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<title>ExploreBlog.info</title><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/index.php</link><description>ExploreBlog.info gives you a personal insight into travel destinations</description><dc:language>en</dc:language><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><dc:rights>Copyright 2007 ExploreBlog.info</dc:rights><dc:date>2010-10-30T17:02:21+01:00</dc:date><admin:generatorAgent rdf:resource="http://www.realmacsoftware.com/" />
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<lastBuildDate>Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:44:50 +0000</lastBuildDate><item><title>Easing security checks</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2010-10-30T17:02:21+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/77ec520278b78592732c7aed8b2f8b45-43.php#unique-entry-id-43</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/77ec520278b78592732c7aed8b2f8b45-43.php#unique-entry-id-43</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Apparently, he just cannot be doing with the security checks at airports and, for this reason more than anything else, he prefers to holiday at home. 


...Then I have to get my laptop and/or iPad out of its bag, while at the same time taking off my jacket, whipping off my belt and removing shoes. 

...Then, on the other side of the security area, you have to try and grab all these items (while holding up your trousers!) 

...But, I do yearn for the days when you used to be able to turn up at security, leaving the laptop securely stowed in its bag, the belt round your trousers and your shoes on your feet.   All you had to remember was to put mobile phone, money and keys in the bag, take off your jacket to go into the scanner, then walk through. 
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Whale watching</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2010-10-21T12:35:50+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/82bf20df4d9dcae0b8cd13f1589395c6-42.php#unique-entry-id-42</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/82bf20df4d9dcae0b8cd13f1589395c6-42.php#unique-entry-id-42</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[It will give you an idea of how far away it was that &ndash; despite using a long lens &ndash; the resulting photograph was one of those infamous &lsquo;that spot there is a whale&rsquo; type of holiday snap.


...As we sat on the boat heading out of Dana Point harbour, the captain made it quite clear that we might not be lucky with an actual whale encounter. 


...It was a beautiful day of blue skies and sparkling seas, so we just settled back to enjoy the boat trip, with fingers crossed that we might be in luck. 


...At up to 32.9 metres long and weighing in at an amazing 172 tonnes, blue whales are the largest animal ever known to have inhabited this earth. 

...We spent quite some time with the captain following the whales and as a fantastic finale, one of the blue whales performed the elusive tail fluke. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Don&#x27;t forget your photo ID if you head Stateside</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2010-10-20T17:14:35+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/b734faab8b8c5ee70d218dce48aba0c1-41.php#unique-entry-id-41</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/b734faab8b8c5ee70d218dce48aba0c1-41.php#unique-entry-id-41</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[If, like me, you still have an old-style UK driving licence without a photo, you may want to pay the Chancellor the necessary to upgrade to a photo licence if you are planning a trip to the USA.


Whereas, here, we verify our credit cards with a PIN, in the USA you will find that most places where you use a credit card will demand a &lsquo;photo ID&rsquo;. 

...Suffice to say that, as soon as I got back from my most recent trip Stateside I splashed out &pound;20 with the DVLA to obtain a photo licence, so that I would not be caught out next time. 


...There, it is still the norm for the waiter to leave your card and the receipt and you are expected to sign it, take your copy and leave. 


But don&rsquo;t try that in the UK, no matter how hard it is to persuade reluctant staff to give you the bill and take the money. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Reclaiming Amsterdam as a destination</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2010-02-24T20:28:33+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/a8beb8be49aa1d79f861025b3d9b7386-40.php#unique-entry-id-40</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/a8beb8be49aa1d79f861025b3d9b7386-40.php#unique-entry-id-40</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Most have a jib at the very top of the building, with a hook or pulley to haul furniture up and in through the window, the stairways being so narrow as to preclude furniture removal.


Having explored the streets, enjoying lunch in a traditional Amsterdam bar, and sampled the modern shopping mall created in Amsterdam&rsquo;s old post office, we headed off for dinner.


...Well satisfied with their stake and beer, we headed back to the hotel pondering the question: was it the common first two letters of the countries that had brought them together?


...It was so nice to get up at a leisurely pace and head off into Amsterdam&rsquo;s narrow streets to find ourselves a breakfast cafe.


...It is really well done, and although you have to pay to have a concentrated marketing effort focused on you, it is worth including on your trip.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>America: the land of the free&#x2c; or cheap?</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2009-10-13T17:26:45+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/4efae6f1ae2abb13a5af993d42f6a4c7-39.php#unique-entry-id-39</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/4efae6f1ae2abb13a5af993d42f6a4c7-39.php#unique-entry-id-39</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[$1.99 for a burger meal in a fast-food joint may qualify in some peoples&rsquo; books as a reason to fly the Atlantic, but quick burgers apart we found the story to be very different compared to our previous visit some three years ago.


...Inevitably we found ourselves at the mercy of franchised diners a lot of the time, but on other occasios we would search out a local pizza or grill and on a couple of occasions a restaurant that offered an experience a little above the ordinary.


...That despite the fact that eating out more than twice a day is impossible in the USA (due to the mountain of food you get offered) once a day is more common. 

...You needn&rsquo;t pay much more than than for your daily dining in the UK or Europe, so the differential between the opposite sides of the Atlantic seems to have gone. 


...Experience here, again, suggests that prices are much more equitable between the UK and USA and that is even when taking into account that VAT is that much more than US sales tax.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Pump iron before visiting LAX</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2009-10-03T17:48:26+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/133c4d3ad05500d48dd1c1c8fefa4712-38.php#unique-entry-id-38</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/133c4d3ad05500d48dd1c1c8fefa4712-38.php#unique-entry-id-38</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Visitors to Los Angeles Airport (LAX) would do well to make sure they are in peak fitness before they get there. 


Arriving there on a flight from San Francisco, we retrieved our bags from the carousel reasonably rapidly and set off to get a luggage cart.   No problem, we thought, there was one just a couple of hundred feet away. 


...Except paying them for the cart seems to be impossible unless you have have either four single dollar notes or a $5 note. 

...After lugging five large bags from one terminal to another we were of a mind to blacklist LAX on all future visits!]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Dining differences in the USA</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2009-09-20T07:45:33+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/cb62edfd3ac4903aa7d255f3ec3a12b0-37.php#unique-entry-id-37</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/cb62edfd3ac4903aa7d255f3ec3a12b0-37.php#unique-entry-id-37</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Also, don&rsquo;t be affronted when your fellow diners have their plates whisked away when they are finished, even if you are still eating. 

...Whereas here a tip is usually 10% of the bill if you are particularly pleased with the service, in the USA the norm is 15% and it is customary. 


So, when the bill arrives you either add the tip to your credit card (or leave it on the table in cash as at home).   You then sign the bill and usually you are expected to go once you have left the signed credit card statement on the table.


...However, it is still quite acceptable (and wise practice if you don&rsquo;t want to be totally stuffed) to agree a dish with your fellow diner and ask your server to &ldquo;have that to share&rdquo;. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Transcontinental marathon</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2009-08-10T21:52:14+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/7f644775b5133c3b909b9b192f8927cd-36.php#unique-entry-id-36</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/7f644775b5133c3b909b9b192f8927cd-36.php#unique-entry-id-36</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I was sitting with a colleague in Pisa airport after a press launch waiting for our flight to the UK to be called. 

...It was as we navigated our way out of Pisa onto the autostrade that I began to realise the enormity of the journey we were about to undertake. 

...After an evening meal and clambering over the Austrian mountains we joined the German autobahns and made good progress to near Stuttgart close to midnight where we found rooms for the night. 


The next day we picked up the autobahns westwards marvelling at how, with our cruise control set to 120 mph on the de-restricted sections, there were still Porsches and BMWs whinging past as though we were almost stationery.


...As we stopped to pay our toll, we mused on what would happen if we had turned up there with some less common foreign currency. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Pompeii where time has stood still</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2009-08-10T20:37:11+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/60f37494297922c400de8cda982895a9-35.php#unique-entry-id-35</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/60f37494297922c400de8cda982895a9-35.php#unique-entry-id-35</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[It is hard to get your brain round the fact that the wall decoration that you are looking is almost 2,000 years old. 

...This is the town that was preserved under ash and pumice for almost 1,700-years after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. 

...The ash and pumice, because of their lack of air and moisture, have preserved Pompeii in quite remarkable condition over almost two millennia. 


Entering you gather in the forum area which is impressive enough until the guide explains to you that it was originally on two levels. 

...The streets are laid out much like a modern town and it has remarkably similar facilities, including the baths, shops, the theatre and, yes, the brothel. 
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The road to the isles</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2008-10-14T19:43:10+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/2cecf6a81033279878cfeecf082229d7-34.php#unique-entry-id-34</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/2cecf6a81033279878cfeecf082229d7-34.php#unique-entry-id-34</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Harris Tweed of course was recently brought to the fashion forefront again with the Nike trainers, or sneakers, that famously featured the cloth that can only be woven on Harris or Lewis. 


...But the ferries don&rsquo;t run, virtually all shops are shut and restaurants that are not part of hotels or guest houses are likely to be shut. 


...With most weather patterns for Britain coming in over the Atlantic, the weather changes quickly here and there are precious few trees to shelter from the ocean wind. 

...You can do Arnol as part of a loop, taking in Stornoway, the main town on Lewis, crossing to the west coast for Arnol and returning by Dun Carloway broch and the highly-impressive standing stones of Callanish. 


...We based ourselves at An t&rsquo;Ob (or Leverburgh as it was named by soap baron Lord Leverhulme when he sought to build his industrial miracle on the island in the early part of last century). ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Sydney impresses as a destination and a place to live</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2008-08-08T15:51:16+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/27f465ba30cbffa4624a7a48451d0f82-32.php#unique-entry-id-32</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/27f465ba30cbffa4624a7a48451d0f82-32.php#unique-entry-id-32</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[After all we only had a couple of weeks in Australia to explore a little bit of this huge country and, even before we got there, someone had stolen one of our days! 

...We had found out that the cost of flying to Australia and back from the UK was very little different from a round-the-world ticket. 

...Although it was November (and therefore summer in the southern hemisphere) it was quite cool and overcast as we took the air down by the quayside and walked out past the controversial "toaster" as the locals call the building to the east of Circular Quay. 


...At the end of our first day we settled down at Wolfies, where we enjoyed an amazing view across Circle Quay to the Opera House and to the left, the Sydney Harbour bridge.


...This will whisk you along above the pedestrian and traffic level, weaving in and out of narrow gaps between buildings as far as Darling Harbour.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Istanbul&#x2c; where west meets east</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2008-05-16T18:51:17+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/0206379042d3f27ba569db65ade51534-26.php#unique-entry-id-26</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/0206379042d3f27ba569db65ade51534-26.php#unique-entry-id-26</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[We selected the Best Western Acropol hotel which is very well located for the Blue Mosque, Aya Sofya, Topkapi Palace and within reasonable walking distance of the other attractions in the area. 


...The Best Western Acropol staff could not have been more helpful (someone told us before we left in Istanbul the question was not so much 'How can I help you?' 

...But, it is important to note that this hotel fronts onto a very popular street of outdoor bars and restaurants, so there will be sounds of merriment from outside into the small hours during the summer. 

...They will come up to you near the tourist attractions and start the conversation by offering a bit of advice: "The Aya Sofya is closed, it will be open in the morning", or similar. 

...As far as eateries are concerned we ate in the hotel on two occasions at street restaurants twice, but the most outstanding dining experience was Konuk Evi, in a garden tucked round the back of the Aya Sofya. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Blackpool? No Dublin&#x21;</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2008-03-28T13:17:06+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/695d4cbd2b03960e0c6a9f8907b42af1-24.php#unique-entry-id-24</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/695d4cbd2b03960e0c6a9f8907b42af1-24.php#unique-entry-id-24</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[It was also ideally located close to Trinity College and the Temple Bar area - an ideal location to enjoy Dublin on foot.


...It is fascinating to see and, when you stop to ponder the amount of work that went into transcribing every page in calligraphy and illustration, it becomes even more amazing. 

...It is easy to find, with its new Monument of Light - a giant steel pin that sprouts from the traffic island opposite the GPO and towers into the Dublin sky, at night it has a beacon on top. 

...Needless to say, one of the favourite tourist destinations is the Guinness Storehouse, where you will learn the story of Guinness and also be able to buy all things Gunness to remind you of your trip.   As part of your admission fee, you qualify for a pint in the Gravity Bar - a circular observation bar right atop the building where you can look out across the city. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Zermatt and the Matterhorn</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2008-02-25T12:31:49+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/268f4b1e3153beaf9df75cf34f0376c0-21.php#unique-entry-id-21</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/268f4b1e3153beaf9df75cf34f0376c0-21.php#unique-entry-id-21</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[As was then the practice, all seven were roped together and it was only by good fortune that the rope broke before all seven were dragged to their deaths. 


...The Gornergrat railway gets you up to 10,132 feet (3089 m) where - as long as the clouds are clear - you can enjoy the full vista of the mountains around the Matterhorn and further afield. 

...The Gornergrat railway is not included in the Swiss Pass (which gets you unrestricted travel on most Swiss railways, post buses and many boats) &ndash; however, if you present your pass you will get a substantial discount on the Gornergrat ticket.   Remember, also, as you board the train in the centre of Zermatt, near the main rail station, that the weather at 10,132 feet may be substantially different from the weather in Zermatt! 

...Our only quibble was that the free wi-fi internet which they promote is very slow (to the extent that some pages just would not load) and the wireless signal was too weak to climb the stairs to the top floor. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Interlaken gateway to the Jungfrau region</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2007-10-11T10:09:39+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/c6362c591ceee419c8d70ec9c6104778-20.php#unique-entry-id-20</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/c6362c591ceee419c8d70ec9c6104778-20.php#unique-entry-id-20</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[You also have to accept that, in peak seasons, it will get inevitably get crowded - but you just have to accept that in return for the amazing experience. 


...At 11, 333 feet, you also need to remember that the Jungfraujoch may be sub-zero temperatures, even when it is warm in Interlaken and also, the air is much thinner than at sea level. 

...We headed by train to Interlaken, took in the sights of Thun and also stumbled across the Fulehung celebrations (late Sept/early October) which commemorates the humiliation of the court jester of Charles the Bold in 1476, for taunting the troops. 

...From there we wound up a very pleasant day by using our Swiss Pass to take the boat back at a wonderfully leisurely pace to Interlaken, while quaffing an excellent Feldschlossen Swiss beer. 


...In the town itself there are a few street cafes, particularly around the Marktstrasse, where you can watch the world go by during the daytime, or have an evening meal. 
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Switzerland - mountains&#x2c; lakes and forests</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2008-02-20T09:08:34+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/41708092347efaafe35a170b57a971dc-17.php#unique-entry-id-17</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/41708092347efaafe35a170b57a971dc-17.php#unique-entry-id-17</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Apart from a few days in the exhibition hall in Geneva, Switzerland had not been a holiday destination since I was taken there in childhood with my parents. 

...I always feel that it is only polite to have at least the basics of "hello", "please" and "thank you" learned (phonetically if nothing else) in countries you are visiting. 

...On the few that aren't included it you normally get 50% discount, including many cable cars, chair lifts, mountain railways and various discounts on museums (some free to pass holders). 

...As with most destinations in Europe walking is something you will need to do if you want to get te best from your trip. 

...Remember, though that - while the temperature may be balmy in the resorts down in the valley - the cable cars will often deposit you above the snow line at the top. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Why is internet often a costly extra in Europe?</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>Opinion</category><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2007-09-02T13:15:50+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/27bf3ba9ffa547440c424294f3ab92ae-15.php#unique-entry-id-15</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/27bf3ba9ffa547440c424294f3ab92ae-15.php#unique-entry-id-15</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Especially for travellers it is so handy for making forward bookings, checking in for flights, booking cars, finding restaurants and getting opinions on things to do and places to see on the next day's itinerary.


...I know that makes it obvious for a premium price add-on and clearly hotel owners in the UK and Europe can't resist the temptation to charge you a ridiculous premium to hook up to their networks.


...When we drive along the freeways into any town we look for the "Free Internet" billboards and - all other things being equal - we will check out the hotels that offer free internet. 


In other words, American hotels seem to see the internet as a 'deal clincher' - something to entice people to their particular hotel - not something to rip off the customer for more money.


...So why no use it as a promotion to get people into your hotel, rather than the one down the road?
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Rocamadour - the village that clings to a cliff</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2007-08-18T12:13:20+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/e06383da76be0ecf6d596e9e825cc505-14.php#unique-entry-id-14</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/e06383da76be0ecf6d596e9e825cc505-14.php#unique-entry-id-14</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[But, as a kid I would pick up National Geographic and look with particular wonder at the cliff houses of Mesa Verde, or the buildings carved into rock at Petra.


That is why, on any trip to the the Dordogne, in France, the village of Rocamadour (about 100 miles north of Toulouse) was an absolute 'must see'.


...At the top of the village above the cliff is the chateau which was built in the Middle Ages to defend the sanctuaries, which cling to the cliff below.


...But those who climb from the quaint mediaeval street below are rewarded with the extraordinary sight of various chapels surrounding the terrace named Plateau de Saint Michel, all clinging to the side of a cliff.


...The other sanctuaries are the Basilique St Sauveur dating from the 11th to 13th centuries and the Chapelle St-Michel, tucked in below the shelter of the cliff. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Uluru has a special magic</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2007-08-06T16:52:17+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/b6dd31222b1c537a93b527d21d5aff19-12.php#unique-entry-id-12</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/b6dd31222b1c537a93b527d21d5aff19-12.php#unique-entry-id-12</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Before you go there you realise, of course, that Ayers Rock and Uluru (the aboriginal name for the rock itself) is in the middle of a vast continent. 

...One took us to the Olgas in the Kata Tjuta National Park where you have a chance to see the same sort of rock as Uluru itself with the red iron oxide giving it its rusty colour. 


...The coach takes you out into the outback where you listen to a didgeridoo quietly in the background while you enjoy a champagne reception as the sun goes down. 

...From there it is a short walk down to the "dining room", except there are no walls and no roof - just the vast expanse of the outback. 

...Ayers Rock Resort and Uluru may be a little out of the way to get to, but even the flight over the outback to get there is breathtaking. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Brussels has hidden charms</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2007-05-24T13:38:55+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/bfa18a1e4296690cb2affc03f14dfdf0-10.php#unique-entry-id-10</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/bfa18a1e4296690cb2affc03f14dfdf0-10.php#unique-entry-id-10</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[We flew into Brussels National airport and then took the excellent value train trip into Central Station which is very handily placed for the Grand Place and the city centre. 

...It is a great way to unwind to sit at outdoors at one of the bars nursing a beer just feasting your eyes, soaking in the atmosphere, any time of the day or night. 

...There are said to be more than 450 beers in Belgium and this museum will give you an insight into the different styles. 

...As usual you will have a chance to hop on and hop off the bus and we used this to good advantage to see the Atomium. 

...Just remember there are some long stairways inside those 35-metre tubes, so - although there is a lift in the centre, if you really want to get the most out of a visit you will want to be able to tackle these stairways and escalators.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The teaming plains of Masai Mara </title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2007-04-05T13:30:05+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/780534d477d16cd21a5aa5a055f376fc-7.php#unique-entry-id-7</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/780534d477d16cd21a5aa5a055f376fc-7.php#unique-entry-id-7</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[It is just a short hop with Air Kenya to get from Wilson Airport in Nairobi to the airstrip of one of the camps or hotels on the Masai Mara game reserve on the border of Kenya and Tanzania. 

...The camps are open to the animals so, after dark, you flash a torch at the door and a guard (or ascari in Swahili) will come an escort you to the bar, the dining area or your Land Rover. 


We had a very early realisation that you live with the wildlife when - drinking a bottle of Tusker in the open air bar at the Little Governor's Camp - a hippopotamus appeared out of the water hole just in front of us. 

...On the Mara, they get disturbed by seeing a human outside the vehicle, but when you are sat in an open-sided Land Rover, it seems to trouble them little - as long as you keep reasonably quiet and don't make sudden movements. 


...Just at the wrong moment a male lion awoke from his slumbers (male lions don't hunt they wait for their food to be brought to them... quite like some humans) and sauntered into the line of fire. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Nairobi Kenya&#x27;s bustling capital</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2007-07-27T13:28:58+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/4aa49797d6dea2a9ec4d6eeba945b84b-6.php#unique-entry-id-6</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/4aa49797d6dea2a9ec4d6eeba945b84b-6.php#unique-entry-id-6</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[And the classic, don't shout "stop thief" if you do get robbed, because the 'law of the street' means that person will be killed before they can be apprehended. 


...There are bound to be huge tensions in any society where there are two economies - the former colonial economy on one level and a huge gulf to the native Kenyan economy below. 

...When you arrive at a destination a white face is a magnet for the unofficial parking assistants who will eagerly guide you to a space - hoping, of course for a few shillings for their trouble.


I particularly remember one eager-faced smiling young man holding his hand aloft in a triumphant "I have a space for you", gesture, running along to the appointed place and gesturing to a place where there, quite simply, was no space for a car. 

...The toughness does not affect the flavour, it simply reflects the fact that meat here tends to be from older animals, the animals themselves have probably had to work harder and the meat tends not to be hung before it is butchered.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Venice where the taxis go by water</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2007-07-10T13:27:12+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/7423e3d182e661c396eb35913519f15d-5.php#unique-entry-id-5</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/7423e3d182e661c396eb35913519f15d-5.php#unique-entry-id-5</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The fact that San Marco is a relatively small island would mean that we could explore quite widely in two days and not feel that we had barely scratched the surface.


...Instead of walking outside to search for a taxi or the bus to the car hire lot, we simply walked through a door to a wooden pier to get the water taxi to the hotel. 


...Set up by a Venetian barman with money from an American customer who had reason to be particularly grateful for his assistance, it has since hosted crowned heads of Europe, top politicians, film stars and celebrities.


...In the end, although staring in disbelief at the size of the bill (it translated into more than &pound;100 for the Bellini, the wine and the food for two), we voted it a worthwhile investment for a great evening, a special atmosphere and outstanding food.


True to our plans the next two days were spent soaking up the atmosphere, watching the gondolas from the terrace, walking the narrow streets and alleyways of Venice and visiting the shops.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Spring break in Prague</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2007-05-26T13:25:10+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/a850dc41537a5e35bd715b23a3f539e8-3.php#unique-entry-id-3</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/a850dc41537a5e35bd715b23a3f539e8-3.php#unique-entry-id-3</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I didn't think too carefully about the time of year to visit and it was only as we saw the fields carpeted in snow as the plane came into land, that I realised March can still be quite cold in Central Europe!


...The star attraction here is the Astronomical Clock and we dutifully stopped to stare along with scores of others as the clock ticked to the hour and its parade of saints. 

...There is Kafka's house, and at the top of the square is the fantastic Church of our Lady before Tyn with its slightly sinister looking black spires. 


...That night for dinner we returned to the square and were reminded of the value for money when we enjoyed dinner at the Starometska Restaurant which came to less than &pound;15 complete with the wonderful Kozel dark beer. 


...There was a jazz band playing in the square and another one who seem to be a permanent fixture on Charles Bridge, along with the stalls selling artwork and other souvenirs. 
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>California here we come&#x21;</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2007-03-25T13:19:21+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/251b70758c1aa719f8913083ffa4e166-2.php#unique-entry-id-2</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/251b70758c1aa719f8913083ffa4e166-2.php#unique-entry-id-2</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[If you are an electronics fan, this is a good chance to stop at the huge Fry's Electrical outlet, but make sure there is plenty of space on your credit card.


...The hotels fill up with Californians coming over the border to Nevada at the weekends, but during the week there can be deals to get you to stay and get you to eat in the casinos - in the hope that you spend money on their tables or slots.


...If you have a three days slack on your journey, you should head from Las Vegas north to St George and then Hurricane to head down to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. 

...It's also worth going down to Devil's Golf Course, where the salt lake has been whipped up by the wind into shapes you would certainly not want to golf on, let alone walk on!


...There is a road out of the top end of Death Valley across to the 395 at Big Pine, but although it is marked as a road on many maps it is actually unsurfaced for much of its distance. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Route 66 - the ultimate road trip?</title><dc:creator>explorer@exploreblog.info</dc:creator><category>ExploreBlog</category><dc:date>2007-03-19T13:13:16+00:00</dc:date><link>http://www.exploreblog.info/files/d815e8c3f8eb8861d7b3a18afb375f3e-0.php#unique-entry-id-0</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.exploreblog.info/files/d815e8c3f8eb8861d7b3a18afb375f3e-0.php#unique-entry-id-0</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Someone had decided to close off two of three lanes on a Friday night when it seems that half of Los Angeles heads out on the Freeway for a weekend of fun on the slots and tables of the casinos in Las Vegas. 

...New signposts and road markings proclaim Historic Route 66 and there are a number of museums and attractions growing up along a route where the signs of businesses having closed down some decades earlier are all too clear.


...One of the first places we saw this new signposting was on a loop in is was in Arizona where we left the freeway behind and headed out round a long loop of crazed tarmac, past townships, diners and filing stations that had closed when the traffic diverted away from their doorsteps. 

...That's the kind of vision and opportunity that comes from a land that has space to allow one man and his planner to develop a city and design it so as to attract a whole population to live in a place where only a few trailer homes existed before. 


...After and overnight stop in Kingman Arizona we headed on to Gallup, stopping at Meteor City (who stole the city - it's just a filling station and a few buildings) with its huge meteor crater - the most recent and best preserved meteor strike. ]]></content:encoded></item></channel>
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