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Last Minute New Year Breaks Holidays & Flights, Cheap Flights, Hotels, Accomodation, UK Travel Websites, Worldwide Travel Guides www Last Minute flights.com, Last Minute New Year Breaks . last minute easter breaks. www last minute holidays.com and flights from the UK, from London airports, travel portals, online, travel insurance,online travel insurance,network rail,holidays, flights, indexes, gateways, holiday guides, www OnlineTravel.co.uk. official tourist offices, official travel advice for tourists, ferries, trains, timetables,hotels, www OnlineTravel.com,travel websites, flights and holidays,holiday booking,travel advice, travel guides,public transport,buses, british train companies, eurostar,Travel guides, lastminute, cheap flights, reservations, european, timetables,lesuire,currencies, long-haul, global,europe,asia, official.official tourist, timetables,www cheap holidays.co.uk currency converter, currencies,busses,united kingdom,uk,package holidays,britis airlines www Expedia.co.uk www Online Travel.com, easter holidays. www .Hoseasons Holidays.co.uk Cottages & lodges; boating holidays. www cheap holidays.com UK Travel Websites and Links including last minute flights, airlines, cheap flights, holidays, trains,buses and public transport holidyas. www cheap flights.com www Online Travel.com, Last Minite Flights & Holidays Holidays. www Last Minute flights.co.uk, www last minute holidays.com hotels and cheap acommodation. Traveline.org.uk www traveline.org.uk UK public transport planner. Train Timetables. Last Minute Holidays. Cheap Flight Search, Currency Converter.Foreign Office Travel Advice.NHS Travel Health Advice. www fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/. Network Rail.com; www networkrail.com: New company responsible for Britain's railway infrastructure. Travel guides. UK Government travel advice. www Online Travel.co.uk www doh.gov.uk/traveladvice/ Health Risks Around the World... and how to avoid them - from the department of health.British Airports Authority - live flight arrivals information. www cheap flights.co.uk airport car parking booking. www baa.co.uk/MASTA.org. www masta.org/ Immunisation advice and information about risks of deep vein thrombosis on long haul flights.UK Passports Agency. www ukpa.gov.uk.www British Embassy.gov.uk Index of British embassies abroad. . BBC.co.uk/weather/world weather/. www bbc.co.uk/weather/worldweather/ UK Travel Portals.Index of British Airlines: brtish airways, british midland, Britannia Direct /Thomson Flights - low cost flights easjet Airline, www QJump.co.uk - Train Tickets Online. Budget Airline Destinations Official Tourist Offices www BAA.co.uk - British Airport Authority for www Gatwick Airport.com / www Heathrow Airport.com /www Stansted Airport.com; www Aberdeen Airport.com, www Edinburgh Airport.com, www Glasgow Airport.com , www Southampton Airport.com Non-BAA Airports: www Luton Airport.com England North Durham Tees Valley www durham tees valley airport.com www Liverpool Airport.com www Manchester Airport.co.uk / www Newcastle Airport.com Leeds Bradford.co.uk www Expedia.co.uk www Cresta Holidays.co.uk. www Kelkoo.com Price comparisons for holidays and flights www Luton Airprt.com www Last Minute.com www eurstar.com www Linguaphone.co.uk language courses www ThomasCook.co.uk www Cab Numbers.co.uk Find your nearest minicab or taxi number. Last Minute Flight Search, Last Minute Holiday Search, UK. Also public transport and buses, british train companies and eurostar www lastminute.com, www expedia.co.uk, www Thomas Cook.co.uk www opodo.co.uk, www euro star.com. www ebookers.com, Travel company links, travel guides, flights and holidays. Hotels, lasminute holidays,cheap flights. timetables and currencies incuding websites of official tourist offices.www Travel-Insurance-Online.com. AUC.org.uk. www auc.org.uk/ Air Transport Users Council - the consumer watchdog for the airline industry.First Choice.co.uk: www firstchoice.co.uk.Index of : brtish airways, british midland, easjet Airline, ATOC.org, www atoc.org. Association of Tain Operating Companies. www LastMinute.com www europcar.co.uk, www avis.co.uk. www record rentacar.com leading rental company in Spain www car bookers.com www National Express.com, Britain's only scheduled coach network, around 1200 destinations throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Also Britain's largest operator of scheduled coaches to airports, and the UK's largest operator of scheduled services to Europe. www P&O Ferries.com; Car Ferries from Dover to Calais. P & O Ferries. www ThomasCook.com ; www Cox And Kings.co.uk specialising in India, Far East, Latin America, Africa and Middle East Thomson Holidays www thomson.co.uk Package holidays, charter flights, skiing & cruises Cheep Flights. hotels / cheap accomodation. Also public transport and buses, britis train companies and eurostar. www thomsons.co.uk SmartLanding.com Travel company links, travel guides, flights and holidays. www Thomas Cook.co.uk Hotels, lasminute holidays, last minute deals. Cheap flights. timetables and currencies incuding websites of official tourist offices Holidays, lesuire,Flights,train timetables currency converter world times. Last Minit Holidays & Flights.World Snow Reports BBC.co.uk World Ski Weather: www bbc.co.uk/weather/sports/skiing/ www Dragoman.co.uk Overland trip across Africa, Latin America and Asia.Late Escapes. Iglu Ski Snow Reports www igluski.com/snow reports.cfm. Snow-Forecast.com www snow-forecast.com/resorts national holidays.Priceline.co.uk ,Virtual Tourist.com: www virtualtourist.com. Higways Agency Real Time Traffic & Motorway Information: www highways.gov.uk/news/m25_rt/index.htm; www last minute.com www TV Travel Shop.com www Apartments Abroad.co.uk Offering accommodation with late deals at over 16,000 properties worldwide, all bookable on line www PO Ferries.com wwwRail Europe.com rail passes; European rail experts; Euro passes, European country passes, Eurostar tickets; rail vacations.Travel Intelligence.net/... Places to see before you die Home Exchange. Home-exchange-holidays.co.uk; www home-exchange-holidays.co.uk. Home exhange & house swapping holidays; Home Exchange.com www homeexchange.com. International home exchange and home swap service www priceline.co.uk: Name your price for flights, hotels and car hire. www travlang.com/languages/. www nationalrail.co.uk\plan my journey; uk train timetables / uk journey planner www bbc.co.uk/watchdog/reports/holidays; BBC Watchdog Holiday reports Boots n All.com: www bootsnall.com/. Resource for the indpendent traveller Travlang.com/languages Basic phrases for travellers in over 100 different languages. Tourism Concern.org.uk,www tourismconcern.org.uk, UK organistion campaigning for ethical tourism. Expedia.co.uk Scheduled flight booking eBookers.com a2b Travel.com Dial A Flight.com. www Q Jump.co.uk - Train Tickets Online. ThomasCook.co.uk TheFirstResort.com LastMinute.com PriceLine.co.uk Name your price Where2Break.com City Breaks Bargain Holidays.com Travelocity.co.uk Airline tickets, holiday car hire, holiday car rental, hotel accommodation,destination guides FlightLine.co.uk Travel Bag.co.uk Holidays in Long-haul destinations. Netflights.com Flights, hotels and holidays from airline network TravelFromHere Comprehensive UK travel directory TravelStore.com WebWeekends.com Weekend breaks Teletext holidays Utravel.co.uk World Travel Direct.com Flight, accomodation, and rental car booking online Online Travel Co. UK TrailFinders STA-Travel for students young people Thomson-Holidays.com CheapFlights.co.uk Travel-Travel.co.uk EscapeRoutes.com TelMe.com SkyDeals.co.uk Travel.World.co.uk.Canadia. Opodo.co.uk, Opodo worldwide Travel guides. www opodo.co.uk: Flight booking service setup by major airlines, including British Airways, Aer Lingus, Air France, American Airlines, Lufthansa, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, Finnair, Iberia and KLM.Star-Alliance.com. www star-alliance.com. British Midland, United Airlines, SAS, Lufthansa,Singapore,Thai etc.One World Alliance.com. www oneworldalliance.com. B.A., American Airlines, Air, Lingus,Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Iberia etc. CIA World Factbook, LateLink.com Boating holdiays VJV.co.uk Classic, upmarket and luxury holidays from Voyages Jules Verne BA Holidays.co.uk Ferry Savers.com a2bEurope.com infomration.Travel Sphere.co.uk www travelsphere.co.uk Department of Health - advice on DVT - deep vein thrmbosis - on flights www Great Rail.com Book great railway Sea Travel Books at Amazon.co.uk Cruise Travel Books Freigher Cruises ww.Freighter-Cruises.com Freighter Travel Club. Travltips.com Cruise & Freighter Travel Association. Cyber Cruises.com Cruise Lines, Ferry Operators, Freighter Cruises, River Cruises On Airport Car Hire.com Route Planners: Maporama: www maporama.com/ Expedia The AA: www theaa.com/travel watch/planner_main.jsp RAC: rac.co.uk/route planner. Escorted holidays worldwide holidays; also holidays for single travellers Ferries + Eurostar Eurotunnel eDreams Thomson-Ski.com LuxuryTravel.com Eurosites.co.uk Camping in Europe. www Cruising Holidays.co.uk. Sea crusies, coastal cruises and river cruises worldwide, including the Rhine, Danube, Nile, Mississippi and Mekong & Yangtze. www cruise direct.com Guaranteed best prices on carnival, celebrity, crystal, Disney, holland america, norwegian, princess, royal caribbean, windstar cruise lines www cottages 4 you.co.uk Cottages4you is the leading UK provider of self-catered holidays throughout the UK, France and Ireland. Cottages 4 you offers over 9,000 self catered cottages for rental throughout England, Scotland, Wales, France and Ireland. Columbus Travel Insurance: leader of direct travel insurance since 1988. www columbus insurance.com. .www uk camp sites.co.uk/ www uk camp sites.co.uk www yha.org.ukYouth Hostel Association of England & Wales www syha.org.uk/ SYHA Scottish Youth Hostels Association MatchDays.com. Lunpolly.com .Sporting events Abtanet.com ABTA - Assocation of British Travel Agents Travel Auction Sites QXL.com eBay FiredUp.com Airlines Airports British Midland Virgin Atlantic Britis Airways, Go Airline,From Stansted Virgin Express Ryanair airline, Flights from Stansted,Gatwick. Offical Tourist offices. BuzzAway.com Buzz airline (Stansted) easyJet.com Flights from Luton British-European More Airlines Stansted Express and Gatwick Express.European bus routes, fares and schedules.Tourist-Offices.org.uk www tourist-offices.org.uk Association of National Tourist Offices in the United Kingdom Heathrow Express and Thameslink (Luton & Gatwick) BAA.co.uk. Flight information for arrivals at UK airports Luton Airport London City Airport and World Airport Guide.com Airwise.com.Airport-Parking-centre.co.uk; /www airport-parking-centre.co.uk Department of Health - Health advice for travellers /www dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAdviceToTravellers/fs/en www Bradmans.com Business travel guides. 1st Airport Parking.co.uk Gatwick Airport Parking, Heathrow Airport Parking, Manchester Airport Parking,Stansted Airport Parking. airports www Adventures-Abroad.com www Solos Holidays.co.uk holidays for singles www Regent-Holidays.co.uk. Independent operator travelling to unusual destinations worldwide Africa Travel.co.uk Travel Renaissance.co.uk Worldwide river cruises Page & Moy.co.uk Western Oriental.com Tailor-made luxury holidays worldwide Fly Park.co.uk; www flypark.co.uk Secure parking facilities at UK airports Blue Dog Parking.co.uk; www bluedogparking.co.uk Parking space at 36 carparks at 17 airports in the UK including Gatwick Airport, Heathrow Airport, Stansted Airport, Luton Airport and Manchester Airport. Secure airport parking at 16 UK airports including Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester. . Airport and air travel guide a2b Airports.com UK and Ireland Airport Guide Netscape.co.uk travel airports Interrnational airport guides. Caravan.co.uk www railtrack.co.uk National Rail.co.uk www nationalrail.co.uk Timetables, fares, tickets, promotions The Caravan Club, for touring caravanners, motor caravanners and trailer tenters,Buses Public Transport GoByCoach Coach travel to UK & Europe pti.org.uk UK public transport information London Transport Hotels Late Rooms.com Leisure Hunt B & B Net Accomodation.com UK Hotels Old English Inns SmoothHound.co.uk UK hotels and guest houses & torism accommodation throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, some offering discounts Wordwide Holiday-Rentals.net International Bed & Breakfast Pages All-Hotels.com and The Hotel Directory.co.uk. Hotel Discounts.co m AA Hotel Guide Reservations HolidayLeaders.com Worldwide villa rentals, self catering holiday. accommodation, cottages and apartments, holiday rentals UK Hotel & Guest House Directory Hotel World.com World Executive.com Hotel AnyWhere.co.uk GreatInns.co.uk B & B's in Europe (mixture of German & English) Hotel Connect.co.uk Reservation service offering quality, vetted hotels in European cities and coastal resorts EuropeApartments.com Apartments for rent in London, Paris and other European csities Leading Hotels of the World UK Federation of Tour Operators Villa Deals.co.uk Maclaine.co.uk Villas for rent Hotels Central.com Posthouse Holiday Inn Moat House. Copthorne Millennium Hilton Jarvis Le Meridien Intercontinental Travel Inn Marriott Bass Hotels Guides Lonely Planet Rough Guides Fodors @UK.com UK Travel & Tourist Guide Time Out Event listings for cities worldwide Locals In The Know.com Guides to places of the world by the people who live there World Travel Guide.net WhatsOnWhen.com Worldwide events wCities.com Guides for major cities in the UK and worldwide Expedia World Guide Visit Europe.com The Foreign Office travel Advice for British people travelling overseas.www FlyBE.com British Europaen Europe's largest independent regional airline carrier www Singapore Airlines.com www Med Hotels.com On-line booking to over 1000 hotels in Greece, Spain, Canaries, Cyprus, Portugal, Malta, Turkey, Egypt and the Caribbean The Holiday Place.co.uk affordable luxury holidays to the world’s most exotic destinations www accommodation oline.com/ offering a booking service specialising in centrally located hotels in the main European cities and beyond. Corus and Regal Hotels www corushotels.co.uk/ Over 80 hotels in the UK, from Scotland to the West Country, Corus and Regal hotels: one of Britains largest hotel groups. www corus hotels.co.uk.www Hotels Abroad.co.uk Specialising in overnight and short stay accommodation in Western Europe. www air france.com/uk. www klm.com/travel_en/splash.jsp www air france.com/uk. TheTrip.com Advice for business travellers MedicinePlanet.com Travel health advice Frommers.com Arthur Frommer's budget travel online Good Guide To Britain My Travel Guide.com Information-Britain.co.uk information about the UK, publications, ancestry research Exes Travel search engine Tips4Trips.com Offbeat travel advice The Universal Packing Guide. Travel.World.co.uk Index of holiday companies; Britain, Europe & worldwide, including special interest. Brookes.ac.uk worldwise Practical information given for individual countries @UK UK travel and tourist guide by county Railtrack www railtrack.co.uk Responsible for Britain's railway infrastructure SRA.gov.uk www sra.gov.uk Disabled Travel Amazon.co.uk - disabled travel guides www .Disabled Holiday Directory.co.uk Hotel Discounts.net Discounted hotel rooms worldwide. DPTAC.gov.uk Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee - independent advising Government on the transport needs of all disabled people across the UK Access-Travel.co.uk Holidays for disabled people AbleToGo.com Directory of accommodation for people with mobility difficulties. www BBC.co.uk/disabled traveller General advice to researching, planning and booking trips; includes a section on specialist travel operators www Travel.Guardian.co.uk Travel with disabilities EveryBody.co.uk Directory of world airlines, UK hotels and other hospitality related services which are all disability-friendly. OTE-Info.com Organisation for Timeshare in Europe, providing representation for reputable companies in the timeshare sector Holiday Care.org.uk Travel information service for older and disabled people Radar.org.uk Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation - National UK organisation run by and for disabled people Good Access Guide.co.uk Directory of holidays and travel destinations for disabled people, their families and friends. ATOC.org www atoc.org/ Association of Train Operating Companies.Eurostar www eurostar.co.uk/ Eurostar timetables and booking.Trans-Siberia.com www trans-siberia.com All you need to know about the Trans-Siberian Railway and the countries it passes through.Routes International.com/rail.htm routesinternational.com/rail.htm Comprehensive directory of woldwide railway companies and related sites. SCNF.com French Railways, www sncf.com Bahn.de German Railways, www bahn.de RENFE.es Spanish Railways, www renfe.es Amtrak.com American railways, www amtrak.com ViaRail.ca Via Rail Canada. www viarail.ca Indian Rail.gov.in Indian Railways, www indianrail.gov.in Stragegic Rail Authority- responsible for co-ordinating the regulation and development of Britain's railways City-Holidays.com City guides France Way.com French culture, history, facts and travel Germany-Info.org German news, culture, busines, facts and figures In Italy.com Travellers guide to Italy Shamrock.org. Holiday guide to Ireland Portugal-web.com Information resource for Portugal Go-United States.com Guide to United States official sites by region The Worlds Best Bars.com Walking Connection.com Information, products and services for people who love to walk, hike and travel Surf-sun.com World beach guide. Official Tourist Offices Australia Germany Malta South Africa Austria Greece Mexico Sweden Belgium Holland Northern Ireland Switzerland Britain Hungary Norway Thailand Canada Iceland Gdasnk Poland Turkey Cyprus Ireland Portugal UK Czech-Tourism.com Czech Embassy.org.uk Italy Scotland USA Egypt India Singapore Wales Denmark Israel Spain England Malaysia France Association of National Tourist Offices in the UK More tourist offices London More London Links. Paris New York New York Travel Advisory Bureau Amsterdam Barcelona-on-line.es eng Prague Tourist.com www brittany-ferries.co.uk. www superfast.com: SuperFast.com Super fast Ferries -Rosyth (near Edinburgh) to Zeebrugge (Belgium).Brittany Ferries - to Brittany and Northern Spain from Portsmouth, Poole & Plymouth DFDS Seaways.co.uk: www dfdsseaways.co.uk Newcastle to Norway (Kristiansand) and Holland, Harwich to Hamburg, Germany and Esbjerg, Denmark. www stenaline.co.uk. Stena Line Harwich-Holland + Irish Sea crossings from Scotland & Wales www seafrance.co.uk. Sea France Dover-Calais www hoverspeed.co.uk. HoverSpeed Cross-channel From Dover & Newhaven. Norfolk Line.com,www norfolkline.com: Dover- Dunkerque, Scheveningen - Felixstowe, Rotterdam - Drogheda, Rotterdam - Waterford. www calmac.co.uk. Caledonian MacBrayne Hebrides; Western Isles www orkneyferries.co.uk. Orkney Ferries. www fjordline.co.uk: Fjord Line ferries to Norway; Newcastle - Stavanger/Haugesund - Bergen. www northlinkferries.co.uk. North Link Ferries to Orkney & Shetlands www wightlink.co.uk. Wight Link.co.uk to Isle of Wight www cunardline.com. Cunard Line.com QE2 Cruises, with Concorde. www pocruises.com. P & O Cruises www orientlines.com. Orient Lines. www fredolsencruises.co.uk. Fred Olsen Cruises.co.uk www princesscruises.com. Princess Cruises.com Trains TheTrainline.com Provides information on train times and tickets on mainland UK routes Railtrack UK train timetables Bahn.Hafas.de European railway timetables from German railways (it's in English!) Eurostar Eurostar timetables and booking Rail.co.uk Websites of UK railway companies Euro Railways.com.Celebrity Cruises. www celebritycruises.com. Waterways.org.uk,www waterways.org.uk: Inland Waterways Association - founded in 1946 to fight to save Britain's waterways. Costa Cruises. www costa.it. Cunard Line.com. www cunardline.com. .www fredolsencruises.co.uk. Fred Olsen Cruises.co.uk Hebridean Island Cruises. www hebridean.co.uk. Orient Lines. www orientlines.com. Norwegian Cruise Line P & O Cruises. www pocruises.com. Princess Cruises.com. www princesscruises.com. Radisson Seven Seas. www rssc.com. Royal Caribbean Cruises. www royalcaribbean.com. Silversea. www silversea.com. Star Clippers. www starclippers.com. Swan Hellenic Cruises. www swan-hellenic.co.uk. Windstar Cruises. www windstarcruises.com. Guide to rail travel in Europe; guides to single and multi country passes CGU American Express Columbus Direct Trailfinders Screentrade Bishopsgate Preferential Rapid Insure World Wide Insure.com Visa Holiday Money Currency Convertr go-walkabout.co.uk Travel insurance for backpacking holidays Europe & North America Multimap.com UK maps Map Quest.com Worldwide maps Atlapedia.com Online world atlas Street Map.com Maps of cities and countries worldwide pavel.physics. Maps. Maps of railways and subways worldwide TerraServer.com Satellite photographs Street Map.co.uk Streetmaps of UK towns Expedia Maps Historical Maps Ordnance Survey.gov.uk Map Blast.com Interactive maps, driving directions Travel Insurance & Money Maps. Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil , Britain , Bulgaria, Canada, China , Croatia , Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,India,Indonesia (incl. Bali),Israel, Jamaica, Japan. Kenya,Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco,Northern Ireland, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland. Singapore, Slovak Republic, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland,Thailand,Turkey, United Kingdom, USA, Vietnam, Wales. Argentina, Australia, - New South Wales, - Northern Territory, - Queensland,- South Australia - Tasmania, - Victoria. Austria, - Vienna, - Salzburg, Belgium, - Brussels, Brazil, Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, - Dubrovnik, Cuba, Best Western.co.uk www bestwestern.co.uk Hilton.com uk www hilton.com uk Great Inns of England www greatinns.co.uk Holiday Inn Express UK www hiexpress.co.uk Holiday-Inn.co.uk www holiday-inn.co.uk Jarvis.co.uk www jarvis.co.uk www ramada jarvis.co.uk Le Meridien-hotels.com www lemeridien-hotels.com Marriott.com uk go.marriott.com uk Millenium Copthorne www mill-cop.com Moat House Hotels.co.uk www moathousehotels.co.uk Novotel.com www novotel.com PostHouse-Hotels.co.uk www posthouse-hotels.co.uk Stakis.co.uk www stakis.co.uk Thistle Hotels.com www thistlehotels.com Travel Inn.co.uk www travelinn.co.uk Travelodge.co.uk www travelodge.co.uk Official Tourist Information Offices worldwide,centres,centers.Cyprus, Czech Republic, - Prague, Denmark, - Copenhagen, Egypt, England, Estonia, Finland, - Helsinki, France, - Paris, Greenland, Germany, - Berlin, - Hamburg, - Munich, Greece , - Athens, Holland , - Amsterdam.Hong Kong, Hungary, - Budapest , Iceland, Ireland, - Dublin, Italy, - Rome, India, Indonesia (incl. Bali), Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia , Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Northern Ireland. Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, - Krakow, - Gdansk, - Warsaw, Portugal, Romania, Russia, - Moscow, Scotland, - Edinburgh, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa , Spain, - Barcelona, Sri Lanka.Sweden, - Stockholm, Switzerland, - Geneva, Thailand, Turkey , United Kingdom, - London, - (see also London Links), USA, - Boston, - Hawaii, - Los Angeles, - New Orleans, - New York, - San Fancisco, - Washington DC, Vietnam, Wales. Camping-and-Leisure.co.uk UK Camping & Caravanning Directories,Camp-Sites.co.uk Argentinian Australian Austrian Barbados Belgian Brazilian British Bulgarian Canadian Chinese Croatian Cuban Cypriot, czech Republic. - Prague Danish Dubain Egyptian English Estonian Finish French German Greek Dutch. Hong Kong. Hungarian Icelandic Irish Italian Indian Indonesian Israeli Jamaican Japanese Jordanian Kenyan Korean Latvian Lebanese. Lithuanian Malaysian Maltese Mexican Moroccan, New Zealand, Northern Irish. Norwegian Pakistani Palestinian Peruvian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Scottish Singaporian, Slovak Republic, Slovenian South African Spanish, Sri Lankan. Swedish Swiss Syrian Thai Turkish, United Kingdom English, Scotish, Welsh, Northern Ireland and London Links USA state American - Boston - Hawaii - Los Angeles - New Orleans - New York - New York 2 - San Fancisco - Washington DC - Seattle Vietnamese Welsh. UK Car Hire and car rental companies Avis.co.uk www avis.co.uk Expedia www expedia.co.uk National Car.com www nationalcar.com Dollar.co.uk www dollar.co.uk Hertz.co.uk www hertz.co.uk Practical.co.uk www practical.co.uk EasyRentacar.com www easyrentacar.com HolidayAutos.co.uk www holidayautos.co.uk Thrifty.co.uk www thrifty.co.uk Europcar.co.uk www europcar.co.uk Kenning.co.uk www kenning.co.uk

Central America Travel Guide.

VirtualTourist.com - Caribbean and Central America Travel Guide - Pictures, Tips and Reviews Caribbean and Central America Travel Guide. Tips, Reviews & Photos plus Hotels, Restaurants, Activities & More in Caribbean and Central America member log in | join for free! | help Home Travel Guides Hotels Flights Deals NEW! Members Meetings & Events Do It Yourself Guides Forums CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL AMERICA Travel Guide Home » Travel Guides » Caribbean and Central America Destinations Members Keywords Caribbean and Central America Hotel Rates City: Check-In Date: Check-Out Date: Guests: 1 2 3 4 Hotels by OneTime.com Caribbean and Central America Flight Rates From: To: Departure Date: Anytime Morning Afternoon Evening Midnight 01:00 AM 02:00 AM 03:00 AM 04:00 AM 05:00 AM 06:00 AM 07:00 AM 08:00 AM 09:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM Noon 01:00 PM 02:00 PM 03:00 PM 04:00 PM 05:00 PM 06:00 PM 07:00 PM 08:00 PM 09:00 PM 10:00 PM 11:00 PM Return Date: Anytime Morning Afternoon Evening Midnight 01:00 AM 02:00 AM 03:00 AM 04:00 AM 05:00 AM 06:00 AM 07:00 AM 08:00 AM 09:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM Noon 01:00 PM 02:00 PM 03:00 PM 04:00 PM 05:00 PM 06:00 PM 07:00 PM 08:00 PM 09:00 PM 10:00 PM 11:00 PM Passengers: 1 2 3 4 Flights by OneTime.com Caribbean and Central America Forum Join a Discussion Starfish Trelawny, Jamaica (2 replies, 6:09 PM Dec. 27, 2005) Cruise stops (2 replies, 3:43 PM Dec. 19, 2005) cheap flight? (3 replies, 10:38 AM Dec. 17, 2005) Be the first to reply to these questions last minute airfare to caribbean (no replies yet) Loterie Farms Treetop tour - St. Maarten (no replies yet) Stranding a van full of tourists (no replies yet) » All Caribbean and Central America Discussions » Post a Caribbean and Central America Discussion Travel Resources Car Rental Cruises Vacations Luggage NEW! Caribbean and Central America Deals 7 Night Caribbean Cruise (0 comments, 8:22 PM Dec. 20, 2005) Winter Sale to the Caribbean (0 comments, 7:30 PM Nov. 30, 2005) AWESOME flights to Central America (0 comments, 9:27 PM Nov. 16, 2005) » All Caribbean and Central America Deals » Post a Caribbean and Central America Deal FREE VT Deals Newsletter great deals, inside tips & no spam Popular Caribbean and Central America Hotels In: Havana San Juan Nassau Antigua Guatemala Caye Caulker San Jos Popular Destinations in Caribbean and Central America Havana San Juan Nassau Antigua Guatemala Caye Caulker San Jos Santo Domingo Punta Caa Varadero Trinidad Curaao Grand Cayman Santiago de Cuba Parque Nacional Tikal Bonaire Granada Baracoa Monteverde Panam City Santa Luca Countries in Caribbean and Central America Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Aruba Barbados Belize British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Clipperton Island Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada Guadeloupe Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Martinique Montserrat Navassa Island Netherlands Antilles Nicaragua Panama Puerto Rico Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines The Bahamas Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands U. S. Virgin Islands Top Pages About Caribbean and Central America 1. Caribbean Cruise: A True Form Of Luxury by deecat 15 Tips 26 Pictures 2. Cruising Through The Carribbean! by ATXtraveler 10 Tips 11 Pictures 3. Welcome To The Caribbean Mon! by tpangelinan 11 Tips 13 Pictures 4. Deb In Belize by Debala 8 Tips 2 Pictures 5. Corozal... by pollon 9 Tips 16 Pictures » View all rated pages (26) » View newest pages » Build your own Caribbean and Central America page Tips and Photos about Caribbean and Central America in General Overview General Tips Tips: 68 - Pictures: 29 Restaurants Tips: 32 - Pictures: 11 Hotels and Accommodations Tips: 29 - Pictures: 12 Things To Do Tips: 50 - Pictures: 38 Nightlife Tips: 18 - Pictures: 8 Off the Beaten Path Tips: 20 - Pictures: 13 Tourist Traps Tips: 11 - Pictures: 6 Warnings or Dangers Tips: 13 - Pictures: 4 Transportation Tips: 27 - Pictures: 14 Local Customs Tips: 15 - Pictures: 9 Packing Lists Tips: 19 - Pictures: 7 Shopping Tips: 2 - Pictures: 2 Sports Travel Tips: 1 - Pictures: 1 » See tips about a specific place in Caribbean and Central America Find: Destinations Members Keywords Matching: Advanced About VT | Contact Us | Site Tour | Advertising | Local Merchant Login | Travel Tools | VT Chat | VT Gear | Help User Agreement | Privacy Statement Virtual Tourist® ©1994-2005 VirtualTourist.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

South America Travel

South America for Visitors  You are here: About > Travel > South America for Visitors Travel Go South America Essentials Plan Your First Trip to South America Photo Gallery Travel Features - Countries and Culture News and Current Events Reader Participation Requested Articles & Resources Most Popular Destinations Countries and Territories Plan Your Trip Getting There Culture Events, Fiestas, Holidays Languages Geography News & Current Events History Archaeology Sports and Recreation Wildlife / Conservation Guides and Gear Cuisine Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Guide and Travel Books History and Culture Books Cookbooks Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the South America for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses   Search South America for Visitors From Bonnie Hamre , Your Guide to South America for Visitors . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! New Year's Eve in Rio de Janeiro - Festa de Iemanj In Rio de Janeiro, on December 31, throngs of people flock to the beaches to celebrate. Some of those people are there to celebrate the New Year, some are there to celebrate the Festa de Iemanj, the Goddess of the Sea and Mother of the Waters in the Umbanda religion of Brazil. Plan your trip with these resources about Rio . Photo of Copacabana beach and Rio de Janeiro by Night thanks to ClipArt.com. Tuesday December 27, 2005 | permalink Photo of the Week Once part of the infamous penal colony, and now a resort area, le du Diable, Devil's Island is one of the three les du Salut off the coast of French Guiana. Do you have a photo that you'd like to see featured as our photo of the week? If you do, send it to me via the Submit a Photo Form . Photo thanks to ClipArt.com. Sunday December 25, 2005 | permalink La Fiesta Grande Annually on December 24-26 thousands gather to worship the patron saint of local gold and copper mines, La Virgen del Rosario (The Virgin of the Rosary), in Andacollo, a small town in central Chile. The celebrations commemorate the many miracles attributed to her and the Nio Dios de Sotaqu, Christ Child of Sotaqui. Feliz Navidad to all! Friday December 23, 2005 | permalink Antarctic Wildlife Photo Gallery Summer in the Southern Hemisphere is the time for Antarctic cruising. One of the usual stops is at Deception Island , where passengers can go ashore for a dip in a narrow strip of shallow water heated by an active volcano and a look at penguins, seals and birds. Photo of a chinstrap penguin displayed with the kind permission of Peter and Jackie Main. Thursday December 22, 2005 | permalink Cuzco, Peru Cuzco, Capital of the Inca Empire, has both historical and cultural significance. As the hub of tourism for Machu Picchu, Ollytantambo, Sacsayhuaman, Pisac and the Sacred Valley of the Urubamba River, Cusco offers archaeological sites, colonial charm and up to date facilities for the visitor. Photo of the night illuminations of the Coricancha , meaning the Golden Courtyard in Quecha, used for ceremonial purposes, thanks to ClipArt.com. Enjoy the expanded Machu Picchu Photo Gallery . Wednesday December 21, 2005 | permalink 2005 Earthquake Count For those travelers who like to keep informed about earthquake activity in South America, you'll now find the weekly count update in the Geography section under Earthquakes, Temblors and Natural Events . Wednesday December 21, 2005 | permalink Two Great Destinations for 2006 Frommers announced their The Top 10 Up and Coming Destinations For 2006 and two of their recommendations are in South America: " Belm, Brazil: Nestled on the banks of the world's longest river and largest rainforest, Belm, Brazil is tropical paradise with an eclectic combination of both modern sophistication and frontier. Belem's collection of excellent restaurants utilizes local ingredients such as tropical fruits and Amazon fish to create a cuisine that is unlike anywhere in Brazil. Belem provides new surprises for the eager explorer. It is also a great gateway to the Amazon." Explore Belm, Gateway to the Amazon . Isla de Margarita, Venezuela : "Known for its reputation as a island getaway, Margarita, Venezuela offers the same amenities as its Caribbean neighbors: all-inclusive resorts, excellent white sand beaches, watersports, natural parks, a golf course, but all at a fraction of the price. Vacationers are benefiting from the economy's steep decline, and often visitors can even find inexpensive scuba diving adventures. Check out Isla de Margarita, Pearl of the Caribbean and choose from one of these Resorts, Hotels and Inns . Tuesday December 20, 2005 | permalink Photo of the Week From Maldonado and Piripolis, past Punta del Este and Rocha to the Brazilian border, miles of sandy beaches sand dunes and great scenery attact beach goers to the Uruguayan Riviera. Do you have a photo that you'd like to see featured as our photo of the week? If you do, send it to me via the Submit a Photo Form . Photo thanks to ClipArt.com. Sunday December 18, 2005 | permalink Walk The Inca Trail Depending on your starting point, the Inca Trail is 27 to 35 miles long passing through high-mountain puno , cloud forest, and mountain passes with elevations of nearly 14,000 feet and an orchid-rich jungle before it brings you to to Machu Picchu, the fabled Lost City of the Incas. Photo of Intipunku , the Gateway of the Sun, the entrance to Machu Picchu from the Inca Trail, thanks to ArtToday.com. Sunday December 18, 2005 | permalink 2005 Reader's Choice - People Readers of South America for Visitor's pages about people, past or present, were most interested in these historical personages, media celebrities, missing persons, and larger than life gauchos. Note: This list is derived from the number of times a reader visited these pages. Friday December 16, 2005 | permalink Display Latest Headlines | | | Read Archives powered by Movable Type Advertisement Most Popular All Stars 9 Empanada Iguazu Falls Pictures of Chile South America Photo Gallery What's Hot Cola de Mono - Monkey's Tail Cuzco Pisco Sour Chilean Style Falkland Islands Photos Virtual Tour Related Topics Caribbean for Visitors Mexico / Central America for Visitors Spanish Language Adventure Travel Budget Travel        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About New Video iPod - Review POLL: Must-Have Gadgets VIDEO: Portable Gaming VIDEO: Choosing a TV Hugh Hefner's Life What's Hot Cola de Mono - Monkey's Tail Cuzco Pisco Sour Chilean Style Falkland Islands Photos Virtual Tour Headlines New Year's Eve in Rio de Janeiro - Festa de Iemanj In Rio de Janeiro, on December 31, throngs of... Photo of the Week Once part of the infamous penal colony, and now... La Fiesta Grande Annually on December 24-26 thousands gather to worship the... Antarctic Wildlife Photo Gallery Summer in the Southern Hemisphere is the time for...

vacation from the life

quiet american one-minute vacation S urely you can spare a minute to clean your ears? Take a one-minute vacation from the life you are living. One-minute vacations are unedited recordings of somewhere, somewhen. Sixty seconds of something else. Sixty seconds to be someone else. A new one-minute vacation will be added each week on Monday if I can manage it. T he first year's worth of vacations are archived here , the second here , the third here . You can also purchase compilations of the first two years' worth of vacations on CD; all profits go to charity. You can read more about the project here . Y our participation is encouraged. If you have a recording that you would like to share, here are instructions on how to submit it. If it's your birthday, this is your present. podcast , write me if you have comments. ' Let's go away for awhile, you and I, to a strange and distant land, where they speak no word of truth...' (Weezer) december 19, 2005 950 KB A second week of song: of today's vacation contributor Bradley Iverson-Long writes, 'This was recorded during the Celebration of the Angels concert in Aristotelous Square in Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece. The group on stage in a children's choir; you can hear a lot of the crowd as sadly I wasn't that close to the stage. Most people were there to see Sakis Rouvas, a pop singer, but I think the combination of the crowd mulling and the high voices singing "Little Drummer Boy" in Greek encapsulates the Christmas spirit.' december 12, 2005 1.4 MB 'Driving through the highlands of Michoacan in central Mexico, I heard the soft sound of a band in a distant field, and I asked my driver to help me find the source. A few minutes and a steep ride down a dirt road later, we joined a procession of two hundred people going to a wealthy bus drivers house for St. Jude's festival. When we arrived the friendly owner invited us with a big smile into the courtyard, where local women (at least the ones who were not cooking!) gathered on one side of the house singing a prayer, while men and the village band assembled on the other side. My recording documents the call-and-response between the singers and band that went on for over an hour. For me the charm of this music is in the off-key way the makeshift band started its performance — and that as the day went they jelled, so that by the prayer session's end, they sounded well-practiced. Recorded with an Edirol R1 and a cheap set of binaural microphones from Microphone Madness.' So writes today's contributor, Siamack Sioshansi . december 5, 2005 1.6 MB For today's vacation we thank contributor Kirke Godfrey , who writes, 'Sitting at a local cafe on the Rue Montiguile in the 2eme arrondissement of Paris on October 5, 2005. It's my first morning after the flight in from Sydney. The street is paved and partially blocked to traffic, so its really nice to sit there and simply watch the world (and gorgeous women) walk by. I don' speak enough French to understand the conversation at the table next to me; I hope it wasn't too personal! Recorded on a Sony TVR30 DV camera.' november 28, 2005 1.4 MB Winter is here, and with it: 'Sled-dog sounds from the 2005 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, an annual race from Duluth, Minnesota, to near the Canadian border and back. It's cold and crisp under clear blue skies at a beautiful pine-shrouded checkpoint where many sled dogs and mushers are catching a few hours' rest. One by one, the teams gather their strength for yet another leg in this grueling 390-mile marathon. The dogs are specifically bred and trained for this, so getting ready to run fires them up even when they're tired. I'm positioned about fifty yards down the trail from the place where the teams leave this remote checkpoint. The dogs bark excitedly until the moment they start down the trail... Recorded early in 2005 on a Sony TCD-D7 DAT recorder with a pair of Shure WL-183 microphones in an experimental head-like array.' The words of today's contributor, accomplished field recordist Curt Olson . november 21, 2005 1.2 MB For today's vacation we thank contributor Travis Nobles , who writes, 'This was recorded September 17th at the 2005 Ocean Air Show in Virginia Beach, Virginia, right before the Blue Angels [military aircraft] demonstration. You can hear the crowd's reactions to the show so far and the "wooshing" of the Blue Angels' engines as they taxi to the runway; part way through the MC's voice comes over the PA system. My recording equipment was the internal mic on my iRiver compact flash MP3 player, all I had in the moment.' [As we Americans gather for Thanksgiving this Thursday, I feel myself stirred anew by those immortal words from Team America : "America! F--k yeah!" -Ed.] november 14, 2005 1.4 MB Today's contributor, the enviably multitalented Rick Moody , tells us, 'This recording is of the jetty on the harbor near my little country house (where I write). I made it for a friend's "Exquisite Corpse" game last summer. The location is Silver Eel Pond, Fishers Island, NY; the voices are the African-American guys who come over to the island by ferry boat to fish on weekends.' [My birthday is this week, so this is my present! -Ed.] november 7, 2005 1.4 MB 'It was January 2005, during the Russian Orthodox Christmas, which we celebrate on the 6th and 7th every year. We have a place in Moscow called Kolomenskoe, it's a little nature reserve plus museum of architecture in the open air. That day there was a bell-ringer there dressed in old clothes: he looked like a monk really. Three rows of many different size bells he played on; it was a great sight and I think the sounds are amazing. I think they are worth your listening.' I think so too. For today's lovely vacation we thank contributor Elena M , who recorded this with her Samsung X600 phone. Elena adds that the sounds at the end are fireworks. october 31, 2005 715 KB Today's vacation comes to us from Laura Vitale , who writes, 'When I recorded this I was in Nanegal, a tiny village in the cloud forests northwest of Quito, Ecuador. There was a party in town that night and while walking home I could hear the band playing with the birds and the night bugs. Everything in the air felt festive... Recorded with an AKG cardiod mic and a Marantz PMD660 compact flash recorder.' october 24, 2005 950 KB 'Three in the morning in Bloomington, Indiana. The rain is pouring down onto my roof as I lay still in my bed. I can't ask for better sleeping conditions! Wait, I really want to record this before turning in for the night... but by the time I get out of bed, gather my equipment, and stumble onto the porch, the rain had ceased and all I have left to record is the fallen water running through my gutters. Recorded with a Sony MD (MZ-NH700) and Panasonic 61 Series Miniature Stereo Binaural Mics.' With that, today's contributor, Zak Rosen , who I had the pleasure of meeting in person this weekend, bids us goodnight. october 17, 2005 1.4 MB I learned my own love of field recording in Vietnam almost exactkly seven years ago, so it's with special pleasure that I share Tim Cabassi 's contribution today. About his recording Tim writes, 'This was recorded on a recent trip to Hoi An in Vietnam. I was riding my bicycle along one of the main streets of the town and heard a street vendor. Not sure what he was selling or advertising. If you listen closely you can hear the freewheel of the bike; and also near the end the attempts of a cyclo driver trying to drum up some business. Why he would choose someone already on a bicycle you would have to ask him! Recorded using a Sharp MD831 and an Audio Technica AT822 stereo microphone.' october 10, 2005 1.4 MB Autumn is in the air, so how about a new coat? You can get one in today's vacation, which comes to us courtesy of Waco Moore , who writes, 'August 6, 2004, on the sidewalk in SoHo: it is sunset and a whole family of hustlers has rolled a couple of garment racks of coats out onto the sidewalk on the corner of Broadway and Price or Spring (I can't remember now). They are barking in true carnival/street vandor fashion and people are swarming and taking the bait — it is a classic New York moment. Enjoy! Recorded with a Sony ECM-MS907 mic and an iRiver IHP-120 MP3 player.' october 3, 2005 1.4 MB Contributor Scott Langstaff writes of today's vacation, 'This recording was made in May, 2005, during my holiday to St Kilda in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Sitting on the ground near the summit of Ruival on Hirta, it captures the sounds of the birds, the indistinct voices of other members of my walking group, the wind, and the noise of the sea below. It was recorded with a Sharp MT80 MD recorder and Soundman OKM II binaural mics.' september 26, 2005 1.4 MB For today's vacation we thank Ambrose Pottie who writes, 'I recorded this from my dining room table in Tepoztlan, Mexico, in March of 2003; the soundscape includes a banda playing outside at a barrio fiesta probably a mile away, as well as a solo female singer who is probably amplified and situated half a mile away herself — there was a Buddhist retreat center in the area and the woman is probably related to that. There are also a couple of loud firecracker explosions which occur regularly in Tepoztlan — every fiesta features them prominantly and as there is usually a fiesta in at least one of the many barrios every day, the fireworks are more or less constant! Geographically, Tepoztlan is situated in a canyon with craggy cliffs on all sides, so any sound is uniquly amplified...' september 19, 2005 1.6 MB Film photographer Arnaud Lemorillon writes of today's vacation, 'Last night, the 14th of July, it was Bastille Day in France, so there were fireworks in Paris. I made this recording at the end of the fireworks in the Champs de Mars, behind the Eiffel Tower; I hope the quality is not too bad; I just bought a Nagra V recorder and a couple of Schoeps MS microphones to make stereo recording three months ago since I'm interested by sound and field recording...' september 12, 2005 1.4 MB Of today's vacation contributor Greenmachine writes, 'I recorded this piece in Bavaria, Germany, directly after the performance of a symphonic orchestra in a huge old church. People were sharing their opinions all around — it created an interesting ambient noise, which I couldn't resist recording. Imagine yourself a part of this crowd for a minute... Recorded with miniature omnidirectional stereo microphones mounted to glasses and a Sony Hi-MD machine.' september 5, 2005 1.4 MB Labor Day in the US, and like many I celebrated it without a hint of labor. So for today's vacation, the sounds of revelry, for which we thank Kurt Tidmore , who writes, 'A regular Sunday evening sesson in traditional local pub on the north bank of the River Lee, in Cork, Ireland, where I live. The pub's called Siné, which in Irish means "there you have it" or "that's all there is." The musicians are mostly amateurs who gather here every weekend to drink and play together; the crowd is lively and the beer flows freely and the music can sometimes go on for five or six hours.' august 29, 2005 1.4 MB Today's vacation like the ANWR recording earlier this month features wildlife. It was contributed by gear-blessed Greg Weddig , who writes, 'This recording was made at a Brant's Cormorant "blind" in the abandoned Model Industry building on the west side of the Alcatraz. I made it the evening San Francisco's KFOG radio station presented their Kaboom fireworks. As the shells started bursting in air, Western Gulls were silhouetted against the sky fleeing from their nesting area on the east side of Alcatraz at the Parade ground. Strangely the many nesting pairs of cormorants just below the mics seemed more upset at the fleeing seagulls than the fireworks themselves. After the final shots rang out the cormorants continued their grunting, gracking, and growling, as if nothing had happened. Recorded with a Schoeps MK-21 ORTF pair, via a Grace Lunatec V3, into a MDP500 MD recorder.' august 22, 2005 700 KB For today's vacation we thank incoming Grinnell College (Iowa) student Chris Farstad who writes of his contribution, 'This is a recording of the organ inside St. Paul's Cathedral in London. It was visiting the city for the first time with my high school in October of 2004 and I was lucky to capture this unique sound environment during an organist's practice session; a fitting sound event for the space. Made on a Sharp 1-bit portable MD recorder with Sony binaural microphones. Enjoy!' august 15, 2005 1.5 MB Today's vacation excerpts a twenty-five minute soundscape made by Nature Recordists mailing list moderator Martyn Stewart , who wrote of his recording, 'I was in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in June and I recorded these magnificent ambient sounds there. Millions of songbirds, waterfowl and shorebirds inhabit the tundra and costal plains; the ANWR is a vital breeding ground for many of our birds and is in danger of being destroyed: Congress opens this month and maybe in September they will vote to drill in the area. I intend to go to the various rallies that will be held in Washington DC on the 20th of September; I made this recording to make people aware of the beauty of this place. Please oppose drilling in the Refuge and lobby your congressional rep; I believe ANWR is not just for us but for our children and our children's children.' [Just so. -Aaron] august 8, 2005 1.2 MB For once, how about a really virtual destination for a virtual vacation? Of today's recording, contributor fluffy Pennyfeather writes, 'These are some virtual wind chimes — that is, they don't physically exist. In Second Life (an MMO -like virtual environment ), someone built physically-modeled wind chimes which behave like real-life ones, responding to the wind (also modeled with a simple weather simulation) and to other objects and players passing through them. Although the recording is technically artificial in nature, I did record it with my trusty Kenwood MD recorder (which I use for other field recordings); and it blurs the line between the natural and the artificial, as the sound you here was generated by random processes similar to those of nature... just not in the physical world. I realize this may not fit into the One-Minute Vacation project, but I feel that it's an interesting thought experiment nonetheless.' [Interesting enough to share today, while I'm on an electronica bender... and the date cries out for it! -Aaron] august 1, 2005 1.4 MB Today's vacation comes to us from Andreas Jonsson , who writes, 'I recorded this in a city centre slot machine and games arcade here in Glasgow, Scotland, in September, 2004. I happened to be walking past it recording sounds in the street and got drawn in by the sheer cacophony of bleeps, chirps and noise a place like this produces. The rather robotic calling out of bingo numbers only adds to the sterility and overload of such a place. Amusingly, with repeated listening the chaos becomes suprisingly similar in places to some contemporary electronica! Moments after this recording, a security guard forced me to leave the premises, as I apparently needed permission from the manager to record there. The relative quietness outside seemed deafening. Recorded with a Sony ECM-MS907 microphone and a Sony minidisc recorder.' july 25, 2005 1.4 MB Today's contributor, composer-with-sound Joseph Young , takes us into 'a thunderstorm in northern Italy captured on a recent family holiday. The environment around Lake Como is surprisingly lush and green given that temperatures are regularly up in the mid 30's [that's upper-90's for you ametrical Americans -Ed.] during the summer months. The greenery is comes from the heavy thunderstorms that occur on a regular (weekly?) basis. I recorded this one from the window of our flat in a small town called Lambrugo, when the storm was at its height, using Soundman OKM binaural microphones and a Sony MZ-N707 minidisc recorder.' july 18, 2005 1.7 MB Contributor Ari Noguchi writes of today's vacation, 'I caught this moment at a temple in Nara, a very old city in Japan, two years ago. It was very early morning, sunny but very chilly; the temple and environment were just about to wake up for the long day. I was trying to record the sounds of birds, but through the microphone I heard an old lady striking a bell and chanting in front of an offertory box. I could tell that she had been coming every morning for a long time and that this activity was a part of her life... While I was recording kids came to the temple on a school field trip, and a man who works for temple also tried to clean up the street with a broom; but the lady never stopped chanting. It was a very intense moment.' july 11, 2005 525 KB For today's vacation we thank Angela Femia , who writes: 'I caught this using my Fuji digital camera while travelling in France in September, 2003. We had just arrived in Reims and found a lovely place to eat outside in the main square. As we were enjoying our first real "French" experience a large group of young people walked together through the area singing and shouting at one another; they sounded like they were having a fun kind of argument, trying to out-sing and out-shout each other with their song... what a lovely way to argue! (Unfortunately I have no idea what they are saying!)' july 4, 2005 2.2 MB Today's vacation, a bit of Americana for the American Independence Day, comes to us from contributor Jerry Berrier , who writes, 'As my wife and my guide dog and I approached the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle in a late morning in April, 2005, I could hear the sound of a lone singer and his guitar. My wife told me later that he also had a harmonica in a holder on his neck and a tambourine placed where he could tap it with his foot. He could still be heard once we entered the store, in spite of the high noise level from customers, workers arranging and selling seafood, and what sounded like a fork lift. I had been told in advance that workers throw fairly large fish back and forth between them to entertain visitors; at the very end of this recording you can hear their banter as they toss a fresh specimen back and forth! Recorded with a Sony MZ-R70 MD recorder and a small Sony ECM-DS70P clip-on plug-in powered stereo microphone.' june 27, 2005 1.4 MB Today's vacation comes to us courtesy of Chris Owens , who writes: 'I recorded this on a Saturday afternoon in April just outside the local Town Hall in Reading, UK; as you will hear the recording was started just before three in the afternoon (British Summer Time for the purists out there). The focus of this piece, and the intention of my being there with a recorder, was the chimes of the town clock; it is getting increasingly rare to hear chimes like this as many have been silenced to avoid causing a nuisance. A couple of minutes before this snippet a large lorry thundered by the Town Hall — in my opinion that's a more serious annoyance!' june 20, 2005 1.4 MB Summertime, and the living is easy this week courtesy of contributor Robert Dodson , who writes, 'I recorded this in Fairfield, Connecticut. I was sitting on my front porch after dinner. You can hear a plane overhead, a car go by, some very peaceful birds, and my son practicing his saxophone. This is one of my first recordings on my new Edirol R1 compact flash recorder, using the built-in mics. Enjoy.' june 13, 2005 1.3 MB Multi-modal Swedish artist Wolgang Peter Menzel sets the scene for today's vacation: 'You are running in the streets — looking around and listening to the traffic, staring at people, you wonder where you are, all your senses are touched by new things, smells and impressions of a complete "differentness" compared to what you are used to; it overwhelms your person, this slowly getting into this condition of phenomenological basic behaviour. That is what happened to me there, at a street corner in the Chinese part of the former Portuguese colony Macau, at least — even the traffic light sound became something else. Recorded as usual with my Sharp MD recorder and a Sony stereo mic.' june 6, 2005 1.2 MB Today's vacation comes to us courtesy of Kevin T. Allen , who writes, 'The recording was done in downtown Calcutta in July 2004. I was looking for a film library in the center of town and got terribly lost. I passed a row of government buildings where I saw hundreds of people queued up outside; on the street were makeshift carts and stands, where people dictated to men using manual typewriters for their official paperwork. The sound of the manual typewriters tapping away outside in the context of the bustling city sidewalk struck me as beautifully surreal and Kafkaesque, so I pulled the mic out of my bag so only the tip showed and walked down the street. It was a real acoustic treat, especially on such a frustrating day! Recorded with a minidisc recorder and a top of the bottom of the line microphone.' may 30, 2005 1.4 MB This past Saturday some friends I met on a tour of Tibet were married in Vermont; I had the honor of composing their processional using sounds I recorded on that trip. Today I share one of the recordings I used: nuns chanting with one-handed self-beating drums at the annual single-day unveiling of a building-sized thanka down a cliff side in Gyantse, Tibet. For Kate and Zack, luminous travelers, who so patiently waited for me to record this and many other things... Recorded with Sonic Studios DSM-6/EH microphones and a Sony MD recorder. (Aaron) may 23, 2005 960 KB Of today's vacation, second-time contributing phonographer Mark Ragsdale writes, 'This recording was made on an outcropping of rock at Haeundae Beach in Busan, Korea, right outside the Westin Chosun Hotel. The recording was made on a moonlit night as I lay prone on a rock with my head in a giant crevasse, trying to capture the gurgling of the sea plunging rhythmically. Recorded with Sonic Studios DSM-6S/EH mics with WHB headband windscreen, running into MD. [The same gear I used to record most everything on this site! -Ed]' may 16, 2005 1.4 MB 'This track captures a war protest parade when it reached its end point at the Boston Commons on March 20th, 2005. The police helicopter hovering overhead set a tone of tension as the protesters were surrounded by police motor cops, paddywagons, and anti-riot police armed with clubs. A drum circle formed right next to the bench where I had been sitting and recording, and the sounds of drums, didgeridoos, and chants began to drown out the sounds of the helicopter... Recorded on a Sony MZ-R700 minidisc recorder with homemade binaural microphones.' So writes today's contributor, Boston-area experimental DJ, sound artist, phonographer, and theremin player Fred Yarm . may 9, 2005 1.2 MB Today's vacation (or rather, a vacation from a vacation, now our vacation...) comes to us from traveler Damon Nomad , who explains, 'This is a recording we made on our honeymoon: these are night sounds outside our window in the mountain village of Anogia, Greece. You can hear the bells of sheep and goats on the slopes below the village, as well as other sounds. Strangely enough, the lady at the car rental place in Iraklion vainly tried to talk us out of going there, asking, "why you want to go there? It is not much... just a traditional village." It ended up being just what we needed, a peaceful escape from the more touristy sections of Greece we'd already visited: a vacation from our vacation. Recorded on Sony MZ-R37 MD recorder with a Sony ECM MS907 microphone.' may 2, 2005 1.4 MB Nata Lukas writes of today's vacation, 'During the summer of 1997 my good friend James Adrian Stewart came to visit, so we did some camping on the Puget Sound. To entertain our selves Jim played his bag pipes and I played with my camcorder. In this moment recorded at Deception Pass, Jim was around a corner practicing his chops and I snuck up on him; I really dig how the sound of the waves gives way to his improvised chops! Recorded with my Sony CCD-TR3000 video camera (great zoom mics!). By the way, I ended up using this recording as part of an installation I did a couple years ago called If Only I Had a Seaworthy Vessel .' april 25, 2005 970 KB Of today's vacation, Argentine sound artist Anla Coutis writes, 'I was walking this afternoon in a street of Buenos Aires downtown and I heard some great birds; fortunately I had my minidisc with me and I decided to record them. So here is one minute of Buenos Aires Street Birds in Action, I hope you'll enjoy them! Recorded with an Aiwa AM-F5 MD recorder with an Aiwa stereo microphone.' april 18, 2005 595 KB Field recordist Rod Stasick writes of his contribution, 'I have an owl friend who lives in a magnolia tree just outside my studio here in Dallas, Texas. Owls have been in the neighborhood for the past few years and during various stretches of time will make their presence known. At close to the same time each day my friend calls to another owl nearby; if you listen closely, you can hear the other owl responding... This minute was recorded on March 3, 2005 at about 4:30 p.m., with an iAudio M3 digital audio recorder that I use for field recordings.' april 11, 2005 1.4 MB Contributor Marco Landn writes of today's vacation, 'I recorded this when I passed by a children's playground in a kindergarten in a back street in Cancun, Mexico. The kids, all Spanish-speaking and approximately 5 years of age, were playing on a big contraption toy with swings and slides and monkeybars. What truly captivated me was the unrestrained voices, the pitches of which differ greatly from children in Angloamerica; there is a very stacatto nature to the language, especially from the girls in the playground. Recorded using the built-in mic on my Apple iBook G3.' april 4, 2005 1.4 MB Of today's vacation, contributor Takahiro Kawaguchi writes, 'This minute was recorded in a Japanese temple at the moment 2004 became 2005 and was rung in with a gong: a happy New Year Japanese sound. The specific location was Shitennouji Temple, in Osaka, which you can learn more about here . My recording system is a Sony TCD-D8 DAT recorder and a Sony condenser mic. I hope you enjoy listening!' [Time of transition for time in transition: here in California we lost an hour to Daylight Savings this weekend! -Aaron] march 28, 2005 1.4 MB 'Here's a vacation, from my vacation: a recording I made last year while skiing here in Australia, as I went up the mountain on a chairlift. The mic was resting directly on the metal of the chair to capture the deep thrumming that I could hear when I pressed my ear to the chair. Occasionally other skiers can be heard in the background. Made on a Sony MZR-909 with an ECM-MS907 mic, at Thredbo, in the aptly named Snowy Mountains.' Fall arrives in the south, but with this recording from Ben Dixon we in the northern hemisphere bid farewell to winter. march 21, 2005 1.4 MB Biking to work today under silver clouds and through a heavy cool rain, I looked forward to posting today's vacation, which comes from enigmatic sound artist Ben Owen , who comments, 'One of the few moments that is taken to pause in the day is the onset of rain. It is when I stand by the back door of my apartment [in New York City] looking out over the yards and obstructed sky to watch and listen.' march 14, 2005 1.4 MB Repeat contributor John Tenney writes of this week's vacation, 'Saturday night at the Lucky Ju Ju in Alameda, California. Two dozen-plus vintage pinball machines — bright lights flashing, flippers whacking the balls madly, spinners spinning — and every one of them set to free play! Make a reasonable donation on entry and you can play as long as you want to — talk about bringing out the inner kid! Plus there's a good jukebox, though the 70's and 80's songs are decades younger than most of the machines. The place is a labor of love taken on by an obsessed collector looking to share his mania; alot of folks are more than willing. Recorded July 17, 2004, with a Sony MZR-50 MD recorded and RadioShack's late lamented 33-3028 stereo mics.' march 7, 2005 1.4 MB Of today's vacation, contributor Anders Östberg writes, 'A demonstration of steam engines in Eskilstuna, Sweden. Here on an islet the Faktoriet motor museum is situated: a museum of industry and the history of technology, including the first fire engine used in Sweden. On the first Sunday of every month (except in December and January) the air gets hot and humid when the steam engine demonstrations are running! Recorded to compact flash on February 6, 2005, with an Edirol R-1 24-bit WAV/MP3 recorder, using the internal stereo mic.' february 28, 2005 950 KB 'Recorded in Yerevan, Armenia, the night of November 13, 2003, with a video camera, in the well-kept standard-issue apartment of Rafik and Gohar, an elderly couple I stayed with for five days. Although they spoke no English, they welcomed occasional international visitors as a way to supplement their meager pensions. During this short clip from the eve of my departure from the country, they entertain my basic Russian phrases, all the while encouraging me to pick up bits of Armenian — a language of which they are fiercely proud and protective.' For this week's vacation, we thank contributor Peter Thiede . february 21, 2005 1.1 MB Today's vacation comes from Tim Cabassi , who writes: 'This particular snippet was recorded in January, 2004, from my third floor balcony in Momodani, an innercity suburb of Osaka, Japan. I am from Australia but I am currently living and working here with my girlfriend. Thanks to Justin Brown for clarifying that the sound is from a hot sweet potato (o-imo) van; o-imo and other vendors (such as yakitori, skewered grilled chicken usually sold in restaurants) randomly roam the streets around 10 p.m., which is the time most drunken salarymen are stumbling home and most in need of a quick bite... Recorded on a Sharp MD831 with an Audio Technica AT822 stereo microphone. Hope you like it.' february 14, 2005 1.4 MB I'm in New York this week, so how about a bit of local love for Valentine's, as recorded by today's contributor, Robert Van Heuman : 'The A Train in New York City, around Christmas 2004. I usually find it very hard to make recordings in subways as the low frequencies tend to distort the recording. This time, I experimented with the "Low Sensitivity" setting on the microphone input of my minidisc recorder and a really low recording volume. And it worked: I like the rhytmic quality of the announcer, the fact that he mentions Jersey City (where I used to live), the baby and the sounds of little childrens toys a Chinese women is demonstrating while walking through the carriage... Recorded with a Sony NH900 HiMD recorder (in uncompressed mode) with OKM II binaural in-ear microphones.' [Regular listeners will know that binaural means, use those headphones! -aaron] february 7, 2005 1.4 MB Of today's vacation, contributor Lonesomehank from Montreal, Quebec, writes: 'Recorded February 2nd, 2002, in Barcelona on a Sharp MT877 MD with Core Sound binaural mics....... around 8:30 at night...... heard the drone far off and came across four old men in some sort of burnt-out social centre....... watched them play through a little window...... they were drunk and lost in the sound of it all....... heartbreaking / beautiful......... was recorded outside from the street ...... didn't want to intrude...... the right channel craps out in a beautiful way when I walk off...... crappy mini-plug connector.......' january 31, 2005 1.6 MB 'Recorded in 2002: Banger racing season in Smeatharp in the county of Somerset, England, as gutted old saloon cars painted in lively colours roar round an oval dirt track, attempting to knock each other out of the race. Exhilarating stuff but the only means of recording it I have on hand is my mobile phone: so I send myself a race as an answering machine message.' For today's banger contribution we thank quick-thinkig Darren Giddings of colander.org . january 24, 2005 1.7 MB Today's vacation comes from sound artist Bill Thompson , who originally shared with the phonography mailing list on Yahoo! groups with these comments: 'Thought you'd like to hear this: it's a recording of 'hogmanay,' what the Scotish call New Year's. It's a bigger deal then any other holiday here, bigger then Christmas; that day everything closed at 4 p.m. and has been closed all weekend. The recording is of the boats out on the North Sea blowing their horns at midnight. Each horn is a different pitch and each boat is at a slightly different distance and location from the Aberdeen shore, where I was huddled in the drizzle trying not to move. I drove all the way back from Manchester (seven hours) just for that 5 minutes :) — and about 10 minutes into the recording I realized that I had just experienced the turning ot the new year alone, huddled by a rock in the rain. Ahhh, the romantic life of an artist... :)' The vacation is an excerpt from a five-minute MP3 can hear here ; if you like this, you might also like the vacation posted last year for September 22 archived here ... january 17, 2005 1.4 MB 'Recorded late summer 2001 up north in Quebec, at St-Michel des Saints: north enough, we saw aurorae borealis that summer! This is part of my first recordings, using an MZ-R90 [MD recorder] from Sony and binaural mics from sound professionals. It was maybe four or five in the morning, we had to kill that fire because the summer was really dry, dangerous for forest fires.. So this is it, water in fire, fire on logs, earth and life...' For this elemental recording, which ushers in the fourth year of the one-minute vacations project, we thank field recordist and sound artist Nicolas Kuzyk , who Montreal residents might know from his soundscape radio program Biophone. There are more: archives of the first , second , and third year. You can also purchase compilations on CD; all profits go to charity! podcast beta, write me if you have comments. Thanks to Annabelle Port for this LP

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Paris & France Travel Guide Books  You are here: About > Travel > France for Visitors Travel Go France Essentials New Year's Eve in Paris and France Worst of France 2005 Paris Travel Guide Top French Ski Resorts Best New Year's Eve Champagne Articles & Resources Destinations Trip Planning Transportation Interests & Situations Money, Safety & Issues Things to Do in France Where to Stay in France Staying Connected Blogs Picture Galleries Culture, Language & People Fun, Freebies & Quizes Relocating to France Nudism, Sex & Gay Travel D-Day & Historic Travel Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Sites Selling French Products Before You Buy the Gift of Travel Gifts for the France Fanatic Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the France for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses   Search France for Visitors From Kelby Carr , Your Guide to France for Visitors . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Main | France Wants to Mend Relationship with U.S. Paris & France Travel Guide Books Have you ever visited Borders or Barnes and Noble in the search for a guidebook? Good luck! There are usually a couple shelves (or more) worth of French guidebooks. I'm here to help you narrow down your search. I've probably read every France guidebook out there, and here are my picks of the best: Top Paris Travel Guidebooks Top France Travel Guidebooks Before You Buy Travel Guidebooks Tuesday November 2, 2004 | permalink | comments (0) Email to a Friend Display Latest Headlines | | | Read Archives Advertisement Related Blogs Dispatches from France Blog Paris Blog French Word-a-Day Blog La Coquette Blog Chroniques dune Fraise Nice Blog Rsidence Les Marronniers Provence Blog L'Oiseau Blog Chocolate and Zucchini Blog Forty Days in Paris Blog Most Popular "Naked City" Christmas in Paris Photo Tour Paris Sex District Top Paris Attractions Christmas in France What's Hot New Year's Eve in France Paris Gay Pride Parade Host A France-Themed Party Nice, France Photo Gallery Camping in France Related Topics Europe for Visitors French Language French Cuisine Honeymoons / Romantic Getaways Wine        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About New Video iPod - Review POLL: Must-Have Gadgets VIDEO: Portable Gaming VIDEO: Choosing a TV Hugh Hefner's Life What's Hot New Year's Eve in France Paris Gay Pride Parade Host A France-Themed Party Nice, France Photo Gallery Camping in France Headlines Lose Weight with the French Diet The French eat rich foods, drink lots of wine and Worst of France 2005 The year 2005 was a tough one for France, as Top Ski Resort Hotels in France France features some of the world's best skiing, be it New Year's Eve in Paris and Other French Cities The French really know how to celebrate New Year's, whether