Monday, January 21, 2008
Sunshine island of Malta
The sunshine island of Malta are set to reverse the decline of recent years after the introduction of new routes from the island'score UK market, and recent news suggests that other European airlines could soon be landing at Malta Airport, bringing with them a new set oftourists.The Spanish airline, ClickAir, it was thought had hoped to operate a once a week return service from Barcelona Airport to Malta, but the Malteseauthorities persuaded them to increase this to a twice weekly service.It's an interesting development for Malta, which traditionally has relied on the UK market for tourism.Visitor numbers have declined in recent years, although signs are that this year could see a pick up from the UK as low cost airlines start to deliverpassengers on the island.Tourists arriving from new markets as well as the core UK one could see a good improvement in holiday and hotel bookings in the years ahead.As British holiday arrivals have dropped, some of the slack has been taken up by tourists from Italy, reducing the overall impact of less tourists. StJulian's seems to be a particularly favoured area of the Italian visitors.Flights And VisitorsRyanair's new routes from London and Dublin to Malta have proved a success both for the airline and for the island since the launch in November oftheir Luton flights. Initial estimates of an extra 80,000 tourists due to Ryanair might be much lower than the true figure when results are published, asignificant boost for the holidays in Malta industry. Reports suggest that Ryanair might be considering further flights to Malta from differentdestinations. Whether this will be from the UK or elsewhere isn't clear yet.Air Malta, the island's national airline, has run a successful campaign to sell seats, and has opened a new route from the North-West of England,flying from Liverpool's John Lennon Airport.With the arrival of more holidaymakers, the possibility of increased property sales to overseas buyers becomes more of a reality as well, so the realestate sector as well as the holiday market is keeping a keen eye on arrival figures for the months ahead.Some UK overseas property agencies who deal with property in Malta think that property prices could rise in 2007.'With lower fares, Malta becomes a destination viable for 3 and 4 days trips a few times a year from the UK, and that will attract buyers to look atMalta in the same way they do France and Spain when considering where to buy a holiday home abroad. The weather in Malta and low fares could bea magnet for buyers', commented one recently,There is a warning however from some that property prices on the island might not necessarily escalate in the same way that regions of France haveseen when low cost airlines have started flying to their districts.
Uacari lodge-Amazone unforgetable travel destination
I had always been told that if you wanted to see wildlife do not go to the Amazon. That the jungle was so dense that you could never see the wildlife and that the wildlife was mostly nocturnal. Well, I recently decided to venture into the Jungle, after a conference in Manaus, and was pleasantly surprised.
I spent 2 days at the Uacari lodge and saw more wildlife than I had ever in my life - Pink dolphins, piranhas, monkeys, huge fish, and vast quantities of birds.
I then ventured over to the Amazonat lodge, which in 2 hours drive from Manaus and had some incredible interpretive tours with a local Indian guide. The guide showed us fluorescent fungus that lit up the jungle at night, the huge Amazon tarantula coming out of its hole in the ground, took us fishing for piranhas and many other large river fish, and even made me a blow gun just like the Indians use.
I spent 2 days at the Uacari lodge and saw more wildlife than I had ever in my life - Pink dolphins, piranhas, monkeys, huge fish, and vast quantities of birds.
I then ventured over to the Amazonat lodge, which in 2 hours drive from Manaus and had some incredible interpretive tours with a local Indian guide. The guide showed us fluorescent fungus that lit up the jungle at night, the huge Amazon tarantula coming out of its hole in the ground, took us fishing for piranhas and many other large river fish, and even made me a blow gun just like the Indians use.
Nusa dua & Kuta Bali, Nice places to Visit
Most places we visited outside of Nusa Dua had many semi-stray dogs hanging around. Most of them were tame, or bored, and did not pay attention to us. However, you'll want to keep a close eye on toddlers who might be tempted to reach out and pet a strange pooch.
Often taxis don't have seat belts. If you need a car seat, you will have to bring it with you.
Our hotel, and the hotels of all of the people we spoke with staying outside of Nusa Dua, did not have smoke detectors installed in the rooms. Bring one along for added safety (we have more information on hotel room safety).
Some places had ever so many mosquitos. We brought OFF pump spray with us and it helped a bit. We did not see any familiar brands of repellant in the stores, so bring it with you if you plan to use it.
You should also consider bringing some anti-itch salve for when the little ones get bitten.
Vendors, hawkers, whatever you call them, are just everywhere and it gets annoying. They are selling a variety of junk that would fill the old King Dome, to include by actual verified sighting: ice cream (Wall's, from the UK), hats, leather belts, bows and arrows, necklaces, fake Rolex's (I checked, just for research purposes, and the prices seemed to vary from US$5 to whatever the vendor thought I'd, um, I mean someone else'd, pay), rings, blow dart guns, massages, gems real or imagined, sunglasses, kites, junky toys likely from China and space shuttle parts.
OK, I'm kidding about the space shuttle parts but the rest is true. The vendors are aggressive and persistant. Some are rude. If you don't want to debate with your kids, for the 83'rd time this morning, why you are not buying a dart gun, settle the issue before hitting the beach (By the way, I watched one tourist bargain the dart gun guy down to US$10 before changing his mind).
Bali is 12 degrees below the equator, and the sun can burn right through clothing. Sunscreen was available widely, but was more expensive than U.S. prices. A hat is required for the kids, and special care should be taken with little ones in the sun. The best sun block for kids is one with Titanium. The sun is too intense for regular sun block.
Sidewalks can be uneven, poorly lit and are build very high up to avoid flooding during the rainy season; there is a lot of up and down as you cross driveways. No stroller really works on the sidewalks. In some areas there are no sidewalks, and precious little shoulder to keep your heirs from incoming traffic. Outside of the built-up areas it will be very, very difficult going with a stroller and impossible if it had only tiny wheels. Bring a flashlight with you at night to help spot bad spots in the sidewalk.
Folks drive on the left on Bali, as they do, for example, in the UK and Japan. If you come from a place where one drives on the right, you need to be very careful to look the right, er, the correct way before crossing a street. Most traffic laws seem optional on Bali, so even if your kids can cross streets at home safely, they will need help on Bali.
We saw no crime. We never felt unsafe at night, though others talked of pickpockets and some limited street crime in naughtier parts of Kuta after dark.
Often taxis don't have seat belts. If you need a car seat, you will have to bring it with you.
Our hotel, and the hotels of all of the people we spoke with staying outside of Nusa Dua, did not have smoke detectors installed in the rooms. Bring one along for added safety (we have more information on hotel room safety).
Some places had ever so many mosquitos. We brought OFF pump spray with us and it helped a bit. We did not see any familiar brands of repellant in the stores, so bring it with you if you plan to use it.
You should also consider bringing some anti-itch salve for when the little ones get bitten.
Vendors, hawkers, whatever you call them, are just everywhere and it gets annoying. They are selling a variety of junk that would fill the old King Dome, to include by actual verified sighting: ice cream (Wall's, from the UK), hats, leather belts, bows and arrows, necklaces, fake Rolex's (I checked, just for research purposes, and the prices seemed to vary from US$5 to whatever the vendor thought I'd, um, I mean someone else'd, pay), rings, blow dart guns, massages, gems real or imagined, sunglasses, kites, junky toys likely from China and space shuttle parts.
OK, I'm kidding about the space shuttle parts but the rest is true. The vendors are aggressive and persistant. Some are rude. If you don't want to debate with your kids, for the 83'rd time this morning, why you are not buying a dart gun, settle the issue before hitting the beach (By the way, I watched one tourist bargain the dart gun guy down to US$10 before changing his mind).
Bali is 12 degrees below the equator, and the sun can burn right through clothing. Sunscreen was available widely, but was more expensive than U.S. prices. A hat is required for the kids, and special care should be taken with little ones in the sun. The best sun block for kids is one with Titanium. The sun is too intense for regular sun block.
Sidewalks can be uneven, poorly lit and are build very high up to avoid flooding during the rainy season; there is a lot of up and down as you cross driveways. No stroller really works on the sidewalks. In some areas there are no sidewalks, and precious little shoulder to keep your heirs from incoming traffic. Outside of the built-up areas it will be very, very difficult going with a stroller and impossible if it had only tiny wheels. Bring a flashlight with you at night to help spot bad spots in the sidewalk.
Folks drive on the left on Bali, as they do, for example, in the UK and Japan. If you come from a place where one drives on the right, you need to be very careful to look the right, er, the correct way before crossing a street. Most traffic laws seem optional on Bali, so even if your kids can cross streets at home safely, they will need help on Bali.
We saw no crime. We never felt unsafe at night, though others talked of pickpockets and some limited street crime in naughtier parts of Kuta after dark.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo
One of the island’s most popular family attractions is the Bermuda
Aquarium and Zoo, Tel. 441/293-2727. The Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo is
an excellent stop for families looking for a break from the beach.
From
the moment you step from the sunny outdoors to the dark, cool interior of the
aquarium, you’ll be transported into the undersea environment that lies
just off Bermuda’s pink beaches. The well-kept tanks each feature local
marine life ranging from green morays to grey triggerfish. Free audio handsets
allow visitors to hear more about the tank’s residents.
The aquarium
is just the introduction to the large complex, however. Outside, harbor seals
play in their tanks or laze in the sunshine.
Nearby, the Natural
History Museum houses exhibits on everything from whaling to undersea
exploration.
The Local Tails building contains some of the best exhibits
for children. Young travelers can pick up a conch in the touch tank, listen to
the call of a local bird or use a remote operated camera to explore an aquarium.
Outside stands the zoo. Along with free-ranging peacocks and exhibits of lemurs
and sloths, the zoo is especially noted for its Australasia exhibit.
Animals
are separated from visitors by flowering water to provide an unobstructed view.
Matschies Tree Kangaroo, tree shrews, Murray river turtles, and binturong or bear
cat are found in the display.
Another excellent family stop is the Naval
Royal Dockyard. Recently restored, these extensive dockyards offer a
half day of activity including shopping mall housed in an history structure, a
crafts market, and, best of all, the Bermuda Maritime Museum, Tel. 441/234-1418.
Save at least two hours for a visit to this extensive collection which is located
in the island’s largest fort. Kids will find special signage at many displays
where they can learn more about Bermuda’s maritime history and facts on
everything from how to make a compass to why early sailors thought the island
was haunted.
If it rains during your visit, there’s always one place
that’s got perfect weather: the Crystal Caves, Tel. 441/293-0640.
This limestone cavern was accidentally found in 1907 by two boys playing cricket
and since that time has been open to the public. You’ll enjoy a look at
cave formations and small pools in this underground wonderland.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Toronto's Street Festival
The outcome of all these consultations is Toronto's new brand: Toronto Unlimited, which is intended to express Toronto's unlimited opportunities, whether they be in film, biotechnology, meetings, conventions or tourism. Our mayor, David Miller, announced that "Toronto is a financial and cultural leader" and competes with such international renowned cities as Chicago, Milan and Barcelona. I learned that upcoming major investments in arts and culture include a new home for the Toronto International Film Festival; renovations and additions to the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario; and construction of the Four Seasons Performing Arts Centre, the new home of the National Ballet of Canada and the Canadian Opera Company.
The creation of the new brand of Toronto went hand in hand with the development of a new set of logos, that also encompass stylized images of musical notes, a camera, balloons, a knife and fork, and a paintbrush, images that symbolize the great diversity of entertainment and culture Toronto has to offer.
The echo in the press, on talk radio and other interactive media has been mixed, I have heard comments that Toronto Unlimited is "too bland", "too corporate", and the logos are not everybody's cup of tea. But when I think about it, my own personal experience has been that Toronto is a city that provides a great deal of opportunity, both as far as entertainment and leisure is concerned, as well as business opportunities, and the opportunity to truly become oneself, given Toronto's open-minded, tolerant environment.
Taking myself as an example, I came from a small rural town in Europe, barely at the age of 20, was able to complete 2 university degrees part-time in Toronto, build a full-time business with several employees that has now been in existence for 15 years, and as of last year, I have also ventured forth into the sphere of Internet publishing.
So I would say, this Toronto environment has been very successful for me, and the implication of "unlimited opportunity" is really not that far-fetched. From my own experience, Toronto provides a great mix of entrepreneurial spirit combined with a strong social conscience, which in my opinion is a tough combination to achieve, particularly when you throw in the hundreds of ethnic groups and thousands of new immigrants that come to Toronto every year. Overall I'd say the city has managed these challenges fairly well and I am proud to be part of this multicultural mix in my new home town.
Of course Toronto is not only a good place for entrepreneurs and immigrants, it's also a pretty fun place. Take this weekend for example. This past weekend alone there were 9 major entertainment events going on:
- The Celebrate Toronto Street Festival - Toronto's outdoor festival with music, food, performing arts and audience participation that takes place on 4 major intersections along Yonge Street
- Afrofest, a festival of African music and dance
- Beats, Breaks & Culture: Toronto's Electronic Music Festival
- The Corso Italia Toronto Fiesta - Italian food and culture on St. Clair Avenue
- The Molson Indy, one of the most popular races with the Champ Car World Series
- The Ontario Place Canada Dry Festival of Fireworks - the Grand Finale
- The Taste of Lawrence Festival - food and entertainment for the whole family
- The Fringe of Toronto Theatre Festival - hosting over 750 artists from Canada and the world in 134 productions, and
- The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition - featuring established artists, undiscovered talents and innovative students in traditional and experimental art forms.
When I read the line-up of events this weekend I was astounded at the breadth of events offered on one weekend, and time is simply too short to sample them all. But my husband and I decided to hop on the bike and check out the Celebrate Toronto Street Festival. We got going around noon yesterday and checked out the Yonge and Eglinton location first. The festival had just started and the crowd was still a little thin. A band was playing on the Midtown Stage, there were a number of food stands, Mr. Bunk was entertaining the crowd with his clowning, marionettes and juggling and there was a midway with a number of rides, entertaining the crowd.
We then headed south to the St. Clair location of the Street Festival. Riding our bikes south on Yonge Street was great fun. There was very little traffic, people had seemed to heed the traffic warnings and refrained from bringing their cars into the downtown core. Since the terrain slopes noticeable downwards as you approach the lake, the ride was a breeze and with very little traffic we didn't have to worry about getting cut off by motorists. At St. Clair we stopped to watch the tango lessons that pulled in some keen participants from the crowd.
On Dundas Square, at Yonge and Dundas, across from the Eaton Centre, there was another big stage and an African band Fojeba was playing hot African rhythms. Further south Professor Olaf Stevenson was using his chest of drawers, using everyday objects and even vegetables, to entertain the crowd. We headed further south, in search of some comfortable outdoor seating and some food and we ended up at Harbourfront, Toronto's waterfront entertainment district. We plunked ourselves down on an outside bench where we had a beautiful view of downtown Toronto's skyscrapers.
Once refreshed we started our trip home and headed eastwards. After the hustble and bustle of downtown I stopped off at one of my favourite places: Toronto's Eastern Beaches. A major beach volleyball tournament was going on and thousands of people were sunbathing, pick-nicking, swimming (the water quality of our beaches has improved substantially so people can swim in the water again), rollerblading, biking, walking their dogs. The Beaches are just a zoo on a beautiful Saturday or Sunday afternoon, and it's a perfect spot for people watching. One of the areas that often draws a crowd is a place where there are numerous large loose stones that people assemble into stone sculptures, or "inukshuks" as these sculptures are called by Native People. A young couple was going at it and they were balancing large odd-shaped stones precariously on top of one another, drawing an admiring crowd.
The 2 young people later pulled out a sign saying that they were making a living from building the stone sculptures, and indeed a few appreciating members of the crowd made some monetary contributions. While I was watching them, people sat down beside me on the bench, and it's just a normal every-day occurrence in Toronto to hear French, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi or Russian right around you. After a snooze on the bench by the water I headed further eastwards to a much quieter area of the Beaches and I strengthened myself before having to ride up the steep hill from the Beaches to our neighbourhood. I briefly sat on another bench and admired all the activities on the beach and then got on my bike to go home.
Although I sometimes still miss the mountains, (not surprising, coming from someone who's grown up in the Alps), I do love Toronto's waterfront, and it's fabulous being located on one of the Great Lakes. When I get to the Beaches, it's almost like being on an ocean, since you can't see the shoreline on the New York State side. It's such a relaxing, leisure-oriented place and it's perfect for people-watching. The whole neighbourhood has such a relaxed atmosphere to it, with the ecclectic shops and restaurants on Queen Street, that I call it "my little California".
By the waterfront itself, on any given day you could be watching beach volleyball players, kite-flyers, tennis players at the Kew Gardens Tennis Club, Lacrosse or occasionally even championship rowers, practicing their strokes. Recently I did a 50 km ride on my bike and I went all the way west past Harbourfront, to the CNE grounds, admiring the sailboat harbours, going as far west as the Sunnyside Beach Pavillon on Toronto's Western Beaches. I find the waterfront is the perfect place to restore inner balance after a hectic work week. Although I was unable to catch all the entertainment events going over the past few days in Toronto, overall it was a great weekend.
The creation of the new brand of Toronto went hand in hand with the development of a new set of logos, that also encompass stylized images of musical notes, a camera, balloons, a knife and fork, and a paintbrush, images that symbolize the great diversity of entertainment and culture Toronto has to offer.
The echo in the press, on talk radio and other interactive media has been mixed, I have heard comments that Toronto Unlimited is "too bland", "too corporate", and the logos are not everybody's cup of tea. But when I think about it, my own personal experience has been that Toronto is a city that provides a great deal of opportunity, both as far as entertainment and leisure is concerned, as well as business opportunities, and the opportunity to truly become oneself, given Toronto's open-minded, tolerant environment.
Taking myself as an example, I came from a small rural town in Europe, barely at the age of 20, was able to complete 2 university degrees part-time in Toronto, build a full-time business with several employees that has now been in existence for 15 years, and as of last year, I have also ventured forth into the sphere of Internet publishing.
So I would say, this Toronto environment has been very successful for me, and the implication of "unlimited opportunity" is really not that far-fetched. From my own experience, Toronto provides a great mix of entrepreneurial spirit combined with a strong social conscience, which in my opinion is a tough combination to achieve, particularly when you throw in the hundreds of ethnic groups and thousands of new immigrants that come to Toronto every year. Overall I'd say the city has managed these challenges fairly well and I am proud to be part of this multicultural mix in my new home town.
Of course Toronto is not only a good place for entrepreneurs and immigrants, it's also a pretty fun place. Take this weekend for example. This past weekend alone there were 9 major entertainment events going on:
- The Celebrate Toronto Street Festival - Toronto's outdoor festival with music, food, performing arts and audience participation that takes place on 4 major intersections along Yonge Street
- Afrofest, a festival of African music and dance
- Beats, Breaks & Culture: Toronto's Electronic Music Festival
- The Corso Italia Toronto Fiesta - Italian food and culture on St. Clair Avenue
- The Molson Indy, one of the most popular races with the Champ Car World Series
- The Ontario Place Canada Dry Festival of Fireworks - the Grand Finale
- The Taste of Lawrence Festival - food and entertainment for the whole family
- The Fringe of Toronto Theatre Festival - hosting over 750 artists from Canada and the world in 134 productions, and
- The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition - featuring established artists, undiscovered talents and innovative students in traditional and experimental art forms.
When I read the line-up of events this weekend I was astounded at the breadth of events offered on one weekend, and time is simply too short to sample them all. But my husband and I decided to hop on the bike and check out the Celebrate Toronto Street Festival. We got going around noon yesterday and checked out the Yonge and Eglinton location first. The festival had just started and the crowd was still a little thin. A band was playing on the Midtown Stage, there were a number of food stands, Mr. Bunk was entertaining the crowd with his clowning, marionettes and juggling and there was a midway with a number of rides, entertaining the crowd.
We then headed south to the St. Clair location of the Street Festival. Riding our bikes south on Yonge Street was great fun. There was very little traffic, people had seemed to heed the traffic warnings and refrained from bringing their cars into the downtown core. Since the terrain slopes noticeable downwards as you approach the lake, the ride was a breeze and with very little traffic we didn't have to worry about getting cut off by motorists. At St. Clair we stopped to watch the tango lessons that pulled in some keen participants from the crowd.
On Dundas Square, at Yonge and Dundas, across from the Eaton Centre, there was another big stage and an African band Fojeba was playing hot African rhythms. Further south Professor Olaf Stevenson was using his chest of drawers, using everyday objects and even vegetables, to entertain the crowd. We headed further south, in search of some comfortable outdoor seating and some food and we ended up at Harbourfront, Toronto's waterfront entertainment district. We plunked ourselves down on an outside bench where we had a beautiful view of downtown Toronto's skyscrapers.
Once refreshed we started our trip home and headed eastwards. After the hustble and bustle of downtown I stopped off at one of my favourite places: Toronto's Eastern Beaches. A major beach volleyball tournament was going on and thousands of people were sunbathing, pick-nicking, swimming (the water quality of our beaches has improved substantially so people can swim in the water again), rollerblading, biking, walking their dogs. The Beaches are just a zoo on a beautiful Saturday or Sunday afternoon, and it's a perfect spot for people watching. One of the areas that often draws a crowd is a place where there are numerous large loose stones that people assemble into stone sculptures, or "inukshuks" as these sculptures are called by Native People. A young couple was going at it and they were balancing large odd-shaped stones precariously on top of one another, drawing an admiring crowd.
The 2 young people later pulled out a sign saying that they were making a living from building the stone sculptures, and indeed a few appreciating members of the crowd made some monetary contributions. While I was watching them, people sat down beside me on the bench, and it's just a normal every-day occurrence in Toronto to hear French, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi or Russian right around you. After a snooze on the bench by the water I headed further eastwards to a much quieter area of the Beaches and I strengthened myself before having to ride up the steep hill from the Beaches to our neighbourhood. I briefly sat on another bench and admired all the activities on the beach and then got on my bike to go home.
Although I sometimes still miss the mountains, (not surprising, coming from someone who's grown up in the Alps), I do love Toronto's waterfront, and it's fabulous being located on one of the Great Lakes. When I get to the Beaches, it's almost like being on an ocean, since you can't see the shoreline on the New York State side. It's such a relaxing, leisure-oriented place and it's perfect for people-watching. The whole neighbourhood has such a relaxed atmosphere to it, with the ecclectic shops and restaurants on Queen Street, that I call it "my little California".
By the waterfront itself, on any given day you could be watching beach volleyball players, kite-flyers, tennis players at the Kew Gardens Tennis Club, Lacrosse or occasionally even championship rowers, practicing their strokes. Recently I did a 50 km ride on my bike and I went all the way west past Harbourfront, to the CNE grounds, admiring the sailboat harbours, going as far west as the Sunnyside Beach Pavillon on Toronto's Western Beaches. I find the waterfront is the perfect place to restore inner balance after a hectic work week. Although I was unable to catch all the entertainment events going over the past few days in Toronto, overall it was a great weekend.
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