Experience a Taste of Cuba
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Cuba is a tropical paradise, rich in history and culture. Famous for its cigars and traditional foods, the top five tours in Cuba center around its greatest assets.
A tour of Cuba’s best dive sites will include Maria la Gorda. This dive features 18th century shipwrecks, black coral walls and several cave dives. Cayo Levisa is located about one hour north of Havana and it is famous for its sponges and large tropical fish. East of the Bay of Pigs is the Playa Giron dive site, excellent for beginners but sought after by experts for its sheer drop off and deep caves.
Among the hundreds of bird species that visit Cuba, there are twenty-one that are endemic to Cuba. During the breeding and migration seasons, the avian population of Cuba swells and the bird watching is excellent. Tours led by experienced naturalists make for a truly memorable experience. Wildlife is diverse and abundant in the forests and wetlands of the area, and the stunning landscape is unspoiled.
Cuba is famous for its cigars, and tours are available of tobacco farms and cigar manufacturing facilities. Enjoy a locally grown and rolled Habano on your tour.
Cuban food is spicy and delicious. Drawing on Spanish, Caribbean and African spices and techniques, a true Cuban tour would not be complete without experiencing the authentic cuisines of the island.
The history of Cuba is colorful and rich. Havana, the main city on the island as well as the capital, is home to many historic buildings and museums. Music, food and walking tours highlight the “old city” tours.
Tourism in Cuba continues to grow. Beautiful, historic and culturally exciting, Cuba is an excellent destination for travelers.
Finding a Touch of Tuscany in Texas
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When most folks think of Texas, they picture wide flat plains and a dry desert-like climate. But there’s much more when looking to the east and southern part of the Lone Star State.
A New York Times article makes the following observation:
“Who needs Europe? The Texas Hill Country, west of Austin and north of San Antonio, might be the next best thing to crossing the Atlantic. The region is lush, colorful and, unlike much of the pancake-flat state, dotted with beautiful green hills that are evocative of Tuscany or the south of France. Moreover, the region is speckled with 22 wineries (www.texaswinetrail.com) that buzz with food and music festivals year round. And towns like Fredericksburg offer a taste of the Old World, with German-style biergartens and schnitzelhäuser.”
Wine? Yes, wine! The area is also home to serious wine country and wineries that produce award-winning bottles on a par with the best in the world. According to Orbitz, the Texas Hill Country is the “2nd fastest-growing destination for wine and culinary enthusiasts”.
Lush, green hills & valleys with vibrant wild flowers, along with abundant water in the form of “white-water” rivers & relaxing lakes, combined with “no crowds” make the Texas Hill Country a “must see” place to visit, or maybe even to settle down.
Location, Location, Location – The Mayan’s Had It All Figured Out
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Known as the three most important things in real estate, location, location, location, was obviously something the Mayan Indians had taken to heart hundreds of years ago.
I mean just look at some of the gorgeous locations they chose to build at. White sand beaches, incredible turquoise water, cliff-side locations to enjoy the tropical breezes – I mean these guys definitely knew what they were doing in picking out some prime beachfront locations.
If you don’t believe it, just check out a few of the pictures below that depict some of the Mayan ruins at Tulum in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Now imagine standing on the bluffs, enjoying a spectacular view looking out over an emerald Caribbean Sea.
It just doesn’t get much better than that!
Around 1000 A.D. Chichen Itza in Yucatan was the center of the Mayan civilization, which was spread throughout the Yucatan Peninsula, through Belize and Guatamala, and on to the edges of Honduras and El Salvador.
Today the Maya number around five million and live mostly in the Yucatan Peninsula and the highlands of Guatemala. As they did over a thousand years ago, most live in villages and make their living from the land.
Our modern cities are primarily centers for commerce which is completely different from the purpose of the Mayan stone city remains we see today. For the ancient Maya, these were principally ceremonial sites and gathering places where they came for spiritual reasons.
During the early 1500’s the Spanish were determined to systematically destroy the Mayan civilization. One of the world’s greatest cultural crimes was their destruction of all the wriitten records they came across.
As for the people themselves, those not killed in battle, were mostly decimated by diseases carried to the “New World” from the “old”. Today the magnificent stone cities lie abandoned and in ruins once more.
Tulum or the “Walled City” was built by the ancient Maya on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean. One of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico, it was occupied for over 300 years, from around 1200 A.D. until after the Spanish conquest.
Located at a convergence of both land and sea trade routes, Tulum was a major link in an extensive trade network. Artifacts found in or near the site indicate Mayan commerce ranged from Central Mexico to Central America and all points between.
The Castillo, sometimes referred to as the lighthouse, is the tallest building at Tulum and the most famous. It stands on the bluff, commanding a view of the ocean and coast for several miles in both directions.
Until the late 20th century when tourists became too numerous, the local Maya continued visiting the temples to burn incense and pray.
There is no way to gain a real appreciation of the Mayan culture without visiting some of these ruins that have been abandoned to the elements. There are hotels to be found in the area, plus the Tulum ruins are only a two hour drive south of the popular beach resort of Cancun, which makes for a pleasant day trip.
Photo Credits: Aaron Logan, Hugo van Tilborg, Keith Walbolt.
Holidays In Corfu, Greece
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Gouvia, a small former fishing village has been developed throughout the last four decades into a modern holiday resort. Ideal for couples and families visiting the island of Corfu, it provides an up to date and secure place for vacation. The resort is located 7km north of Corfu town, on the east coast and has been popular since the 70s to people coming from most of the European countries. Gouvia is set on a bay and offers a pebble beach, a marina and large variety of hotels, bars, restaurants and shops. The calmness of the day and the lively atmosphere of the night, both combined with a feeling of coziness are offered to its visitors. The local people are nice, friendly and eager to show to the foreign vacationists the way of the Greek hospitality.
Corfu has got two neighbor countries: the first one is Albania, from which it is separated by the Corfu channel. The closest town and port is Saranda (Aghii Saranda) which is linked to Corfu by a daily ferryboat all year round and daily cruises during the summer season.
The second neighbor is Italy. As Corfu is very close to the strait of Otranto, therefore Brindisi is 7 hours away sailing! Thanks to its position between Italy, Albania and Greece, Corfu is a strategic place and therefore it was always a point of interest for all the foreign powers since the Homeric times.
Corfu is also the greenest island in Greece thanks to the rain fall during autumn and winter (115cm of rain/year) and humidity which could reach 95%. The average temperature during winter is 12-13 degrees C. In the summer, it is 31 degrees C.
Longtime ago, before Corfu started off in tourism, the Corfiot butter and the goat cheese were very famous allover Greece.
Wine is one of the products that Corfiots continue to produce. As they grow several varieties of vineyards, they produce all kinds of wine, for all tastes.
The number one product on Corfu is for sure olive oil. Almost all the surface of the island is covered with olive trees. There are approximately 4 million olive trees from the same variety, a Venetian one: small olives, tasty and oily. The olive tree has always existed around the Mediterranean, but so intensively planted, we encounter it during the Venetian dominion which started in 1386 and ended in 1797. The Venitians decided to get the monopoly of the olive oil trade in the Mediterranean from the hands of the Genovese. They then thought of transforming Corfu in a large olive grove. They encouraged the inhabitants of the island in planting olive trees by giving them subsidies. So people then planted everywhere olive trees and this is how for centuries and centuries olive oil became number one product on this island.
One of the most unusual products of Corfu is the KUM KUAT, a little orange originally from China (Golden fruit). The first plant was brought to Corfu by a British gentleman in the year 1860. Since then a sweet liqueur, candied and glaced fruit were produced. Today it is a real local product of Corfu.
Finding Value In Grenada Property
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Let’s take a look at the current Real Estate Market in Grenada. Grenada’s Real Estate currently offers excellent value for money compared to many other Caribbean islands.
It has great infrastructure and strong government targets outlining a clear path to generate an upmarket tourism destination with top quality Grenada property resorts for residential and tourist guests.
To ensure Grenada remains a high quality destination, the government have learnt by previous experience lessons learnt by other islands and employing careful planning restrictions to ensure the properties are low rise, low density but not over-supplied.
Capital appreciation is currently said to be at least ten percent a year. Mainly due to the limited supply of high quality accommodation ensuring high levels of demand for both holiday home buyers and property investors driving the values of real estate and yields in this sector.
Bacolet Bay Beach & Spa Resort
Bacolet Bay is a quality new resort development being built in a tropical oasis surrounded by fantastic views of the sea, sand and rainforest.
The Resort will offer 5 star lifestyle and state-of-the-art facilities in a stunning location, as well as an a very attractive investment opportunity.
The luxury low density resort offers a mix of apartments, villas and hotel cottages situated across 41 acres of tropical gardens.
Features:
The management of the Resort will be world class
You will find a great selection of Bars dotted around the development
The restaurants will offer top quality cuisine from local Creole cooking to international 5-star A La Carte menus and wine
Gym & Spa - providing a haven to all guests during their stay
Wedding Chapel - nestled in the perfect setting with spectacular views over the ocean creating a perfect location for the most important day of your life
The beach club area has a couple of superb swimming pools
Tennis Courts
Conference Facilities
You will be happy to know the resort has its own private beach
Location
Not many places around the world that can surpass the setting and views offered by Bacolet Bay.
Bacolet Bay is outside the hurricane belt and is set in the private bay setting with fantastic views of the warm seas with prefect white powder sandy beaches on a green lush tropical background and mountains.
The airport offers many regular flights and is only 20 mins away from the resort.
Bacolot Bay is situated on one of the less development islands in the Caribbean with a shortage of good quality accommodation in the region therefore the development is well positioned to benefit from good capital appreciation and rental income.
Hospitality Career: Enjoy Nature And Travelling By Being A Travel Guide
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Some people are adventurous and outgoing; so adventurous in fact that they need to find someone to share the adventures with. More than sharing their adventures, they want to educate people on the places that they have been to. This is the usual last frontier that traveling people face. By offering their services as travel guides, they are not only able to repeatedly travel to places that they have fallen in love to but they can also share their experiences and adventures to other people.
People also resort to travel guide occupations not only to be able to share their adventure but also to meet people. Meeting all sorts of people is always an exhilarating experience, especially to foreigners with an eye for curiosity. These people are like children that never tire of looking at beauty and know the history of the places and monuments that they encounter in their travels. In fact, travel guide professionals must have a good deal of knowledge in history to be able to answer the inquiries. They must also be ready to do animations, improvisations and representations in topics or subjects that are very hard to understand for the foreigners.
Aside from this, it is also a sort of nationalistic pride that fires the travel guide professionals to their work. They do their best to promote the tourism and beauty of their country. In doing so, they feel contented that they are able to do service to their country in their own little way as travel guide professionals.
Common Tasks Of Travel Guide Professionals
Travel guide professionals plan and organize expeditions, tours and cruises that are usually long distance travels. They usually book the tour or cruise details such as accommodation, transportation, equipment and even availability of medical aid. The arrangement usually takes place after he is able to reach a specific required quota in the number of customers.
If necessary, the travel guide professional is responsible for securing the visa, passport and health certificate needs of his tour participants. These permits and important; they are necessary to afford convenience in travel for tour participants. Usually, assistance from the travel guide professional is enough for the tour participants. But nowadays, because of the seemingly never-ending travel requirements, travel guides form partnerships with agencies for securing such important documents.
Throughout the tour, the travel guide professional must attend to the needs of his tour participants, while also giving advice and tips on the best sightseeing or shopping areas available. Some travel guide professionals usually have pre-formed partnerships with shopping establishments or sightseeing areas regarding his tour participants.
In each stop of the travel, he will have to discuss the significance of the area, why they have traveled on those parts and what part in history took place there. Throughout the tour, the travel guide professional already did some research on the best possible travel routes and the destination sites. Also, while on tour, he will evaluate the services received during the duration of the tour, the results of which will be reported to the organizers of the tour.
Tours are usually not free from problems. The travel guide professional must be ready to resolve any problem in accommodation, service or itineraries, and to verify the amounts or fees as well as quality of the equipment to be used prior to the expedition and tour. These types of problems, nonetheless, are manageable for a professional travel guide. More alarming and pressing problems are usually in the form of mishaps or accidents during the tour that can do harm on the health or may even cost the lives of the travelers. In this case, the tour guide must be ready to administer first aid to injured patrons and be able to get medical aid or ambulance for the seriously hurt, immediately.
The travel guide professional must also be adept in various skills. He must be knowledgeable of existing hunting or fishing laws enforced in the area and capable of explaining it to his tour participants. When required, he must be ready to instruct his tour participants in climbing and mountaineering techniques, wilderness survival and be able to demonstrate the use of equipment used in fishing, hunting and climbing.
Characteristics Common To Travel Guide Professionals.
Travel guide professionals must be realistic since his occupation usually includes practicality and ability to manage hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with real-time situations that need fast decision-making attitudes. Since the occupation requires one to work continuously outside, the travel guide professional must be street smart and knowledgeable in current issues and trends. He does not do a lot of paperwork and usually exposes himself or herself to the outside world.
A travel guide professional must be artistic as he is realistic. Artistic in a way as to allow self-expression and does his work without a clear set of rules to follow. He needs to be creative in presenting the various tour stops to his participants. He must try different strategies to avoid letting his participants to be bored with the tour.
A travel guide professional must also be sociable and willing to interact with all sorts of people, of various race and nationalities. Primarily, the occupation of travel guide professionals aims to share interests and experiences to other people and so great people skills are required.
Although it is not necessary, travel guide professionals will have an advantage compared to other individuals if they are knowledgeable in one or two foreign languages. The English language, although being universal is not very helpful in times of explaining the significance of a particular event in history to a foreigner with a different tongue. Speaking to foreigners in their native language will make them at ease and comfortable throughout the trip.
Travel guide professionals must also have thorough knowledge in geography and also in public safety and security. Knowledge in these areas will make them more effective in ensuring the safety of tour participants. Knowledge in geography will also arm him with better decisions especially in times of weather change.
A Little Place Called “Rocky Point”
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Once in a while a paradise exists right under your nose, but it’s so far off the beaten path that it is virtually unknown.
There is a terrific vacation spot in Mexico that falls into this category by the name of Puerto Penasco, or as people North of the border call it, Rocky Point.
One of the main reasons it is so little known is that, unless you have a private jet, the only way you can access Rocky Point is via automobile through the border entrance in tiny Lukeville, Arizona. Once in Mexico, a short drive through the town of Sonoita, Sonora, will lead you to a four lane highway that, sixty miles later, leads directly into Rocky Point.
It seems that most tourists that visit Rocky Point are from Arizona or southern California, not surprising since driving is the only affordable way to get there. The town is nestled on the shores of the Sea of Cortez, and attracts thousands every year to its beautiful beaches.
The development boom hit the town beginning in the early to mid-90s. Before then, there were a few hotels, mostly in the urban center of town. At that point Rocky Point mainly attracted people with RVs who would pull them into town and park and camp right on the beach. Some adventurous types would do the same thing without an RV - they would simply fall asleep in the back seats of their cars - a nice weekend on the beach was worth the hassle of the sleeping arrangements.
Nowadays there are many resort hotels along the beaches offering just about any amenity you could think of. Although that means there is less beach space to camp on, a few RVers are still able find spots right on the water like before.
Rocky Point also attracts people who want to ride their ATVs, or “quads.” The sand dunes northwest of town near Cholla Bay are some of the most challenging on the North American continent.
Even if sand dunes aren’t your thing, the section of town called Cholla Bay is a sight to be seen. Settled by expatriate Americans, Cholla Bay features homes and cottages, small grocery stores, and restaurants and bars. There is even an outdoor cantina along the Cholla lagoon that seems like something out of a Hemingway novel.
Swimming, scuba diving, fishing, and even whale watching are all at your disposal in Rocky Point. If you live in the Southwest U.S. or southern California you should add Puerto Penasco to your list of vacation spots for a truly unique experience.
The Brandenburg Gate In Berlin
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Brandenburg Gate is not a triumph arch, like many people think, but it was built as a passage to the “New Berlin”. Located in the heart of Berlin, it is the most representative symbol of the German capital. Specifically located in Paris Square, the end of the popular avenue Unter den Linden, marking the beginning of the large Tiergarten park and the boulevard Straße des 17. Juni.
The Brandenburg Gate was designed by the architect “Carl Gotthard Langhans”. It is 26m high, 65.5 m wide and 11m long. This monument is reminiscent of the Propylaea Acrópilis in Athens. It has five entrances, of which the central is the widest, leaving two smaller doors. The areas of interior and exterior steps are covered with reliefs representing Hercules, Mars and the goddess Minerva. In 1867, seventy nine years after it was built, two gates were placed higher on both sides.
The monument is crowned with a quadriga sculpture measuring 5 meters in height. It represents the goddess of Victory mounted on a cart pulled by four horses, which are looking in direction to the city of Berlin.
In 1806, after the Battle of Jena, the chariot was brought to Paris by Napoleon to be displayed as a trophy of war. Before that happened, Napoleon was overthrown. After the siege, General Von Pfuel, commander of one of the areas of the city, recovered the statue for Berlin in 1814. That statue was restored and a cross of iron was added.
During the Second World War, the monument suffered more serious damage and the chariot was destroyed almost completely. In 1956 the city council agreed to the reconstruction despite the arguments about the divided city. Despite these problems, they worked together and rebuilt the monument again.
With the construction of the Wall in 1961, Brandenburg Gate stayed in no man’s land, there was no access to it from either east or west. Only a few soldiers and guests from the GDR had access to that monument.
After reunification in 1991, the chariot was dismantled and restored. Between January 2001 and October 2002, the Gate underwent a complete restoration. Brandenburg Gate was uncovered on 3rd October 2002 and from that moment, it has been the most representative monument of the German capital.
University of Alaska Museum of the North - Fairbanks
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Experience the University of Alaska Museum of the North in Fairbanks. You have heard of the Alaska Pipeline but did you know that it is run above ground to keep the warm oil from keep from harming the frozen ground? At the museum you will be able to see a 1/3 scale model of the pipeline and get to understand the huge undertaking this engineering wonder required.
The marine mammals are displayed in the museum for you to get to understand better. There are polar bears, seals, walrus, and bowhead whales with stories to help you understand the importance these mammals are to the world.
See some of the clothing worn by the different clans and how the decorations of these, made with beads and buttons, are different from one to the other. You will also see how the animals provided many of the necessary items for the people to survive along with products from the forests made into household utensils.
The Great White Shark (Carcharodon Carcharias): Is It Nearing Extinction?
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“They come up with the energy of an express train and they hurl themselves right out of the water”.
It’s late in the afternoon. The water is dark and an especially large amount of plankton reduces the underwater visibility to a minimum. Some time ago it occurred to me that with such poor underwater visibility I could probably forget about the object of my visit, to take underwater photos of the Great White Shark.
Like many previous occasions, I am sitting at the boat’s stern between the two 80 HP outboard engines, the camera levelled. Through the viewfinder I am watching the neoprene seal-dummy which our little boat is pulling behind it on a fishing line. I support my arms on my knees, to ease my tense muscles. In the past I have often had to remain in this position from the early afternoon until sunset, through heavy swell, rain and storms, just to take the picture of my dreams - a breaching white shark, leaping for prey. Until now, all my efforts have been in vain.
Dyer Island is located six nautical miles off the coast of Gansbaai (170 kilometres south-east of Cape Town), on the opposite side of which is the small island known as Geyser Rock which is home to an estimated 60,000 South African Fur Seals (Arctocephalus pusillus). As long as the seals stay ashore, they are safe. But when they leave for the open sea to catch fish, they have to negotiate a dangerous shark-infested channel between the islands called “shark alley” which, not surprisingly, is reputed to the best place in the world to watch white sharks.
The sharks patrol mercilessly here, and there is no way to escape them. The seals run the same gauntlet when they return to the island, and those swimming alone, and very young seals swimming close to the surface, face the greatest threat.
This is the scenario we have attempted to reconstruct in this case, with the hope of luring a white shark to reveal itself to the camera. For hours I have been keeping my lens pointing at Koekie, the artificial neoprene seal bobbing along behind the boat. Suddenly, a huge and very heavy body is rocketing out of the water like a torpedo. It has “Koekie” in its mouth. Everything happens in a split second.
It’s a precise attack with a fatally perfect timing.
Every single square centimetre of this exquisite creature is vibrating energy. An unforgettable sight. The incredible dynamic of the leap is captured in the picture.
The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) has been around for at least 3.5 million years, but now it is acutely threatened by extinction. It remains to be seen whether the species is already “genetically extinct” - in other words there are so few individuals left that the survivors are genetically very similar to one another and are less likely to be able to withstand other insults that nature can throw at them. The number of sharks, of all kinds, caught every year is estimated at 100 million. Half of it is ‘bycatch’, which is thrown away. With this overfishing the shark population is irreparably damaged. Due to the decimation in their numbers, which has lasted for decades, and their low reproduction rate, the prospects for the great white shark do not look good.
I’d like to focus my efforts on helping the sharks because they are really under threat now. The increase in wealth of the Chinese people is of course great for them but conversely it’s not good news for the sharks because shark’s fin soup is a Chinese delicacy that is becoming more affordable as those people become richer. So there is a thriving and growing export trade of shark’s fins to the Far East. The worst thing is that the sharks are caught, their fins removed and they are thrown back into the sea alive to only die a terrible death. No animal should be subjected to that. So through my work I’m trying to draw attention to this to stop it. Otherwise in in few years some species could be extinct.
Refer to Dive with sharks for more information.
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