Travel Blogs (264)

Here is a link to Google Maps..expand the map with your mouse to the city level and hit Add Marker to mark the city you've visited then save the map and post it here so people can see where you've been..




Here's mine:



Have fun!!!!!

In the EU, North America, Australasia and elsewhere, formerly more liberally oriented such policies are clearly becoming more restrictive. This is occurring with the ascendancy of right wing political parties. The backlash has occurred and the fixes are in. Fences are up, and agents are turning people back. A Trump administration will be much more open to input and advice from loyal patriotic citizens on the character and potential dangerousness of foreigners seeking visas to visit, and perhaps to live and work among citizens. This has precedent, in the judicial branch for example, with friends of the court briefs. The relative anonymity and permanency of musings on the internet provide all of us and our governments with potentially helpful information on persons who might better not be granted visas, based on potential terrorist connections/sensibilities, or even overt mental instability. Are we entering a regretable new age of Big Brother xenophobia, or is this just a natural protective and patriotic response to possible malefaction?

REDEX.
Welcome Back
From your Holidays.
Hope you post some Pictures,
Of your Trip.
Stay Blessed.

I recall with fond memories the days of my globe trotting. Anyone else remember all those youth hostels, where for less than the price of plastic flip flops, one had a safe harbor in a strange city, and a launching point for clued and value oriented exploration? The real value in these places was in the ability to get to know others and to benefit enormously from each other's travel experience. One can get some of this by reading The Lonly Planet travel guides, but the fun of commeraderie is absent. Totally different world from staying in fancy hotels. Sadly, hosteling is a little different now a days, but one still do some of it as we did a few decades ago. Same for hitch hiking, no? Aa.

Yesterday on the news I heard about the happiest cities of Europe complied by the E.U.’s Eurobarometer.
One of my favourite places in one of the 5th happiest cities of Europe.


Which city makes you happy ; that you enjoy visiting or living?

Off to Cape Town for 10 days tomorrow

Not a holiday, I’ll be stuck in the office most of the time. Normally I’d spend free time with the team on the spot but this time I’m going in to find out who had their hand in the cookie jar.

I know Natal and Gauteng well but haven’t spent much time in the Cape. Suggestions? Anyone know how to get hold of Cat?

For those not aware, the NE USA is hunkering down in anticipation of a major blizzard.

Some who live in places without snow may ask, what is a blizzard?

Officially, the National Weather Service defines a blizzard as a storm which contains large amounts of snow OR blowing snow, with winds in excess of 35 mph and visibilities of less than 1/4 mile for an extended period of time (at least 3 hours).

This coming storm (beginning this afternoon) is supposed to be of two days duration with at least 2 feet of snow accumulation.

Here it means, cut firewood (500 pounds cut and ready, enough for 20 loads of the wood (heating) stove, obtain kerosene for the kerosene heater (12 gallons now stored), buy food, goodies, and batteries for a flashlight, top off the cars gas tank, charge all phone batteries and make sure the shovels and the snow blower are ready.

The utility companies are warning that if power goes out, due to the high winds making bucket trucks unsafe, it may be a day or three before electricity is restored.

I feel for those living in houses with only electricity as the primary heat source. I have that too, but being an older home with fireplace and a wood stove, as well as my own small forest, I have a built in resource to which I have added kerosene heaters as an option. Including a big one I call the dragon which belches out an amazing 110,000 BTUs. I don't turn it on often (cause it can consume 3 gallons of Ksene in about 2 hours) but when I do, it heats things up quick. There are also some smaller 20,000 BTU (they eat 3 gallons per 12 hours) units.

Bring it on. I am ready.

The truck is prepped for snow accumulation.



A half hour before a radar map shows the snow will probably begin to arrive.



My wood stove is lit and full. The warmth begins.



Electric heaters are working too.

Where are my apple turnovers..?

I may visit Australia from 6th to 12th Feb, I want to make my trip to 3 cities: Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Anyone here could recommend for me what is the routine I should make and what is the most convenient transportation I should use other than airplane for moving around those 3 cities?

Many thanks!

I am in Sri Lanka until end of february. Do you want meet me on the beach?