Travel Ideas

Baby, It’s Cold Outside - And Dark!

by: William Wittmann

Seattle and the Puget Sound is the most sun starved metropolitan area in the US with the exception of Anchorage, Alaska, who wins the award by a rain drop. Puget Sound is renowned for having weeks on end where it rains every day. We sometimes don’t even see the sun for days.
Surely, where you live has more sun, but you would probably enjoy a trip to the Caribbean and beyond as much as we would.
I gain relief by watching warm weather movies. These films promote the illusion of warm weather and serve as a reminder of times to come.
In order to be included on the list, the location has to play a role. That location needs to be sunny and pleasant, which isn’t too hard to accomplish.
Additionally, to make the list they have to be good movies defined as ones I am willing to view repeatedly. This is much harder to accomplish.
In no particular order, this is my private reserve of movie titles.

Pirates of the Caribbean
Room with a View
Much Ado About Nothing
My House in Umbria
French Kiss
Enchanted April
Under the Tuscan Sun

Here is a list sent in by readers, again in no praticular order.

Stealing Beauty
Lawrence of Arabia
The Sheltering Sky
Thelma and Louise!
English Patient
Juliet of the Spirits
Black Stallion
Shirley Valentine

William Wittmann Copyright 2004 All rights Reserved.

Web site: http://www.vitalarts.net

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You may ?reprint? this article free of charge provided you use it ?as is? including these last paragraphs with permission, contact information and copyright remain intact, and you send a copy of your reprint to mailto:william@vitalarts.net. Thank you.

About The Author

William Wittmann Copyright 2004 All rights Reserved
“I am not the creature in the fairy tales who unlocks hidden secrets to reveal unimagined treasures, but I can introduce you …” mailto:william@vitalarts.net
http://www.vitalarts.net

by: Monil Salisti

* Tips For Buying Gold
1. Buy from someone you know or with a solid reputation.
2. Look for a store with a quality-assurance program that tests its own pieces for purity. You don*t have to shop at Tiffany*s to go for the real gold. Many major stores have testing programs, too.
3. If the piece has a trademark, like Nike or a sports team logo, it must have a license stamp on the back. If the jewelry maker is willing to steal a trademark, experts say, they may be willing to short you on gold.
4. Look at the workmanship. If the edges are frayed, or it just looks cheap, it probably is under-karated.
5. And if you really want to make sure you*ve got legitimate gold, you can have your pieces X-rayed at a quality- assurance lab, like the one *20/20* used, for around $20.
* Under-Karating Now Rife Among Discount Jewelry Offers
In many countries (the US for example) anything less than 10 karats — or about 42 percent real gold — can*t legally be sold as gold.
Yet the reality is that with gold sales rising rapidly *under-karating* is a very common problem even though it*s not widely known.
The worst cheating occurs with the less expensive 10-karat and 14-karat pieces, and the problem isn*t easy to resolve because by simply looking at a piece of gold there is really no way to tell the difference between 10-karat and 8-karat.
Recently *20/20* bought several *discount* gold jewelry articles in New York and had them tested by the American Assay and Gemological Office - the lab that does quality assurance checks on jewelry from Tiffany*s.
The result: None of the 3 jewelry pieces they tested actually met the minimum 10-karat as advertised!
* Here*s A Quick Guide To Gold *Purity*
24K gold is pure gold.
18K gold contains 18 parts gold and 6 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 75% gold.
14K gold contains 14 parts gold and 10 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 58.3% gold.
12K gold contains 12 parts gold and 12 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 50% gold.
10K gold contains 10 parts gold and 14 parts of one or more additional metals, making it 41.7% gold. 10K gold is the minimum karat that can be called *gold* in the United States.
European Markings European gold jewelry is marked with numbers that indicate their percentage of gold, such as:
18K gold is marked 750 to indicate 75% gold
14K gold is marked 585 for 58.5%
12K gold is marked 417 for 41.7%

About The Author

Monil Salisti is the owner of Full Jewelry, a great online jewelry resource. For more information, visit: http://www.fulljewelry.com/.

Avoid Information Overload When Searching For Airline Tickets

by: Auckland Alvin Semper Jr

No more information overload on travel!
The importance of avoiding information overload when searching for the cheapest airline tickets online cannot be stressed enough theses days. This article will explain how you should take your time and do your research to be able to cherry pick your way through.
What we Internet surfers don’t seem to understand is that there are millions of travel sites out there claiming they have access to the lowest airfares. When its time to book your travel plans the first thing we think about is our budget (for those of us who have a budget). Most travelers don’t want to pay more than they have to because they still need money when they get to where ever the destination is and the more the better..right!
We all want the cheap flights that are enjoyable, not too many stops, with food and entertainment, frequent flyer miles, plenty of leg and elbow room…all for the lowest and cheapest price you can afford….now that would be perfect dude! Well dream on, unless youre rich.
To avoid information overload and your bottom sticking to the chair, you start with online sites that not only give their prices but also let you compare with others. Narrow these sites down to sites that don’t waste your time by having access to just a few special airfares only when the airlines say they have deals. Everybody has a search engine for available published airfares, but the best sites consistently offer specially worked out deals available only to their customers….now thats what I am talking about maan…..
You have to find a small group of sites that can be searched on a regular basis…be persistent and start checking for deals at least a month in advance to be able to take advantage of 7-21 day advanced purchase requirements. How about sites that have done the research for you and also provide all the information you need for traveling….I call these sites “travel portals” and boy do they save you time, not to mention stress.
Some travel portals list too many sites and its like your starting all over again. They list any site that would pay commissions instead of researching and listing those that actually have low airfares consistently, so try and avoid these kinds of cluttered travel portals at all costs…they are still wasting your time.
Searching for cheap airfares does not have to be an adventure. Finding and using travel portals should get you what you need without the sales pitch. Most of us have a budget and don’t want to feel like we could have paid much less…if an airfare is out there, travel portals will help you find it……Happy Traveling!

About The Author

Auckland Semper is a syndicated travel expert and former travel agent. Visit his travel portal at http://www.thelowestpricelist.com/cheap-airfares.html –Free travel tips, advise and information on cheap airline tickets and vacations.

by: Keith Palmer

The first recorded mapping of what is now Geographe Bay and the eventual town of Busselton, was in 1801 by the French explorer Nicolas Baudin, from the ships the Geographe and Naturaliste. The Bay was named after his ship whilst the river was named the Vasse after a sailor who went missing in mysterious circumstances.
The area was settled in 1832 when families from the Augusta area, led by John Garrett Bussell, travelled north to farm the areas around the Vasse River after they found the Cape Leeuwin area to be largely infertile and difficult to reach by sea.
A growing port serviced the settlers and the subsequent local industries that developed which included the exportation of horses to India and a developing trade in beef, dairy and timber (which continue to be major exports of the Busselton area to this day). Construction of the Busselton jetty began in 1865 and by 1960 had reached out 2 kilometres from the shore.
Prior to white settlement, this area is the traditional land of the Noongar Aboriginal people with many Noongar names and travel routes still widely used today. The Noongar (which means “man”) people have occupied the south west area of Western Australia for around 38,000 years and their traditional stories tell of the Waagle (or Rainbow Serpent) giving life and sustenance to their people who in return were the caretakers of the land.
Enjoying a mild Mediterranean climate, the town and suburbs have grown along the shores of Geographe Bay and naturally enough water sports, tourism as well as a growing seafoods industry, feature highly in the local lifestyle and economy.
Located 232km south of Perth, Busselton has a population of over 25,000 and is one of Australia’s fastest growing centres with an average annual growth rate of 4.5%.
Western Australia is Australia’s largest state, comprising about one-third of Australia’s land mass and occupying over 2.5 million square kilometres in area. WA is divided into 10 regional areas - the South West, Mid West, North West, Peel, Wheatbelt, Great Southern, Goldfields-Esperance, Pilbara, Gascoyne and Kimberley.
The South West area of WA is one of the world’s great places to live, with a Mediterranean climate, sandy-white beaches, beautiful native forests and all the infrastructure expected of a modern western society.
Busselton is the tourism hub in WA’s “South West”, an area that is home to the Margaret River wine region and major coal, alumina and mineral sands industries; a region that boasts around 8,000 businesses and a GDP of over $5 billion. Presently it is about a 2.5 hour drive from Perth to Bunbury, but this will be reduced by 30 minutes on the completion of the recently announced Bunbury Highway or Peel Deviation. Other Western Australian tourism towns in the South West are Bunbury, Margaret River, Donnybrook, Manjimup, Augusta, Pemberton, Collie, Harvey and Bridgetown.
Busselton is well known for its jetty (the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere) and its surrounding beach area. The jetty was previously in 2 sections, the main jetty and the railway jetty that converged, but in 1978 the main jetty section was destroyed by Cyclone Alby.
Today there is an ornamental train service that will ferry passengers the length of the jetty to a new underwater observatory on the sea floor. The underwater observatory is open 7 days and accommodates up to 40 persons.
The Busselton jetty is home to the world?s southernmost coral formations and host to over 300 individual marine species, being fed by the warm waters of the Leeuwin current from Indonesia. Busselton is also home to the world’s last native Tuart forest, just north of the Busselton townsite at Wonnerup.
Another ?underwater? feature is the HMAS Swan dive wreck, sunk in 30m waters off Point Piquet at Meelup in 1997. The Swan was the first ship in the southern hemisphere to be sunk as a dive wreck and is now a living artificial reef and home to King George Whiting, Bullseyes, Samson Fish, Dhufish as well as various plant and corals that are attaching themselves to and around the wreck.
Back on land, there are numerous property choices in the Busselton area ranging from small cottages to traditional suburban family homes and from beach retreats to rural or semi-rural properties.
There is a wide variety of attractions, with Busselton the home of many historic and often majestic historic homes and public buildings. One of these is Wonnerup House, at the south western end of the tuart forest.
Built by the pioneering Layman family from 1837 (the present Wonnerup House was built in 1859), George Layman, age 31, was killed after being speared by a local Aboriginal in 1841. Today Wonnerup House is a living museum, operated by the National Trust of Australia.
Other Busselton landmarks and places of interest are the Old Courthouse and Jail complex in Queen Street, the historic Ballarat steam train at the town entrance, the Cape Naturaliste lighthouse, St Mary?s church, the Old Butter Factory, numerous craft centres and wineries and then the host of dazzling Busselton and Dunsborough beaches, coves and points.
There are 3 secondary schools in the Busselton area, several shopping centres, sporting grounds including great golf courses and a public hospital.
Shops are normally open 8.30am-5.30pm Monday to Friday and 8.30am-5.00pm Saturdays with late night shopping until 9pm on Thursday. Several shopping areas have extended trading hours 7 days a week. Banks only operate 10am - 4pm Monday through Thursday and until 5pm on Fridays, although credit and building societies normally also open on Saturday mornings. There are a host of automatic teller machines and bank agencies dotted in and around Busselton.
Many restaurants are open early and close late, with the remainder open in the evenings from around 6pm and for lunch around 12-2pm. There’s a bevy of fast-food options both within the city area and heading south towards Dunsborough and Margaret River.
To get around Busselton there are ample modern taxis, a public bus transport service but we?d recommend hiring your own vehicle as many of the attractions are out of town. The Cape Naturaliste Tourism Association?s main base in Peel Terrace, opposite the Ballarat steam engine, will also assist with additional maps and local knowledge.
There are several Busselton medical practices and we have a listing of emergency medical contacts on our “Contact” page.
The main Post Office is in the CBD area near Bi-Lo, and postage stamps can also be purchased at local newsagencies. Postage for a standard letter, anywhere in Australia, is 50c.
Free to Air TV channels in Busselton are the ABC, GWN, WIN and SBS but many homes also receive the Perth networks 7, 9 and 10. Foxtel pay TV is also available. The electricity supply in Busselton, like the rest of Australia, is 240v. While you are travelling you can be updated on Busselton, Dunsborough and the South West region by turning to Western Tourist Radio. In Busselton turn to 96.5FM and in Dunsborough 98.4FM.
City and suburban locations in the Busselton area include Dunsborough, Yallingup, Jarrahwood, Vasse, Carbanup, Wonnerup, Broadwater, Geographe, Eagle Bay, West Busselton, Abbey, Quindalup and Bovell. There is a full listing of Busselton real estate in our Busselton real estate guide.
The Busselton and Dunsborough areas are also a popular retirement centre and the south west area is also now home to a substantial expat community from the USA, Canada, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Our Busselton real estate guide is of obvious benefit to business migrants, retirees and the local Busselton community.
The Noongar Story in Busselton and the WA South West:
The Noongar people are the original human inhabitants of Busselton and the South West area of Western Australia. Today, as locals try to make sense of the established Western seasons, it is worthwhile examing the traditional Noongar seasons that divided the south west’s climate into 6 rather than 4 separate seasons.
In Noongar Aboriginal culture, Boojar (or land) is of the utmost importance. Each tribal group had their own kaleep or favoured camping locality, which held a special significence to them. The culture has a complex relationship to the land and pays respect to the seasons and the bountiful supply of food.
The Noongar year has six seasons, the first being from December to January. This season is called Birak where hot, easterly winds blow during the day and Noongar people used to burn sections of scrubland to force animals into the open to hunt.
>From February to March, during Bunuru, the dry weather conditions meant Noongars moved to estuaries where fish constituted a large proportion of the seasonal diet.
During Djeran, in April to May, the weather was becoming cooler with winds from the south west. Fishing continued and bulbs and seeds were collected for food.
During the coldest season, Makuru (june to July), Noongars moved inland to hunt areas once rains had replenished inland water resources.
In Djilba, as the weather was becoming warmer from August to September, roots were collected and emus, possums and kangaroo were hunted.
In Kambarang, when rain was decreasing during October to November, families moved towards the coast where frogs, totoises and freshwater crayfish were caught.
For more information on Busselton Western Australia please visit ?

http://www.busseltononline.com

and for other south west Western Australia information see ?

http://www.bunburyonline.com

About The Author

Keith Palmer is an Australian e-commerce pioneer and is founder of the WA Online project in Western Australia - “building information bridges for Western Australian communities”.
office@bunburyonline.com

I Survived the Booze and Cruise: A Guide to Past Tense Instructions in the Bahamas

by: Dessus Aloinet

The only souvenir I still have from the Bahamas is an old ?I survived the Booze and Cruise? t-shirt…and a few snorkeling rules forever etched in my memory. Back in college (as if I needed to say more), my boyfriend, his best friend, and I went on a cruise to the Bahamas. We, of course, did all the necessary research to know the attractions we wanted to see and have some familiarity with local customs…Yeah, right. We knew nothing and cared even less. We were going to the Bahamas on a cruise ship for about $200 a person! It was a deal where we had to listen to their time-share nonsense, but we were college students. We were pros at listening for hours on end about topics we had little to no interest in.
The three of us were wandering around Nassau discussing all that we wanted to do: snorkel, take a ride in a glass bottom boat, veg on the beach, drink something with an umbrella in it…That?s when a woman walked up to us to invite us on the Booze and Cruise. I assumed she wanted to braid my hair like everyone else, so I really didn?t even want to slow down. Instead, she said that she had a coupon for us to go on the Booze and Cruise for only $40 per person, and for that price, we would be riding in a glass bottom boat out to a private island with white, sandy beaches and stopping to snorkel along the way. That was most of what we wanted to do, and it was cheaper than doing things one at a time. Then, there was the kicker. All you can drink for free. SOLD!
We boarded the boat and started drinking like - well, like college students with no idea of their own mortality. We were ordering several drinks at a time, having a great time, but we were never going to be able to remember it. Eventually, our boat stopped to snorkel next to a reef. However, I literally have a shark phobia. Deciding to snorkel was a major step for me, but I was in the Bahamas, and I wasn?t going to go home with any regrets.
I stood on the edge of the boat, waiting for my snorkel gear, when the captain began to address us over the loud speaker. ?If you plan to snorkel today, please do not have had any alcoholic drinks…? This would have been ideal information to share with me BEFORE you opened the bar. I put my mask on and began to adjust the mouthpiece anyway. Now my boyfriend was hardly the English major I was, but even he got a kick out of ?please do not have had.? Past tense instructions. Greeeeeaaat. Then our brave captain addressed us again. ?Also, please do not wear anything shiny or metallic in the water as it will attract barracudas, which are much more of a threat than sharks. You will look like a fishing lure.? I looked down at my ? I kid you not ? silver metallic bathing suit with a silver zipper from bottom to top, and I began wondering if the Lord might be telling me something. Thou shalt not swim with the sharks. Thou art wise to have thought before that mortals should not swim with large, powerful, man-eating fish with enormous teeth. Exactly what in the world was I supposed to do at this point? I am in the middle of the ocean. I can?t change clothes! How do these people function on past tense instructions?!? And barracudas? I wasn?t even afraid of them. Now I have a whole new fear. And did this man just say ?shark? while we are out on the ocean? It?s one thing to utter such horrors in the living room of your land-locked home, but on the water?!? Shut up before one hears you, idiot! All of these thoughts were going through my mind as I stood there on the edge of the boat, fully clad in my snorkel gear…and apparent fishing lure accessories, as close as I might ever be conquering my fear. My boyfriend went in first, and his friend comforted me, encouraging me to join him. Then they both hummed the theme to Jaws, and then they would encourage me again. Someone should tell them in the future that they should not have done that that day; they could benefit from some past tense instruction.
I jumped in. I did it! I snorkeled! I didn?t even hyperventilate once. I saw beautiful fish and had an incredible time just being proud of myself. Not a barracuda or shark in sight. My boyfriend tried to hug me, because he was so proud, but I only held on for a second, because I wanted to look over here, over there, and over on the other side too. Suddenly I was Jacques Cousteau!
I think we were out there for about an hour. When we came back to the boat, we were all drying off, safe and sound. I was beaming and toasting my victory. I had moved from a serious buzz to a serious buzz while conquering a crippling phobia…to conquering the aforementioned phobia and becoming entirely too intoxicated to function.
The captain brought me an ice water. Impressing the Booze and Cruise captain with your level of intoxication is only cool while you are actually drunk. Once you try to sober up later ? on a rocking cruise ship, mind you ? you realize the feat is not impressive, but instead a fore horseman of the Apocalypse. But while I was still drunk, I brought a few more rounds over to the guys, and we sat down to talk about all of the things we saw out there. I think everyone on the boat knew exactly how happy I was. As I settled in to enjoy the ride back, basking in my glory and laughing at my stupid fear of being eaten alive in the ocean, a woman walked over to us and said, ?Did you guys see that huge barracuda out there??

About The Author

Dessus Aloinet is the webmaster and operator of FYI Vacations, Inc. which is a premier source for information on vacations and cruises around the world. For more information please go to: http://www.fyivacations.com.

by: Gustasp Irani

My first glimpse of Tangalooma?s famous wild dolphins was from the boat that ferried us to Moreton Island 75 minutes from Brisbane, Australia. They arched their black silken bodies out of the water as though to greet us as we docked at the island?s main pier. I was down at the pier later that night for an up close and personal meeting with these friendly sea mammals; a group of eight that frolicked in the floodlit waters as they waited for the party to start.
Along with the other guests of the Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort, the only one on the island, I trooped down to the beach, picked up a fish in each hand from a bucket and stepped into the water. Immediately a dolphin swam up to me. Large, gentle eyes looked into mine; pleading to be fed. I bent over and held the fish in the water and the dolphin gratefully accepted my offering in its smiling mouth. And then lingered on a while, I like to believe to say thank you, before swimming out and repeating the ritual with the next guest who stepped up to feed it.
The wild dolphins that visited this little outcrop every day of the year to bum a snack and say hello to us, their distant cousins that lived on the land, was only a fraction of the thrills that Tangalooma had to offer its guests. Over two days in this island paradise, I would snorkel with schools of colourful fish, scuba diving within shipwrecks, ride All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) across sandy banks and even go tobogganing down desert dunes.
Indeed, still recall the moment I lay flat on my stomach on a plank at the summit of a sand dune and looked down the treacherous plunge ahead of me. The moment of panic, however, had passed. I had already committed to the tobogganing run and focused my attention on doing it right. I grasped the front of the plank and lifted it off the sand and made sure that my elbows and feet were well up in the air so that they did not get scraped as I raced down the dune.
?Let it rip?? Alcester, our Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort tour manager and guide queried. ?Let it rip!? I responded. The next moment I was tearing down the face of the dune. I don?t know what speeds I reached, but it seemed like over 100 kmp and with the ground whizzing under me, no more than a foot from my face, it was both terrifying and exhilarating. When eventually I came to a complete stop at the bottom of the dune I stayed still on the plank, savouring the thrill of the ride. A little later I was trudging up the dune for one more zany run down its slope. It was the culminating highlight of the island safari which started with a drive through dense native forests that emerged onto a bleak desert in the middle of the outcrop.
Back at the resort I checked in at the resort?s dive unit and kitted up ? tanks, wetsuit, the works ? for an underwater adventure. A little boat ferried us to the dive site at the far end of the island where the rusted superstructure of sunken vessels spooked the sky above the water. Soon I was swimming with fellow divers around battered hulls of ships resting upon the seabed and admiring the new marine ecosystem of colourful coral and tropical fish that had evolved around these ghostly galleons. I felt my pulse start to quicken when Lea, our dive leader and my diving buddy, led us into heart of one of these wrecks. Sensing my apprehension, she held my hand while we swam through an underwater passageway. I emerged from the ordeal with the sense of elation that comes from having confronted my worst fears and survived.
The rest of the dive was a visual delight. Soft coral swayed to the rhythm of the currents while brilliantly hued fish in amazing shapes and sizes waltzed around us in this bizarre underwater wonderland where life flourished in the midst of ancient wrecks.
That evening I slowed down the pace of the adventure and lazed around in the shallow of one of the many swimming pools that dot the property. I lay in the water and congratulated myself for following up on the lead I found on Traveljini.com. I was browsing through the site looking for something in India ? Traveljini.com is the leading travel portal in the country ? when I noticed that it was offering a close encounter with wild dolphins package in Australia. Before I knew it I was hooked; curiosity turned to desire and desire to compulsion. I had to get to Tangalooma. Now that I was here, it was all Traveljini.com promised it would be and more.
Later that evening I was down by the floodlit pier to interact with the Tangalooma bottlenose dolphins once more. The ranger attached to the Dolphin Research Centre assured us that the feeding ceremony accounted for only around 20% of the dolphins? diet and that they had to depend on their own hunting instincts to catch fish in the open seas. According to her the contact between dolphin and humans on this island goes back a long way to the time when the two cooperated to catch fish. The dolphins would herd schools of fish towards the shore where the aborigine would catch them in their nets. Once the catch was hauled in, the local fishermen would throw back a part of it into the water for the dolphins to feed on.
The next morning I shifted back into high gear when I mounted an all terrain vehicles (ATV), a modified four-wheel motorcycle with a souped up engine, and went speeding down a deserted beach before heading for a dusty rollercoaster ride over sand dunes that waved over the island. It was a fitting finale to an adventure that lifted me to zany heights and gifted me with peaceful and quiet moments; an adventure during which I had the good fortune to be part, if only briefly, of the legendary bonding between humans and dolphins.

About The Author

Gustasp Irani

25 years of experties in Travel writing..currently working for traveljini.com

seo@traveljini.com

by: Scott Chamaden

In March of 1999, the Guinness Book of Records bestowed upon Hotel Everest View the title of Highest Placed Hotel in the World. This hotel is situated 13,000 ft (3,964 m) above sea level in Sagarmatha National Park in the Southern Khumbu region of Nepal. With its luxurious accommodations, guests stay overlooking the Himalayan peaks and Mt. Everest.
A Japanese construction company, Trans Himalayan Tours Ltd, built the Hotel Everest View in 1968. In October of 1973, the hotel opened its doors for the first time. The hotel was built with the intentions of attracting wealthy Japanese tourists seeking luxurious getaways that offered a breathtaking view of Mt. Everest. In order to accommodate tourists, the Shyangboche airstrip was built to receive private plans and helicopters.
Unfortunately, the Japanese tourists encountered some difficulties adjusting from a lower altitude to 10,000 ft above sea level. Tourists flying into the Shyangboche airstrip from Japan experienced horrible motion sickness, including nausea and vomiting. Even though Hotel Everest View offered a beautiful view of the surrounding peaks and high-quality accommodations, guests were unable to enjoy themselves.
Hotel management tried desperately to resolve the issue by supplying guests with oxygen tanks, but the problem still remained. It was after several deaths were reported that the government finally took action and forced the Shyangboche airstrip to shut down, leaving Japanese tourists to fly into Lukla (9,200 ft) and walk three-days up the mountainside.
Elimination of chartered flights into Shyangboche airstrip caused a devastating affect on tourism for Hotel Everest View. Very few tourists would endure the three-day hike up the mountainside to enjoy the amenities of the hotel. Business declined rapidly and left the facility bare. Since than, the Shyangboche airstrip has reopened to transport gear and supplies to Mount Everest. Tourists that are accustomed to the altitude fly into Shyangboche airstrip to visit the Hotel Everest View.
Tourists still climb up the mountainside from Namche Bazaar, in the Himalayas, to stay at Hotel Everest View. Although the menu has changed from ravishing meals to light food and hot and cold beverages, this Japanese run establishment’s accommodations are still breathtaking. For a reasonable rate ($170-$270 per night), guests can enjoy a luxurious room overlooking the surrounding peaks.
Hotel Everest View is staffed with Sherpa people, who are natives to the Mt. Everest region. ‘Om mani padme hum’, a Tibetan Buddhist mantra, is inscribed on the hotel interior walls. These ancient stone carvings serve as a constant reminder of the Sherpas’ deep religious beliefs. A Sherpa tour guide is on hand for guests.
Plane or helicopter charters are available for guests that desire a more direct flight to the hotel. Guests may also take advantage of a 50 minute flight over Shyangboche from Kathmandu and walk 45-minutes up the mountain trail to Hotel Everest View.
Reservations and transportation can be arranged through:
Hotel Everest View

P.O. Box 1624

Durbar Marg

Kathmandu, Nepal

Tel: 977-01-224854

Shyangboche: 977-038-40118

Fax: 977-01-227289

Credit Cards Accepted

About The Author

Scott Chamaden owns and runs Route Four Travel a quality source of travel related information. For more travel articles take a look at: http://www.rftravel.com/ezine/

by: Keith Kingston

Cell phones have become a necessity for many people throughout the world. The ability to keep in touch with family, business associates, and access to email are only a few of the reasons for the increasing importance of cell phones. Today’s technically advanced cell phones are capable of not only receiving and placing phone calls, but storing data, taking pictures, and can even be used as walkie talkies, to name just a few of the available options.
When cell phones were first introduced to the public, they were bulky, expensive, and some even required a base unit that had to be transported along with the phone. Good reception was a major problem and in general, early cell phones could only be used in certain locations were the signal was particularly strong. As cell phone technology advanced, the difficult in using them became less of a problem. Today, cell phone reception has improved greatly due to the use of satellites and wireless services. As cell phones improved and became simple to use, the importance of cell phones increased accordingly.
Cell phones are the perfect way to stay connected with others and provide the user with a sense of security. In the event of emergency, having a cell phone can allow help to reach you quickly and could possibly save lives. However, the importance of cell phones goes way beyond personal safety. Modern cell phones are capable of internet access, sending and receiving photos and files, and some cell phones are equipped with GPS technology, allowing for use in most locations around the world and allowing the cell phone to be found or the user located in the event of loss or emergency.
Cell phone reception has become reliable and of high quality due to advances in wireless technology. Wireless service providers offer excellent packages and promotions for cell phone users. Finding a dependable service provider is no longer an issue for cell phone users. The expansion of the wireless service provider industry gives cell phone users a choice and the increased competition has caused a drop in prices of wireless cell phone service. The importance of cell phones goes way beyond the ability to make or receive phone calls. Cell phone users can instantly send data to the home or office, check for important email, use their cell phone as a PDA or calendar, and store photos which can be easily transferred to a PC or laptop computer.
Cell phone manufacturers have produced a wide range of cell phones, which sell for prices that range from very inexpensive to over one thousand dollars. The available options give users the choice of purchasing a basic cell phone to use simply for making calls, or choosing a complex, technologically advanced cell phone that can perform as many or even more tasks that a home computer. Over the past decade, the increasing importance of cell phones has made them almost a necessity for most people. Even remote and underdeveloped countries have some access to cell phone technology and wireless services.
The importance of cell phones has increased the competition in the wireless service provider industry, making cell phones very affordable and very easy to use. Cell phones have become almost a status symbol in addition to the convenience and security that comes from owning them.

About The Author

Keith Kingston is a professional web publisher, offering information on cell phones and cell accessories. You can visit his website at http://www.cell-phones-4-u.com/.

by: Chris N. Fernando

The film opens with Shrek (voiced over by Mike Myers) and his beloved (now turned into an Ogre) Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) enjoying themselves on their honeymoon at sand-kissed beaches. Returning from their romantic idyll, Shrek and Princess Fiona are summoned by Fiona’s parents, the king (John Cleese) and queen (Julie Andrews) of the “Kingdom Far, Far Away” (a fairy-tale version of Beverly Hills). After much discussion, the ogre couple finally decide to leave for the celebration at the “Kingdom Far, Far Away.” Donkey also accompanies them with his whining and one-liner spouting all intact.
All along the journey to the “Kingdom Far, Far Away”, you cannot resist but guffaw at the nasty doings of the Donkey. Once the ogre couple reach the kingdom for a homecoming celebration, Princess Fiona’s parents are taken aback when they learn that their princess has married an ogre and become one, too (as always its the parents who are the last ones to find out). That’s when the king summons a Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) to eliminate Shrek and have his daughter Fiona married to Fairy Godmother’s foppish son Prince Charming (Rupert Everett). The king also calls upon a famous yet cute little ogre hunter Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas) for this task, but the feline eventually joins forces with Shrek and Donkey.
Banderas is excellent with his Spanish accent that suits right with Puss in Boots’s profile and also again gets a chance to play Zorro. Throughout the movie you can find nasty references to movies like Spider-Man, The Wizard of Oz,The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix and Charlie’s Angels. The original sound tracks of the film are music to ears, and the computer animation - gorgeous! Though its only rarely that an idea of a sequel works, in this case, the storyline picks up seamlessly from the first film and doesn’t feel forced at all. Shrek 2 is downright funny and wonderful - a must-see for the young and the old.

About The Author

Chris N. Fernando is a Sr. Staff Writer with Magazine 360 - an IT magazine published by ITNation, Mumbai (India). He has also worked as Technical Editor with Peer Technical Services and as Reporter for PCQuest and Living Digital magazines. He also writes for The Cheers.com.
Get more of him at: www.chrisfernando.tk
chris.n.fernando@gmail.com

by: Colin Hartness

A Honeymoon Cruise as the name suggests offers a gateway to paradise for honeymooners away from the pressures of daily life and enjoy the bliss of togetherness. This provides an opportunity for you to start your married life in a state of togetherness by exploring the unknown and enjoying nature and life.
The Honeymoon cruise offers the comforts of a five star luxury and provides a period of unending excitement, adventure, the opportunity to get to know each other and enjoying life as nature had wanted it to be.

This is an ideal way to start a life of togetherness for fulfillment of one?s desires and daresay this is a golden getaway. The excitement of togetherness under the moonlit sky with the stars twinkling and the rustle of the water and the gentle breeze flowing from the sea is an experience, which will be etched in your memory for life.
The honeymoon cruise package usually includes:

• Champagne and Strawberries in the Stateroom on embarkment
• Canap?s delivered to your cabin on the evening of your choice.
• A special Honeymooner?s party
• Honeymoon Photographs.
• Champagne breakfast in bed

The following Honeymoon cruises satisfy the forever romantics and provide luxury unheard of:-
1. A Silver Sea Cruise is a love nest and provides Bed-breakfast, pre-dinner cocktails, a private verandah with canap?s, complimentary Champagne and wine, a mini-bar stocked with the choicest of drinks to enhance your mood, delicious cuisine are the attractions of this Honeymoon Cruise.
2. Crystal Cruises are midsize luxury liners which provides all the above . Penthouses with personal butlers are also available at a nominal extra cost at this Honeymoon Cruise.
3. Wind Star Cruises offers everything you would have dreamt. This Honeymoon Cruise offers boats with which you sail away from ports at sunset and feel the exhilaration of cruising under white billowing sails. The spirited can go for scuba diving, kayaking, Windsailing, snorkeling etc.
4. Norwegian Cruise Line - The Norwegian Star is a specialty for romantic couples. Resort casual dining offers an alternative following a formal wedding at this Honeymoon Cruise. The destination is Hawaii (world?s most romantic destination) departing every Sunday and has a Wedding Chapel for intimate ceremonies and vow renewals.
The destination shall be of your choice depending upon your taste ? be it the romantic hills, historical monuments, beaches, tropical rain forests etc. All the cruise ships offering a Honeymoon Cruise have exquisitely done suites, gyms, swimming pools, beauty parlors and casinos to pamper the cruiser and energize the mind, body and spirit.

About The Author

Looking for information about cruises?

Go to: http://www.whatcruises.com