Zen and the Art of An Alcatraz Tour

San Francisco, the City by the Bay is one of the most unique cities in the world and it draws a number of tourists from around the world to enjoy the sites of Fisherman’s Wharf, the Financial District and, of course, Alcatraz Island. The prison has long since been closed for its originally intended purpose, but people still flock to it to this very day to take advantage of the (in)famous Alcatraz tour that gives a modern audience a glimpse into the strange realm of this long abandoned prison and its malevolent past.

A Brief Overview of Alcatraz Island

It has been many years since Alcatraz has closed its doors for good. At one time, the island prison was the home to incorrigible offenders who had no hope for rehabilitation. Those criminals were then condemned to serve out their sentences on this island which was located in the San Francisco Bay.

If one could escape from the cell, make it past the guards, climb over the walls while avoiding the detection of the guards, then they merely had to swim 3 miles through frigid, shark infested waters to escape to freedom. It goes without saying that this was not something that was easy to achieve. As a result, Alcatraz quickly became an infamous and feared prison by one and all. In a way, it was the Americanized, scaled back version of the notorious French prison colony Devil’s Island.

if you have an opportunity to take an Alcatraz tour, be sure to do it. The experience of visiting the island on an Alcatraz tour is thrilling. it provides the public with a rare glimpse into a world that has long since ceased to exist. Alcatraz, despite its ominous nature, represents a twisted piece of Americana when gangs and gangsters “” driven by the economic collapse of the depression “” committed irresponsible crime sprees that needed to be deterred. Alcatraz became the symbol of deterrence as serving hard time on The Rock gave many would be criminals second thoughts.

So you may ask yourself, why is there so much interest in an Alcatraz tour? The popularity of an Alcatraz tour comes down to one thing: curiosity. Wondering what an Alcatraz tour provides? Primarily, it provides a brief glimpse into the life of imprisonment of criminals as well as a glimpse into America’s history. (A prison as arcane as Alcatraz Island would never be conceived in the modern era)

While this may sound somewhat cerebral, there is also a great element of fun to taking an Alcatraz tour. Exploring the unknown has a certain sense of excitement to it and the glimpse into the unknown that an Alcatraz tour offers provides a great vehicle for fun and anyone with a passing interest in American historical pop culture is advised to take the tour.

Welcome to Historic London

London is a great place. Contrary to popular belief this is not some feeble attempt at plagiarising advertising copy from other major cities in the world.

Bad times and good, I have lived and worked in London through them all.

From the bad old days and the darkest hours of the terrorist bombing campaigns of the Provisional IRA in the 70’s and 80’s to the good times when the announcement was made that London had been awarded the 2012 Olympics and the Queens Jubilee. London has had the experience and gravity to treat both with equal respect.

I remember travelling through London to return home to Northern Ireland where I now live on the day the news broke that Princess Diana had tragically been killed in a car accident in Paris. The sense of grief and shock were overwhelming as total strangers just blindly made their way to Kensington Palace to lay flowers at the people’s memorial. Then at the other end of the spectrum you have London the day of the “Live 8” Festival in Hyde Park where the city centre was brought to a standstill with blaring rock music belting out across the entire City Centre.

London is full of History. History that it would appear that most Londoners take for granted.

The changing of the guard is a perfect example of this sort of thing.Betty and Phil insist that this happens daily at their place at the end of the mall. OK I should be slightly less flippant. I am of course referring to Buckingham Palace, home of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh found at the end of the Mall. Tradition is such that occasionally it gets altered and none more so than when after the awful events of 911 the band of the guards performed the Star-Spangled Banner in front of visiting American tourists instead off the traditional God Save the Queen.

Perhaps the significance of this passed most of the on looking tourist by but it was a first in living memory that any other national anthem other than the United Kingdoms own God Save the Queen had been performed at the Changing of the Guards ceremony.

Perhaps it is little incidences like these that sum up exactly what a rich cornucopia of the historic and modern, the city of London actually is. Unlike other major international capital cities, London may lack perhaps the historic grandeur of the Parthenon in Athens or the Coliseum in Rome but through out London you will find examples of perhaps a more modern architecture (though no less splendid and impressive) such as the mother of all parliaments, the Houses of Parliament in Westminster or the serenity of St Paul’s Cathedral a survivor of many centuries and in many ways every bit as impressive now as in the days of its design under the architect Sir Christopher Wren.

If nothing else the building of St Paul’s Cathedral is a testament to survival itself having both survived the Great Fire of London in the 16th Century and then four hundred years later the Blitz in World War II.

Perhaps this encompasses the overall appeal of London, the historic blend of the old and the new.

There is absolutely no way a visit to London will disappoint

Travelling through South America: Lima, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires

South America is home to lands of fierce mountainous beauty, traces of ancient civilisations, superb tropical coastlines, alluring food and music, and pulsating festivals – in short everything your need for the ultimate travel experience.

Lima

Peru’s sprawling capital sits in the center of the country’s desert coastline. It’s a grimy, polluted place but one of charm and friendliness with a wealth of compelling architecture and great museums.

Transport:getting there and getting away

Lima’s Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez services most international and domestic flights. The airport is best served by taxi as buses tend to be crowded.

Buses connect Lima with Bolivia, Chile and Ecuador as well as all over Peru. They are slow and can be uncomfortable.

Ocean liners berth at Lima’s port of Callao.

Lima is a sprawling congested city and public transport is disorganised. Taxis are plentiful but unregulated. Fares must be negotiated which is difficult if you don’t speak Spanish and taxis can be dangerous.

Micro and combi buses are cheap and the destinations are placed in the windshield. This makes things difficult if you’re not familiar with the city.

Lima is not pedestrian-friendly owing to congestion and pollution. Walking is only advised within neighbourhoods. Between neighborhoods a taxi is necessary.

Climate

Hot and humid all year round with little rainfall.

Accommodation:from cheap stays to luxury resorts

Check on the internet for the range, location and cost of Lima hotels

Events:what’s on and what’s hot

*Semana de Lima between 12-19 January celebrates the founding of Lima in 1535.
*Carnaval is celebrated on the last few days before Lent with music, dancing and water fights.
*Semana Santa in March-April is marked by processions throughout the city.
*Independence is celebrated on 28-29 July. Large rock concerts are popular around this time.
* Festival of Santa Rosa de Lima is on 30 August at the Santa Rosa Monastery.

Rio de Janeiro

Rio sits between imposing mountains and the glorious beaches washed by the warm waters of the Atlantic and is a true hedonistic heaven. The rhythm of the samba is rarely absent from this city in which every day is a celebration.

Transport:getting there and getting away

Flights connect Rio with all of Brazil and Latin America, as well as many other major cities. Buses depart for most destinations from Novo Rio Rodoviaria.

City buses are often crowded and struggle through Rio’s traffic. Rio has an excellent, air-conditioned subway system but it only covers points north of Botafogo.

Accommodation:from cheap stays to luxury resorts

Check on the internet for the range, location and cost of hotels in Rio de Janeiro

Events:what’s on and what’s hot

*Carnaval is the five-day internationally-famous extravaganza beginning at midnight on the Friday before Ash Wednesday. Dancing, parades, head-dresses and flaunted bodies make up this unforgettable spectacle.
*The Fiestas Junina’s is celebrated in public squares throughout June.
*August 15 sees music, colorful stalls and a parade celebrating the Festa de NS da Gloria do Outeiro.
*Festa da Penha is one of the largest religious festivals in the city. It’s held every Sunday in October.

Buenos Aires

Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires is unique among South American cities in that it radiates the ambiance of the Europe of a more gentile age. But don’t be fooled. You’ll quickly find it also has a trendy chic side and a population that makes flair into an art form.

Transport:getting there and getting away

Buenos Aires is a major transport hub for the southern part of South America and has two airports. Regular ferry and hydrofoil services connect Buenos Aires with Uruguay.

Getting around Buenos Aires is easy. The city boasts an efficient underground known as the Subte and a round-the-clock bus system. Plus the major tourist attractions are near each other so it’s well worth exploring on foot.

Accommodation:from cheap stays to luxury resorts

Check on the internet for the range, location and cost of hotels in Buenos Aires.

Events:what’s on and what’s hot

* Buenos Aires Tango is a tango festival that takes place between late February and early March all over the city.
* The Feria del Libro annual book fair celebrates Latin American literature in April at the Centro Municipal de Exposicions.
* Mid-May sees the art fair, Arte BA.
*More tango related activities on June 24 when aficionados remember Carlos Gard el, the man who made the tango famous.
*December features the Campeonato Abierto Argentino de Polo.

International Travel Insurance is not as Costly as You Thought

Most of us may not be aware of the fact that most of the insurance companies do not extend their cover if we leave the shores of US for business or vacation. It implies that we do not enjoy insurance coverage for the period we are out of our country, and, should any medical emergency arise during that period, it has to be faced and borne by us alone!

This is a standard clause which is incorporated in the policies of every insurance company. So, there is no use in fretting and fuming over it. Rather, the prudent way out would be to go for international travel insurance.

These policies are basically of two varieties – the short-term travel insurance and the long-term global medical coverage. Many such policies include coverage of not only emergency medical evacuation but emergency political evacuation too. These policies also include coverage of emergency medical repatriation and reunion and are unique in the sense that they all provide global assistance and access to medical treatment anywhere around the globe including the US. So, if you are a frequent traveler or spend a reasonable period of the year outside the country, it would immensely benefit you if you take such a policy, since you need not to worry at all whether you are within the coverage or not.

These international insurance plans are available for all categories of persons including employees of multinational companies, foreign VIPs and even missionaries! The business houses and multinational corporations can also take out group international insurances for their employees who have to frequently leave the shores of their motherland.

In addition to the medial assistance, these policies also provide a variety of other related helps which a frequent traveler will gratefully acknowledge. These include assistance in getting a replacement drug if the drug prescribed by the US based doctor can not be procured for the local market. The insurance companies, in some cases, will also arrange for the dispatch of a specialist and bear all the related expenses. They will also arrange for emergency travel of relatives if it is covered under the policy and the situation so demands. Other than these assistances, the insurance companies will provide with legal and consulate referrals if the traveler faces problems of lost passport or travel documents or is unable to comprehend the local language or laws of the land. So, that more or less covers all aspects from where a frequent traveler might face some sort of problems.

It is obvious that all the frequent travelers must buy such policies and they cost a fortune either. It is indeed surprising that in spite of provide such a slew of additional benefits, they are surprisingly reasonably priced and most of them also do not require the past medical history of the person to be insured.

The International Medial Group is one of the well known insurance companies which has an immense goodwill in the field of international travelers insurance. They have a large number of policies in this category and a person can surely find the one which suits him best.

The ideal way to choose a particular policy would be the various websites available on the net which offer guidance and provide professional suggestions in this regard.

Chicago Illinois

Chicago, Illinois is the largest city in the state of Illinois and the third most populous city in the United States. The Chicago metropolitan area has a population of over 9.4 million in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana, making it also the third largest metropolitan area in the US. Chicago is located along the shore of Lake Michigan. The city’s monikers include “Chicago land”, the “Windy City”, “Chi-Town”, “Chi-City”, the “Second City” and the “City of the Big Shoulders”.

Chicago is a major center of transportation, industry, culture, medicine and higher education.

A major transportation hub, Chicago is the third largest inter-modal port in the world after Hong Kong and Singapore. Chicago is one of the largest hubs of passenger rail service in the nation with Amtrak providing connections to New York, Seattle, New Orleans, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington DC. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates an extensive network of buses and a rapid transit system know locally as the “L” (for elevated), which includes services to Midway and O’Hare airports. Chicago stands out among large cities for offering 150 miles of on-street bike lanes, 10,000 bike racks and a state-of-the-art central bicycle commuter station in Millennium Park.

Chicago has ten interstate highways running through the city and suburbs which include I-90 (also known in some segments as The Kennedy Expressway, Chicago Skyway, The Dan Ryan Expressway and The O’Hare Extension), I-57 (Bishop Ford Freeway), I-94 (Kennedy Expressway), I-55 (Stevenson Expressway), I-290 (Eisenhower Expressway), I-294 (Tri-State Tollway), I-80 (Kingery Expressway), I-355 (North-South Tollway), I-190 (The O’Hare Extension) and I-88 (East-West Tollway and Reagan Memorial).

Midway International and O’Hare International Airport service the Chicago area. In 2005, O’Hare was reported as the world’s busiest airport by aircraft movements and second busiest by total passenger traffic. Gary/ Chicago International Airport, located in Gary, Indiana, serves and the third Chicago area airport. Chicago/Rockford International Airport is a regional base for United Parcel Service flights, some passenger flight and occasionally as a relief to O’Hare. Chicago is also the world headquarters for United Airlines, the world’s second-largest airline.

The city has been rated as having the most balanced economy in the US, due to a high level of diversification. Some of the largest employers include over 66 Fortune 500 companies such as The Boeing Company, Sara Lee, Walgreens, Motorola, Caterpillar, Sears, State Farm Insurance, Allstate, Deere, McDonald’s, Aon, Office Max, USG and the Tribune Company. The city hosts four major financial and future exchanges including the Chicago Stock Exchange, the Chicago Board of Trade, the Chicago Board of Options Exchange and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Headquartered in the Chicago area are several medical products and services companies such as Baxter International, Abbott Laboratories and the Healthcare Financial Services division of General Electric.

Chi-Town offers a variety of culture stemming from its deep history to present-day modern arts. The Museum Campus is a 10-acre lakefront park sitting on the southern section of Grant Park and surrounds three of the city’s main museums: the Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Shedd Aquarium. Grant Park also hosts the Art Institute of Chicago, a partner of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The only building surviving the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 is the Museum of Science and Industry. Chicago’s museums also include the Oriental Institute, part of the University of Chicago, the Freedom Museum, Chicago History Museum, DuSable Museum of African-American History, Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, the Peggy Notebeart Nature Museum and The Renaissance Society.

The city has and abundant entertainment and performing arts scene. Chicago’s renowned theater companies include the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the Goodman Theatre Company and the Victory Gardens Theater. Other theatres such as the Strawdog Theatre Company, The House Theatre of Chicago, TimeLine Theatre Company and Remy Bumppo Theatre Company offer an array of plays and musicals.

Broadway musicals are held at venues including LaSalle Bank Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, Ford Oriental Theatre and the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Broadway in Chicago was created in July 2000 and brings touring productions to the Chicago area. A few of the productions brought by “Broadway in Chicago” are: Blue Man Group, Wicked, Rent, Stomp, The Color Purple, Hairspray, Chicago, Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia!, the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Cats, The Producers and Jesus Christ Superstar. Chicago is also home to the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Joffrey Ballet, Music of the Baroque, Chicago Opera Theater, the Chicago Chamber Musicians and more.

Known for its skyscrapers, Chicago boasts the world’s tallest skyline. Notably historic high-rise buildings grace the Chicago skyline such as the Chicago Board of Trade Building and the Merchandise Mart, once the first on the list of the largest buildings in the world and still listed sixth. The tallest building in the United States, the Sears Tower is located in Chicago. The Aon Center and the John Hancock Center are also notable skyscrapers that give Chicago a distinct city skyline. Future building skyscrapers include Waterview Tower, Chicago Spire and Trump International Hotel and Tower. The 60602 zip code was named by Forbes as the hottest zip code in the country with many upscale buildings such as The Heritage at Millennium Park, The Legacy and Momo.

Chicago has a number of architectural gems in its historical church buildings. The Chicago Temple/First United Methodist Church boasts a 22-story skyscraper surmounted by a steeple 568 feet above street level, making it the tallest church in the world. Three basilicas: Our Lady of Sorrows, Queen of All Saints and St. Hyacinth proudly stand in Chicago’s city limits. St. Josaphat’s, St. Adalbert’s, Mary of the Angels, Church of the Epiphany, St. Gabriel Church, Metropolitan Community Church, St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, St. Clement Church, St. Joseph’s Ukrainian Church and St. Simeon Mirotovici are other pristine and cherished church buildings in Chicago. Chicago was named the best sports city in the Unites States by The Sporting News in 2006.

The city is one of three U.S. cities to host two Major League Baseball teams; the Chicago Cubs (known to fans as “The Cubbies”) play in Wrigley Field and the Chicago White Sox play in the US Cellular Field. The Chicago Bears, Chicago’s NFL team, play at Soldier Field and the Chicago Rush, the city’s Arena Football League team, play at the Allstate Arena. One of the world’s most recognized basketball teams, the Chicago Bulls play at the United Center. The Bulls won six NBA titles in the 1990’s during the reign of Michael Jordan. The United Center also hosts the Chicago Sky, a WNBA team. Chicago has two hockey teams: the Chicago Blackhawks and the Chicago Wolves. The city is also home to the Chicago Fire, a MLS soccer team playing in Toyota Park.

Chicago gives tourists a trip to remember and in 2005 thirty-three million visitors from across the world came to visit The Windy City. Luxury shopping along the Magnificent Mile as well Navy Pier, a 3,000-foot pier is home to restaurants, shops, museums, exhibition halls, auditoriums and a 150-foot-tall Ferris wheel.

Navy Pier offers shopping for apparel, Chicago souvenirs, gifts and collectibles, toys and games and more at stores like All the Time, DC’s Mad Hatter, Earthly Elements, Funky Chameleon, Gold & Silver Art FX, Navy Pier Store, A Silver Lining, The Sports Store, Strictly Sterling, Sun Coolers, Varsity Stop Outfitters, Windy City Leathers, Y-Knot, Air One, Making History, Oh Yes Chicago!, Alamo Flags, Ferris Wheel Photos, Grand Avenue Gourmet, Life’s A Holiday, Jahjah Village, Oiled Up, TransPIERency, Fashion Bazaar, Irish Imports, The Oriental Arts Center, Passage to India, The Russian Place, Sitara, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Magic Masters, Bike Chicago, Faces in Focus Caricatures, Temporary Tattoos and more.

Chicago has shopping malls scattered throughout the city. Stores such as Ann Taylor Loft, The Body Shop, The Bose Store, Eddie Bauer, Emporium Luggage, Femme de Carriere, Glenn Poor Chicago, Gold Leaf Tobacco, Marshalls, Nordstrom, Olily, Lucky Brand, Sephora, and Swatch are sprinkled all through downtown as well as the suburbs.

Chicago is famous for its signature deep dish pizza, Italian beef sandwiches, the Maxwell Street Polish and the Chicago hot dog, which is made of Vienna beef and loaded with mustard, onion, tomato, pickle relish, celery salt, sport peppers and a dill pickle spear; putting ketchup on a Chicago ‘dog’ is completely taboo. A few of the city’s best pizzerias are Bacci Pizzeria, Pizza Broker, Pizza Ria, Edwardo’s Natural Pizza, Pizzeria Ora, Pizano’s Pizza & Pasta, Rosati’s Pizza & California, Pizzeria Uno, Reggie’s Pizza Express and more.

Visiting The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village

The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village are popular tourist destinations that attract tens of thousands of visitors annually. They are located near Dearborn, Michigan, and are easily accessible by car, luxury sedan, or public transportation.

The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village are history destinations that bring American history to life. Both attractions provide a rich and diverse offering of exhibits, demonstrations, programs and reenactments. Both bring to life yesterday’s traditions and today’s innovations.

Spread over more than 90-acres, Greenfield Village is alive with the unforgettable sights, sounds and settings of America’s past.

Greenfield Village traces the life of Henry Ford, one of America’s greatest industrialists and innovators, from childhood through the founding of his Ford Motor Company. From there you can move from the home where he was born, to a replica of the factory where he built his first automobiles. You can even take a test ride in his first most popular model car of the time, the Model T.

As you stroll down the Village’s busy thoroughfares, you’ll encounter a bustling place of automobiles and carriages, events and amusements. You can discover the center of community and commerce at the J. R. Jones General Store, Mrs. Cohen’s Millinery, and the Logan County Courthouse. All of these locations are brimming with American history and heritage.

See Henry Ford’s good friend’s Thomas Edison Menlo Park complex when he was developing the incandescent light bulb, the invention that transformed the world. You’ll also see the actual workplaces that gave birth to Edison’s other innovations, and the first buildings to be illuminated by his light bulb.

Your family will have a great time at the operating steam-powered rail line and a 1800s small-town train depot, taking you inside the great history of railroading. You also get the chance to investigate the only working late 19th-century roundhouse in the Midwest.

Greenfield Village also has a bevy of artisans and craftsman who work on their crafts as they did in the days of old. The rush of the millpond draws you in as the sounds and motion of early American manufacturing surround you. See skilled artisans making a variety of products from dishes and glassware to textiles. You could even witness grain processing at the Loranger Gristmill.

It’s here at the Village that the soul of 19th-century America comes alive. See the horse-drawn wagons, livestock and fields of ripening vegetables and grain in scenes straight from the nation’s agricultural revolution. At Firestone Farm, see presentations of life on a farm, minus modern conveniences. Witness people working as they did hundreds of years ago doing daily household chores to seasonal fieldwork.

You’ll also get to see American homes and neighborhood settings, from the early dwellings, such as the 1650s Plympton House and 1750s Daggett Farmhouse, to the 1840s Susquehanna Plantation and the 1930s Mattox House.

And housing one of the largest automobile collections of its kind ever assembled, Henry Ford Museum showcases the people and ideas that have fired our imaginations and changed our lives.

And to top off your tour, spend time viewing movies at the bigger-than-big screen, The Henry Ford IMAX Theater. Here you can see current releases, cinema classics and feature-length documentaries in superb, sense-surrounding detail.

Water Sport Activities In Bora Bora

French Polynesia is much famed across the globe as a South Sea Paradise, but the water surrounding the Bora Bora is incomparable even by the Tahitian values. Located about 255 km north-west of Tahiti and just about 50 minutes flight from Tahiti, the airport in Bora Bora is on a motu, from where you are required to take a boat to your accommodation place, which in turn is a great experience and makes you feel that you have truly landed on a paradise. Surrounded by a barrier reef, the island is noted for its incredible lagoon within which lie many small islets or motus.

A plenty of options are available to enjoy the neon-blue waters of Bora Bora. The majestic, tranquil beaches found here even surpass well-maintained pools. In fact, majority of the hotels and resorts in the region do not even provide swimming pools, since one to have would be just redundant. Hence, it is evident from this that Bora Bora provides superb options to experience a variety of activities, with its shimmering water filled with marine plant life and tropical fish. From parasailing and windsurfing to canoe and paddle boating, it is just a matter of naming it.

Of the activities that can be enjoyed in Bora Bora, perhaps the most popular is scuba diving. Its stunning lagoon boasts of huge manta ray. In deed, this makes it popular among the divers. However, marine life that can be seen in Bora Bora is not just Manta Rays, but beyond that and include such marine species as lemon sharks, gray sharks, turtles, moray eels, and schools of barracuda.

To swim along with these beautiful creatures is really a memorable experience. Further, since there is no current in the island, it caters to divers of all levels, with dive locations inside the lagoons for novice and more advanced ones outside the reefs. Some of the most popular diving sites in Bora Bora are Aito, Anau, Tapu, Muri Muri, Teavanui Pass, and Tupitipiti.

Snorkeling is another popular water activity that can be enjoyed in the island. Today, many of the resorts and hotels in the region provide excellent options for snorkeling. Coral Gardens on the southern tip of the Motu Roa is regarded as one of the best destinations in the island for enjoying snorkeling. Snorkeling would be a great experience for honeymooners and other vacationers staying in an overwater bungalow in the island.

Also, while at your stay at Bora Bora, enjoy such activities as deep sea fishing. A lot number of boat charters and other service providers are in the scenario for a great fishing experience. In most cases, they provide the expert services of guide who help you in catching a variety of fish species including Blue Marlin, Wahoo, Yellowfin Tuna, Jacks, Mahi Mahi, Skipjack Tuna, Trevally, and Barracuda. Al though, the climate is perfect year-round for fishing, the best time for this activity is between October through June. In order to catch big fish, the best time is from December to June, during which the water is warm.

Likewise, for unique experience, take lagoon excursions to enjoy the incredible sunsets by catamaran or through lagoon tours by outrigger canoe, kite surfing, or jet skiing. A not to miss activity in Bora Bora is the shark and manta ray feeding at the island’s superb lagoonarium. Other popular activities that can be enjoyed in the waters of Bora Bora are wind surfing, aqua safari, parasailing, swimming, beachcombing, and reef walking.

Apart from water activities, a myriad of other activities can also be enjoyed in the island, such as, 4×4 safaris, circle island tour, hiking, helicopter flightseeing, climbing, and a full day picnic on motus of the island. With a number of restaurants and eateries, dining options available in the island is simply sumptuous. Above all, Bora Bora has excellent choices for shopping, with outlets selling everything from much famed Tahitian black pearls to local arts and artifacts.

Today, majority of the hotels and resorts in the island provide excellent opportunities to enjoy a variety of activities in the island, along with accommodation, dining, and other facilities like spa. Some even have private islands to offer its guest ultimate privacy while others provide facilities for these activities as a part of a package. In most cases, equipments for water sport activities are supplied for free. Despite hotels, many other service providers such as charter boats and yacht providers are also in the scenario to make your holidays in Tahiti truly special and memorable.

Florida’s Theme Parks Spell Student Tour F-U-N

When the competitions are over the students can relax and enjoy the exciting rides and exhibits offered throughout the parks. There’s no magic quite like Mouse magic at Walt Disney World Resorts captivating parks. The most famous park, Magic Kingdom, is easily recognizable as the “Happiest Place on Earth” with its Cinderella Castle and Main Street U.S.A. Student group travelers can experience everything from quintessential Disney rides to space age activities, topped off by the Magic Kingdom’s fireworks extravaganza every evening.

At Epcot, students enter the world’s wonders through interactive experiences and dazzling shows. They can explore the world in a day and journey into the future. In 2008, MGM Studios will be become Disney’s Hollywood Studios, celebrating the best Hollywood has to offer. From High School Musical 2: School’s Out to the Rock – Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, visiting students will be immersed in their own adventure. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is home to the colossal new attraction, Expedition Everest, where visitors face off with the fearsome Yeti. Finally, students can cool down at two water theme parks – Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.

Universal Orlando Resort creates an entire universe of action and thrills for students with two very different theme parks. At Islands of Adventure famous comic book heroes, cartoons, and stories come to life on rides such as the Jurassic Park River Adventure and The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman.

At Universal Studios Florida, students go beyond the screen into a world of movie action in the Revenge of the Mummy, where they are plunged into total darkness on a psychological thrill ride. Or they may join the cast of Shrek for a 4-D experience that includes special effects felt right from their seats. Students can then cool off at Wet n Wild water park, featuring a variety of multi-passenger tube rides.

When the sun sets, student travelers head to Orlando’s hottest spot for entertainment – Universal CityWalk. The 30-acre entertainment complex presents the finest in live music, casual dining, dancing, shopping and movies. Student dining favorites are the NASCAR Sports Grille, Hard Rock Cafe, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., and NBA City. For entertainment, students won’t want to miss one of the most popular shows in the country – Blue Man Group, now showing exclusively at Universal CityWalk. Or, they can catch the biggest names in music and comedy at Hard Rock Live Orlando. For the shoppers in the group, CityWalk features an array of memorabilia and souvenirs to the latest teen apparel and trendy gifts. Special dates are available at The Groove to teens to dance in one of the areas hottest dance clubs, equipped with the latest sound system and special effects. CityWalk’s movie complex features 20 theaters with stadium-style seating and digital sound showcasing the newest releases.

SeaWorld Adventure Park in Orlando takes student travelers into wonders that exist beyond the ocean’s door. Here, students experience up-close encounters that immerse them in the mysterious world of sea inhabitants. Shows such as “Mystify” encompass both sea and sky in an underwater adventure, while “Believe” combines advanced killer whale behaviors with an elaborate set and expert trainers in a stunning show. Other highlights include Shamu Underwater Viewing, Dolphin Cove, Shark Encounter, and Manatee Rescue. In Discovery Cove, located across the street from SeaWorld, students may swim with dolphins, snorkel with tropical fish, and hand-feed exotic birds.

In Tampa Bay, Busch Gardens Africa combines some of the world’s best roller coasters with exotic animal encounters and fun shows. Students may start with Gwazi, the Southeast’s largest and fastest double wooden roller coaster, followed by a ride on the stomach-lurching SheiKra. SheiKra features floorless cars that allow riders an unobstructed view of the 70 mph rush.

After these two roller coasters, students can experience a wild encounter at Edge of Africa, where self-guided tours reveal the scenic habitats of hippos, hyenas, meerkats, and a Nile crocodile. In the Serengeti Plain, hundreds of exotic African animals can be seen from the Serengeti Express Railway, Skyride, and Safari, or from the various walkways that twist and turn throughout the rolling landscapes and elevated terrain. In Rhino Valley, student travelers experience a blend of close-up animal encounters and off-road adventure.

Real Life Adventure is Not Limited to Exotic Places

When I was a teenager, I thought that adventure was going to places like Fez, Chiapas or Vancouver Island. Well, I went to those places and had adventure but over the years I learned that going thousands of miles from home to a completely alien culture and language is not the only route to adventure.

Before I was 20 I was a veteran world traveler that pushed the limits of adventure and was ready for more. But it occurred to me even back then there was a fly in this ointment. It had to do with anecdotal evidence or what I observed in the ‘real’ world. Adventure wasn’t as simple as buying a ticket and going somewhere.

Many people I met would go to exotic places and not be effected at all. Part of this was their means of travel and accommodations and another part their mindset. It goes something like this: ‘by golly we are going to see and do but let’s not let down our hair lest we interact in ways that are not culturally comfortable for us.’ Summary: we gonna travel but we ain’t gonna experience.

Consequently I met world travelers that were no more world wise than my neighbor across the street that never leaves the county.

But, hey, don’t be surprised if you find out you started a tad late. 20 years after I took those youthful trips I took another trip. The wife and son spent the summer down at the farm in Veracruz but I had to stay in California to work. During that span I took off ten days to drive up to Canada. It was the first trip I had taken by myself in 20 years.

But it wasn’t the same. I never hitchhiked. I had a car and not a motorcycle. I had a credit card and not just some tightly budgeted cash. I stayed in a hotel and did not once sleep on the ground or beach or someone’s kitchen floor. I even came back before my 10 days was up. On every other trip I had ever taken I was always late getting back home. The reality was I just wasn’t the same person I was 20 years before.

If you are young, do your adventuring as soon as you can. Don’t listen to those that say all you should be doing is studying and working. There will be plenty of time for that but adventure is a fragile thing and not something you can postpone forever. Over time it can be lost.

In fact if you are lucky like I was you will meet people that will tell you how much they regret not adventuring more when they were young. Now, many middle aged men my age have become obsessed with trying to find adventure before they die. They went from college to corporation and finally in their late fifties and early sixties can adventure and do what they want. Good luck. If they had done their adventuring when they were younger they wouldn’t be so ornery and stubborn and angry and frustrated. Tough attitude to start out with on an adventure…

But I also met folks that were having fantastic adventures while never leaving their communities. So much for adventure being only found in exotic places. I met many different types of people for whom each day was an adventure. If their day was anything but adventurous, they made it adventurous. They could have boring jobs and live in boring communities and have boring families but they were always so excited about life and adventure that they could hardly stand it.

What they do is create and customize their own adventure and become engaged by it. For them every minute is sheer joy at celebrating being alive. They are too busy being grateful to complain. They are too busy being humbled to be presumptuous. They understand that the greatest gift a human can extend is friendship and the here and now is nature’s greatest gift. What me worry?

I came to understand being engaged one hot Moroccan night in Rabat as I lay awake drenched in sweat on my hotel bed. I had been to the interior and gotten a most nasty case of amoebic dysentery; diarrhea, fevers, shakes and all.

I did not worry that I was a teenager with little money and very sick in a strange country so very far from home. In fact I did not worry at all. I knew I would be fine. I would survive this ordeal and anything else in the future.

And I did. I continued a life of one adventure after another. I had arrived. I was engaged.

Boston For Families: Fun Things To Do

Give your family one incredible weekend to discover all the things to do in Boston. The kids will have a blast and parents will be delighted to know that treats and discounts are spread all throughout the city for children under twelve.

Looking for the best thing to do to get a nice Boston introduction? Allow the very interesting Boston Duck Tour give you the kind of welcome you want and need. Let the entertaining and knowledgeable tour guide give you backgrounds on Boston’s history, culture, tradition, influential people and the like. More importantly, the guide will run you through the city’s top attractions. Discover more of Boston on foot and via public transportation. Walking is preferred by most people in Boston than driving a private or rented vehicle. Get each member of your family a Visitor’s Pass, which will give you unlimited access to the T and the trolley.

Boston museums and other educational attractions also offer lower rates for children. A visit to the New England Aquarium is one of the most popular things to do in Boston among both local kids and visitors alike. At the Aquarium, expect your kids to giggle and call out for Nemo as you pass by the pool of clown fish or gasp in awe as they see the gigantic and big-tooth white sharks.

The months of April through October give families an amazing thing to do in Boston: whale watching! Join the cruise to the Stellwagen Bank where pods of humpbacks, finbacks and minkes make themselves seen.

Sports and recreational activities are great things to do for quality family bonding time in Boston. Take the kids to the Boston Common’s Frog Pond for an afternoon of ice skating free of charge. While dad takes the boys to catch a home game of the Boston Red Sox, mom and sisters can go to Faneuil Hall where they can find great finds from amazing shops that are all spread out in an incredibly sophisticated atmosphere.

Add any of the many festivals as one of the things you should do in your Boston itinerary. One way to get to know a new city is to join its residents in celebrating a very anticipated event. Or, if you want to keep things on a low profile, quiet and simple, enjoy a smaller crowd (your family, that is) in an afternoon at the much-famed Emerald Necklace. Pick from the series of parks in the Necklace and allow your kids to roam and run around or play frisbee while you and your spouse get some down time watching boats passing by the Charles River.

Having a taste of Boston’s food is one thing you should not miss to do in Boston. Located right in the heart of the Back Bay, Skipjack will serve your family only the freshest seafood. Steaks and other kid-friendly meals are, of course, also available. Along with the comforts of Intercontinental Boston to take care of your accommodation needs, you realize that all these things to do in Boston promise an absolutely fun family trip!