karimi who plays for Bayern Munich – adorn billboards advertising the tea-making devices.
Chaikhanehs come in all shapes and forms, from the simple kitchen-turned-tea room in villages to ornate venues in urban centres, and from underground venues to popular tourist destinations. The Azari Tea House in Tehran is one of the more famous chaikhanehs known to tourists and locals, with its detailed architecture and traditional decoration. In existence since the 14th century, this chaikhaneh on Vali Asr street (the main boulevard in Tehran) contains one of the more interesting embellishments to emerge from tea house culture: teahouse painting.
A continuation of the royal paintings from the Qajar era, tea house paintings illustrate religious and mythical themes, with Hakim Abu’l Qasim Firdawsi’s poetic epic, Shahnameh, often the focus of many such illustrations.
Shiraz is another gorgeous venue in which to find memorable chaikhanehs. Until recently, there was a chaikhaneh in the garden grounds of the tomb of Hafez, one of Iran’s most celebrated poets. Even though it’s now closed, you can still wander the grounds and sit among the well-cultivated flora of a Persian garden and reflect upon the lyrical master’s works. Further towards the centre of town, above Darvazeh Ghoran, or the Qoran Gate in Shiraz, is another tea venue that many enjoying escaping to when they want to get away from the bustle of the city.
Not exactly a chaikhaneh, it is an outdoor, multi-tiered tea venue which is accessed by climbing up a steep set of stone steps. Once at the top, there is a crisp and breathtaking view of the city. So, weather-permitting, take your shoes off, climb atop a takht, order a cup of tea, and enjoy the moment.---www.eturbonews.com

All is beautifull: castle, ocean, shore, nature, landscapes, water…

2009-09-03T07:05:00.000-07:00

Top 7 French Chateau (Castle) Hotels

2009-08-31T05:59:00.001-07:00

Live like true royalty during your next visit to France. This country, with its rich history of elegant architecture and magestic castles, features several great castles that are open for overnight guests. As elegant as that sounds, some of these chateau hotels aren't insanely expensive. All the chateaux on this list of top French castle hotels bring guests a taste of the good life in old fashioned style and atmosphere.

1. Chateau d'Esclimont
A stay at the Chateau d'Esclimont is liking taking a step back in time to the days royalty romped about the Loire Valley. This hotel, about an hour from Paris, is a luxurious oasis. Nestled on 150 acres, the chateau has rooms that are finely decorated. During your stay, be sure to eat dinner in the restaurant for an out-of-this-world experience.

2. Chateau de Candie
This castle has stood since the 14th century, when it was built by knights returning from the Crusades. The rooms are like something right out of history books, with dated and delicate antique furniture and lovely linens. Each room has its own unique decor and atmosphere. The restaurant has fabulous prix fixe menus. The chateau is in the lovely Savoie village of Chambery.

3. Chateau de Pray
Situated smack dab in the heart of the Loire Valley chateau country, this stunning chateau hotel is just a few minutes from lovely Amboise (Da Vinci's former stomping grounds). Dating back to the 1200s, this hotel is a true step into glorious French history. This also happens to be one of the first French chateaux to be converted into overnight accommodations. The rooms are appointed in period style, and the rates are even quite reasonable (starting under 100 euros in the low season).

4. Chateau de Bagnols
This breathtaking chateau hotel is nestled in the Beaujolais area of France, making it a fine choice for wine lovers. The chateau is nestled in the midst of vineyards, yet it's just 12 miles from the thriving city of Lyon. The hotel can arrange for horseback riding adventures in the nearby countryside.

5. Chateau d'Etoges
This chateau, listed as a national historic building, is blessed with a fine location in the heart of the Champagne region. Its most remarkable feature, on first site, is the extensive moat surrounding the castle. The hotel has paddle boats on hand for circling the moat. The rooms are reasonably priced, starting at 120 euros nightly. Bicycles and croquet are free for guests to use, and the hotel offers Champagne tastings.

6. Chateau de Vigiers
This self-proclaimed "Versailles of the Dordogne," this chateau is lovely and enchanting. This 16th-century chateau also features a diverse mix of accommodation types and rates, ranging from 145-euro rooms to 750-euro lakefront chalets. A major allure of this chateau has to be the location. The bustling city of Bordeaux is nearby, as are numerous sites and attractions such as prehistoric cave paintings. The Dordogne is easily one of the most striking territories in all of France.

7. Chateau de L'Ile
If you prefer your castles of the fairy-tale type, this Alsatian 19th-century mansion with its chocolate brown timbering is the chateau hotel for you. The chateau is close to vibrant and continental Strasbourg, it's in the heart of the romantic Alsace region and a short distance from Germany. The chateau itself sits on 10 lush acres, and is ideal for strolls.---www.gofrance.about.com

Ten Odd Tourist Attractions

2009-08-29T04:16:00.000-07:00

Travellers seeking a bit of novelty on their journeys can study toilets from 2,500 BC or join a red-carpet duck parade, according to a list of top 10 weird attractions by travel review website IgoUgo.com.
This annual list was compiled by editors at IgoUgo.com on recommendations from its readers.

1.Sulabh International Museum of Toilets, Delhi, India
Synonymous with public toilets in India, the Sulabh company also runs "Delhi's wackiest museum." A tour provides insight into the history of hygiene, from 2,500 BC to the present with walls of offbeat photos, one-of-a-kind toilets, and trivia.

2. Texas Prison Museum, Huntsville, Texas, USA
This museum, run by former prison employees, has a list of star attractions including "Old Sparky," a decommissioned electric chair, a contraband exhibit, and a collection of items from the Texas Prison Rodeo and the Bonnie and Clyde death car.

3. Peabody Duck March, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Twice a day, every day, five mallards and their human duckmaster waddle the red-carpet from the Peabody hotel's fountain to its elevator and back. What began as a joke in 1933 is now a tradition at all three Peabody locations with Orlando and Little Rock the newer additions.

4. Jellyfish Lake, Rock Islands, Palau
Even experienced divers and snorkelers call this dive site "the weirdest experience" in all their years. The water is thick with non-stinging jellyfish and swimmers can float among the normally threatening creatures and hold them without danger.

5. Beer-Drinking Burros, Isla La Roqueta, Mexico
A short hop from Acapulco by boat, Isla La Roqueta is known for beaches and burros, or small donkeys. The latter have developed a taste for cold beer and are frequent fixtures at restaurant tables.

6. Haines Shoe House, Hellam, Pennsylvania, USA
Since its construction in the late 1940s, the house of Mahlon "Shoe Wizard" Haines has been a must-see for shoe fetishists or kitschy-Americana enthusiasts. An architectural oddity built in the shape of a giant shoe, it has served as an advertising gimmick, a haven for honeymooners, an ice cream parlor, a private home, and now an attraction open for tours.

7. Joe's Scarecrow Village, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada
This collection of scarecrows, including straw versions of Queen Elizabeth II, Margaret Thatcher, and Ronald Reagan, is definitely unique. Located in Cap Le Moine, the dozens of figures are clever, quirky, and something a little different for those driving the Cabot Trail.

8. Christ of the Abyss, Key Largo, Florida, USA
This 9-foot (3 metre) sculpture is a main attraction of America' first undersea park, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, and a popular site for diving and undersea weddings.

9. Puzzling World, Wanaka, New Zealand
New Zealand's South Island offers no shortage of dramatic peaks, but you can't miss the plastic Leaning Tower of Wanaka as it tilts at a 53-degree angle in front of Puzzling World's repository of weird and wonderful stuff. Enjoy freaky illusion rooms and a difficult maze in a place where even the toilets are a lesson in perspective.

10. Moosefest, Roslyn, Washington, USA
Picturesque Roslyn, Washington, has staged its share of quirky celebrations -- years past saw the Manly Man Festival and the Wing Ding Parade -- but it's most famous as the onetime set of the TV show Northern Exposure. Every summer, devoted fans of the 1990s show arrive at Moosefest to pay homage to Roslyn.---www.canada.com

Seven Great Castle Hotels in France

2009-08-28T07:11:00.000-07:00

Live like true royalty during your next visit to France. This country, with its rich history of elegant architecture and magestic castles, features several great castles that are open for overnight guests. As elegant as that sounds, some of these chateau hotels aren't insanely expensive. All the chateaux on this list of top French castle hotels bring guests a taste of the good life in old fashioned style and atmosphere.
1. Chateau d'Esclimont
A stay at the Chateau d'Esclimont is liking taking a step back in time to the days royalty romped about the Loire Valley. This hotel, about an hour from Paris, is a luxurious oasis. Nestled on 150 acres, the chateau has rooms that are finely decorated. During your stay, be sure to eat dinner in the restaurant for an out-of-this-world experience.
2. Chateau de Candie
This castle has stood since the 14th century, when it was built by knights returning from the Crusades. The rooms are like something right out of history books, with dated and delicate antique furniture and lovely linens. Each room has its own unique decor and atmosphere. The restaurant has fabulous prix fixe menus. The chateau is in the lovely Savoie village of Chambery.
3. Chateau de Pray
Situated smack dab in the heart of the Loire Valley chateau country, this stunning chateau hotel is just a few minutes from lovely Amboise (Da Vinci's former stomping grounds). Dating back to the 1200s, this hotel is a true step into glorious French history. This also happens to be one of the first French chateaux to be converted into overnight accommodations. The rooms are appointed in period style, and the rates are even quite reasonable (starting under 100 euros in the low season).
4. Chateau de Bagnols
This breathtaking chateau hotel is nestled in the Beaujolais area of France, making it a fine choice for wine lovers. The chateau is nestled in the midst of vineyards, yet it's just 12 miles from the thriving city of Lyon. The hotel can arrange for horseback riding adventures in the nearby countryside.
5. Chateau d'Etoges
This chateau, listed as a national historic building, is blessed with a fine location in the heart of the Champagne region. Its most remarkable feature, on first site, is the extensive moat surrounding the castle. The hotel has paddle boats on hand for circling the moat. The rooms are reasonably priced, starting at 120 euros nightly. Bicycles and croquet are free for guests to use, and the hotel offers Champagne tastings.
6. Chateau de Vigiers
This self-proclaimed "Versailles of the Dordogne," this chateau is lovely and enchanting. This 16th-century chateau also features a diverse mix of accommodation types and rates, ranging from 145-euro rooms to 750-euro lakefront chalets. A major allure of this chateau has to be the location. The bustling city of Bordeaux is nearby, as are numerous sites and attractions such as prehistoric cave paintings. The Dordogne is easily one of the most striking territories in all of France.
7. Chateau de L'Ile
If you prefer your castles of the fairy-tale type, this Alsatian 19th-century mansion with its chocolate brown timbering is the chateau hotel for you. The chateau is close to vibrant and continental Strasbourg, it's in the heart of the romantic Alsace region and a short distance from Germany. The chateau itself sits on 10 lush acres, and is ideal for strolls.---www.gofrance.about.com

Opened in 1910 Castle on the Hudson

2009-08-26T03:47:00.000-07:00

For a long time, New York’s Hudson River Valley has been the quiet side of the otherwise hectic Manhattan vibe; the meandering river weaves through a verdant topography of towering trees, interlacing a small collection of historic towns that reflect a time when even the Big Apple was merely a seed of its future self. Given that character, the opulent grandeur of the Castle on the Hudson is a bit paradoxical at first.
Perched high atop a bluff overlooking the river valley, this impressive structure replicates the Norman architecture of medieval Europe with a massive stone facade and imposing towers and turrets—an unlikely thing to find in upstate New York. The surprise becomes an inviting sensation as you step into the Castle’s royal lobby: a sumptuous interior of rich wooden embellishments, elaborate stained-glass windows, crystal chandeliers and plastered ceilings and any displacement slides away.
The Castle on the Hudson is only medieval in feel and architectural influence; each of the 31 luxury guest rooms and suites compliment their baroque decor with every modern amenity.
The castle replicates the Norman architecture of medieval Europe, with a stone facade, imposing towers and turrets.
Original Property Opened: 1910
Rate Range:
Suites: $375.00 to $820.00
www.historichotels.org

Odd Foods from Around the World

2009-08-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

Guinea pig (Peru)
Pampered pet or barbecue favourite, in Peru, guinea pig is top of the menu.

Tasting a bit like rabbit, the cuddly creatures are usually served with head and legs attached.

There's not much meat on them, but enterprising Peruvian scientists are working on breeding bigger ones - perfect for family Sunday lunch.
Century eggs (China)
Century eggs (or thousand year eggs) - chicken, duck or quail eggs preserved in clay, lime, ash, salt and rice straw - are stored for weeks or even months and enjoyed when dark green.

Smelling strongly of sulphur (rotten eggs) and ammonia (urine), we'll file them under the category 'acquired taste'.

The eggs are widely available throughout China and in Chinese shops and restaurants in the West.
Tarantulas (Cambodia)
The Cambodian market town of Skuon is the centre of the country's tarantula trade.

The furry spiders, sold at the roadside, are fried with garlic and eaten as a snack. The crispy exterior and soft, gooey inside provide a fine textural contrast and interest is added with a variety of seasonings.

Locals praise the medicinal benefits of spider flesh, but only real fans will eat the abdomen - a bulbous cavity stuffed with eggs, excrement and internal organs.
Surströmming (Sweden)
Surströmming is one Swedish snack you're unlikely to find next to the meatballs in IKEA.

The canned Baltic herring is fermented for up to two months during which time gases are released causing tins to swell ominously.

Some airlines now place them in the same risk category as fireworks and explosives.

Once open, a smell so rank and penetrating is released that most fans of the fish are compelled to enjoy this malodorous pleasure al fresco.

Rotten fish it may be, but its popularity is such that in 2005, a Surströmming museum was opened in Skeppsmaln, northern Sweden.
Durian (South East Asia)
Durian are large, green-yellow fruit with a spiky shell and soft interior.

Banned in hotels and on public transport throughout the region, the foetid stench of the ripening durian does little to deter aficionados who savour the tasty flesh of this 'king of fruits'.

Bemused foreigners often reach for less regal similes. Chef Anthony Bourdain said of durian consumption: 'afterwards your breath will smell like you've been French kissing your dead grandmother.'

Best eaten alone then.
Ortolan (France)
Perhaps the most controversial regional speciality on our list, ortolan are small songbirds long-savoured in France as the most exquisite and guilty of culinary pleasures.

Birds are caught in nets, blinded, force-fed millet and oats then drowned in Armagnac. The roasted carcasses are eaten whole, the small bones lacerating diners' gums inducing delicious, masochistic pleasure.

Now officially banned, much to the chagrin of French gourmands, the eating of ortolan is traditionally performed with a napkin over the head to hide the act from God.

Chewing in the darkness, devotees claim to journey with the bird through Morocco, the salty snap of the Mediterranean and on to the lavender-scented valleys of Provence.

Allegedly, former French president François Mitterrand ate two at his last meal. Ortolan can still be found on the black market.
Fugu (Japan)
One man's rarefied delicacy can be another man's ticket to an intimate affair with the hotel bathroom, but seldom do foreign foodstuffs send diners to the morgue. In Japan, things are different.

Fugu (Japanese puffer fish) are toxic sea-critters that need to be carefully prepared to remove potentially deadly internal organs.

A rich source of tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin with no known antidote, the fish are served in licensed premises and cooked by specially trained chefs.

Strict guidelines ensure diners rarely keel over (though a number perish each year), but the frisson of danger still excites those brave enough to order the poisonous puffers.

The most famous fugu dishes are found in Yamaguchi Prefecture on Honshu.
Balut (Philippines)
Kinder Surprise with attitude - Balut are fertilised, partially developed duck embryos sold throughout the Philippines and Vietnam.

Depending on how brave you feel, eggs can be selected that contain embryos from around 17 days-old to 21 days-old.

At the scarier end of the scale, duck foetuses have clearly defined eyes, feathers and claws.

Balut are enjoyed with a pinch of salt and a cold beer, diners seeing off the chick's liquid jacket before slurping down the baby itself.---www.worldtravelguide.net

More Weddings Among Tourists that Come to Fiji

2009-08-24T02:08:00.000-07:00

Fiji's wedding market is booming and becoming increasingly popular despite the global economic downturn.
Brides to be are now looking towards the tropical islands to celebrate their big day.
Warwick Fiji Resort and Spa's wedding co-ordinator Unaisi Letewale said while arrivals numbers were picking up slowly, the wedding market was booming. "Weddings overseas are a big business," she said.
"Couples save up for their special day and it's important to record each and every detail as to what they want."
Mrs Letewale said the industry was just thriving and the Warwick hosted up to five weddings a week.
Tourism Fiji's marketing officer Inise Mucunabitu had said a growing percentage of brides worldwide were now turning to the internet to prepare for their big day. She said this move came as more tourists travel to marry in Fiji.
Ms Mucunabitu said a local wedding planner heeded the call and created a website specifically for couples planning on getting married in Fiji.
"With practical advice, and wedding packages to choose from, 'Fiji Weddings' is aimed at giving couples information for all things related to getting married in Fiji," she said.
"www.fijiweddings.com.fj has information and advice useful to locals planning their weddings as well and is continuously updated with new information and packages on a regular basis in order to keep abreast with the needs of its visitors."
Meanwhile, Ms Mucunabitu said Tourism Fiji's competition win a dream Fiji wedding and honeymoon closed last month.---www.eturbonews.com