Do It Go

For a perfect escape from winter and for true relaxtion, there are few better places than South Florida and the city of Miami.  With just the click of a mouse, you’ll find a place to stay that provides luxurious spas and some of the world’s most dazzling beaches just outside the doors.  You might be content to stay at the hotel all day and never venture out to the internationally known South Beach and its Art Deco District.  You might be perfectly content to stay by the pool all day and not even see the ocean; however, for those who like to explore the world a bit, you’ll find that Miami has a great number of fascinating places to experience.  Here’s five places you should take a look at while in Miami.

The first place would be South Beach itself; this isn’t just about the beach, but about shopping and entertainment.  It’s quintessential Miami.  For number two, I’d say take a trip out into the Everglades.  This National Park is one of the nation’s most unusual, with 1.5 million acres of swamps and jungles and prairies, it’ll definitely take more than an afternoon!  Three and Four?  Go check out the wildlife at the Sequarium and the Miami MetroZoo.  It’s ideal for families, as is the Miami Museum of Science.  I’m a big proponent of this fifth place to go.  If I have a chance to promote the world of science, I want to take that opportunity.  Currently, the museum is featuring Cabaret Mechanical Theater, which are about forty mechanized and amusing puppets that activate at the touch of a button.  There’s also the planetarium here, too, which has some amazing programs that provide a look into outer-space, with over five different planetarium shows a day.

Whether you lounge in your room, hit the beach or the stores, or take a hovercraft into the Everglades, Miami has something for just about everyone.  If these five spots don’t work for you, there’s plenty more.  And doesn’t a trip to Florida sound pretty good, especially in February when the temperature outside is thirty-three degrees, and in Miami, it’s hovering in the seventies!

Tags: Everglades, http://www.hotelsmiami.com, Miami Museum of Science
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Cape May is such a beautiful city in an amazing environment. It is well known as one of the best birding locations in the nation and reports of over 400 different species of birds have been documented. The population greatly bulges during the summer months when vacationers and bird watcher fill the Cape May resorts and hotels. The beaches become filled with shoppers and café diners who are enjoying the views and local offerings. One of the popular activities many tourists are interested in participating is finding a Cape May Diamond. This is frequently considered to be one of the special souvenirs found there and they make great gifts to bring home to friends and family members.

The diamonds are actually quartz crystals that have arrived on the beaches by courtesy of the Delaware River. These small pebbles begin in the rough and tumbling waters of the river and as they make their journey toward Cape May the are smoothed and softened in the process. However, it is common for finders to take their “diamond” to a polishing shop and really shine it up for jewelry or other display options.

It was originally believed that the diamonds were pieces of glass that were a byproduct of the numerous glass manufacturers in New Jersey. It was thought that the shards and or discarded pieces found their way into the river and turned up on the Cape May shore. This however is incorrect and it is accepted that the diamonds are actually quartz crystals that have been partially smoothed and polished for the eager pebble seekers in Cape May. And while most of them remain in their found state there are a few that are able to be polished to the point of bringing out a brilliant natural shine. Most of these crystals are about the size of a baby’s tooth when they are found though there have been some that are reported to be as big as or even slightly larger than an average sized marble. Whatever size and condition of the quartz crystal you might find on your vacation in Cape May they are certainly exciting to discover in the sand and they make a great souvenir.

Tags: Cape May resorts and hotels, Delaware River, quartz crystals
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Every city has its legends.  Baltimore is one of the most historically rich cities in the United States, and therefore, is filled with myths and legends, some of recent origins, and some of times very long past.  In the summer of 1951, one such legend created the catalyst for an episode of what could be called mass hysteria in the city.  People who lived in the neighborhood of O’Donnell Heights were locking the doors of their houses, and staying in their Baltimore luxury hotels the minute the sun went down.

There were many newsworthy stories at this time in history, the Cold War and the Korean War had been in the headlines for months.  But during the summer of ‘51, news of a mysterious stalker bumped everything else off of the first page.  The two newspapers, The Evening Sun and The Sun, may have been in part to blame, as the two competing papers fanned the flames of the community’s panic.  Ask anyone today who is familiar with this time, and no one has been able to understand the furor that was caused, how it got just so big.  By the time police investigators began looking into the reported sightings, the entire town was in a panic, and the mysterious stalker was blamed for everything from minor break-ins to stealing children from their beds in the middle of the night.

On any given night police would receive more than 200 phone calls of alleged sightings, but no one was ever actually attacked.  Some teenagers were arrested that summer, for petty pranks, but no phantom.  People who have looked into the case years later, speculate that there never was a phantom, that the mass hysteria was fueled by the dueling newspapers, and that peoples’ imaginations took over and ran a muck.  It’s like the old boogey man story, no one has ever seen the boogey man, but small children will behave when the boogey man is mentioned.  It’s the power of the imagination, and what a strong power that is.

Tags: Baltimore luxury hotels, power of the imagination, the neighborhood of O'Donnell Heights
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With its proximity to beaches as well as other spectacular natural spots, with gorgeous possibilities for gold, snorkling, or just exploring the great unknown, Cape Town has it going on.  It’s been a major center for world culture and industry for some time, and recent years have seen a rise in its popularity as a tourist destination.  Those who have known about the splendors of the place have probably been wondering why it’s taken the rest of the world so long to catch on, but the word is definitely out.  It has everything, including great hotels: check these out.

There is a fantastic night life, of course, and just about everything else big cities have to offer.  But there’s definitely something that’s hard to find in New York.  Penguins.  Cape Town has one of the most active conservation movements in the world, and it’s certainly taken the penguin cause under its wing (pun perhaps intended).  The Penguin Conservation Centre rehabilitates penguins who have been victim to oil spills, among other things, and has taken care of thousands and thousands of these fascinating birds since it opened in 1968. Sanccob is another center that rehabilitates penguins, with similar success rates, and a similar history.  The focus is not strictly on penguins, but all of South Africa’s seabirds, which include penguins, along with Gulls, Gannets, Cormorants, and Oystercatchers.

The focus is not entirely on oil spills, of course.  They work with injured or otherwise endangered birds as well.  The focus is on conservation and preservation, so that the lives of South Africa’s penguins can be saved and protected, and so that future generations can understand the delicate balance where we live.  In the global scheme of things, South Africa has been at the forefront of environmental awareness, and the green world owes a lot to the people doing excellent work here.

Tags: http://www.capetownhotel.net, Penguin Conservation Centre, Sanccob
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This song came out somewhere in a state of amnesia for me, and when I finally did hear it, it had been something even old fans already loved for a couple years.  I’m like a lot of their original fans, I followed them from Murmur up to Life’s Rich Pageant, and even though Green got me through some hard moments, it was only a few moments.  It may be that the angst I felt when I was 23 had already started to diminish by the time I turned 23 1/2, but there’s something about this group that wakes up an old feeling somewhere.  A couple of songs later, and I’m nursing some forgotten pain like a new toothache, and the world is suddenly very bright.

R.E.M. was something my girlfriend and I would listen to while having one of those long, life-changing talks where you discover there’s another interesting person in the world besides yourself.  We’d talk about how we wanted to find our way to a cheap hotel in Los Angeles where we could hole up and practice our art.  Maybe we could call Michael Stipe by then, maybe we’d be friends, and he’d want to work with us on a new project.  We had ideas about an installation about poisoning in history, and he would be a kind of Mortimer Brewster figure with a shaved head and a lot of darkness.

Those things are still coming somewhere in the future, but for now, I had the chance to listen to Electrolite on my way to L.A. one summer night, and the result was kind of stunning.  This was a new R.E.M. all right, with new ideas and new textures.  The deep and often unintelligible critique of the American Dream was very solid in this, and it still had that weird way they have of making you want to cry a little bit while you’re eating.  The most sensational time I had, however, was another trip, riding my friend’s motorcycle down Mullholland Drive, looking at the Hollywood Bowl, and this song came up on the car stereo next to me at a stoplight.  It would have been so much more poetic had the driver been my old girlfriend, but much more like R.E.M. that it was a middle aged man in a Hawaiian shirt, who looked a lot like me.

Tags: cheap hotel in Los Angeles, Electrolite, R.E.M.
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You can’t find absolutely everything in New York, but if you try, you can always find something that’s pretty close to what you’re looking for.  Sometimes it’s the search that’s the only thing that matters, the process of gathering clues together, and thinking about what will happen when the day comes.  It can become a kind of obsession, and some of these, if they are invoked voluntarily, and with a heavy dose of good humor, can be more fun than a real obsession.  They can also work to keep that strange reptilian part of the mind occupied, convinced that it’s doing something enormously important.  

Except sometimes, for me, I get carried away, even when it’s clearly just a game.  I was at a party and someone was talking about Where’s Waldo, and I remembered being in the Where’s Waldo Fan Club very briefly.  I understand it was only a club for a year.  They said something about how difficult it would be to find the character in New York, because there are too many people.  Also, it seemed unlikely that anyone would decide to dress up like Where’s Waldo there, because it seems as though it might be an extraordinarily risky thing to do.  So I booked a hotel here and set off for the Big Apple.

It has changed a lot in the past few years, and it actually does seem like a place where you could dress like anything, and no one would mind, and these days, perhaps not even hassle you.  It’s a different city than I remember, but that’s always been true.  I started looking, but before I could make any headway, I got lost in my own thoughts.  I was reflecting on the appeal of Waldo to me, and how I always like matching games when I was little.  There was something about that in this.  And it also seemed significant in how my own sense of balance has shifted to discover that, when I did see Waldo it didn’t surprise me at all.

Tags: http://www.newyorkairporthotel.com, Waldo, Where's Waldo Fan Club
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I wasn’t planning on going home for awhile, at least not until I got out of my 20s.  The high school years were tragic enough, as they are for everyone who thinks differently, or dresses differently, or has different ways of making decisions, and that was certainly my case.  It did not matter so much that of all the friends I had, I could only trust one, because in the end, even that one started to become somebody I didn’t recognize.  But when my father started to get sick, I had a feeling I’d be back sooner than later. 

We meet in the lobby of one of those luxury hotels in Atlanta, the ones where everything is there for the asking.  This is the kind of Southern charm and hospitality that I’d missed when I was growing up.  It was ironic, then, to be sitting in front of the woman that I thought I would never forgive.  She married my father after I’d given up on hoping for the mother I never had.  She was worldly, and liked to travel, and was all of the things that I did not want in a mother, so I never gave her the respect that I can now see that she deserved.  I also noticed that she had given up on waiting for anything from me, and seemed oddly at peace with it.

 There’s something about Southern families that remind me of the saying about blood being thicker than water.  At times, it felt like I was living in a Beth Henley play.  But at moments like these, when we were talking and planning the services, I understood that there are ties that bind and can be as strong as a bloodline.  Or nearly so.  Six years of taking care of one of the most unreasonable human beings in the world had turned her into a member of the family.  She understood more about him that any of us, and even knew about some of his hidden obsessions.  I’ll never understand why my father hated Bob Hope so much, but she did, and at this moment, it was just enough.

Tags: Beth Henley, Bob Hope, luxury hotels in Atlanta
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Ben was too excited to catch his breath after his best friend and also bass player in their band told him that they had just received their first invitation to play live in a club in Austin. This was the first major goal their band Rear View had developed since they first came together six months ago. In addition they believed in taking their development slowly after a month of playing together. They felt they had real potential and were writing original music and lyrics and they didn’t want to overexpose themselves too early or get stuck in an immediate rut. So, they gave themselves a year to get their first Austin gig and while Ben was breathless at the news, Troy, the more rational and calm of the two, had his concerns that the band may be moving too fast.
The members of Rear View had driven into Austin numerous times in the past and had seen bands play at clubs such as the Carousel Lounge, The Dirty Dog Bar and The Warehouse Saloon and Billiards. Each of these places were among their favorites whenever they came to town. Last year they reserved some rooms in one of the hotels Austin and spent the whole weekend there and went to the Austin City Limits Music Festival. They had such a great time there that they decided to make a special trip every year and stay the entire weekend. And while it was definitely a great time they decided they should be allowed to go every year because it was work related and they would study some of the bigger musician’s performances.

The Carousel Lounge was Ben’s favorite club in Austin. He liked it for many reasons, such as the atmosphere and staff, but also because they hosted an assortment of performances and every time they went there he was guaranteed to see something different. And he always had a great time at the Carousel. Troy, however, had a strong preference for The Dirty Dog Bar. He greatly appreciated the warehouse feel of the building and he also loved that it was a combination of sports and live music. This was something he always felt would be a good blend and it allowed alternative bands to gain new audiences. It was also unique in Austin as the only extreme sports themed live music place. Troy had ambitions of using the three eight foot screens as part of a live music show someday. But for now, he felt the need to keep the other band members tamed down and use this upcoming performance in Austin simply as experience performing together. They weren’t ready to burst onto the scene and he knew it.

Tags: hotels Austin, The Dirty Dog Bar
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Miami was the place where I saw Oshun for the first time, or knew I was seeing her, for the first time.  She’s the African goddess of love and all the fine things in life, and related to rivers, too, they tell me.  I caught a glimpse of her one night when I was dancing.  It was very late.  You could say that I really didn’t know what I was seeing, and at the time, that was certainly true, but I know for sure I saw something that couldn’t have been anything else.  I was there to visit an old friend, he’d invited a few old college buddies down to visit him the week before he was getting married.  We were supposed to spend the weekend entertaining him, then help pitch in with the wedding ceremony.

I love Miami’s luxury hotels, they have a spirit of true accommodation that speaks to my own taste for refined things.  I love waking up with nothing but possibility ahead, and in truth, it makes me so excited I can also get a little nervous.  So it was good that we were there with something specific in mind.  We had to entertain Joey.  His favorite places in Miami are way too numerous to mention, and even more troubling to remember, because I am still very unclear about everything that night.

We started off at a local pub, a nice place that serves a pretty likable crew of regulars.  This was a real boys night out, but we decided we weren’t going to do the traditional bachelor party thing.  He was really devoted to this girl, and didn’t want any of the usual kinds of fun that you see in films.  So a pub lead to a few games of pool, and somewhere in there was a dinner, and then a club.  Between the dinner and the club is where things started to shift. I hadn’t had much to drink, so I can’t put it to that, but there was something strange when I started to smell cinnamon and clove in the air.  And oranges, too.  I thought it was the city, and the citrus.  The smell was much, much stronger in the club, and in one moment, the woman that I had been dancing with turned into something else.  She told me later that was Oshun I was seeing.  I can’t describe her very well, other than saying I saw something in her eye that was more than a sparkle.  And their wedding was blessed from that moment on.

Tags: cinnamon and clove, Miami's luxury hotels, Oshun
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A city this large is bound to have a lot of ghosts, and a lot of memories.  It doesn’t hurt that it’s one of the most vital centers of culture in the world, attracting artists from every nation, and every generation births another batch of young and talented people who see this city as their destination to begin or complete a life work.  It’s particularly exciting to find footprints of your most beloved icons somewhere in the city, and it’s almost dizzying to realize how many famous writers, poets, and musicians have been here.  You can try booking a hotel in Central Park near where your hero once walked.

Or jogged, as the case may be.  In a particularly absurd death, Bob Marley had his last run here, suffering a stroke while jogging at only 36 years of age.  Fans often overlook the very mundane details of such a spectacular life, but it was cancer that was discovered when he’d had a toe removed that eventually took his life.  He was born under a rising star, and rode it as far as he possibly could.  His achievements were no less than legendary, giving a remarkable depth to a music that moved millions, and inspired change.

It still inspires change.  Every generation that gets enchanted by Jamaica’s home-grown music discovers the influence of Bob Marley.  Although there are scores of excellent musicians who follow in his footsteps, both in terms of musical talent and revolutionary fervor, none can match his enormous impact, and perhaps that’s exactly how it should be.  In Central Park, these are enormously significant footprints, and they cannot be erased by time, and there’s no signs of willingness to forget.  The beat goes on, and the lyrics are poignant reminders of a visionary who was not afraid to stomp the terra.

Tags: Bob Marley, Central Park, hotel in Central Park
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For not getting hardly any sleep, I got up pretty early and headed out on a bus to South Beach, Florida. Stepped of the bus and headed straight into the water. It was so nice! Being from the west coast, the warm waters of the Florida ocean is a real treat, I stayed in for hours, even when it started to rain. But, was was so unbelievable, was when I looked further out, I saw a water sprout! It was pretty far away, but it was still cool!

I got out of the water and had nothing to dry myself off with, forgot to bring a towel. But, I figured it didn’t matter when I went in search of food. There were plenty of beach side restaurants that I’m sure caters to all types of beach people. I got a slice of New York style cheese pizza and then caught the bus back to my accommodations, really one of the best resort hotels Florida has to offer to be honest about it. When I got back, I headed straight for the resorts pool for a few hours. There were only a few guests poolside, so it was really great to almost have the pool to myself.

After cleaning up, I went to the restaurant in my hotel for dinner. I didn’t recognize most of the dishes, but I’m the adventurous type so I just pointed to an entree and hoped for the best. I lucked out, the dish was called Veal Oscar, and man, was that the most tastiest meal I’ve ever had. Later, when I got back home, a friend of mine told me what veal was, and I felt a little sad, but it tasted so good, so I didn’t stay sad for long.

One of the hotel guest invited me out to this Booze cruise where there was an open bar. I drank way too much and danced with some of the funniest people I’ve ever met, all the while the boat took us to a place called, well I really can’t recall, but I didn’t stay there for too long, because I was pretty much out of it. Luckily, the guy who invited me on this booze cruise, made sure I made it back to my hotel. Nice guy.

I had no idea that Florida would end up being one fun filled day and night after another. I really thought it might be boring, I really did. But, boy, was I ever wrong.

Tags: resort hotels Florida, Veal Oscar
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Mom was joking on my phone the day of my arrival to Seattle, she said it rains a lot in Seattle. Coming from the UK, that’s not surprising and it didn’t surprise me that upon my arrival, it was raining, actually pouring, not that light mist I read about in the travel guides.

After finding one of the Seattle luxury hotels where I have reservations, and checking in, I headed to the library. I took a quick look in the Lonely Planet guidebook for Seattle. They say Seattle has only about 55 days without rain and the other 310 days have some fog or MIST or a presents of clouds. Again, another guide book not mentioning a down pour. Luckily, it only lasted a few hours and then it changed to the well known cloudy mist. I couldn’t see any of the top of the skyscrapers.

I went to the Experience Music Project after the library, and found out the Seattle was the home town of Jimi Hendrix, but it was in New York where he was spotted and in London where he made it big. The EMP complex cost $450 million to create by one of the Microsoft co-founders. The building is the weirdest thing I’ve seen to date. Apparently, it is controversial among the Seattlites because it was inspired when the architect bought many guitars and smashed them all up and used this pile of broken guitars as the inspiration for this building.

Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the EMP complex. I learned a lot about the history of music, about the guitar, the West coast music scene, and tons about Jimi Hendrix. The founder is a huge fan of Jimi Hendrix, and actually, this building was to be all about Jimi, but thankfully, he expanded upon the idea. There was a section where I could mess around on a few instruments. The EMP provides a MEG (an electronic guide) that I could point at an exhibit, or key in a number, and the MEG informed me, via headphones, about the exhibit I’m looking at. Got to give kudos to the Microsoft co-founder to have up-to-date electronics in his building.

Tomorrow, I’m off to Portland, but first I’ll check out the Seattle music scene tonight.

Tags: Experience Music Project, Jimi Hendrix, Seattle luxury hotels
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The great news about the world today, is just how much information we have available to us at the click of our computer mouse. Even as recent as fifteen years ago, college students spent hours in the library, scrolling through microfiche and perusing card catalogs in search of information that can now be found in a few seconds Online . And just as hard as it is to get a young person to understand that at one time phones were really attached by cords to the wall, getting them to understand the frustration of conducting research using such things as card catalogs and microfiche is even more difficult.

With this greater freedom of information though, comes a responsibility. A responsibility for proper online search engine optimization, for monitoring what get “published” on the World Wide Web, about either an individual in the public eye, or about one’s own company, their products and their services. People will find your business by simply searching for it online, again…the Yellow Pages have gone the way of the microfiche.

What can happen is that people will start their own blog sites, or post videos on any number of public sites, and depending on their intentions, one’s reputation or the reputation of their company or their brand will be in jeopardy. One of the many positive aspects about search engine optimization services , is that these sites are monitored and through proactive intervention, the odds of your reputation suffering is decreased exponentially. It is a wonderful time to be experiencing the world through such technologically advanced means.

The rapid exchange of information is beneficial on so many levels. In taking care of challenges before they become detrimental, reputation management and search engine optimization ensures that the information that is being exchanged is above board, honest and accurate. There are many companies which specialize in such activities, and you owe it to yourself and to your business to employ their skills the moment you step into the public eye.

Tags: freedom of information, online, search engine optimization, search engine optimization services
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We really do live in a fantastic age, and at a very interesting time, too.  There are so many changes to how we think about things and do things, and it seems as though just when we get the hang of something, like a cell phone for example, there’s another new networking site that suddenly takes things by storm.  It’s impossible to even guess which technological networking device or site will be around in another decade, but it doesn’t seem as though these things will go away any time soon.  Some of us fight against them, refusing to join until it’s obvious that they’re extremely useful, and there are those who try to think ahead of the rest of the pack, and join everything for fear of missing out on the next big thing.

In the meantime, things have become much easier.  Although on most days there still seems to be too much to keep up with, the way we do things has essentially changed for so many typical things.  A major life change, for example, like moving, has become infinitely easier.  While it’s easy now to keep up with friends by subscribing to their photo accounts on flickr, it’s also easy to get a good look at the many rental properties available from Transglobe Property Management, where we can also learn more about the company and its team members.  This can give a wonderful peace of mind when you’re moving, so you can see the human face behind the company and learn about all of their many contributions to the communities where they work.

It’s also possible to keep your friends in pace with your own life.  Before, moving always meant figuring out how to tell a large group of people you were leaving, but facebook makes this very easy.  With a simple status update, you can tell all of your friends in seconds, and can also give new updates as you make the transition from one place to another.  This makes a major change much less heartbreaking, and less lonely.  Moving is always difficult, and it’s always exciting.  Transglobe Property Management is in touch with all the latest necessary technologies so that you’re sure you can be connected, and the changes are with a lot more knowledge, and more familiar faces, than any time in history.

Tags: facebook, flickr, Transglobe Property Management
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Who doesn’t like the heated, relaxing waters of a thermal spa?  Who wouldn’t like to bask in those waters in a city that can trace its roots back to the Mesolithic era, let alone the Middle Ages?  In the hills of the Valdinievole, in Italy, you’ll find all of this simply by checking into one of the Montecatini Terme hotels.  Montecatini Terme, the town and district, contain about twenty two thousand people, and lies in the province of Pistoia, Tuscany.  Its spas attract a number of tourists, as does its theatres, restaurants and casino.  The city focuses on its travelers, as they have about two hundred hotels, who are there not only for the amenities the city offers, but also for the short trips one might take to the nearby art cities, such as Florence.  While in town, though, Montecatini Terme offers concerts and ballrooms, fairs and art exhibitions as well as other festivals.

The city can easily operate as a point of departure for other internationally known art and architecture, such as Michelangelo’s David in Florence or the Leaning Tower of Pisa in, well, Pisa.  You may also check out an interesting walled city, Lucca, and Pistoia, too, is an old town that’s not very far from Montecatini Terme.  In fact, there a number of interesting walled cities dating back to Medieval times, such as Siena or San Gimignano or Vinci.  Renting a car and driving to these places won’t take long at all.

Within driving distance, too, is Cinque Terre.  These are five cities on the water, and a ferry or a train may deliver you from one city to the next.  There are steep hills in the cities, but the view of the water and cities are tremendous.  In about a one hour ride, you can also take the train or bus into the city of Florence, too.

But don’t think this means that there’s nothing to do or see in Montecatini itself.  Of course, there are internationally famous spas, but there’s also a Funicular to Montecatini Alto, where you can have incredible views of the area.  You can even stay at the top for dinner.  This area is part of the original Montecatini settlement, above the relatively “new town” below.  Check out the Piazza Giusti here for bars and restaurants, and enjoy a Medieval village.

Tags: Montecatini Terme hotels, Pisa
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In Singapore, there are numerous essential things to consider for your wedding day. Basically, as soon as you get engaged, you should begging a check-list, either printed out from a computer wedding program or written out manually, a wedding list is the most essential aspect of any wedding planning, and it’s the best way to make sure that everything is done, even if you’ve hired a wedding planner, which will have their own check-list, creating your own check-list only helps with making sure that your ’special day’ is as beautiful and as perfect a day as one should expect.

One of the many essentials after a check-list is finding the right Singapore wedding planner, a wedding planner will make sure that your nerves are not frayed by the time of the wedding. Then it’s time to pick a wedding day; remember to consider the time of year and if the weather will be unpredictable or perfect. The next wedding essential will be to pick a venue for your wedding and your reception. Many Singapore weddings have failed because of not choosing the proper location. A wedding planner will help coordinate and book the best venue that will be within your wedding budget and that will accommodate all your guests. Many wedding halls and reception venues tend to book up fast, so your wedding planner, who has the best connections, will make sure that the right venue is booked well in advance.

The next wedding essential is the wedding apparel: the wedding dress, the tuxedo and the dresses for your maids of honor. At this point your wedding planner will help you pick the wedding theme that will reflect the love that’s in your heart. Then it’s time to find the wedding caterer, a Singapore baker, a photographer, a florist, the entertainment and a videographer to record your special day and intimate moments. Every one of these essentials are very important in their own way and finding the right wedding personnel is a daunting task and should be taken very seriously. A wedding planner, as mentioned above, will have excellent connections with the best wedding vendors, and will know which wedding vendor will meet your needs and budget.

Next, the wedding invitations is also a major wedding essential. The invitations need to be sent out at least three months a head of the wedding date. This will ensure that most of your guests can have the time necessary to make travel arrangements, clear up their work schedules, or any other planning needed to attend your wedding.

Planning a wedding could be a very stressful ordeal, but by incorporating the wedding check-list, which covers all the wedding essentials Singapore can provide, you will be making your special day go smoothly and a good time will be had by the wedding party and the guests.

Tags: videographer, wedding essentials Singapore
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Miles Davis is widely recognized as one of if not the all time best and most influential blues player. He was born in Alton, Illinois in May of 1926. His father was a dentist and the family enjoyed a nice level of success and affluence. They moved to East St. Louis when Davis was one year old and the family also owned a ranch in Arkansas. Davis learned to ride horses while he was staying at that ranch. His mother wanted him to play the piano and she herself was a skilled blues pianist though she did not play for him when he was young. He began his actual musical training when he was 13 and his father gave him a trumpet. He also arranged for the young Miles to begin taking lessons Elwood Buchanan who was a local musician.
After Davis began his lessons he and the trumpet seemed to embrace each other and neither one would ever be the same again without the other. He would later half joke that his father only gave him the trumpet to play in order to irritate his mother who had strongly wished her son to play the piano and did not like the sound of the trumpet. His early training with Buchanan is partly responsible for his unique style Buchanan stressed to Davis the importance of playing well without vibrato, which was popular at the time. It is reported that Buchanan would slap Davis’ knuckles every time he lapsed into a vibrato and this helped him to create his signature clear and clean sound.

Davis moved to New York to study at the famous Julliard School and began playing professionally while he was still there. He complained about the curriculum of the school though later he would rely on and make great use of the theoretical foundation he gained there. In 1959 he released his album titled Kind of Blue and this would become considered by many to be the quintessential blues album. It has influenced many jazz musicians and in 2008 it received its fourth platinum certification. The swiftrank rating means the album has sold four million copies. Davis played with many of the jazz greats including Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane and Bill Evans.

Tags: Kind of Blue, Miles Davis, swiftrank
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Just as Seattle has an underground city (a few blocks scorched away in the Great Fire of Seattle in 1889, then rebuilt one story higher, paving over that part of town like a forgotten memory), so does Atlanta, Georgia.  In Seattle, the buildings were constructed on tideflats, and in times of rain (which was often, of course), mud would cover up anything standing still.  Today, the area may be toured, taking a look a saloon from the 1890s.  In Atlanta, the story was a bit different.

Atlanta began life as a railroad in 1836, with tracks built from Chattanooga to Atlanta next to mile markers, 138 of them.  The Zero Milepost marker is still standing, and its in Underground Atlanta at the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot.  As the Civil War approached, Atlanta grew to a city of ten thousand.  The area next to the Zero Milepost marker was the city center, on Alabama Street, from Peachtree Street to Central Avenue, and also the area destined to become Underground Atlanta.

In the fire that Margaret Mitchell described in Gone With the Wind, the area was destroyed.  The residents rebuilt around the Zero Milepost, doubling the city population to twenty two thousand.  As the century turned from the nineteenth to the twentieth, after Coca-Cola was born and electric streetcars were introduced, the railroad grew, serving a hundred trains a day by 1900, and, by 1910, iron bridges were built to cross the rail tracks at Union Street.  Eventually, concrete bridges replaced the iron bridges, and a mall at bridge level joined together these viaducts of concrete, creating public plazas.  As the viaducts were built, shops moved to the second floor, leaving behind the lower level for storage and services.  From the thirties to the seventies, Underground Atlanta was virtually forgotten.

At last, in 1968, the five blocks of Underground Atlanta were declared an historic site.  In 1989, the area opened to the public after a restoration project of about 142 million dollars.  Today, if you stop in at Atlanta and stay over in one of the hotels Georgia offers, you’ll find in this particular area of town a place designed for families, including shops for retail and gifts and specialities, as well as fast food, fine dining, and entertainment, a veritable focal point for the community.

Tags: hotels Georgia, Margaret Mitchell
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In Bad Gastein hotels are quaint and luxurious. They are filled with all the amenities fit for a king. This is a beautiful rich spa town that beckons visitors into its relaxation and recreation. They are nestled in the small valley of the Hohe Tauern National Park, some absolutely beautiful Austrian mountains. Here you will find some amazing things to do all in the fresh mountain air that is free of fog. The buildings are built in the Belle Epoque style and give such a nostalgic feel to one experience of the area.

Spend some time during the day taking in a favorite sport. If it is summer time there is hiking and mountain climbing up to thermal waters were visitors can soak and relax. There are eighteen springs that bubble up from the ground. These waters have been known to heal or diminish the affects of ailments such as gout and stones, inflammations, arthritis, asthma, and back problems. The waters are accessible even if you are visiting in the winter. The skiing is fantastic. The snow is always good and there are lots of downhill and cross country trails. Take the kids out for some family fun on the sleds.

When you have had all the physical activity you can handle its tie to relax again with a massage and steam. Get cleaned up for dinner at one of the local gourmet restaurants then catch a ride in a horse drawn sleigh up to the casino. If it is winter time you wont mind it getting dark early. You many need the extra time to win you money back. Have a great time with it. Dress up to the standard of royalty and throw some dice in elegant style. So come and visit the place where King George V and Queen Mary visited in 1913. You will have it better then they did, by far.

Tags: Bad Gastein hotels, King George V, snow
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One thing is certain, and that is by having a fireplace in your home, you the atmosphere is changed.  Not only do fireplaces create a fuller more even heat, the glow and the crackle of the fire sets the shadows to dancing on the walls.  During the holiday seasons, no party or gathering seems quite complete without that fire, there is just no substitution for the way a blazing fire invites your guests into your home.  In many city’s, people are taking elements of their houses, outside into the back yard.  Some people even build outdoor gourmet kitchens, complete with built in refrigerators and cabinets.  In warmer climates, sitting outside is made more comfortable by the use of misting systems or out door swamp coolers installed on their decks or patios.  And in the colder weather, having an outdoor fireplace allows you to still enjoy the fresh air, but stay warm just the same.

And not only that, but the outdoor fireplace does for your home exactly what the indoor fireplace does, and that is to add an ambiance and a style to any backyard design.  They are relatively similar in design to inside fireplaces, the one aspect to keep in mind, is that outside there will be wind.  This can create more smoke, so you just need to make certain that your chimney is tall enough to carry the smoke away from the guests who are huddled around it.  Many people too, are becoming more environmentally conscious, and in some cities there are “no burn” days depending on the condition of the air.  However, many wood burning fireplaces and stoves are now more efficient, and most are EPA certified to be better for the environment.  Which is great, due to the fact that heating with wood, is very economical, and well…it is just more fun to sit in front of a roaring fire on a chilly night.  So go ahead and take the party outside, gather around the fire place, and relax.

Tags: environmentally conscious, holiday seasons, outdoor fireplace
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The proper employee training program is necessary in order to avoid poor performance.  Oddly enough, many companies to not have thorough training techniques in place, and people are put out on the floors, behind the counters or on the phones, not really certain of what it is they should be doing.  Companies must form a strategy that ensures that none of their employees are put into such situations, and to ensure that their company does not falter.  A syllabus or a manual which outline the procedures of the job and the policies of the company is a helpful tool.  Some people do learn by watching, but having a book there to refer back to provides a much more comprehensive learning experience.  It will broaden the scope.

Instead of leaving the asking of random questions that an employee will encounter, it will all be explained in full detail in the manual.  Just as the proper training for employees is vastly important, so to is the proper training of managers through leadership training courses and seminars.  A training program will include all of the procedures that an employee will need to be familiar with and to carry out, before they are presented with them for the first time.  There are three ways to make sure that you have provided your employees with the sufficient knowledge to do their jobs, through doing, seeing and hearing.

Trial runs on say such machines as the company computers, or in retail on the cash registers, will provide the new worker with something to draw upon.  Experience before the job actually begins.  This is when it becomes important to know that your trainers are chosen very carefully.  Just because a person is good at the job that they do, does not necessarily mean that they will be good trainers.  If possible, just one person should be in charge of the training of new employees. In this way you will be certain that the trainings are consistent, and that your new members of the team will know exactly what is expected of them.

Tags: employee training, leadership training, training of new employees
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We attempted a night out in San Francisco, but as you can imagine, San Francisco on a Tuesday night isn’t particularly happening. We did manage to find a group of cute boys trying to park their Lexus. We thought we’d try the ol’ English line on them and see if it was true about what they say how Americans just love our accent, but it didn’t work, they were meeting up with their girlfriends at a restaurant. Looks like it isn’t as easy as the film ‘Love Actually‘ makes it out to be. So, we decided to go back to our room in one of the best hotels in San Francisco and crash for the night.

We woke up late in the morning and then decided to see some sights that we haven’t seen yet. San Francisco is a small city in comparison to other cities we’ve been to, so we were able to walk to most of the sights. Chinatown was impressive, but what was weird were all the Indian electronic shops there. I did get a great deal on a new camera lens, after I haggled for about an hour! Then we went to check out Little Italy, wondering if there were Indian electronic shops there as well, but there weren’t, only a few Italian restaurants with a lot of Italians living there.

Lastly, we jumped on a bus to the Haight Ashbury area. This was were the hippy movement started, so it was being like in a time-warp. We even passed by a street-bum with a sign asking for weed instead of money. This was the funniest thing we’ve seen during our whole trip, we ended up giving him money anyway.

So, this was our San Francisco in 48 hours. I love it here, even though it would be quite expensive to live here, it seems to be worth it. The people are so very friendly, the weather is doable, at least from what we could tell in two days, and for a city that’s supposed to be the Gay capital of the world, we didn’t see many gay people, well, at least people that ‘looked’ gay.

Tags: best hotels in San Francisco, Haight Ashbury area, Love Actually
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Kelly and Tom were both students at the College of William and Mary and decided that they needed to take a break from their intense schedule of weekend studies and enjoy themselves a little. After all, this was probably the last time they would be able to because they were graduating in May and then they had to join the work force and have careers and families and stuff like that. So, for that afternoon the friends returned to their boyhood favorite activities and headed to Colonial Williamsburg.

They both grew up in the area and this historic triangle of Virginia was there childhood stomping grounds. They used to try and fish in the river but were never able to. They did enjoy taking the Jamestown Ferry every chance they got and that’s what they did that afternoon. When they were young they used to follow the tourists as they left their hotels Williamsburg just to see what they found so interesting, now they knew. They found there way to Queen’s Creek and sat down with a sandwich, chips and coke. All they wanted to do was rest on the ground and listen to the trickle of the water and enjoy the light breeze. That wasn’t too much to ask they thought.

After a while, the Kelly got out his Frisbee and the two threw it back and forth for a while. This replaced the football they threw back and forth when they were young. Sometimes a group of kids would gather together and play a friendly game of tackle football beside the creek. This had always been one of both of the boy’s favorite spots and they wondered how often they would be able to come back there after they finished school. That thought reminded them that they had a paper due on Monday and needed to get back to the library. They headed back to school but decided to take one last ride on the ferry before they did. It felt good to be young again.

Tags: hotels Williamsburg, Jamestown Ferry, Queen’s Creek
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After you’ve checked into at a Singapore hotel resort, the first thing you might look to do is step out and take a walk; if you find yourself in Chinatown, you’ll come across a number of small, interesting sights.

Let’s start out at Cross and Club Streets.  Walking up, you’ll find yourself at Club.  This area was home at one point to Chinese social clubs, shops, and brothels, which have all given way to boutiques and clubs and bars.  You’ll still find Chinese clubs here, but you might find more in the way of Italian restaurants and sneaker shops.  If you walk to the end of Club, turn left on Ann Siang Road, turn right at the hilltop, then right on Erskine Road, down the street, and then left onto South Bridge Road.  Cross the street and walk left to find Neil Road.  Here, at the corner of Tanjong Pagar and Neil, you’ll find brick building, two stories, that once was the center for the city’s rickshaws, a place filled with activity — craftsmen, rickshaw pullers, port walkers, and, on the darker side, opium smokers and ladies of the evening.  Across the street, you’ll find the Maxwell Road Food Center, famous for it hawkers and often packed on any given evening.  It’s neoclassical facade was relatively recently renovated, in 2001.  Walking down Maxwell until it turns left around Telok Ayer Park, you’ll eventually find the Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church.  This building was constructed in 1924 and it’s notable as one of the more unsual churches in Singapore, owing to its large Byzantine windows and traditional Chinese roof.

Keep walking along Telok Ayer, and you’ll cross McCallum Street.  Here, on the left corner, you’ll find the Al-Abrar Mosque.  It’s a small building, constructed about 1850 and contains both Islamic and Indian touches.  This humble place may have had an even more humble beginning, starting out as a small, thatched hut.  Farther up the street, you’ll reach the Thian Hock Keng Temple.  This is perhaps the oldest temple in Singapore and important for Hokkien Chinese Buddhists.  There’s also a statue of Ma Zu Po here, goddess of seafarers.  In 1840, the statue was imported from China.  Up the road and on the corner at Boon Tat Street is a  one hundred and eighty-one year old shrine, the Nagore Durgha Shrine.  If you turn right here and walk to the end of Boon Tat Street, you’ll see Lau Pa Sat (also known as the Telok Ayer Market).  It has an 1894 ornate cast-iron facade made by a Scottish architect firm.  In the early parts of the 20th century, this was a place for fishmongers; today, it’s a festival market for hawkers — excellent for dining after a long walk around Chinatown!

Tags: Singapore hotel resort, Telok Ayer Market
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No matter were are in the world, there is always a group of people taking the time to raise money and awareness about cancer. Cancer affects all genders, race and ages. In Marbella Spain, they have come up with an interesting way to raise money for the local cancer hospice centers. The call it the Wow Factor and it is a talent contest that takes place in front of a live audience. It has been a phenomenal success with some of the best turnout of performers and audience attendence in the history of its developement.

In the finals there are twelve groups competing. There are four judges and about 600 people in the audience all there to watch each performer give everything they have in three minutes. The are all there to raise money, put on a great show and to become the next WOW Factor champion. Talk radio talent, Maurice Boland of Talk Radio Europe, was there as the presenter along with Hannah Murray. There were some notable judges like Steven Jones who is a British Consul, Rowetta Satchell who was a X Factor Finalist, Laura Krier of Fame Games and Jason Gardner who judged the Dancing on Ice show. He made the grandest entrance swinging in on a trapeze.

The contests came out one after the other putting on a great show. They came in form Gibraltar to Almuneca, stayed in one of the best luxury hotels Marbella had to offer, came into the theatre and put on a stellar show. Between the songs they sang, the judges would pause the show with some advice on their performance. There were a few favorites to win like Rebecca Tate and possibly Corrine Cooper. They both made it to the final 6 performers in the middle of the evening. On top of the wonderful talents of the evening, there was also a strong heartfelt enphasis on the cause that has brought this event to happen.

Tags: luxury hotels Marbella, Maurice Boland, WOW Factor
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When Gus and Gita arrived in New York for a lecture Gus was to present at an astronomy club, both of them were extremely hungry. It as all they could do to put down their luggage and extras in the their hotel room without fainting from hunger. They were both passionate individuals with a zest for life and everything in it. This included great cuisine. So, even though they felt like they were starving, neither Gus nor Gita was interested in compromising quality of service and tasted so they set about inquiry into the greatest and best New York City restaurants.

After they freshened up the couple headed down to have a quick conversation with the concierge. They got the basic scoop on their neighborhood offerings and attractions and Gus was provided with the best route to his lecture facility. As the efficient concierge began suggesting various dining options, Gita stopped her when she heard Kellari Taverna. This sounded familiar to her and she quickly scanned her memory until she recalled a friend of hers had once dined there. As she remembered it, Kellari was well known for great Greek seafood. The concierge confirmed this and always being slightly skeptical of recommendations both Gus and Gita were satisfied to try Kellari. This is due to the cross referenced appraisal on both a personal and professional level. And the couple left their resort eager to partake in the expected great cuisine.

And they were not disappointed. From the moment they walked into the restaurant they loved it. It had a fabulous aroma, great décor and a pleasant atmosphere. They began their meal with a couple of appetizers, the tartare and the melitzanosalata, which was a roasted eggplant spread. They also shared a Greek salad before moving on to their main course. Gus had the fire roasted Salmon with pumpkin puree. He thought it was delicious and loved the spinach and beets. Gita had the corfu shrimp, which was pan seared with asparagus and a mushroom risotto. They shared an order of the lemon potatoes. Both Gus and Gita loved their meals and while they wanted to try a couple of the desserts they just didn’t have the room. However, they definitely planned on coming back.

Tags: best New York City restaurants, fire roasted Salmon, Kellari Taverna
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Cape Town South Africa was originally built up by the Dutch East India Company around 1652. This interesting city on the shoreline of Table Bay quickly turned into busy port of ships. It was the supply station for many Dutch ships that were working their way up and the coast of Africa, India and the far east. The first permanent settlement made here by the Europeans was by Jan Van Riebeeck. It quickly became the economic and cultural center of the whole Cape Colony. Until the Witwatersrand Gold Rush,  made Johannesburg grow, Cape Town was the largest city in South Africa. Now modern day Cape Town has about 3 and half million people living in it. Fortunately, the square mileage of the area is rather large so there is more room per person to live here.

The area is such old land who knows how long people have been coming and going from here. Archeologists have been digging away here for many years and have found a few interesting things. The farthest back they can find so far dates 12,00 to 15,000 years ago. The Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias left some written literature in 1486. Vasco da Gama recorded seeing the Cape of Good Hope back in 1497. Then the Dutch arrived. They had a hard time developing the area because there was not enough labor. Slaves were brought in from Indonesia and Madagascar to work for the Dutch company and now they are the ancestors of the first Cape Colored community.

From then on you have the history with the British trying to take over the Dutch colonies and how that affected the town. Of course, Britian capture Cape Town in 1795 but then give back in a treaty to the Netherlands in 1803. The British came and took the town again in 1806 after the Bloubergstrand battle. Because of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814, the British gained permanent control and the town has expanded along with the whole colony substantially during the 1800s. So find one of the best Cape Town hotels and take in all the city has been built up too.

Tags: Bartolomeu Dias, best Cape Towm hotels, Portuguese, Witwatersrand Gold Rush
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Joni wanted to go to Connecticut. She had been born and raised in New York City and had always heard that Connecticut was the place to retire and sometimes to raise a family. She didn’t know how many times she heard people in the city referring to a desire to move there. Throughout her childhood she didn’t understand what all of the hype was about and developed a strong desire to discover it for herself. So, at her high school graduation when her parents asked her what she would like to do to celebrate Joni quickly announced that she would like to go to Connecticut.

Her parents thought this would make a nice family adventure and they made reservations in one of the Hartford hotels for the following weekend. And although she was now and adult and had even graduated from high school, Joni was still not quite sure what to expect. She did notice that the scenery was beautiful and thought that Connecticut must have an amazing geography. She wondered if that’s what impressed everyone.

When they arrived in Hartford she loved the historic feeling of some of the buildings and also noticed that it too was located along a river. She decided that New Yorkers must have a sense of home away from home there. However, she also noticed that Hartford felt much more open and spacious than New York, but then most cities do. While they were there the family toured most of the major attractions including the Elizabeth Park Rose Garden which Joni discovered was the oldest in the United States of its kind. They also went to the Harriet Beecher Stowe House and Research Center and Joni was very impressed with this as well. She greatly enjoyed her time in Hartford and the family celebrated her graduation at Grant’s Restaurant. This may have been Joni’s favorite part of the trip and she absolutely loved her filet mignon. She decided then that this would be a nice place to retire.

Tags: Elizabeth Park Rose Garden, Hartford hotels
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Phil and Sandy lived in Sacramento, California and enjoyed the lush trees, greenery and two major rivers that ran through their capital city. They also enjoyed the theatre and attending the symphony and of course were major Kings fans, which is the Sacramento National Basketball Association team. One week they were making plans for their weekend agenda when Phil mentioned that the Barber of Seville was playing at the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto. That sounded exciting to Sandy who also enjoyed the idea of getting out of town for the weekend.

Modesto was only about sixty eight miles south of Sacramento, however the couple decided to stay in a hotel Modesto and make a weekend out of the experience. They both enjoyed short to medium sized road trips and would often drive up the northern coast or spend an afternoon or evening in San Francisco, though driving to the Bay could hardly be considered a road trip by many standards. So, Sandy made their reservations with at the Gallo for Saturday night and the two of them enjoyed a peaceful drive through the California country that morning.

Both of them had been to the Gallo before and appreciated the acoustics and technology of this acclaimed venue. It was one of the cultural institutions for which Modesto was most known and both Sandy and Phil believed in supporting the arts, was well as greatly enjoying attending them. The couple had a great time at the opera and enjoyed the comedic antics of the Count Almaviva as he attempts to win the love of Rosina. Sandy loved the actor who played the barber Figaro and thought he had great comic timing. The next morning the they enjoyed a cup of coffee and pastry at the Queen Bean Coffee House before heading back up north to their home in Sacramento.

Tags: comedic antics, Count Almaviva, Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto, hotel Modesto, Rosina
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PThere is no doubt that Phuket is one of the most splendid places on earth, offering a taste of pure island pleasure that speaks to the visitor looking for a break from the everyday.  Thailand is an amazing country, with a fascinating history and an even more fascinating cultural scene, where different religions, languages, and customs encounter each other every day.  It’s a great place to see local festivals, offering a magnificent blend of the baroque and the exotic, to remind you that your responsibilities are far away, and all that’s necessary for the moment is breathing.  There are plenty of places here to find a perfect spot for meditation and relaxation, and you can probably find some of these in your Phuket hotel.

The island’s history as a port town makes it particularly suited to offer all types of hospitality, and many hotels offer spa treatments, yoga and meditation classes, as well as massage.  It’s a lovely way to unwind, and sometimes meditation can get you in tune with the deeper part of the island.  Surfaces are always deceiving, and in Phuket, the center is more complicated than it would seem on first glance.  Even the various thoughts on tourism and business here are extremely complex, and there are many contradictions that one will notice here, taking a close look.  There are certain drastic inequities to be sure, but there also some very philanthropic works that happen only here.

There is, for example, the brilliant work of the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation, a registered charity organization here that helps some of the most disadvantaged children in the area.  The organization helps hundreds of children here with after school programs, along with other services, and teaches them English so that they might be more competitive in a world marketplace.  Here, another language is a big plus, especially where tourism plays such a role in the local economy.  Begun by a foreign business person, Tom McNamara, Phuket Has Been Good To Us plays an active role in the community, giving something back to a place that gives so much life to so many.

Tags: Phuket Has Been Good To Us, Phuket hotel, Tom McNamara
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