Everyone needs to unwind once in a while. For some, a nice day out of work, working on a hobby would suffice. However, for other, more harassed corporate people who need to climb the literal and metaphorical ladder to the top everyday, a more radical unwinding is called for: a cruise vacation!
When planning a cruise vacation, determine how much you are willing to spend first. Although this is not yet the actual vacation, knowing how much you are willing to spend for your cruise vacation is essential to getting the most out of what you can afford. Never go on credit for a cruise vacation. Instead, when running low on budget, simply get the cheap cruise vacation package. But then, you ask: how am I suppose to enjoy myself on a cheap cruise vacation package? I might as well not go on a cruise trip at all if that is the case. The key there is to go cheap on the cruise but indulge in the details. The important thing is to simply get yourself across the globe to that cheap vacation… so that you will have enough money to splurge on dining, spas, night life, recreation and other relaxing activities once you get there! When on limited budget, what will you do with their quality service if you can’t afford their service in the first place? Go cheap on the trip, and go fancy on the details!
Knowing and planning the right schedule for going on a cruise vacation is also essential for getting the most out of your trip. Knowing the cycle of your work, arrange to go on a cruise just right after you have completed a project and before you starting the next one or, right after you have closed a deal and before you make your next proposition to the next client. This will allow you less mental preoccupation when on your cruise vacation and allow you to focus simply on having fun and relaxation! Remember, you are on this trip because you need time away from work to re-energize and rejuvenate yourself for your next project or your next deal.
Get the local weather of the islands you will be in during your trip. A cruise vacation to an island just when the weather is stormy is useless and will defeat the purpose of the whole trip.
Know what you need. Decide to go with a friend if you need to. For busy people who don’t have time to work on relationships, exploring new adventures and experiences with someone will make the whole cruise vacation more significant and meaningful. For those who have had too much of kids or screaming bosses, decide to go alone. You need the time and you need the space.
One need not get the best, most-expensive cruise vacation package on the menu to achieve the same desired results. One just needs to know how to get the most out of even the cheapest cruise vacation with a little amount of good planning, a pair of sunglasses and lots and lots of tanning lotion!
JB Anthony invites you to visit cruisevacations.hottestniches.com www.cruisevacations.hottestniches.com to read more articles on tips and guides on planning cruise vacations, best cruise vacation destinations, cheap cruise vacation guides.
It used to be that backpacking trips to Fiji involved a bus ride from Nadi to Suva, then a ferry to somewhere like Ovalau, Savusavu, Taveuni or Kadavu. No more. These days young budget travelers are lining up to go to the Yasawa Islands, a chain of 16 large volcanic islands and dozens of smaller ones roughly 35 km off the west coast of Viti Levu.
The dazzling white beaches, clear warm waters, colorful coral reefs, and sunny dry climate make the Yasawa Group an ideal tourist destination, but until recently a visit involved a rough sea voyage from Lautoka in an unsafe village boat—or an expensive seaplane flight from Nadi. Blue Lagoon Cruises has been plying the Yasawas since the 1950s, but passengers aboard those upscale vessels sleep in staterooms and local residents receive few benefits from their presence.
Until the 1987 Rabuka coups in Suva, it was the policy of the Fiji government that the Yasawas were closed to land-based tourism. The long years of military-backed government brought few changes to the Yasawas, although Australian investors were allowed to construct the deluxe Yasawa Island Resort (www.yasawa.com) in 1991 and a couple of village-operated backpacker camps sprang up on Wayasewa and Waya. Since the early 1980s, local families have operated three small low-budget resorts on Tavewa Island, thanks largely to Tavewa’s status as a freehold island beyond the authority of the Fijian chiefs. For decades local church leaders have portrayed tourism as a corrupting outside influence to be kept at arms length from village life.
It would be hard to imagine anything more removed from real Fijian life than Turtle Island Resort on Nanuya Levu Island, Fiji’s ultimate hideaway for the US$1,500-a-night crowd. Nanuya Levu has been freehold land since 1868, and in 1972 Richard Evanson used US$300,000 he earned in the Southern California cable television business to buy the island.
Evanson’s Turtle Island Resort (www.turtlefiji.com) became the prototype of Fiji’s current crop of boutique island resorts, hosting notables like Hollywood stars and millionaires. Brooke Shields stayed here during the 1980 filming of the escapist classic The Blue Lagoon.
A self-styled environmentalist, Evanson has planted thousands of trees on his island, and has converted the mangrove forests into tourist attractions by cleverly creating boardwalks. The resort’s food is grown in organic gardens and power is generated using solar and wind energy. Each year a group of volunteer California eye specialists visits Turtle Island Resort to perform eye surgery on needy villagers or to equip them with donated prescription glasses.
Yet for most Yasawans, life has changed little since 1789 when Captain William Bligh and loyal members of his crew paddled past the group in an open boat shortly after the famous mutiny on the Bounty. Even today, most villages are without electricity or running water, and opportunities for economic development are very limited. The Yasawans have felt neglected by politicians in the distant capital, envious onlookers as mini-cruise ships and yachts carried wealthy foreigners along their shores.
In May 2000, rabble-rouser George Speight and assorted thugs seized the Parliament building in Suva, turning Fiji on its head. Speight’s pro-indigenous rhetoric struck a chord in the Yasawas. Villagers from Nacula Island staged a mini-coup on Turtle Island, locking Evanson in one of his 14 luxurious bungalows as village youths rode wildly around Nanuya Levu on Evanson’s golf carts.
When the excitement died down, plaited mats were spread and kava roots were pounded, and over many bowls of grog, Evanson and the villagers came to an understanding.
Rather than killing the golden goose, Evanson convinced the Nacula people that they’d be better off opening resorts of their own and allowing him to continue running his business in peace.
Evanson offered interest-free construction loans and promotional support, and the Nacula Tikina Tourism Association was born. The association’s Web site (www.fijibudget.com) currently describes a dozen locally-operated resorts around the Blue Lagoon in the central Yasawas, including the three existing properties on Tavewa. All resort operators must conform to a strict code of conduct intended to preserve the environment and guarantee acceptable levels of service. Though primitive compared to the luxurious Mamanuca resorts off Nadi, the Yasawa backpacker camps provide basic food and accommodations at a relatively low price.
The mass influx of backpackers only began in 2002 when Awesome Adventures (www.awesomefiji.com), a subsidiary of New Zealand-owned South Sea Cruises, launched a fast catamaran service up and down the chain. You can now depart Nadi’s Denarau Marina on the Yasawa Flyer any morning at 9:15 a.m. and be at the resort of your choice in time for lunch. As many as 150 backpackers do this every day and the village-operated resorts on Kuata, Wayasewa, Waya, Naviti, Tavewa, Nacula, Nanuya Lailai, and Matacawa Levu are booming.
Reservations can be made upon arrival at Nadi Airport through any one of a dozen 24-hour travel agencies right in the airport terminal itself. All of these offices sell catamaran tickets with a bus transfer to the harbor included. Deluxe lodgings and gourmet food should not be expected at any of the Yasawa resorts—yet the friendly people, spectacular natural beauty, and low prices make most travelers overlook these inconveniences.
David Stanley is the author of Moon Handbooks Fiji southpacific.org/fiji.html southpacific.org/fiji.html Stanley’s online guide to Fiji may be perused at southpacific.org/text/finding_fiji.html southpacific.org/text/finding_fiji.html and his Fijian travel photos are at pacific-pictures.com/fiji/ pacific-pictures.com/fiji/
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During the summer of 2004, my husband and I went to the rugged coastline of Maine to celebrate our second wedding anniversary. We had the most amazing time!
We drove from our home in Pennsylvania, so it was a bit of a hike, but well worth it. We found our charming oceanfront accommodations near Pemaquid Point thanks to the friendly folks at Golden Travel Guides. While there, we explored up and down the entire coastline. We thought Pennsylvania had a lot of countryside…until we visited Maine. The entire state is just such a serene place; it has an unbelievable amount of natural, undeveloped open space.
We chose to go to Maine because of the romantic affinity we have always had for New England’s rocky shores, and our desire to see Acadia National Park. Acadia National Park hosts Cadillac Mountain, the highest mountain on the East Coast north of Brazil as well as countless other exquisite landscapes. The park is situated around Bar Harbor, Maine’s quintessential Victorian town that is dotted with colorful gingerbread houses, charming shops, and delightful restaurants and bed and breakfasts. We visited gardens, mountains, carriage roads, and sparkling lakes in Acadia.
Outside of Acadia we visited at least twelve lighthouses, shopped in Freeport, home of the original L.L. Bean store, as well as exploring countless towns along the entire coastline including Rockport, Rockland, Camden, and Old Orchard Beach to name a few. Old Orchard Beach resembles the Jersey shore; it is colorful, has food vendors of all varieties lining the wide, people-filled streets, and has folks of all ages gathering for sunny afternoons on the white sandy beaches (just about the only white sand beaches in all of Maine).
This was a phenomenal vacation. The coast of Maine is a must-see for everyone! It is perfect for couples and families alike. Be sure to bring comfortable walking shoes and a windbreaker (there is usually heavy fog and even in August it is a bit chilly).
Prague is a well- known old city of Europe that is a host to many tourists all round the year. The aura of the place speaks for itself. Prague is the capital of Czech Republic whose traditional and archaic European ambience is too appealing than ever imagined. Czech is deemed to be the heart of Europe and ahs a population of more than ten million people out of which 1.3 million are nestled peacefully in the city of Prague.
The Sites Worth Gazing
The Charles Bridge at Prague is a host to many visitors all round the year. This bridge was completed and made public in 1400. It displays grotesque architecture and river views that keep the visitors engaged especially during the summer season. There is also the eminent Wenceslas Square hat is deemed to be the heart of Prague and that grounds some of the most wonderful restaurants, shops and pubs in Prague. The Old Town center is also a place worth visiting in Prague. The center has on parade some of the marvelous historical sites like the Old town Hall and the Astronomical clock where the visitors get to see the land from the 60 meter elevated tower.
Getting around in Prague is quite simple and convenient. Besides the natural beauty that the place is blessed with, the human technology does not score less. There are trams, metros and buses to explore the charismatic place.
Prague is the land of wonderful museums. There is the National Technical Museum, which puts to display old cars, bikes, planes, trains, cameras, watches and so forth. The best part is the museum itself that is a historical building of 1930’s. The Mozart Museum is worth appreciating. The music lovers can have a gala time here for the place offers historical music scores, letters and musical instruments that are exclusive and great to enjoy. Specifically for the artists is meant the Museum of Decorative Arts that presents Czech porcelain, crystal and wood -carvings. Not to overlook is the Wax Museum that has proved its worth across the globe. Apart from these there are many good museums and art galleries that are evenly spread across the city.
Pargue also has some of the magnificent castles like the Karlstejn Castle that was redesigned in 19th century and which is one of the most photogenic castles known so far. Close to the castle place, are sold exotic Bohemia crystals that the tourists often love to take back home. The Konopiste Castle is known for its French style architecture from 13th century. It is located about 44 kilometers southeast of Prague and is thrown open for visitors from May to August. The Krivolat is a 13th century castle that boasts a prison, torture chambers and one of the biggest non-church Gothic Halls in the Czech Republic.
Prague is an ideal place for all the music devotees for they can relish the classical concerts at the Sate Opera and at the Rudolfinum or the Municipal House. The Prague Autumn Festival is a big music event that offers lots of classical concerts and music. The Prague Spring festival is famous all over Europe. It is a liked cultural event that goes on from 12th May to 3rd of June every year.
The nightlife of Prague is thrilling and active with music in the air and loads of pubs, discos and bars cuddled in the city.
Besides these there are many other attractions that make Prague a perfect holiday destination.
Mansi aggarwal writes about prague travel topics. Learn more at praguevacationhelp.com praguevacationhelp.com.
The Ramblas of Barcelona is a very tourist point and we can say that it’s considered one of the main attractions of the city. The aim of this article is to set a complete route of the Ramblas, with Catalonia Square as the starting point, where you’ll be able to point out the main attractions of this part of the city of Barcelona.
Catalonia Square
Plaça Catalunya is widely considered to be the nerve centre of the city, since it has become like a meeting point for almost everybody. In Catalonia Square, do not miss the enormous quantity of pigeons, they will surprise you!
The Canaletas Fountain
The official meeting point of all Barcelona Football team supporters (Futbol Club Barcelona). Built during the 19th Century, it is probably the most famous fountain of Barcelona due to its relation to the celebration of its victories. As tradition states, if you drink water from it, you’ll come back to Barcelona sooner or later!
Human Statues
Maybe one of the most meaningful and eye-catching things you can enjoy in Barcelona. Human Statues have become a symbol of the Ramblas, since there are a lot of people that try their luck by showing others their ability to stay still, just like a statue. And if you give them a coin, they will probably move!
The Boqueria Market
It’s the most important and most beautiful market in Barcelona. It stands out thanks to its modern architecture, based on jonic columns, metal pillars and its stained glass-windows. In The Boqueria, with its more than 300 stands, you’ll find the most amazing things you’ve ever seen!
The Liceu
Built in 1845, this theatre is considered one of the most prestigious theatres in the world, especially due to its operas, which are known worldwide.
Plaza Real (Real Square)
Situated on the left hand side of The Ramblas, it has become another important meeting point of the city. The square is full of restaurants and bars, where you can sit and have a drink. The two streetlamps in the middle were designed by Antoni Gaudí.
The Erotic Museum
This museum, dedicated to eroticism, won’t stop surprising you. Here you’ll find curious information about the theme, illustrated with pictures, objects and drawings.
Wax Museum
The Barcelona Wax Museum is a very entertaining museum which is located almost at the end of The Ramblas. In the museum you’ll find more than 300 figures of historical and famous people made out of wax.
At this point, you’ll have reached the end of The Ramblas and you will probably have seen the most magical, surprisingly and original part of the city of Barcelona.
Marian Jubany Ribalta – Coauthor of travel guides worldwide
voyagerguide.com www.voyagerguide.com
The right German gift is often something different than a flower or a bottle of wine. Read on to find out…
The most given German gifts are flowers for women an a bottle of wine for men. But you could do better.
A bottle of wine, unless it is 50 years old, will be drunk at one of the next evenings. And the flowers a woman gets are withered in a couple of days.
Here is what I would do instead. And that will fascinate both, women and men.
==> Bring something with you that is from your country or represents the culture of your home in particular.
Now back to the flowers and the wine bottle.
If these flowers are so unique and last for a long time, means that it is a plant, than it is a good German gift. And if the wine is a few decades old so that your recipient won’t empty that bottle unless you come back and you both celebrate a big deal (or something else extraordinary), that bottle will get the best place in his house, and he will show every guest this German gift he got from his friend. He even will remember the day and the reason he got it for.
And this is my point here. Your friend, whom you give that gift, has to feel special that it brings tears in her/his eyes. Your gift has to be so unique that your friend makes everything possible to get a special place in her/his house for that German gift.
A friend of mine from South-Africa, when she visited me the other day, she brought a brown South-African tribal mask, which looks pretty scaring and amusing at the same time.
She brought it for my mom, and it has still its unique place in her home. Everybody who hasn’t seen it before ask her what it is and from whom she got such a unique, historical and picturesque gift. Some even asked if she bought it on an auction (no, not ebay, a place such as “Christies”) and how much my mother paid for it.
The point is not how much it costs. The South-African mask does not cost very much, even for them. The point is the feelings you will tap by giving this.
So now I have a short checklist for you to focus on.
Unique and Extraordinary -– If you get this gift at each and every corner, better forget it.
Cultural –- your gift has to represent your culture and its history
You see, what you can cause with a gift that is probably normal for you and your culture, but very special for us here in Germany.
Marcus Hochstadt has a high interest in helping you gain the delightful form of a smart travel to and through Germany. Just recently, he has written a special report on How to Travel for Free! You can download it at smart-travel-germany.com/freetravel smart-travel-germany.com/freetravel
When it comes to conferences, the city of Birmingham, in the heart of Britain, is one of the most popular places. A bustling hubbub of business activity, Birmingham is a natural centre for business conferences, business meetings, and business events. Conference venues abound in Birmingham, and for those in all types of businesses there is no shortage of conference services. When it comes to business conferences, Birmingham attracts almost half of the yearly trade.
One of the first things that you want to do when planning one or more conferences in Birmingham is to find out which venues will fit the needs of your particular business. This should not be a problem, since the city has so many well-equipped conference venues and has been hosting a variety of conferences for so long that there are venue hosts that can help you with anything that you might need.
If you decide that Birmingham would be the best place for your business conference, then start with a count of how many people will be attending. This should be easy enough, although you always want to allow for more people than you actually think may be attending your events. It is fairly easy to compensate if less people show up than planned, but looking for last minute accommodations for extra people can be a bit tricky. Overbook just a bit, and you won’t be scrambling to find hotel rooms and conference space for extra people at the last minute.
When you are searching for the right accommodations for your conferences in Birmingham, start by concentrating on particular conference centres. If the type of business that you are in requires certain accommodations and equipment for your conferences, then you need to peruse the conference centres to see which ones have everything that you need. Many times the conferences will be attended by upper management, so certain things will probably be standard, such as Internet access and equipment for making large presentations such as screens, projectors, and other audio-visual equipment. Normally many of these things, such as the Internet access, should be present in the hotel rooms as well as in the conference rooms. High tech businesses may need more than the standard equipment, and possibly more complicated conference services. Be sure as you are querying the different conference centres that you tell them your specific needs. Many centres will be already equipped with what you need, although most will be happy to provide extra conference services, equipment, and accommodations if your group is going to be large enough.
There are many conference centres from which to choose in Birmingham, and depending on your needs, you can book accommodations and conference services for up to 3000 people. Home to some of the largest and most elaborate centres for conference services, Birmingham provides a central location for business as well as other types of conferences from all over the world. Not only should you be able to find conference services for any type of venue, you should also be able to find some of the finest catering and hotel accommodations in the world. Travel to Birmingham is easily arranged, as over fifty airlines travel to and from the airport.
Getting to Birmingham from strategic places all over the world is rarely ever difficult, and once you are there, a variety of airport transport services are available to shuttle groups to and from the conference centres. Transportation around the large bustling city is also extremely convenient, with anything from individual car hire to rails, buses, and trains. Being the type of city that has been providing services for conference venues for many years, Birmingham is well equipped with professional travel guides and travel services that can help businesses and individuals plan a business or other type of conference from arrival to the moment of departure, including many highly reputable catering services for the extension of your stay.
A business or other type of conference is rarely “all business”, and besides the conference services that Birmingham provides, there are also some interesting tourist locations scattered about the city. During breaks in the often tedious schedules of conferences and business meetings, conference participants can take time to see and visit some of the wonderful sights and places in the city. Acres of beautiful botanical gardens are located within the city, as well as a national sea life centre boasting a transparent tunnel for viewing, and a highly reputable arts and exhibition centre.
The best way to plan for your conference services and events in Birmingham might be to use a professional conference planner. Even for small conference groups, a planner can see to details that will ensure the comfort of the participants as well as the functionality of the conference itself. From travel for the participants to food, lodging, and transportation, a planner can help make your conference a successful one from start to finish.
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The plane touches down, galvanized rubber wheels screaming resistance as they scrape against the runway, skid-marking the concrete as the brakes, fully-locked, reduce a headlong hurtle to a controlled glide across the tarmac, the journey ending in a gentle taxi to the terminal.
The Blue Lagoon is one of the few things I know about Iceland. That and Eidur Gudjonnsson, a striker currently plying his trade with Spanish giants Barcelona, who’s all over the in-flight magazine. He’s all over the airport as well, a modern building boasting smooth, clean lines and a sense of flow and efficiency: it just feels Scandinavian.
Outside, the Icelandic sky hangs familiarly low, a never-ending mass of cloud that mists the tarmac with moisture as I cross – seemingly unmolested, but more likely just not feeling the rain, so softly is it falling. We Scots have a word for days like these – dreich: a word born out of necessity, the only one in our vocabulary that conveys a sense of this – a day we see so often. In many ways it is perfect, a word that sums up not only the weather, but the feelings induced in the observer. To use it is to surrender to all that it implies – listlessness, a dulling of the senses that tugs at the heart-strings; a sense that one has been here before, that nothing changes, that this may never end. Dreich – rhymes with grief, ending with an ‘eech’; guttural, almost Yiddish yet distinctly Scottish.
I find myself wondering, as I board the coach, how many words Icelanders have for this. In the same way that the Eskimo have so many variations on ‘snow’, I wonder if natives here can distinguish linguistically between this and, say, a different cold grey day; one where the sky looks less like a sheet of slate and carries, perhaps, occasional metallic-looking streaks of white, or the odd patch of blue, a distant reminder of warmer climes, far-off lands.
It’s an international coach; a strange mixture of foreign languages and variously accented Englishes, all asking the same questions, more or less. No one really knows where we’re heading: ‘some kind of spa’, the sum total of our collective knowledge. No one knows how long it will take to get there, or if we’ll make it back in time for the next leg of our flight. I’m fighting an urge to tell the driver to stop as we pull off from the terminal. ‘I’ll just wait it out back there,’ I want to tell him. An American accent behind me, confident, soothes my unvoiced fears, or at least makes me feel ridiculous for thinking them; she’s sure, she tells her child, that nobody would arrange something like this and allow people to miss flights. That would be dumb. I’m obviously more of a pessimist than she, but all of a sudden it’s too late: we’re on a sweeping, curving piece of tarmac that leads away from the airport, from certainty, and out into Iceland.
Even this close to the airport, I can see that Iceland’s landscape is weird. Obviously, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I feel that I’ve seen precious little, so personal experience isn’t the best yardstick, but it goes further than that. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever imagined, save perhaps for images conjured while reading of Frodo and Sam’s journey towards Mount Doom. It’s all strange rock formations, jutting masses of solid-looking volcanic spew, starkly highlighted against the grey uniformity of the sky. Ahead of us, the road stretches out, almost deserted, the tarmac seemingly elevated; it feels strangely like it’s floating on top of the rocks, a temporary resident in this alien environment. It’s not fenced in, or off, and there are no comforting, soft-looking fields bordering it. Everything looks unforgiving, harsh, apocalyptic – an impression only heightened by the geysers of steam rising at various points in the distance. Apparently, the American voice informs her child, they’re the result of volcanic activity. Geothermal action.
The music of Sigur Ros plays from memory inside my head as I survey the scene; a connection I hadn’t realized I’d made – yet another thing I know from Iceland. Previously, I had always associated their lonesome melancholia with a different kind of visual bleakness – that of the North Sea, of standing on a night-time cliff-top, watching the distant lights of an offshore oil rig, feeling small and insignificant as wave after wave pummeled the Scottish shoreline beneath me. It spoke to me, that music, with its made-up language – Hope-ish, someone told me it was called. It touched something inside me that recognized the loneliness and desolation, evoked yearning for the indefinable. From what I can see through the window here, I know where it’s coming from – another insignificant little country in the great big Atlantic where people dream of bigger things, more fulfilling lives, but struggle to express that desire, or what it means; hence the Hope-ish: a language of intangibles.
The bus turns off at an intersection, the driver taking care to make the turn perfectly, not going too fast, responsible in his charge despite the lack of any other traffic. We seem to be heading towards one of those geysers of steam. There are some low buildings clustered around, close to one of them. The road floats over the rocks towards it while we, coach-bound, float with it.
We pull up in a parking lot; more black tarmac to add to the cold-seemingness. The rain is slightly heavier now, distinctly spattering my face as I make my way onto a path with the rest of the group, following both path and group round a rock, as per the driver’s instructions, ticket clutched in hand, ready for inspection.
The entrance to the Lagoon is a low-key affair: glass door, horizontal wood slats, more of the clean lines and subtle crispness of the airport. My ticket is taken without ceremony, and I am ushered down the hall towards the men’s changing area, boots to be removed at the door thereof.
Ten minutes and a pre-spa shower later I walk outside and meet the Lagoon. It’s essentially a large, natural spa pool – a major tourist attraction here, which accounts for the crowds. There is no definite shape to the pool, enhancing its natural feel. It has numerous hidden nooks where one can sit quietly, as well as the main bathing area where people are floating, swimming, and coating their faces in sulphur-heavy mud, said to be good for the skin. The narrower areas of the pool are criss-crossed by wooden bridges, and there are glass-fronted saunas built into a wall of rock at the side of the lagoon. Next to this is a waterfall, under which laughing children push one another playfully into the cascade. It’s all very civilised, genteel, un-British; the only thing that seems familiar is the group of football fans, stopping over on their way to or from something, their drunkenness and the volume of their songs drawing many a nervous glance. The fact that they start singing in German gives me reason to be both cheerful and depressed – happy that they’re not my countrymen, dismayed that they represent my gender, proclaim to follow a sport I love dearly, staining further its already sullied reputation.
There is a strong smell of sulphur throughout the Lagoon, and I have been warned not to put my head under the water, at risk of drying out my hair for the next month or so. I elect to try the mud pack, and then float-walk around the pool for a while, enjoying the sensation, discovering the different hotspots in the water, further evidence of the geothermals, albeit I suspect that here they may have been harnessed by man. But no matter – there is quite enough that is natural, what with the open air, the spectacular views of the landscape, the sitting outside half-naked, without worrying about that.
The whole experience is extremely pleasant, a welcome relief from the stresses of flying, although the nagging doubt about making it back in time still lingers. The driver told us we had an hour and a half, so with 30 minutes left I leave the pool, skin wrinkled from water exposure, and head back to change.
My paranoia about leaving late means I have time to explore the restaurant area before leaving – a mistake, as it instantly creates hunger pangs which the mouth-watering, multi-currency menu informs me I can’t afford to satiate here. There is, however, a take-away area, where the most affordable item is a hot dog – a reminder both of home and my eventual destination, in that canned hot-dogs taste the same everywhere.
The coach floats us back to the airport, all with ample time before our flights to browse the duty free shops, floating through the concourse in a haze of Bjork CDs, sophisticated chocolates, body products from the Lagoon, everything seeming fresh and novel, rather than cheap and tawdry as they would have done had I spent the entire three hours here.
The boarding call for the plane comes and people form an orderly queue at the gate, the flow of the building, the experience of the lagoon, seemingly relaxing enough to allow us to make do without the usual stampede to be the first to board.
Take-off comes without the usual anxiety for me, the stresses of the airport this morning long since forgotten. I breathe out confidently, rather than holding it in fear, enjoying for once the sensation of being whipped skyward. Ahead of me, the gleaming continent of America awaits, a place modern and impulsive. Behind me lies Scotland: older, traditional, more set in its ways. Iceland lies somewhere between the two, on the rim of the Arctic Circle, connected yet otherworldly – definitely a place to come back to with time to spend.
Iceland Air organises free tours to the Blue Lagoon on any stopover in Reykjavik between Glasgow and the US , and also allows you to stopover in the country for up to 7 days at no extra cost on the ticket.
I am a freelance writer currently trying to crack the published world. Originally from Scotland, I currently live in the US. My interests are wide-ranging, from travel and music to literature, food, sport, and much, much more besides. Eventually, if all goes to plan, there will be a website (and my own shelf at your local bookstore) but until then…
myspace.com/philipstott Find me on MySpace
Montserrat is known as the ‘Emerald Isle’ of the Caribbean. It has Irish roots and is covered in lush, green rainforest. A unique island, it is reknowned for the friendliness of the islanders and offers an excellent opportunity for nature lovers and sunseekers alike.
In 1995, the Soufriere Hills Volcano erupted, destroying the former capital of Plymouth and meaning that many inhabitants moved overseas or to the North of the island. Today, Montserrat is rising from the ashes and with the opening of a new airport at Geralds last year, tourists are starting to consider the island as a serious tourist destination again.
Once the home of George Martin’s Air Studios, it has seen many famous including Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Sting and others. In fact, it used to be known as the jetset island of the Caribbean. The legacy continues and George Martin is currently involved in the development of a new cultural centre on the island.
Whilst the golf course and marina were destroyed by the volcano, yachts are increasingly mooring at the Little Bay Harbour and people are arriving to see this very special place. The volcano remains active, one of the most studied in the world, and is a draw also for scientists, tourists and independent travelers alike. Stunning views which have been likened to ‘Dante’s Inferno’ can be seen from St George’s Hill which overlooks both the volcano and what remains of Plymouth. Tours to view the volcano can easily be arranged, and trips to Plymouth with a police escort. There is also a chance to learn more about volcanic activity on the island by attending a tour at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (www. MVO.ms).
Current volcanic activity means that on a clear night, visitors can view the glowing dome and rock falls from Jack Boy Hill on the East of the island from a safe distance. The majority of the population live in the ‘Safe Zone’ which means that in the event of an eruption, there is likely to be no problems other than ash fall. Monitoring at the MVO means that residents would be notified in advance of a likely eruption but at the present time, this is unlikely.
The beaches on Montserrat are serene and uncrowded. You are unlikely to find more than a handful of people on most of the beaches at any time. Because of the volcano, most of the beaches have silver grey sand, some of which are surrounded by rainforest which makes them both picturesque and unique. The only white sand beach is at Rendezvous Bay and can be reached by hiking over the Silver Hills or by water taxi from Little Bay. After walking over the hills, you are rewarded by a pristine white sand beach, covered in coral and pink shells with crystal clear blue water. It is an amazing place for a day’s outing.
During the turtle egg laying season, you may see baby turtles hatch. This is generally August and September, but you are quite likely to see turtles in the sea here at any time and recent visitors spotted baby turtles at Woodlands Beach in December. There are also magnificent reefs surrounding the island, some easily accessible from the beach as at Woodlands Beach, others further out at sea. Multi-coloured corals and fish make Montserrat a scuba diver’s paradise and snorkeling is equally rewarding. Snorkelling and scuba diving trips can be arranged through The Green Monkey Dive Shop (www.divemontserrat.com) or the Seawolf Diving School (www.seawolfdivingschool.com) , both of which can offer PADI training if desired. Fishing and boat trips can also be arranged.
This year, the Montserrat Riding Stables should be opening which will give opportunities for horseriding on the beach or camping/horseriding trips. Please contact Turtle Bay Apartments for further details.
Festivals include a colourful month long Christmas festival, including calypso competitions, parades, bands and festivities around St Patrick’s Day featuring celebrations at Festival City, food stalls and a boat trip round the island. See the Tourist Board website for more information.
Arts and crafts are thriving on the island. Montserrat is home to many artists and musicians, both local and international and craft outlets include Inge Kreb’s craft shop where she has everything from pottery to lace that she makes herself, gift shops at the National Trust and Vue Pointe Hotel selling local crafts to beautiful handcrafted jewellery at several stores. There is a photography and painting gallery at the Turtle Bay Coffeeshop with a variety of work on show from both the resident photographer and local artists. A workshop with Caribbean Travel Photographer of the Year, Igor Kravtchenko, is planned for next winter. There is also a range of fantastic volcano shots taken by Kevin West for sale at his shop, The Last Coconut in Paradise.
There are plenty of restaurants and bars in Montserrat. Eating out is cheap and you can have anything from international cuisine to local specialities such as goat water (rich spicy gravy with goat) to Mountain Chicken (Montserratian frogs!). One of the most popular restaurants is Danny and Margaret’s ‘Jumping Jack’ Beach Bar where you can sample Danny’s freshly caught fish with delicious side-dishes and puddings. Matched only by the fantastic views of Old Road Bay Beach and the volcano.
There are numerous other places to eat, ranging from BBQ night at the Vue Pointe Hotel, with musical entertainment and a large variety of dishes, to lobster at Tina’s Restaurant. Local dishes such as spare ribs or fried chicken can be bought at a large amount of roadside stalls. Rum and coke is the national drink!
There is quite a range of accommodation available, ranging from 2 hotels to various guesthouses where you will receive a friendly welcome. Turtle Bay Apartments is located in the quiet residential area of Woodlands and is situated in the rainforest, surrounded by mountains, overlooking the Ocean. We have an acre of tropical gardens, including banana, coconut, mango, guava and orange trees and beautiful hibiscus and frangipani flowers, frequented by hummingbirds. There is also a pool and coffeeshop/ gallery at the villa. It’s ideal for a quiet break or for those looking for some privacy. The rainforest is 5 minutes walk away and the beach a short walk (in the summer, we plan to start turtle conservation holidays) –we are in an ideal location for eco-tourists, hikers and divers alike. Bars, restaurants and a supermarket are a 5 minute drive away and the apartments are comfortable, with all amenities. Prices start fromUS$60 pernight. Further details are available at www.turtlebayapartments.com or telephone Montserrat 4914985 or 4931520.
International flights are to Antigua and there is a Winair connection on to Montserrat from Antigua.
Carolyne Coleby has lived in Montserrat since 2004. Her villa is located in the rainforests, surrounded by mountains, overlooking the ocean. She is a photographer who has travelled extensively in Europe, Asia and Australia and currently rents apartments (Turtle Bay Apartments) and has a gallery/coffeeshop where she displays her own and other local artists work. She plans to hold a photographic workshop with Ivan Kravtchenko, Caribbean Travel Photographer of the Year, next winter. She considers it a privilege to live in Montserrat, a very beautiful island with diverse scenery and a live volcano plus the friendliest people in the Caribbean. Having travelled all over the world, she real believes that Montserrat feels like home.
For more information, see the Tourist Board website at visitmontserrat.com visitmontserrat.com.
After two fascinating interviews, one with Lido Chilelli, the creator of the Toronto Beaches International Jazz Festival, and Bill Libbus, who had given me an insider tour of the historic Fire Station 227 on Queen Street, it was definitely time for a solid lunch. This was my conclusion as I started strolling eastwards on the main thoroughfare in the Beach. Close to the intersection of Queen and Kenilworth I came across a fairly new establishment: a restaurant called The Green Eggplant, located on the former premises of Il Fornello which had been one of my favourites in the area before it moved further east on Queen.
I decided it was time to check out the new tenant, so in I went. I had always enjoyed the layout of this restaurant with the big front windows that open out onto the street. Even though the furniture, the bar and the lighting were different, there was still a comfortable familiarity to these premises with their spacious layout and the beautiful brick walls that always feature unique art.
Since this was an impromptu visit, a “neighbourhood walk and talk” as I like to call it, I asked the waiter for the owner / manager, and a few minutes later I was joined by Serge Kuchak, the newly minted owner of The Green Eggplant. Serge has been in the restaurant business since he is 12 years old, and his previous restaurant management experience includes the Pickle Barrel chain in Toronto. Serge, originally from the Ukraine, has lived and travelled throughout many different countries including Germany, Greece, Israel and United States. He calls Toronto his home for 17 years and adds that he loves Toronto’s multicultural flair, something that makes it truly unique in the world.
Serge had planned to open his own upscale family restaurant and aimed to provide good size portions of healthy food with good prices. His goal was simple: to provide good food and good value for everybody. He pointed out that his menu is very diverse and includes a wide range of appetizers, salads, grilled dishes, burgers, pastas, stir fries, fresh fish and delicious desserts. An extensive wine and cocktail list rounds out the offerings at The Green Eggplant.
Since taking over the premises, Serge has put in a new floor, new seating and new lighting; he has sanded the wall, and put in a brand new bar and a new kitchen. Even the restrooms are nicely spiffed up. He spent two months on the renovation and replaced all the tiles and pipes. The restaurant opened at the end of December, and it has been very successful so far. Serge is very happy with the results.
One of the unique features of The Green Eggplant is a selection of three different eggplant-based dips that are served with Italian mixed breads. This free appetizer is put on every table at the start of a meal and consists of three different Mediterranean dips:
- the Baba Ganoush , a Middle Eastern delicacy
- the Eggplant salad hails from Greece
- the recipe for the Fried Eggplant Salad comes from Northern Italy.
I tasted these delicious dips with the fresh bread, and the portions were so generous that I almost quenched my hunger from the appetizer alone. I asked Serge what to order and he suggested a delicious chicken sandwich on toasted foccaccia bread, with roasted red peppers, spinach and goat cheese, accompanied by a tasty house salad. A delightful selection, and the portion was so big I had to get half the sandwich wrapped in a doggie bag to take home.
While Serge was doing some errands I started my snooping around the restaurant and connected with the experts in the kitchen: Vasanth and Alvic. Vasanth has been in Toronto for six years and arrived here from Sri Lanka. He has a computer science degree from a university in his native country and learned how to cook in Canada. Vasanth has worked in a variety of different well-known restaurants across Toronto and commented that he likes his new home town. He loves cooking and enjoys working hard, and when his customers are happy he is happy. Vasanth is also in charge of ordering the vegetables, the meat and the fish, organizes the fridge and handles the receiving. He likes working with Serge who hired him from his previous company.
Alvic Coronel is originally from the Philippines and has spent the last 15 years in Toronto. Before that he worked as a private chef for the Iranian ambassador in Geneva, Switzerland. Alvic enjoys adding creativity to his dishes. Last but not least I also checked in on the person who had looked after my table: Mark Forzon is the Floor Manager at the Green Eggplant. Mark came to Toronto from Lithuania and also used to work with Serge at the Pickle Barrel.
It was fun meeting this diverse team at The Green Eggplant, and they sure know how to put together creative, healthy and sizeable meals
Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called travelandtransitions.com Travel and Transitions( travelandtransitions.com travelandtransitions.com). Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences & interesting life journeys, interviews with travellers and travel experts, cross-cultural issues, and many other features.
Susanne has recently published a series of FREE travel ebooks about destinations such as Spain, Cuba, Mexico, Sicily, New York City, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, Nova Scotia and many more. Visit travelandtransitions.com/ebooks.html Travel and Transitions – FREE ebooks(www.travelandtransitions.com/ebooks.html)”Life is a Journey – Explore New Horizons”.
