Hotel Travel

Web 2.0 Conference 2005 ! -- ! -- -- Home Conference Coverage Why Attend Register Speakers Schedule Sessions Workshops Events Sponsors Media Center Hotel/Travel See & Do 2004 Highlights Newsletter O'Reilly Conferences MediaLive Conferences Hotel and Travel Information Hotel Info | Travel Assistance | Rental Cars | Airline Tickets Hotel Information The 2005 Web 2.0 Conference will be held at the Argent Hotel. If you're looking for the right place in San Francisco to revel in the excitement of The City, The Argent Hotel is the perfect choice. Located in the heart of the City, The Argent stands 36 floors tall with 667 luxurious guestrooms, overlooking the beautiful San Francisco City skyline. Activities within walking distance include Yerba Buena Gardens, Union Square, SFMOMA, Sony Metreon, and San Franciscos finest in dining, shopping, and entertainment. Web 2.0 has negotiated a special, low hotel rate for overnight participants in San Francisco. To reserve a room at the Argent Hotel, please follow the instructions below. Hotel Reservations Due to an overwhelming response, the Web 2.0 conference room block at the Argent Hotel is completely sold out. We have secured additional hotel rooms for the Web 2.0 Conference at the hotels listed below. Please note: In order to get our special conference rate, you must say you are with the Web 2.0 Conference . Renaissance Parc 55 Hotel Union Square 55 Cyril Magnin St. San Francisco, CA 94102 Room Rate: $209.00 Single/Double To make a reservation by telephone, please call: 1-800-621-1187 or 1-800-228-9290 (24 hrs) To book, modify or cancel a reservation online parc55hotel.com . W San Francisco Yerba Buena 181 Third Street San Francisco, CA 94103 Room Rate: $309.00 Wonderful Rooms Single/Double $349.00 Spectacular Rooms Single/Double To make a reservation by telephone, please call 1-877-946-8357. To make a reservation online W Hotel . Hotel Address Argent Hotel 50 3rd Street San Francisco, CA 94103 Phone: (415) 974-6400 If you have any questions please email us at hotels@mlii.com or call Donna Ortiz @ 415-905-2397 Getting There Airport Shuttle Services From Oakland or San Francisco SuperShuttle Phone: 800-258-3826 Driving Directions From San Francisco Int'l Airport Take Highway 101 North and exit at 4th Street Exit onto Bryant. Continue one block and turn left onto 3rd Street. Continue for four and a half blocks. The hotel is located on the left side of Third Street. From Oakland Int'l Airport Take 880 North, cross the Bay Bridge and take the Fremont Street Exit on the right. Turn left onto Howard Street. Turn fight on Third Street. The hotel is located one and a half blocks on the left side of Third Street. From the Golden Gate Bridge (north) Cross the bridge and exit at Lombard Street. Turn right onto Van Ness, and then turn left onto Bush Street. Turn right on Montgomery Street. Continue across Market Street onto New Montgomery. Turn right on Mission Street. Turn right on Third Street. The hotel is located half a block on the left side of Third Street. Parking Overnight: $39.00 per day (subject to change without notice) Please Note: Parking fees are approximate and completely subject to change without notice. Travel Assistance The official conference travel planner offers one-stop shopping for your air travel and other travel needs in connection with your attendance at a conference. Vivian V. Russell Travel Services 182 Farmers Lane, Suite 102 Santa Rosa, CA 95405 Phone: (707) 525-0550 Fax: (707) 525-0560 Email: International Attendees Please visit www.unitedstatesvisas.gov for important information about international travel to the United States. Rental Cars Should you choose to make travel arrangements independently, you may contact Hertz directly to receive the special discount on rental cars at the Web 2.0 Conference 2005. To reserve a car with your special rate, call Hertz : 1 (800) 654-2240 in the U.S. 1 (800) 263-0600 in Canada (405) 749-4434 outside of these areas or call your nearest Hertz reservation center, your corporate travel department, or your travel agent. You must give the agent the Hertz CV #01XY0025 . Air Travel United Airlines is the official airline of the Web 2.0 Conference 2005. If you or your travel agent call United's toll-free number (1-800-521-4041) to book your reservations, you will receive a 5% discounnt off the lowest applicable discount fare, including First Class or a 10% discount off full fare unrestricted coach fares, purchased 7 days in advance. An additional 5% discount will apply when tickets are purchased at least 30 days in advance of your travel date. Discounts also apply on Shuttle by United and United Express. Call United's Specialized Meeting Reservations Center at 1-800-521-4041 to obtain the best fares and schedule information. Make sure you refer to Meeting ID #538GO. Dedicated reservation agents are on duty 7 days a week from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM EST. Mileaage Plus members receive full credit for all miles flown to this meeting. You must refer to Meeting ID #538GO in order to receive the conference attendee discount. Be certain to give either your travel planner or the United reservation agent (1-800-521-4041) this number. MediaLive and O'Reilly Media, Inc. assume no responsibility or liability for the facilities or services provided by the vendors and suppliers. Anyone attending this conference releases MediaLive and O'Reilly from any and all claims that may arise out of attending at this conference. -- ! -- Media Sponsors Web 2.0 Sponsor Opportunities --Reach business leaders and technology influencers at the Web 2.0 conference. Call Amber Rattu at 415-905-2647, email or click here for more info. Download the Web 2.0 Sponsor Prospectus .! -- For media-related inquiries, contact Ben Stricker: or Suzanne Axtell: Due to the overwhelming number of requests for press passes for the Web 2.0 Conference, press credentials for the conference are no longer available. Speaking opportunities are by invitation only. Speaker suggestions can be forwarded to Vee McMillen at For registration questions, contact us at

Japan Travel

Japan.com - Travel - Travel in Japan - Japan Travel Search : on the web in Japan.com Powered by Home News Business Travel Travel Cities Flying to Japan Hotel Japan Overview Airports Climate Weather - Tokyo - Osaka - Other Cities Leisure Technology Living in Japan Study Job in Japan Immigration you@japan.com Login Address Password © 2001 Japan Inc. Communications K.K. All Rights Reserved. webmasters click here SONY Cyber-shot Digital Camera T1 (JE) Newly designed optical 3x zoom. Large 2.5-inch LCD and 5.1-million-pixels CCD. Meet the new, fully flat Cyber-shot with high-performance functions in a compact body : Click here to see more... JAPAN.COM FRIENDS Sign up for FREE and meet ADVERTISEMENT Free Newsletters Email : J@pan Inc Newsletter Wireless Watch Gadget Watch Terrie's Take Music Media Watch More NEWSLETTERS English OK Key Areas: » Kichijoji » Shinjuku » Harajuku » Omotesando » Shibuya » Ebisu » Shinagawa » Roppongi » Azabu » Akasaka Overview Japan, like any country, isn't something you can describe in just a few sentences. Below we have presented just some basic facts about the country, just to get things started. Japan (Nippon or Nihon) The four major islands of Japan are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, covering a total area of 377,829 square kilometers (or 145,880 square miles). According to the National Census of 2000, the total population of Japan was 126.92 million, and there were ten prefectures with more than 3 million residents. The average size for households is approximately 2.7 persons, with the average life expectancy for males being 77.64 years, and 84.62 years for females. http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/index.html As of 2000, Japan's highly skilled workforce consisted of 64.46 million workers. The number of unemployed individuals, however, had exceeded 3 million per year for two consecutive years, and stood at 3.2 million. http://www.stat.go.jp/english/1.htm NATURAL FEATURES OF JAPAN The chief feature of the Japanese archipelago is its geological instability, resulting in frequent volcanic activity and earthquakes. Another distinctive characteristic of the topography is the fact that the Japanese archipelago is made up almost entirely of steep mountain districts with very few plains. Mountains and hills account for 73% of the land area, making Japan a very mountainous island country. MAJOR MOUNTAINS Mountains m Prefecture 1. *Fuji-san(Kenga-mine) 3776 Yamanashi Shizuoka 2. Kita-dake (Shirane-san) 3192 Yamanashi 3. Okuhotaka-dake 3190 Nagano Gifu An asterisk denotes a volcano. MAJOR LAKES A small number of large rivers, such as the Ishikarigawa, Shinanogawa, Tonegawa, Kisogawa, Yodogawa, and Chikugogawa, have large deltas at their mouths. A lake is defined as having an area of 10 kms2 or more and according to a 1999 survey, the lakes listed below are three of Japan's largest: lakes m Prefecture 1. Biwa-ko 670.3 Shiga 2. Kasumi-gaura 167.6 Ibaragi 3. Saroma-ko 151.9 Hokkaido FACTS IN BRIEF National Symbols Although Japan does not have an official national anthem, "Kimigayo" (His Majesty's Reign) is considered to be the 'de facto' anthem. Similarly, the "Hinomaru" ("the sun disk") has gained worldwide recognition as the 'national flag' of Japan, although it has never been officially designated as such. There is also no national flower of Japan, although many people believe it to be the cherry blossom for its overwhelming popularity or the chrysanthemum for its association with the Imperial Household. Japan has, however, officially recognized national entities such as the national butterfly (oomurasaki), national bird (pheasant), and the national sport (sumo). The national currency of Japan is yen (¥). Japanese language The Japanese language (known as nihongo in Japanese) has a complex writing system, comprised of Kanji and Kana. Kanji is derived from Chinese characters, with each character holding specific meaning, while Kana is a phonetic syllabry of characters, each character containing no inherent meaning in abstract. Hiragana and Katakana, two types of Kana, are used for locally derived Japanese words, and words initially 'imported' from other languages, respectively. It is not uncommon for students of the language to reach a level of fluency in spoken and written Japanese only after several years of dedicated study. World Heritage Sites in Japan In addition to Yakushima and Shirakami-Sanchi, which were both awarded World Natural Heritage status in December 1992, Japan also boasts nine World Cultural Heritage landmarks, including several well-known temples and shrines (see below). World Cultural Heritage Sites Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area (listed in Dec. 1993) Himeji-jo (Dec. 1993) Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities: Dec. 1994) Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama (Dec. 1995) Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome: Dec. 1996) Itsukushima Shinto Shrine (Dec. 1996) Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara (Dec. 1998) Shrines and Temples of Nikko (Dec. 1999) Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu (Dec. 2000) J@pan Inc Magazine Get all the news on the Business - Technology and People in Japan. Aims to tell the real story of Japan's move... http://www.japaninc.com

vacation package to Europe

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WorldVacations Package Specials View all specials Search by: Price Schedule Package Type: Air and Hotel Air and Car Departure City: Choose a City Aberdeen,SD Akron/Canton, OH Albany, NY Albuquerque,NM Alexandria, LA Allentown,PA Alpena, MI Amarillo,TX Anaheim/Orange County, CA Anchorage, AK Appleton,WI Arcata/Eureka, CA Aspen, CO Astoria,OR Atlanta,GA Austin, TX Baltimore, MD Bangor, ME Baton Rouge, LA Bellingham,WA Bemidji,MN Benton Harbor,MI Bethel, AK Billings,MT Binghamton,NY Birmingham,AL Bismarck,ND Bloomington,IL Boise,ID Boston, MA Bozeman,MT Brainerd,MN Buffalo,NY Burlington,VT Butte, MT Calgary, Canada Cedar Rapids,IA Champaign,IL Charleston,SC Charleston,WV Charlotte,NC Charlottesville,VA Charlottetown,PR ED IS Chattanooga,TN Chicago, IL (Midway) Chicago, IL (O'Hare) Cincinnati,OH Cleveland,OH College Station, TX Colorado Springs, CO Columbia, SC Columbus,GA Columbus,MS Columbus,OH Cordova, AK Corpus Christi, TX Dallas/Ft. 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ID Port Angeles,WA Portland, ME Portland, OR Presque Isle, ME Providence, RI Pullman, WA Quebec City, Canada Raleigh/Durham, NC Rapid City, SD/Black Hills Redding, CA Redmond, OR Regina,Canada Reno, NV Rhinelander, WI Richmond, VA Roanoke, VA Rochester, MN Rochester, NY Rockford, IL Sacramento,CA Saginaw, MI Salida, CO Salt Lake City, UT San Antonio, TX San Diego, CA San Francisco, CA San Jose, CA Santa Barbara, CA Sarasota, FL Saskatoon,Canada Sault Sainte Marie, MI Savannah, GA Seattle, WA Shreveport, LA Sioux City,IA Sioux Falls,SD Sitka, AK South Bend, IN Spokane,WA Springfield Springfield, MO St. Cloud, MN St. Louis, MO State College, PA Steamboat Springs, CO Sun Valley,ID Syracuse,NY Tallahassee Tampa, FL Thief River Falls, MN ThunderBay,Canada Toledo,OH Toronto, Canada Traverse City,MI Tri Cities Regional, TN Tucson, AZ Tulsa,OK Tupelo,MS Vail/Eagle County, CO Vancouver, Canada Victoria, Canada Walla Walla,WA Washington, DC (Dulles) Washington,D.C.(National) Waterloo,IA Watertown,SD Wausau, WI Wenatchee,WA West Palm Beach, FL White Plains,NY Wichita,KS Wilkes Barre,PA Winnipeg,Canada Wrangell, AK Yakima,WA Yakutat, AK Youngstown,OH Destination City: Choose a City Acapulco, MX Amsterdam Netherlands Anaheim/Orange County, CA Anchorage, AK Atlanta,GA Baltimore, MD Banff/Lake Louise, Canada Bangkok,Thailand Barcelona, Spain Beijing, China Berlin, Germany Boston, MA Brussels,Belgium Burbank,CA Cabo San Lucas, MX Calgary, Canada Cancun, MX Chiang Mai, Thailand Chicago, IL (Midway) Chicago, IL (O'Hare) Clearwater Beach, FL Cozumel, MX Denver, CO Detroit, MI Edmonton, Canada Florence,Italy Fort Lauderdale, FL Fort Myers, FL Fort Walton Beach, FL Frankfurt, Germany Grand Cayman, BWI Guilin Gulfport/Biloxi, MS Hamilton, Bermuda Hawaii - Hilo (Big Island) Hawaii - Honolulu (Oahu) Hawaii - Kahalui (Maui) Hawaii - Kona (Big Island) Hawaii - Lanai Hawaii - Lihue (Kauai) Hawaii - Molokai Hong Kong, China Ixtapa, MX Jasper, Canada Key Largo, FL Key West, FL Kyoto, Japan Las Vegas, NV Liberia, Costa Rica London, Gatwick Long Beach, CA Los Angeles, CA Madrid, Spain Manzanillo, Mx Marco Island, FL Mazatlan, MX Memphis, TN Merida, MX Mesa, AZ Mexico City, MX Miami, FL Milan, Italy Minneapolis/St.Paul, MN Montego Bay, Jamaica Montreal, Canada Munich, Germany Napa, CA Naples, FL Nashville,TN Nassau, Bahamas Negril, Jamaica New Orleans, LA New York,NY (JFK Airport) New York,NY (La Guardia) Newark, NJ Nice, France Ocho Rios, Jamaica Ontario, CA Orlando, FL Osaka, Japan Ottawa, Canada Palm Springs, CA Paris, France Pensacola, FL Philadelphia, PA Phoenix, AZ Phuket,Thailand Portland, OR Puerto Plata, Dom Republic Puerto Vallarta, MX Punta Cana,Dominican Republic Quebec City, Canada Rapid City, SD/Black Hills Reno, NV Rome,Italy San Diego, CA San Francisco, CA San Jose, CA San Jose, Costa Rica San Juan, Puerto Rico Santa Barbara, CA Sarasota, FL Scottsdale, AZ Seattle, WA Sedona, AZ Seville, Spain Shanghai,China(Pu Dong Arpt) Singapore, Singapore St. Petersburg, FL Tampa, FL Tokyo, Japan Toronto, Canada Tucson, AZ Tulum, MX Vancouver, Canada Venice, Italy Victoria, Canada Washington, DC (Dulles) Washington,D.C.(National) West Palm Beach, FL Whistler, Canada Departure Date: Return Date: # of Adults: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 # of Rooms: 1 2 3 4 Children's ages: Ages 0-2 Promo Code/MLT E-Cert: More package options: • Purchase a Gift Card • Book using your WorldPerks miles • Visit our Ski Vacation Packages web site View all WorldVacations destinations • Cash & Miles! 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South America Travel Forum

tags -- South America Travel Forum on the AardvarkTravel.net Travel Forum Welcome to the AardvarkTravel.net airport terminal. Relax in the departure lounge, stock up on duty free or chat with other passengers... -- By participating in these forums you can earn free advertising! Click here for details. FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in South America Travel Forum Moderators: aaron , paul , Trev , axxiom , Dan , Red Tape , sunshine82 , Eurapart , georgep , GregW Users browsing this forum: None Goto page 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 Next Forum Index - South America Travel Forum Mark all topics read Topics Replies Author Views Last Post Sticky: [ Poll ] And the nominations for the South America Expert 2005 are... 3 aaron 526 Thu Dec 15, 2005 8:29 am thowra Sticky: A word of warning about advertising... 1 aaron 4222 Fri Apr 25, 2003 5:59 pm aaron need a place to stay in Rio? 1 locaindc 28 Wed Dec 28, 2005 1:07 am Red Tape i want to teach english in argentina, chile 2 Pete_ 637 Mon Dec 26, 2005 6:25 am andando Spanish courses 8 bwlamas 2146 Mon Dec 26, 2005 6:05 am andando South america.. backpacking.. language.. [ Goto page: 1 , 2 ] 17 Ryit 3731 Mon Dec 26, 2005 5:59 am andando Argentina 9 rjackf 927 Mon Dec 26, 2005 5:53 am andando Studies and accommodation in BA needed 3 hihihi 771 Mon Dec 26, 2005 1:02 am andando The safest and most dangerous countries in South America 12 JohnBoy1984 1500 Sat Dec 24, 2005 2:03 am adult-vacations [ Poll ] CYCLING SOUTH AMERICA 3 stuntmanjeff 1042 Thu Dec 15, 2005 8:49 am thowra Brazil: Low Fares and Mini-Air Pass for the Northeast 0 lagoaemar 194 Sun Dec 11, 2005 5:24 pm lagoaemar Lnaguages spoken in Argentina 3 Sidesplitter 413 Sat Dec 03, 2005 12:29 pm Sidesplitter Street Art in Buenos Aires, Argentina 0 frassinetti 175 Fri Dec 02, 2005 1:47 pm frassinetti Brazil: New low-tariff flight companies 0 lagoaemar 269 Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:32 am lagoaemar CCUSA's Work Brazil Scheme 1 beeee 251 Fri Nov 18, 2005 11:25 am beeee Sao Paulo - Looking for budget accomodation in 27th Nov... 0 carley 209 Thu Nov 17, 2005 8:13 pm carley Flights from Rio to Salvador 1 southam 454 Wed Nov 09, 2005 9:40 am paul Saquarema - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil 1 PHForever 325 Wed Nov 09, 2005 9:28 am paul Train / trip from Buenos Aires to Rio de jeneiro??? 1 southam 381 Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:11 pm Sidesplitter amazon jungle trek 4 spiderman2099uk 673 Mon Nov 07, 2005 9:57 pm spiderman2099uk Machu Picchu voted No.1 wonder of the world 0 paul 444 Fri Nov 04, 2005 10:59 am paul Brazil: Flight Rio - Salvador for 225 Reais 0 lagoaemar 495 Tue Nov 01, 2005 1:08 am lagoaemar Welcome to Per 1 Conociendo Per 513 Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:06 pm Sidesplitter Traveling To Paraguay 0 cbj 432 Mon Oct 31, 2005 12:35 am cbj Sex tourism in Brazil 10 aaron 12774 Fri Oct 28, 2005 11:06 pm paul Brazil trip concerns 2 Nigel_UK 983 Sat Oct 22, 2005 12:57 am Larry Aiello brazil first timer 3 lewis377 1028 Thu Oct 13, 2005 11:41 am Sidesplitter Teaching in Cuenca, Ecuador 0 Alyssabeth123 460 Wed Oct 12, 2005 11:11 pm Alyssabeth123 Learn Spanish in Cuzco Peru. 1 aqmaster 592 Tue Oct 11, 2005 3:16 pm paul Two way radios in South America 1 Wayne 670 Sun Oct 09, 2005 4:29 pm Sidesplitter Getting Married at the iguazu falls 3 J-Ro 1012 Tue Oct 04, 2005 8:24 pm Sidesplitter volunteer bolivia 1 pratzki 650 Mon Oct 03, 2005 6:20 pm Red Tape A few questions about Peru 0 gardkarlsen 632 Wed Sep 28, 2005 8:12 pm gardkarlsen Travelling to Buenos Aires 1 shahzad 694 Wed Sep 28, 2005 8:18 am paul Flights to Buenos Aires....Budget a Go Go?? 4 massivebigtoe 1061 Tue Sep 27, 2005 2:01 pm paul Lone female traveller 9 niamh 2406 Sun Sep 25, 2005 11:17 pm whereshegoes South America October 2005 9 jamy25 1667 Fri Sep 23, 2005 11:38 am Sidesplitter Going to Quito, want to teach English, need help. 4 Pete_ 1246 Tue Sep 20, 2005 2:50 pm Sidesplitter Volunteering 1 buttmunch 696 Mon Sep 12, 2005 8:42 am paul Spanish Language Schools Santiago 0 Glen 449 Sat Sep 03, 2005 11:22 am Glen South America in Sept 5 Joshila 2389 Thu Aug 25, 2005 7:50 pm sandy Love motel for pets 0 paul 620 Mon Aug 22, 2005 10:13 am paul My family offer accommodation at home in Lima - Peru 0 peruexplorer 599 Mon Aug 22, 2005 3:25 am peruexplorer Special Offers - Alternative to Brazil Airpass 0 lagoaemar 936 Sun Aug 07, 2005 12:40 am lagoaemar Warning against VARIG flights 0 lagoaemar 952 Sat Aug 06, 2005 10:34 pm lagoaemar Weather in Chile in July? 2 chapter11studios 1059 Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:23 pm chapter11studios Hilton hotel in Buenos Aires 0 paul 736 Thu Aug 04, 2005 8:32 am paul Have you been to the 'Valley of the Moon' in Chile? 4 chapter11studios 1225 Sun Jul 31, 2005 10:50 am Ginirover Florianopolis / Floripa - Brazil 1 redsand 1759 Sat Jul 30, 2005 6:40 pm ElPerroGrande Anywhere good between Rio and BA? 2 gazthornton 1057 Sat Jul 30, 2005 6:26 pm ElPerroGrande Display topics from previous: All Topics 1 Day 7 Days 2 Weeks 1 Month 3 Months 6 Months 1 Year Forum Index - South America Travel Forum All times are GMT Goto page 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 Next Page 1 of 7 Jump to: Select a forum CHECK-IN DESK ---------------- Introductions Forum General Chat Forum Travel News Forum ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES ---------------- Africa Travel Forum Asia Travel Forum Caribbean Travel Forum Central America and Mexico Travel Forum Europe - Eastern Europe Travel Forum Europe - Western Europe Travel Forum - UK & Ireland Europe - Western Europe Travel Forum - France, Spain and the rest... 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South America Travel Tips

South America Travel Tips Book Online or call (800) 682-3333 Europe Asia Americas Caribbean Mediterranean Pacific Cruises Home Hotels Find a Vacation Specials Contact Us Italy & Sicily Spain & Portugal Britain & Ireland France Belgium & Holland Central Europe Scandinavia Greece River Cruises China & Japan Southeast Asia Thailand India South America Brazil Peru Costa Rica Bahamas Caribbean & Mexico Bahamas Cancun Riviera Maya Punta Cana Jamaica Greece & Turkey Israel Egypt Morocco Australia & New Zealand Tahiti China & Japan Southeast Asia Sea Cruises River Cruises South America Travel Tips Climate / Clothing Language Code of Conduct Currency Holidays Travel Insurance Departure Tax Luggage Local Emergency/Phone Health Precautions Passports and Visas Driving Electricity Shopping Tipping Airport Tax - Chile Climate /Clothing Brazil: The weather in Brazil is temperate to hot year round. Bring casual, lightweight clothing that can be layered. Sunscreen and a hat are advisable. Bring insect repellent if you plan on a visit to the rainforest. Brazil Average Temperatures: www.gate1travel.com/south-america-travel/weather/Brazil-weather.htm . Peru: Peru's climate can be divided into 2 seasons - wet and dry. The coast and the slopes of the Western Andes are dry with summer falling between December and April. In the Andean highlands, the dry season is from May to September, while the wet season takes up the remainder of the year. Bring casual, lightweight clothes that can be layered and a jacket if you are going up into the mountains. Bring sunscreen and a hat to protect against the strong sun along the coast and in the rainforest. Insect repellent is necessary as well. Peru Average Temperatures: www.gate1travel.com/south-america-travel/weather/Peru-weather.htm . Argentina: The climate of Argentina is mostly temperate; arid in the southeast and sub-Antarctic in the southwest. Bring lightweight clothes you can layer, a sweater and an all-weather coat. Dress is more formal in the city of Buenos Aires and a jacket a tie or cocktail dress may be required at some of the finer restaurants. Casual dress is more appropriate in the countryside. Argentina Average Temperatures: www.gate1travel.com/south-america-travel/weather/Argentina-weather.htm . Chile: Climate varies from subtropical and sunny in the extreme north; dry and arid in the Atacama north desert; mild, pleasant and Mediterranean in the fertile central valley; cool, temperate and rainy in the southern region; and covered with ice and snow in the Antarctic region. Chile Average Temperatures: www.gate1travel.com/south-america-travel/weather/Chile-weather.htm . Ecuador: The climate and geography of Ecuador vary widely. The highlands are cool and dry. Bring lightweight clothes, a jacket and comfortable shoes. Along the coast it's warm and sunny all year round. Sunscreen and a hat are important accessories to have on hand. The Amazon rain forest is tropical and humid. Light, layered clothing and plenty of insect repellent are advisable. Ecuador Average Temperatures: www.gate1travel.com/south-america-travel/weather/Ecuador-weather.htm . Language Brazil: The official language of Brazil is Portuguese. Some English is spoken in the major cities. Peru: Spanish is the official language of Peru. In most tourist center, English is spoken. Argentina: Spanish is the official language of Argentina. English is spoken at hotels and restaurants in Buenos Aires. Chile: Spanish is the official language in Chile, although English is often spoken in hotels, restaurants and shops. Ecuador: Ecuador has two official languages - Spanish and Quechua. English is spoken in the major tourist centers. Passports and Visas Brazil: Passport and visa required. Peru: Passport required. Visa not required for tourist stay of up to 90 days, extendible after arrival. Argentina: Passport required. Visa not required for business/tourist stay of up to 90 days. Chile: Passport required. Visa not required for stay of up to 90 days. Entry fee of $100 (U.S.) charged at airport. Ecuador: (including the Galapagos Islands) - Passport required. Visa not required for a stay of up to 90 days. Columbia: All U.S. citizens must have a valid passport and proof of return ticket to enter Columbia. No visa is required. Uruguay: All U.S. citizens must have a valid passport to enter Uruguay. No visa is required for stays up to 90 days. See http://www.gate1travel.com/visas.htm for more information. Currency Brazil: The currency of Brazil is the Real. U.S. currency can be exchanged at banks, exchanges and hotels. Peru: The official currency is the Peruvian Sol. Most tourist areas accept and exchange U.S. Dollars. Exchange your currency at your hotel or a bank. Argentina: The currency of Argentina is the Pesa. It is not always easy to change money in the interior of the country. Major credit cards are accepted in most hotels, restaurants and shops. Chile: The unit of currency is the Chilean peso (CHP$). U.S. dollars and travelers checks are easily changed in banks and exchange bureaus. Major credit cards are widely accepted in shops and hotels. Ecuador: Official currencies are the U.S. Dollar and the Sucre. Tipping Brazil: Most services get tipped a mandatory 10%, often included in the bill. If a waiter is friendly and helpful, you may like to give more. Because of Brazil's high unemployment rate, services that may seem superfluous are customarily tipped. Parking assistants are the most notable as they receive no wages, but petrol-station attendants, shoe shiners and barbers are also frequently tipped. Taxi drivers are an exception: most people round the price up, but a tip is not expected. Peru: A combination of taxes and service charges are added to bills in the best hotels and restaurants and can total as much as 28%. The cheaper hotels and restaurants don't add taxes. Tipping is not expected in budget restaurants. A tip of 10-15% is fine in upmarket restaurants if a service charge has not already been added to the bill. Taxi drivers are not tipped - bargain hard beforehand and stick to your price. Local guides should be tipped US$3-5 per day. Argentina: Tipping around 10% is customary in restaurants. Chile: In restaurants, it is customary to tip about 10% of the bill. In general, waiters and waitresses are poorly paid, so if you can afford to eat out, you can afford to tip. Taxi drivers do not require tips, although you may round off the fare for convenience. Ecuador: Tipping is expected by tour guides, porters and other tourist industry workers, though not by taxi drivers. Quality restaurants add 10% tax and a 10% service charge to their bills; cheaper restaurants usually don't. If you want to tip your server, give the money to them directly - don't just leave it on the table. Please refer to our main brochure under www.gate1travel.com/tipping.htm for additional tipping suggestions. Electricity Brazil: Brazil's voltage is 110, however some hotels operate on 220. Peru, Argentina & Chile: The voltage used is 220. Ecuador: Ecuador's voltage is 110. *Note: The U.S. uses 120 volts and you can purchase a converter and transformer at most hardware stores for your 120V appliances. Shopping Brazil: Shops are open from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and until 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Brazil has a rich array of native crafts from Afro-Brazilian textiles to Bahian pottery and delicate lace tablecloths. Peru: Duty-free shops and artisan's shops offer tourists the opportunity to purchase Peruvian handicrafts such as pottery, carvings, and weavings. Argentina: Business hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Banking hours are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The shops open at 9 a.m. and generally close at 7 p.m. Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Good buys include leather goods, jewelry and furs. Chile: Good shopping can be found in the streets of Providencia and Santiago. There are also a few big shopping malls. Handicrafts in Chile are the best bargains. Local jewelry made of lapis lazuli, found only in Chile and Afghanistan, makes a beautiful souvenir. Ecuador: Duty-free shops and artisan's shops offer visitors the opportunity to buy Ecuadorian handcrafts such as ponchos, tapestries, ceramics, jewelry. Health Precautions Brazil: No vaccinations are required to enter Brazil. However, it may be advisable to get inoculated against yellow fever, malaria and typhoid. Be sure to consult your doctor before your trip, especially if you are planning to go up the Amazon River. Drink only bottled water and do not eat raw fruits and vegetables. Peru: A yellow fever vaccination is recommended if you are going into the Amazon rain forest. Travelers with heart conditions or high blood pressure should check with their doctor about high-altitude travel if you will be visiting the mountainous regions. Avoid the tap water and raw fruits and vegetables. Bottled water is widely available Argentina: No inoculations are necessary when arriving in Argentina from the U.S. Chile: Tap water is fairly safe to drink, but it is advisable to drink bottled water. Consult with your doctor if you are planning to visit the higher altitudes. English speaking doctors are easy to find in all major cities. Ecuador: No inoculations are required for entry. Travelers with heart conditions or high blood pressure who plan to visit the highlands should check with their doctor about high-altitude travel. Bottled water is advisable and is available everywhere. *To prevent "Montezuma's Revenge," avoid the tap water, including raw fruits and vegetables washed in tap water. Your stomach may still become upset due to the change in diet. Bring anti-diarrhea medicine just in case. *For the latest overseas travel health information, call the Center for Disease Control's traveler's hotline at 404-332-4559. Or visit their web site at www.cdc.gov Conservation/Code of Conduct Brazil: Handshaking is customary on meeting and taking ones leave, and normal European courtesies are observed. Frequent offers of coffee and tea are customary. Flowers are acceptable as a gift on arrival or following a visit for a meal. A souvenir from the visitors home country will be well received as a gift of appreciation. Casual wear is normal, particularly during hot weather. In nightclubs smart-casual (eg blazer, no tie) is acceptable. For more formal occasions the mode of dress will be indicated on invitations. Smoking is acceptable unless notified otherwise. The Catholic Church is highly respected in the community, something which should be kept in mind by the visitor. Peru: Shaking hands is the customary form of greeting. Visitors should follow normal social courtesies and the atmosphere is generally informal. A small gift from a company or home country is sufficient. Dress is usually informal, although for some business meetings and social occasions men wear a jacket and tie. Life is conducted at a leisurely pace. Argentina: The most common form of greeting between friends is kissing cheeks. When invited to somebodys house it is quite common to take a homemade dish or dessert. Dinner is usually served between 7pm - 10pm. Avoid casual discussion of the Falklands/Malvinas war. Dress is not usually formal, though clothes should be conservative away from the beach. Formal wear is worn for official functions and dinners, particularly in exclusive restaurants. Smoking is prohibited on public transport, in cinemas and theatres. Chile: Handshaking is the customary form of greeting. Most Chileans use a double surname and only the first part should be used in addressing them. Normal courtesies should be observed when visiting local people. It is very common to entertain at home and it is acceptable for invitees to give small presents as a token of thanks. Informal, conservative clothes are acceptable in most places but women should not wear shorts outside resort areas. Ecuador: Casual wear is widely acceptable, but businesspeople are expected to dress smartly. It is important to be punctual when arriving for meetings. Smart clothes are often required when visiting hotel dining rooms and better restaurants. Beachwear should only be worn on the beach and revealing clothes should not be worn in towns. Smoking is widely accepted. A tip may be requested if you wish to take someones photograph and it is better to seek permission first. Luggage *Gate 1 tour packages allow one piece of luggage per person, plus carry-on bag. Additional baggage will be subject to handling charges of up to $100 per piece. As Gate 1 will not be responsible for loss or damage to luggage and personal belongings, you MUST report any loss or damage immediately at the time of the incident and obtain a written report from the local authority for submission to your insurance provider. If you luggage is lost or damaged by the airlines, a baggage claim form MUST be filed with the carrier before leaving the airport. See www.gate1travel.com/destinations/luggage.htm for Important Baggage Information for U.S. Travelers. Departure Tax There is no Departure tax levied in Brazil. Please see www.gate1travel.com/Destinations/departure_tax.htm for more information. Travel Insurance We strongly recommend the purchase of travel insurance as additional security in the case of cancellation or interruption of travel plans, lost or damaged luggage, travel delays, illness, or accident. Keep all boarding passes, ticket copies and receipts for expenses paid during your trip if it later becomes necessary to file a claim. Local Emergency Phone # Brazil: general emergency: 911 Peru: general emergency: 011 or 5114 Argentina: ambulance/medical: 101 fire: 107 police: 101 Chile: ambulance/medical: 131 fire: 132 police: 133 Ecuador: ambulance/medical: 131 Holidays Brazil : Public Holidays Jan 1 New Years Day Jan 20 *Founding of Rio de Janeiro Jan 25 *Founding of So Paulo Feb 19-23 Carnival Mar 25 Good Friday Apr 21 Tiradentes May 1 St of Brazil May 26 Corpus Christi Sep 7 Independence Day Oct 12 Our Lady Aparecida, Patron St of Brazil. Nov 2 All Souls Day Nov 15 Republic Day Dec 24 Christmas Eve (half day) Dec 25 Christmas Day Dec 31 New Years Eve (half day) *Note: Regional observances only. Argentina : Public Holidays Jan 1 New Years Day Mar 24 Maundy Thursday Mar 25 Good Friday Apr 4 Malvinas Day May 1 Labor Day May 25 National Day (Anniversary of the 1810 Revolution) June 20 National Flag Day Jul 9 Independence Day Aug 17 Death of General Jos de San Martn Oct 12 Day of the Americas (Columbus Day). Dec 8 Immaculate Conception Dec 25 Christmas Day Dec 31 New Years Eve Dec 25 Christmas Day Dec 31 New Years Eve (half day) Peru : Public Holidays Jan 1 New Years Day Mar 24 Maundy Thursday (half day) Mar 25 Good Friday May 1 Labor Day Jun 29 St Peters and St Pauls Day Jul 28-29 Independence Day Celebrations Aug 30 St Rosa of Lima Day Oct 8 Angamos Battle Nov 1 All Saints Day Dec 8 Immaculate Conception Dec 24 Christmas Eve (half day) Dec 25 Christmas Day Chile : Public Holidays Jan 1 New Years Day Mar 25 Good Friday Mar 26 Holy Saturday May 1 Labor Day May 21 Navy Day May 23 *Corpus Christi Jun 29 St Peter and St Paul Aug 15 Assumption Sep 5 Reconciliation Day Sep 18 Independence Day Sep 19 Army Day Oct 12 Dia de la Raza (Columbus Day) Nov 1 All Saints Day Dec 8 Immaculate Conception Dec 25 Christmas Day *Note: Corpus Christi dates for 2004 and 2005 are actually Jun 10 and May 26 respectively, however, the holiday is observed on the Monday closest to these dates. Ecuador : Public Holidays Jan 1 New Years Day Feb 7-8 *Carnival Mar 24 Maundy Thursday Mar 25 Good Friday May 1 Labor Day May 24 Battle of Pichincha May 26 Corpus Christi Jul 24 Simon Bolivar Day Aug 10 Independence Day Oct 9 *Foundation of Guayaquil Nov 2 All Souls Day Nov 3 *Foundation of Cuenca Dec 6 *Foundation of Quito Dec 25 Christmas Day Dec 31 New Years Eve *Note: These holidays are not official public holidays, but are widely observed. Other holidays, in addition to the above, may be marked locally. Driving Brazil: Brazil has 1,940,400km (1,202,800 miles) of roads. Traffic drives on the right. Peru: The Central Highway connects Lima with La Oroya and Huancayo. From La Oroya there is a road connecting Cerro de Pasco, Hunuco, Tingo Mara and Pucallpa on the Ucayali River. Landslides are frequent in the rainy season (December to March), making for slow travel. The Touring y Automvil Club del Per and the Instituto Geogrfico Nacional sell maps. Travel guides like Gua Toyota and Gua Inca del Per include good road maps. Traffic drives on the right. Argentina: Major privatization programmes have resulted in many trunk roads being upgraded, and roads are generally in good condition. Expect tolls on motorways. Rural roads, composed of packed dirt, become impassable after rain. Nonetheless, buses are considered to be a more reliable form of long-distance transport than trains. Traffic drives on the right. Car hire: There are a number of agencies in Buenos Aires (including Avis , Dollar and Hertz ). Drivers must be at least 21 years of age (sometimes up to 25 years of age). International Driving Permit is required and this must be stamped at the offices of the Automvil Club Argentino (website: www.aca.org.ar ). These documents must be carried at all times whilst driving: proof of ownership, proof of insurance and receipt for last tax payment. Chile: Chile has about 80,000km (49,460 miles) of good roads. The Pan American Highway crosses the country from north to south (a total of 3455km or 2147 miles) from the Peruvian border to Puerto Montt. It is advisable in remoter areas to carry spare petrol and an additional spare tyre. Tires should be hard-wearing. Traffic drives on the right. Ecuador: Traffic drives on the right. An extensive network of roads spreads out from the main northsouth axis of the Pan-American Highway. The Government and PetroEcuador are developing highways into the Oriente. In general, road improvements are being put into effect rapidly but, due to the effect of earthquakes and flooding (in the south) during the last 10 years, conditions remain variable; potholes and cracks in the road are sometimes sizable.The roads between Quito and Guayaquil and between Quito, Latacunga, Ambato and Riobamba are completely paved. A road connects Quito, Otavalo, Ibarra and Tulcn, the frontier with Colombia. Airport Tax - Chile There is an entry fee of $45 per passenger that must be paid before proceeding through Immigration. Return to the South America brochure More TravelInformation Email This Page to a Friend © 2005 Gate 1 Travel Home | About Us | Travel Agent | Free Brochure | Help | Site Map | (800) 682-3333 Read our privacy policy . Contact Us . This site can be best viewed using Internet Explorer 4.0, or higher. The browser software can be downloaded, free of charge, from the Microsoft website at http://www.microsoft.com . All external sites will open in a new browser. Gate1travel.com does not endorse external sites.