Source: http://feeds.tnooz.com/~r/Tnooz/~3/JstvgWijAR8/
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Friday, April 22, 2011
United, Continental and Travelocity offer Earth Day promotions
Continental Airlines pledges to donate $2 for tropical forest protection each time a customer uses its Android or iPhone apps to obtain mobile boarding passes as part of the airline's Earth Day message.
Cleartrip looks to scale up with Concur for business travel and international expansion
With a $40 million investment from Concur, India online travel agency Cleartrip is focused on its competition, but is looking beyond it, as well.
Source: http://feeds.tnooz.com/~r/Tnooz/~3/9AMZq3tmJ7A/
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Day Five: Visiting San Cristobal and Isla Lobos
In the bay, Galapagos sea lions rest on dozens of fishing boats bobbing in the azure bay. Around town, in the shade of benches and statues, sea lions laze, enjoying a brief respite from the sun.
"Day Five: Visiting San Cristobal and Isla Lobos" is a post from Two Go Round-The-World. Join Kathryn and Daniel as they plan, prepare and pack for a year-long RTW trip! Ready to dive in? Click here for a few easy ways to stay connected with us!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/twortw/~3/fcp63pKeAl8/
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Tnooz Nuggets ? Weds 20 April 2011
AirTran and Expedia stay the course, Next One sets target, Realex rails in Quno.
Source: http://feeds.tnooz.com/~r/Tnooz/~3/VKmvnzdQTb4/
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Two New Ways to (Possibly) Save on Hotels
And no, they're not "staying with friends instead" or "sleeping on trains" (though both of those do work, and work quite well).
Instead, you may want to turn to two websites that have made their reputation elsewhere but are now plunging full speed ahead into the travel sphere.
Living Social
The first, LivingSocial is a major "group buying site", which originally was more likely to trade in laser hair removal treatments and ballroom dancing classes than hotels. But according to a piece in yesterday's USA Today the company's "Escapes" section, launched a little over four months ago, is growing at a rapid clip by specializing in "near-cations". What does that new bit of slang mean? Hotel deals within easy driving distance of the user's home. Considering that American's are taking shorter and shorter vacations, concentrating on drive-to destinations seems like a savvy strategy to me. Many deals attach amenities such as spa visits, meals or activities. As an example, USA Today cites a 50% off deal at a hotel in Gaitlinburg, TN which also throws in a hiking guide, hiking canes and a lunch for two.
To get the new program off the ground, the company is promising that if you purchase an "escape" and get three friends to also bite, you'll get a free escape in the future.
Overstock.com
One of the biggest names on the web, Overstock.com made its mark by selling mass market, department-store items that had been remaindered. It will take the same approach with hotels on its Overstock Vacations site eschewing the boutique properties (which it will leave that to Jetsetter, Vacationist and the other luxe players in this already crowded field) and instead concentrating on big name brands such as Marriott and Crowne Plaza.
Are the deals here good? Frankly, it's hard to tell. Nowhere is the published rate listed on the site, nor does Overstock deign to say what percentage its rates are off the usual rate. As well, prices are listed per person rather than per room, a move that will confuse many users.
Of the two, LivingSocial seems to be offering the better service of the two, but both are quite new and will evolve. I'll keep my eye on them both.
Living Social
The first, LivingSocial is a major "group buying site", which originally was more likely to trade in laser hair removal treatments and ballroom dancing classes than hotels. But according to a piece in yesterday's USA Today the company's "Escapes" section, launched a little over four months ago, is growing at a rapid clip by specializing in "near-cations". What does that new bit of slang mean? Hotel deals within easy driving distance of the user's home. Considering that American's are taking shorter and shorter vacations, concentrating on drive-to destinations seems like a savvy strategy to me. Many deals attach amenities such as spa visits, meals or activities. As an example, USA Today cites a 50% off deal at a hotel in Gaitlinburg, TN which also throws in a hiking guide, hiking canes and a lunch for two.
To get the new program off the ground, the company is promising that if you purchase an "escape" and get three friends to also bite, you'll get a free escape in the future.
Overstock.com
One of the biggest names on the web, Overstock.com made its mark by selling mass market, department-store items that had been remaindered. It will take the same approach with hotels on its Overstock Vacations site eschewing the boutique properties (which it will leave that to Jetsetter, Vacationist and the other luxe players in this already crowded field) and instead concentrating on big name brands such as Marriott and Crowne Plaza.
Are the deals here good? Frankly, it's hard to tell. Nowhere is the published rate listed on the site, nor does Overstock deign to say what percentage its rates are off the usual rate. As well, prices are listed per person rather than per room, a move that will confuse many users.
Of the two, LivingSocial seems to be offering the better service of the two, but both are quite new and will evolve. I'll keep my eye on them both.
Source: http://paulinefrommerbriefing.blogspot.com/2011/03/two-new-ways-to-possibly-save-on-hotels.html
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Thursday, April 21, 2011
Trivago gets funding and looks to US online travel market with TV advertising
Trivago, the pan-European hotel metasearch company, got a funding infusion and began testing the waters in the U.S. with a 30-second TV advertisement.
Source: http://feeds.tnooz.com/~r/Tnooz/~3/s10VH5HaFvc/
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The Importance of Being at Home
I've been home for about 2 months now, sorry for the lack of updates. My intentions for this blog have wandered many times, and my focus has been lost.
Since I have been back the normal family and friends things have happened, but also something important has happened.
A family member has become unwell. This family member has also just had serious surgery and requires care and help from the family.
I am so glad I am home to help. I am close to this family member, and it has become an important part of my everyday to see them and help them.
Their decline in help was not foreseen, and was not any of the reasons I returned home.
But being back home has become vital for now.
Travel plans continue to swirl in my head, but they do not even reach the draft stage. They are just ideas.
Source: http://www.itravelabout.com/blog/darren/the-importance-of-being-at-home
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Visiting Chile: Five things to see in Santiago
With such polarized opinions, Kathryn and I knew that we would either love Santiago or hate it.
"Visiting Chile: Five things to see in Santiago" is a post from Two Go Round-The-World. Join Kathryn and Daniel as they plan, prepare and pack for a year-long RTW trip! Ready to dive in? Click here for a few easy ways to stay connected with us!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/twortw/~3/LJ3_KRBAELA/
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Brazil, a Land of Contrasts - Part 1
Greetings fellow travelers!
After my last brief trip to Brazil, I decided I had to go back and explore some more. So, last month I did just that - this time around I had a whole month, plus a car full of kids! Here is Part 1 of my latest Brazil adventure.
Brazil (http://www.cat-travel.com/brazil/information) is a truly developing country. There is a constant buzz about it that cannot be denied. You only need to drive along one of its main highways, such as the BR101, to realize that. Trucks, trucks and more trucks, and they?re all over the place! As we tried to get from Recife to Olinda it was still ok, but when driving north to the beautiful coastal town of Pipa it was a mad house. Unbelievable amounts of trucks, carrying anything from sugar cane to cars, entire bridges and other unidentifiable loads transported from A to B in huge bulk. I mean, they are going places, you know? This is a country on the move. No wonder they got the first two letters in BRIC?
I am not sure to what extent this busyness has to do with Lula, the current president that has done so much for Brazil?s working classes, and who has truly made a first attempt to bring the country up from a feudal landowners? state to an industrialized nation. I have not been here long, or often enough to make that distinction, and that was one of the reasons we decided to make this trip: to get to know Brazil better, even if only a part of it.
As we do every year, Karin and I took the kids during their school vacation for a one-month inspection trip, and this time we decided to go and explore a part of the North of Brazil. So, at the end of January we flew to Recife and picked up the car we had booked for the trip. We had agreed not to stay in Recife, but drive on to Olinda all in one go. Of course we did not count on one of our connecting GOL flights being late, forcing us to take a later flight on our last stretch of the journey, arriving in Recife close to midnight. The car rental pace was still open, but by that time it was pitch dark outside. Still we had a place booked for us in Olinda and it was only a 30 minute drive away, so we decided to wing it. We immediately set off in the wrong direction, ending up on the Litoral Sul towards Salvador, where we weren?t supposed to be going until well over a week later. There are not that many signs on Brazilian roads (well actually there are lots and lots of them, but most do not seem to have anything to do with traffic), but after a while we figured out we were heading in the wrong direction and eventually found a way to turn around without causing an accident. Then, somehow, we got into the right flow of traffic and it seemed everybody was headed to Olinda. From that moment on we got a better feel of where we were as we crisscrossed the canals and rivers that thread through that part of Recife. The town was founded by the Dutch Prince Maurice (The Dutch settled in this part of Brazil for some 22 years between Portuguese occupations) and he must have been homesick for Amsterdam when he had this part of town designed. All of a sudden we were in Olinda, we drove straight through town, made one more u-turn, drove right past our hotel, hit the brakes hard, avoiding a couple of buses racing by, put the car in reverse and finally made it to our destination.
Olinda
Olinda happens to be the old capital of Brazil, and today it is a world heritage site. The town is a maze of cobbled streets, hills crowned with brilliant white churches, pastel-colored houses, Baroque fountains and graceful squares. It is a nice picturesque place with many beautiful old churches and beautifully maintained colonial houses. Walking through the old town I got the feeling of being warped back in time to the days when sugar cane ruled the world economy.
The beaches close to town aren?t the most attractive, but if you have the time go and see the ones to the north, they are much better.
On our first morning we took the car out for a spin around town to get a feel for the place. We hadn?t quite covered 300 meters when a guy almost threw himself in front of the car, standing up straight, with a commanding hand held high in the air. We kind of took him to be a cop, but he was wearing shorts and a green t-shirt, so that was odd. Against my instincts I brought the car to a halt, and the ?cop? took out what I thought to be his notebook. It was in fact a map of the city, and the guy turned out to be a guide. So our second lesson was that Brazilians can be quite direct and persuasive, and one should not always automatically respond to that. Saying ?nao, obrigado? (no thanks) and walking or driving on will usually do the trick. Unless you are dealing with a real cop of course, in which case it is better to stop and be cooperative. FYI, in Olinda lots of people offer themselves as city guides. Those wearing yellow t-shirts with the words "Guia Mirim" written on the back and laminated ID cards are official guides.
A third thing that comes in handy is some basic understanding of the Portuguese language as many people speak nothing but it. We only encountered extremely friendly people when asking for directions, but most of their well-meant tips and explanations, sadly passed us by, as our Spanish was not of much use either. It was fun to be in that situation again though, where you never really know for sure if you got the gist of a conversation or not. It reminded me of the time in 1997 when we were driving across the Peruvian Andes, speaking only very little Spanish and asking local peasants who only spoke the native Aymara language for directions; that combined with them being used to traveling on foot, and having a profoundly different sense of time, made us agree to ask the same set of directions over and over again until we had met at least three people all pointing in the same direction? We got lost so many times on that trip that the fact, in itself, has stopped worrying me.
Happy trails!
Bart
Source: http://bart-cat-travel.blogspot.com/2010/03/brazil-land-of-contrasts-part-1_16.html
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Shanghai Shangrila
What happens when you decide to move from Los Angeles, California to Shanghai, China? According to Tiffany and Mike: ‘an experience of a lifetime’! They relate their trials, tribulations and joys in a ‘week in review’ manner. They also include a Picture of the Day to bring it all together. � Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2011. [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/travelblogs/~3/uzoIARZPq64/shanghai-shangrila
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Ask Tom: Live Q&A
Lonely Planet's Tom Hall will be live online tomorrow from 1-2pm answering your travel queries. Post your questions for him below
Planning a late spring getaway in search of much-needed early summer sunshine? Maybe you're taking advantage of the extra bank holiday or starting to plan your summer. Need advice on a specific destination, how to get there or where to stay? Tom Hall will be live on Guardian Travel tomorrow offering expert advice. Post questions below in advance or on the day.
Tom will get to as many as he can in an hour, but due to the volume of questions, he may not be able to answer all of them in the live blog. Unanswered questions will be considered for future Ask Tom blog posts.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/blog/2011/mar/29/asktom-blogpost
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Ask Tom - your travel dilemmas answered
Lonely Planet expert Tom Hall offers advice on travelling on an ultra-thin shoestring, passage by freight ship, and those pesky volcanoes in Iceland
My boyfriend and I would like to do a trip of between six weeks and three months this autumn but have very little money. We want to explore a new part of the world but aren't sure where to go. We want something that offers culture and adventure, but also the possibility for relaxation. Can you recommend any destinations for travel on an ultra-thin shoestring?
Nina
I'm getting an increasing number of questions in along these lines, where travellers are looking to stretch out their budget for as long as possible. The good news is that there are still plenty of places where you can manage on �15 or less a day once you're in the country. These include south-west China, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia and, arguably fitting best with what you're after, India. You'll meet lots of travellers getting by on even less than this. The catch is that the initial outlay on a plane ticket is substantial. For India, this means bagging a cheap flight for around �450, probably changing planes in one of the large Arabian hubs on the way.
So how do you manage on such a low daily budget? You may be surprised to hear that it's not dependent on bargaining down to the last paise. That's no fun for you or the people you're haggling with. The trick is consistently sticking to your budget for accommodation and transport. In many of the places listed above, extremely cheap food is easy to come by. The inconvenient truth ? and what blows many budgets out of the water ? is that too many beers and frugal travel don't really go together. You don't need to be teetotal; just consume in moderation. Any guided activity, such as a trek, for which you require porters will also need to be budgeted for, as it will usually blow your daily budget.
I don't mean to paint too serious a picture about budgeting. After all, this is only really a means to stay on the road for an extended period. If anyone has tips for keeping costs low on the road, I'd welcome them.
I want to travel by freight ship from Africa to South America, but am stuck. I know you have written on this subject before, but I am having trouble finding where to look into this topic. Could you point me in the right direction?
Sarah Hosmer
Passenger-carrying freighters still criss-cross the globe, and they remain an unusual, relaxing way to travel huge distances. Even the largest freighters tend to have room for no more than eight to 12 passengers who pay somewhere in the region of �80 to �100 per day at sea. Abandon all notion of working your passage ? only paying passengers get a berth.
Once on board you're left to your own devices, usually eat with the crew ? meals are included ? and have access to limited facilities, perhaps a gym and a library. Stop-offs tend to be in large container ports, and although you are usually allowed to disembark, itineraries are not geared around shore excursions. This type of travel does hark back to an earlier era and many who travel this way catch the bug and seek out different passages.
The best-known agent for this kind of travel is Strand Voyages (020-7921 4340, strandtravel.co.uk), which can arrange most available itineraries. It advises booking as far in advance as possible ? for example, it has no availability on voyages to Australia for the remainder of 2011. Berths on ships to Asia are easier to come by, however, and space can be arranged with a month's notice.
As bad luck would have it, the journey you would like to take is one of the most logistically complicated. Grimaldi Lines (grimaldi.co.uk) runs a transatlantic service that begins at Tilbury, eventually calls at Dakar and several other west African ports before crossing to South America and visiting Rio, Santos (near S�o Paulo, Montevideo, Z�rate (Argentina) and Buenos Aires. However, most passengers on this trip do the whole journey to South America from Europe, and Grimaldi is keen to have the berths filled for as long as possible. The only way passengers can embark in Africa and get off in South America, and vice versa, is by booking no earlier than 15 days in advance, once Grimaldi is sure that it won't get someone for the whole journey. It also doesn't allow disembarkation in South America before Buenos Aires: this makes for a 19-day journey, at a cost of about �915. Sailings are every nine to 10 days.
This may well not fit with your plans and leave too much uncertainty, but if you can be flexible, Strand can help with booking.
I am 17, and a friend and I were planning to travel in July or August to the Baltic states ? doing Lithuania and Kaliningrad, then Latvia and Estonia , and on to Finland by ferry. Is it safe to travel here at 17, and can I rent a car at 17 in these countries? How much money do I need?
Henry Jackson
I went InterRailing around Europe at 16 and 17 and had a fantastic time. You have picked some interesting places to go to that are, on the whole, extremely safe. You can easily fill a month travelling around this region and you should budget for �20-�25 a day in the Baltic states. Finland is more expensive, but not prohibitively so. Here you should allow for �40 a day if self-catering and camping ? with your biggest expense being transport ? and �50 if you're hostelling, staying in towns and cities, and buying food at markets. I'm afraid you can't hire a car in any of these countries until you are at least 18. The individual countries' tourist board websites, such as (visitfinland.com), lithuaniatourism.co.uk, latvia.travel, and visitestonia.com are useful when you're planning your trip. Skyscanner (skyscanner.net) can help with arranging an open-jaw flight into one city and out of another ? Helsinki and Vilnius are the most logical geographically.
A friend of mine says another volcano is about to erupt in Iceland. Is this true? I had a flight to a family wedding in Canada cancelled last year and don't want to go through the palaver again of getting my money back and changing plans at short notice. What advice can you give?
Joseph Reynolds
There's no need to change your plans in this case. Indeed, unless we have a very unusual set of circumstances, volcano-related disruption should be much less in the future than we saw last year.
Last week's coverage appears to have stemmed from comments made on Icelandic radio which were interpreted as saying there was a risk of B�rdarbunga volcano erupting. The Iceland Meteorological Office has subsequently issued a statement saying there are, in fact, no signs of an imminent eruption. They would, they say, issue an alert if they believed an eruption was imminent.
There may indeed be the threat of a volcano erupting in Iceland ? that's because it has many volcanoes, some of which erupt frequently. These eruptions are usually small and localised, and do not result in activity of the strength of Eyjafjallaj�kull, nor a repeat of the scenes of last year.
One of the knock-on effects of last year's shut-down of European airspace has been an improvement in aviation authorities' ability to safely manage disruption caused by ash. In other words, the risks are better understood, and even in the event of an identical eruption to last year's there would be far fewer closures. In short, keep calm and carry on.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/blog/2011/feb/16/ask-tom-travel-advice-budget
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Brazil, a land of contrasts ? Part 2
Dear Fellow Travelers,
Here we go with the next installment of my Northern Brazil adventure!
Pipa
The next day we left for Pipa, close to the town of Natal and some 450 km to the north of Olinda. After driving in the wrong direction again (and this time in broad day light) we thought it might come in handy to have a map of some sort. We had packed hastily for this trip (as we usually do) and some things had sadly been left behind. After several stops at gas stations, supermarkets, and other places where one might expect to be able to buy a map, we finally found one at a local pharmacy where, as it turned out, everybody buys their maps. At least that was the fact in Olinda (at the end of this journey, we stumbled upon the ?Giua Cuatro Rodas?, an excellent guidebook, with all kinds of tips, directions and hotel options in the country, along with an excellent road map; so we?re all set for our next trip!). Now it became a lot easier to find our way and within no-time we entered the famous BR101 highway. The BR101 is undergoing many repairs these days, so long stretches are ?en obras? (under construction), which means our trip took a little longer than expected and we arrived to Pipa after dark, yet again. Another thing we quickly came to realize is that even though we were visiting a neighboring country of our beautifully southern hemispheric Argentina, we had come quite close to the equator, and the sun here sets at 6.30pm sharp, something to take into account if you are planning a full-day?s drive.
Pipa turned out to be amazing. Lovely beaches circled by high cliffs, lagoons, Atlantic forest and dolphins. Pipa has cobbled streets and good surfing beaches, in addition to a lake full of manatees (in neighboring Tibau do Sul). It is an old hippy colony and was recently discovered by Brazil?s traveling youth. Even though the town can get a bit crowded at night it remains a beautiful little spot to relax and enjoy nature.
We spent our days here walking along one of the beaches, spotting dolphins from a small speedboat, and eating? The place was called Panela do Barro and we went back three times. Located in the heart of town, sitting on the cliff, overlooking Pipa?s central beach, their seafood Moqueca is a feast. The ways various African, Portuguese and indigenous ingredients, and cooking methods have merged through the centuries to create this wondrous dish I cannot describe, but man it was good! I really need to get that recipe, or better still, find me a good Brazilian restaurant in town? It can be said though; food in Brazil is GOOD!
Porto Galinhas
From Pipa we moved on to Porto Galinhas, which was not really worth visiting. Supposedly home to the best beach in Brazil, the town changed from a fishing village into the playground of Brazil?s rich and famous and later became a popular vacation spot for domestic travelers. The town has a questionable history as the ?chicken port?, so called by the Portuguese during the time when the English started getting bossy and imposing their power to try and force the Portuguese to abolish slavery - just as the rest of the world had done before. On paper, Porto Galinhas was a port where poultry and other livestock arrived from Europe, but that was only to deceive the British; what actually came off the boats was slave trade business as usual, and it would go on like that for many more years. Today Porto Galinhas does not have too much to offer to the discerning traveler. We relaxed in one of the huge resorts there for a couple of days, but were happy to move on.
Praia do Forte
Praia do Forte on the other hand was a very nice surprise. We stayed in the Tivoli Eco-Resort, which is a pleasure in itself, and explored the surrounding area from there.
The Tamar Project (TAMAR being short for Tartaruga Marinha, Portuguese for Sea Turtle) is definitely worth a visit. The story of marine conservation in Brazil coincides with the creation of the TAMAR Program. Seventeen years ago the Federal Government, in tune with international demand and increasing environmental awareness in Brazilian society, began to adopt measures aimed at marine protection. In the beginning of the 1980s, the Brazilian Institute of Forestry Development (IBDF), created the TAMAR Program with the objective of protecting sea turtles in Brazil. The work started in Bahia (Praia do Forte), Esp�rito Santo (Comboios) and Sergipe (Piramb�), and was then extended nationwide. The project focused on the identification of different species, their main nesting sites, their reproduction period, and the main socio-economic problems related to the exploitation of sea turtles by the coastal residents. Technical staff spent two years traveling along the Brazilian coastline gathering information. In 1982 and 1986, SUDEPE (the Fishing Development Agency) passed regulations prohibiting the capture of all species of turtle.
From April through November one can also go out to sea to spot Humpback Whales, something that I would love to do. Unfortunately, we arrived off-season this time, but I will certainly go back one day to see these wondrous creatures.
Lencois
From Praia do Forte we decided to escape Carnaval (absolutely a great party, but a little too much with two small kids) and head for Lencois, some 450 km inland. Until 1996 this was the wild, wild, west where some 80,000 people tried their luck at discovering diamonds. Lawlessness ruled and the area was notoriously unsafe and environmentally irresponsible. Come the mid 90?s the Federal Government decided enough was enough and diamond mining in Lencois was made illegal. The area almost immediately shifted to tourism for its income, and today Lencois, and the few towns surrounding it, are the heart of the Chapada Diamantina National Park. This is a beautiful area of natural springs, waterfalls, weird rock formations, quaint little towns and large underground cave-systems that can all be visited from Lencois.
We found all ranges of accommodation in the village, but relatively few people seem to know about it, or make the decision to go there, so the whole place is very calm and tranquil. Lencois is also a place where all races seem to be living together in perfect balance (from what we saw at least) and it is throughout a very safe and pleasant place to be. We walked through the outskirts of town after dark with our two small children without ever having the feeling that we should start being careful. We have been around the block a bit in this continent, so our antennae are attuned, but here we felt perfectly at ease. Talks with locals confirmed this feeling; Lencois is one of the safest places to travel. Combine this with a great surrounding area for hiking and sight-seeing and you have one fantastic destination to add to your list of Brazil must-sees.
Happy trails,
Bart
Ps I just had a look at our webpage and came across this aptly named package to Northern Brazil visiting Salvador, Lencois and Praia do Forte - Salvador and the Beauty of Bahia
Source: http://bart-cat-travel.blogspot.com/2010/04/brazil-land-of-contrasts-part-2.html
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Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Orbitz Odd Man Out As Other Big Travel Companies Kiss and Make Up
This leaves Orbitz in the dust. Not only is it still not carrying American Airlines seats, but last week it apparently broke with the largest car rental concern in the world, Enterprise (which also controls Alamo), meaning Orbitz customers will have less choice for both airfares and car rentals.
'Tis a shame. Orbitz had (to my mind at least) the most user-friendly interface of the "Big Three" and had been a good site in the past for deals.
Source: http://paulinefrommerbriefing.blogspot.com/2011/04/orbitz-odd-man-out-as-other-big-travel.html
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I'm Back and Getting ready for the Cabrio Challenge...
Hi there everyone,
Wow, 3 months went by in a flash! We were in Europe for the summer (doing some work, yes) and time just flew by. I cannot really recall what it was that kept us so busy for this period so that it flew by like it did, but hey, it was probably because we had so much fun! Anyway, it does explain my virtual absence in a way. I hope you enjoyed Sarah?s input last month!
As for me, I have been outdoors a lot lately, as detached from my laptop/the internet as I have ever been over the past 10 years, and you know what...it wasn?t so bad! Still, I'm glad to be back on the block now and writing to you because this coming Thursday I am leaving again to participate in the CABRIO CHALLENGE. This convertible car rally concept was set up last year by a small group of Dutch driving fanatics when they drove 20-some-odd cars from Amsterdam to Singapore. Now they have asked CAT-DMC to organize this year?s (and first) Latin American Edition! How cool is that? Of course I am thrilled to be a part of it and I will be sharing the fun with you while I am on the road.
You can read my updates from the Cabrillo Challenge here:
http://www.catdmc.com/cabriochallenges/
Happy Trails!!
Bart
Wow, 3 months went by in a flash! We were in Europe for the summer (doing some work, yes) and time just flew by. I cannot really recall what it was that kept us so busy for this period so that it flew by like it did, but hey, it was probably because we had so much fun! Anyway, it does explain my virtual absence in a way. I hope you enjoyed Sarah?s input last month!
As for me, I have been outdoors a lot lately, as detached from my laptop/the internet as I have ever been over the past 10 years, and you know what...it wasn?t so bad! Still, I'm glad to be back on the block now and writing to you because this coming Thursday I am leaving again to participate in the CABRIO CHALLENGE. This convertible car rally concept was set up last year by a small group of Dutch driving fanatics when they drove 20-some-odd cars from Amsterdam to Singapore. Now they have asked CAT-DMC to organize this year?s (and first) Latin American Edition! How cool is that? Of course I am thrilled to be a part of it and I will be sharing the fun with you while I am on the road.
You can read my updates from the Cabrillo Challenge here:http://www.catdmc.com/cabriochallenges/
Happy Trails!!
Bart
Source: http://bart-cat-travel.blogspot.com/2008/09/hi-there-everyone-wow-3-months-go-by-in.html
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Anchorage-Seattle $414rt all-in on Alaska Air
Finally! Just got off the phone with friends at USTravel, where we reviewed Alaska Airlines’ rate of $414 roundtrip, all-in, between Anchorage and Seattle. Hey–dig this photo of Seattle by Jason Hoover (above). See more of his work here: www.jasonhooverphotography.com Travel between May 15 and May 29, 2011. Yep–just two weeks to get everything done [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlaskaTravelgram/~3/nuBTNHX7T_o/
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The Polish Wedding Dancing Competition
Well this is it everyone, the video you’ve been waiting for over a year to see. The Polish Wedding Dancing Competition. Which I was able to win due to irrational behaviour caused by chronic alcohol intoxication from drinking a few litres of potato juice, wodka. (In Polish the word Vodka is spelt and pronounced wodka, [...]
Source: http://alexasigno.co.uk/the-polish-wedding-dancing-competition/
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Iguacu ? Nature?s Monument to the Mystery of Latin America
In a way, no South American Travel Blog would be complete without an Iguacu entry. Like Machu Picchu , the giant falls have become both an integral part of Latin America , as well as an iconic representation of the type of beauty so often found within the continent. I think everyone finds something in Iguacu . However, it all depends on the individual, and whether they experience a life altering realization, a subtle understanding of nature, or even just a quiet peace of mind, people both lose and find themselves in this jungle waterfall wonderland. Over the years, I have traveled to Iguacu a number of times for both business and pleasure and am always amazed. And amid bromeliads, vines, orchids and a kaleidoscope of brightly colored butterflies, the mighty falls never fail to impress me with their reckless beauty.
The name
The falls themselves consist of 270 separate cascades that stretch in white veiled patches for over 2.7 kilometers with vivid green jungle sprouting spectacularly between the waterfall segments wherever it can. The Garganta do Diabo or Devil?s Throat is perhaps the most impressive of all the falls and with a U bend shape, it stretches for over 700 meters. The fall marks the division between
I enjoy
From a regional point of view, the falls lie between
Three settlements in three different countries converge around
Regardless of what there is to see and do in and around the falls, it is the falls themselves that remain very much the central attraction to the area. I?ve heard it said that
Keep on Traveling
Bart
Source: http://bart-cat-travel.blogspot.com/2007/06/iguacu-natures-monument-to-mystery-of.html
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Who's To Blame, Legally, When Travel Goes Wrong? In Hawaii, The Answer Might Have Been Guidebook Publishers
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| (photo by Stephanie Koi) |
The very American question is: who do you sue? And if one Hawaiian legislator, with a shaky grasp of the US Constitution, had had his way, the answer would have been the publisher who printed the guidebook from which you got your travel suggestions.
Thankfully the latest attack on first amendment rights, Hawaii House Bill 548, has died in committee. It was vigorously opposed by the trade group Media Coalition. After the victory, Publisher's Weekly quoted CEO of the organization as saying "Holding authors and publishers financially liable for the actions of readers and private landowners will have a substantial chilling effect on them. They would inevitably limit what they wrote or what images they included in their guide books or on guide website to avoid the possibility of a lawsuit.? But he also went on to warn that the bill could be resurrected, as the Hawaiian legislator has a two-year session.
Let's hope this particular bill R.I.P.
Source: http://paulinefrommerbriefing.blogspot.com/2011/04/whos-to-blame-legally-when-travel-goes.html
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Let?s Fly. Let?s Fish. Ya?Fly-n-Fish w/Rust?s
For those of us who love to fish–it’s really nice to know someone with an airplane. That’s because (of course) the best fishing spots are accessible only by plane or boat. And planes are faster.�Fly with Rust’s Flying Service right from Lake Hood at “The Ted” (Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport). Call them: (907)243-1595. Jeez–I [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlaskaTravelgram/~3/UFoxh82T7fA/
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011
A Trio of Deals That I'd Like to Bring to Your Attention
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| The Amalfi Coast (photo by Jimmy Harris) |
Hiking the Amalfi Coast: Nothing on this deluxe Italian coastline comes cheap...usually. But the always affordable GAP Adventures apparently is having trouble filling the April 30 departure of its walking tour of the area and so has shaved a full 25% off the cost. Now this 8-day, fully-guided tour is available for $975. That price includes farmhouse accommodations for 3 nights and hotel accommodations for 4, breakfasts, one dinner, a tour of Pompeii and several days of challenging walks. For more info, head to the GAP site. You'll also find discounts there for other April and May tours to a host of tempting destinations.
Cheap sleeps in the British Isles and Spain: Family friendly (four can share a room with pull-out sofa for the cost of two), clean, well-managed: what's not to like about Europe's Travelodge chain (http://www.travelodge.co.uk/)? Their constant sales make them downright adorable in many traveler's minds, like the one that launches tomorrow morning. It will drop 5000 discounted rooms on the market for stays between Apr 21 and May 4. Prices are being slashed to just 15 GBP, an excellent rate, especially if you use one as a quad. Full information can be found at the Travelodge site.
Source: http://paulinefrommerbriefing.blogspot.com/2011/04/trio-of-deals-that-id-like-to-bring-to.html
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inspiringtravellers.com: Ideas from the road
Both Andrea and John were seasoned travelers when they met, and eventually married. They ‘settled down’, spending four years in one place. Wanderlust struck again and now they have embarked upon a round the world journey. They share their stories plus those of other travelers they have met along their way. � Gretchen for TravelBlogs, [...]
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The Radar: Bavaria Bike and Beer Tour, Friendliest Countries, Hand-Drawn London
Cycle through Bavaria from Rothenberg to Bamberg and back again on this seven-day, independent bike tour. Each day ends in a beer garden where you can soothe your muscles with a cold beer and local food. [Bike Sherpa] Live the expat life in Canada, Bermuda, or South Africa, named the top three welcoming cities on…
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The Spirit of SXSW Lives On
National Geographic Books Production Manager Lisa A. Walker recently returned �from Austin’s annual South by Southwest (SXSW) music, film and interactive conference and festival, where the performances did more than just entertain. The real spirit of Austin?s South by Southwest festival this year went well beyond the films and music. Something inspiring happened at SXSW…
Source: http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2011/04/19/the-spirit-of-sxsw-lives-on/
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Top Posts For AviationQueen.com In March
First, I have to thank you,� my loyal readers, for making March my most successful month ever.� According to my WordPress Site Stats, I had 5,188 views during the month.� And this was a month when I didn’t blog for a week after battling an upper respiratory infection. The top story in March was on [...]
Source: http://aviationqueen.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/top-posts-for-aviationqueen-com-in-march/
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KTVA Video: Alaskana deal round-up
From Seward to Denali to the banks of the Copper River–there are great bargains right now for travel around the state. We had a fun time in Seward with the folks at Major Marine Tours. And we’re keeping an eye on the great deals at Princess Lodges around the state. Watch the clip for details…click [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlaskaTravelgram/~3/c-B39DFFaVM/
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Fire & Ice - from volcanic ash to a BAires hail storm
After watching coverage of the volcano in Iceland over the weekend, yesterday I was confronted with a miniature natural disaster of my own in the form of a hailstorm of epic proportions! After an overall beautiful, sunny, late-summers day in Buenos Aires, the sky all of a sudden darkened and lightning started flashing overhead with fast-increasing intensity. After a while it started to rain lightly, soon more and more water was falling from the sky - and then the hail began. For about 15 minutes our house was pummeled by rock-hard balls of ice the size of tennis balls.
I was working in our attic office/playroom, where my desk is located just under a large sky-window. Karin asked our daughters if they wanted to go downstairs with her to watch the garden as the rain was beginning to fall. After some minutes I decided to get a drink and so I followed them downstairs. That was a lucky decision.
I arrived downstairs at 8.15, just when the serious hail started to come down. We were standing on our back porch, under a tiled roof as the first icy bombs came down, hammering into the grass and turning the pool into a wild spectacle. Trees in our garden were rapidly ?shaven?, as thousands of ice balls bombarded them, ripping off leaves, branches and taking out the occasional bird on their way down. We quickly ran back into the safety of the house and I started to close the blinds on the most exposed windows.
Each room I ran into echoed with the thuds of ice slamming into the windows, and each time I feared that one would come straight through. By the time I was done most of the hail had subsided and was replaced by a torrential rain that seemed like a huge bucket of murky water was being poured out over our neighborhood. At some point we could hardly see our garden anymore, covered as it was in white icy rubble with massive curtains of water sweeping before our eyes. Then I remembered the attic?
I ran upstairs to find my desk covered in glass, ice and water. Somehow most of the window had managed to miss it and my laptop and auxiliary screens were still functioning. I stood there, frantically looking from left to right, not knowing exactly what to do first, it was as if a giant tap had been turned on directly above what used to be my work space - water was pouring everywhere. And then, all of a sudden, the rain stopped, and at the same moment the entire neighborhood went pitch black.
I managed to find a flashlight and went back down to Karin and the kids. They had had a great time watching the storm and had no clue what had happened. We put the children to bed and went upstairs where we cleared the area of glass and actually managed to salvage most of the equipment. We found some flattened cardboard boxes and a couple of planks and went about with hammer and nails.
Later Karin reminded me it might be a good idea to see if the ?vigilante? (the private security guys you see guarding street corners in cities across Latin America) had survived the storm. So I went outside and made my way through a thick carpet of leaves and tree-branches, looking at the cars as I passed; windows shattered and round dents in roofs, hoods and hatches. Our security guy was fine and did not need water or cigarettes, so after chatting to him and our neighbor about insurance policies and how both our dogs had taken this weird natural event, I went back inside. It remained dry for the rest of the night and this morning the sun came out and another sunny day started as if nothing had happened?
The garden, however, told another story, with branches lying all over the place like a jungle floor and the grass dotted with potholes. Power stayed out until midday and with it internet, phone lines and the comforts of working from home. We had enough to do however, especially when we saw what else had happened in those 15 minutes. Roughly 60% of the tiles on our roof had been shattered and our garden furniture was smashed to smithereens. Another window of hardened wire-glass in our garage was hit in three places and had opened up like paper. There were large holes where the ice went straight through and glass shattered all over the cars, which luckily otherwise remained intact. We spent most of the day collecting glass and rubble and it was then that I realized how extremely dependent on all those modern-day comforts I have become.
Still we have been lucky, very lucky in fact. Buenos Aires is not usually prone to serious natural upheavals, apart from a tropical rainstorm every now and then. Other parts of the world are not so well off. Natural disasters are happening more and more often and in many cases have tremendous effects on the world economy, as recently the Financial Times described in an article about the volcanic eruption in Iceland, of which I hereby copy the intro (reply to this post and ask me for an official forward and I will try to send you the entire article!):
?(April 16th 2010) Volcanic disruption
Pandemic flu, blizzards, volcanic eruptions: Mother Nature seems resolved to hurl grit (or fine ash) into the turbine blades of economic recovery. Disruption to international air traffic caused by a rather different Icelandic blow-up from the one 18 months ago is already the most serious since 9/11, and may outstrip it. A Sydney-based consultant, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, forecasts that if the disturbance extends even three more days, it could affect 1m passengers, and cost airlines $1bn in lost revenues. Yet as with other recent natural phenomena, the overall economic impact may ultimately prove insignificant??
Of course then there is the human aspect of these occurrences, not only for the people directly involved in them, but also for those that know, are related to, or have simply met them at some point. As my formerly Asia-bound colleague Beth says:
??the tsunami that hit Sri-Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia was a disaster on a huge scale, but what struck me about it was the world response. It was the height of the Christmas season and most everyone I know knew someone who was there, heard first hand stories of the day, or had been there themselves in the past. News wasn?t just on the TV, it had happened to someone you knew, millions of first-hand stories were transmitted by word of mouth on a global scale.
I have many great memories of Thailand beach holidays, and essential to these memories are the people I met while I was there ? the guys who cracked open fresh coconuts for me on the beach, the father and son who took us out in their fishing boat, the girls making seashell necklaces and running along the beach to sell them ? all of these people?s faces came back to me when I heard the news, and I wondered how they were and what they lost. I think that this was the same for everyone, and that this is the reason why the world showed such solidarity. It wasn?t something just effecting international airlines and multi-national hotel chains, it was the guy who made you fresh mango juice on the beach in Ha Tien. Yes, it was all going on far away in a distant land, but it was something we could all relate to on a human scale.?
This is one of the positive effects of globalization and ever-increasing world travel, we have, and should have, an increased understanding, empathy and solidarity with our world neighbors. Tourism and travel bring great responsibility on many levels, be it related to preservation of natural habitats and heritage or simple material transactions that keep local economies moving. The way in which the world has developed means that many, many people in many countries rely almost entirely on tourism for their livelihood ? if this is suddenly cut off, for example by a natural disaster, what happens to them?
In our globalized world everyone is connected, and so in turn everything that happens and how we respond has repercussions all around the world. The big volcanic dust cloud recently grounding flights across Europe, has all sorts of myriad effects on people around the world, from the plantation worker in Jamaica to the hotel cleaner in Egypt. As soon as the dust settles the world will be up and flying again, but the effects will continue to be felt, if not by you, by someone else in some distant land that you may one day travel to. This volcano reminds me of all the other disasters in recent years, of Chile, Haiti, New Orleans, Thailand, Sri Lanka? the list goes on. And it reminds me that the privileges and pleasures of travel go hand in hand with a responsibility to the people and the places that we travel to.
Our 15 minute hailstorm was an ever so small taste of the destruction that nature can wreak, and it made me realize just how small we really are, and how futile and vulnerable most of the security-net is that we try to pull up around ourselves. Without that net, how long would we hold? Because without all the 21st century shields we reinforce ourselves and our lives with, we are pretty much useless when it comes to surviving in raw natural circumstances. I had to think about ?The Road? and wondered what would happen if we had a hailstorm like yesterday?s, but for, say 1 month. ?Note to self, must remember to buy batteries and enough freeze-dried food for at least 4 weeks tomorrow!
?signing off now, just got my internet, home computer network, flat screen TV and media PC working again; and it?s time for some channel surfing with a chilled beer, an ordered in pizza, the pleasant hum of the air conditioning and the already fading notion of a different reality, and how it almost bit me?
Source: http://bart-cat-travel.blogspot.com/2010/04/fire-ice-from-volcanic-ash-to-baires.html
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