Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Making the Most of a Morning in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is the ultimate cosmopolitan city. Almost 40 per cent of Argentina's 33m citizens live in Greater Buenos Aires, and these ?porte�os? are justifiably proud of their home.

"Making the Most of a Morning in Buenos Aires" 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/xFUY3fhBMW0/

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Air Fare Alert: With FAA action, fares are going UP!

As congress reauthorizes the FAA’s ability to collect taxes, air fares will be going up. �Our friends at USTravel have access to these all-time low rates–but they’re going to change. So call them today (Friday) and scoop em up. (907)561-2434 or (800)544-2217. Or, check the locations all around Alaska and Washington. Please note, most of [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlaskaTravelgram/~3/98BHcgYW36U/

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No Refunds and No Retroactive Collections, Say the IRS

As the patently ridiculous FAA battle came to a close (for now; the Congress will have to take up the matter again in September) the Internal Revenue System was left with a real mess. Did it have to issue refunds to those who paid the FAA tax, but flew during the time the FAA was in shut down? And what about all those millions in uncollected FAA fees during the shut down? Could the agency swoop in and collect those retroactively?

Rather than create another brouhaha, the IRS has chosen the path of least resistance. Sorry, fliers you ain't getting a refund on your FAA taxes if you flew during the shutdown. Yes, you read that correctly. The IRS has reversed its original plan on this point.

And terribly, terribly sorry FAA accountants: you're going to have to work doubly hard to balance the books without the $388 million that would have been collected in taxes during the 14 day shutdown. Your job is also going to be complicated by the issue of back pay for furloughed workers, a huge sum which may be paid out (and, in fairness, should be paid to those who unexpectedly lost their paychecks during this fiasco).

According to the New York Times (see article link above), there are about a dozen issues that must be resolved between the Senate and House versions of the FAA bill come September. So this isn't an issue that will be going away anytime soon. Not to get too high on my horse, but its up to all of us to make sure the FAA doesn't get shutdown once again.

Last week, I devoted a good hour of my time to writing my two senators and my congressman urging them to not leave on recess before putting a temporary bill into place. I won't claim personal credit for the current compromise, but I have no doubt that my emails, and the emails of dozens of other constituents like me, helped push congress to resolve the matter. We should do the same in September.

Don't just yack to one another on Twitter. Make your voice heard, and let your representatives know that their constituents are watching.

Source: http://paulinefrommerbriefing.blogspot.com/2011/08/no-refunds-and-no-retroactive.html

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Can you travel responsibly in Burma?

Aung San Suu Kyi has given the green light to tourism in Burma. But how easy is it to be a responsible tourist? Jonny Bealby of tour operator Wild Frontiers travelled there to find out

I have always tried to run Wild Frontiers from an apolitical standpoint. To judge whether a government is benevolent enough to make it suitable for tourism is fraught with potential inconsistencies, bias and hypocrisy. Much better, I've always believed, to run all our trips in as responsible a manner as possible and let our clients decide for themselves if they wish to visit a certain country or not. That said, there are always exceptions.

And up until last November, Burma was generally considered to be one. Accused of multiple human rights violations, the ruling military junta was thought to be beyond the pale, and an unofficial tourist boycott was in place. But at the end of last year, elections (albeit rigged ones) were held, the generals handed power to a "civilianised" government and finally released Aung San Suu Kyi ? the democratically elected leader ? from house arrest.

Aung San Suu Kyi then dropped her opposition to tourism, arguing that as long as it is done responsibly, tourism can be a positive stance for change.

But how easy is it to travel responsibly? How does the ethical traveller make sure the money he or she is spending reaches ordinary Burmese people? Before launching our programme to the country, I decided to go and find out.

You can't avoid financing the government to some extent; with a 10% tax on most things, it's inevitable that some funds will find their way into their coffers. But if you are clever, and avoid those hotels either owned by the government or their privileged cronies, it is possible to keep this amount to a minimum.

At the Red Canel, a small locally-owned boutique hotel in Mandalay, a woman called Lwen Lwen showed us around. As she'd worked here for five years, I asked her what she thought about tourism and if bookings were up or down. "Oh this year will be best year," she said with a smile. "More tourists, we very happy."

When I headed to Bagan, the story was the same. San Win, the manger of the lovely Tharabar Hotel, thought the tourist boycott folly. "The only people that suffer," he said, "are the people ... no one else."

He was simply concerned there were going to be enough hotels rooms for the coming season. According to him there were only 9,000 suitable rooms in the entire country, 700 in Bagan, and if too many tourists came, the infrastructure wouldn't be able to cope. But he too was bullish about the future. "Things are changing," he said. "More private places will come up and they will make a difference."

One thing was for sure, even in low season ? with many friendly touts trying to sell me everything from Buddha's heads to grasshoppers, it was obvious that plenty of ordinary people make a living out of tourism.

Although it is impossible for me to know the true extent of human rights violations inflicted on the people of this wonderful country by the government, or how much money they earn as a result of our presence, of three things I feel I can be sure. First, this government is not in power because of tourism; compared with the income they derive from timber, oil and gas, gems and agricultural exports, the money made from tourists is insignificant. Second, there is no doubt in my mind that the vast majority of Burmese people want tourists to visit; a more welcoming and friendly population I have yet to find. And last, it is also clear that a huge number of ordinary civilians, both directly and indirectly, benefit, from our presence.

Tourism does not sustain the generals; indeed it can be argued staying away leaves the country and its people more isolated and vulnerable. There should be other ways of persuading them to change.

Later this month Aung San Suu Kyi is due to go on a tour of the provinces. Although the programme will be carefully managed with public appearances avoided and meetings with party delegates taking place in private, it represents a critical juncture in both her political position and that of the new government.

There is no doubt that The Lady, as she known in Burma, is deeply loved, so what will happen should the public hear their hero is in town and gather in numbers to greet her? Will the old, dictatorial ways resurface with Aung San Suu Kyi being sent back to her house in Rangoon? Or will it be allowed? Only time will tell.

It will be up to our clients to decide if they wish to come here or not. But as long as I am convinced Wild Frontiers can both offer our clients an interesting experience, and in doing so, benefit the ordinary people of this beautiful country, from 2012 we will start to offer Burma as one of our destinations.
Some names have been changed

? Wild Frontiers (020-7736 3968,wildfrontiers.co.uk) offers a 15-day tour of Burma for �2,395 in May 2012 and �2,495 in November 2012. The price includes all food, sightseeing, guides but not international flights


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/jun/10/burma-myanmar-ethical-tourism-travel

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Italian Rooms with a View!

Whether you?re hankering for a high-brow weekend, nights of hedonism in Italy?s fair cities or a peachy rural bolthole surrounded by lakes and mountains we?ve hand-picked five of the finest Italian hotels with serious wow factor.

"Italian Rooms with a View!" 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/~3/14ZC3u_EAiw/

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I AM

Sometimes I like to use my blog to share with you inspiring things that I have seen or heard. This documentary, which many of you may already have seen, really struck a chord in me, somewhere so deeply hidden that I had forgotten it was there, and I have only seen the trailer thus far... I am now frantically looking for a place where I can see it or (legally!) download it. I leave you with the official description of the film, the trailer and the hope you will go and see it, pass it on, and that it will change your lives too. Happy trails, Bart.




I AM is an utterly engaging and entertaining non-fiction film that poses two practical and provocative questions: what?s wrong with our world, and what can we do to make it better? The filmmaker behind the inquiry is Tom Shadyac, one of Hollywood?s leading comedy practitioners and the creative force behind such blockbusters as ?Ace Ventura,? ?Liar Liar,? ?The Nutty Professor,? and ?Bruce Almighty.? However, in I AM, Shadyac steps in front of the camera to recount what happened to him after a cycling accident left him incapacitated, possibly for good. Though he ultimately recovered, he emerged with a new sense of purpose, determined to share his own awakening to his prior life of excess and greed, and to investigate how he as an individual, and we as a race, could improve the way we live and walk in the world.


Armed with nothing but his innate curiosity and a small crew to film his adventures, Shadyac set out on a twenty-first century quest for enlightenment. Meeting with a variety of thinkers and doers?remarkable men and women from the worlds of science, philosophy, academia, and faith?including such luminaries as David Suzuki, Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Lynne McTaggart, Ray Anderson, John Francis, Coleman Barks, and Marc Ian Barasch ? Shadyac appears on-screen as character, commentator, guide, and even, at times, guinea pig. An irrepressible ?Everyman? who asks tough questions, but offers no easy answers, he takes the audience to places it has never been before, and presents even familiar phenomena in completely new and different ways. The result is a fresh, energetic, and life-affirming film that challenges our preconceptions about human behavior while simultaneously celebrating the indomitable human spirit.


The pursuit of truth has been a lifelong passion for Shadyac. ?As early as I can remember I simply wanted to know what was true,? he recalls, ?and somehow I perceived at a very early age that what I was being taught was not the whole truth and nothing but the truth.? He humorously describes himself as ?questioning and searching and stumbling and fumbling toward the light.? The ?truth? may have been elusive, but success wasn?t. Shadyac?s films grossed nearly two billion dollars and afforded him the glamorous and extravagent A-List lifestyle of the Hollywood blockbuster filmmaker. Yet Shadyac found that more ? in his case, a 17,000-square foot art-filled mansion, exotic antiques, and private jets ? was definitely less. ?What I discovered, when I began to look deeply, was that the world I was living in was a lie,? he explains. ?Much to my surprise, the accumulation of material wealth was a neutral phenomenon, neither good or bad, and certainly did not buy happiness.? Gradually, with much consideration and contemplation, he changed his lifestyle. He sold his house, moved to a mobile home community, and started life?a simpler and more responsible life ? anew.


But, at this critical juncture, Shadyac suffered an injury that changed everything. ?In 2007, I got into a bike accident which left me with Post Concussion Syndrome, a condition where the symptoms of the original concussion don?t go away.? These symptoms include intense and painful reactions to light and sound, severe mood swings, and a constant ringing sound in the head. Shadyac tried every manner of treatment, traditional and alternative, but nothing worked. He suffered months of isolation and pain, and finally reached a point where he welcomed death as a release. ?I simply didn?t think I was going to make it,? he admits.


But, as Shadyac wisely points out, ?Death can be a very powerful motivator.? Confronting his own mortality, he asked himself, ?If this is it for me ? if I really am going to die ? what do I want to say before I go? What will be my last testament?? It was Shadyac?s modern day dark night of soul and out of it, I AM was born. Thankfully, almost miraculously, his PCS symptoms began to recede, allowing him to travel and use his movie-making skills to explore the philosophical questions that inhabited him, and to communicate his findings in a lively, humorous, intellectually-challenging, and emotionally-charged film.


But this would not be a high-octane Hollywood production. The director whose last film had a crew of 400, assembled a streamlined crew of four, and set out to find, and film, the thinkers who had helped to change his life, and to seek a better understanding of the world, its inhabitants, their past, and their future. Thus, Shadyac interviews scientists, psychologists, artists, environmentalists, authors, activists, philosophers, entrepreneurs, and others in his quest for truth. Bishop Desmond Tutu, Dr. Noam Chomsky, historian Dr. Howard Zinn, physicist Lynne McTaggart, and poet Coleman Banks are some of the subjects who engage in fascinating dialogue with Shadyac.


Shadyac was very specific about what he was after, wanting I AM to identify the underlying cause of the world?s ills ? ?I didn?t want to hear the usual answers, like war, hunger, poverty, the environmental crisis, or even greed,? he explains. ?These are not the problems, they are the symptoms of a larger endemic problem. In I AM, I wanted to talk about the root cause of the ills of the world, because if there is a common cause, and we can talk about it, air it out in a public forum, then we have a chance to solve it.?

Ironically, in the process of trying to figure out what?s wrong with the world, Shadyac discovered there?s more right than he ever imagined. He learned that the heart, not the brain, may be man?s primary organ of intelligence, and that human consciousness and emotions can actually affect the physical world, a point Shadyac makes with great humor by demonstrating the impact of his feelings on a bowl of yogurt. And, as Shadyac?s own story illustrates, money is not a pathway to happiness. In fact, he even learns that in some native cultures, gross materialism is equated with insanity.


Shadyac also discovers that, contrary to conventional thinking, cooperation and not competition, may be nature?s most fundamental operating principle. Thus, I AM shows consensus decision-making is the norm amongst many species, from insects and birds to deer and primates. The film further discovers that humans actually function better and remain healthier when expressing positive emotions, such as love, care, compassion, and gratitude, versus their negative counterparts, anxiety, frustration, anger and fear. Charles Darwin may be best known for popularizing the notion that nature is red in tooth and claw, but, as Shadyac points out, he used the word love 95 times in The Descent of Man, while his most famous phrase,survival of the fittest, appears only twice.


?It was a revelation to me that for tens of thousands of years, indigenous cultures taught a very different story about our inherent goodness,? Shadyac marvels. ?Now, following this ancient wisdom, science is discovering a plethora of evidence about our hardwiring for connection and compassion, from the Vagus Nerve which releases oxytocin at simply witnessing a compassionate act, to the Mirror Neuron which causes us to literally feel another person?s pain. Darwin himself, who was misunderstood to believe exclusively in our competitiveness, actually noted that humankind?s real power comes in their ability to perform complex tasks together, to sympathize and cooperate.?


Shadyac?s enthusiastic depiction of the brighter side of human nature and reality, itself, is what distinguishes I AM from so many well-intentioned, yet ultimately pessimistic, non-fiction films. And while he does explore what?s wrong with the world, the film?s overwhelming emphasis is focused on what we can do to make it better. Watching I AM is ultimately, for many, a transformative experience, yet Shadyac is reluctant to give specific steps for viewers who have been energized by the film. ?What can I do?? ?I get asked that a lot,? he says. ?But the solution begins with a deeper transformation that must occur in each of us. I AM isn?t as much about what you can do, as who you can be. And from that transformation of being, action will naturally follow.?


Shadyac?s transformation remains in process. He still lives simply, is back on his bicycle, riding to work, and teaching at a local college, another venue for sharing his life-affirming discoveries. Reflecting Shadyac?s philosophy is the economic structure of the film?s release; all proceeds from I AM will go to The Foundation for I AM, a non-profit established by Shadyac to fund various worthy causes and to educate the next generation about the issues and challenges explored in the film. When he directs another Hollywood movie, the bulk of his usual eight-figure fee will be deposited into a charitable account, as well. ?St. Augustine said, ?Determine what God has given you, and take from it what you need; the remainder is needed by others.? That?s my philosophy in a nutshell,? Shadyac says, ?Or as Gandhi put it, ?Live simply, so others may simply live.??

Shadyac?s enthusiasm and optimism are contagious. Whether conducting an interview with an intellectual giant, or offering himself as a flawed character in the narrative of the film, Shadyac is an engaging and persuasive guide as we experience the remarkable journey that is I AM. With great wit, warmth, curiosity, and masterful storytelling skills, he reveals what science now tells us is one of the principal truths of the universe, a message that is as simple as it is significant: We are all connected ? connected to each other and to everything around us. ?My hope is that I AM is a window into Truth, a glimpse into the miracle, the mystery and magic of who we really are, and of the basic nature of the connection and unity of all things. In a way,? says Shadyac, a seasoned Hollywood professional who has retained his unerring eye for a great story, ?I think of I AM as the ultimate reality show.?


Written & Directed by: Tom Shadyac
Producer: Dagan Handy

Editor: Jennifer Abbott

Co-Producer: Jacquelyn Zampella

Associate Producer :: Nicole Pritchett

Director of Photography: Roko Belic
Executive Producers: Jennifer Abbott, Jonathan Watson
Media and PR Coordinator: Harold Mintz
Graphic Designers: Yusuke Nagano, Barry Thompson
Release Dates: March 11, 2011 ? Los Angeles, March 18, 2011 ? New York
Running Time: 80 minutes
Rating: Not rated

Source: http://bart-cat-travel.blogspot.com/2011/08/i-am.html

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Some Advice on Using Home Rental Sites in the Future

The big kahuna in online home rentals, HomeAway.com has been gobbling up the competition in the last few years, integrating their properties and technology (in the case of the late Second Porch, which had an innovative social media side to it). So successful has HomeAway been that its rare to find a direct-to-owner site that it doesn't control, TripAdvisor's Flipkey being a notable exception.

A Homeaway Rental in Mexico
Its for this reason that I'm getting very "inside baseball" today, writing about a significant changes in policy at Homeaway that will likely have ripple effects across many vacation rental sites.

What's the change? Its basically a pay to play scheme, or really pay more to play better. Homeaway will be allowing those rentals who pay more to float far higher on the search page than the competition.

Why should consumers care? For two reasons. First off, the change will mean that those rentals paying more may have to charge more to their customers to make up the difference. Which could mean that the most visible properties will also be the most expensive.

It also means that the rental agencies that list their properties on HomeAway, VRBO, VacationRentals.com and other sites in that corporate family, will also have a bigger presence. The agencies, after all, will likely have greater resources for advertising than individual property owners. And agency referred properties tend to be pricier than those rented directly from owners.

The take away? Scroll. And scroll again. In order to get the best prices on rental homes, you're likely going to want to read the home rental listings from the bottom up from now on.

Source: http://paulinefrommerbriefing.blogspot.com/2011/08/some-advice-on-using-home-rental-sites.html

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How To Be Disruptive in Life and Work

Source: http://www.travelblogexchange.com/xn/detail/2721323:BlogPost:271342

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Italian Rooms with a View!

Whether you?re hankering for a high-brow weekend, nights of hedonism in Italy?s fair cities or a peachy rural bolthole surrounded by lakes and mountains we?ve hand-picked five of the finest Italian hotels with serious wow factor.

"Italian Rooms with a View!" 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/~3/14ZC3u_EAiw/

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KOAN Podcast: Have bike (built for 5), will travel!

Listen up while we chat with Bill Harrison. Bill and his family pedaled a custom-built bike all the way from his home in Kentucky up to Fairbanks, Alaska. Yup. They’ve written a book about the adventure, too. Plus, as usual, co-host Erin Kirkland and I review air fares, travel issues and solve all of the [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlaskaTravelgram/~3/Q3_RXG2-SO0/

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the candy trail?

This particular ‘candy trail’ is the invention of Michael Robert Powell. He may not hand out sweets as we know them, but between his travel tales and electric artwork, his site fits the title he has chosen. Michael cuts through the proverbial bullshit of travel and the nomadic lifestyle. Please realize you have been warned [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/travelblogs/~3/ekYzAMjYEuo/the-candy-trail

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I Drove in Lima Peru and Survived

Source: http://www.travelblogexchange.com/xn/detail/2721323:BlogPost:300192

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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

A short trip to Brazil?


Hi there!

Long time no news. It has been a busy year, what with launching our brand new budget adventure travel website South America Adventure Travel just last week. I?ve not really had the time to write much, let alone travel?

But, last week I finally got a chance to escape and went to Brazil for 6 days to join my long time friends from Germany, Gerd and Christel. They had been to Galapagos the week before (on the Nemo II, an excellent Catamaran for those who like to travel in style without losing the sporty element of being out on the open seas). They arrived at Sao Paulo Guarulhos Airport about 3.5 hours before me and took a day-room in the Caesar Park Hotel just 5 minutes from the Airport, to relax a bit after the night-long journey from Guayaquil.

As soon as I arrived, I picked up the car that we had reserved with Budget and went to pick them up. After a healthy breakfast (Caesar?s Burger Special with lots of black coffee) we got in the car and drove toward Paraty, some 4 hours north on the coastal road between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. It has rained severely in almost all of Brazil for the past weeks, so we were happy to arrive in Paraty and hide ourselves in the beautiful Pousada Arte Urquijo (http://www.urquijo.com.br/english/iindex.htm) for a day or 2?

Paraty is a town with an amazing history: everything from sugar cane, coffee and tobacco to precious stones and gold, to the famous Cacha�a (which the Portuguese transported to Africa to serve as a currency in the slave trade) have passed through this town over the past centuries, bringing some serious wealth and development. All this was in the past however, and for the last century the main commercial routes from Minas Gerais (where most of the country?s riches came from) to the coast ended up running through Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, leaving Paraty behind in a slowly declining colonial state.

Ironically it was these last ?100 years of solitude? that put Paraty back in the spotlights about 30 years ago, when a Brazilian TV broadcasting company decided to shoot a now famous ?Telenovela? (soap opera) in the, by then, almost completely forgotten town. Many Brazilians love and vigorously watch these soaps, and that was how Paraty returned to their mental map. Since it had remained virtually unchanged for so long (as our guide told us: Paraty is ?preserved by poverty?), it had an excellent colonial charm and soon enough the first new explorers began to arrive from Rio and Sao Paulo to find the perfect weekend hide-out. Shortly thereafter the first investors came; old colonial structures were purchased and converted into comfortable second homes for the well-to-do of these, the two largest of Brazilian cities. The word Paraty apparently sounds like ?Paradise? in French (when expressed in that beautiful language) and today most of the foreigners investing in the region come from this European country. But the editor of the famous Harry Potter books has also found a second home here, and brought with her her insatiable craving for literature, resulting in Paraty now hosting Brazil?s annual book fair and the town having some seriously well-stocked book stores!

Luckily, the place has not lost its original looks; as a matter of fact it is becoming more and more beautiful as time goes by. Paraty wants to become a part of UNESCO World Heritage and much is being done to preserve and restore the town to its original state.

Just across our lovely Pousada, Richard and Yara Roberts run their ?Academy of Cooking & other Pleasures? and we were lucky enough to secure an evening with them learning how to prepare typical dishes from the Minas Gerais province. We started with a black bean soup, which was followed by a Lingui�a risotto with crispy collard greens and a green salad with pumpkin seeds and Canastra cheese, and then rounded it all off with a stunning ?Doce de Leite? parfait with candied banana. Yara is a famous cook and she met Richard (a former CEO of several large international companies) in Paris. Their love of the gourmet life somehow led them to Paraty where Yara purchased a house some 25 years ago - the very same place that formed the backdrop of a great evening of preparing and enjoying a wonderful meal (accompanied of course by several caipirinhas, an excellent Argentine wine and some of the best Cacha�a I have tasted in years). Yara and Richard are great hosts and we had an excellent conversation that led us straight through the evening. It was not before well past midnight that we made our way back to our hotel? Yummy!

If you have a chance you should really try and book an evening with Richard and Yara; you will be mesmerized! Also, the best Cacha�a in Brazil apparently comes from a place called Salinas, so make sure to look or ask for a bottle coming from there when you order; it is not exported, so you can only get it in Brazil?

From Paraty we made our way to Angra dos Reis, where we parked the car and took a private boat transfer to the Pousada Estrela da Ilha (http://www.estreladailha.com/en/index.htm) at our next destination: Ilha Grande. Wikipedia says:

Ilha Grande is an island located off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, and part of the municipality of Angra dos Reis. The island is largely undeveloped and noted for its scenic beauty, which includes tropical beaches, luxuriant vegetation and a rugged landscape.

Ilha Grande is one of the most pristine remnants of Brazil's Atlantic rainforest, one of the richest ecosystems in the world and a hotspot for biodiversity and conservation. It holds some of the largest remaining populations of many endangered species, including the red-ruffed fruit crow (Pyroderus scutatus), the brown howler monkey (Alouatta fusca), the maned sloth (Bradypus torquatus) the red-browed Amazon parrot (Amazona rhodocorytha), and the broad-snouted cayman (Caiman latirostris). The seas around the island, which are also protected, feature a unique convergence of tropical, subtropical, and temperate-zone marine life, and may be the only waters in the world where it is possible to see corals and tropical fish along with Magellanic penguins and Southern right whales.

The entire island is a protected area, with most of its territory included in Ilha Grande State Park, and the rest subject to stringent development restrictions. Small-scale ecotourism, however, is encouraged, and the island, which is road-less and off-limits to cars, features over 150 km of hiking trails connecting the handful of coastal villages and hamlets where lodging is available, to each other and to the many beaches, mountain peaks, waterfalls, and pristine forests.

That about says enough I would say, except that it is a lot more fun exploring the island when the sun is out? Instead we had almost constant rain, which sadly forced us to stay indoors most of the time. However, we had one beautiful morning when we actually glimpsed some blue skies through scattered clouds, and took a beautiful walk along the Saco do C�u Bay, along the beaches of Caxadaco and Lopes Mendes. After that we took a boat across the bay and had a marvelous lunch (yes this trip was about eating and drinking mostly?) at the restaurant ?Reis Magos?, apparently one of the best places out there for excellent sea food. Afterward the owners took us back to the Pousada in a small fishing boat, and even though the weather turned terrible immediately after our little outing, our day was made already and we spent the rest of the afternoon dozing in our hammocks, overlooking the bay, perfecting the art of doing nothing?

Next day we headed back to the coast to pick up the car and make our way to Rio de Janeiro. I have been there several times, but the place does not cease to amaze me. Not sure what to write about this trip, as this time I did not really go out much (yes it was still raining?), other than that the view from the pool bar on the roof of the Porto Bay International Rio Hotel we stayed at is excellent! I will give you a short recap (again Wikipedia helps out) in case you?ve never been (in which case you have to make sure to go very soon):

Rio de Janeiro ("River of January") is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America. The city was the capital of Brazil for nearly two centuries, from 1763 to 1822 during the Portuguese colonial era, and from 1822 to 1960 as an independent nation. It is also the former capital of the Portuguese Empire. Commonly known as just Rio, the city is also nicknamed A Cidade Maravilhosa or "The Marvelous City."

Rio de Janeiro is famous for its natural settings, its carnival celebrations, samba, Bossa Nova and hotel-lined tourist beaches, such as Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, along with its slums. Some of the most famous landmarks in addition to the beaches include the giant statue of Christ, known as Christ the Redeemer ('Cristo Redentor') atop Corcovado mountain, named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World; Sugarloaf mountain (P�o de A��car) with its cable car; the Samb�dromo, a giant permanent parade stand used during Carnival and Maracan� stadium, one of the world's largest football stadiums. Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Summer Olympics, and will be the first South American city to host the event.

The city also boasts the largest and second largest urban forests in the world: Floresta da Tijuca, or "Tijuca Forest." and (almost connected to the first) the forest in Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca, or White Stone State Park.

This trip, apart from relaxing at the hotel and having too many Caipirinhas at the bar, we had another great culinary experience; Azul Marinho (check out reviews in Fodor?s Guide to Brazil). Located at the base of one of many hotels at Arpoador (which divides the neighborhoods of Copacabana and Ipanema), this little restaurant?s kitchen has blown the minds of many. We had a feast of individual stone grilled sea food dishes, including sea bass in rock salt, lobster, giant prawns, and the like, enjoying a street capoeira show before, and a beautiful sunset towards the end of the meal. Kristofer, our half Moroccan, half French waiter, deserves special praise as he made us feel like royalty during the entire evening. If you make it to Rio one of these days and manage to go for a bite at Azul Marinho, please send him my very best regards!

And that was already the last evening with my friends in Brazil. The next morning I got up at 6AM, had a light breakfast, checked out, got the car and drove straight back to Sao Paulo. A friend met me at Guarulhos airport and we had a spectacular lunch in Caf� Journal (www.cafejournal.com.br/), making it pretty much the best stop-over in a long time. After that I flew back home, back to Karin and the kids, back to my real life, the life I had missed dearly, but still with a taste of Brazil in my mouth?

I just checked out our web page for some info and came across this little gem: Tropical Treasures of Rio, Paraty and Ilha Grande. Seems there is more to do, more to see, more to enjoy?

Happy trails,

Bart

http://www.cat-travel/

Source: http://bart-cat-travel.blogspot.com/2009/12/short-trip-to-brazil.html

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Koloa Plantation Days 2011

Source: http://www.travelblogexchange.com/xn/detail/2721323:BlogPost:280648

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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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Top 5 European Summer Music Festivals

Summer time is approaching quickly and you can already start visioning sunny days, strawberry ice creams, white sandy beaches and outdoor parties. One of the nicest things about the summer is the fact that all around the world different music festivals are being organized and each one of them is unique, outstanding, fun and crazier [...]

Source: http://alexasigno.co.uk/top-5-european-summer-music-festivals/

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Top 5 European Summer Music Festivals

Summer time is approaching quickly and you can already start visioning sunny days, strawberry ice creams, white sandy beaches and outdoor parties. One of the nicest things about the summer is the fact that all around the world different music festivals are being organized and each one of them is unique, outstanding, fun and crazier [...]

Source: http://alexasigno.co.uk/top-5-european-summer-music-festivals/

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Pre-Vacation, Virtual Friendships for Group Tour Participants?

Group tours are an indisputably social experience---and that's part of the reason many travelers choose them. But most people wait to make friends until they start the tour...until now, that is.

(Photo by Karen Blumberg)
Industry blog Tnooz is reporting that the large, well-established Trafalgar Tours is experimenting with social media tools to allow tour participants to interact before they ever set foot in a motorcoach. During the express check-in process, travelers will have the ability to create an online profile and contact other members of the group they'll be traveling with to exchange information, or perhaps just chat. Only other members of the tour group will be able to see these posts and receive inquiries.

Apparently, this social media experiment was given a test-run on some of Trafalgar's Italy tours this past summer and will be expanded to other destinations come fall.

What will be the outcome? Your guess is as good as mine.

Perhaps it will allow travelers to share rides to the airport and plan activities for the tour's downtime. Or will this become a tool to suss out exactly who the really annoying guy will be on this tour (and there's always one, isn't there)? Though knowing that in advance may not add much to the one's anticipatory enjoyment....

Ah, the Pandora's Box of social media. It'll be fascinating to see just how this experiment shapes the group tour experience.

Source: http://paulinefrommerbriefing.blogspot.com/2011/08/pre-vacation-virtual-friendships-for.html

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I Always Knew I'd Have Fun In Purgatory

Source: http://www.travelblogexchange.com/xn/detail/2721323:BlogPost:301667

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Fireworks Should Fly In The Sky, Not On Planes

Source: http://blog.tsa.gov/2011/07/fireworks-should-fly-in-sky-not-on.html

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United?s business class bait and switch

Source: http://www.travelblogexchange.com/xn/detail/2721323:BlogPost:287855

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Torstrasse, the new art and fashion mile of Berlin

Source: http://www.travelblogexchange.com/xn/detail/2721323:BlogPost:301608

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Cruising to Surprise Glacier in Harriman Fjord

We sailed with Major Marine Tours from Whittier on the Yukon Queen. Sea lions, otters, kittiwakes, eagles, a salmon hatchery and all manner of Big Ice. Check out the video–then take the cruise yourself!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlaskaTravelgram/~3/el6297TQZj4/

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TSA 2011 Summer Travel Tips

Source: http://blog.tsa.gov/2011/06/tsa-2011-summer-travel-tips.html

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Monday, August 29, 2011

Travel the web, for travelling the world

When you’re planning a, search information and evaluations on the web is now the first thing we all do. But there’s some techniques and tools to help you finding the right information. 

With these options, you can find really quickly what you searching for. You have multiple filtering options, such as language, date, and region.

  • Use RSS feeds
    If you search for the best price, some website like VarVactions.com have RSS feed on site to show their  last travel deals available. What’s that? Is an automated updated file that let you know all the latest information available, exactly like the latest posts of a blog. Just look for this icon  and you will see all data. Now you can grab this URL in your browser bookmarks, Netvibes or iGoogle widget and the feed will always show you the last deals, without looking at the website each time.
  • Check evaluations
    Look a travels forum, or traveller’s blog is also a very useful resource for neutral report on your next travel. Use category’s tag or search box to find quickly what your looking for. In Google you can write  «“mysearchrequest” site:http//thewebsiteurl » and Google show his results only from this domain. Really useful on governmental website where information is often non-intuitive.

 With these little tips, your planning will be much more easier, so you will have more time for dreaming of it! 

Source: http://www.itravelabout.com/travel-the-web-for-travelling-the-world

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Top 5 things to do in San Francisco

Top 5 San Francisco Sites: A Local?s Perspective I?ve lived around San Francisco for over 20 years (see Alex?s SF pics here), and worked as an SF tour guide on two occasions. While guidebooks mention obvious spots like the Golden Gate Bridge and Pier 39, I?m amazed at how many truly awesome aspects of San [...]

Source: http://alexasigno.co.uk/top-5-things-to-do-in-san-francisco/

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TSA To Pilot Using QR Codes� on Checkpoint Signage

Source: http://blog.tsa.gov/2011/08/tsa-to-pilot-using-qr-codes-on.html

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August

Copyright � 2010 Tony G�lvez. Read the original at http://www.braziltravelblog.com/2011/08/01/july-2011/. If you find this text at a location other than the Brazil Travel Blog it is an unauthorized use of the blog material. What with a week of holidays in between, we ended up with a montly summary covering two months of blogging activity. We [...]

Source: http://www.braziltravelblog.com/2011/08/01/july-2011/

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VIDEO: Sailing Kachemak Bay Waterway to Seldovia!

Don’t miss the chance to sail from Homer over to Seldovia. You can get there in as little as 45 minutes aboard the new Seldovia Bay Ferry. Special thanks to the folks at the Seldovia Chamber of Commerce and the Seldovia Bay Ferry for making this a memorable trip. Watch the video–then sail for yourself!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlaskaTravelgram/~3/dnJe3cXIgyE/

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TSA Officers React Quickly to Devastating Tornado Touchdown at St. Louis Lambert Airport

Source: http://blog.tsa.gov/2011/05/tsa-officers-react-quickly-to.html

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Fireworks Should Fly In The Sky, Not On Planes

Source: http://blog.tsa.gov/2011/07/fireworks-should-fly-in-sky-not-on.html

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App Review: The World by National Geographic

Explore the globe with Nat Geo Mobile‘s new app for iPad: The World by National Geographic. This digital atlas–packed with map views, country information, photos, and flags–will have you ditching your clunky globe for this robust, interactive version. The new app (available on�iTunes, $3.99) combines the novelty of a spinning globe with the functionality of…

Source: http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2011/08/25/new-ng-world-app/

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JFK - LAX Stowaway Was Screened By TSA

Source: http://blog.tsa.gov/2011/07/jfk-lax-stowaway-was-screened-by-tsa.html

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On Camping, Vegas and Potato Chips

Source: http://www.travelblogexchange.com/xn/detail/2721323:BlogPost:273760

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Freebie Friday: Sofitel's Chic Picnic Offer

And happily, you get more than a picnic lunch on this one (though that's included, too).

Those who stay at a Sofitels in LA, London or Paris before the end of the month will get one night free for every three booked, plus a basket (filled with free champagne and gourmet nibbles). There is some fine print--isn't there always?--which will be a turn-off for some (pre-paid bookings only, no cancellations and more) but some might find the deal, well, a picnic.

Sofitel is also offering seven night stays for the price of five in Egypt, Dubai, Morocco and Mauritius.

For complete info on both offers, just click here.

Source: http://paulinefrommerbriefing.blogspot.com/2011/08/freebie-friday-sofitels-chic-picnic.html

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the Brazilian states most visited by foreign tourists

Copyright � 2010 Tony G�lvez. Read the original at http://www.braziltravelblog.com/2011/08/08/the-brazilian-states-most-visited-by-foreign-tourists/. If you find this text at a location other than the Brazil Travel Blog it is an unauthorized use of the blog material. I recently came across some data from Embratur that caused me quite a lot of surprise (accesible through edition 972 of Jornal [...]

Source: http://www.braziltravelblog.com/2011/08/08/the-brazilian-states-most-visited-by-foreign-tourists/

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