Archive for June, 2008
29
Silverjet on Brink of Recovery?
Published by admin, under Travel Stories. No Comments.
We previously reported the demise of Silverjet - the business class only UK based airline that used to fly between Luton, New York and Dubai until it was forced to ground itself due to lack of funds. The media have recently been reporting a possible resurgence for the airline:
ArabJet, a Dubai-based business-class airline, has launched a bid to buy the London-based Silverjet PLC, a government-owned business daily reported Tuesday.
Emirates Business 24/7 reported that ArabJet “has allocated sufficient funds to purchase” Silverjet, a business-class airline that suspended operations in late May after a key funding deal fell through.
When contacted by The Associated Press, ArabJet’s CEO Mohammed el-Shanti said the company is interested in SilverJet’s survival but would not confirm the Emirates Business 24/7 report.
ArabJet “had discussions with Silverjet administrators … and we remain interested in Silverjet’s survival,” he said in an e-mail.
“We have great believe in the viability of (Silverjet’s) business model, confirmed by its positive customer satisfaction,” he said.
On Monday, the administrator of Silverjet, Begbies Traynor, said that the airline has received a formal offer from a Swiss investment firm to buy and relaunch the airline. Begbies Traynor also said two other parties have expressed an interest in the carrier.
ArabJet Airlines plans to begin service in 2009, with a focus on the Middle East market, according to the company’s Web site.
Source: The International Herald Tribune
About Arabjet:
ArabJet is proposed as a niche-market, independently (private) operated premium class airline set to capitalize on a significant shortfall in servicing high demands (current and projected) for business class travel within the Middle East region. Comprehensive research has been carried out by a select team of industry and management professionals, to present this solid proposition to key investors and authorities to both compliment and compete on a strong profit-driven platform. The proposition is backed by a sound business plan and strict schedule, with its first operations commencing in 2009.
28
Adirondack Journals - Part I
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July 12-
For weeks I’d been anticipating it. Four days and nights on the trail, the great north woods - dozens of high peaks and deserted trails, alone.
The stress of the daily grind had been growing, until it was to become insurmountable and induce some sort of emotional collapse. Thus, hiking. My ideal vacation - a time to let the body work as God intended and the mind to wander freely until settling down into some sort of zen.
But those very stresses would not relent and they manifested themselves in forgetfulness. It was almost as if I couldn’t get anything right. An hour into the drive (leaving Manhattan in that crisp morning hour when the pigeons flock through the sidewalks and the sky is held buzzing electric) I realized I’d forgotten both my rain jacket and fleece. I had a poncho that could stand in for rain gear, but if the temperature dropped, all I had were t-shirts.
Thankfully, Wal-Mart to the rescue. The store amazes me even now. This one in Albany was clean and vast, with every niche item - even comparable backpacking stoves! And a sweatshirt for $7.
But there were other things I neglected - extra batteries, ziplock bags, any sort of cleaning paper, towel, etc. Small things, but they added up in the wilderness.
I arrived at Adirondack Loj about 11:30. Did the whole preparation bit where I compress, squeeze and shove the hundreds of assorted pieces of gear scattered around the trunk of the car into their respective compartments in my pack. The thing is weighty, owing primarily to the bear canister I’m required to carry.
In addition to the large backpack I have a camera bag with my new Canon SLR slung diagonally across my chest. It’s handy there for impromptu shots of butterflies landing on sun-lit flowers, but it swings against my hip while walking.
The first section of the trail is well groomed, plenty of helpful hewn-log bridges, their surface polished smooth by the tramping of a thousand boots. There’s a nature cabin, even benches surrounding Heart Lake, with a gentle lapping short of fine ground pebbles. Little kids in the bathing suits splash around as if it were the Atlantic, their parents cool in sunglasses, watching tiny clouds puff across a perfect blue sky.
And it is perfect: mid seventies, sunny and clear, the occasional breeze through the trees. After a good long tromp along the trail, my back is drenched.
The insects are out in force, mosquitoes and gnats and tiny red-eyed flies, occasionally nasty black flies. DEET, however, is a miracle spray, and keeps them off. I only have to suffer the smell and the sticky residue.
Four miles in there’s a prim lean-to - a nice clearing with views down the stream to the jagged cliffs of Indian Pass. There’s a convergence of waterways here - sun dappling the rocks peacefully. I check my map; figure I’ll take the shortcut through Iroquois and Marshall Mountain over to Lake Colden, my first camp of the night.
I hike uphill about a half mile, realize I’ve missed the turn off. Judging from the topo map it crosses a major stream and juts off into the hills. I backtrack, spot a few places where it looks like the trail would cross the rocky brook. But there are no blazes - little colored plastic discs nailed into trees.
I decide to follow the stream up a ways, hoping it will cross the tail in a few hundred meters. It doesn’t. I’m still rock hopping, avoiding the deep water, the downed deadwood that lie across the stream like natural gatekeepers.
Looking at the topo again, it appears the trail follows the stream right up into the low ridge, then connects with its sister tributary on the down slope - all the way to Lake Colden. It’s only two miles. I can rock hop that far, and it will save time, instead of the long trod looping miles south of Mount Marshall.
This decision turns out to be both the hardest and most foolish of anything I’ve done in the woods.
Climbing the stream to its source gradually begins to get more difficult as the creek bed narrows - faster channels of deep water, huge waterfall drop-offs. If something is too difficult to climb I have to go around, up into the underbrush. This wouldn’t be terrible in a deciduous forest of nice soft leaves.
But both banks of this creek are lined with dense evergreens, full of sharp needle and spines in the dead underbrush. The steep sides are caked with rotten wood, layers of it, and then covered over again in soft moss. I hear the dead wood crumble, my leg sinking to the knees, sometimes hips in soft fertile earth. Even more treacherous - when this false ground covers boulders and caves. Put your foot through one of these and you might never touch solid ground.
Foolishly, I push on, all in the hopes of reaching the ridge, spotting the cold blue lake just through the trees. Every new stretch of rocks and moss to be climbed brings hope of that elusive destination.
But also pain, and hardship. My legs are butchered from the slips and the crackling of dead pines and hemlocks. My arms, just as bad. Pushing through especially dense sections, I can do nothing but lower my head and drive through, dozens of fiery sharp twigs cracking off to nest on my sunbeaten neck, or worse, catch on my pack.
Before long I am drenched in sweat, filthy, streaked with cuts and scrapes, which now attract flies. I’m miserable, and no closer to my goal.
Granted, the scenery is beautiful, the light playing against tumbling waterfalls, reflected like a golden aura against a bold red cliff. The rivulets of pure mountain water channel through healthy growths of moss and algae, long fronds dangling over ledges.
Bu it is treacherous. At first I think myself like Bear Grylls on his harrowing climbs up ragged cliffs, cracking underbrush and quipping Briticisms. But after a few more hard and embarrassing falls, increasingly accompanied by cries of rage and pain - I began to see myself Aguirre, trekking through the Heart of Darkness in search of El Dorado. For him, a lost city of gold. For me, a fabled ridge and clear shot to Lake Colden.
But there is no end in sight to the rise of the brook. Boulders pile ever higher, thicker windfalls (which must have been a spectacular sight bombarding down the channel in the spring melt), more treacherous footing.
I decide to climb up the hill on the right slope to see what I can see. This is horrifically hard. It’s a forty-five degree incline through deep and decaying moss - a dozen jutting twigs that blind just as well as jab your leg. Very few solid living handholds.
I make it to a slope of naked rock, crusted with colorful red lichen, under the full glare of the late afternoon sun. I scramble up about halfway and am able to make out the bald head of Algonquin above the tree line.
I’ve gone wrong.
I’ve cut through the wrong peaks, followed the wrong stream to its painful source. I’ve wasted hours. Lake Colden is unattainable this direction.
It’s then I begin to despair. Then hemlocks close in, so tight I can barely gulp air without their dusty sap scent. I can’t rest. There are no cozy boulders or logs, only the steep slope continually sliding out from under me. My legs are coated with dirt and blood. My face - cobwebs and hemlock needles. I am beat, nearly exhausted. And I still have hours to bushwhack back to a proper trail.
I whisper a quick prayer. Not a common thing for me, and in a way - incredibly humbling. I admit the beauty of the place; realize the personification of the mountain, there to stomp down on my cockiness. I admit I have been foolish, and I’ve broken one of the primary rules (stay on the trail) out of arrogance.
It is time to turn around.
There is a brief respite. As the sun moves to the west it’s angle of light shines on the flats of the tumbling brook - the water reflecting gold. I find a deep pool with a waterfall overhead, strip my boots and clothes, and duck into that amber water. My legs and arms billow dust and moss and earth, but then I am clean, pushing out across the cold refreshing deep to let the water cascade on my head.
That’s my El Dorado for a day of backtracking and foolishness and Plan B. That’s my reward for admitting my pride.
I make it back to the camp closing on seven - nearly five hours after I’ve left it. I am thankful but beaten.
I cook dinner and strip off my wet socks, assemble the tent for the first time (it is quick, solid and roomy).
Down by the clearing I see a beaver in the shallow pool, chattering. I approach with my camera, crack a shot, and he dives, gliding through the creek bed like an otter. The half moon is rising, still huge and mystical in the lower atmosphere, and there’s a hint of purple in the sunset.
Then the breeze picks up, roaring through the tops of the trees and I’m off to bed.
23
Restyles of the Dead and Famous
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August is fast approaching, and that means it’s time for the Edinburgh International Festival, one of the world’s foremost celebrations of art, dance, and music. And with the Festival comes the Fringe, an alternative festival launched in 1947, the same year as the Edinburgh Festival, with the mission of allowing access to all performers. Now the Fringe rivals the Festival itself, and is THE place to see the quirky, the innovative, and the laugh-out-loud funny.
This year my London-based photographer friend, Steve Ullathorne, is exhibiting a new series of photographs at The Gilded Balloon, one of the Fringe’s foremost venues. Restyles of the Dead and Famous are twisted tweaks of the Blue Plaque bearing London homes of the dead and gone - from Jane Austen to Oscar Wilde via Thomas Crapper and George Orwell. The Scotsman’s Claire Smith calls Steve “the Annie Leibowitz of comedy,” and these irreverent images are the proof of the pudding.
But if you can’t get to Edinburgh, and you find yourself in London on a Saturday, have a wander down Portobello Road. At Tavistock Road, just before the Westway, on most Saturdays you’ll find Steve selling his London prints from his market stall. From the whimsical (London Policeman), to the sublime (my favorite photo of the Albert Bridge), the photos are fabulous. And you’ll be following in fictional footsteps.
20
Day Four - To the Tower
Published by admin, under Carbon Credits and Offset Packages. 2 Comments.
My feet have done it again. They have led me a merry chase all over London once more. It was cold but clear this morning, the sky a lovely blue.
I started off walking to St Paul’s Cathedral, stopping on the way to have breakfast at a café. Pretty much the same as yesterday but without the baked beans.
I stopped as I passed over Holburn Viaduct to take a picture of the street where Dad used to work - Plumtree Court.
St Paul’s is expensive - £10 to get in. But in I went. It’s a fantastic place, the interior of the dome is richly painted with religious pictures. The Duke of Wellington and Nelson are buried in the crypt in huge ornate tombs.
Next was the Monument. This is in Pudding Lane and commemorates where the Great Fire of London started. It was covered in scaffolding from top to bottom. Oh well, I would probably paid an entrance fee, climbed up it and then been scared of the height of it.
From there my feet took off in the direction of the Tower of London. One of the Yeoman of the Guard took us on a guided tour. He was quite funny - not that I can remember any of the witty lines he said. I had a good look at the armories and the Crown Jewels. The ravens were bouncing around on the lawn but didn’t come near enough for a good close up. It was quite busy there with lots of school groups from all over Europe or so it sounded.
By this time my feet were really sore so I caught a taxi back to the British Museum and then proceeded to walk around the displays there - this, of course, made my feet even sorer. I especially liked the early British, Roman and Egyptian displays. Some of the early craftsmanship is exquisite. I stuck my 50mm lens on the camera and took about 50 available light photos. Some of these have a lot of glass reflections on them which I couldn’t seem to avoid.
Then it was back to the hotel again to rest my poor weary feet. The weather forecast is for COLD tomorrow with possible ice, sleet and maybe a fluttering of snow. It might be time to have a look at the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum - they are all close together.
And thanks to Michael for getting the global roaming problem with my phone all fixed up!
18
Tarw
Published by admin, under Bike. 4 Comments.
Coed y Brenin rocks, quite literally. I spent the weekend up there with a bunch of friends, old and new. The trails are rockier than just about anywhere else I’ve ridden in the UK, save perhaps Fort William. It’s the sort of terrain the current breed of “all mountain” bikes were built for.
We started with Temtiwr, which is the shortest of the trails. A mere 9km or so and sadly too much of that is fire-road (this is a running theme). The Dream Time section is fantastic though — so much so that we went back to ride it twice.
After a hearty lunch we took on MBR. Again, too many fire-roads, but the singletrack was a great pay-off. Brutus is one of those incredibly technical climbs that you’re happy to get to the top of without putting a foot down, while Cain, Abel and the legendary Pink Heifer are all fantastic descents.
On sunday, Brett and myself had a go at the Tarw trail. The fire-road theme is all to evident here too; The bit after Heart of Darkness was particularly disappointing because it’s all downhill! Luckily, the singletrack on offer is nothing short of brilliant. Hitting Snap, Crackle and Pop at high speed is like tackling the dragon downhill track at Gethin; rocks everywhere and no easy way through it. Keeping momentum through there is a challenge in the best sense, while the slightly smoother Rocky Horror Show is absolutely flat-out fun.
There’s a few more photos on flickr. Thanks to Andy for organising it, and to Brett, Neil, Ash and Darren for making it such a good weekend. Fire-road be damned — I want to go back for another go at all that singletrack!
13
Time for an update? I think so!
Published by admin, under Bicycling. 5 Comments.
Unfortunately I don’t have time for a BIG update (which I know I need to do! SO much has been going on lately! Had a wonderful birthday — definitely one of the best thanks to Mama. A $3,000 shopping spree DID NOT hurt my feelings in the least, hahah. Finally got my beloved, which I’ve named ‘Precious’. …shut up. It’s a perfectly suitable name for inanimate object. 
I’ll go into it more later, along with a bunch of other stuff that’s been going on. BUT! I’m about to leave for California (going to San Diego with Mamma! Haven’t been there since my first year of cheer camp @ USD’s La Jolla campus in…2003? It’s certainly time to go back! 
Like always, I’ll be updating my Flickr like CRAZY! Y’all know how obsessive I am about documenting every little detail about my trips and vacations, tee heez. I’m bringing the digital too, but I’ll have to wait until we get back home to upload those photos. But, like I said — be sure to check the Flickr because there’s going to be CONSTANT updates the entire time! 
Mama rented a NICE laptop (still shopping around for a new one), so I’ll have `net access in the room. I’ll try to edit this post and make a more interesting one later tonight once we get to the room and are settled in. Today’s just a travel and relaxation day. …and, as everyone knows, it’s Father’s Day. 
It’s always a hard day but as the years go by, they seem to get harder because every year I know even MORE about my Dad. We’re stopping at the Veteran’s Cemetery in Riverside to bring some boquets and American flags for both my Daddy’s grave and my Grandpa Ed’s site, which is right next to my Dad’s. It’ll be hard as hell, but it’s something I NEED to do. That place (the cemetery) is so beautiful and I have such an immense amount of pride when I go there. Not just anyone can be burried there and it’s very…honoring and moving, that MY DAD, a hero, is there amongst the other brave men and women who have served our country. When I see Marines in uniform walking around in the office, I just think to myself, “Wow. My Dad was a Marine, too”. Sometimes I cry, sometimes I smile. But it’s a beautiful sadness, if that makes sense.
I gotta get my heiny in gear and get dressed! We’re aiming to head out by noon. …Looks like it might be a few minutes after, haha. I’ll be back either on Tuesday or Wednesday. We’ll see! Everyone have a good Father’s Day and be sure to tell your Dad how much he means to you. Have a great week loves! Ciao tutti! baci ; xoxo!
09
Hawaii Vacation Packages Save You Money And Provide Fun Activies!
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Can’t decide which activities to book on your upcoming Hawaii vacation? No problem. With Hawaii vacation packages, you can book two different and exciting activities, at one low price, saving up to 30%.
These Hawaiian vacation deals include incredible money-saving activity combinations that include luaus, helicopter tours, romantic sunset sails, submarine tours, snorkeling, tours kayaking, and more. So save money and have fun by booking Hawaii Vacation package combo activity deals.
Maui Vacation Packages
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Maui’s Hottest Discount Activity Deal: An Atlantis Submarine & Sunshine Helicopter Discount Combo is the budget friendly way to pack real fun & adventure into your vacation! Daily flights from Kahului and submarine departures from Lahaina Harbor. The Submarine Tour & Royal Lahaina Luau Package is great vacation fun for the entire family at a discount price! Explore the waters off Lahaiana from 125 feet below the surface, then feast on the beach Hawaiian-style at the Royal Lahaina Luau.
Oahu Vacation Packages
Hawaii Vacation Packages on Oahu are some of the best Hawaii vacation deals around. Experience a full day of adventure at Hawaii Sea Life Park to interact with dolphins, sting rays, sea lions and more. Take an underwater submarine adventure tour off Waikiki, then dine in style and enjoy the mystical, romantic and spectacular “Magic of Polynesia” stage show. Book your choice of 4 spectacular Kualoa Ranch activities - ATV & horseback riding; kayaking; gun range; ranch, movie set & jungle expedition Tours - for one amazing low price. Or combine jet skiing Oahu, surf lessons, parasailing, sunset dinner cruises and Cirque Hawaii show for great family fun at money-saving discount prices.
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Hawaii Vacation Packages on the Big Island Activities are the best way to fun on your Hawaii vacation and save money, too! Book two activities at one low price with price reductions up to 30%. Explore the underwater world with a submarine tour from Kona or join Body Glove for fantastic snorkeling tours and humpback whale watches (seasonally); look for dolphins, tropical fish and green sea turtles! Soar over Kilauea Volcano for the best view of the lava flow (without hiking) on an incredible Helicopter Flight from Hilo or Kona!
Big Island’s Hottest Discount Activity Deal: A Body Glove Snorkel & Sunshine Helicopter Combo lets you experience it all at one low discount price! Join Body Glove for snorkeling fun and Dolphin watching one day, then experience the wonder of erupting Kilauea Volcano and its lava flows from the safety of the air on the next.
Kauai Vacation Packages
Hawaii Vacation Packages on Kauai offer the best-priced activity deals. These money-saving activty combinations that save uou up to 30% are avaiable only from HawaiiActive.com. Book two of Kaui’s best activities together for one low price, including Helicopter Tours, Traditional Luaus, Na Pali Sunset Sail & Snorkel and Zipline Safaris. Feast at the traditional Smith’s Tropical Paradise Luau along the famous Wailua River in tandem with any of the following Combo activities: A full-day paddling, hiking, swimming and ziplining through a Kauai rainforest; Flying a luxury A-Star helicopter to view the amazing Na Pali Coast and Waimea Canyon; Taking a Na Pali morning sail & snorkel aboard Holoholo, a romatic sunset cocktail cruise, or an exciting cruise to snorkel the “Forbidden Island.”
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http://www.myhawaii.net Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_Reim |
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06
Choosing the Right Villa
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Are you a seasoned traveller who already has many experiences in going to the different countries all over the world and want to try something different? Then why not try going to Bali in Indonesia? The island has many things to boast of aside from their renowned white sand beaches. And this includes the Bali private villas that Bali Luxury Private Villas offer.
A member of the Bali Villa Rental Association, the website is committed into giving nothing but the best kinds of living arrangements for the local and international tourists visiting their island. And to live up to its commitment, they have constructed their villas in such a way that their guests would no longer have to ask for anything more. Aside from the complete amenities for which they’re famous for, they are also known for giving the lowest pieces for these villas. Click on http://www.baliluxuryprivatevillas.com so you can see how low they’re priced.
04
Special offers on hotels in Dubai during Ramadan
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Emirates’ passengers travelling to Dubai during the religious month of Ramadan can enjoy two nights accommodation from as little as $57 a night per person. The offer, which runs from 1st September to 30th September 2008, involves six select hotels in Dubai; the Marco Polo Hotel, Novotel World Trade Centre Dubai, Ibis World Trade Centre Dubai, Highland Hotel, Crowne Plaza Dubai Festival City and the Hyatt Regency Dubai. Extra nights with bed and breakfast are also available at special rates, providing bookings are within the offer period.
02
Random Alissa pics
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Alissa’s hair is long enough to put in a pony tail… sort of. It stayed up pretty well because it’s been hot the last couple days and Alissa is getting over a cold so her sweat and boogers acted like a kind of mousse. Nice, huh?
Alissa’s glamorous shades. We went to Tiburon this afternoon with Jeff and Xiao-Yi. After sitting on a bench overlooking the bay eating dim sum,
we headed over to the Windsor Winery tasting room and tried to not get drunk. They actually had a bucket of toys that kept Alissa busy as well.
Afterwards, we went to the Gelato place on the corner where Alissa modeled Xiao-Yi’s sunglasses.
She also “wore”a chocolate gelato goatee.