Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Kokoda Track for Charity Trek?

Well it’s been just over 3 years since I actually did anything substantial for charity. My last two endeavors were to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and cycle the South Downs Way. On the 7th of September 2007 at 5,892 meters, I summeted Mount Kilimanjaro with a small group of friends. Raising just over �12,000 for the [...]

Source: http://alexasigno.co.uk/kokoda-track-for-charity-trek/

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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: 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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TBEX '11 Schedule & Speakers

Source: http://www.travelblogexchange.com/xn/detail/2721323:BlogPost:234543

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Travelport, Amadeus, Sabre, Abacus briefs ? May 2011

Product news, releases, projects and more from the global distribution systems during May 2011 - all here in one easy read.

Source: http://feeds.tnooz.com/~r/Tnooz/~3/nZ6F0JLCsYo/

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Where Fear Lies - tohoku earthquake part one

Source: http://www.travelblogexchange.com/xn/detail/2721323:BlogPost:219281

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Just a Quick Invitation: Speaking in Hartford, CT Tomorrow

If Judgement Day doesn't come tomorrow--and I'm certainly hoping it doesn't because I've worked hard on this speech!--I'll be presenting at the Hartford Summer Funfest. My speech is entitled "When to Splurge and When to Save on Travel"
and as you can probably tell, it has nothing to do with the end of days. The venue is the Connecticut Expo Center, 265 Reverend Moody Overpass in Hartford. I hit the stage at 1pm.

The event is broadly focused on summer activities, including travel, food, home decor, gardening, outdoor, and kid's activities. So it should be a little more broad ranging than the usual travel shows. Oh and Jim Steers from the TV show "The Doctors" will also be speaking, and I'm sure he'll be happy to answer questions about any, er, burning sensations you may be feeling. Have I made this event sound tempting enough?

To learn more, go to http://www.ctfunfest.com./

Source: http://paulinefrommerbriefing.blogspot.com/2011/05/just-quick-invitation-speaking-in.html

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Just a Quick Invitation: Speaking in Hartford, CT Tomorrow

If Judgement Day doesn't come tomorrow--and I'm certainly hoping it doesn't because I've worked hard on this speech!--I'll be presenting at the Hartford Summer Funfest. My speech is entitled "When to Splurge and When to Save on Travel"
and as you can probably tell, it has nothing to do with the end of days. The venue is the Connecticut Expo Center, 265 Reverend Moody Overpass in Hartford. I hit the stage at 1pm.

The event is broadly focused on summer activities, including travel, food, home decor, gardening, outdoor, and kid's activities. So it should be a little more broad ranging than the usual travel shows. Oh and Jim Steers from the TV show "The Doctors" will also be speaking, and I'm sure he'll be happy to answer questions about any, er, burning sensations you may be feeling. Have I made this event sound tempting enough?

To learn more, go to http://www.ctfunfest.com./

Source: http://paulinefrommerbriefing.blogspot.com/2011/05/just-quick-invitation-speaking-in.html

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The End of the Road in Kauai

Source: http://www.travelblogexchange.com/xn/detail/2721323:BlogPost:213544

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A Friend?s Secret Path to Machu Picchu?

Greetings faithful readers and avid travelers! I have a special treat for you this month. As my travels have kept me particularly busy during the past few months, I?ve decided to hand over the blog to a special guest?

Recently I received a warm email from another travel-blogger named Sarah. She wrote to me and explained that she enjoys reading my Blog and asked if maybe I wouldn?t mind letting her guest post sometime. Well, I don?t mind at all! I have learned a lot from reading her blog, and I thought now would be the perfect opportunity for me to get you acquainted with her thoughts. I mean, no one has done and seen it all, right? I only sit here, writing from my little ivory tower and it certainly does not hurt to bring a fresh perspective into the discussion?

Sarah maintains her impressive travel blog over at the ?My Backpacking Buddies? site: http://www.mybackpackingbuddies.com/blogs/. I recommend checking it out whenever you can. Her entry that follows details a little known, but well worth the effort, ?off the beaten track? route to Machu Picchu. Since Machu Picchu is the most popular destination for tourists/travelers in all of South America, it?s great to have an alternate, more unique, not to mention more scenic, route there. ?The road less traveled?? as they say.

Sarah?s recommendation (see below) looks enticing. I?m very well going to try and check it out next time I?m en route to Machu Picchu!

Keep on traveling,

Bart


The following entry was written by Sarah from My Backpacking Buddies Blog at http://www.mybackpackingbuddies.com/blogs/.


Taking the long way to Machu Picchu.

I have a tip to share with you about a slow but beautiful way to reach Machu Picchu.

I'm talking about a three days trek that was built by an Israeli tourist and if you choose to believe the reports of people that have done it, is the most beautiful way to travel there, and it is relatively cheap as well.

Here?s what you need to do:

1. Take the bus from Cusco to Santa Maria ? it is a 5.5 hours drive ? last bus is at 21:30.

2. From Santa Maria there are transits waiting to take you to a town called Hydro-electric, or to a small town half an hour from there where you can change transits.

3. Find the railroads and very carefully walk for 200 meters until you see a sign telling you to climb the stairs. If you miss it you might find yourself at the Jungle so stay focused. After 6 minutes climbing you reach another railroads.

4. Walk along the railroads for 3 hours (8 km') until you arrive at Aguas Calientes, a stunningly beautiful town from which you start the journey to Machu Picchu. Turn left and start walking.

5. It is already afternoon so you can climb to Machu Picchu and return on the same road early morning or choose the option of finding a cheap hostel nearby and relax at the hot springs nearby.

6. Take the 5:30 bus to Machu Picchu as you'll need your strength for the additional climbing at the location itself. It is recommended to visit the nearest mountain first ? entrance is limited for 400 people a day for preservation purposes. The entrance fee includes both mountains.

7. Enter Machu Picchu and when you want to return you can easily walk the way back to Aguas Calientes as it is an easy walk.

8. When leaving Aguas Calientes plan to reach the last bus from Santa Teresa so you can catch the 20:00 bus to Cusco.

The trek is fun, easy, economical, and most importantly, is the most scenic route possible to Machu Picchu.


Saludos,

Sarah


http://www.cat-travel.com/

Source: http://bart-cat-travel.blogspot.com/2008/08/friends-secret-path-to-machu-picchu.html

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unreasonable expectations: the Amazon is not a zoo

Copyright � 2010 Tony G�lvez. Read the original at http://www.braziltravelblog.com/2011/05/16/unreasonable-expectations-the-amazon-is-not-a-zoo/. If you find this text at a location other than the Brazil Travel Blog it is an unauthorized use of the blog material.Quite often one senses a feeling of frustration in the tales of those travellers who are returning from the Amazon – the ellusive [...]

Source: http://www.braziltravelblog.com/2011/05/16/unreasonable-expectations-the-amazon-is-not-a-zoo/

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Monday, May 30, 2011

An Affordable Way to Hop Around Brazil (and the Rest of South America)

Photo by Simona Colombo
If you're like me, seeing the recent samba-soaked, animated film "Rio" made you want to take off tomorrow for that splendid city. But with the cost of the Brazilian visa so high, it makes much more sense for Americans to hop around Brazil for several weeks rather than just visiting Rio. (Or at least that's what this travel writer would do, as I think there are few countries anywhere as richly deserving a long stay as this multi-faceted, friendly, sometimes heartbreaking, always stimulating country).

Brazil is, of course, HUGE, but its possible to hop from city to city inexpensively thanks to air passes. Currently, the website BROL.com, one of the leading online specialists to South America, is offering the following passes not only to Brazil, but to other countries in the region:
  • TAM Brazil Air Pass: From $532, plus tax,  for flights to 33 Brazilian cities?including Rio,  Sao Paulo, Iguassu Falls,  Salvador and Manaus.  Up to nine flights can be booked with this pass.
  • GOL Brazil Air Pass: From $532,  plus  tax, for  flights on that airline. An even better 34 Brazilian cities are being offerred, but again just nine flights can be booked.
  • GOL Northeast Brazil Air Pass: Starts at $390, plus tax, for flights to 13 cities in Northeast Brazil, including Salvador and Recife.  Up to six flights can be booked on this cheaper option.
  • South America Air Passes (from both carriers): Head outside of Brazil with these to up to 37 cities, including Asuncion, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Montevideo, Punta del Este, Santiago and major cities in Brazil.  The TAM price is based on mileage, the GOL price on the number of flights.
  • Argentina Air Pass: From $390, plus tax, for flights on Aerolineas Argentinas to 37 cities in Argentina and Uruguay, including Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, Mendoza, Bariloche, Salta and Punta del Este. Six flights is the maximum with this pass.
Head to the website linked above for more information. If you add up the cost of several flights, you'll find that the passes can save travelers hundreds of dollars (the more you fly, the more you save).

And hey, you don't have to worry about Icelandic volcano ash when you travel south!

Source: http://paulinefrommerbriefing.blogspot.com/2011/05/affordable-way-to-hop-around-brazil-and.html

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Celebrate World Oceans Day at Alaska Sealife Center

World Oceans Day is June 8–and the Alaska Sealife Center is hosting a celebration. Only 100 tickets wil be sold–so plan now to attend! a. Exhibits: Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute showcases the best examples of this wild, natural and sustainable food choice. Also, North to the Future Arctic Theater will have an array of films [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlaskaTravelgram/~3/1RsBtv7jF2Y/

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Google flight search test not driven by ITA Software, probably OAG

An experiment by Google to show flight journey times and airlines operating a route is to be rolled out more widely in the next few days - but not all is what it seems.

Source: http://feeds.tnooz.com/~r/Tnooz/~3/FDhBDFtfki4/

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Old World Wandering: A Travelogue

Claire van den Heever and Iain Manley decided to leave London and visit Shanghai. It took them 18 months, 39,000 kilometers, 20 countries and several bad hotels to complete the task. They are now on their return trip to Cape Town, South Africa, where they both call ‘home’. � Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2011. | Old [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/travelblogs/~3/7u-5n5tWRho/old-world-wandering-a-travelogue

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The Increasing Price of UK Airport Parking

Airport Parking

Many will not have noticed but in recent weeks (article created April 2011) the airport car parking rates have increased at a number of airports across the UK. For Gatwick parking for example the long stay rates have increased from £9.70 to £11.50 per day, an increase of £1.80 per day. That means a weeks parking at Gatwick is almost £100 pounds.

Gatwick is not the only airport to see rises in the turn up and pay rates with the other popular London airports, Stansted and Heathrow both doing the same. A day at Heathrow is £17 per day although if staying for more then five days this is reduced to £16.40.

As the busy summer period looms, car parks know they are likely to be close to full at times and are looking to take full advantage of this after a turbulent 2010. Many of the on-airport car parks offered free additional days travel for delayed return flights and allowed cancellations of reservations effected by the volcanic ash which with the huge number of travelers effected, would have meant a sharp decrease in their parking numbers.

Even with car parking rates experiencing a high period there are several ways around this, firstly, booking in advance. Sites such as airport parking offer pre-booking discounts with rates for the official car parks, often as much as 60%, a huge saving. Another alternative is the use of the off-airport park and rides, here you get cheaper parking for being away from the airport and catch a transfer bus to the terminal, here you can often knock off an extra £10 from the official on-airport long stay prices.

Source: http://www.itravelabout.com/the-increasing-price-of-uk-airport-parking

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Osama bin Laden Dead, Threat Still Very Much Alive

Source: http://blog.tsa.gov/2011/05/osama-bin-laden-dead-threat-still-very.html

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Memory, Photography, and Machu Picchu


Hi there to all of you. It has been a while since my last entry, but times have been and continue to be hectic, what, with the world crisis and all. More later on that boring but serious pit-bull-like subject? For now, on to more elevating stuff: www.fotomission.org!
People that know me will agree I am a lousy photographer. I actually prefer to travel without a camera, as looking at the world through a lens never was my greatest pleasure in life. I really love looking at pictures though, especially if they are good and/or about an area I have recently visited or about my past (so much has happened, so few memories) and so I am a photo fanatic nevertheless. Also, of course, travel and photography are as strongly linked as it is impossible for me to combine the two on a personal level. If it weren?t for Karin, who actually is a great photographer (most of our current best online pictures still come from her Nikon D80!), most of what we do (and sell) would have never made it to the public eye? Now that would have been a true disaster!

Travel photography of course plays an important role in a couple of our most-sold destinations: The Sacred Valley of the Incas and Machu Picchu. I have been there several times and all of my visits have been truly amazing, although tremendously different experiences:

Jan 6th, 1991, Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley: Epiphany or Three Kings Day as it is better known in Peru. Took a cab to Ollanta to participate in the fiestas and enjoy endless quantities of ?Chicha? (corn juice, fermented on human saliva additive; yummy!). Somehow made it up the fortress? ruins and crashed out lying on one of those immense granite building blocks, only to wake up in the middle of the night from the reflective light of a huge full moon. The awe and absolute natural beauty of that moment stay with me to this day, but guess what?I had no camera!
? The only other time I have seen a moon like that was during another midnight escapade, this time to the Geysers of El Tatio in the Chilean part of the Atacama Desert in 2004. During that mind-boggling occasion I forgot to wake up Karin and, in addition to being punished for the rest of that trip, I again have no photographic evidence of what I witnessed.
Jan 10th, 1991, Machu Picchu, take 1: after a disastrously funny ?San Pedro ? hallucinogenic cactus experience? somewhere near a ?temple of the moon?, I woke up sick, having to cancel my planned Inca Trail hike and take the train instead. Getting to see the ruins and somehow making it up to Wayna Picchu made more than made up for Montezuma?s bitter revenge. The view from up there I will never forget, but I would need to become a great painter to share it with you.
Sometime in 1995: First Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: those were the times when you could still do it yourself? so we each hoisted over 25kg of canned food, lighter fluid, cooking equipment, tents, hard liquor and yes, some cannabis on our backs and into the mountains we went. The first night it rained so hard that we literally had a small creek running through our tent. I woke up because Karin had managed to crawl on top of me in her sleep, avoiding the water from running into her sleeping bag. She slept straight through the event, but made it kind of difficult for me to forget the fact I was soaked and very, very cold. The second morning we had to climb some 2,200m (6,600ft) straight up to the infamous Dead Woman?s Pass, where Karin almost became a dead woman herself as she slipped and almost fell down a small crevasse. I?m not sure why, but I had been holding a flap on the back of her pack for quite some time already and managed to steady her before worse could happen. The images that stay with me though are those of the moss dangling in some seriously bewildering ways from the trees in the cloud forest we passed through on day 3. Fairytale type stuff, really, but still, somewhat regrettably, these images live on only in my mind.

I could go on and on, but that would be taking things out of perspective. Maybe one day I will share some of my earlier travel experiences with you, but for now, suffice it to say that sometimes it would have been great to have a camera on me with the actual knowledge on how to use it properly. Had I known the people from Fotomission years ago, I might have become a different type of traveler. Let me share with you some of their ?About Us? page:

?Photography is a powerful language; it is the language of light. With it we strive to understand and shed light on the complexities of human activity, its dependence on its causes and in connection with its effects, not merely in relation to how it affects us as individuals, but our world as a whole.

No other form of communication or expression has done as much to transform our sense of self, our daily lives and our society as the photograph. Photography is probably the most influential medium of the modern era.

Fotomission is a volunteer operated non-profit organization dedicated to promoting as well as producing artistic and documentary exhibitions, publications and online presentations of significant and socially conscious photographic endeavors.

Our mission is to utilize artistic and documentary photography as a means of creating positive social change while at the same time promoting the art of photography.?



Pretty cool stuff! Take a look at the following link to get a better idea of a great tour these guys have set up and which might be a great tip for an upcoming photo-traveling experience: http://www.fotomission.org/expeditions/machu_picchu/index.html

Remember, May is a great time to visit Machu Picchu. It?s right after the rainy season and guarantees lush, green views and good temperatures, as well as good late afternoon and evening light for great picture taking. This is actually one of those gems when it comes to organized tours; well-organized, unique, very dedicated staff and great photographic memories for sure! Need I say more?
Happy Trails!
Bart

Source: http://bart-cat-travel.blogspot.com/2009/02/memory-photography-and-machu-picchu.html

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FOIA Request for 2,000 Images is for Lab Images, Not Checkpoint Images

Source: http://blog.tsa.gov/2011/01/foia-request-for-2000-images-is-for-lab.html

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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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Traveling With a CPAP Machine

Source: http://blog.tsa.gov/2011/02/traveling-with-cpap-machine.html

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Iceland Says Kiss My Ash Once Again. What Travelers Should Do

Ash plume from last year's Iceland eruption (photo by NASA)
Okay, maybe that was a little vulgar. But, alas, history is repeating itself, with the eruption of yet another Icelandic volcano. This time its the Grimsvotn volcano (and isn't that the most appropriate volcano name ever??) that's having a historic eruption, its biggest in 100 years, which is causing ash, smoke and steam to shoot up 12 miles up into the atmosphere.

Europe-bound vacationers need to construct some Plan B's and quickly.

I'm writing this post Sunday evening, and the latest news is unsettling. Though the ash has so far only shuttered the Reyjavik Airline, experts are predicting that the cloud could darken the skies over Great Britain by Monday (with Scotland effected first). Airlines that service the continent of Europe have been warned the ash cloud could disrupt service to the continent (Spain and Britain first, in this case) later this week. Click here for a detail-rich article on the current eruption.

On the positive side, officials are saying they expect fewer airport closings this time, noting that the winds aren't nearly as strong as they were during the last eruption. This, hopefully, will mean that the ash doesn't spread as broadly.

Still, I'd be worried if I were visiting Europe right now; or planning to visit over the course of this week. Those who need to fly in and out and can be flexible with their schedules may want to get on the phone with their airlines and see if they can switch to an earlier flight. This will likely incur a hefty change fee--sorry, I don't know any way around that--but the peace of mind this could bring may be worth it.

Susan Stellin wrote an excellent piece of the New York Times in the wake of the last eruption on what lessons travelers should take away from that episode. In it, she gives good advice on passenger rights; the different policies governing those who booked directly with the airlines vs. through third party websites; and the strategies travelers employed to get home. Rather than repeat her findings, I'll suggest you click on this link to read the piece.

Let's all keep our fingers crossed that this eruption is less disruptive than the last.


Source: http://paulinefrommerbriefing.blogspot.com/2011/05/iceland-says-kiss-my-ash-once-again.html

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The OTHER Side of the Coin



Hi there friends and fellow travelers,


It has been a while since we last met; I have been rather busy lately? (Yes, with the CRISIS.) Grrrr, what a gloomy word. There?s truth to it for sure and things are changing as we speak, but some of this ?crisis? is also inflated by the media to such a towering extent that sometimes I open the newspapers and feel the world has come to a full standstill and there is no way back or forth. There basically seems to be no other remedy than hide in our cellars and hope for a miracle to get us out of this mess. (Or that is what the media want us to believe because they are actually making money of this...)

I want to share with you two thoughts that I think are relevant in times like these. One is about the phenomena known as the ?self-fulfilling prophecy? and the other is about the real face of this crisis.

The Self-fulfilling Prophecy of the Argentine Economy

Here in Argentina the local economy has developed a pretty strange tendency; it crashes around every 7 years, like really hard, then rapidly recovers, returns to pre-crash levels in no-time, overheats in a blink and then falls flat on its face before anyone notices (well, most people at least), only to roll over and begin the same process again. It seems we are following a somewhat biblical routine here, which has now become commonplace in Argentine society. So much has this jittery economic movement taken place in the hearts and minds of most Argentines that pre-crash capital flights caused by those fearing the next hit basically cause it to happen. The circle has become complete and everyone?s worst fears come true over and over again because hardly anyone here still believes that things could go any differently. The idea of economic stability is simply not logged into people?s minds here and therefore nobody will give that thought and -thus that potential reality- a chance. I will not go into the theories about this actually being a controlled economic movement; anyone who has been here for more than a week can come to their own conclusions. What I want to say is this: if you allow yourself to give away control over your life to your biggest fears, they will eventually take over and that what you dread the most will become your reality. It is as simple as that.

The Real Face of the Crisis

As you can see on our sites, we are a proud ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents) member and yesterday I read an interesting article in ASTA?s Smartbrief, based on a lecture given by World Leisure Partners? Chairman and CEO Adam Aron that I want to share with you. To me his speech was:

Inspiring, because it confirmed my belief that in times like these, when the going gets tough, it is positive, pro-activeness that will pull you through. These are challenging times, sure, but when did anyone decide that a good challenge should be backed away from? I mean, these are the times we can really prove ourselves, focus on doing our absolute best and showing ourselves and the outside world what we are; a company with vision, a team with heart, a continent with passion, a place to recharge your batteries.

Relieving, because after having read so much negative, sad and sorry stories about banks sliding, companies going bankrupt, people being laid off by the thousands and international travel bookings going down (which is of course the only thing that really interests us here!), for a moment I almost believed them, the commercial journalists that will prey on anything that smells like ?crisis? these days, as that seems to be the only thing anyone wants to read about. To my great dismay, because even though I am reading about it as much as I can myself, I am constantly looking for positive signals, stuff I can use to help navigate our little company through the so-called storm. The mainstream media, however, seem to want us to wallow in distress for a little while longer. That is why it was a relief to read Mr. Aron?s take on things.

Reassuring as it put me back in the driver?s seat of my reality, where I almost thought I had no control anymore, almost felt as if we were going to slide like everybody else and would need a miracle to be saved? BS my friends, really, and pardon my French, but we are in charge of our lives, or our work, of our reality and there are tons and tons of things we can do to take this situation and make it work for us.

Let me give you a short excerpt of what Mr. Aron said: (here goes the condensed version of the text I just sent you)


In this era of 24/7 news cycles, the current bad economic news gets magnified.

"Doom and gloom," said Aron, is what the media lives for -- so expect them to wallow in it as long as they can.

"The media will tell you that this recession will be the worst and the longest because things are different now and unlike other times, this time the doom and gloom is permanent."

He added: "In every recession that I have seen, that is always what the media says...but we always get out of it."

And they also say the boom times will never end, added Aron, recalling how a few years ago a Wall Street Journal article waxed optimistic that the business cycle had been eliminated because economists had figured it out.

There is a reason for business cycles, said Aron.

"Think about your own businesses. In the good times, we all get a little sloppy and take on more risk and don't watch pennies quite as closely as we are now."

Businesses hire more people than they really need, take risks they should not be taking and take on new costs that aren't justified.

"What happens is that fat, inefficiency, waste and risk creep into the system, because millions of businesses are doing this at the same time."

Eventually, the economy can't sustain the inefficiencies and outsized risks and "so it crashes," said Aron.

"Usually, there is a catalyst of some sort and clearly [in this cycle] the banks were lending money to people who should not have had such loans. Companies were leveraged way too much and individuals were taking on too much debt and the weight of all that crashed the system in a big way -- and quickly."

Aron recalled that last May and June everything was fine, but come September, "Armageddon was around the corner."

And just as in boom times, the actions of millions of businesses cutting costs to adjust to the downturn and consumers cutting back on spending all at the same time, threw the economy into recession.

Then at some "mystical point" after millions and millions of businesses and individuals have cut waste and costs, the economy "rises from the ashes."

The remarkable thing is that there is a simple explanation for the business cycle but you cannot predict how or when it will turn upward, said Aron.

But there have been benefits in the recent difficult times and a major one is the drop in the price of oil.

"Think of what a boon that is to the economy. Think how beneficial that is for consumers who were being stretched in July."

Aron did have a forecast: "As sure as we're sitting here, two years from now things will be rosy again" because downturns are usually six to 24 months long and good times three to six years.


Nice eh? A different and most definitely more realistic view, more pragmatic, more my way at least.

I hope I have managed to give you an idea of how I see this: we make our own reality and are capable to turn things in any direction we damn well please. Our brain is not much more than a (highly sophisticated; ok!) muscle which we train to send our body certain stimuli that make us walk, for example. Or sit behind a keyboard and write a piece of text and throw it online. Or read it. And when we read that piece of text (written by someone else for whatever reason) we have a free choice to take that information for granted or to reflect on it and make a proper decision on how it is we want to experience it, and what we want to do with it. And that in the end will greatly influence the way we live our lives? So my message to you today is this: Why don?t you put the paper aside today and get out there, play with your kids, score some goals, make some friends, have some fun, do some dancing in the rain (and look how the US Dollar is slowly gaining strength against the Argentine Peso and plan your next trip here! J). Two years from now this will all be behind us and things will be going boringly well again. For now let?s look at this crisis and make the best of it!

Thanks and may the force be with you?

Bart

Source: http://bart-cat-travel.blogspot.com/2008/11/other-side-of-coin_21.html

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