Xiamen Bay is the new Costa Brava! From the Guardian: Sources at
the company said they had found a spot that was geographically
similar to Cadaqués, with its gently sloping hills and
protected bay. “Building work will start in September or
October,” a spokesman said. More than 100 acres of land will
be used to build a near replica with a capacity to house some
15,000 Chinese holidaymakers who want to enjoy the Costa Brava
experience without having to travel 6,500 miles. The Chinese
version will not have the sparkling Mediterranean, the
madness-inducing Tramontana wind or as many jellyfish as
Cadaqués, but the promoters say they will try to get as
close to possible to the real thing. The developers are following
in the footsteps of Lyon in the desert and Thames To...
The airline’s been objecting to cracks about Steven
Slater’s infamous emergency chute escapade via its official
Twitter account. Of course, this only inspires the tweeting jokers
to new heights; here’s comedian Andy Borowitz’s
response: “At @JetBlue you have to pay $5 extra for a sense
of humor. Exact change, please.” Meanwhile, the New York
Times has unearthed the 1947 story of a Bronx bus driver who got
fed up with his job—and took his rig on a 1,300-mile joy
ride. That sounds even better than a trip down the inflatable
slide, no?
Me, Simply Cathi, & Debra @ A Frugal Friend
Welcome to this week’s Hot Links of the Week.
If you would like to have your giveaway included in an upcoming
edition, please email me the [...]
Please welcome Debut Author Joelle Anthony to Dystopian
August! I reviewed her novel RESTORING HARMONY earlier today,
and called it "cheerful dystopia". Read on too see why Joelle
intended it to be that way.In RESTORING HARMONY, Molly has several
skills – playing the fiddle and knowing how to
tend a garden are two - that help her survive, and yet she
can’t count money. What are some of your own
skills that might help you survive in Molly’s
world and what are some gaps in your skill-set that might make it
tougher?I’m quite good at cooking and making
things out of ingredients as opposed to prepared foods. In
Molly’s world, that’s all
you’d have to cook with and I could definitely
do it because I’m already doing it.
I’m also pretty good at chopping wood and
stack...
I've been a long time reader of Beth Revis' blog (author
of the upcoming ACROSS THE UNIVERSE), so I was very excited when
she banded together with a group of debut YA authors who write
science fiction and dystopian works to form the The League of
Extraordinary Writers. The five writers have works that run the
gamut of near-future mind control to far-future space travel, but
they do have one thing in common: a future where the Earth we know
now is twisted, gone.In addition to Beth, the League is made up
of Elana Johnson (author of CONTROL ISSUES), Julia
Karr (author of XVI), Angie Smibert (author of MEMENTO NORA) and
Jeff Hirsch (author of THE LONG WALK HOME). All of these books are
coming out in Spring or Summer of 2011. [Find out more about the
publication infor...
THIS WORLD WE LIVE IN fails on pretty much every level, and also
nearly manages to quash any goodwill I still have for book one of
the series LIFE AS WE KNEW IT.I think the root of the problem is
that the diary format just doesn’t work for
this installment. In book one, it was interesting enough to follow
Miranda’s personal journey via her written
thoughts. She goes from a girl who has the whole world open to her
to a girl trapped in a dark, cold room with only her starving
family (and, yes, the family cat). However, this time around,
Miranda’s character arc is so scant that it
can’t sustain 256 pages of her whining. The
diary format also makes the creation of three-dimensional
supporting characters difficult. I do recall caring about the fate
of Miranda’s family in the first boo...
Windstar Cruises, which specializes in intimate trips on small
yachts, is offering two-for-one fares starting at $1,575 per person
for a seven-day Costa Rica cruise and $3,575 per person for a
15-day Panama Canal cruise. You must book by Saturday to get this
deal. The deal: The Wind Star is the antithesis of the mega-cruise
ship. [...]
A towering symbol of the mammoth and myriad missteps made when
Disney California Adventure opened nearly a decade ago will soon be
erased forever from the skyline above the Anaheim theme park. The
180-foot-tall Maliboomer drop tower, an off-the-shelf thrill ride
that embodied the on-the-cheap aesthetic and bad California puns
that marked DCA’s debut, will mercifully [...]
The JetBlue Airways flight attendant who is alleged to have flipped
his lid, cursed at passengers, grabbed a bottle of beer and slid
down the jet’s emergency exit chute was reportedly upset at a
passenger who defied him by getting out of a seat upon landing.
This isn’t the first flip-out report
I’ve heard. What about [...]
The Perseid meteor shower that will peak Thursday night and Friday
morning is expected to be unusually bright and visible in the night
sky this year because moonlight won’t be
hampering the celestial show. The best time to watch will be from
midnight to dawn, and the best place to watch will be any dark-sky
[...]
British Airways has a limited-time deal that throws in up to two
free nights at a hotel when you book a round-trip flight between
the U.S. and London. You’ll need to travel in fall or winter
to take advantage of this offer. The deal: London for
Free includes airfare and your choice of hotel from a [...]
Yosemite in California and the Grand Canyon in Arizona (in photo
above) would love to see you this summer —
especially Saturday and Sunday, when entrance to parks and forests
nationwide will be free. The fee-free weekend is meant to induce
individuals and families to get out in nature while making the
visit a bit [...]
It’s got to be the chute heard round the world.
JetBlue Airways flight attendant Steven Slater has
become an instant cult hero for his alleged flip-out Monday in New
York after a reportedly rude passenger pushed him to cuss out the
woman on the PA system, grab two beers from the drink cart and pop
the [...]
Brace yourselves, aficionados de Mexico. The U.S. State
Department’s latest Mexican travel warning runs to eight
pages — a detailed and harrowing document that should
persuade any sane tourist to stay away from Ciudad
Juárez (pictured above) and take extreme care in
other border-state cities such as Tijuana, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo,
Monterrey and Matamoros. But when [...]
“Virgin America Does Dallas.†Yup,
that’s the airline’s promotion for its
new nonstop daily service from Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco
(SFO) to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW). Service will start
Dec. 1 from LAX and Dec. 6 from SFO. To kick off the new routes,
Virgin is holding a fare sale that’s bigger than Texas. But
[...]
Spain's air traffic controllers have called off a strike planned
for later this month, saying they don't want to further dent the
country's troubled tourism industry. read more
In an attempt to continue the great success of the Saudi Commission
for Tourism and Antiquities' (SCTA) initiative in providing
marketing outlets to Saudi women artisans in collaboration with
Abdul Mo read more
Croatian tourism, accounting for about a sixth of the Balkan
nation’s economy, will grow around 5 percent
this year as Greece’s crisis drives visitors
north, analysts at Zagrebacka Banka d.d. read more
The solution to a faulty heart or bad back may be to skip town.
read more
NEW YORK, NY - Mrs. Candis Niles has been selected as the new
director of tourism with the Anguilla Tourist Board. read more
Richard Branson’s Virgin Group is linking its
Virgin airlines together through frequent-flier programs, raising
the question of whether the British entrepreneur can build a true
global airline brand read more
St. Petersburg, Fla. read more
State Department travel warnings can have a dramatic impact on
tourism. read more
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. read more
THOUSANDS of taxi drivers are being encouraged to take a crash
course in all things Welsh ahead of the 2010 Ryder Cup. read more
CHICAGO & HOUSTON – United and Continental
Airlines have been honing their joint images into one visual brand
that will equally represent their merged airline. read more
It was called the "mountain that eats men" for the number of miners
who perished there, but these days it's tourists who are trapped at
the Bolivian peak of PotosÃ. read more
Taxation without representation! read more
Vacations plans are disrupted for all sorts of reasons. Is it worth
the extra cost of read more
Poor infrastructure and climate change are among factors that hold
back fast growth of tourism in Tanzania. read more
Our good photographer friend, Ryan Pyle, has just completed his
motorcycle training in Germany and is only a week away from setting
off on an epic journey through all of China with his brother,
Colin. Called MKRide, the 60-day journey hopes to raise funds for
SEVA, a charitable foundation that finds solutions for health
problems in lower income communities around the world. A couple
weeks ago, they asked us at Shanghaiist if we'd be interested in
publishing stories from their trip. Being avid fans of charity
motorcycle rides, we gave them an enthusiastic YES! For the next
two-ish months, expect to see updates of their insanely punishing,
hopefully rewarding trip across all of China. Their introduction
below: When sitting down to write here at the airpor...
Well, what do you know: CNNGo feels like it's found the new Tongren
Lu (now that the old one as been, so to speak, Expo-ed)... and it's
actually the only underground bar street in Shanghai. Called Datong
Mill, you'll see the same bored looking bar girls sitting at
similar tacky looking bars, though it's even more crazy: here, not
only is everything splashed with a dash of Venetian flair, there's
also a giant Eiffel/Tokyo tower hybrid marking the spot.
Congratulations Giuseppe, your photo of yourself mustaching it up
25 feet underwater has won you a 20,000RMB gift certificate from
Ctrip. Check out the second place and third place winners on the
Ctrip blog.
What's the easiest way to get people to obey the law? Shanghai's
Pudong district has decided it's by making sure that those
lecturing you are pretty ladies. Their new "Beautiful Woman
Chenguan" campaign, in which young, comely girls patrol the streets
for "urban management," has apparently met with some success.
Chengguan, the city's urban administrative and law enforcement
bureau, don't usually get associated with the word "beauty" - seems
like people prefer to use words like "thug" instead, and for good
reasons. But the Pudong government is trying to change that with a
newly formed unit of beautiful female urban managers, who made
their debut at Zhoupu Wanda Plaza in Pudong. There's some strict
requirements for selection: women must have a college diploma, a
sweet voice, a familiar-l...
Guess who's coming to town? Hint: He's a man who's known for
comparing himself (favorably) to Hitler, beating up the opposition
party leaders in his country and generally engineering his own
country's freefall "from impressive success to the most dramatic
peacetime collapse of any country since Weimar Germany." That's
right - Mugabe's a-coming! He'll be taking a short break from
ruining his country even further to visit the Africa Pavilion
tomorrow for Zimbabwe's National Day, where he'll take part in
celebrations and watch a "Zimbabwe cultural group" perform. Expo:
for ruthless dictators too!
Do you recognize Qian Zhijun? He was an internet sensation a couple
years ago, after a picture of his abnormally chubby face was
photoshopped to become everything from Doraemon to the Mona Lisa.
Ever wonder what became of him? Apparently, he's using his fame to
organize Shanghai fattie fests. On August 8, over 100 people
weighing over 100 kilograms got together to celebrate...
alternative body images. Besides having an internet celebrity like
Qian Zhijun (aka "Xiao Pang" å°èƒ–),
they also sang, danced and had a "Fat Beauties" fashion show. Qian
told reporters that every year on August 8, Shanghai's "fatties"
get together because, of all the numbers, 8 looks the fattest. He
added that fatness is not a problem and that fat people should have
confidence in...
If there's anything Tiger Woods needs right now, it's a comeback -
and it looks like he's thinking about staging it in Shanghai. Just
weeks after he shot the "worst 72-hole score of his career," and
despite a pretty crappy run in the same spot last year, Tiger has
booked his return to Shanghai for the $7 million WGC-HSBC
Championships at Sheshan International Golf Club. So those who
worried they wouldn't get a chance to see "Lao Hu" this year...
don't anymore.
For tonight's viewing pleasure, here's a video filmed by one of our
favorites from the Shanghaiist Flickr pool, dbmboise. From his own
description, he's using his Nikon's intervalometer, jpg's and
Windows Live Movie Maker to create this hypnotic vid of night
traffic on a Shanghai street. Beautiful!
Photos from Netease If a
horrific, “unforeseen and natural” disaster happens in
China these days, what is the actual betting that it was, in fact,
both man-made and foreseeable? Well, unless it’s a direct hit
with an asteroid, the answer is: quite high. Now Tibetan poet and
writer Tsering Woeser has compiled an impressive dossier that shows
that the Zhouqu landslide in Gansu Province that has killed (so
far) 702, with over 1,000 still missing, was likely precipitated by
a variety of devastating ecological activities by - yes - man. The
report (which is GFWed) blames deforestation, mining and topsoil
erosion going back to the “Great Leap Backwards” in
1958. The annual cost of illegal logging alone is now 100,000 m2...
It seems that the 24/7 life in Shanghai enjoyed by around 20
million people is actually having a negative effect on them. A
survey, co-organised by Tsinghua University and the Ministry of
Education, has reported that the pressures of city living has led
to 90% of people admitting that they feel lonely; with 50% of
respondents stating that they were not happy with their lives.
Biggest contributors included delayed promotions, frustrating
co-workers, and the increase in cost of living. The survey covered
Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen using 69,000 participants. The best
solution to that? In our opinion, heading out to one of the many
events we feature every week (many of them are even free!!)!
By Daniel Mark Carr In the latest crackdown on China’s
increasing energy use, the Chinese government has ordered more than
2,000 highly polluting, unsafe or energy inefficient plants to
‘shut down’ within the next two months... but the good
news is not all as it may seem. It was only two weeks ago that we
reported how the Ministry of Environmental Protection was set to
close 468 outdated and inefficient power generators across China.
Now, in a further push to fulfill the requirements of China’s
environmental ‘5 year plan’, the government has
expanded its ‘closure’ order to over 2000 factories.
But, this seems to be mostly bravado. Sorry to rain on
everyone’s parade! Over the weekend, The Ministry of ...
Tomorrow night offers yet another chance to drink and be merry
while helping out a worthy cause. BEAN Shanghai is collaborating
with Heart to Heart, a charity that provides open=heart surgeries
to impoverished children across China (you can read more about them
on their site). Best thing: it's actually a pretty good deal too.
Just 30RMB gets you into Drink2Drink event held at Kaiba Belgian
Bar (the original one) on 528 Kangding Lu. That not only buys you
one drink, food and a live music show, all 30RMB of it also goes
straight to charity. Considering how much a drink usually costs at
Kaiba, you're getting a hell of a discount. Not only that, just by
showing up, you're helping to raise money. Several private and
public donors have promised to match BEAN's fundraising efforts -
one ha...
Photo from China Daily It's been about a month since herbal shampoo
Bawang was accused of having carcinogens mixed in with its hair
products. And since then, its spokesperson Jackie Chan hasn't had a
word to say on the matter. He finally broke the silence yesteray in
Shanghai. Bawang International, China's largest herbal shampoo
maker, was put under the spotlight in mid-July when Next Magazine
reported that samples of its anti hair-loss formula had 10 parts
per million of 1,4-dioxane, a substance that may cause cancer. The
report, which Bawang called "inaccurate and unfounded," caused the
company's shares to take a nosedive. In the weeks since, it has yet
to recover from the stock dip... and has made a couple of PR gaffes
in the meantime. A press conference in which Bawang said it ...
At least, that's what it looks like according to a test simulation
Taiwan's military ran recently. In what's sure to be a blow to the
island "nation," the test of their "defence capabilities in case
the People's Liberation Army launched an invasion," found that
Taiwan would only last three days at most. Yeesh, better keep it up
with the economic cooperation then, eh Taiwan?
Business people can find lessons everywhere - including in China's
management of its illegal sex industry! According to Shaun Rein at
Forbes, its on-and-off prosecution of everything from pornography
to prostitutes teaches us this: "understanding the relationship,
differences and interplay between the central and local governments
is critical." Just because a local government's allowing you to
bend the rules doesn't mean the central government thinks it's okay
- and that local gov. favor may one day come back and smack you in
the face. Not that you needed sex workers to tell you that.
The Broad Pavilion, one of the 17 corporate pavilions at the
Shanghai Expo, may not get nearly the amount of attention that any
of the international pavilions command, but much more than them, it
may represent the future of China. It's main attribute is that it
was built in less than a day - 14 hours to be exact. It uses
prefabricated parts and features energy efficient modules and 20%
of the materials used by other pavilions of a comparable size. It
also managed to minimize site waste (20 to 30% of urban refuse in
modern cities, apparently), trimming the overall amount of waste on
site to just 1%. Best of all, these prefab parts can be taken apart
after the Expo for use somewhere else. Considering the amount of
construction going on in China's cities, and its growing need for
almost in...
My partner and I are going travelling from late December to end
April 2011 so probably 4 months in total. We are currently trying
to sort out flights which seem to be horrifically expensive (in the
region of €2.5k each) because so many people fly
to SE...
Here is a quick update on Myanmar:...
Whats the story with these mad micks?...
Malaysia is my first Muslim country. I am excited about this as it
adds a certain exotic mystery to the trip as well as being a change
from the predominantly Buddhist countries we have been visiting.
The difference is immediate as while checking...
I’ve never read a more insightful piece about the beauty and
nuance in Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in
Translation”—a masterpiece of a film—than this
one. Coppola has one objective, Ebert writes: She wants to show two
people lonely in vast foreign Tokyo and coming to the mutual
realization that their lives are stuck. Perhaps what they’re
looking for is the same thing I’ve heard we seek in marriage:
A witness. Coppola wants to get that note right. There isn’t
a viewer who doesn’t expect Bob Harris and Charlotte
(Scarlett Johansson) to end up in love, or having sex, or whatever.
We’ve met Charlotte’s husband John (Giovanni Ribisi).
We expect him to return unexpectedly from his photo shoot and
surprise them together. These expe...
The New York Times has an op-ed from a former resident of Kibera,
an area of Nairobi that’s become a popular destination for
slum tourists. Here’s writer Kennedy Odede: I was 16 when I
first saw a slum tour. I was outside my 100-square-foot house
washing dishes, looking at the utensils with longing because I
hadn’t eaten in two days. Suddenly a white woman was taking
my picture. I felt like a tiger in a cage. Before I could say
anything, she had moved on. We’ve talked slum tourism on
World Hum before: Columnist Eric Weiner asked whether it can ever
be done right while Rob Verger reported from a favela tour in Rio
de Janeiro. (Via @nobauerm and @robverger)
NPR explores the controversy surrounding one of Moscow’s
famously decorated subway stations—Dostoevskaya, the station
that honors Fyodor Dostoevsky. Apparently, some Russian
psychologists are concerned that the darkness of the
station’s artwork may inspire violence or suicide. David
Greene sets the scene: The walls are gray and bare, except for
murals capturing scenes from Dostoevsky’s famous novels:
Brothers Karamazov, The Idiot, and of course, Crime and Punishment,
the book where Dostoevsky digs into the mind of his lead character,
Raskolnikov, exploring a young man’s path to murder…
The fictional character—poor, desperate for money to help his
family and mentally tortured—ends up killing two women. And
it’s all depicted in a mural ...
Get a lesson in a "Who's Who of American Jazz" during your trip to
Kansas City.
Rome is known for its simple, time-tested cuisine, but choosing a
restaurant can be tricky. Many places catering primarily to
tourists cut corners and compromise on tradition—it's easy to
wind up in a dining room where your fellow customers all speak
English, your waiter is smuggly indifferent (or cartoonishly
fawning), and, the one unforgivable shortcoming, your food is
second-rate. For a more authentic experience, check out the local
favorites of our Rome-based restaurant reviewer.
You don’t want to have come all this way to see a Vermeer or
van Gogh and not be able to get close enough because of all the
tourists and schoolchildren.
Timothy Garrett is an aeronautical engineer for the Boeing Defense,
Space and Security Phantom Works group. He is also a pilot,
undeterred by multiple sclerosis.
There are clear signs that the business-travel industry, which
drives the fortunes of a large part of the economy, including
airlines and hotels, is gradually coming back.
It’s an apples and oranges comparison as
travelers now pay for things they used to get free.
Seth Kugel on bargaining at hotels.
Quesillos - corn tortillas topped with a mozzarella-like cheese,
fresh cream and pickled onions - proved to be a pretty tasty and
very cheap Nicaraguan gem.
San Juan La Laguna, a remote Guatemalan town with views of Lake
Atitlan, hasn't been drastically reshaped by foreigners.
Arriving in Paris after a well-received run at MoMA in New York,
the "William Kentridge -- Five Themes" exhibition is a brief
over-view of the South African artist's career, featuring 40 works
completed in a variety of mediums -- animated films, drawings,
prints and models.
Delays. Packed planes. Frayed tempers. It seems the frustrations of
airline travel are getting to everyone. What's the worst flight
attendant conflict you've ever witnessed?
"I will be based in London for about a month in September. I want
to take an overnight trip to York and Durham."
A new Butchertown establishment uses simple preparations to
highlight the strong, natural flavors of the ingredients.
Beyond Boston’s bricks and brownstones lies a
city with a more modern sheen.
Computer mapping programs, including Google Maps, are reshaping how
bike enthusiasts travel.
Where to eat and drink your way around Italy, as inspired by the
book and film Eat, Pray, Love. Eat Pray Love - Elizabeth Gilbert -
Romance - Arts - Poetry
Can an airline use your personal information -- such as date of
birth -- to send a card/promotional offer? Airline - Secure Flight
- Aviation - Marketing and Advertising - Transportation
Curaçao's got it all: beautiful beaches, water sports, and a
fascinating history. Take advantage of all the enticing activities,
such as culinary walking tours and ostrich farm visits. List of
water sports - Recreation - Travel - Specialty Travel - Adventure
and Sports
This whirlwind Ireland vacation package covers airfare, your car
rental, and six nights split among Dublin, County Mayo, and
Limerick. Dublin - Republic of Ireland - County Mayo - Limerick -
Ireland
A last-minute Central America trip, an Italy vacation, a St.
Vincent scuba-diving adventure, plus resort deals in Aruba and the
Bahamas. Aruba - Scuba diving - Caribbean - Central America -
Travel and Tourism
A traveler books a Priceline package, discovers the hotel is in a
bad neighborhood, and wants a refund. Should she get her money
back? Priceline - Travel - Recreation - Expedia - Thailand
Many of the people who dream of a vacation in Italy thinks about
one of two things – visiting all the famous monuments and
sights in a whirlwind tour of the country’s highlights, and
settling into a countryside vacation rental for a couple of weeks.
These trips sound like they’re at opposite ends of the [...]
Italy: A change in thinking on Pompeii A few scientists are now
putting forth the theory that the people who died at Pompeii
weren't suffocated by ash and gas from Mt. Vesuvius, but rather
were killed from the extreme heat. Personally, I'm amused by the
description of one of the scientists – "a rogue vulcanologist
from [...]
Fans of the hit TV show Lost who are finding themselves at a loss
for what to do now that the series is over need not despair. There
are always reruns. And for the more adventurous among us
there’s always Oahu, and cheap Hawaii vacations
that can bring you closer to the Lost experience.
Florida, although always a sunny destination, has very distinct
versions of getaways based on where you visit. Orlando attracts
kids and families, Fort Lauderdale is a spring break mecca, and
Miami calls on all travelers who appreciate shopping, dancing,
drinking, lounging, golfing, eating, tanning and well, just about
anything and everything with a fresh dose of celebrities like
Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias.
If you’ve never been to Las Vegas, some may
argue that you’ve never lived. With an
unlimited number of things to do, you’ll always
be entertained. But just because you can win big here,
doesn’t mean you have to spend big. Visit the
Platinum Hotel Las Vegas for a two-night stay and pay just $99 per
night, including weekends. If you just can’t
leave, enjoy a complimentary late check out, up until midnight.
The region of the Americas where romance languages filter in and
out of cafes and squares is affectionately known as Latin America.
Visiting gives way to natural wonders of the world (think: Machu
Picchu), world-wide celebrations (Carnival) and unmatched
traditions in food, drink and dance.Now, how are you supposed to
afford all that?
Latin America is full of bold flavor, sultry dance moves, and
celebratory culture that invites travelers from all over the world
to partake in its ambiance. Check out Cheapflights' Top 10 picks
for must-see destinations in Latin America, and start planning your
vacation now.
You don’t need to be a pro to spot this great
golf deal. The Spartanburg Marriott at Renaissance Park Hotel is
now offering a golf package in beautiful Spartanburg, South
Carolina. Book your next weekend getaway at the Marriott and
receive a complimentary round of golf at the Carolina Country Club.
Start planning a fall vacation with JetBlue's latest batch of Web
Fares. Domestic and Caribbean destinations include Los Angeles, New
York City, Nassau, and Barbados. Several airlines, including
AirTran, American, Delta, and United, compete.
Travel into the new year with American's latest sale offering
travel to destinations such as Las Vegas, Nashville, New Orleans,
Orlando, and San Francisco. These are some of the lowest prices
alongside rates from AirTran, Delta, United, and others.
This fall, take off with Southwest's limited-time sale on over
1,900 routes to cities such as Boston, Las Vegas, New York City,
and Orlando, among 69 listed destinations. Competitors include
AirTran, Alaska, Continental, Frontier, and US Airways.
When looking for a hotel in Venice Beach, California, consider this
boutique hotel near the beach, restaurants, canals, and the Venice
Beach Boardwalk.Contributor: Sandra EssaryPublished: Aug 09, 2010
Staying in Tampa? Here's what you need to know about this
hotel.Contributor: Tucker CummingsPublished: Aug 09, 2010
I thought it was refreshing and friendly to see a dog walking along
in the hotel as we were checking into our room.Contributor: Donna
DanielsPublished: Aug 09, 2010
Learn all about the Shades of Green Resort hotel, an official
Disneyworld Hotel in Orlando, Florida.Contributor: Rachel
B.Published: Aug 09, 2010
Social and Behavioral Short Stories for people with Autism Spectrum
Disorder and their families to use on transitioning for
vacations.Contributor: Rebecca McKeePublished: Aug 10, 2010
A traveller's review on Hotel Capitol in the city of Kuala Lumpur,
MalaysiaContributor: Amy HuangPublished: Aug 10, 2010
A short look at one of the most kid-friendly hotels in Milwaukee,
WI.Contributor: Jenna KulasiewiczPublished: Aug 10, 2010
The largest living history museum in America, Colonial Williamsburg
is a private non-profit foundation which has set the standard for
living museums across the world.Contributor: L.A. StewartPublished:
Aug 09, 2010
With the many tourist attractions in the nearby provinces a few
miles away from Manila, the Philippines' capital, tourists can
include itineraries for trips in some of the most popular
out-of-town attractions in the Southern Tagalog Region.Contributor:
Rianne Hill SorianoPublished: Aug 09, 2010
Renting an RV is a good option for lodging in Las Vegas. You will
have the freedom of using the RV to explore the surrounding area. A
rental RV can save you money over expensive hotel
rooms.Contributor: Kent HadleyPublished: Aug 09, 2010
The Palawan Islands are a series of islands off of the Philippines.
Largely undiscovered, eco-friendly, and now just becoming on the
tourist radar.Contributor: Julie ShahPublished: Aug 09, 2010
What to do whilst in Mumbai for 2 days? Hot places to visit,
including restaurants and shoppingContributor: Julie ShahPublished:
Aug 09, 2010
We just got back from our fittings at the tailor and are all so
happy w our stuff. Bren is even having a second suit made because
his first turned out so well. The downpours here are not to be
messed w. Both yesterday and today it started pouring around 330
and it immediately floods all the streets. Once it stops raining
the water recedes really quickly. I'm uploading pics from our fi
Adjusting to a new city can be tough. Aside from a constant state
of sweat Taipei is very easy. The people are friendly the food is
tasty and the transportation rivals any major city I've known.
During the day the city bussles with corporate types. Despite
hosting a greater population density than New York Tapei residents
will surprise you with their friendliness. The Taiwanese openness
to We
s 5 e meia da manha o carro j estava a minha espera do lado de fora
do albergue. A viagem ate Barreirinha levou 2 horas e meia. Ainda
bem que eu tinha o Itamar ao meu lado contando causos historias e
curiosidades locais. Os personagens e historias pareciam ter
saltado do meu livro de contos. Aquilo sim era o meu Brasil. Era
exatamente por isso que escolhi essa parte do pais para a minha
viajem
Day Fourteen Koh PhanganAfter our epic sleep we woke up full of
beans wanting to do something on our last day on the Island. We
lazed around the pool for a bit. A girl called Mollie was also by
the pool an English girl travelling on her own we obvs got chatting
and she is a PE teacher from cornwall. We decided to head over to
the top of the island to visit a beach thats good for snorkelling
Sete horas da manha j estava acordada e de mochila pronta. Depois
do caf andei algumas quadras ate encontrar a voadeira que iria
descer o Rio Preguia e me levar ate o meu prximo destino Cabur. De
novo tudo foi organizado pelo Itamar. E era ali mesmo que eu me
despediria dele. Ali deixava pra trs um batalhador uma pessoa
maravilhosa e de um corao gigantesco que se entrega de corpo e alm
Day FifteenKo SamuiThe Catamaran ferry to Ko samui only takes
20mins so we had a nice short journey we arrived at our next resort
and had to walk down a muddy path a little unsure of what to expect
at the end. We walked through past some bungalows to a
barrestaurant and asked if we were in the right place. The bar was
right on the beach front and the weather was gorgeous We were shown
to our
Its been a while since a two day blog about 89 days or so. Just
like that day I have little to write about except for traveling. I
should have just called this blog Planes Trains and Automobiles but
I liked using my terrible pun in the title instead. Of course I did
not fly for this trip. I replaced that mode of transit with a
ferry. Started my day Aug. 8 in Sarajevo and took a late morni
Arriving in Guilin midday we were greeted with the hustle and
bustle of a city with a bigtown atmosphere. The buildings were no
skyscrapers but the people were moving quickly in every direction
and we could see the layer of hazy smog hovering above us. We
caught a tuktuk not sure what they call them in China to the
backstreet youth hostel where we were turned away as we had no
reservations
We are now in Kuala Lumpur staying in the Citin Hotel which is a
nice hotel bang in the middle of Little India. You have to walk
through loads of stalls sellling fake designer stuff till you find
the entrance. It's hot and humid as expected and we have been
surviving on about 4 hours sleep a night for the last 3 days so I
am abs knackered But at least we are getting to see loads. We
walked a lit
Hi finally I wasn't too lazy to get my camera out as we were flying
over the Himalayas. Captin called me to the cockpit to see the view
and no photo can capture the scale...Enjoy
The journey La Paz was strange halfway through we all had to get
off the bus and get on a speedboat while our bus was put on a
wooden rickety carrier thing 2 weeks earlier a bus had sunk then
get back on at the other side of the river. We got to La Paz at
about 8pm and got a taxi to Hotel Republica where we had booked to
have a double bed and a chill out night before we booked into Loki
the
HELLO for a change chloe and dad are going to entertain you rather
than mum im very sorry i dont do all of the grammer and capital
letters.We are sitting in a huge hotel lobby with fast internet for
a change in phnom penh which is the capital city of cambodia.
Yesterday we left kampot for kep at midday. it was still raining
when we arrived in kep. A very nice tuktuk driver took us round the
tow
If you are looking for something different to do this weekend and
don't want to spend a lot of money consider taking a drive out to
Hanging Rock State Park located in the picturesque town of Danbury
in Stokes County North Carolina. Located less than an hour north of
WinstonSalem Hanging Rock is easily accessible from the Piedmont
Triad region of north carolina 2 hours north of Charlotte and
Hee lieve mensenHier weer een kleine update over de avond van
gisterenavond Ik ga gewoon stap voor stap beschrijven hoe de dag
begon. Er waren al wat mensen die er van wisten dus tegen die
mensen hadden we gezegd we zingen rond half 10 maar we gaan er om 7
uur al heen dus we verzamelen ons om half 7 voor het hostel. Wist
ik veel dat het hele hostel zou uitrekken om ons te zien. Twee
mensen riepe
SlianteSadness is sweeping over us. Our love affair with Ireland is
coming to an end. We have two more days in this stunning land. Our
tour has been awesome. The people have been really great. They have
been so great that we have become zombies because of the lack of
sleep. We have been around the entire coast line. The scenery can
not be described truly amazing. We had some amazing days at th
Over 15 million kilowatts quote from newspaper China DailyBeijing's
power consumption on Friday July 23 the highest in the cityrsquos
history. Around a third was used by air conditionersYou get the
picture itrsquos been hot hot hot but thank goodness the weather
has finally broken and we have had some blue skies and proper
sunshine and some cooler days what a relief. And for those o
HELLO ALL You boys and GIRLS ID LIKE to takE YOU to the INSIDE
WORLD ITS QUITE AN IRREGULAR PLACe TO BE BUT NEVER FEAR YOUR SAFE
WITH ME....WEll maybe..FRIZZLE FRYPRIMUSOver the past weekend
Friday through Sunday night I was in a place called TORO TORO.
Starting on Thursday the 5th was the prelude to the independence
day of BOLIVIA. During this day I actually thought it was Bolivian
independe
In my first blog post I laid out my detailed plan of my time in
India. Yoga this drama that...plans plans plans. Ironically 10
months after arriving in India I have yet to quote from shakespeare
and my lotus pose is slowly degenerating into more of a struggling
weed pose. At the end of that first blog post I said that I needed
to 'expect the unexpected' and be willing to let India change my
Up at 5am to catch a 7am ferry. The ferry system here isnrsquot
completely disorganized it is just chaotic. I decided to try to
minimize the chaos by going at 7am on a Sunday. That has to been
the best time to go right As Monday at 930am was packed.Turns out
Monday was not packed. Today was packed. Like what Ellis Island
mustrsquove been like. Or a mosh pit.I thought ldquowhat
The road here was superb a six lane highway with very little
traffic. Already hot at 9am with temperatures sitting around 33C
expected today and for days to come. The land is flat with the
usual sunflowers and grain agriculture in places. All went well
until I approached Istanbul and the traffic began to build. Then
the nightmare began. There were some rain showers just to mix
things up but I see
After a long week of travelingIt's nice just to sit down and relax
and not have to think about what you're going to do over the next
few days but rather deciding on the day or 10 minutes before you
decide you want a milkshake subsequently driving to steak n shake
at 10.15pm and seeing where things go.The drive home from
Charleston was relatively short only about 8 hours from Mam and Pa
Ray
Silas woke up and left in the morning at 8am to go to work. He let
me stay at his place until I had to go to the airport. I did
laundry the night before at his place so I packed away the clothes
that I washed. I said good bye to Silas and he gave me the key and
told me to lock up the place and put the key under the mat. I took
a shower and made sure that I had everything packed. On my way out
I
Just a quick blog to let you all know I am moving on to Mbale
tomorrow to the Uganda Women's Concern Ministry. Excited and
nervous. Excited for the next learning curve to begin. Nervous for
the things I might be exposed to. This organization provides
services to people in very difficult life situations. Expect that
it will be hard for my heart but eager to continue to grow and
learn. Know that is
Today was spent entirely on buses. A 16 hour ride. Not nearly as
bad as it may sound though.All processes and systems continue to
mystify me. One border crossing teller for a bus of 40 people Like
the ferry not disorganized but inefficient and sometimes chaotic.
Dinner with Ryan Brad and Maddy. And tomorrow we leave for Lake
Attitlan. No photos from the bus ride as I kept my valuables
Hi hope everyone is well and has been enjoying their
summerhellipmore meaningless drivel from Saigonhellip.At the
beginning of July I headed off to Borneo for a holiday. I went with
Nick and then met my mate Jon out there. Borneo is amazing and I
definitely plan on going again as I barely saw any of it. We went
to Kuching in Malaysian Borneo. It made a nice change being out of
Vietnam. Kuch
Greek Islands Day OneBoarded the ferry this morning for stop number
1 Mykonos. The ferry was hot and humid but I stayed on that top
deck so if it sunk I would at least have a chance of swimming We
stayed away from the main town at Paradise Beach lots of youngsters
on the plonk from the night before and would probably keep going
until they left the island Got settled in then sat on the beach wi
We set out on our journey 5 days ago... although it seems much
longer than that... it was hard to say goodbye to a few people at
the hostel people that make us laugh every day with their insane
personalities... but we will see them again so after a few hugs we
took off... our friend Jama who is babysitting our things drove us
to the station on his day off which was great. We found our way thr
8 August 2010We awoke to clear skies after a bout with smoke ridden
days from a bad wildfire. We decided to head up to the mountains
and take a lunch to one of the high lakes. A drive up any or all of
the Cascade Lakes Highway is always a treat We were astonished by
how many people had the same idea we did though we've never seen it
so busy in the mountains outside of a long weekendWe head
Gday AllIt's been hard to find the time to blog but I think an
update is in order. Since finishing up in Spain Hayley and I caught
a train to Toulouse rented a car and drove to St Tropez in France.
St Tropez was beautiful for swimming and we managed to find
accomodation just outside town. The town is full of selfindulgent
billionaires and their entourage but it's worth a visit. Following
St Tr
If you want to give a unique wedding gift, why not try giving a
travel membership.Contributor: Roby HicksPublished: Aug 08, 2010
Are you planning a trip to Vietnam? You can save your time and save
your money if you get Vietnam best travel deal. But
how?Contributor: Lan Phuong NguyenPublished: Aug 09, 2010
My friend Eric and I took a long time to not say much of anything,
but he's still a good friend. This is my crazy travel story which
gets me no closer to the truth.Contributor: Jesse SchmittPublished:
Aug 09, 2010
Hurricanes are a well-known threat in the summer and fall in the
Caribbean. However, many wonderful Caribbean vacation spots at many
times have almost no hurricane risk.Contributor: Philo
GabrielPublished: Aug 09, 2010
Milan Ohio, most famous for being the birthplace of Thomas
Edison,has many other historical attractions. Here is a guide to
help enjoy them.Contributor: Kelsey O'FlahertyPublished: Aug 09,
2010
The Petro truck stop #323, which is on I-75 in Reddick, Florida,
off of exit 368, is a good choice for a place to stop. Read on for
more details...Contributor: Roddy J DryerPublished: Aug 10, 2010
Las Vegas is a city that draws visitors from all over the world
thanks to its fast-paced environment. Even the gas stations in
Vegas have slot machines.Contributor: Genevieve HunterPublished:
Aug 10, 2010
It seems that some flight attendants are mad as hell and not going
to take it anymore. And it’s happening on both sides of the
pond. In the UK, some representatives of the union representing
British Airways flight attendants have apparently lost their
marbles: While I recognize that the phrase “other duties as
assigned” is [...]
When I bought that Energizer portable powerpack for my phone a
couple of months back, I think I saw a much bigger one that’s
meant for laptops. Then last week, a rep from Energizer Philippines
contacted me asking if I want to try one. So I picked the largest
unit they had which is this [...] Related posts:Energizer XPal
Powerpack for Mobile Phones One of my recurring problems with
carrying smartphones is that... Power Saver Max on Power Usage Over
a year ago, I blogged about this little power-saving... Sony
Cybershot H20 and the whole Pack Sony unveiled a dozen or so new
products for their... Trillian out of Google’s Pack {via
Google Blogoscoped} Trillian just left the house, or was... Chrome
trumps Firefox on Google Pack Google Chrome recently got promoted
to version 1.0 and...
Asus claims their Cine5 soundbar is the world’s
most compact 5-channel speaker and by the looks of it, sounds like
it has some truth to it. Go take a closer look at the Asus Cine5
after the jump. Announced back in March, this is probably the first
speaker system I’ve ever seen coming out of [...] Related
posts:JBL on Call: Nokia 5310 Speaker Dock When I got this portable
speakers for the Nokia 5310,... X-Mini Capsule Speaker This little
package came in early this week and I... Asus uBoom and uBoom Q
Speakers Asus is making a lot of stuff nowadays but this...
Unboxing: Asus Eee PC For a couple of months now that the Asus
EeePC... ASUS U3 Laptop: Turbo Mem, GPS and 3G I’ve already
set my eyes on a MacBook for my...
Had this interesting discussion the other day about the mobile
landscape — had Apple not invented the iPhone and Google
didn’t get into the mobile OS market and developed the
Android platform. Of course we will still have Symbian OS, Windows
Mobile 6.5, BlackBerry OS, Samsung Bada and a host of other mobile
OSes. So [...] Related posts:Paypal Mobile now on iPhone and
Android Paypal Mobile is now available to members in the Asia...
Globe’s Android: Samsung i5700 Galaxy Spica Just found out
that Globe is offering its own Android... Which Android phone is
for you? The handset market is slowly being saturated by Android
phones.... Are HTC phones any good without Android? In my years of
reviewing phones, I’ve only tried two... Blackberry still
trumps the iPhone in Sale...
This is just a heads up to everyone reading here at YugaTech.
Western Digital Philippines has partnered with YugaTech to giveaway
a couple of terabyte hard drives to our readers and fans.
We’re giving away a total of 4 HDDs (2x1TB internal and
2x500GB My Passport) during a weekly contest (1 per week).
We’re still [...] Related posts:Unboxing: Western Digital My
Book 500GB I have an old external generic drive case which I...
Western Digital My Book Elite 2TB It’s been close to 3 years
since I first bought... YugaTech Giveaway Winners Round 3 Thanks to
all those who participated in our latest contest.... Western
Digital Passport: Portable HDD Our current poll asks about how much
portable storage people... The YugaTech Great Gadget Giveaway As
promised — YugaTech is ...
The affordable BlackBerry Curve just got an upgrade — now
with GPS and HSDPA, the BlackBerry Curve 9300 is called the Curve
3G. Sporting the same form factor and design, the Curve 3G 9300 is
an upgrade to the BlackBerry Curve 8520. BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300
specs: 2.46″ screen @ 320×240 pixels 256 MB internal
[...] Related posts:Blackberry Curve 8520 launched Research in
Motion today unveiled a new and affordable version... BlackBerry
Curve 8520 in Red and White? BlackBerry phones always come in one
color, and that’s black.... Blackberry Curve 8520 in the
flesh Here are more high-detail photos of the new entry-level
Blackberry... Blackberry Curve 8520 Review Research In Motion (RIM)
has been targeting the entry-level market... Blackberry Bold 9700
announced The Blac...
Neo Philippines is among the very few laptop makers that has
brought 3D laptops into the country. Earlier today, they launched
the Neo Elan L4300 3D laptop running an Intel Core i7 processor.
Neo Elan L4300-3D 15.6″ HD display @ 1366×768 pixels
Intel Core i7 740QM @ 1.73GHz (4 cores, 8 threads) up to 2.93GHz
[...] Related posts:Samsung outs R440, R480 laptop line Samsung
Philippines introduced their very first line of 14-inch laptops...
Toshiba Satellite A665-3DV is a 3D Laptop This Intel Core i7 gaming
laptop was demoed to us... MSI GT660 Gaming Laptop Unboxed MSI sent
in their brand new laptop today and it’s... Apple outs Core
i5, Core i7 MacBook Pro As expected, Apple did a refresh of their
MacBook and... Toshiba outs Portege T110, T130 Ultraportables
Toshiba introduc...
This long-overdue episode of Random, filmed at Samovar Tea,
includes: - Book updates and new book recommendations (including
Omnivore’s Dilemma and If This Is A Man : The Truce) -
Favorite sites, including design-focused sites - The new Kindle vs.
the iPad — pros and cons. - Book title hijinks and red
herrings - iFly [...]
Gorgeous look at a bluetooth handset designed by David Turnpin
& Native Union. Check out their whole collection here. Via
Swissmiss
I think this British artist Phil Ashcroft is extremely talented.
Stunning work.
By doing so, you’ll derive more pleasure from it. So says a
New York Times story about the benefits of spending money on
experiences rather than material goods. It’s not exactly
breaking news, I know, but it’s a good reminder: In other
words, waiting for something and working hard to get it made it
feel more valuable and more stimulating. In fact, scholars have
found that anticipation increases happiness. Considering buying an
iPad? You might want to think about it as long as possible before
taking one home. Likewise about a Caribbean escape: you’ll
get more pleasure if you book a flight in advance than if you book
it at the last minute.
Our favorite cartoon vagabond, Dora Marquez, is turning 10 this
month. A fine Los Angeles Times story pays tribute to Dora and
notes her global reach: The animated series is now broadcast in
more than 100 countries—it’s the No. 1-rated preschool
show in many of them, including France—and dubbed in 30
languages, such as Russian, Mandarin and German, with Dora mostly
teaching English (in some cases Spanish). We love Dora the
Explorer—so much so that we once named her one of our top 10
greatest fictional travelers. Here’s what we wrote about Dora
then, which is equally true today: Kids need travel role models as
much as adults, and the animated Latina vagabond Dora the Explorer
is an exemplary role model. With her trademark purple backpack,
wash-and-wear bob ...
In the New York Times, Ben Zimmer unpacks the vocabulary of beach
tourism from coast to coast. Turns out, nearly every American
coastal region has its own term for the summer invaders: Old-time
New Englanders have disdain for the summer people. On the Eastern
Shore of Virginia and Maryland, the come-heres are pitted against
the from-heres. Hawaiians call white visitors to the islands
haoles. West Coast surfers, a territorial lot, have a plethora of
terms for nonlocals: Trevor Cralle’s “Surfin’ary:
A Dictionary Of Surfing Terms and Surfspeak” lists put-downs
like hondo, inlander, flatlander, valley and casper. (The last one
is reserved for tourists whose pallid complexion resembles that of
Casper the Friendly Ghost.) On the Jersey Shore, the two main terms
for unple...
The New York Times City Room blog has the details on today’s
drama on the tarmac at JFK: One passenger got out of his seat to
fetch his belongings from the overhead compartment before the crew
had given permission. Mr. Slater instructed the man to remain
seated. The passenger defied him. Mr. Slater approached and reached
the passenger just as he pulled down his luggage, which struck Mr.
Slater in the head. Mr. Slater asked for an apology. The passenger
instead cursed at him. Mr. Slater got on the plane’s public
address system and cursed out all aboard. Then he activated the
inflatable evacuation slide at service exit R1, launched himself
off the plane, an Embraer 190, ran to the employee parking lot and
left the airport in a car he had parked there. And then the puns
began. ...
For the last 3 years, Kacie has been attending an elementary school
near our home. Since there are so many children enrolled there, the
school adopted a multi-track system where the kids would attend
classes for 2 months and then be off for 3 weeks. On for 2 months
off for 3 weeks, on for [...]
Laura Brown is a typical British teen writing in her diary about
the year the UK decided to implement strict carbon rationing. Each
resident is issued a card with a certain amount of credits and each
has to make some hard choices about how to use them.
Laura’s family doesn’t deal
well with the changes (to say the least) – will
everyone make it through 2015 alive?While I liked the concept of a
focusing on a family trying to transition from the freewheeling
life they’ve always known to a more meager form
of existence, the diary entries tend to ramble and there
isn’t much in the way of an overreaching plot.
I did think Laura’s voice was extraordinarily
well done, and I loved the way she could see the humor in the
little things even as her family life starts to collapse. It often
f...
As week one of Dystopian August comes to a close, I want to thank
everyone who stopped by, both those who have lurked and those who
have participated in the discussions. Thanks too to those who
have posted about this fun theme month on their blogs.Here's a
quick recap of what's happened so far.5 book reviewsShip
Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi gets 4 Zombie ChickensNomansland by
Lesley Hauge gets 3 Zombie ChickensThe Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie
Ryan gets 3 Zombie ChickensZ for Zachariah gets 2 Zombie
ChickensCarbon Diaries by Saci Lloyd gets 2 Zombie Chickens2 author
interviewsPaolo Bacigalupi discusses Ship BreakerLesley Hauge
discusses Nomansland2 giveaways (still open)Win one of 3 copies of
Ship BreakerWin a 6 pack of dystopian books from MacMillan1
installment of Dystopian R...
In the blink of an eye, everyone 15 and older in Perdido Beach is
gone. A mysterious dome has also appeared that keeps all the kids
inside with no communication with the outside world
– if there still is one. Also, some of the kids
have begun to manifest strange new powers, and animals are
mutating.After initially happily gorging themselves on candy bars
and ice cream, the kids start to panic as time goes on and 14 year
old Sam seems a natural choice for leader. Sam is reluctant to take
on the mantle of hero though, and in sweep a group of kids from the
exclusive Coates Academy, led by the darkly charismatic Caine. This
sets up a war for control of the Fallout Alley Youth Zone, with the
“good†Perdido Beach kids against
the “evil†Coates kids and Sam and
Caine in a rush to gain p...
Let me ask you something: Can a novel classified as
post-apocalyptic get away with not having a single character die?
When I pick up a book in this genre, I expect bad things to happen.
This, however, was the happiest, most cheerful "dystopian" book
I've ever read. Even the villains were cordial (for the most
part).That's doesn't mean it's bad. It's quite good, actually. It
just took me completely by surprise with its upbeat tone and story.
It's set in the future, after a partial economic collapse of North
America as we know it. Sure, things are less than ideal. But people
are coping. It almost seemed to me to be like a second Great
Depression than "the end of the world as we know it." Against that
background, we have the story of Molly - a 16 year old Canadian
charged with travelling to O...
For its inaugural event, Sunset magazine’s Savor the Central
Coast has packed its Sept. 30-Oct. 3 calendar with an array of food
and wine temptations. More than 100 area wineries from Santa Cruz
to Ventura will pour their best varietals at the festival’s
Santa Margarita headquarters, about 10 miles north of San Luis
Obispo. The tastings [...]
Talk about self-sufficient. The Aerobed Raised Explorer Bed
($99.99) inflates with a dual-purpose, battery-operated pump with a
built-in flashlight. Made of heavy-gauge, puncture-resistant vinyl,
the bed is 14 inches high, placing the user nicely above the floor
of a tent or guest room. The soft, sueded sleep surface is a
welcome buffer from the vinyl, and [...]
As a young man, Charles Darwin spent five weeks exploring the
Galapagos Islands, recording subtle differences in marine iguanas
and finches from island to island that would later give rise to his
thoughts on evolution. You can compress those experiences into
seven days — and come up with your own wildlife
theories — with an all-inclusive [...]
Body-scanning machines were rolled out at airports in Oakland and
Spokane, Wash., last week while controversy erupted anew over the
technology that critics say is an invasion of privacy.
The latest blow came after a U.S. Department of Justice agency
revealed it had saved about 35,000 scanned images of
people — something airport security officials
said would not [...]
Got a ticket on Mexicana Airlines? Check its website to make sure
your flight is still operating. The troubled Mexican carrier, which
last week filed for bankruptcy protection and trimmed its schedule,
said Monday that it is indefinitely suspending most of its
long-haul international flights, Los Angeles Times correspondent
Daniel Hernandez reported from Mexico City. Suspended [...]
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration proposed that airlines
modify wing-flap wiring on certain Boeing 747-400 models to avoid a
risk that the planes won’t take off properly.
read more
LONDON - British Airways PLC has suspended another member of cabin
crew who also acts as a union representative for British Airlines
Stewards and Stewardesses Association, highlighting continuing tens
read more
Directors of various tourism boards of the Indian Ocean islands
have attended a meeting held on August 4 on Reunion Island, in
order to develop a marketing plan for the
region’s tourism industry. read more
Mexicana de Aviacion, the debt-laden Mexican airline teetering on
the brink of bankruptcy, is in talks with three investor groups as
it urgently seeks a buyer, a union official said on Monday. read
more
A record number of passengers since the beginning of 2010 departed
Moscow on August 8 amid heavy smog in the city, a spokesman for the
Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, said on Monday
read more
WASHINGTON, DC - US Customs and Border Protection announced an
interim final rule that amends DHS regulations to require travelers
from Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries to pay operational and
trave read more
NEW YORK — A set of 354 narrow steps spirals
all the way up to the Statue of Liberty's crown, and it's the only
escape route for tourists in an emergency. read more
Decisions, decisions. Should I have the Crushed Cabernet Scrub or
the Pulp Friction Relaxing Massage with Fresh Grapes? Or maybe the
“Premier Cru†Anti-Ageing
Treatment? read more
MUSCAT, Oman (eTN) - Cashing in on the new concept of Islamic
hotels worldwide, especially in the GCC, Oman announced yesterday
the launch of its first alcohol-free, five-star hotel. read more
BANGKOK - Thailand is willing to review regulations in the tourism
sector to give more access to foreign investors and professionals
in a move to attract more visitors, Finance Minister Korn Chatikava
read more
MARAPANIM, Brazil – He fought tropical disease
and deadly snakes, was held captive at one point and collapsed just
short of his goal. read more
HOUSTON, TX – Continental Airlines gave
participants at the 2010 National Business Travel Association
(NBTA) International Convention & Expo today a sneak preview of
their 787 Dreamliner. read more
In Paris, Stanley shows us the Eiffel Tower, but the Eiffel Tower
through the eyes of Guy de Maupassant. read more
To firmly establish a destination on the tourism world map today,
it is not only a matter of natural or cultural attractions. Air
connections are of crucial importance. read more
Rumours abounded for many weeks in Indonesia's travel world that
TIME Pasar Wisata, Indonesia's premier travel show for the trade
could maybe cancelled due to a lack of funds from the Province of
West read more
By Daniel Mark Carr Could China score a goal in English football?
It certainly looks that way. Liverpool locals (fondly known as
‘scousers’) are having to ‘calm down, calm
down’ after hearing the latest news in English football.
China could soon be taking over Liverpool Football Club. You may
remember that back in May, we reported that Zhu Jun, founder of the
Chinese gaming company; The9 Ltd, was in talks over buying
Liverpool FC. Well; the stakes have certainly been raised and the
East could soon be making a big impact on Western football as the
Chinese Government are now being reported as being the lead bidders
in the Liverpool FC take over. Liverpool and Shanghai are
‘sister’ cities, Liverpool is home to the largest
Chinese community in Europe, a...
Well, what do ya know! The man who decided to swim all the way from
Wuhan to the Shanghai Expo (a 1200 kilometer journey) has actually
made it here after 33 days... and with only minimal signs of
becoming sick from the water pollution. 56-year-old Bao Zhengbin
ended his journey at Chongming Island, arriving around 8am
yesterday at Chongming Island's Southern Gate. He was greeted by
enthusiastic crowds both from his hometown in Hubei Province and
some Shanghai fans as well. The entire journey took 33 days. Upon
reaching the shore, he yelled out "Shanghai, I've come!" to the
cheering masses. His trip, which began in Wuhan on July 7 took him
about 40km for four hours of swimming each day. Yeah, he clocked in
at an incredibly impressive 10km per hour. Along the way, he dealt
with quite a ...
While normally we'd save the live music listings until the
mid-week, we noticed that this week, the sound party seems to be
starting pretty early. So here's some pretty awesome live acts you
don't want to miss early this week. Check 'em out! MONDAY
Copenhagen-based Bandapart brings their post-rock-jazz sound to the
JZ Club on Monday night. The band has been compared to the Chicago
avant-rock sound and is at the forefront of the Danish alt-music
scene. Check them out here before hitting them up tonight. If you
miss them at JZ Club, they'll also be playing at Expo on Wednesday.
9pm, JZ Club, 46 FuXing W. Rd
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Xinjiang guitarist Hassan, whose band Weghur won the Shanghai round
of the 2009 Global Battle of Bands challenge, will be leading a jam
session at The Melting Po...
The embarassment stemming from Economic Observer Qiu Ziming's
defamation warrant has actually ushered in some real change in
protections for journalists. Now, prosecutors will have to obtain
approval from higher-level procuratorates before being allowed to
order arrest warrants on accusations of defamations. "To issue
low-quality or incorrect arrest warrants not only violates people's
legitimate rights, but also severely undermines the credibility of
prosecuting authorities and tarnishes the image of the Communist
Party of China and the government," said a statement from the
Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), the highest prosecution
authority in the country.
We've all known for a while that plastic surgery has gotten
extremely popular in China, but who knew this country'd rise that
quickly in the ranks of the world's top regions for cosmetic
procedures? In a recent survey issued by the International Society
of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, China ranked No. 2 for most
nip-tucked, right behind the United States. According to ISAPS'
Global Survey, the top five nations are the U.S., China, Brazil,
India and Mexico.
As if the floods weren't enough, this year's torrential rains have
caused the worst incident of landslides this year to happen in
Gansu province. Official estimates released this morning put the
death toll of the slides at 137, with 1,348 people still missing.
According to experts, the landslide, which occured in Zhouqu County
early Sunday morning, had four causes. Zhouqu County's rock was
already soft and easily broken, but with the impact of the Wenchuan
earthquake and the ongoing drought starting from last year, the
geology of the area was already incredibly prone to being swept
away. That happened on Saturday night, when rainfall reached over
90mm and lasted for 40 minutes. As a result, roughly 1.8 million
cubic meters of mud and debris flattened three villages in the
area. In th...
In case you have yet to move your butt to Expo to watch Jia
Zhangke's "I Wish I Knew,"
ã€Šæµ·ä¸Šä¼ å¥‡ã€‹,
hopefully this newer English trailer will get you going. Last
month, we posted the Chinese version after he appeared at a
Shanghai Foreign Correspondents Club event to talk about the film,
which was released to coincide with the ongoing World Expo. From
the Vimeo site summary: Shanghai, a fast-changing metropolis, a
port city where people come and go. Shanghai has hosted all kinds
of people - revolutionaries, capitalists, politicians, soldiers,
artists, and gangsters. Shanghai has also hosted revolutions,
assassinations, love stories. After the Chinese Communists’
victory in 1949, thousands of Shanghaiers left for Hong Kong and
Taiwan. To leave meant being separated from home ...
Photo by Le Niners More photos on the Shanghaiist Contribute page.
To see your photos on our Contribute page, use Flickr and tag your
photos “shanghaiist”. Or you can email your photos to
photos@shanghaiist.com and they will automatically appear on our
site (and here).
Usually I've found travel buddies while traveling -- people going
the same way, and we share experiences, information, meals. It's
easy if there are hostels, and I've met a lot of people on trains
and busses. My last trip, Vietnam, I didn't find as...
Hi, my friend are flying into Yangon on a Sunday evening arriving
at 1700 for 12 days. We are planning to head north to Mandalay or
Bagan depending on travelling time and leaving Yangon for last. A
few questions:...
Hi all. I plan on going to NZ from Australia (I'm from NYC) from
August 30 to September 2 (just 2 free full days). I'm not a Lord of
the Rings fan (do not want to go on LOTR tour) but do appreciate
the lush and grand scenery that was shot in NZ. ...
The sun. The sand. The improvised Taco Bell sing alongs. Terry Ward
revels in the power of her family's long ago trips to the Outer
Banks.
Set off on a road trip along Route 98 through the
region’s best state and national parks, and
appreciate the wonders of the Gulf Coast.
Saddle up, and get ready to work, eat and play with some of the
country’s hardest-working ranchers on an
intimate working ranch vacation in Montana.
When most people think of the Bite of Oregon they think of the vast
variety of delicious cuisine from around the state. Or maybe they
think about the fine wine selection, but how about ...
If travel is a state of mind, Oregon sure makes you wonder how one
region can offer so much wide-ranging recreation and
scenery–and how you will ever be able in one lifetime to
experience it ...
One of my family’s favorite places to go in and around
Pendleton is the incredible Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, just an
exit off I-84, East of Pendleton, on the Confederated Tribes of the
Umatilla Indian Reservation. ...
The surrounding countryside in the rest of Zealand is not to be
missed. Less than an hour from the city, fields and half-timber
cottages checker the land, and in the north you’ll find the
Kronborg Castle of Hamlet fame crowning Helsingor. You’ll
find beaches too—some chic, some deserted—all powdered
with fine white sand.
It's not hard to get swept up in the frenzy that is the Discovery
Channel’s annual Shark Week. If watching the great white
sharks on TV doesn’t soothe your curiosity, then head to
Gansbaai, South Africa May through August (a.k.a Prime Great White
viewing season).
You might lose smarty points if you ask dumb sheep questions. "When
do you cut their fur?" or "When do their tails fall off?" will
elicit laughter: sheep have wool, not fur or hair, and their tails
are cut off. You will also be considered quite tedious if you tell
"sheep jokes." There isn’t one that they haven’t heard
already.
Tipping’s prohibited at the airport and discouraged in hotels
(except for bellboys, who generally receive S$1 per bag) or
restaurants that levy a 10% service charge. Unlike in other
countries, though, waitstaff don’t receive a percentage of
this service charge, except in the more progressive establishments.
Taxi drivers don’t receive tips from Singaporeans, who become
upset when they see tourists tip.
Note that the network of tunnels, shops, and subway lines beneath
the city’s surface is so large that you’ll want to use
the Metro to save time and energy. Daily and weekly rider passes
are available. Remember: it’s easy to get lost. There are no
landmarks and routes are seldom direct, so keep your eyes on the
signs (a Métro map helps). And if you start to feel panicky,
come up for air.
You can enjoy the majesty of Copán without much help, but to
truly appreciate the rich symbolic meaning of everything you see
around you, you’ll need an interpreter. Local experts are
good, but snag someone with real academic archaeological experience
if you can.
I would love to go on holiday at Keble College and totally immerse
myself in this historic place that is steeped in culture and
tradition.
The simplest solution for global travelers by far is to buy a
cheap, unlocked SIM-ready phone ($50 or less) and buy SIM cards in
each country you travel to.
The Frugal Traveler learns that finding your way from place to
place in Nicaragua, with its unusual address system and virtually
non-existent street signs, can be a challenge.
While traveling in groups can help with dividing costs, it also
means satisfying a crew with diverse breaking points.
The most interesting element linking a series of performances in
Istanbul are that they are taking place during the Islamic holy
month of Ramandan, as part of a series called -- what else? -- Jazz
in Ramadan.
A safari camp on the land that houses the Nelson Mandela Center for
Reconciliation in South Africa has opened to the public.
Even among all the superb summer flamenco festivals, the roster of
the Veranos de la Villa festival, which runs from Aug. 10 to 21 in
Madrid, stands out.
A first look at a 99-room hotel in a majestic Edwardian building in
a working-class neighborhood of East London.
With an attention-to-tradition philosophy, a new Butchertown
establishment uses simple preparations to highlight the strong,
natural flavors of the ingredients.
In the last six months, Brixton Market has burst back to life with
a mix of playful pop-up shops, workshops and live performances.
The Outer Banks of North Carolina have room for every kind of
beachgoer, and local surf shops offer rentals and lessons.
Cosmopolitan culture meets age-old traditions in Jujuy.
Beyond Boston’s bricks and brownstones lies a
city with a more modern sheen.
The seaside towns of the Côte Fleurie have everything
Cannes has, like beaches, film festivals and lively nightclubs. But
fanfare isn’t their style.
Where to go hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, and white-water
rafting in and around Phoenix. Mountain biking - Rock climbing -
Recreation - Outdoors - Climbing
Our roundup of five great trails lets you discover the best of
Scotland's magnificent coastal landscapes. Scotland - Maps and
Views - Recreation and Sports - Travel and Tourism - Photograph
We uncover the history behind this overlooked Washington, D.C.
memorial, which happens to be the site of the first presidential
interview with a female reporter. Washington DC - United States -
Washington - John Ericsson National Memorial - National Memorial
Aer Lingus flights on sale to Europe this fall, airfare deals to
Hawaii and Florida, plus the scoop on new carry-on luggage fees.
Hawaii - Travel - Hand luggage - United States - Airline
Discover the Jordaan, a hip Amsterdam neighborhood with new art
galleries, old cafés, and trendy shops. Amsterdam -
Netherlands - North Holland - Travel and Tourism - Jordaan
You'll find some of the best deals this fall in Europe and Las
Vegas or at all-inclusive resorts and theme parks. Las Vegas Nevada
- Amusement park - United States - Las Vegas - Recreation
I recently got a comment on the site from a woman planning a solo
trip to Venice, where she would be renting an apartment for a
week-long stay. She asked whether there was any way to get her bags
from whatever vaporetto stop was closest to her apartment to the
apartment itself – potentially hauling [...]
Hunting for Space Invaders in Rome This is hilariously awesome. A
street artist is leaving "Space Invader" iconography around Rome
– yes, the old video game. Jessica of Rome Photo Blog has
been finding and photographing them. (via bella.italofile.com on
Tumblr) Jessica left a comment below to correct me on the
artist’s history: “The pieces are [...]
The further south you go in Italy – especially as you get
south of Rome – two things tend to happen. First, Italian
characteristics tend to get more intense (and that’s a good
and bad thing, depending on your point of view). Second, prices
tend to drop. This means that by the time you get [...]
Places that have long been considered destinations of religious
pilgrimage tend to have a good assortment of budget-friendly
accommodation options to house the pilgrims. Although Turin has the
famous Shroud of Turin, it’s still a relatively wealthy city
overall, so the majority of the beds are in more expensive hotel
rooms than most budget travelers [...]
The five lovely villages of the Cinque Terre may get all the press
when it comes to Liguria, but the region’s capital city is
worth a visit, too. Genoa is a large port city for Italy (cruise
ships occasionally make Genoa a port of call), and the historic
center has a nice mix of history [...]
