Taste your way around the world

I was fortunate to grow up in a family where both of my parents love food. It was common for my family to sit down to dinner and pig out on dishes of all kinds - whether it was Thai food, Mexican, Greek, Turkish, African, ostrich, crocodile or a combination of many types. This is why I have grown up to be very passionate about food, at least when it comes to eating it, since cooking is still one of my weaker skills! This week on Fodor's website they listed in their article Culinary Tourist: A Curious Eater's Checklist, several different authentic dishes from around the world. Check a few of them out below!

Whether a food is exotic or not completely depends on the experience of the person consuming it. Fodor's editors and writers have had the good fortune and fortitude to have tried the following local specialties.

Okonomiyaki
A Local Treat In: Japan
A kind of pancake made with egg, meat, and vegetables, okonomiyakis

Geitost & Norvegia
A Local Treat In: Norway
Norway's famous brown goat cheese, Geitost (a sweet, caramel-flavor whey cheese made from goat and cow's milk) and Norvegia (a Norwegian Gouda-like cheese) are on virtually every table. They are eaten in thin slices, cut with a cheese plane or slicer---a Norwegian invention---on buttered wheat or rye bread.

Bourride
A Local Treat In: Provence, France
This poached fish dish owes its anise kick to pastis and its garlic punch to aioli. The name comes from Provencal bourrio, which translates less poetically as "boiled." Monkfish--known as baudroie in Provence and lotte in the rest of France.

Medialunas
A Local Treat In: Argentina
These croissant-like pastries are a cafe breakfast staple and come in two types: de grasa, which tend to be a little drier and skinnier but have a very delicate, mellow taste, and de manteca, which are plump, moist, sweet, and hard not to eat six of at a time.

Rijstafel
A Local Treat In: Amsterdam, Holland
This multi-ingredient Indonesian dish with rice, vegetables or meat, and sweet and spicy condiments is a tasty legacy of Dutch colonialism.

Check out more of these at Fodor's website!

Finding the freshest Breath

No matter where in the world people travel to these days, there is no escaping the air we breathe. A great article was posted in Travel and Leisure magazine discussing the air quality from around the world. I chose a small piece from the article The Worlds Cleanest Air as well as listed the top 10 places to visit to find the cleanest air.

Even if you live in a clean, ecologically conscious area, you may be inhaling pollutants from faraway, less-pristine locales. Your hometown air may contain microscopic particles of mercury-coated coal dust from China, diesel from Europe, ozone from LA, or carbon monoxide from India —or possibly a cocktail of all of the above.

With more and more travelers looking to take a breather from pollution, it’s no surprise that destinations are starting to boast about having the world’s cleanest air. But even in the wilds of Alaska it’s possible to suck in trace elements of toxic fumes from Siberian coal mines. So where, exactly, can travelers go to be sure of finding pure O₂?

Air cleanliness is usually measured by monitoring stations set up by local governments with the purpose of assessing long-term changes in carbon dioxide or ozone. These stations track air purity by measuring more than 250 pollutants, which can vary drastically in their harmfulness. Air that looks clean can still harbor invisible, odorless toxins, while a hazy horizon can sometimes be caused by harmless water vapor.

Travel and Leisure's list of places with the cleanest air are: Tasmania, Big Island, HI, Iceland, Cape Peninsula, South Africa, Tahiti, Samoa, Antarctica, Easter Island, Patagonia's Lakes, and South Island, New Zealand,

For more, visit Travel & Leisure

Gaudi Gaudi Gaudi!

Some of my fondest memories from my Euro-trip a few summers ago was Barcelona and not just for the beaches. Gaudi was an amazing artist of his time and used the city as his canvas to create art. I was able to see many of Gaudi's creations, my favorite being Gaudi Park which overlooks the whole city. Lola Akinmade, an author for GoNOMAD visited this crazy city and wrote an article all about Gaudi and his masterpieces. Read below for more from "Tracing Gaudí around Barcelona"

While many artists remain content displaying their masterpieces in galleries and museums, one of Spain’s most profilic and world renowned artists, Antonio Gaudí, made the entire city of Barcelona his living, breathing museum with instantly recognizable landmarks – series of twisting structures, colorful tiles and mosaics, and undulating patterns.

"Tortures of the imagination, fetuses in stone, bulbous obscenities!” one harsh critic of Gaudi’s was recorded as saying in the 1950s. Gaudi had initially been received with disdain throughout Barcelona amongst his peers and other artists.

"Send Gaudi and the Sagrada Familia to Hell," Pablo Picasso once wrote in a letter to a friend at the turn of the twentieth century. The profound artist was said to have disliked Gaudi’s work.

A staunch Catholic, Gaudí designed Sagrada Familia to have eighteen towers; 12 representing the apostles of Christ, four for the evangelists, one for Mary, mother of Christ and the last for Jesus himself.

Completed in 1900 for industrialist Count Eusebi Güell, Park Güell was intended to provide garden-like solace for the count and support sixty luxury plots for houses, boasting beautiful views of the city.

In the end, only two houses were constructed, and when one was up for sale, Gaudí purchased it and moved in with his family.

Now a city park, at the main entrance to Park Güell is a bench formed as a colorfully tiled sea serpent or dragon. In 2007, the dragon was vandalized by a group of youths but has since been restored.

Colorful mosaics, stone structures, motifs of Catalan culture, as well as mystic elemental designs were integrated into the overall design of the park.

To learn more about Gaudi, visit GoNOMAD

The wonderful world of SCUBA

After a weekend in the fun and sun down in Florida, I came with my scuba certification finished. Scuba diving is a great sport if you enjoy the water, the sun, the marine life, and a little bit of risk. It was better than I could have ever imagined and I now I can dive anywhere in the world. After doing some research of my own online I found a great article that gives an excellent intro into diving and lists just a few of the many amazing places to go scuba diving. So if you are like me and interested, please read below from the article Exploring the Great Blue

Imagine feeding reef sharks or kissing dolphins in the Bahamas, exploring underwater caves and tunnels in Malta, swimming with hammerheads in the Galapagos, wandering through the Royal Navy's HMS Proselyte (which sank in 1801) at St Martin, or witnessing the coral polyps releasing clouds of sperm and eggs on Aprils' full moon in Western Australia. The undersea is, in many ways, the world's last frontier.

Before you can dive, you need to be certified fit by a medical professional; this involves a quick, standard test which you can either have at home (ask at your local clinic) or once you arrive at your destination (arranged by diving schools). Most people pass the test easily, although some conditions, like asthma, automatically put you on the borderline.

The Red Sea

Stretching from the Bab El Mandab (between Yemen and Ethiopia) and the point where the Sinai peninsula splits into Eilat and Suez, the vast Red Sea is one of the world's most popular diving spots: it offers a wide range of marine life, warm water, good visibility, coral formations, and both shallow and deep diving.

Asia

The most accessible place in Asia is Thailand, and the best spots in Thailand are some of the islands off the west coast of the Thai peninsula.

Australia

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most extensive and colourful reef systems in the world, and the outer sections of the reef are best.

Caribbean

Hundreds of islands in the Caribbean-Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Bahamas, Bonaire, Tobago, Cuba, and many others-are known for their colourful coral formations, warm waters, and abundant fishes, ranging from the enthralling colours of small fish (such as parrotfish, demselfish and hogfish), and to friendly large fish, including sharks and dolphins, that have got used to divers feeding them.

For more of this article visit this site

Have more fun in the sun and be SAFE!

As summer beckons New England and the rest of the United States, it is always best to be prepared and safe for the upcoming season. There are numerous ways to get into trouble and so knowing some basic safety tips could mean the difference between a great and a not so great time under the sun. The American Red Cross lists several safety suggestions. Below are just a few of the things to think about this summer.

Water Safety

• Swim in supervised areas only.
• Obey all rules and posted signs.
• Pay attention to local weather conditions and forecasts.
  

Boating Safety

Whether you're the captain of a schooner or a passenger on a skiboat, following safety guidelines ensures your safety and that of other seafarers.

• Be weather wise:
  Sudden wind shifts, lightning flashes and choppy water all can mean a storm is brewing. Bring a portable radio to check weather reports.
• Bring extra gear you may need:
  A flashlight, extra batteries, matches, a map of where you are, flares, sun tan lotion, first aid kit, extra sunglasses. Put those that need to be protected in a watertight pouch or a container that floats.
  
• Tell someone where you're going, who is with you, and how long you'll be away.
  

Sun Safety

Summer means fun in the sun! But be safe — don't let a heat-related illness ruin your day.
Always drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks when working or playing in the hot weather.

Hiking and Camping Safety

Many families will head to our national parks and forests this summer to enjoy the great outdoors. But if you're not prepared to rough it in the woods, hiking or camping can be a rough experience. The best way to help guarantee a good time for all is to plan ahead carefully and follow commonsense safety precautions.

For more summer safety tips, visit American Red Cross

Affordable International travel destinations

As prices go up, the interest to many to travel overseas goes down. Sadly even our neighbor Canada, is becoming unafr0dable to visit. The New York Times however went on a search to locate destinations that will not deplete your wallet entirely. Read below for more from The Stretch-Your-Dollar Travel Planner

When a bottled water in London sets you back $5, an ordinary croque monsieur in Paris runs $15, and a dollar bill in Québec City buys only $1.02 CAN (thanks for nothing, Canada!), the appetite for international travel pretty much disappears. But it doesn’t have to. The Mexican peso has barely budged over the past five years; Belize politely pegs its dollar to ours at a two-to-one ratio; Ecuador now accepts only greenbacks; and even euro-zone countries are affordable, if you take a chance on group travel, or stay away from the major cities.

MEXICO
Easy to get to and consistently cheap—so long as you avoid the big resort towns. Plus the peso’s a pleasant eleven to the dollar.

EGYPT
The dollar’s held relatively steady against the Egyptian pound, and everything’s cheap here anyway.

ECUADOR
The geographically blessed nation switched currencies from the sucre to the U.S. dollar in 2000.

VIETNAM
The dollar’s modest dip in 2007 did little to offset how incredibly inexpensive Vietnam is.

Yes, the Euro and the pound have been killing the dollar. But that doesn’t mean a European vacation is entirely out of the question. You just have to be smarter about where you go.

Closer to Home

No customs hassles, no confusing coinage, no pocket translators, no currency calculators. Just bring a debit card and a sense of adventure.

For more destinations, visit NY Travel

The Bourbon Tour

Bourbon is an American whiskey that has been found on shelves worldwide. Kentucky, also known for their horses, is also known as the capital of the alcohol. One of GoNOMADs writers went down and took a tour of the Bourbon trail. Below is more from: Drive-Through Liquor: Exploring the Bourbon Trail

I have never before been to a liquor store that has an entire wall devoted exclusively to bourbon, or driven through a drive-through liquor window, until I visited the bourbon-loving state of Kentucky.

Bourbon History

Since the late 18th Century, Kentuckians have taken advantage of their natural surroundings by using the bountiful limestone spring water and prevalent grains grown on their surrounding fertile farmlands to distill fine Kentucky bourbon.

Bourbon was born in a place called Bourbon County, Kentucky, in 1786, and was named after the unique corn-spirit distilled specifically in this county.

Bourbon is unique to the US and is currently only made in the state of Kentucky. Today, most bourbon is now distilled in Nelson County, but the product still bears the name of its Bourbon County heritage.

What makes a bourbon?

All bourbons are whiskeys, but not all whiskeys are bourbons. Kentucky bourbon is unique in that the formulation must contain at least 51% corn, with the other 49% may be comprised of any mixture of barley, wheat or rye. Whiskey, on the other hand, can be concocted of any percentage or combination of the aforementioned grains.

Distillery Details

All of the distillery tours on the Bourbon trail are free, and most (except Jack Daniel’s due to the dryness of the county) include free tasting. The best time to visit is spring through fall, but tours generally run daily year-round.

For more, please visit GoNOMAD.com

Go for Green on Earth Day!

Earth Day is a name used for two different observances, both held annually during spring in the northern hemisphere, and autumn in the southern hemisphere. These are intended to inspire awareness of and appreciation for the Earth's environment. In an article I found about Earth Day, the author listed a few of the places which would be catering to this special day by providing eco-friendly food and services to the public. Read below for more on More "Green" Earth Day Travel Ideas

Apparently, it's not enough for some lodgings to provide "green" guests with simple eco-friendly amenities such as organic cotton sheets and hybrid shuttles, now, just in time for Earth Day, an increasing number of hotels are offering environmentally correct menu options at their in-house restaurants as well.

The on-site eateries are serving up organic and locally grown foods, much to the delight of tree hugging guests.

Heath-conscious "green" travelers in Colorado looking for an Earth Day deal should head over to Aspen's swank Little Nell. The lodging employs Ryan Hardy, a 2008 James Beard "Best Chef" regional finalist, who oversees Montagna. The in-house restaurant serves organic vegetables, pork, eggs and chicken, which are raised on a farm Hardy bought outside the city. He also makes his own cheese for the restaurant.

The same goes for the 20-room Canoe Bay resort in Chetek, Wisconsin. The resort's owners not only serve organic products, but guests can also forage for mushrooms, leeks and blackberries on the property with the resort's chef. If you don't feel like wrestling fresh mushrooms from the earth you could opt to join the chef to pick herbs such as lemongrass, cilantro, rosemary, and mint for dinner.

And it's not just smaller properties that are going "green," the Marriott chain has also jumped on the organic bandwagon by introducing a program that encourages its chefs to use locally sourced food. The initiative is said to be costing the chain a pretty penny, but executives say eco-friendly guests are more than willing to pay more for products that benefit the environment.

For more about what you can do for Earth Day check out this site

A glimpse into Melbourne, Australia

I had the privilege of visiting Australia many years ago and even at that young age I was amazed by the country. The people were friendly, the beaches were clean, the food was excellent. Max Hartshorne from GoNOMAD.com was given the opportunity to visit Melbourne just a week ago and wrote up an excellent into to the city and all it has to offer. Read below for more on Melbourne, Australia: The City of Arts, Sport and Fun:

Melbourne has the prosperous feel of a city on the up and up. I got this sense right after we got off the plane and stood in a line waiting for customs. As a cute blond Labrador was walked through the line, sniffing every passenger's feet and luggage, posters up on the wall described the multi-billion dollar upgrade going on at the airport, with new terminals, parking and jetways that will accommodate the biggest plane ever built, Airbus' A380.

The Wines Were Great But No 'Roos en Route

Today I joined a group of about twenty wine enthusiasts for a trip to the Yarra Valley's wine country. The van drove down winding roads through wooded hills and then onto more wide open areas with rolling hills and mountains in the distance.

Here too, I learned that screw tops are becoming more and more popular, as winemakers have discovered that the metal tops avoid cork rot that can spoil good wines.

The Tiny Butterfly Club is Where Talent Begins

In Melbourne, the arts are a seriously high priority. Whether it's public art in city squares, or nurturing the art of new clothing designers or performers, the arts are a big part of the experience of visiting here. Even the highways coming into the city are lined with gigantic steel posts, angling sideways, there just to make the city look nicer.

Last night I met two men who have developed the country's most successful incubation center for new cabaret talent, and do it without a penny of government grants or other assistance. In a country where arts dollars flow freely, this is a big change. They prefer to make money with a jumping bar and sell tickets to the lucky few who can snap them up.

The Butterfly Club operates in a cramped Victorian apartment in South Melbourne, where guests stream for 600 shows a year. The one-hour cabaret performances are held in an intimate 50-seat theatre. Neville, the affable silver-haired gent in charge of the front of the house, welcomed me with a glass of wine as I mingled with the pre-show audience just before nine last night.

For more on this article and others, please visit GoNOMAD.com

See Spot Run

Spring has finally started to show its true colors in the New England area and after this past weekend of some warmer weather, people are finally going outside. Humans however, are not the only species ready to enjoy the sun... no our four legged friends are just as excited to get out of the house where they were cooped up all winter.

Today in the Boston Globe there is an excellent article on places all over New England where people AND pets can go. Check out a few of the places below from the article 11 places to roam with Rover

1. CAMP GONE TO THE DOGS, MARLBORO AND STOWE, VT.

Camp has gone beyond kids and adults, now it's for dogs too. At this camp you and your dog train in verdant fields with homemade meals and on-site veterinarians. And you get to bunk together. campgonetothedogs.com.

2. BRIDGE OF FLOWERS, SHELBURNE FALLS (my hometown!)

I can put in a few words of my own here --- a beautiful town, small and quaint with lots of art and sights to see. The Bridge of Flowers is a huge draw for the town which has over 24,000 visitors, many accompanied by four-legged friends. The Bridge of Flowers was built 100 years ago and many years later money was raised to turn the bridge into a suspended garden of sorts. Shelburne Falls Attractions

5. DOG MOUNTAIN GALLERY AND CHAPEL, ST. JOHNSBURY, VT.

Canines and art, a marriage centuries old. Here you see dog-inspired woodcuts, sculpture, furniture, and a children’s book by folk artist Stephen Huneck, who owns and operates the gallery and chapel on a 175-acre hillside in the Green Mountain State. Visitors are encouraged to post their memories and photos of their late pets on the chapel walls. The lively ones who succeeded them are welcome to frolic on the hilly landscape. dogmt.com

Please check out the rest of the places where dogs and people can walk free at the Boston Globe

Kanha National Park - Tiger Reserve

This past weekend I had the pleasure of visiting old friends of the family who I have not laid eyes on in over ten years. My fondest memories of visiting their home in the Hampton's consist of jumping through their water sprinklers, making best friends with their old Siamese cat named Boots, and waiting eagerly to hear the outcomes of them having a Bengal tiger over for lunch one day. It was not until this past weekend I finally learned that they all survived.

Since the years I saw them last, their love for tigers became a passion and a life. Currently they have built a house and a museum, outside of Kanha National Park in India, donated equipment to the park, as well as written two guides to the reserve.

This blog however, is not to talk about my friends, but instead it is to get the word out about the reserve. There are currently only about 1,500 Siberian tigers left in the world - over half of them living as pets in the state of Texas. Their numbers have dropped over 50% in the past five years and will continue to do so due to poaching for meat as well as the high demand of tiger products used for medicinal purposes in China and other parts of E. Asia.

Sooner or later the Siberian will come to the same fate as the Bali, Javi, and Caspian tigers which have disappeared and gone extinct if we don't help.

Kanha National Park is a reserve for some of these last tigers - a refuge where they can live free, in the wild, and out of reach of hunters. The park is located in the Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh and extends over an area of over 1,940 sq/kms.

As well as protecting tigers, the park has also distinguishes itself in saving many other endangered species, including the Barasingha deer whose population in the park is all that is left in the world.

A trip to the park will not only bring you closer to these beautiful creatures, but it will bring the realization of their potential disappearance a harsh reality. For more information about Kanha National Park, please visit this website Indian Wildlife Portal

Manage your money in Maui!

Another place that is high on my list of places to travel to would be Hawaii. I even tried to do an internship there this summer - and though it did not work out, I will most certainly be visiting the many Hawaiian Islands sometime in the near future. Maui, which is one of the bigger and more touristy spots to hit up, can be an expensive place because of this. If you think you will be heading there in the near future and are interested in dining out at places which won't take all your money check out this article Hawaii: 20 cheap eats under $20 on Maui. Below I listed just a few of the suggested places to visit - make sure to check them all out!

Everyone wants to score a first-rate deal on the road. But deals can be difficult to come by in a tourist zone -- especially one like Maui, where the cost of dining can be as breathtaking as the landscape. - So we went to the people who know Maui best -- its residents -- and asked them for suggestions on how to eat well here on a budget.

CJ'S DELI & DINER - Price: $7.95 to $9.95

Scoping it out: Only $10 to spend? Stop at CJ's Deli & Diner for what may be the best burger in Maui. The diner is cheerful and appealing and is just down the street from the über-expensive resorts at Kaanapali. We loved. . . everything, including CJ's wickedly wonderful sweets, such as Road to Hana brownies or macadamia nut Hana bars. We didn't love. . . that the place is hard to find.

PAIA FISH MARKET - Price: $8.50 to $17.95

Scoping it out: This is a popular place in a popular town. Paia, a one-time sugar plantation town turned New Age settlement, is one of the last stops on the North Shore road to Hana, so things can get hectic, especially on weekends. Seafood, of course, is the specialty at Paia Fish Market. Order at a counter; you have your choice of various seafoods prepared as a steak, in a sandwich or a taco, and you can have it fried, charbroiled, sautéed in butter with garlic and lemon, or blackened Cajun-style. We loved. . . the ahi and the mahi-mahi. We didn't love. . . waiting in line and jockeying for a table.

JAWZ TACOS - Price: $6.75 to $12.95

Scoping it out: Baja-style tacos go Hawaiian here. Jawz is a strip-mall cafe in Kihei (also operating two taco trucks at Big Beach daily) that will help satisfy your need for a Mexican beer, chips and a good jolt of salsa. Diners order fast-food-style at a counter, but the dining room has an appealing tropical ambience, with floral tablecloths, beach murals and plants. The salsa bay is one of the most interesting we've seen, with roasted jalapeño, serrano, habanero, corn and chipotle salsas. We loved. . . the enchilada pie and the many varieties of salsa. We didn't love . . . the mounds of salad and paucity of protein on the tacos.

For more wonderfully cheap and delicious sounding eats, visit LA Times

The Palace within Pragues Castle walls

Ah Prague - amongst one of my top favorite cities on my own personal euro-trip is home of the Lobkowicz Palace; just one of the great buildings I saw when I was there. As of recently this grand structure has been opened to the public, an idea that was probably no more than a wild future fantasy of the Lobkowicz family some hundreds of years ago. The palace which lies inside of the Prague Castle was this weeks topic in the article - Bohemian Rhapsody: A Prague Restoration. Below is a piece from the article:

For much of its existence, the 16th-century Lobkowicz Palace, housed within the Prague Castle complex, has served as the decked-out stronghold of one of Bohemia’s most distinguished noble families. The palace’s 18th-century owner, Joseph František Maximilian, subsidized some of Beethoven’s best works, and the Thirty Years’ War was kindled on its doorstep in 1618 when outraged Protestants chucked two Hapsburg officials out a castle window. (After landing in heaps of dung, the officials were taken in by the sympathetic Lobkowiczes.)

In the 20th century, the palace proved a less secure refuge: invading Nazis took possession, followed by the Communist government in 1948. The Lobkowicz family escaped to America, and their looted palace slipped into decrepitude over four decades.

After a multimillion-dollar restoration (all the money was privately raised by Lobkowicz, a former real estate broker), the palace’s 60 rooms, including a handsome music salon that hosts daily concerts, have been returned to their Baroque and Rococo opulence. Beneath its frescoed ceilings, the building holds a treasure trove of European cultural heritage: original scores of Beethoven’s Fourth and Fifth Symphonies, two paintings by Italian master Canaletto, and Pieter Brueghel the Elder’s 1565 masterpiece Haymaking, possibly the finest example of the artist’s work still in private hands. And now, for the first time in history, it’s all open to the public.

For more information on the palace please visit Travel & Leisure

A glimpse of Guatemala

Central America is one place I have yet to travel to, yet in good time it too will be crossed off on my list of places to visit. David Rich, an author for GoNOMAD.com recently took a tour there and was a visitor to what he considered the heart of Central America - Guatemala. Read below a bit from his article, What-a Ball-a in Guatemala:

Guatemala is the gem of Central America, offering more to the traveler than any of its half dozen neighbors, even if the equatorial heat had melted them into a tropical glob.

World class sites stretch from the most fabulous Mayan ruin at Tikal in the north to the Rio Dulce and Lago Izabal in the south, sandwiching polychromatic markets and variously active volcanoes from Antigua to Lago Atitlan.

This short list barely scratches the surface of flashy and vibrant Guatemala, a country I found safe and carefree outside the habitual suspects in the nighttime ghettoes of the ugly megalopolis pedantically named Guatemala City.

Guatemala sits high at altitude, a good place to be in the tropics, away from the sweltering lowlands of unfortunate neighboring countries.

The single exception is the Rio Dulce on the Caribbean coast, a don’t-miss waterway lined with lily pads, mangroves, houses on stilts and galères of exotic birdlife winding through chalky narrow cliffs to the Rastafarian town of Livingston, reachable only by boat.

Inexpensive private vans shuttle tourists between Guatemalan destinations, from Antigua to wherever, including Chichicastenango, aka Chichi, for market days on Thursdays and Sundays. Guatemalans love color, reflected in spades at regional markets.

The cascades of flowers, fabric and females dressed in blazing brilliance are reminiscent of similar markets in Mali, the north of Vietnam and western China, with the added element of religious celebrations combining Mayan traditions with splotches of Catholicism. Chichi is truly a photographer’s and fabric shopper’s paradise.

For more of this and other articles visit GoNOMAD

Bigger and better than ever - Dubai.

If you're looking to go on a vacation to a place that has literally become the biggest and fastest growing place in the world... then a trip to Dubai would fare you well. The city which lies on rich oil laden lands has turned the city around into a city like no other. Deemed as one of the most expensive yet safest cities to live in, an article in the NY Times captured the essence of the city in the article - 36 House in Dubai

The busiest of the seven United Arab Emirates is growing so fast that its newest developments can only be measured in hummingbird flaps. Blink and you’ll miss the latest superlative. This way to the world’s tallest building. That way to the world’s largest aluminum plant. Coming soon, the world’s longest bridge. Over here to the world’s biggest mall — which, incidentally, is about to be usurped any day now by a bigger one.

This is a city determined to raise the bar — literally. If you ever thought the Great Pyramids of Egypt were missing tequila shooters and an observation deck, China Moon Champagne Bar is the place for you. Ensconced within the glass apex of the Raffles Hotel, it is one of the hottest — and highest — new bars in Dubai. But what makes it really memorable is not the giant pharaoh head guarding the stairway, or the 130 dirhams you’ll lay down for a glass of Veuve Clicquot. It’s the view: 360 degrees of twinkling sprawl stretching out to the Arabian Desert.

Emirates Airlines flies nonstop flights to Dubai from Newark Airport, starting at about $1,370 in May, according to a recent online search. Americans don’t need a visa to travel to Dubai, just a passport that is valid for roughly six months after your entry date. Some travelers who have Israeli stamps on their passports have reported problems being allowed entry, but Dubai has no official policy banning visitors who have also visited Isreal, as do some other countries in the Middle East.

For more of this article, visit New York Times Travel.

Let's go for a dip!

If your a big swimming fan like myself be sure and book your next trip to Chili where the largest swimming pool in the world has been opened. The second largest pool is found in Orthlieb - nicknamed the Big Splash - in Morocco, which is only 150 yards long and 100 yards wide, which is a mere 150 yards long and 100 yards wide. This new pool is so big that you could take even a small paddle boat on it!! Crazy!!

If you like doing laps in the swimming pool, you might want to stock up on the energy drinks before diving in to this one.

It is more than 1,000 yards long, covers 20 acres, had a 115ft deep end and holds 66 million gallons of water.

Yesterday the Guinness Book of Records named the vast pool beside the sea in Chile as the biggest in the world.

But if you fancy splashing out on one of your own - and you have the space to accommodate it - then beware: This one took five years to build, cost nearly 1billion and the annual maintenance bill will be 2million.

The man-made saltwater lagoon has been attracting huge crowds to the San Alfonso del Mar resort at Algarrobo, on Chile 's southern coast, since it opened last month.

Its turquoise waters are so crystal clear that you can see the bottom even in the deep end.

Chile 's monster pool uses a computer- controlled suction and filtration system to keep fresh seawater in permanent circulation, drawing it in from the ocean at one end and pumping it out at the other.

San Fran - the new standard for GREEN!

Going green is the only way to go these days. If we don't I am sure you are all aware of what could happen if we don't make a change. My mother actually sent me a link to an article about a hotel in San Francisco which has set the new standard for "green" hotels across the country. I hope that all hotels across the world will catch on to the green trend and together we can all create a healthier, happier planet. Below is a snippit from "S.F. Hotel Triton Named State Model For Conservation: Green Lodging Program encourages travelers to choose ‘eco chic’"

Next time you take a trip for business or leisure, think about more than whether or not your hotel has a workout room and a breakfast buffet-choose a lodging that puts a priority on taking good care of you and the environment. That’s the message of a new California Integrated Waste Management Board initiative designed to encourage travelers to stay at “green hotels,” hospitality establishments that save energy, water, and resources, and divert waste

“Recycling cans, bottles, and plastic bags is commendable-but it doesn’t go far enough,” “The hospitality industry is a vital partner in our efforts to reduce the environmental impact of our day-to-day business operations and the Hotel Triton’s outstanding conservation efforts prove they are committed to being good stewards of the environment and the economy.”

A model of “eco chic” for its commitment to reducing energy and water consumption, as well as implementing numerous waste reduction practices and emphasizing organic materials, the Hotel Triton (www.hoteltriton.com) recycles 60 percent of its waste and exemplifies what it takes to be named to the State’s new Green Lodging Program list.

“Patronizing hotels that go above and beyond for the environment is something we hope every traveler in California will consider,” said Board Member Michael Paparian. “The Hotel Triton is a model Green Lodging facility and we appreciate their voluntary efforts to help California reach zero waste.”

To finish this article, visit CA.gov

Fellow Bloggers ---Something for you!

Recently I was sent an email about an new blog application. I know this is a bit off the travel topic, but I thought it would be fitting for others out there who also blog like myself. What it is, is an website where you can make slide shows and then blog about them. So if you were writing a blog about your trip to the beach, you could use this slide show application and have tons of photos being played in your blog more thoroughly giving an idea about what you did! You can view other peoples blogs and photos as well -- maybe you will even get an idea for you next trip this way!!

Check it out at NachoFoto

So whether you blog directly on the website, or attach it to your own website -- It is a great way to make your photo worth 1,000 words!

Here is an example from their site


Make Your Own Slideshow | More Slideshows

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Adventure

If photography is an interest of yours there is an event you might want to check out! This year Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is releasing their newest version and to not only get the word out but also to see how it works, photographers from around the world will be setting out on an adventure to Tasmania to test the newest product. Attached below is just an introduction to the trip from the article: "Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Adventure 2008: Tasmania"

In April, 2008, a group of internationally renowned photographers will travel to the end of the world, literally, to the remote island of Tasmania. Their mission is to road test specialized digital photography software designed by Adobe while capturing images from one of the world's most mysterious and varied geographic locations.

Using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, photographers will upload, sort, keyword, adjust, and output their Raw images while still working in the field. On this page, you can read the stories, see the images, and watch the photographers discuss this challenging assignment. Blog posts will be updated regularly. Mikkel Aaland, project director, will be capturing the lessons learned for his book on Adobe Lightroom, scheduled to be published by O'Reilly Media later this year

To finish this article check out O'rilly Digital Media