Posted by Jackie Hewett on Sun 30th August 2009 at 10:07 PM, Filed in September
The spring and autumn equinox (20th – 21st March and 21st – 22nd September) are arguably THE time to visit the great archaeological site of Chichen Itza on the Yukatan peninsula. In both the morning and evening of these four days the angle of the sun casts a shadow on the famous El Castillo pyramid which makes it look like a serpent is winding its way down the structure. The head of the snake being at the bottom of the steps on El Castillo. The only problem with going at this time of the year is that you can guarantee it will be crowded.
I have been fortunate to visit Chichen Itza, although not during an equinox. The site is huge (see Chichen Itza article) – allow the best part of a day to really take it in, and for this reason I would recommend hiring a car and ‘going it alone’ with a good guide book or hiring a private guide rather than going on a day trip from a hotel when you are only likely to get 2-3 hours at the site. Hiring a car is easy – we got ours from Cancun. The drive was about 3 hours on reasonable dual carriage way roads, and we made an overnight stay in nearby Merida so we could visit nearby site of Uxmal the next day. I would definitely recommend a visit to Uxmal too if history is your thing. Making our own way there was definitely the right thing to do – for us.
Posted by Jilly Bowen on Thu 16th July 2009 at 11:40 AM, Filed in Europe, July
A wonderful week celebrating the history of Whitstable, its heritage – and of course Oysters!
This year’s festival starts on Saturday 18th through to 25th July; and to whet your appetite I’ll start with its history.
As far back as Norman times fishers and dredgers held and annual ceremony to give thanks for their survival and the harvest. It was always held during the closed season for oysters so their business was not interrupted. It was considered a ‘Holy Day’, when the townsfolk attended a formal church ceremony and then the rest of the day passed with feasting, dancing, playing games and contests. The festival was reintroduced in the 1980’s (the industry was almost wiped out in the 1920’s due to disease and over fishing).
Here are a few more facts:
- Whitstable harbour was the world’s first railway connected port.
- The oyster is both male and female, but never both at the same time.
- Spawn is emitted from an oyster in immense quantities, like a puff of smoke, estimated to contain from 800,000 to some millions of organisms.
- The oyster’s worst enemy is the five-fingers (starfish), which can force an oyster shell open.
- The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway - known locally as the Crab & Winkle line, produced the world’s first railway season ticket.
- The sea diving helmet and suit were invented in Whitstable.
- The Whitstable Divers travelled around the world salvaging sunken ships, including the Mary Rose.
- 400 years ago the lower areas of Whitstable were swampy salt marshes - The Sea has tried to take them back several times.
- 2000-year-old oyster shells found in Italy have been proved to have originated in Whitstable.
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A few years ago I had the wonderful experience of going on a Safari in Kenya; staying at excellent lodges throughout the trip. One of them being an the shores of Lake Naivasha, but wow, if I’d come across the privately owned Hippo Point Wildlife Sanctuary this would have been the icing on the cake!
Hippo Point Tower
Hippo Point House is an Elizabethan style house belonged to a magistrate and was built in the 1933. The house has recently been restored to the higest standards with just seven double bedrooms, a swimming pool, open gazebo and lush gardens where you can indulge in yoga courses and body treatments. However the nearby Hippo Point Tower is really where its at! This nine storey Tower is rated as one of the top retreats in the world, and one of Kenya’s less known, but most luxurious hideaways. It is for exclusive use only and had a lounge and deck on the first floor and three double bedrooms - one on each floor above.
With magnificent views over Oloidien Bay it’s designed for romantics (by Dodo Cunningham-Reid) and guests are able to watch the hippo’s grazing at the foot of the Tower.
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Fed up with paying singles supplements and dining alone? Don’t want to sign up for tacky singles hol
idays or advertise for a travelling companion? Do want un-limited choices regarding where and when to go and discover where locals go and avoid tourist traps? Oh, and possibly travelling on a budget?
The concept of couchsurfing could be the solution for you. It’s a non profit-making organisation / project funded by those who join up and make a donation for doing so. The amount donated is up to the individual, especially because of the disparities between different countries economies. Once you are signed up you can offer your couch (or spare room / camping bed / even floor) as somewhere for others to stay, and of course surf to find other peoples couches for you to stay on. Of course this isn’t for everyone, but there is a definite group of people to whom it appeals. So far they have over a million members in 232 countries and more signing up every day. It has to be said that the majority of members / hosts are young (85% are between ages 18 and 34).
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Fancy holidaying in Dubai this summer but worried about the cost of taking the kids?
Then you might want to take up this Emirates airlines offer if you can travel before 20th September 2009:
• Free flight to Dubai for one child under 16 (when traveling with both parents)
• Free accommodation and meals for two children (again when traveling with both parents)
• Free entry to 9 of Dubai’s top children’s attractions:
o Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo (Dubai Mall) with over 33,000 aquatic animals
o Dubai (Olympic sized) Ice Rink
o Magic Planet – with rides, bumper cars, soft play area and video games
o SEGA Republic Indoor Theme Park – the middle east’s largest Sega park
o Ski Dubai – complete with chair lifts, button lifts and toboggan run (the largest indoor snow park in the world)
o The Lost Chambers (Atlantis Hotel – the Palm) – explores the story of how the citizens of Atlantis might have lived with a maze of underwater halls and tunnels
o The Montgomerie Dubai – golfing destination
o Wild Wadi Water Park – with 30 rides and slides
• Discounts for some shops in the Dubai Mall
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