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$1 million holiday!
THE world's first seven-star hotel is offering $1 million holidays with private butler, day trips in a private jet and a stay in a gold-accented suite. THE world's first seven-star hotel is offering $1 million holidays with private butler, day trips in a private jet and a stay in a gol... more
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minicruise York
minicruise Yor http://www.popvoucher.co.uk/cheap-minicruise-york_lid-f...
Het kan allemaal in York, de meest Engelse stad van Engeland.
Met een middeleeuws uiterlijk, grondvesten uit de Romeinse tijd en een naam die nog door de Vikingen werd verzonnen, kan York bogen op bijna 2000 jaar historie.
Musea en pubs, schilderachtige straatjes, een imposante kathedraal en de beste winkels maken York tot één van onze topbestemmingen.
Eerste kennismaking
Maak een rondrit met de 'sightseeing bus': een open dubbeldekker. Bekijk de stad tijdens een 3,4 km lange wandeling over de vestigingswallen die York ommuren of maak een rondvaart op de River Ouse met de Yorkboat
Topattracties York is een authentiek middeleeuws vestingstadje dat unieke attracties en verzamelingen bezit.
York Minster
De grootste gotische kathedraal van Noord-Europa, met een buitengewone verzameling glas-in-loodramen. Een klim in de toren en een uitzicht boven de stad is voor kinderen een belevenis.
York Castle Museum
Een heel apart volkenkundig museum, gevestigd in wat vroeger een gevangenis was. Prachtige en uitzonderlijke collecties en een fascinerende speelgoedafdeling.
National Railway Museum
Het grootste spoorwegmuseum ter wereld (gratis toegankelijk) met een unieke collectie: van de allereerste trein tot de Eurostar en prachtige koninklijke rijtuigen.
Onze Favoriet: Jorvic
Onder York liggen de resten van de vroegere vikingstad. Rond deze plaats werd een deel van de stad herbouwd. U ontdekt de geuren, geluiden en datgene wat mensen bezighield in Jorvic, terwijl u een vlucht in de geschiedenis neemt in een tijdmobiel. Een belevenis voor jong en oud!
Onze Tip: Holy Trinity Church (Goodramgate)
Deze kleine kerk dateert uit de twaalfde eeuw en bezit een uitzonderlijk meubilair, zeer aparte gebedshokjes, en een prachtig gebrandschilderd raam uit de vijftiende eeuw.
Onze Lievelingspub
Keuze genoeg in York, maar wij hebben een voorkeur voor de Black Swan (Peasholm Green, even buiten het centrum). De oudste pub van York, waarover het verhaal gaat dat er nog een handjevol geesten huisvesten.
Winkelen in York
De oude binnenstad is volledig autovrij. U vindt er boetiekjes, boekenwinkels, antiekzaakjes, maar ook eettentjes en warenhuizen. Loop vooral eens door het smalle winkelstraatje 'de Shambles' en kijk uw ogen uit! De meest bekende winkelstraten zijn Stonegate en Conney Street waar de grotere winkels zich bevinden. minicruise Yorkhttp://www.popvoucher.co.uk/cheap-minicruise-york_lid-fmfmmmcq.html ... more -
Travelers complain about X-rated airport screenings
When travelers go to the airport, they know what kind of security to expect: luggage searches, metal detectors and shoe inspections.
It’s all part of our post 9-11 reality enforced by the Transportation Security Adminstration. But as CBS 2 Investigator Pam Zekman reports, thousands of travelers have complained that some of these screenings can become abusive and even x-rated.
For arguing with a TSA agent, Robin Kassner wound up being slammed to the floor. She’s filed a lawsuit.
“I kept begging them over and over again get off of me … and they wouldn’t stop,” Kassner said.
And it wasn’t enough for another woman to show TSA agents nipple rings that set off a metal detector. The agents forced her to take them out.
Mandi Hamlin said, “I had to get pliers and pull it apart.”
In Chicago, people like Robert Perry are subjected to exhaustive security checks. He was patted down, his wheel chair was examined and his hands were swabbed, all in public view in a see-through room at the security checkpoint. Perry, 71, is not alone
“It’s humiliation,” Perry said.
Perry was also taken to a see-through room by a TSA agent when his artificial knee set off the metal detector.
“He yelled at me to get the belt off. ‘I told you to get the belt off.’ So I took the belt off. He ran his hands down over and pulled the pants down, they went down around my ankle,” Perry said.
At that point, Perry was standing in his underwear in public view. He asked to see a supervisor. That made things worse.
“She was yelling ‘I have power, I have power, I have power,” Perry said. The power to stop him from flying to Florida with his wife that day to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.
“It makes you feel like you have no rights,” Perry said.
Perry said he always alerts TSA agents about his metal knee and wonders why they can’t just check his leg. When travelers go to the airport, they know what kind of security to expect: luggage searches, metal detectors and shoe inspections. ... more -
Grizzly safety quiz
Find out if you know how to handle a grizzly encounter in the wild.
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michael_hughes' slideshow on Flickr
A really cool way to combine pictures and souveniers while on vacation
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Bhutan expedition to hunt the Yeti
DragonQuest Adventures will be organizing, for the first time in Bhutan, a three week scientific expedition to search for the elusive Yeti or “Migoi” as it is locally known, in early October 2008. The expedition shall be called “YetiQuest”. DragonQuest Adventures has sought special permission to enter the “Sakten Wildlife Sanctuary, a 650 sq.km reserve created specifically to protect the habitat of the Migoi. This area is also home to many extremely rare animals such as the Blue bear, Snow leopard, Clouded leopard, Tiger & the Takin. Sakten Wildlife Sanctuary is a very remote area in eastern Bhutan and thickly forested with mixed conifer, rhododendrons & bamboo forest. It is also home to the nomadic Brokpas who have regular encounters with the Migoi. The expedition will consist of THREE teams with FOUR members to a team. We would like the teams to consist of mainly serious enthusiasts to ensure that the expedition is both successful and enjoyable. The aim of this expedition will be to prove the existence of the Migoi through pictures & videos or through DNA samples from hairs, bones etc. The method of coleecting these samples must be conducted in a scientific manner and the teams/members will be responsible for bringing along the necessary tools and equipment. Bhutanese do not dispute the existence of the Migoi. They have always accepted it as part of their existence and there is no real desire to prove to the rest of the world that it really does exists.
The Bhutanese consider the Migoi to be an integral part of their culture and they are even depicted in ancient Bhutanese manuscripts. High in the uplands of Bhutan, encounters and sightings of the Migoi are so common among the nomads that it does not stir excitement. For many nomads who have seen the Migoi, the skepticism of Westerners in the existence of the Yeti is seen merely as yet another manifestation of their arrogance. DragonQuest Adventures will be organizing, for the first time in Bhutan, a three week scientific expedition to search for the elusive ... more -
Tony Blair's 'farewell tour' cost taxpayer £700,000
Tony Blair's "farewell tour" before quitting office cost taxpayers more than £700,000, it was revealed today.
Figures show that the former Prime Minister's final lap of world capitals was probably the most expensive prime ministerial itinerary ever - despite him being only weeks from retirement.
Mr Blair made nine trips abroad in his last three months in office, costing a total of £724,000. The highlights were a tour of the United States, a trip to the G8 summit in Germany, a high-profile visit to Tripoli to meet President Gadaffi, and a trip to the Vatican to meet the Pope.
His globe-trotting was mocked by David Cameron as "like a pop star" and dubbed "the long kiss goodbye".
Travelling to Washington, with 18 Government officials in tow, cost £319,100, while the Libyan leg, complete with 30 officials, was even more expensive, coming in at £314,755.
Mr Blair also dashed to Paris, Warsaw and twice to Berlin to negotiate the Lisbon Treaty and also attended European Council summits. For trips to Brussels, he flew in an RAF jet rather than taking the Eurostar.
The biggest bill was for a pre-Christmas-trip covering both Iraq and Afghanistan to meet troop commanders on the ground and political leaders, including President Karzai. It cost £222,100.
A separate trip to Baghdad and Basra cost £197,600, while his tour of China and India cost £195,789. The fourth most expensive was his first trip to the USA as Prime Minister, which cost £117,530.
Um, I'm sorry, but who did he 'bid farewell' to on my, the tax payer's, behalf? Personally, I wish he hadn't said any goodbyes and had left the job a lot earlier. In 1998, for example. Or perhaps he could have gone to Iraq to fight alongside the soliders he sent there for a phoney war? That would certainly have been a dramatic goodbye.
Are these kinds of costs justified for a public figure like a Prime Minister (regardless of whether they're a greasy, grinning toad or not), or should MPs and politicans be forced to take the cheapest option for travel and trips when they're spending public money, as most of the public (thanks to a lack of money) have to?
Tony Blair's "farewell tour" before quitting office cost taxpayers more than £700,000, it was revealed today. ... more -
The Grouse Grind Challenge
Hiking Grouse Grind. Are you up for the challenge? Stephanie Carr takes you on the hike up the mountain.
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The 20 Craziest Party Hostels Around the World
Everyone wants to party on the road but with a million hostels in the world, where should you go?
I’ve searched high and low, drank with the best of them, and endured sleepless nights by the toilet to find the best party hostels out there.
Here are twenty that will keep you drinking, dancing, flirting, and hugging the porcelain goddess until the sun comes up:
Everyone wants to party on the road but with a million hostels in the world, where should you go? ... more -
How Mcain and Obama's travels influence their political worldview...
Before their political careers started, one presidential candidate had a passport that resembled your average American traveler’s.
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TravelSkoot Home Page
TravelSkoot another web 2.esque service that allows you to plan fun trips and travel. How do you like the idea?
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Breath-Taking Adventures and Little Known Exotic Destinations That Might Surprise ...
These hot vacation spots will take you off the beaten track of the same old places. Best of all, these destinations will surprise and take you on an adventure of a lifetime. These hot vacation spots will take you off the beaten track of the same old places. Best of all, these destinations will surprise and ... more
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Fort Walsh: Horses, Whiskey, and Murder
South West of Maple Creek, Saskatchewan Canada is a national historic site that not many know exists. However, the events that occurred in this area changed life on the Canadian Prairies forever. South West of Maple Creek, Saskatchewan Canada is a national historic site that not many know exists. However, the events that occurre... more
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The absolute best web sites on earth
In our busy lives of technology, the Internet and its infinite websites, take a minute now, sit back and enjoy the beauty of the real web. In our busy lives of technology, the Internet and its infinite websites, take a minute now, sit back and enjoy the beauty of the real ... more
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Wife carrying contest
It's the annual wife carrying races in Finland and husbands have been training hard for the event.
People from all over the world travelled to the country of the midnight sun to compete in the bizarre races in which husbands have to carry their spouses around an obstacle course. It's the annual wife carrying races in Finland and husbands have been training hard for the event. ... more -
White water rafting in the Canadian Outback
Nothing really could be better than rolling rapids, mountain views, and the possibility of certain death. We had done our research and had stumbled upon Canadian Outback Adventures and the Elaho Exhilarator. Nothing really could be better than rolling rapids, mountain views, and the possibility of certain death. We had done our research an... more
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Climbing the Great Pyramid with Japanese Know-How
For nearly 5,000 years, the Great Pyramids of Egypt have instilled wonder and awe in mankind. In the last half a dozen centuries, they have also become a tempting lure for many to climb them - especially the Great Pyramid of Cheops. Pyramid climbing has been a temptation ever since the limestone casing of the Great Pyramid collapsed from an earthquake during the Middle Ages. Among some of the more famous climbers of the past was Mark Twain. He climbed up to the top in the mid-Nineteenth Century or rather he was dragged and carried up to the top by enterprising locals for a small bit of baksheesh (tip money). Financially and physically, Twain came off better than modern British author Graham Hancock.
Hancock, the author of Fingerprints of the Gods, believes that a very ancient civilization pre-dating the Egyptians built the pyramids on the Giza Plain long before Cheops, or Khufu, as the Ancient Egyptians called him, was even born. Unlike Twain, Hancock had to climb the Pyramid under his own steam while paying out close to $300 in bribes.
Pyramid climbing had been permissible up to the 1980s until Egyptian authorities forbade it following the deaths of several climbers. Despite the ban, the Great Pyramid is still climbed periodically as author Hancock had done, generally in the dead of night. Sometimes guards are bribed and guides hired to show intrepid climbers the way up. Other climbers prefer to forgo paying unnecessary bribes and find ways of avoiding opportunistic guards.
Interestingly enough, the leading nationality of these thrifty nocturnal climbers are the Japanese. Young Japanese travelers in Egypt have made Pyramid Climbing virtually a profession. They even have a handwritten book about how to do it in one of the hotels in Cairo.
"Never Give Up!" is the Japanese climber's motto for surmounting the Pyramid, or as it is written in their book: "Never Up Give!"
The temptation to climb the Great Pyramid proved too great even for me to ignore despite my academic background in historical preservation and, more importantly, my fear of heights. I had climbed pyramids in Mexico and a minor pyramid or two in Egypt but Cheops just laughed at me. After all, what were these pitiful things compared to the Great Pyramid?
At 450 feet (135 meters), the Great Pyramid is nothing to sneeze at, especially when you’re clinging to the side of it for dear life in the dark, 200 feet up and a sneeze would send you tumbling to the ground in a broken bloody heap.
Before going, I diligently consulted the Japanese book for the necessary information. The book was a compilation of various personal accounts and advice from successful climbers written in both Japanese and English. In addition there were detailed maps on how to sneak into the area and which side to climb.
For nearly 5,000 years, the Great Pyramids of Egypt have instilled wonder and awe in mankind. In the last half a dozen centuries, they... more -
Cypress Hills Alberta: A Wild Outdoor Adventure or a Relaxing Retreat
This rugged wilderness offers the peace of the forest with the pleasure of a luxury spa and lodge for an unforgettable vacation.
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Americas 10 Most Walkable Cities
This is a "walk score" list of the ten most walkable cities today. It's great to see that a lot of the big cities are emphasizing urban travel without the family car. This is a "walk score" list of the ten most walkable cities today. It's great to see that a lot of the big cities are emphasizing urb... more
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Cheap Airlines Are Losing Altitude
Expensive oil could end up spelling the end for once-celebrated budget airlines. Increasingly, Air Berlin, easyJet and co. are running into major difficulties. And getting rid of excess ashtrays won't be enough to save them.
Last fall and winter was not a happy time for Lufthansa CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber. But it wasn't just the uncooperative weather and series of strikes that were making his life so miserable. Mayrhuber, a 61-year-old originally from Austria, faced heavy criticism for being too hesitant and overly risk-averse, all because he passed up opportunities to acquire charter airline Condor and Italian competitor Alitalia.
Read more... Expensive oil could end up spelling the end for once-celebrated budget airlines. Increasingly, Air Berlin, easyJet and co. are running... more
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