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Staying healthy while traveling is a fairly simple task to accomplish. A few precautionary steps to take prior to departure and a few common sense tips to follow while traveling are the only requirements needed.

Health Tips Prior To Departure

Visit your physician immediately if you are experiencing any symptoms of disease or medical problems.

Once you have arrived home, use your common sense to review your health status. If everything is normal, then, most likely, you have nothing to worry about. When in doubt, make that phone call to the physician and ask questions. A healthy trip is a happy trip. Plan ahead and have fun!

Copyright © 2006, Ian White Access 2000 Pty Ltd

Author Ian White is founder of Housecarers.com House Sitting Matching directory Housecarers.com automates the matching with daily email notifications to all parties. Your pets will miss your but their envirnonment remains intact,

After a few very hectic days before my departure I got up at 4:30 am yesterday and my husband drove me to the airport. Since my flight was with Delta Airlines and had a stopover in Atlanta, I had to go through US immigration, as always an interesting experience. The whole procedure took me about 45 minutes, but finally I was through. Then it was off onto the bus to get to the departure terminal. Our flight was scheduled to depart at 8:20 and sure enough, at about 7:20 there was an announcement that the “rudder control switch” was loose and that maintenance would have to be called in. The ground personnel indicated that they were still trying to get us off the ground in the same plane, but it could take a while.

I was starting to get a little concerned since I would have less than an hour in Atlanta before my connection flight would leave for Mexico City. Well, the maintenance crew came in and with about a 40 minute delay we got off the ground in Toronto after being reassured that we should still be able to make our connection flights and that time would be made up in the air.

Approaching Atlanta I noticed that this city must obviously be undergoing a lot of growth: new subdivisions are being built everywhere in the forested areas, many of them quite large with a lot of space between neighbouring homes. The soil in Atlanta is orange-red, so looking at it from the plane you see this colourful tapestry of green (forest), grey (roads, buildings) and reddish hues with a relatively small cluster of skyscapers announcing downtown.

I always like to look at different cities from the air since even a first glance gives you a really good idea what’s going on with a place. Ground personnel were already waiting at our arrival in Atlanta and were directing us to our connecting flights. I had to move from terminal B to terminal E, so I caught an underground train that connects the various terminals at this airport. When I got to my gate I walked right into the plane as the flight was boarding already.

With a sigh of relief I plunked myself down in my window seat and started to relax, sure that I would be able to make it into Mexico City on time after all. As time went on, I started chatting with the young lady beside me, who lives in Minnesota and was flying on from Mexico City to Mérida on the Yucatan Peninsula. She said that she was visiting friends who had retired early in Mérida and are having a great time. They lost their jobs with the local Minnesota state government in their late to mid-fifties and started researching the possibility of retiring outside of the US and finally settled on Mérida where they are apparently really enjoying themselves. They have learned Spanish and are very well integrated in the local expatriate community as well as with Mexican locals. My conversation partner promised to link me up with her friends so I’d be able to do an interview with them about their retirement lifestyle in Mexico.

Our approach to Mexico City was quite a contrast to approaching Atlanta. In Atlanta the air had been clear, there were lots of forests and greenery and houses were spaced far apart. The sky over Mexico City on the other hand was extremely hazy. As it is currently the largest city in the world with a population of about 25 million, its dimensions are huge, and houses and buildings are built very close together. I saw a series of office towers in the downtown areas and many of the residential areas had highrises as well.

Finally we landed, right on time, and we passed through immigration very quickly and by the time my passport and immigration forms were checked, my suitcase was already rolling around on the baggage carousel. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such efficiency at any large airport – quite surprising. I came out of the exit where a lot of people were already waiting to pick up their loved ones. Vanessa, my co-worker and local Mexican expert, was nowhere to be seen. I waited about 15 minutes, exchanged some Canadian dollars into Pesos, and just a little later I saw her walking towards me. There was a second exit where she, her dad and her mom-in-law had already been waiting for me. Vanessa has already been in town since last Saturday to visit her family and it was great to meet her father and mother-in-law.

After a brief walk through a large airport hall, her mom-in-law departed and the 3 of us started our explorations of Mexico City. We drove through the southern part of the city that is relatively modern and was built around the 1950s. Cars are also up-to-date models with surprisingly many European cars such as Renaults, Seats and Alfa Romeos. Our first stop was at a local market (called a “tianguis”) where market day is held once a week by merchants who move around from town to town. Fruits, vegetables, meat, clothing, arts and crafts were on sale in portable stalls and we settled in for our first meal. I had a quesadilla de flor de calabaza (quesadilla with cheese and pumpkin flower – just scrumptious).

On our walk around, Vanessa started explaining the various vegetables and fruits, many of which I had never seen. For dessert we had a “nieve” which is kind of similar to gelato (not cream-based) and very delicious. I had 3 flavours in my cup: queso (cheese), mamey (a tropical fruit) and beso de angel (the “kiss of the angel” flavour which includes strawberries and a whole bunch of other mixtures).

From there we went on to drop off my luggage and pick up Vanessa’s mom and then we drove through the historic area of Coyoacn, an area with tree-lined streets, museums, art galleries and cobble-stone pavement. Coyoacn is called “the place of the coyotes” and sure enough, one of the central attractions is a fountain featuring two coyotes in the beautiful Jardn Centenario. We also visited the charming Iglesia de Santa Caterina and Vanessa pointed out all the various shrines inside the church where people had left golden hearts and little trinkets, all evidence of miracles caused by the Virgen de Guadelupe.

We walked through the entire Coyoacn Area and right next to the church we saw local Indian women selling little dolls, we saw an organ player, many different stalls were selling Mexican delicacies and sweets. Young people were sitting down chatting, couples were flirting, children were playing.

Vanessa and I walked through a few local markets, some of them selling fruits, vegetables and meat, others selling handicrafts, arts and paintings. Altogether this was an extremely lively and colourful scene. I ended up buying a few small hand-painted brightly coloured pictures in yellow, purple and green frames that I found very charming.

Then we reconnected with Vanessa’s parents and had dinner in a restaurant overlooking the main square of Coyoacn. The restaurant called Sanborns was housed in a historic building and beautifully decorated. I had a tortilla soup and a spinach salad. Vanessa had warned me earlier that salads can be a bit dicey from a hygienic point of view, so I thought that since this was a pretty high class establishment, here is my opportunity to eat some greens without invoking the Revenge of Montezuma. Vanessa had some interesting local delicacies: cows feet. I am not normally one for eating a lot of meat, particularly anything that comes from strange body parts, but I gave it a try: the meat had a gelatine-like consistency, but was actually very tasty.

We had a lovely conversation, and drove back to the apartment. By about 9:30 I was completely wiped and crashed into my bed. But my first day in Mexico was the perfect initiation to more adventures to come…

Panama’s expansive rainforests are among the richest and most complex on the planet. It’s the only country where jaguars and pumas prowl just a short drive from the capital. Its vast, roadless jungles are home to over 940 recorded bird species and 105 endangered species, including the spectacled bear, the Central American tapir, the American crocodile, the scarlet macaw, as well as several eagle species.

Panama offers some of the finest diving, birdwatching and deep-sea fishing in all of the Americas-yet only the most avid adventurers are aware of it. Panama boasts scores of deserted palm-lined beaches, miles of lush rainforests, great national parks, mysterious mangroves (where you’ll feel like you’ve been transported back to a time when dinosaurs walked the earth), steamy cloud forests, mountains, waterfalls, raging rivers, abandoned forts, as well as desert.

In Panama you can spend the morning diving in the Caribbean and the afternoon swimming in the Pacific. You can explore historic ruins of the colonial era, dive for Sir Francis Drake’s lead coffin (supposedly buried at sea near Portobello Bay).see the rainforest in an aerial tram ride a dug-out canoe to a native Indian village, discover the remote and mysterious forests of the Darién region right on the border of Colombia (where the roads end a few miles before the border, leaving you with the feeling you’ve reached the end of civilization).come nose-to-nose with a red-napped tamarind monkey or a trio of colorful toucans.

Panama, fortunately for our self-imposed 24 hour limitation, is a small country. In a short one- or two-week trip, you could see much of what this diverse country has to offer. In a busy 24 hours you can see only a few highlights.

Exploring the best Panama has to offer in one day is hungry work. Start your day on a full stomach and head for breakfast in El Trapiche, a busy diner in El Cangrejo on the Va Argentina. Here you can enjoy breakfast Panama style and indulge in a hearty feed of carimaol-a yummy roll made of mashed yucca and stuffed with ground beef and boiled eggs-and a side of corn tortillas, that more resemble silver dollar pancakes than taco shells. The bill should be less than $8, even with that second café con leche.

You cannot come to Panama without seeing the “Eighth Wonder of the World”, the Panama Canal. According to the Panama Canal Authority “The history of the construction of the Panama Canal is the saga of human ingenuity and courage: years of sacrifice, crushing defeat and final victory”. This statement, while true, doesn’t go far enough to describe the mighty toll taken by the building of the Panama Canal. Construction began in 1904 and took 10 years to complete. It remains one of the greatest engineering achievements of all time, completed despite landslides, disease, setbacks and the loss of 75,000 lives in total. Engineers directed most of the actual construction, which cost $375 million and involved the excavation of 240 million cubic yards of earth.

The Panama Canal, 51 miles long, opened to shipping in August 1914 and was formally dedicated on July 12, 1920. In 1921, the U.S. paid Colombia $25 million as redress for the loss of Panama; in exchange, Colombia formally recognized Panama’s independence.

On average it takes a vessel eight hours to travel from one ocean to the other, passing through three sets of locks. The best place to see the Canal is from the Miraflores Locks (open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., admission free).

Make sure to get to the Miraflores Locks for 9 a.m. as this is when you are most likely to see large ships passing through. From Panama City, you can either take a public bus or taxi. The buses depart from a terminal known as “SACA”, which is situated downtown. From there you can take either of two buses, Summit Gardens or Paraiso. It’s about a 20-minute ride and costs 50 cents for an air-conditioned bus and 35 cents for an older school-style bus. When departing, there is a bus stop directly in front of the entrance on the main road and you can return on any bus that passes by, as they all complete their route at the terminal. Taxis charge approximately $6 to $8 one way, but you can hire a taxi by the hour for about the same amount, so if you plan on spending less than an hour there, it might be best to just ask the taxi to wait.

The lock gates at Miraflores are the tallest of the three locks on the Canal and are slightly over one mile long, from beginning to end. Pay a visit to the new visitor center at Miraflores Locks, which recently opened to the public and is open daily between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The center faces the lock and provides a fascinating insight into the history and construction of the Canal. Tickets for the center are $8

By now you’re probably feeling a tad peckish. Time to hop on a bus or take your taxi and make your way toward Casco Viejo for tamales. If you’re in luck, you’ll bump into Luis Antonio Visuette on the streets of Casco Viejo, where he has been selling delicious homemade tamales, wrapped in plaintain leaves, for more than 10 years. With his Yankee cap and five-gallon bucket of hot and spicy tameles calientitos, Luis is hard to miss. These lunchtime treats are available in both large (50 cents) and small (25 cents) and are a real hit when washed down with an ice-cold drink.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Travel

A well-planned vacation always means a happier, more enjoyable, more memorable and a safer trip.
RESEARCH your travel destination.

Study the local climate and tourist seasons so you pick the best time to travel there and feel yourself comfortable. We also have unique articles and downloadable maps for the most popular travel destinations.

Learn about local laws and customs of the countries to which you are traveling. Find out the most interesting sights, attractions you would like to see. Make a list of them, place the route on an up-to-date map.

Read up on the places you plan to visit, chat to people who have been there, ask them for advice. These days it can easily be done through Internet.

Learn about festivals, holidays, shows in the country you are about to visit. Be sure that important attractions are open the day you willl be there. Many tourist attractions are closed for at least one day during the week.

Learn the ENTRY REQUIREMENTS, provide documents reqiured.

EmbassyWorld.com is a great source for finding out this information. Make sure you have a signed, valid passport and entry visas, if required. Fill in the emergency information page of your passport. Your legal name should be the same on all your travel documents.

CHOOSE TRANSPORTATION.

TravelMake has an informative page on transportation tips for travelers with links to discount airlines and train schedules worldwide. It is an excellent data source that may help in your research. We also can offer you flight reservations at great prices, you will save even more if you choose to book air+hotel. If you need a rental car, we can offer you wide variety of vehicles for rent at popular travel destinations around the world.

SCHEDULE YOUR TRIP.

Do not overstress yourself with a tight timeline, leave some time for relaxation and rest between sightseeing activities. Book accommodations ahead of time.

BOOK ACCOMMODATIONS ahead.

Make all necessary reservations for your trip ahead of time. HEALTH and SAFETY.

We devoted one web page to health tips for travelers. There you will find advice on health risks and prevention measures for various diseases, so you can have a safer trip if you plan it properly.

Do not forget to purchase a travel insurance for your trip, it will provide you with a safety blanket if something goes wrong. For travel safety advice, basic foreign country information, current safety issues and warnings visit the official web site of the US government. Europeans can check out safety recommendations issued by the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel. Another great source of advice on travel safety is the Australian Government’s Travel Advisory web site.

Plan a visit to your family doctor before your trip to ask his advice and to get an extra supply of regularly taken prescribed medications.

Prepare extra copies of your travel documents and the trip’s itinerary, leave them with your relatives or friends so they would know where to look for you if necessary.

Notify by phone or register in person with your homeland embassy or consulate upon arrival.

SECURITY.

Ask your neighbor or relative to pick up your mail and look after your house while you are away. Consult your property insurance agency about their policy on leaving your house abandoned. Some agencies have strict regulations that would not allow to cover possible damages to property if it stays uninhabited for a certain period of time.

If you are asked to deliver a package for a stranger, refuse. Exchange currency only at established and licensed locations, at banks and hotels.

FAMILY TRAVEL.

Traveling children also need to have a valid passport. If it is required, you also have to provide an entry visa to each of your children. Visit EmbassyWorld.com web site for details.

For bottle-feeding babies, bring prepared formula and bottled water. Bring along water or juiceboxes. A plastic food container will suit for storing a half-eaten or an untouched meal, for later. Do not forget wipes for cleaning up dribbles down shirt-fronts and spills. Take plenty of amusements: some toys, books and treats.

To avoid ear pressure problems, have little babies nurse or suck their bottles during airplane takeoffs and landings. Toddlers and kids can suck on a candy or chew gum.

TravelWithYourKids web site offers advice and tips for traveling families: the places to stay, to eat and the things to do.

We wish you a successful and safe trip!

TravelMake.com – one of leading online discount travel agencies, a source of useful travel information.

The Parador of Santo Estevo is located in the province of Galicia not far north of the Portuguese border, in Nogueira de Ramun (Ourense).
Fifteen centuries ago, a monastery was founded on this site – making it the oldest monastery in Galicia and one of the oldest in Europe. The Parador is exceedingly lovely and is situated at the confluence of the Mio and Sil rivers in an area of rare natural beauty.

Parador Santo Estevo is architecturally fascinating. The original construction is Romanesque, but later additions created a congruous mixture of Romanesque, Baroque, and Renaissance styles. In fact it has three cloisters – one in each style: ‘De la portera’, ‘De la Cocina’, and ‘De los Obispos’. The Parador has a notable Baroque facade and a monumental staircase.

Interesting nearby excursions from Parador Santo Estevo:

- The attraction here is the surrounding countryside. Drive out and explore.

- You could ask at the Parador for map guides for the Route of the Vantage Points: Take in the landscapes around the banks of the Sil and Mio Rivers on this route. There are several pretty “gargantas” (waterfalls) in the area.

- Another choice is the Romanesque Route: Visit churches and monasteries from the late 12th and 13th centuries on this route.
– Then head back to one of the most recent additions to the Parador chain and just relax and enjoy the exquisite peace and quiet.

Interesting day trips include:

- Ourense – Has an intriguing old quarter worth a visit (don’t be put off by the somewhat ugly outskirts of the city). It is completely enclosed by Roman-built walls. Climb up – and you can walk around the entire city up there.

- Braganca – This town just across the Portuguese border has a medieval feel in the old part and a walled citadel that is well worth the trip. As well you can venture into the Parque National De Montesinho – one of the least changed areas of small traditional villages in Iberia.

- The Atlantic coast and Bayona – this is a very beautiful area well worth a visit – you might want to stay in the very special Parador de Bayona since you’ve driven this far.

Staying in the Parador at Santo Estevo is most attractive to those seeking a peaceful haven in the midst of incredible natural surroundings. This isn’t to say your stay can’t be an active one – the hiking possibilities are some of the best anywhere! Bring a good book and a good pair of hiking shoes – you’ll have a very memorable experience!

SpainParador.com makes it easy for you to plan and arrange your next trip to Spain. This time stay in palaces, castles, and other places of great historical interest and rare beauty – the wonderful Paradors of Spain. http://www.SpainParador.com

No matter what the season, packages make a statement even before they’re opened. Whether it’s a hostess gift for that perfect holiday party, the perfect something for your loved one, or Secret Santa at the office, you want your packages to reflect the thought put into the purchase. Visit Historic Inns of Rockland, Maine’s Holiday House Tour held each year on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, where among other ideas, you’ll learn first hand from Package Creator Extraordinaire and Captain Lindsey House owner, Ken Barnes how to create gifts that are bound to impress everyone from the boss to your loved ones. The Holiday House Tour is part of Rockland, Maine’s Festival of Lights, and Historic Inns of Rockland will feature workshops including Gingerbread House Making, Victorian Customs for Christmas, and Packages that POP, along with tours of lovely historic inns during this event, held from noon to 4pm on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Tickets and information are available at www.HistoricInnsofRockland.com.

Captain Lindsey House Innkeeper, Ken Barnes spends the year foraging for the perfect additions for his gifts. Recipients-in-the-know look forward to Captain Barnes’ gifts, not so much to see what’s on the inside, but to learn what kind of statement he makes with the package’s wrapping. Captain Barnes’ “wrapping closet” is a sight to behold, revealing spools of ribbon, wrappings of all colors and textures, along with trinkets for just about any theme.

Ken Barnes’ Six Secrets for Successful Packages:

• Start on Christmas Day collecting left over ribbon and package accessories, and then continue to save potential package accoutrements throughout the year.

• Designate a special box or closet for package wrapping materials, organizing by paper, trimmings and accessories.

• Think out of the box – literally – wrap gifts in the gift itself including jewelry in jewelry boxes or toys in a fun toy box. If space allows, save every box that comes in the mail for wrapping in the future.

• On your travels, stop by ribbon factories or craft shops. Buy odd lots or ribbon ends cheaply to save for a later occasion.

• Visit church rummage sales or flea markets to pick up small pieces of jewelry, small toys or collectors items that fit your loved ones personalities. Save those to tie onto packages later.

• Save wallpaper ends, contact paper, cellophane, even scrap paper for wrapping gifts later. Newspaper articles or photos depicting those to whom you plan to give gifts are great additions too.

When asked for some creative ideas for gift-wrapping this holiday season, Ken Barnes offered these ideas where the wrapping doubles as the gift.

• Tie heirloom jewelry found on your trips to antique stores or church fairs then wrap with Victorian-style wallpaper left over from store-remnants. Wrap a deep colored velvet bow or tassles around the gift for a rich look. Better yet, create your own jewelry, hair barettes, or bookmarks out of beads or beaded ribbon collected throughout the year.

• Wrap cookbooks or kitchen items in pages from old cookbooks or the newspaper food section.
Add a small set of measuring cups or spoons tied on with kitchen string for your favorite cook.
For the hiker in the family, tie on a small compass or water bottle.

• Save newspaper articles announcing those recently married and wrap their holiday gift in the wedding announcement. Tie on small framed photos taken at the wedding.

• Visit the local craft or floral shop and pick up bunches of dried or silk flowers, then fill a terra-cotta pot with packages of seeds, potting soil and wrap with ribbon, attaching dried or silk flowers. Tie on flower ornaments as an accessory.

• Dress up wine bottles in doll clothes, creating a personality for that bottle of wine you bring to the holiday party.

• For the nature-lovers, wrap your present in florist’s paper, then tie on pine cones and berries found in local fields, or create a small decorated natural grapevine wreath.

Come see Captain Barnes at work during the Holiday House Tour presented by Historic Inns of Rockland, on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Demonstrations including Packages that Pop at Captain Lindsey House, Gingerbread Houses & More at LimeRock Inn and Victorian Customs for the Holidays at Berry Manor Inn will take place throughout the day. Tours of the inns, decked in all their holiday finery will be ongoing from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. See www.historicinnsofrockland.com for information about the Festival of Lights package offered
by Historic Inns of Rockland, and for more information on the member inns. For more information,
call 1-877-ROC-INNS (877-762-4667).

BEAUTIFULLY PROFESSIONALLY SHOT PHOTOS AVAILABLE.

The Captain Lindsey House is a premier inn on Maine’s Midcoast. Filled with beautiful works of art and artifacts from travels throughout the world, the inn reflects the nautical nature of its owners, both accomplished sea capatains and windjammer owners. Visit http://www.lindseyhouse.com for more information

A big part of poker and blackjack lies not just in winning as much as you can, but also in keeping your losses to a bare minimum. Damage control is a great way to walk away happy. Here are a few quick methods to keeping your loss to a minimum.

First and foremost, play poker and blackjack only with money that you can lose. If you can’t afford to lose it, you can’t afford to bet it.

Also, keep an eye on your emotions. When I’m losing I have a tendency to feel that I am “owed” some luck, and I have been known to increase my bet sizes in order to catch up. I’ve got to keep an eye on it, because it won’t change my luck or odds, and all it does is drain my bankroll faster. Learn from my mistake.

Finally, bring enough money for about twenty to thirty hands. If you can’t win in thirty hands, then this might not be your night. Also, if you run out of cash, don’t hit up the ATM machine or your credit cards for more money. A lot of people I know (including me) only bring our ID and cash to casinos and poker rooms. We leave our debit and credit cards at home to make sure that we don’t get more cash in an attempt to break even.

Sports equipment has a very big industry in society on account of how universal an impact sports has on the planet. Individuals get sporting supplies of all types including sportswear clothes, team clothing & sportswear equipment. The perfect way to reduce down where to seek out your sportswear kit is to pick what you are needing. Find superb deals on tennis equipment.

The internet is the most convenient place to look for the sports goods you fancy. You can discover a great deal of well-known sportswear shops on the Internet that sell anything & everything related to sports. Even though you do have to pay for shipping & wait for your gear to be sent to you, the range you will have will be far greater than those in the actual outlets.

So where do you even embark on looking you may wonder. If you require sporting supplies, there are a variety nationwide sports stores that sell a selection of sporting supplies. These retail shops are ideal as you can find gear for all sports in one central place in addition to shoes sports clothing, outdoor clothes & netball goods.

The downside to obtaining sportswear goods at a traditional retail outlet like these is that you might not acquire the finest quality stuff on the market at present. Certainly you can buy quality gear, just not always the top of the line. In order to buy the top of the line sporting goods you will want to go to a retail store that explicitly sells what you are needing. If you fancy football merchandise then go to a retail store that concentrates on football. If you demand a particular baseball bat, going to a baseball specialist shop will provide you a greater chance of finding it.

A further kind of sportswear item that brings in a lot of revenue is team sporting gear. The greatest way to exhibit you enthusiasm for your treasured cricket team or rugby team is to purchase their apparel. Whether you desire a team’s hat or a favourite sportsperson’s jersey, there are oodles of retail shops on the Internet and high street shops you can try to get what you’re looking for. One of the best outlets for sports gear on the World Wide Web is Sportswear-Equipment.com.

Copenhagen in Denmark is one of Europe’s oldest capitals and home to the nation’s parliament, government, and monarchy. It is a city suited for tourists and easy to explore. It is the nation’s largest city with a population of over 1 million. It is also the cultural center for the country featuring art, music, theater and design. It is also known as a 24 hour party city for those looking for a swinging time.

The city can be cold in the winter so the most popular times to visit are in the summer months. Accommodations range from youth hostels and budget accommodation to exclusive five star hotels. For visitors there are many theaters, museums, art galleries and musical entertainment choices which will make your stay in the royal city memorable.

Copenhagen City Hall Square in the center of the city can hold over 50.000 people for events. At one side of the square is the world famous Tivoli Gardens which features an amusement park which was established in 1843. It is worth a stroll around to check out the old world village like atmosphere featuring rides and restaurants. On the other side of the City Hall Square is the pedestrian shopping street Strget a excellent starting point for shopping expeditions.

Another famous attraction is the Amalienborg Palace which is the residence of the Danish royalty and is actually four different palaces set out surrounding a square. At noon visitors gather to watch the changing of the guard.

For kids there are many attractions including the Copenhagen Zoo, the National Museum, the Aquarium or the New Carlsberg Glyptotek. There are also public beaches within easy reach of the city. Be sure to try out a saunas which is part of the Danish culture.

Cuisine in Copenhagen offers a variety of choices ranging from basic meals including smorrebrod (open sandwiches), frikadeller, (meatballs) and plser, (hot dogs) to the ultimate in fine restaurants. There is a growing number of North African and Middle Eastern restaurants influenced by recent immigrants to the area. Cafes and pubs abound as Denmark is renowned for its beer including the world famous Carlsberg lager.

Copenhagen has a thriving nightlife. Most nightclubs get going around midnight and are busy until dawn. Dancing, live music, and jazz clubs are all popular night time attractions. Copenhagen’s international casino draws large crowds interested in gambling. For opera lovers the Opera House in Copenhagen is one of Europe’s most modern and impressive buildings and features top notch opera. The Danish Royal Theatre dates from1872 and is home to the country’s highly rated theater and ballet performances.

The Christiania area of the city was developed in the early 1970s by hippies who developed their own laws which were independent of the Danish government. It is now an area famed for art and a diversity of cultures.

The famous Little Mermaid statue is one of Copenhagen’s most famous landmarks and attracts almost one million tourists every year. Nyhavn is the old harbor area and is a picturesque area not to be missed. Nyhavn includes many quays with boats and is a fun area to explore.

One of the largest European construction projects is the Oresund Bridge which was opened for traffic in July 2000. This bridge and tunnel connects the Copenhagen area in Denmark with Malmo in Sweden and has opened up the area to new economic growth and development as well as sightseeing opportunities.

Copenhagen has something for everyone! These attractions range from royal palaces and fairytale parks to a cosmopolitan nightlife and modern shopping experiences. It’s a city not to be missed.

Stan Smith writes for Four Corners Hotels http://www.fourcornershotels.com/index.php/DK–Copenhagen a hotel group offering hotels in cities around the world including hotels located in Copenhagen.

Bangsar is mainly an expatriate area of Kula Lumpur and while it is not the most up market of the expatriate areas in Kuala Lumpur, there are some stunning houses in the area along side up market shopping centers and car shops. Among the auto shops here are Audi, Alfa Romeo, Mini, Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz and if you are a car enthusiast look carefully as you drive through here and you might just see a couple of Ferraris or Austin Martin DB9s in the windows.

While there are bigger clubs nearer Kuala Lumpur and KLCC, this is one of the main places that the youth of KL come out at night to play and get drunk. The Malay don’t drink so it will mainly be expatriates, Chinese Malay and Indian Malay here. There is a wide range of bars, restaurants and shops here. This is a safe area and taxis too and from Bangsar are not a problem.

Among the places worth a mention are the Red Chamber which delivers great cocktails in a comfortable atmosphere and offers Shi Sha if you are interested. The Castle is your run of the mill night club, but on Friday nights it is very busy. Finnegan’s Irish Pub is also worth checking out, but drinks here are very expensive.

Bangsar is also a great place to go if you are looking for a restaurant. All types of food are covered here, from Indian, Chinese, traditional Malay and Thai.

Ronan Menton is the webmaster for a number of travel related websites and has been for some time in Ireland, associated with search engine optimisation in the Irish travel industry. He spends two months a year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and now sees it as his second home. Among the many sites he is currently working on are the following: hotels in Singapore and hotels in Kuala Lumpur.