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By admin, January 13, 2010 7:52 am

Where to visit in Bolivia

When in Sucre cheesy as the ‘dino mobile’ looks a trip to the dinosaur footprints will exceed your expectations.  The cost of a visit is cheap and the prints are extensive – it’s just such a shame & quite unbelievable that such a treasure is still part of a working quarry.  The prints scale a sheer rock face which shakes with dynamite explosions from the base even as you watch - let’s hope that UNESCO win their battle and these footprints are preserved for future generations.

Do not miss the world wonder which is the salt flats of Uyuni.  There are 2 choices of trip – either a 1 day trip out to the salt flats & back or a 3 day trip across the salt flats and on in to San Pedro De Atacama – Chile.  If Chile is on your travel path then this is proably the best trip to take as you will see all the attractions of the salt flats along with the red & green lagoons & flamingos.  The 1 day trip will however cover the salt flats element and from Uyuni you can get an overnight train down to the border with Argentina.  These trains do not leave every day though so worth checking before you arrive to avoid a prolonged stay in Uyuni.  Once in Uyuni every shop is a travel agent and trying to choose who to go with blows your mind – all offer pretty much the same thing the decider needs to be how good their English is and the state of their vehicles.  All operators have books with reviews from previous travellers so have a read of these before you decide.  We did it with Oasis tours (www.oasistours-bo.com)

La Paz is the unofficial capital of Bolivia and  the biggest city at high altitude in the world.  It´s a fascinating city, full of markets .. including the notorious witches market where Bolivians buy llama foetuses which hang in the doorways of all the shops – they´re believed to bring good luck if placed in the foundations of a building. For all those that have read ´Marching powder´ – yes the prison is still there but unfortunately when we were there nosy backpackers were no longer permitted access (although in Bolivia money talks so if you’re feeling brave it could be worth a try!).

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By admin, January 12, 2010 7:33 pm

Information about traveling to and within the country of Spain including flights, rail and road travel and ferry services

Mainland Spain is situated on the Iberian peninsula in the southwest of Europe. It also encompasses two groups of islands. The Islas Baleares (Balearic Islands), in the Mediterranean, Mallorca the largest island is just over one hundred miles off the eastern coast and the Islas Canarias (Canary Islands) which are situated approximately five hundred miles to the southwest and lie off the Atlantic coast of Morocco. Mellila and Cueta are two Spanish enclaves in Morocco on the African continent.

Whilst Spain is one of the world’s leading destinations for the package holiday there is more to this country than the beaches of the costas and islands. The independent traveler will want to move around see what more Spain has to offer.

Getting there – There are thirty one airports on the mainland serving the following cities and towns: A Coruna, Albacete, Alicante, Almería, Asturias, Badajoz, Barcelona, Bilbao, Burgos, Cordoba, Girona, Granada, Jerez de la Frontera, Leon, Madrid, Malaga, Murcia, Pamplona, Reus, Sabadell, Salamanca, San Sebastian, Santander, Santiago, Sevilla, Valencia, Valladolid, Vigo and Zaragoza. In the Canaries the islands of El Hierro, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, Lanzarote and Tenerife and in the Balearics Ibiza, Menorca and Mallorca all have airports. Gibraltar, the British colony at the southern most tip of Spain, also has it’s own airport. British Airways and the Monarch fly daily to Gibraltar from several departure points in the United Kingdom and Monarch has some very good deals on seats. Major carriers provide scheduled flights to Spain but it is also a principal destination for budget airlines with return flights available for less than 100 Euros from other European cities. It is also possible to pick up bargain seats on the many charter flights serving the tourist industry. Air travel within Spain, with the exception of a couple of budget airlines, is expensive.

Major roads provide access from Portugal to the west and France which borders Spain to the northeast. Road travel within the country can vary. Many roads are not of a good standard but Spain has received billions of Euros in aid from the European Union and much of this has been spent on the infrastructure and so it is also possible to travel on some of the newest and finest roads on the continent. The country is well served by many bus companies linking the major towns and cities with express services. There are also a wealth of local bus services.

The train service is well developed enabling access to the country from both Portugal and France and fast travel between towns and cities within Spain. Fares are cheap compared to some other major European countries. Madrid and Barcelona are served by extensive Metro (underground railway) networks.

In addition to the many inter island services ferries run from the mainland to both the island groups and the two enclaves in Morocco. The Canary Islands are served by a boat running from Cadiz. The journey is long, some 48 hours and the sea conditions often make for a rough passage. It may be preferable to fly although as we have already pointed out this can be expensive. Ferries from Tariffa and Algeciras, in the Andalucian province of Cadiz, run to Tanger in Morroco. Ferries also link the enclave of Cueta with Tariffa, Algeciras and Malaga. Mellila, the other enclave is served by a boats out of Malaga and Almeria. The Balearic Islands have services to the mainland running to Barcelona, Valencia and Denia.

More information about Spain can be found at the Spanish Travel Guide

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By admin, January 12, 2010 7:33 pm

Whether you are looking at starting a home business because you are looking for a great way to supplement your income or simply because you are ready to take a step back from the nine to five grind – you’re tired of working for someone else, tired of the commute, tired of not seeing your hard work pay off for you – you owe it to yourself to look at a variety of home business opportunities. After all, when you’re ready to start a home business, you need to be sure that you’re choosing the best home business for you.

What does it take to choose the best home business for your personality? How can you be sure that the home business ideas that you’ve had will prove to be profitable? How can you tell whether the home business opportunities that you are considering are really opportunities and not just cleverly disguised scams?

Choosing the best home business means taking a close look at yourself. Choosing the best home business ideas for you means taking the time to really look at what you are interested in, what you do particularly well and what you can see yourself making a commitment to.

For example, if you love to travel, you might be looking for home business opportunities that will allow you to see the world. While that may seem like a good idea, it’s important to look at the big picture. First, there is a lot of competition and, while most people do look to the internet for their travel needs, you will need to focus on building your reputation.

Further, simply beginning a travel home business will not ensure that you get to be the one who is doing most of the traveling. Because of this, home business opportunities in travel may not be as satisfying for you as you might hope that they would be.

On the other hand, if you are looking at home business ideas and have a great deal of experience in administrative positions, you might find that beginning a home business as a virtual assistant can be quite lucrative and enjoyable. Similarly, if you have held a number of accounting positions and enjoy the work but want to start working for yourself rather than a major company, you’re likely to find that there are great home business opportunities for those who can provide accounting services to small businesses and other home businesses.

Of course, finding home business opportunities do entail looking at more than simply what you are good at, what you are interested in and what you hope to accomplish. Choosing the right home business also means taking into consideration how much time you have to commit to the business, how much space you have in your home and whether or not you will need to invest in additional training and equipment.

If you find that you have a room in your home that can easily be converted into a home office, you are likely to find that you are in a better position to pursue home based opportunities that require a dedicated work space than someone who can only commit a corner of his or her dining room table.

Likewise, if you know that you are only able to commit a couple of hours a day to starting a home business, you are going to want to look for home business opportunities that will not require a full time commitment – at least initially. Knowing whether or not you will need additional training – to return to the example of creating a home business with accounting, if you have no experience or degree in a related field you are less likely to do well in an accounting home business – should also affect your decision.

That’s not to say that if you have an interest in providing accounting services or even tax services that it is not viable as a home business if you do not have the training. It’s merely to point out that, if you are looking for home business opportunities that you can take advantage of immediately, it may not be the best choice. On the other hand, if you are looking for home business ideas that you are willing to work toward, there’s nothing to say that you must rule it out.

Ultimately, there are nearly as many home business ideas as there are individuals who are interested in pursuing home business opportunities. If you are looking to start a home business, focus on your interests and experience. Do some research and, if it’s possible, talk with other home business owners to learn more about how they made the decision to pursue home business opportunities.

Focus on your strengths and weaknesses. Pursue the home business ideas that you have – if only by researching them to see whether or not they really are great opportunities. By taking the time to understand yourself and the home business opportunities that appeal to you, you will find that it is far easier to choose the home business that will be ideal for you.

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By admin, January 12, 2010 7:33 pm

Alexandria, Virginia is an absolute must see for anyone who enjoys and appreciates U.S. History. There are few places that can rival Alexandria for importance in the colonial and Revolutionary War era. In addition, Alexandria played a prominent role in the Civil War. Alexandria was founded in 1749 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Alexandria has much to offer visitors, with its abundance of outstanding examples of colonial architecture, and numerous U.S. National Historic landmarks. One of the notable landmarks is Woodlawn, which has been termed “America’s First Family Home” as it was a gift from George Washington to his nephew. It is the first property of the National Trust. Christ Church is also a U.S. Historic Landmark, and is one of the oldest Episcopal churches in the United States where George Washington and numerous other presidents have worshipped. Gadsby’s Tavern is another landmark that was the site of many political meetings during the Revolutionary and Early American years, and hosted many famous travelers, such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
In addition to the National Landmarks, Alexandria also offers visitors the opportunity to see the boyhood home of Robert E. Lee, and the George Washington Masonic Memorial. Other sites of interest include the Alexandria National Cemetery, which contains the graves of 3,500 Civil War soldiers; the Carlyle House, a fully restored 18th century Georgian mansion that was home to one of Alexandria’s founding citizens, John Carlyle; Fort Ward, which is a well preserved Civil War site with daily reenactments; and the Frank Lloyd Wright Pope-Leighey House that is one of the finest examples of the architect’s innovative methods. Ghost tours have also become a popular attraction in Alexandria. Notable stops on these tours include the Ramsey House, which is now the Alexandria’s visitor’s center, and is said to haunted by its original owner, and the Old Town Theatre.
Alexandria is also adjacent to Washington, D.C., which makes it an ideal location from which to explore the nation’s capitol. While it is easy to travel by the Capital Beltway, those who are not used to driving in D.C. may feel uncomfortable with this idea. However, another convenient way to travel between the two cities is by boat. A water taxi service can take visitors across the Potomac River in about 20 minutes. In addition, the Virginia Railway Express and Amtrak both offer very fast train service between Alexandria and Washington D.C.
Any visitor to Alexandria will have a large array of lodging choices. Numerous national chains have properties at a wide range of prices. However, there are a number of charming bed and breakfasts which give a traveler the feeling of being in a truly historical place and they range in price from moderate to expensive. Dining choices also offer a wide range of choices. There are several colonial style restaurants, some with staff in full costume, as well as Southern barbeque, seafood, charming cafes, and various chain restaurants.
In summary, any traveler who loves history will find many great places to explore and appreciate in Alexandria.