Days 118-123: Gili Trawangan, Indonesia – Gili Trawangan, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
Jump to the full entry & travel map Gili Trawangan, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia Approximately one hour off the northeast coast of Lombok are three aligned droplets of white sandy islands known as the Gili Islands. We took a water taxi ride across the sea to our next destination, Gili Trawangan, the most developed of the three islands (developed being it has one road and the only transport is horse and cart!) Arriving into the pier of the island was like floating into a picture perfect island setting: crystal clear water full of coral life running off a white sandy beach
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Days 118-123: Gili Trawangan, Indonesia – Gili Trawangan, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
Jump to the full entry & travel map El Bolson, Patagonia, Argentina We are now in the Lake District, virtually due west from our last stop, in a little town called El Bolson. This stop is another result of a passing conversation giving us new ideas of where to go. An overnight buss took us across the flat planes of northern Patagonia for us to wake to souring snow capped mountains, rushing ice water rivers and alpine forests; sometimes travelling can be so tough! We were also advised of a place to stay so set about hunting it down only to be picked up by the owner as we aimlessly wandered, our luck seems to be holding out. El Bolson is a little town south of Baralochi nestled between two mountain ranges on the Chilean boarder in the heart of the lake district, and its absolutely stunning! We were told there is little to do her other than waste time, however, with a small set of ski runs next door, plenty of alpine walks and mountain bikes for hire (and this is just in the winter), plus the chance finding of a small, local produce only, artensania market, we have to beg to differ. This is espeially true because the place we are staying is a home from home; Claudio and Valerie, who run it with their two kids and three dogs, have treated us from the moment we arrived like old friends. We were immediately settled into our rooms, offered fresh coffee and coisants and promised a traditional Argentine bbq in the evening, Claudio being an ex Hilton chef how could we pass that up!? We were right not to, we were taken to the supermarket to help chose some food and be directed as to what is good food and wine to buy and helped with the bbq, Lenny would be in heaven with half a side of cow on the menu! Fed and watered (well vinoed) we head for bed and the promise of a mountain bike ride through the forests and hills, along rivers and to a lake. We are greeted with a crisp, fresh morning (well by the time we got up it was nearly afternoon) and head out with Claudio for a ride. He says it is good for his health so when we asked to use thier bikes he said he would join us and show us some of the sights and routes not on the tourist track. We make our way out of the town, climbing to a view point, then down towards the valley river, stopping every now and then for photo opportunities. From there Claudio suggests a little treat and we leave the track down a short drive to a tiny little shop in the middle of the hill side that specialises in the Argentine sweet buscuits. And what a treat, the area is known for its organic produce and a sweet buscuit filled with fresh rasberry jam and a hot drink besides, we agree this is the way to exercise! A little further and we reach the lake at the base of the two mountain ranges and stop for a brief wander. The way back showed us what the area is like at sunset and as we re enter the town the place begins to take to life again (siestas here seem to last a little longer, apparently there is a hippie influence and they are so relaxed).
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Still in Patagonia: only now in the Lake District – El Bolson, Patagonia, Argentina
Jump to the full entry & travel map Leh, Jammu and Kashmir, India Et koik ausalt ara raakida, tuleb alustada sellest, kuidas ma hommikul toast lahkusin, kavatsusega vahetada pisut raha, viia oma pass reisiputkasse inner line permiti tegemiseks, maksta ara matka teine poole ja minna otsima seda stuupat, mille Kaarle oru tagumises otsas leidis. Hommikusoogiks, nagu ikka, banana pancake, ainult Jeevani kohvikusse ma selleks minna ei viitsi. Moni teine paev
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whaaat a day… – Leh, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Filed under: Style in the News RIHANNA’ S VOGUE ITALIA SHOOT? Anna Wintour may have snubbed the pastie-breasted Rihanna for the cover of the September Issue , but that doesn’t mean she isn’t in vogue for the Italian fashion set. The sexy star is rumored to have a spread in Vogue Italia, shot by American photographer Steven Klein, who has shot both Madonna and Britney
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Breaking News – Stefano Tonchi to Ditch T Magazine?, Crocs Going Extinct? and Rihanna’s Vogue Italia Shoot?
Here’s what Suba Sankaran, Resident Artist at the Young Centre has to say about Sunday’s…Musideum also has CDs from many of the artists on the “ladybug” CD such as autorickshaw, Nuno Cristo …. Read more from the original source: http://tiaanitaproject.blogspot.com/2009/07/july-news2009-ontario-1-baobab-tree.html
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http://tiaanitaproject.blogspot.com/2009/07/july-news2009-ontario-1-baobab-tree.html
Tempur-Pedic International Inc, the leading manufacturer, marketer and distributor of premium mattresses and pillows worldwide, announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2009. The Company also confirmed its financial guidance for 2009. Second Quarter Financial Summary: • Earnings per share (EPS) were $0.22 per diluted share in the second quarter of 2009 as compared to $0.27 per diluted share in the second quarter of 2008.
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Mattress & pillow sales decline at Tempur-Pedic
Jump to the full entry & travel map Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar There is a great little bungalow on the beach in Fort Dauphin owned by Brett (telephone 0330 221 265 or email dadamanga@live.com), which is amazing. It’s teh guest house of a private home of an Australian who has lived in Madagascar for ten years and can advise you on all your tours), right on the beach (with private stairs leading to beach), and the bungalow is built in the Malagasy style, with a carved four-poster bed, windows that open directly onto the ocean, with separate tiny bathroom (with hot shower and proper loo). The bungalow has a private stone-paved garden to one side, and a lovely lawn (shared with the owner) right on the edge of the ocean for whale watching and cocktails at sunset. They don’t have an official “restaurant” (because there is only one bungalow) but they have an amazing chef (the private cook of the owner) who can do market shopping for you daily and cook whatever you want (for a reasonable fee). The place is so beautiful and private….
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Beachside bungalow in Fort Dauphin – Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
Jump to the full entry & travel map Hoi An, Vietnam Hoi An is the place to get very cheap custom made suits. A full kashmere suit can be tailored exactly to your size within 24 hours for about $70. However, I did not indulge of these because I could not face carrying a full suit about with me for a year. Apart from this Hoi An is a great little town. It is incredibly beautiful and is actually a world heritage site. A couple of days we rented push bikes and went to the beach – pure white sand and the sea is incredibly warm. We also rented mo-peds a couple of days and went to see marble mountain, not as exciting as we had been led to believe, and My Son. An ancient ruin from the Cham empire. Again this wasn’t that exciting but the ped-venture was great fun. We also sampled Hoi An’s nightlife and when you can get a beer for around 12 pence it seems rude not to.
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The Tailors – Hoi An, Vietnam
Jump to the full entry & travel map , Montenegro, Montenegro Visit www.montenegro-traveler.com New accommodation portal in Montenegro!You can contact the owners directly or let us manage your booking! Register your property on http://montenegro-traveler.com/create-an-account Find the facts about Montenegro,get the truth about visa regime,transport and prices,find out about Montenegro culture and much more… Montenegro-Traveler.com is specialized tourist portal for accommodation rental (Montenegro apartments, rooms, villas, hotels, camps) .
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Find accommodation in MONTENEGRO! – , Montenegro, Montenegro
Jump to the full entry & travel map Okuma-machi, Tohoku, Japan Just started this blog to try and remember all that we’ve done so far. It is day 10 here in Japan and the weather has been very hot and humid. It has been so hot that Skyler said that he wished the outside would have airconditioning! We’ve spent almost everyday going to Sunset Beach which is right outside of our resort and also daily visits to the Chula-U hotsprings spa
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20 days in Okinawa, Japan Day 10 – Okuma-machi, Tohoku, Japan
Jump to the full entry & travel map Tacloban, Visayas, Philippines Helloo, I can’t believe I only have 10 days left here. I feel like there is so much more I could do that I just don’t have the time to. I really want to come back here though. If not next year then I would really like to in two years. My host family has become like a second family to me. I totally understand what the many exchange students we had throughout my childhood went through during their stays. I have become so used to it here that I am not sure how I will adjust when I get home. I mean obviously it will be easy to go back to since it is the life I have been living for 19 years. But I am sure it will be really strange leaving here for so long. I haven’t been doing anything too exciting this week. We have gone to the movies three times so far just because we aren’t very busy. We were supposed to take Vincent for his follow-up appointment today but he ended up going to school. Which is really good news. His sisters had told us that he was going to skip school for this year to hopefully “get better”. But today was his second day back at school. Vincent has changed so much since he got out of the hospital. He smiles and talks to us. Vincent definitely feels better. When I was sitting with him at the hospital the other day he was playing a game and I could hear him making little shooting noises. It was adorable. After being in so many wheelchairs he is starting to be able to maneuver himself pretty well too
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10 days left – Tacloban, Visayas, Philippines
Jump to the full entry & travel map Bellingham, Washington, United States We left Nanaimo this morning at 9:30 and arrived back in the US at 5:00 pm – bodies of water and Homeland Security adds of lot of time to travel. We waited about 2 hours for the ferry in Nanaimo, but we were able to finish our book on tape! The weather was perfect today – 72 F and sunny! If we squinted, we could pretend we were on a cruise ship for the almost 2 hour ferry ride – enjoyable! After we drove our car off the ferry, we took our final drive through the town of Vancouver. It’s really a beautiful city – the traffic today confirmed that it’s a busy city as well.
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We leave Canada today . . . – Bellingham, Washington, United States
Jump to the full entry & travel map Aurora, Colorado, United States I know that this title may be misleading but it really isn’t, I promise 
I have 3 days to catch you up on! I’ll try to summarize as best as possible but, for those of you know my writing style, it’s not my forte I like to elaborate and incorporate as much detail as possible Tuesday, July 14 – Audition/Module Day! We were put into small groups on this day and went through 5 different stations: vocal, dance, costume, technical and public speaking. 3 of the 5 (vocal, dance and public speaking) were audition stations
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What did I get myself into? – Aurora, Colorado, United States
Jump to the full entry & travel map Mal Pais, Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica Day 6 – Thursday, July 2, 2009 – Puntarenas Ferry – Mal Pais – We awoke early to the sounds of a mewing cat at the hotel. We left Monteverde fairly early in the morning so we could catch the 11:00 am Ferry in Puntarenas. Shaeleigh, Malesa, and I had breakfast at the restaurant in the Fonda Vela. The breakfast choices were very limited, but the food was good (the French toast didn’t look that good, but we didn’t order it). While we were eating, the mewing stray cat that woke us up came to the restaurant. I am not sure what happened to the cat, but we didn’t see him again that morning
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The Cottage on the Beach – Mal Pais, Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Jump to the full entry & travel map Monterey, California, United States Hello! After a fantastic adventure in Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks we headed back to home base for a few days (thanks again Aunt Kath and Gramps and Grandma) to rest up and re-jig our camping equipement. Whilst in San Bernadino we enjoyed regular showers, its amazing how your hygiene standards change when camping! We also got in a bit of civilisation and enjoyed Transformers 2, ha! What a fantastic and funny movie. We then headed up in the world, literally! Up the Californian coast, through Los Padres National Forest to Monterey
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Scuba Divers, Sardines and Seals – Monterey, California, United States
Jump to the full entry & travel map Buffalo, New York, United States Today the real trip begins and it is time to start writing in the diary. “The Real Trip” in the sense, that we have no more hotels booked or anything and we are just taking it as it comes along. We had a nice breakfast consisting of mainly preservatives in the motel and turned our car towards Buffalo, as agreed upon last night
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First day of proper driving towards our start – Buffalo, New York, United States
Jump to the full entry & travel map Beijing, China After breakfast today we heard several people speak about education in China. The lectures took place in one of the hotel’s conference rooms and were quite interesting. Our first speaker was Mr. Li Zipeng, the Deputy Director of the People’s Education Press. He started with an informative introduction about China and then explained what his company does. PEP was founded in 1950 (one year after the start of Mao’s People’s Republic) and is responsible for the development and publication of China’s national curriculum. They now publish textbooks for about 60% of China’s schools but until the 90′s they provided national/unified textbooks for all schools. The next two speakers talked about psychology and how it relates to education and the development of women and children. Mrs
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Our First Lecture Day – Beijing, China
Jump to the full entry & travel map Bar Harbor, Maine, United States Me and my daughter took our camera and dropped by the Harborside motel today, and brought you all some really good photos we shot from their property. This is one of the finer motels intown, so staying here won’t be cheap, but I don’t think you will find a better place to get some R&R. I just realized I can’t add the photos as I write this, but I will download them at the end. The day started out with a brilliant sun, but as the day wore on, the fog began to come in, as some of the photos will show. I saw at least three tennis courts, outside spas pools, and what appeared tobe a salt water pool as well. This is a large motel for sure. It has several dinning places. The Bar Harbor Club – resort,spa, tennie – as the sign says, sits right next to the motel, and both are owned by the same owner. The grounds were very well upkept with bright bunches of flowers everywhere, And the motel sits right on the water, as the pictures will show. You can sit on the balconey at sunset, as many were, and look across at the vanishing sand bar that connects our island to Bar Island further out in the harbor. Once the tide comes in, Bar Island is cut off, and any walkers who didn’t leave the small island are stuck there
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HARBORSIDE HOTEL AND MARINA – Bar Harbor, Maine, United States
Jump to the full entry & travel map Pahrump, Nevada, United States We left the Zion National Park area this morning and drove for about 4 hours. We had a hard time finding the campground and it was 105 degrees this afternoon. The pool is beautiful; it even has a waterfall. I would guess that this park is filled with “white heads” in the winter, but there’s hardly anyone here now. I think I know why (105 degrees!) We managed to find a theater so we could see the new Harry Potter movie. The truck is making a “funny” noise so we may need to alter our schedule a bit; stay tuned with that. Perhaps we’ll get to Yosemite tomorrow, perhaps the next day. Happy Birthday, Dad P!
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How much hotter can it get? – Pahrump, Nevada, United States
Jump to the full entry & travel map Zion National Park, Utah, United States Today we went up to Bryce Canyon National Park (about 1.5 hrs from campground). I think this is probably our favorite place so far. The rock formations (called hoo doos) are spectacular. We took a 2-hour horse ride down into the canyon and it was a ball! Neither Gary nor I have been on a horse in at least 35 years so it was quite the adventure. We were the first riders in the group behind the guide (named Hank) and we enjoyed every minute — at least until we got off the horses. Needless to say, we are sore in places we didn’t we could be! Enjoy the photos.
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Bryce Canyon – Zion National Park, Utah, United States