Horse Hubs

Although “sun and sand” still fit the bill for many holiday makers, an ever increasing number of vacationers are choosing to take a holiday with a bit of culture thrown in.

This type of break is becoming especially popular with those wishing to take a long weekend in a location with a café culture, good restaurants and a few buildings and museums to visit.

If this is the kind of holiday you are considering, then Spain’s northern city of Santiago de Compostela may well fit the bill.

Santiago is the capital of the region known as Galicia and it is the most visited city in the north of Spain. Over recent years its cosmopolitan nature has attracted an ever increasing number of foreigners and it is now promoted as the cultural capitol of the northern Iberian Peninsula, and with good reason.

What Santiago has to offer is history, monuments, a religious legend and an old town steeped in baroque and neo-classical architectural beauty. The city’s most famous building is its massive cathedral which, according to the Catholic Church, has within it a tomb containing the remains of the apostle Saint James. It all sounds a bit macabre, but the story behind these claims have led to Santiago becoming the finishing point of arguably the worlds biggest Christian pilgrimage called the “Way of St. James” (or “el camino de Santiago”).

Religion aside, the cathedral is a truly spectacular building and it sits on the city’s large Obradoiro plaza facing the equally impressive “Rajoy” palace. The world’s oldest hotel, now a state run Parador, also occupies this square.

Plazas or squares are an integral part of the old district of Santiago’s charm and there are four famous courtyards dotted around the cathedral that contain, or are overlooked by, many of the city’s outstanding buildings. Several of these older building are now, in part a least, museums and the cathedral itself can adequately fill two of three hours of most tourist’s time if they choose to view the various exhibits.

A café culture is also one of the city’s appeals and although an international menu is available at most restaurants, all favour dishes based on the Galician speciality of fish and seafood. Prices can be high, but that depends on where you choose to eat and many excellent restaurants are highly affordable, particularly if you venture slightly off the beaten track. As an example, we have enjoyed a three course lunch in the city center for as little as 8 Euros per head and that was based around local fish dishes.

Getting to Santiago is becoming ever easier (and cheaper) with direct flights from most European countries to either Santiago airport or neighbouring A Coruna airport. Hotels are plentiful and if you simply want a short break of 3 or 4 days a car will not be necessary – Santiago should fill your time amply.

To find out more, take a look at http://www.galiciaguide.com/Santiago-index.html where you will find 18 pages of information and photographs about this historic location along with another 250 pages about Galicia’s other treasures.

Webmaster of Galician tourist guide, http://www.galiciaguide.com and author of various articles about northern Spain.

My mother, who was widowed when I was 5 years old, exerted a lot of effort to ensure her children experienced wonderful Christmas’ and indeed we did. I still look back and still “feel” the joys of this special time in my life.

I recall going Christmas shopping to buy my mother a gift with my $5.00. It was so much fun and I thought I was rich. I cannot remember what I bought with it but I was proud of the fact that I spent every penny on her gift and I looked forward to her surprised and delighted expression (which she always conveyed); that was the real joy.

I do not believe anyone could cook better than my mother. It was so exciting to smell the aroma of cakes and cookies; turkey and ham and chitterlings. She went all out during the holidays and you can bet, her children and all family members enjoyed it all.

Our Christmas morning ritual consisted of our arising early to see if Santa had left our gifts under the tree. Each year I had vowed to catch Santa when he visited, but I could never stay awake long enough. But, each Christmas morning I was thrilled just to know that he had not bypassed our house.

We could not open presents until everyone was awake including my mother. I made it my business to awaken all the sleepers. No one really objected as it was Christmas and once awaken, everyone was ready to open their gifts.

Once everyone was up and around the tree, each one of us had a turn to pray, thanking God for all His blessings. My mother prayed last and longest. I remember her thanking God for the gift of her children and for the blessing of family. She also prayed for those who Santa could not visit that year and asked that God make sure Santa visit them first the next year.

When prayer was over we sung a hymn, usually, Away in a Manger, and then it was gift opening time. One child was nominated as the distributor. He or she would select a gift, call out the name on it, and give it to the person. The person receiving the gift would open it as other waited, and then another gift would be selected and given to the named individual. It went on in this manner until all the gifts had been pass out and opened. Gifts remaining belonged to family or friends not yet present but who would visit later during the day or week. In addition to the gifts, my mother always had a bag filled with variety nuts, apples and oranges for each of us.

It is ironic that my mother’s death occured during the Christmas season. Though that Christmas was my most diffuclt to get through, Thanks to the joy she brought me for so many years, subsequent Christmas’ have all been virtually joy filled. Not only because she introduced me to the God of the ages and insisted her children give Him the honor due Him, but also because of her selfless sacrifices, her children experienced great happiness in the midst of rough times.

Besides all the wonderful material gifts my mother gave me during my childhood years; she also gave me a special gift that would survive her death: the gift of sweet Christmas memories.

Thank you Mother.

You have an open invitation to visit us at AMEN Ministries: Your Soul’s Service Station for reviewing spiritual services being offered, obtain spiritual refreshing and soul edification, get your daily dose of humor, browse our newly expanded Stop & Shop WebStore and to visit our prayer sanctum for quiet time with God.

Blessings to all!
Saundra

Balding is perhaps one of the most daunting diseases men and women have ever fight with. Many individuals think of their hair as; an important ingredient of one’s true character, a large element of one’s self. Hair and baldness is repeatedly considered as signs of one’s current age. This is unmistakably why people are persistently troubled at any time they are faced with the prospect of baldness. Hence people usually do everything and anything they can & believe whatever they are told merely to make sure that they get to keep hold that fantastic hair of theirs as thick and as strong as can be.

Baldness is not unfamiliar in females & is more widespread after the menopause; however, alopecia is not very likely to manifest in every case. In a great of cases the victim will simply see increased hair loss & thinning of the skull, specific treatment regimes can improve the effect. While alopecia is inclined to be generally tolerable in males it’s not so tolerable in ladies & in many occasions it can have unpleasant impact on the victim’s emotional situation & self-assurance. Nevertheless you ought not despair – baldness can easily be treated & stopped if you have recognised what is causing it and what you ought to do. If you are thinking about hair replacement and regrowth treatments then take a look at the AdvancedHairStudio website.

Without a doubt the most widespread type of baldness seen in ladies is androgenetic alopecia, also identified as female pattern alopecia or baldness. This is seen as hair thinning mostly over the crest & sides of the cranium. It is reported to affect nearly 33% of all at risk females, but it is most regularly seen after menopause, though it may perhaps start as early on as puberty. Typical hair fall is close to one hundred to one hundred and twenty five hairs each day. Fortunately, these hairs are replaced by the systems in the body. It is absolutely true that hair loss occurs when lost hairs are not re-grown or when the daily hair shed goes above 125 hairs. Genetically, baldness can come from either parent’s division of the family.

Quick Tips/Suggestions:

If you’re going to enjoy yourself in Athens, you better get in shape and bring comfortable walking shoes and plenty of water. Most of the famous sites in the city require either walking uphill, or walking along a stony path. And beware of the marble stairs, wherever you go: they are dreadfully slippery!

I took a city bus tour on my first day in Athens and it was worth the money. The tour included the Acropolis, and took in the region of to the Olympic Stadium, Syntagma Square, Zeus’ Temple and other important tourist sites. It was a nice way to make introduction to the city and plan out the rest of my trip.

How about the food? Modest neighborhood restaurants are your best bet. They dish up inexpensive, delicious and truly local fare. Fancier restaurants in spots like Plaka are expensive, and you’re more likely to see fried chicken on the menu, than a gyro or souvlaki. And a word of warning: go easy on the OUZO! That stuff goes down way too easy, and after finishing half a bottle with dinner, I slept for 12 hours and had a hangover the next day.

Where to stay? Hotels and hostels are plentiful in Athens. Rooms do get booked up during high season – so book early. Quality and standards may vary just like any other destination. Location and price should be you main priorities. A good website for client reviews is www.tripadvisor.com. For good deals on a range of Athens hotels and other Greece hotels check out Cybertravel Network’s Greece website at www.hotels-greece-athens.com.

How to Get Around:

Athens has allegedly more taxi cabs per capita than any other city in the world. Having said that, the fact is, it’s almost not possible to hail down an empty one during the rush hour. Often a cab will slow down and pull up to a curb and cabbie will ask ‘Pou?,’ which means ‘where.’ Just yell out where you want to go to (in Greek preferably), and if you’re fortunate it will be on his way. I can’t say anything in good faith about the truthfulness of cabbies in Athens. I took a cab three times, and twice I got ripped off, so make your own conclusions.

In my view the best way to get around Athens is by bus or trolley. The tickets are not expensive and available at kiosks along any street. Just make sure you cancel the ticket in a ticket machine immediately after you enter the bus or a trolley. There are plenty of ticket controllers around to catch you if you travel without a ticket, or if you forget to stamp it.

Things to see in and around Athens:

Acropolis

The Acropolis is Athens’ most recognizable, breathtaking and astounding site. The Acropolis is in fact the name of the hill upon which there are three main temples: Parthenon, Erechteion and Temple of Athena Nike; as well as the Acropolis Museum and Propylaea, which was the original entrance to the Acropolis.

Being a fan of archeology and Greek classical studies, I was absolutely enthralled by the place. The total size of the Parthenon is extraordinary, when you comprehend it was built 2,500 years ago. The museum houses artifacts found in the temples on the Acropolis, which were put there to avoid weather damage.

Acropolises is a hill, and a pretty steep one, so take good quality walking shoes and bottled water with you when you go. And take careful steps, because the marble steps are very slippery. I introduced myself to the marble the hard way: face first, and let me tell you: it’s not an enjoyable experience.

On the path to the Acropolis there are many souvenir peddlers that sell postcards, papyrus drawings and other trinkets. They sell the same type and quality of souvenirs as the museum gift shop but at half the price. I recommend loading up on souvenirs from them on the way out of Acropolis.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

The temple is one of the only two remaining parts on the Olympieion site. The utter size of this monument is incredible! There is only a few of the original Corinthian columns left of the original 104! This is an ideal site to sit down on a sunny day with a gyro in your hand and just admire its beauty.

Interesting fact about the Temple of Olympian Zeus is that it took almost 700 years to construct. It was started in 515 BC by Peristratos and completed in 125 AD by Roman emperor Hadrian.

Close to the Temple, on Amalias Avenue you can take a closer look at the other remaining monument – Hadrian’s Arch, built a few years later by the same emperor. During my visit it was all covered in cellophane for reconstruction, so wasn’t very inspiring.

The Agoras – Ancient and Roman

Ancient Agora (Arkhaia Agora) was the gathering place of the ancient Athenians. It’s hard to tell now, considering almost nothing is left from the original structures. Hephaisteion (Temple of Hephaistos) is the exception. It’s quite a monument and probably the best conserved of all Greek temples in Athens. Stoa of Attalos, which was entirely reconstructed, houses the museum of Ancient Agora and is a resting place for most of the artifacts found here.

Roman Agora (Romaiki Agora) is situated near the other one. It is much smaller, and a much younger site than Ancient Agora. A couple of interesting things to see here are a Turkish mosque: Fethiye Djami, and Tower of the Winds.

I marked this site as Recommended, not Highly Recommended because unless you have a real interest in archeology or history, you might simply get fed up here. There isn’t as much to see, besides the Hephaisteion, because most of the monuments are almost completely ruined. But if you are a history/archeology buff, have an extra day, or happen to get bored in Plaka, than by all means stop here and do a little exploring.

Panathenaic Stadium

Panathenaic Stadium was the site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Its name, Panathinaikon, stands for “All Athenians Stadium”. It has been reconstructed in the place of the original stadium. This stadium is one of those places that just give you a good quality feeling inside. You’re welcome to run laps around it, or to take a look at marble slabs documenting all the modern Olympic Games. At the front of the stadium is a statue of the Discus Thrower.

Kerameikos Cemetery

This one was quite a stunner! Traditionally I was used to cemeteries being rather solemn places where people come to worship or recollect. Not Kerameikos. In fact, judging by people sitting on gravestones, or lying around in bikinis getting a tan, you’d hardly know it’s a cemetery. But you can’t fault anyone; no one has been buried here for over thousand years.

So against my original feelings, I’d have to suggest this site as a nice relaxation place: a place to sit down and read a book, stretch your legs and relax or just get a tan. Oh… there is a museum here as well that exhibits some burial items, gravestones, urns etc.

The Ruins of Delphi

A visit to Delphi site is an absolute must for any history buff. Plan a whole day for the trip as it is around three hours away by bus or car.

The Temple of Apollo is the main pull of the site. This magnificently preserved temple is where Pythia, the High Priestess of Apollo would be asked to predict the future, and in return she would give very inexplicable answers (and they weren’t always good).

The Theatre of the sanctuary and The Stadium are located higher up on the site (approximately 10 minutes walk). Not quite as eye-catching, and can be avoided by those for whom the climb proves too much.

And of course you cannot miss the Archaeological Museum of Delphi, which houses the valuable artifacts found at the site. And fortunately it is situated at the base of the site, so no climbing is necessary.

Plaka

Plaka is the tourist’s heaven. It’s very similar to Paris’ Montmarte district. There are hundreds if not thousands of modest souvenir stores, taverns, liquor stores, small churches and open air stands where you can buy everything from produce to ceramic vases to olive oil soap. It’s a place you have to visit on your last day in Athens when you want to load up on cheap souvenirs. You’re not really going to see all that many locals here, at least proportionally to the thousands of tourists passing by every minute. And by Goddess, don’t forget to bring a map! Plaka is a labyrinth, a network of streets that all look alike.

There are plenty of places to eat in Plaka, but most of the fancy looking ones tend to be terribly costly and don’t really offer that good of the local fare. Little take-out places or little restaurants are the best bet for food there. Their gyros might grease the wrapper, but they taste fine and you’ll have money left over for those souvenirs.

One thing I discovered when buying souvenirs in Plaka, that the price of the item is almost never the price you’ll pay if you play your cards right. In some stores, the owners will tell you right away ‘Today discount 20 percent’ or ‘More you buy, bigger discount’. But as a general rule, you should barter. You’re stupid if you don’t, because you’ll simply overpay for everything. Everyone bargains here, both locals and tourists. And if the store owner is reluctant to make a deal, put down the stuff you’re looking at and say you’ll look somewhere else. They will most likely change their tune and offer you money off right away!

National Archaeological Museum of Athens

If you’re going to see any museum on your trip to Athens, see this one. It is the largest and most inspiring archeological museum in Greece. Even the building itself is quite something to look at. The museum has quite a few different exhibits, but obviously the most interesting ones are the Greek pottery and sculpture, which also happen to take up most of the space. There are also exhibits of Egyptian arts and prehistoric and bronze age artifacts.

The Museum is easily reached by various buses from any point in the city. It’s huge and can easily take up a whole day, but dissimilar to Louvre in Paris, this museum contains such a diversity of things, that I found it very easy to spend several hours there without getting weary of admiring the pieces.

One final note, even though the Type of Museum states it’s an Art Museum, it really is a mixture of an Art/History/Culture Museum. I want to make that clear, so I don’t frighten away art-unconscious people.

National Gardens

National Gardens, which are accessible behind the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, offer a nice escape from all the hustle and the bustle of the city. Looking at the crowds present, I have a feeling they are a trendy hang-out spot for the locals. This is a nice place to take a leisurely walk or eat a brown-bag lunch. In the heart of the park there is a neoclassical structure called Zappion, which I’ve been told is used for important political and cultural events (a security guard told me Greece’s entry into European Union was signed here). It’s quite an eye-catching structure worth checking out if you appreciate architecture.

It is also a fine place to talk to the locals if you so desire. I stopped at a pretzel stand run by a Kurdish immigrant and immediately got into a discussion about the fate of the Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan (who was being incarcerated at the time by Turkey). Not that I spoke any Kurdish or Greek, or the stand owner any English, but amazingly enough using hand-gestures, and a combination of English, Greek, German and a word ‘caput’, we somehow came to an understanding that he was a goner and we both supported his cause. Afterwards, I was promptly ripped off for a pretzel, but… it was for a good cause.

Constitution Square

Syntagma (Constitution) Square is centrally positioned in Athens and a pretty good starting point for tourists. There are banks here where you can exchange money, travel agencies where you could pick up information on what to see in Athens or book a bus tour and some rather luxurious hotels.

Top tourist attraction in the Square is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which is watched over by guards wearing EVZONE costumes, which is the customary male Greek costume comprising of a white skirt and shirt, red vest and hat and shoes with pompons. They look rather attractive! The best time to see the changing of the guards is Sundays at noon, when the big service takes place. I believe that the early event starts at around 11 or 11:30 am, when a battalion of soldiers starts marching down the street with a military band playing. When they approach the Tomb, they stop in a systematic fashion, wait until noon, then the ceremony of changing of the guards begins. It’s really quite interesting as there is so much custom and ceremony involved. The soldiers take these long careful steps: I was amazed to see how they keep their balance while standing on one leg.

There isn’t much else to see in Syntagma Square itself, but from here you’ll have easy access to the National Gardens, as well as Plaka and Omounia Square. Somehow, my every day in Athens started and ended here.

Three Island Cruise

This was well worth the time and money. I booked the cruise through Cybertravel Network www.hotels-greece-athens.com one of about a dozen travel agencies offering the identical tour (later I found out many tour agencies use the same boat, which can carry several hundred people). It was very well planned: in the early morning a van picked me up from the hotel and dropped me off where air-conditioned coaches took us to the harbor. From there, it was a couple hours of sailing to our first port of call: Hydra. What a magnificent, laid-back small place! White houses, red roofs, blue water and the sky, about 25 Celsius… and that’s in Feburary! Shopper’s paradise of course with souvenir shops everywhere. We moved on to Poros, during which time lunch was served on board. Poros, wasn’t as tranquil as Hydra to me. It was more commercialized, reminded me a bit of Honolulu, Hawaii. But it was a nice place to grab a bowl of ice cream and just lounge a bit on the harbor. From there we moved to Aegina and were offered to pay for an optional bus tour on Aegina to the Temple of Aphaia.

The bus tour was well worth the money. Temple of Aphaia at Aegina is very well preserved and an outstanding site to take a look at. Aegina is also a very good place to purchase pistachio nuts: there are vendors all over the place, so pick up a bag or two on the way out!

The cruise back was very laid back. There was on board entertainment: live band, comedian, Greek folk dancing etc. I chose to just kick back with a bottle of Retsina (Greek wine) and watch the display which was quite pleasurable. Upon arrival, the coaches dropped everyone off back at their hotels.

Dealing with Athenians

Athenians (or perhaps Greeks) are a one of a kind type of people. Very talkative, not inhibited and most of all very curious. Now, of course these are my opinions and they are highly personal to what I have experienced, so anyone who disagrees with this view should bear this in mind.

This mannerism has proven rather out of the ordinary on many occasions. Almost everyday, I went to the same small family-owned restaurant in Kifissias called ‘Ta Salona’. Besides having good quality food, it also had very curious owner. Every night, we’d sit down over a bottle of Greek beer ‘Mythos’ or a glass of ouzo (killer stuff!) and discuss where I come from, life in Athens, food, drink… etc. It really made for enjoyable evenings.

Another example of this extrovert nature freaked me out a little bit. On a couple occasions while walking in the Plaka, I asked a person walking by what time was it, or how to get somewhere and after receiving the answer, the person said ‘You want to go to bar, drink ouzo?’ Now… I’m sure there is nothing wrong with asking someone to go drink with you, but it took me aback a little bit. Coming from the US, I was feeling that if I accepted an offer like this from a complete stranger, I’d probably end up in a biker-bar, arm wrestling with a 300 pound guy called ‘Bulldog’. A British woman I met couple days earlier on a cruise to the islands told me that she was approached a couple of times on the street by complete strangers either asking her out on a date or making remarks like ‘She’s tall! I bet she’s real good’.

If I drew any conclusions from this occurrence, if you ignore the person, they will in due course drop the subject. But in a location like a restaurant or a bar, it actually proved really fascinating to talk to the locals and find out a little bit about their daily lives.

Paul Keene actively writes travel articles for various hotel websites including one for Greece hotels.

Are you travelling to Malaga in Andalucia or the Costa del Sol in Southern Spain?

If you are then there is simply a bewildering choice of ways to get here. In total there are 118 different Airports from 30 Countries with direct flights to Malaga International Airport. Although there are only 2 direct flights per week from the USA, New York on a Friday & Saturday.

The cheapest and most frequent routes are from the UK. There are 23 UK Airports alone that offer regular flights to Malaga with over 165 weekly flights from the main 4 London Airports!

For those of you traveling from the USA or outside Europe I would recommend getting a cheap flight into the UK and then transferring with one of the “No Frills” airlines to Malaga.

Below is a list of the MAIN airlines flying from the UK and I have detailed which airports they fly from. There are various other charter flights on offer in addition to these!!

Air 2000/ First Choice- Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Notts East Mids, Exeter, Glasgow, Gatwick, Manchester, Stansted.

Bmibaby-Cardiff, Notts East Mids, Manchester & Teesside

Britannia- Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Notts East Mids, Glasgow, Leeds, Gatwick, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, Stansted.

British Airways- Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester

EU jet- Manston

Easyjet- Belfast, Bristol, Gatwick, Liverpool, Luton, Newcastle, Notts East Mids, Stansted.

Excel Airways- Gatwick, Glasgow, Manchester & Glasgow

Flybe- Exeter & Southampton

Flyglobespan- Edinburgh & Glasgow

Iberia- Heathrow & Gatwick

Jet2.com- Leeds/Bradford / Manchester.

JMC-Birmingham, Gatwick, Glasgow, Manchester & Stansted

Monarch- Gatwick, Luton, Manchester (Scheduled) + various other charters.

My Travel Lite- Birmingham

Aer Lingus- Cork & Dublin

If you still cant find the flight or deal that you are happy with after this then try Ryanair who fly to both Jerez and Granada (About 11/2 hours drive from the Costa del Sol).

Both Germany and France also offer an excellent selection of direct, cheap flights to Malaga if you find yourself transferring from there.

Below are 5 Top Tips for obtaining Low Cost Flights to Malaga..

You don’t have to fly both ways with the same airline

You don’t have to return to the same Airport

Fly Mid-week

Book as far in advance as possible

The Busier the Airport the better deals on offer, Manchester & Gatwick offer the largest selection of direct flights.

What’s here when you get here?

Mountains, Beaches, Nightlife, Untouched Remote Villages, 43 Golf Courses, in a word, everything.

The Costa del Sol is home to both the mass tourist industry and one of the world’s most exclusive holiday resorts, Puerto Banus, in Marbella, offering some of the most sophisticated nightlife and restaurants in Europe.

Within 2 hours of Malaga Airport (from November to March) you could be skiing in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, Skiing in the morning, beach in the afternoon, why not!

The area of Andalucia is not just about the Costa del Sol, away from the hustle and bustle you will find remote, untouched, White Andalucian Villages (pueblos) and within 2 hours of Malaga Airport are the historic and unforgettable Cities of Seville, Granada, Cordoba, Cadiz and of course Malaga itself.

My advice is to be brave, hire a car and get out and see everything you can, there really is something for everyone.

Gary Ingram lives in Marbella on the Costa del Sol and is the webmaster for http://www.malaga-airport-guide.com that has over 300 pages of travel information about the Costa del Sol Spain.

Travel connections with home are easier than ever. New calling cards, cell-phones, e-mail, satelite phones, and better phone lines everywhere are making it a smaller world. Here are some suggestions on how you can stay in touch – when you want to.

E-Mail: The Travel Connections Champ

Most libraries in the United States now have internet access. When traveling the country, we often stop in small towns to use this free service. We check e-mail and even check our bank accounts. In other countries, finding internet accesss is even easier. When computers are too expensive for most people, there’s demand for cheap internet access. The result is that, in places like Quito, Ecuador, there’s an internet cafe on almost every corner.

Hotmail and Yahoo still offer free e-mail accounts. Sign up now, if you haven’t already. Then, wherever you are in the world, your friends and family have a way to contact you and you have a way to contact them. For some reason, even though the internet largely operates by way of the same phone lines, it’s more reliable than phone service in many countries.

Snail Mail

You’ll may still use the Post Office when you travel. Pre-address and stamp your envelopes if you’ll be writing family, friends, or whoever. Usually, it’s easy to find a mail box, but a hassle to find stamps and envelopes. When you need something sent to you while on a trip (in the U.S.) have it addressed to your name, then “general delivery,” and the city and zip code where you’ll be in a few days. The package should be waiting at the post office when you arrive.

Phone Cards

Phone cards are a great help when traveling in the United States. The best are not even cards, but accounts that you recharge on the internet. The one we use costs just 2.9 cents per minute to call anywhere in the U.S., with no connection charge. It’s only 15 cents to call my wife’s family in Ecuador (It cost me over $2 per minute just 4 years ago). The only extra charge is 50 cents for pay phone use, which is mandated by law for all cards now.

You use these accounts by funding them on the internet, using any credit card. With most, you can open an account for $20. You get a toll-free number to call, an account number (usually your home phone number), and a 4-digit PIN. To place a call, you dial the toll free number, then enter your account number, PIN, and number you’re calling. Many buttons to push, but then you can call Paris, France for 3 cents per minute. That’s cheap! Recharge your account from anywhere there is internet access, and you’ll never have a phone bill, since you pay in advance.

Other Travel Connections Tips

E-mail a list of important information and numbers to yourself, like the one to call if your credit card is stolen, or the number of the U.S. Embassy where you’re going. E-mail yourself a copy of your passport, and other important documents. When you need these things, they’ll be available in any internet cafe in the world.

Staying in touch is a mixed blessing. I find it less than comforting to have the protection of a cell phone when my brothers and I go into the Canadian wilderness. It means constant calls, and worries that could have been forgotten until the trip was over. My final tip then, is to call friends and family when they’re not home, and leave nice messages on their machines. Then they’ll know you’re okay, and if they need to contact you, they can e-mail you.

Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and Mexico alone at 17. Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. To read their stories, tips and travel information, visit: http://www.EverythingAboutTravel.com

We all want to have a nice, relaxing vacation from time to time, if possible on a sunny beach in a foreign country. When we finally manage to get it, we find ourselves confronted with other issues – apart from the usual hotel reservations, flight, etc. When you travel to a foreign country, you feel the need to tell everyone back home how things are, assure them you’re alright and you’re having fun. Unfortunately, it’s not always that easy. And here’s why:

If you have a cell phone with you, you may surprisingly find that it’s not working properly, because the cell phone operator in the country that you’re in uses a different technology or you don’t have international calling activated. And if all the above doesn’t apply, you may find yourself in an area with poor or no network coverage at all…

If you don’t have your cell phone with you, the only thing left to do is to try to call from a local phone or from the hotel.

In both situations, you’re at a disadvantage, mainly because it involves huge costs – international calls are charged with much higher rates because of the technology involved and depending on the agreements between carriers and operators in different countries. Plus, hotels always charge you extra for using their lines.

So what’s the solution? It’s very simple – get a calling card before you leave. Nowadays, calling cards are the easiest and most affordable communication way when you’re traveling. When you buy it, you receive instantly a PIN number, access numbers from all international locations and dialing instructions. Most of the time, you’ll also have special local access numbers in cities across the world – you’ll get a lower rate when using them.

Plus, you can get a call back feature – meaning that not only you’ll be able to call home, but also your friends and family can call you back! And all this at a very low cost, enabling you to do more of the things you like during your vacation.

Robert Mann is the owner of Calling Cards Home , offering prepaid calling cards and long distance service to and from over 150 countries.

If you yourself are contemplating about getting the internet in your own apartment or or maybe even just swopping over your own existing internet provider, it is critical that clients compare all the broadband packages & deals before coming to each and every decision. Think about it: clients would not simply walk into a shop & acquire a boat you would weigh up the new particular designs next to all the other before actually remaining on which to purchase. You yourself should always compare all broadband bundles just like any other consumer item.

And while it can be straightforward to definitely think that compare broadband is going to be a simple case of looking at 7 corporations & selecting the ones customers like most, it is only when clients come to definitely evaluate broadband bundles in detail that clients truly revel in the overwhelming mishmash of great packages on offer.

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Gordon Brown has published last rescue package to support the financial system, and to increase confidence in the market. The new financial bailout has a cover to cover banks from another a new financial collapse. The UK banks is going to pay for the insurance, in cash. While all that denotes the cost of living would plunge, deflation will push saving even if this might diminish the British economic situation.

House prices kept to descend drastically last year, and the country’s largest mortgage lender, Halifax, announcing, a sixteen % yearly decline in the last three months of 2008. Market prices have fallen 20 percent from their peak in 2007 and further falls are very possible as authorizations for new home loans have hit a record low, according to figures.

The number of unemployment increased up to one million in at the end of 2008, climbing at its fastest rate since the last recession in the nineties. The crisis has led to lots of professions cuts in different market segments, with some forecasts of 3 million unemployed by the end of 2010. Several stores have gone out of business in the last few weeks. Shops have been cutting prices to to be able to cover the total amount of debts. Foreign Currency Direct can help you with all your foreign currency exchange needs.

The economy policy plans of Uk central bank are mainly focused on recovering the economy crisis and do nothing for the currency. This means the pound is most likely keep to lose value. Markets will witness the sterling going up however forecasts for Sterling is still negative.

Rumours amongst analysts confirm the idea that the Monetary Policy Committee will cut interest rates to 1.25 points from the current 2 %, dragging the central bank interest rate to its lowest since founded.

Lower interest rates mean a lower return for investors who then invest in other currencies, because of the decline of the pound.

Policymakers have announced the CBE may eventually have to cut the rates to 0 and resort for easy solutions, essentially producing new sterling to encourage the financial situation. This seems to go well with the governments policy of attempting to spend their way out of the credit crunch problem, not exactly what majority of Western countries decisions, hence a possible reason for the massive decline in Sterling against to the and US$ Dollar.

I just love dogs. I love all breeds of dogs and even those of the Heinz 57 variety. I grew up with Doberman Pinchers that my father bred and trained as a hobby. All I know about dogs I learned from watching my Dad work with them.

Mexicans love dogs too. If the people of Guanajuato are any indication of all Mexicans, then our south-of-the-border neighbors have a love affair with dogs. They are everywhere here. I don’t know how many exactly but at night, around 9:45 p.m., the canine chorus begins. For a town of about 100,000 people, it would appear from the nightly howl-fest that there is a dog for each person. I don’t think that is true but that is how it seems.

Mexicans keep their dogs on the flat roofs of their houses. I have not a clue why they do this. It could be there are not many grassy yards here so where else are they going to keep them? These are the roof dogs of Mexico. Unfortunately, some Mexicans have a different concept of love for their dogs and keep them in such poor conditions, the average American would rush to the phone to call the 1-800 number for PETA.

When we first moved to Guanajuato, it had a horrible feral dog problem. The streets were full of these poorly conditioned curs running through the streets looking for garbage to eat. However, I am happy to report that the problem has improved in recent days. The city is managing this problem better and the feral dog population, though not perfect, has declined.

This problem in Mexico is often city-specific and is due to lack of funds to deal with these strays. I have been told that some cities manage this problem more efficiently than others do. In some cities, the problem is nonexistent. I believe this is true because, in our travels, we have seen some city streets empty of strays.

An interesting dog-related phenomenon you will see in Guanajuato is that, when you are walking down the street, you will see many Mexicans walking with their heads down. Now and then, they do a little jig or jump about as though they have some neurological issue. What is happening, I soon found out, is that they are trying to avoid what happens in a city where there are few grassy parks or yards for the citizens’ dogs to do their daily dirty business. They are trying to avoid dog poop!

This is a problem that vexes the tourists but what are our poor canine pals to do? It isn’t their fault. There are practically no yards in this steppe, mountain desert climate. When the owners take them out in the mornings and evenings, they use the city sidewalks to deposit their poopies.

This can make for an interesting walk. I am happy to report that I have yet to have the privilege of stomping through a precious canine’s little sidewalk gift. My wife, however, has–much to her dismay. Therefore, we have worked out a walking strategy I recommend to all the tourists who perchance come to visit us in Guanajuato.

You must walk in single file. The lead man (or woman) is responsible as the lookout. You must constantly scan at least 6 feet ahead of you, never taking your eyes off the sidewalk. If you see that you are approaching a turd bomb, you need not yell or make a spectacle of yourself. Use your hands to signal that you are approaching danger. If the caca is on the left, use a slashing motion with your left hand and point at least 12-15 inches away from your thigh area. Then, be sure to dance gingerly out of the way so the person following you will have plenty of time to play dodge the doggie bowel movement.

Welcome to Guanajuato! Ya’ll come and see us!

Expatriates Doug and Cindi Bower have successfully expatriated to Mexico, learning through trial and error how to do it from the conception of the initial idea to driving up to their new home in another country. Now the potential expatriate can benefit from their more than three years of pre-expat research to their more than two years of actually living in Mexico. The Plain Truth about Living in Mexico answers the potential expatriate’s questions by leading them through the process from the beginning to the end. In this comprehensive guide, you will learn not only how-to expatriate but will learn what to expect, in daily life, before coming to Mexico.
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