Ah yes, Amsterdam – the city of tulips, the city of blooming festivals of color and fragrance in the springtime. However, when you travel to Amsterdam, you’ll also find a teeming center of finance and culture, rivaling other European capitals. Begun as a tiny fishing village about 1200 AD, Amsterdam has grown into the capital of the Netherlands, the country that is still, today, called “Holland” by many tourists unfamiliar with the fact that Holland is actually a geographical area within the Netherlands.

Regardless of what you call the country, an Amsterdam holiday can be designed according to any budget, with quality hotels in various price ranges and a myriad of sights and attractions.

If you’re interested in Amsterdam on a discount budget, you might consider staying at the Golden Tulip Amsterdam – Zaandam, available for as little as $125 per night, depending upon the time of year. Close to the railway station, the Golden Tulip puts the city center just a quick, 12-minute ride away, and it’s situated right in the center of many of the city’s most popular attractions: museums, shopping, and even windmills and world-famous cheese markets.

With an in-house restaurant, internet access in every room, and children under 3 staying for free, you get excellent value for your money. Especially attractive to visitors is the varied breakfast selection provided by the hotel – labeled by one customer as “a vast array of tasty foods from which to choose.”

Along with the great price at the Golden Tulip, a budget Amsterdam vacation is sure to include the All Day Canal Bus Pass, valid from the time purchased until noon the following day. With Amsterdam being a city of canals, travel to a wide range of sights couldn’t be easier – see the Rijksmuseum, an extravaganza of arts such as the famous Netherlands dollhouses, Delftware, and even an interactive exhibition of masterpieces by some of the greatest 17th century masters: Hals, Steen, Vermeer, and Rembrandt. With the Canal Pass covering three different routes, you can climb off at any of the 14 stops, stay as long as you like, and then climb back on for a peaceful canal run to the next attraction of your choice.

On the other hand, if you’re planning an extravaganza of your own for your Amsterdam holiday, consider staying at the Hotel Pulitzer, a virtual art gallery of its own, located right in scenic downtown Amsterdam and near Dam Square and the Royal Palace. Another top of the line accommodation you might return to after a fun day of sightseeing is the Dylan Hotel Amsterdam, located inside a delightfully quaint 17th century historic landmark, but having an almost pop-modern aspect to its decor. Sophisticated and welcoming at the same time, the Dylan is close to several of the most notable attractions, including the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum.

Any of these hotels provides easy access to a classic European night on the town, with one of the most enchanting options being a five-course dinner cruise aboard a luxurious motor launch, meandering along romantically illuminated nighttime Amsterdam canals. Another popular choice is the Leidseplein Theater, where you can take in the shows of Boom Chicago, a performance group known for quick wit, humor, and outstanding improvisation generated, in part, by audience suggestion. One item to note should you be considering a family vacation: cannabis, or marijuana, is legal in Amsterdam and is smoked openly in pubs and cafes throughout the city.

Whether you are carefully watching your vacation budget or you’re letting it all hang out, Amsterdam will surely provide you with memories as varied as the colors of tulips in spring…and don’t forget to take some of those colors home with a visit the many flowermarkets – find dried cut blooms, live plants, or even some dormant tulip bulbs. Plant them in your flower beds at home, and let memories of your Amsterdam vacation bloom anew each year.

About Author:
Steven Wallace is a savvy travel writer. He now writes for several travel websites including hoteldetective.net hoteldetective.net. Freely log into our website for more information related to hotels, travel, Amsterdam, etc. You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

Kampala fondly known as ‘The Green city in the sun’ is a magnificent city, the largest and most lively city in the country Uganda. The administrative capital of Uganda, Kampala regained its status as the capital city of Uganda after independence in 1962. The city nearing the Lake Victoria to the South depicts both colonial and modern architecture, with historical and folklore facts and as once an ideal habitat for “Impala” the city was referred to as the “Hill of Impala” which is translated in Luganda as “Kasozi K’ empala” and finally “Kampala”.
Located on an altitude of 1,180m above sea level, Kampala has a population of about 2 million people spread over 21 hills on which the city stands. The city has since spread from a 19 square kilometers hamlet, to become the “city of 7 hills”.

The hills that make up Kampala include: Old Kampala Hill which is 4000 feet above sea level, is a combination of both industrial and suburban area with buildings mostly of Indian style. Main attractions: Include the Fort built by Captain Fredrick Lugard near the old Kampala mosque and the seat of the Uganda Muslim Supreme council.
Mengo Hill which is 4000 feet above sea level got its name from “Mengo” a Luganda word meaning grinding stones. History has it that people from Ssesse Islands who settled on this hill used stones to grid food. Main attractions: Kabaka’s palace (King’s palace), The Kabaka’s lake which is the biggest man made lake in the country with a wide range of Bird species, The 1900 Agreement between the Kabaka of Buganda and British colonial officers was signed in Mengo, Kisingiri’s three storied 100 roomed house more than 100 years old and more than 100 hundred old giant turtles imported from the Seychelles Islands.

Namirembe Hill which is 4,134 feet above sea level got its name from “Mirembe” which means “Peace”. Main attractions: St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Kasubi Tombs – Royal Burial grounds for Buganda Kings, Uganda’s first hospital-mengo Hospital started by Sir Albert Cook, The Bulange-Buganda’s Parliament and Sanyu babies’ home an orphanage.
Rubaga Hill which is 4,134 feet above sea level derives its name from “Kubanga” which means to “Plan”. Baganda generals planned their wars on this Hill. Main attractions: Rubaga Cathedral, Pope John Paul VI Memorial hall, Burial grounds of the country’s first Bishop and the first black Archbishop south of Sahara,

Nakasero Hill which is 4,134 feet above sea level is a residential Area as well as a commercial district. Main attractions: State House, major hotels and shopping centers. Kololo Hill which is 4,305 feet above sea level is a residential area with beautiful houses and well planned roads. Main attractions: Kololo Airstrip, with a burial ground for “national heroes”
Kibuli Hill is a home to Muslims. Main attractions: Kibuli mosque and Kibuli Hospital
Nsambya Hill which is 4,010 feet above sea level is known as the home to the Mill Hill fathers. Main attractions: St. Peters Pro-Cathedral and Nsambya Hospital.
Naguru Hill (4,331 feet), Mbuya Hill (4,269 feet), Mulago Hill (4,134 feet) is a home to Mulago Hospital and the Uganda Museum, Makerere Hill (4,188 feet) home to Makerere University, Buziga Hill (4,322 feet) and Muyenga Hill (4,3285 feet) are residential areas for upper class, Mutundwe Hill (4,312 feet), Mutungo Hill(4,208 feet), Kireka Hill (4,189 feet) a home to Mandela sports stadium, Makindye Hill and Banda Hill which is a home to the Queen Mother’s palace.

Kampala, a green and hilly city is safe and has grown to become a hub of international activities as well as the nations commercial, Industrial and financial center. The city with a wide range of accommodation as well as entertainment facilities ands is one of the fastest growing cities of Africa.

Jackie Kisibo is an author in Africa, and her articles can be found on hotelsinuganda.com Uganda Hotels , Kampala Hotels and entebbe Hotels, uganda-tours.com Uganda safaris and gorilla safaris

Saturday, 10:00 a.m.; Bob and Sandy haven’t left the pool during waking hours except to refill the refrigerator with beer. Two hundred and ninety pounds of Bob jumped into the pool creating a wave. It sloshed over the deck, and drenched parched agaves below. By the time we arrived everyone was clamoring, “…don’t flush the toilet.” The remaining hundred gallons in the cistern may be all for what remained of vacation.

Nine to twelve mile an hour winds continue in the August heat that helps the 78% humidity index keep the temps around 70 degrees. Ten minute, late night rains tend to leave rain catchments areas agape. Days are uneventful, except when you run out of water. Showers can’t be taken, food can’t be cooked, and toilets, well, go without flushing.

Water isn’t something to take advantage of on the islands. An average of forty inches of rainfall drops on the semi-arid Virgin Islands annually and ninety percent is lost to evapo-transpiration. Water is scarce.

Jerry and Susie reaffirmed their vows. It was my first Caribbean wedding and trip to the islands. I was in a party of eight. Two of them were Bob. Debbie, Jerry’s daughter and her husband Bob, Sandy, her co-worker and her husband “Big” Bob, Chris and Matt, Debbie’s sons; Jerry’s grandsons, and myself and daughter, Alyssian. I was the fifth-wheel and spent my time with the younger set at the Coral Bay Reef Resort about two miles from the other members of the group. They rented an entire house with a pool. From that vantage point we could see St. Thomas across the ocean waters when the condensation beyond the reef didn’t shroud the view.

On the third day of the visit breakfast was on Deb and Bob. We drove the rolling hills through the rain forest out to the northern coast and took a sharp right up a steep, winding dirt road to the rental house for the first time. Brown, pyramid-shaped, shingled rooftops, three total, loomed overhead around the last bend like something out of an Egyptian dream. The house appeared to float on a cerulean background. The open door of the “L”-shaped layout beckoned us to enter onto cool tiles. Contemporary iron and glass furnishings, overstuffed sofas and wicker further bid us to welcome while the stereo played Steve Miller. I was lulled into a seventies mode. There were three bedrooms, two of which had open baths with thriving gardens. A baby grand sat in one of them and many French provincial antiques were scattered around the house.

I wanted to grab a beer and get in the pool. An empty hose dangled over the side, the cistern top was sitting on the deck and about ten inches of water sat patiently waiting in the bottom. The pool was half-full. As the caretakers bantered with Debbie and Bob over the water situation we waited and waited for water delivery.

We were lucky. The caretakers lived in the lower apartment. Without their help the gang would have been dry the next four days unless they chose to flush the beer down the toilet. The caretakers pointed to a house on southeast hill and told everyone it used to belong to Bill Murray (”Ghost Buster” … Bill Murray). What an exciting footnote. We were in the company of celebrities. They weren’t surprised at the pool incident. It happened before.

On a trip the next day into Christensted on the eastern end of the island, I found a “Traveler’s tree. It is said to store one gallon of water at the base of each frond. When travelers roamed the islands years ago and found themselves thirsting they could turn to this tree taking solace in it’s hidden water supply. This one is four blocks west of the boardwalk by Rum Runners Steaks & Seafood, known for weekly hermit crab races.

The population of 50,000 on St. Croix relies on cistern storage and rain catchers of the rare rainfall on this eighty-four square mile island. Groundwater and desalinization are the main sources of potable water. The daily water demand for this island alone is approximately 3.2 million gallons per day and production is around 4.2 million. Another half a million comes from groundwater. Fortunately, twenty-three million gallons of storage capacity exists on the island.

The entire Virgin Island Territory demands 5.5 million gallons of water. The desalination plants, according to studies completed as far back as 1979 by the Virgin Islands Water Resources Research Center, can supply about 75% of that demand. The study also revealed the cost for desalting seawater was at least $15 per thousand gallons. Further research was completed in l977 when the islands were owned by Britain. This study with low-flush toilets revealed costs were lower and 36,500 gallons of water were saved as a result in a year. Although the government pays for the bulk of water received, insures its quality and distributes it, along with land, tax and customs exemptions, costs beyond that fall on the consumer.

Residents and resorts pay about three cents per gallon for water pumped into their cisterns, not including delivery charges and emergency service calls. Water suppliers request a week notice for water delivery, but no later than three with a surcharge attached. Some resorts require servicing more than two times a day, dependent on the demand.

According to an article written by Peter Weber in the November -December 1991 issue of World Watch only the world’s elite get their water from the sea! Serving these “elite” are the world’s 7,500 desalting plants that reaches a capacity of 3.9 million acre-feet per year; less than one-tenth of one percent of the world’s water use.

Those who don’t live on islands take water for granted. It is quite a conundrum being surrounded by water and experiencing “water scarcity”. Treat yourself and join the “elite” by taking a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands. But, if you plan to jump in the pool a lot make sure you schedule water delivery ahead of time. You’ll find yourself fortunate to get water without notice and on a weekend, as we did.

More information is available at the following:
doi.gov/oia/StateIsland/chapter5.html

Water Resources Research, Institute
University of the Virgin Islands
# 2 John Brewers Bay, St. Thomas
U.S. Virgin Islands 00802-9990
Tel. (809) 693-1063. Fax (809) 693-1074.
E-mail: hsmith@uvi.edu

Seven Seas Water Corporation
6200 Frydenhoj, Suite 4
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands 00802
Phone: (340) 775-6607
Fax: (340) 715-0003

Cane Bay Reef Club
PO Box 1407 Kingshill
St. Croix USVI 00851-1407
(340) 778-2966, 1 (800) 253-8534
Joe Scirto, Owner
www.canebayreefclub.com

Rum Runners Steaks & Seafood
Boardwalk & Caravelle Hotel
Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands
(340) 773-6585
www.RumRunnersStCroix.com

Linda’s writing appears in From Eulogy to Joy, Beischel, Xlibris Press, 2000, Bootsnall.com Bootsnall.com, and ezinearticles.com ezinearticles.com She loves to travel, write, design, decorate, and paint. Linda studied writing through Long Ridge Writers Group in Connecticut and painting at the Art Academy in Loveland, Colorado, USA.

The whole concept of bed and breakfast is often intriguing to people who have not tried it out earlier. The advantage that bed and breakfast inns have over regular hotels and motels is that their guests get a chance to enjoy novelty and pleasant surprises.

A true bed and breakfast is one that provides a clean, attractive accommodation plus a breakfast in the morning. The owner usually lives on the premises or at least nearby. This is essential for the homely ambience of a bed and breakfast inn. Generally the host also offers any necessary directions, references for restaurants, suggestions for local entertainment or sightseeing. The sincere interest taken in providing a personalized kind of accommodation is what makes people return for a repeat stay. Many people find bed and breakfast inns a preferable option to an anonymous hotel-style setting.

The Key West offers several bed and breakfast inns that promise a unique experience. The Key West bed and breakfasts inns are unique in several ways. They offer an excellent ambience by way of enthralling architecture, decor, and amenities. The genuine hospitality of the innkeeper is an added feather in the cap.

The Old Town area provides access to several tourist attractions like Hemmingway House, Truman’s Little Whitehouse, or Audubon House & Gardens. This area also has a few good bed and breakfast inns that provide amenities like well furnished rooms with private baths, air conditioning, cable TV and telephones.

The Oceanside area is close to the Key West International Airport, Smathers Beach, and East Martello Tower and Museum. A few inexpensive and a few upmarket bed and breakfast inns are located in this area. Then there is the Bayside area, which houses the US Naval Air Station. Staying in this locality will ensure a peaceful vacation away from the hustle and bustle of the town.

While booking accommodation in a bed and breakfast inn, it would be prudent to find out about certain amenities. Private baths are one such touchy subject. Unless you are prepared with a forewarning, not having a private bath can be a bit uncomfortable. Generally the prices charged are themselves indicative of the amenities available. Some people love the novelty of not having access to certain amenities and love the ambience of old houses that do not have modern amenities. All ranges of bed and breakfasts are available in Key West and when visiting, you can take your pick.

e-KeyWest.com Key West provides detailed information on Key West, Key West Vacations, Key West Real Estate, Key West Weddings and more. Key West is affiliated with e-FloridaKeys.com Key Largo Florida.