Rock Climbing Wall » Hotels

Lemesos (limassol) – Cyprus

admin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:57:47 +0000

Follow the signs for Germasogia Dam and, as you drive up, you will see market gardens and citrus groves in the riverbed to your right, note the distictive rock-face atop a crag on the opposite bank because you will see this from a different angle later. Anglers and walkers can take the road across the dam wall, signposted to Foinikaria, for some good fishing locations and nature trails. Contunie on the E128 through Akrounta, a rapidly expanding village on a tributary of the Germasogia River. The road now climbs steeply with a deep valley to your left and a rock face to your right. As you get higher, the valley is to your left and there is a wonderful view back towards ?imassol and the coast. When you reach the saddle, you enter the edges of the Kakomallis and Limassol forests. Several holiday homes have been built in this area, as it picks up cool breezes from the north and south. Driving down towards Dieronia, the village of Kellaki is on the hillside opposite and Prastio is in the valley below. Dieronia lies on the west bank of the Germasogia River and its chief products are citrus fruits, especially mandarins. Follow the signs for Arakapas, a village lying in a natural amphitheatre and one that has given its name to part of the unique geology of Cyprus. The Arakapas Sequence runs along the southern edge of the Troodos Ophiolite and some of the pillow lavas in this area are opn brown-red iron-rich mudstone. Go left at the signpost to the village centre and cross the narrow bridge. The enormous eucalyptus trees to the right indicate plentiful water. Go right at both forks in the village and go right again into the square. At the far end, on the corner of the road to Sykopetra is the very beautiful early 16th century church of Panagia lamatiki. The church is renowned for its Italo-Byzantine frescoes. Also look for the two well-preserved 16th century paintings of Sait Mamas and Saints Mary of Egypt and Zosimos the road to Sykopetra goes through a wooded valley before climbing very steeply. The village, which clings almost precariously to the hillside, originally belonged to the Knights Templar. On the hillside below the houses are huge prickly pear cacti with large racquet-shaped ‘leaves’ bristling with very sharp spines. In summer the delicious brick-red oval fruits, the size of a hen’s egg, are peeled and chilled before eating. The fruits are covered with tiny prickles that pierce the skin, so don’t touch them with bare hands. Leave the village on the road signposted to Prophitis Elias and then take left fork at the top of the hill, onto the road to Agios Konstantinos. You can take a side trip to the hamlet of Profitis Elias, which sits like an eyrie on a hilltop, offering expansive views of the surrounding hills and deep valley below. The main route goes onto a good gravel raod after about a kilometre as it drops down steeply to the valley bottom and climbs the other side. On the way, you go through terraces of citrus trees, a small forest, an area of Mediterranean maquis, vegetables plots and finally, as you re-join the asphalt, grapevines. Agios Konstantinos, which has some well-preserved traditional buildings, is one of the Commandaria wine villages and is a typical Pitsillia village surrounded by vineyards. The tiny church of Agios Konstantinos and Agia Eleni in the village centre is characteristic of the region. Drive through the village and go right at the signpost to Agios Pavlos. This little village on the southern slopes of the Papoutsa peak has abundant water, some of which gushes out of the rocks at a place called styrakas, which is surrounded by large walnut and plane trees.drive through the village, following the signs for Kalo Chorio, and then go left at the signpost for Limasol. You are now in the heart of the Commandaria wine country. Go left at the t-junction and follow the signs for Louvaras. Drive through the village until you come to the very old part where the streets are made of concrete and are exremely narrow. Park your car and walk along Agiou Mama Street, following the signs ‘Agios Mamantos 15th Century Church.’ The church is below road level and all you can see as you approach is part of the sloping red roof. The church houses some of the island’s best preserved 15th century frescoes. In the churchyard is a restored olive press. A walk round round this part of the village will give you glimpses of old stone-built houses, some of which are restored, large, bread ovens, and massive pitharia wine jars. To leave, dirve back through the village and go left at the small green signpost to Kakomallis Forest Station. After 200 metres, go right at the crossroads onto K.Evagorou Street.Cyprus Hotels As you descend, you will be driving through the western edges of Kakomallis Forest. Go left at the main road and go left again at the signpost to Apsiou. The map at the village entrance points you to the paved village centre, a winery, traditional houses and an old water mill. Leave on the road signposted to Mathikoloni and go right, following the blue road sign at the fork after the village. As you drive down the mountain, there is a deep river valley to your left. Mathikoloni, the modern part of which lines the main road, once belonged to the Grand Commanderie of the Knights of St John. The old part of the village is on the slopes below and legend says that it was made up of seven ‘guarters’ and had seven churches. There are the remains of two watermills by the stream that bisects the village. As you contunie, the view opens up and you can see the village of Akrounta in the valley below and the road along which you drove earlier snaks up the hillside opposite. Just before the road turns away from this valley, there is a glimpse of Germasogia dam below and opposite, at eye level is the rock-face on top of a crag that you passed on the way to Germasogia Dam. After driving through a small gully, an amazing panorama awaits you. The vista sweeps from Amathous to your left, through to the Akrotiri peninsula and beyond. Many Limassolians have built houses in this area, as the newly improved road allows them to commute daily from homes on a cool hillside with an extraordinary view.

25 Great Escapes

admin — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:49:25 +0000

A 3G iPhone can definitely be useful. Particularly when you’re half way to the Lake District and the dog’s just chewed your map in half. But when you get there, you just want to shut the thing off and live life off the map for a while. which is why the team at WideWorld has raided its collective contacts book to find the best places to flee civilisation in the UK. Just don’t tell anyone. And whether you agree or disagree with our choices (and we know some of you will… strongly), we expect you to let us know via our Facebook page. So without further ado, and in no particular order:

1.TRY CROSSING THE SANDS: Mothercombe Beach, near Modbury, DevonUnspoiled Mothercombe Beach is on one side of the Erme Estuary and at low tide you can walk to the nearby Wonwell Beach on the other. When the sun sets over this idyllic spot, with green fields on either side and gentle waves rolling on to the shore, you’ll wonder whether it ever gets any better than this.2.GO SHARK WATCHING: Elender Cove, South DevonThe only way to get to this secluded little cove is by foot or boat. It’s tucked away, around the headland in between East Portlemouth and East Prawle near the town of Salcombe. It’s well worth the effort it’ll take getting there. Sit on the golden sands and look out for the tell-tale fins of the massive basking sharks that stalk these waters.3.GET LOST IN THE FOREST: Sway, The New Forest, HampshireSway, in the New Forest, is a pretty village in the middle of acres and acres of ragged, unspoiled forest. In the Domesday Book, its name was ‘Svieia’, meaning a noisy stream. Stick on a backpack, mind the wild ponies, and head off into the hills. Don’t forget your compass – even though it’s England, you CAN get lost out here.4.FIND THE HOME OF CLIMBING: Wasdale, Lake DistrictWasdale, on Cumbria’s west coast, is well away from the path beaten by regular Lake District visitors and home to some of the most dramatic scenery in the region. You’ll also find Cumbria’s deepest lake, Wastwater, and England’s tallest mountains. This is climbing country. Just don’t forget to grab a pint afterwards in the Wasdale Head Inn. As if you would. 5. THE BAJA OF BRITAIN?: Three Cliffs Bay, Gower peninsula, Swansea. This may be one of the most photographed spots on the peninsula, but we couldn’t have a round-up of places to get away from it all without mentioning Three Cliffs Bay. It’s vast, so you’ll never feel overwhelmed by people. Climb up onto the rocks overlooking Rhosilli Bay and you won’t want to leave; or sit on a surfboard waiting for the next swell. Stay nearby at the marvellous Nicholaston Farm camp site. 6. BEING NUDDY BY NATURE: Holkham Beach, North NorfolkStart walking towards the sea from the car park set behind the pine trees at Holkham Beach and you’ll wonder whether you’ll ever get there. It’s about a mile to the shore, but it’s worth the walk. This is one of the most beautiful spots you’ll ever see. There’s also a nearby nudist beach and the Queen owned a beach hut here, hidden among the trees, until an arsonist destroyed it in 2003.7. THE GREAT WELSH FOREST: Fforest Fawr, Brecon Beacons, WalesThe hills and mountains of the Brecon Beacons cover 520 square miles from Haye-on-Wye to Llandeilo. The incredible Fforest Fawr is a Geopark within the Beacons and begins only a few miles north of Cardiff. A UNESCO protected area of scientific importance, Fforest Fawr is great for gorge walking and cycling through the lush green pasture.8. GO BIKE TO NATURE: Glyncorrwg Mountain Bike Centre, Port Talbot, South WalesThis Mountain Biking Centre, situated in a wooden building in the heart of the Afan Forest Park, is a perfect base for long rides along the trails. One of them, the Penhydd Mountain Bike Trail, was the chosen course for the 2001 World singlespeed championships. There is also a bike shop, café, and shower rooms.9. AT THE FOOT OF THE MOUNTAIN: Llanberis, Snowdonia National Park, Wales The pretty town of Llanberis is a great starting point for summit climbs of Mount Snowdon. But the nearby Llyn Padarn and Llyn Peris lakes are also great for kayaking and the surrounding rugged countryside perfect for long hikes and mountain biking adventures.10. THE SECRET GARDENS: Hever Castle, Kent You may think this a strange choice but Hever Castle, dating back to 1270 and the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, has an incredible garden where you can go to while away the hours. As well as a striking Italian garden, it’s got a 35 acre lake, walled rose garden and yew maze.11. WILD CAMPING: River Dart, Dartmouth, DevonThe upper reaches of Devon’s River Dart are a brilliant spot for whitewater kayaking and canoeing. The river crosses the quiet, lonely expanses of Dartmoor – the only place in England that allows wild camping. As long as you can’t see anyone else, and you only stay one night in each spot, you can pitch up where you like.12. WHERE EAGLES DARE: Ben Nevis, ScotlandBen Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain, boasts the best cable car rides in the country; even in summer you can lock yourself in a gondola and take the breathtaking ride up to the ski centre at 2150ft. If you’re feeling brave, mountain bike back down to the valley below. 13. CAMP BY THE FALLS: Cwm Nantcol, WalesCwn Nantcol is a valley in Gwynedd. On certain days, at certain times of the day, the colours of the surrounding countryside are simply breathtaking. Sombre skies, craggy rocks, bright yellow grasses and dark orange moss. Head for Cwn Nantcol campsite at the foot of the waterfalls where you can build your own campfire to the soundtrack of the mountain streams.14. DISAPPEAR TO AN ISLAND: Shell Island, LlanbedrIf you think we like Snowdonia, you’d be right. Another Gwynedd treat is Shell Island with beach camping, wild birds, fishing and fantastic views of Cardigan Bay the mountains. The island is tidal and cut off from the mainland half the time, and allows you to pitch your camp right on the beach out of sight of everyone else. 15. HERITAGE COAST HIDEAWAY: Worth Matravers, DorsetWorth Matravers, just to the west of Swanage, is a picture perfect village in the Purbecks and a perfect start-off point for hiking along the South West coastal path. Don’t forget the obligatory stop at the Square & Compass pub – it’s just a joy to drink in this bar untouched by modernity, overlooking the cliffs. (There’s a campsite round the back of the pub too). Ask for a local Ringwood Ale and enjoy the flotsam.16. CLIFFSIDE CAMPING: Caerfi Bay, PembrokeshireA rare gem of a campsite just south of St Davids: occupying a corner of an organic dairy farm, you can stay right on the cliff’s edge and overlook the beautiful bay beneath you and the sight of Skomer island in the distance. It’s also a brilliant base for Coasteering, rocky Pembrokeshire’s best extreme sport. Don’t be fooled into going to the ugly caravan park around the headland though – ask for the organic farm site.17. GO BAG SOME MONROES: Cairngorms National Park, ScotlandThe Cairngorms National Park covers 1,467 sq miles) and encompasses the stunning Cairngorm Mountains. The Cairngorms contain 18 Munros (3,000 footers, as listed by Sir Hugh Munro in 1891). By April there’s still snow on the summits, but May and June are good months for all altitude climbing (unless of course you like snow, in which case, wait until winter). You can’t get much more remote than this.18. SURF A LONELY WAVE: Saunton Sands, DevonThis is a simply massive beach, with the nicely-placed Saunton Sands Hotel sitting overlooking the old-style for-hire beach huts. Saunton Sands is a great surf spot for the amateur, much frequented by tourists by lunchtime but empty first thing. Even in high summer you’ll find a swell of your own at dawn, so pack your wax and head down there at first light, then rent a hut to snooze by in the day.19. WEIRD SPORTS WONDERLAND: Llanwrtyd Wells, WalesIf you’re looking for somewhere tucked away in great hiking country, this is the place. Nestled deep in the Black Mountains, this is also the home of Bog Snorkelling, the Man vs. Horse marathon, and the Mountain Bike Chariot Racing World Championships. You don’t have to be daft to come here, of course. It does help though. Especially if you’re dressed as a Roman Senator pulling a chariot on a mountain bike – really. 20. THE CLEAREST COAST: St David’s, WalesUndoubtedly one of the coolest coastlines in the UK. Lovely and hilly for running, but also made for coasteering, and some fantastic climbing and sea kayaking – you’ll likely spot dolphins, seals, and on a calm day the sea can be as clear as anything in the Adriatic. This far-west outpost of Wales is everything you want Cornwall to be – without the traffic and tourists.21. CHEAP ROOMS WITH A VIEW: Pinkery Bunkhouse youth hostel, ExmoorPerched on top of a beautiful green hill, next to a small copse, the former Victorian farmstead is the perfect place to get away from the rat race and hike the hills of the southwest or explore the nearby coast. And at a mere £14 a night, it’s competitive even with campgrounds in the area.22. A TOWN AT ITS PEAK: Castleton, Peak DistrictRight in the heart of the Peak District, Castleton is a brilliant little town with great pubs and fantastic hiking nearby. Although the town itself, with Peveril Castle and four huge caverns, draws in masses of crowds during the summer, far fewer beat a course through the surrounding hills and look down on the place from afar.23 MILES OF ISLES: Culzean Castle, AyrshireGenius architect Robert Adams designed the fairytale Culzean castle for maximum visual effect: on a hundred-foot granite cliff on the Ayrshire coast with a clear view to the Mull of Kintyre and Arran. Dispense with the normal tour of the grounds and head to the beach, where smuggler’s caves have been built into the rock for purely artistic effect. The oldies up top won’t get down here, and they sure won’t appreciate the magnificent sunsets over the water and islands in the distance.24. THE SHELLFISH GENE: Strangford LoughOnly a few minutes outside Belfast, the 150km2 expanse of sea lough is a hidden classic, with a peninsula that narrows down to a opening just 500 metres across. Harvest your own cockles on the enormous sandflats left at low tide and sit in the ruined churches and roundhouses that pepper the shore.25. DESERTED HIGHLANDS: Loch Maree, Wester RossWhen you think of the Highlands of Scotland, chances are you’ll imagine a view of Loch Maree. Tucked away between the bleak hills, this secluded and enormous stretch of water isn’t your usual tourist destination: when the sun shines, it’s film-set glorious. In the mist, it only gets better. Scuba diving and whale spotting outfits are easy to find.

Cruise Vacations vs. Ordinary Vacations

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:15:36 +0000

Cruise vacations are becoming more and more popular with each passing year. Years ago cruises were viewed as the ultimate luxury vacation, only enjoyed by the fabulously wealthy, or by cruise groups of senior citizens who had been saving for a cruise all of their lives. These days, quite the opposite is true. The cost of a seven day cruise vacation is comparable to a seven day vacation on to many other land destinations, especially when you consider all of the extras and inclusions that you get on an all-inclusive cruise vacation. Below are a few examples of how cruise vacations differ from the normal vacation getaway.

Cost of Cruise Vacations vs. Ordinary Vacations

When dealing with the cost of a vacation, a cruise vacation compares very favorably with most land-based vacations. When you book a cruise vacation, your fee’s will include your lodging, all of your meals, as well as many daily activities that would cost extra if you took a typical land-based vacation. On land vacations you usually initially just pay for travel and hotel, having to add on daily meals and extra activities. Once you start factoring in the cost of gasoline for travel, restaurant meals and admission fees to parks and other excursions, you almost always come out ahead by booking a cruise instead.

The Food is Fabulous!

When you go on a non-cruise vacation, you are usually on your own as far as food is concerned. Since you will be eating at various restaurants, you are at the mercy of a different chef every time, and you can never be sure of the quality of the service or the food. On cruise ships, however, the food is considered one of the best aspects of the entire trip. You will have plenty of choices for your meals from traditional dining room fare to pizza and burgers at a dockside café. You can literally graze your way through the entire day, starting with poolside breakfast buffets and ending with a midnight snack in a cozy bistro or in your room. You will never go hungry on a cruise, for anytime you need food it will be there for you.

And Then There is the Service…

Your cruise staff is dedicated to ensuring that you are treated like royalty the entire time you are under their care. Eating in the ship’s dining room is comparable to dining at a world-class restaurant. The service is cheerful, impeccable, and very friendly. If you are unhappy at all with your meal, they will happily return it to the kitchen and bring you anything else you desire. If you have special dietary considerations, the kitchen will know about them beforehand and will have made arrangements to honor them. You are not a customer on the ship, instead you are considered an honored guest.

The glorious pampering continues outside the dining room as well. You will find chocolates on your pillow at night, and your coffee made just the way you like it when you sit down to the table at breakfast. After one night your dedicated wait staff will know you and your family, including your likes and dislikes. If you want anything at all, all you need to do is locate a cruise attendant and chances are they will arrange for it to be delivered to you as soon as possible.

Cruises Make Vacationing Easy

Remember those long car rides with your children in the back seat poking each other and growing crankier the longer you were in the car? You will never have to worry about that on a cruise vacation. No maps, no counting the miles to the next bathroom stop, no looking around for a decent restaurant or the next McDonald’s on the side of the road. When you are on a cruise, all the planning is done for you. All you have to do is sit back and relax, and decide which of the dozens of activities they have to offer you want to enjoy.

Cruise ships offer an incredible variety of activities to participate in. The newest ships are floating resort cities. You can drift from activity to activity depending on your mood and vacation style. Even better, cruise vacations offer something for everyone. If you have ever tried to put together a vacation that will please your sports-loving husband, your adventurous son, your shopaholic daughter, and your own delight in experiencing the best foods of the world, you will really appreciate a cruise vacation. Your kids can enjoy a morning at a deck side water park complete with water slides and wave pools while you relax at the shipboard spa with a top-of-the-line massage. You can golf, gamble, hike, and climb rock walls all before you even add in the on-shore excursions.

Whether you choose a leisurely cruise to smaller islands, or an adventurous cruise that takes you on a tour of the Alaskan coast, a cruise vacation simply ca not be beat for cost, convenience or pure fun. When you book a cruise vacation, you are booking an exciting getaway where the world does not interfere with all of its troubles and inconveniences.

If you have never considered a cruise before, this is the year to check it out. With the economic turmoil, most cruise lines are going all out to offer tempting deals to attract vacationers of all kinds. Shop around online and take a look at all the options and advantages that a cruise vacation offers.

Traveling to Oaxaca With Children

admin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:07:48 +0000

Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B

Oaxaca has traditionally been known as an adult travel destination, steeped in ruins, colonial churches, museums and a tradition for fine art and handicrafts. But having been visiting the region regularly since 1991, always with our daughter, and now having been living here for a few years and regularly toured friends and family with young children around the city and outlying sites, without a doubt young families contemplating a visit should set aside any lingering trepidation regarding both the well-being of their young progeny, and their parents’ ability to have at least somewhat of a romantic getaway.

Concerns might include wondering if there will be enough sites to hold your child’s interest, if you’ll be able to visit the vestiges of pre-Hispanic civilizations without the kids being bored to death, if you’ll ever be able to sneak away for a dinner on your own, if you’ll have to pay a premium to find accommodations with a pool — the guarantee of an afternoon swim is always the best bribe — and the wisdom of perhaps just having a beach vacation and saving Oaxaca for another time when you can do it without the family.

Having pondered such considerations from time to time, I can now offer valuable suggestions regarding where to stay even without a pool, what tour routes will definitely hold the interests of children and teens, and what activities exist in and around the city on a regular basis, geared to youthful vacationers.

Where to stay, and swim

Suburban Hotel San Felipe is a welcome change from the downtown hustle and bustle…the outdoor pool is in a picturesque setting flecked with rural neighborhoods and rolling hills. Several friends have also enjoyed Holiday Inn Express, at the north end of the downtown sector. But many visitors to Oaxaca prefer a more quaint and traditional environment to the somewhat sterile Americanized accommodations yet can’t rationalize the cost of hotels such as Camino Real or Los Laureles, impressive in their own right.

Most of the smaller family-owned and operated hotels, bed and breakfasts and guest houses do not have pools, but should not be discounted out-of-hand. Some have made arrangements with nearby pooled hotels for their guests to attend.

Each lodging should be able to point you to alternatives to an on site pool such one of the water parks located along the highways entering the city. These facilities have pools of varying sizes and depths, large water slides, and other appurtenances to keep the kids there for the better part of a day. A short taxi ride from downtown are Las Brisas and La Bamba.

There are two additional alternatives. Consider attending one of several “balnearios” located about a half hour out of Oaxaca in the village of Vista Hermosa, catering to entire families rather than to predominantly children. During the hot season you’ll find families and friends around the pools, playing volleyball, or sitting under palapas eating an array of local fare available from the small comedors.

Then there’s Hierve el Agua, at the end of one of the out-of-town touring routes. The site consists of two large pools fed by natural bubbling springs, in a spectacular mountain setting with a petrified mineral “waterfall.” They are safe for kids, and large and deep enough to satisfy the aquatic yearnings of any adult. Most tourists don’t get to Hierve el Agua, probably because of the distance, but in my book it’s a must for families with children, in particular if it’s done in conjunction with a couple of other stops en route.

Oaxaca relies solely on tourism for its existence, and accordingly accommodations which claim to welcome children should bend over to provide families with “the little things” such as a stroller, crib with accessories, car seat, highchair for use in their dining room, and a reference for a reliable babysitter who can come to the hotel while you’re out for an evening. At the time Hotel San Felipe provided babysitting when our daughter was pre-teen. If you search in earnest you should be able to find smaller hotels and guest houses similarly accommodating. If your child can read and the babysitter has only a limited grasp of English, give your child a series of phonetically prepared questions and suggestions [tén go ám bray (I’m hungry); key árrow na dár (I want to go swimming)]. If your child is too young, the niñera should have the experience to determine any pressing issues. All lodgings should have an English-speaking doctor on call in the unlikely event of illness.

Two child-friendly tour routes

1) Hierve el Agua:

The promise of Hierve el Agua at the end of one of the two main tour routes is the best possible means by which to keep children in check during the first half of this day trip. On the return to Oaxaca from this site they’ll be sleeping in the back of the car or van, no doubt having been exposed to too much sun and water activity.

Your morning begins with a stop at el Tule, the massive 2000 year old Cyprus tree. Make sure you get a child tour guide dressed in a Robin Hood suit to show you the innumerable images in the trunk, with the aid of a mirror. Encourage your children to trade words in English and Spanish with the little Hoodettes. A key to holding the interest of young children is to give them the opportunity to interact with others of similar ages…and it provides a good lesson in cultural diversity.

At Teotitlán del Valle, the rug village, ask your guide to take you to where you can have a demonstration where the weavers’ children and grandchildren will be present. Your kids will be able to play, touch the raw wool, try spinning it, and even get their hands wet and dyed in large vats of natural vegetable material used in the process of coloring the spun wool. While you’re searching for a floor covering or wall hanging, let the kids look for a piece with fanciful imagery suitable for their bedroom, or a mini-rug (i.e. woolen coaster) with a fanciful design. They’ll spend as much time choosing as will you. Our daughter grew up with periodic visits to Casa Santiago. It seemed like as Sarah got older, there were always two or three Santiago children or grandchildren on hand to occupy her time and keep her in tow. One of the Santiago relatives offers an afternoon weaving course, suitable for children eight years of age and older, where children can both learn and make their own small carpet or wall hanging.

If you travel the route on a Sunday, there’s no better place to keep the kids in awe than at the Tlacolula market…the colors, array of sale items, sweets, live turkeys, music, hawkers, and the handicraft market. It takes at least an hour and a half to get through the market, so the promise of a dishful of ice cream (actually a healthier sorbet referred to as nieve) while in the marketplace does the trick. One area has several stationary parlors where you can sit and enjoy a cone or plate of one of several tropical fruit flavours.

The two main ruins along this route are Yagul and Mitla, the latter more grandiose and famous. Each has excavated burial chambers to intrigue the most youthful of Tomb Raider. Since it’s unreasonable to expect children to go to two ruins in one day, regardless of the parenting tactics employed, I would opt for Yagul. It has two tombs which can be descended by all. There’s a labyrinth in which the kids can run around and get temporarily lost. Children tend to enjoy climbing the steep mountain pass leading to a fortress. At the top there’s what archaeologists claim is a bathtub hewn out of stone in which the kids will enjoy sitting. Finally, the site should be of interest to all adults, with its pre-Hispanic ball court and vista of the valley from the pinnacle of the fortress. It might be blasphemous to even suggest, but thinking of young children in particular, why not save Mitla for another trip. After all, you’re probably going to schlep them to Monte Albán, the granddaddy of the region’s ruins.

Unless you forego some the sites already noted, you probably won’t have time to visit the zoo along this highway, nor should you feel compelled to do so. The kids can always go to the zoo back home.

Regardless of which of the two roadways you take to get to Hierve el Agua, your final destination, you’ll pass goats, sheep and/or cattle being herded either at the side the road or right in front of you dictating that you yield to the flocks. Stop and encourage the kids to get out with you. Ask if it’s safe to hop on the back of one of the beasts or at least stand alongside for the photo op.

There are reliable restaurants both en route to Hierve el Agua (i.e. Doña Chica at Mitla, and roadside El Tigre at the cutoff to San Lorenzo Albarradas) as well as at the site, but if you tend to be extra cautious with the children, there are benches at the pools where you can eat your own picnic lunch. Alternatively you can relax and munch away while sitting on the rock outcroppings.

The more you permit your kids to swim, the greater your assurance that the ride back to the city will be peaceful, relaxing, and above all quiet.

2) Crafts and more crafts:

San Bartolo Coyotepec provides an extremely appealing beginning to another full day of touring. At one of the many workshops, watch a demonstration of the ancient craft of making fine black pottery without the use of a wheel or modern tools. This artistry should hold the attention of children of all ages. However, for further assurance ask your guide to take you to a studio such as Doña Rosa, where Maestro Don Valente permits children to go off to a table close to the demonstration and work with the very same clay. While the children are dirtying their hands while molding, you’ll be learning how to fashion a bowl out of freshly mined clay, water, heat, and little more. Browse the showroom and select from a broad array of both sleek and modern, and traditional pieces, while the kids look for ceramic forms of their favorite animals.

In nearby San Martín Tilcajete, some of the workshops producing carved and brilliantly painted wooden animals permit you to make advance arrangements for your children to select and then paint the animal of their choice, with guidance from one of the facility owners. Once again there will likely be an opportunity for the children to chase after and pet animals and play with kids of their own age.

For lunch, try Azucena Zapoteca, on the highway at the entrance to San Martín Tilcajete. The food is good, traditional and safe, and the grounds are spacious and include a swing set to occupy your children, within your site range, while you dine.

The village of Santo Tomás Jalieza is known for production of cotton table runners, placemats, napkins, belts and purses using the primitive back strap loom, and bedspreads and tablecloths using much larger machinery. One of the cultural experiences for children in this setting will be noticing how their counterparts from about 10 years of age help with the family trade and its financial sustenance.

At Ocotlán you’ll drop by the homes of the Aguilar sisters, who fashion clay painted figures with scenes representative of markeplaces, religious imagery, comedic love depictions and colorful fiestas. At least one of the workshops generally has a quantity of unpainted figures on which each child can express his own creativity.

Finally, a couple of minutes down the road your family will have an opportunity to witness Ängel Aguilar hand-forge knives and cutlery using only recycled metals in a rudimentary hearth. The setting is fascinating, primitive, and safe for the kids. In only a few minutes, right before your eyes, Ängel can engrave your child’s name and a fanciful drawing on a souvenir knife with a 1 inch blade and leather sheath, and more importantly the inscription can be whatever your child selects.

If you follow this itinerary on Friday, you’ll have an opportunity to wander through the Ocotlán market, similar to the Sunday Tlacolula market, though smaller.

Each of these two routes has additional stops, but this particular selection highlights sites which maximize experiences which your children will recall for a lifetime.

And don’t forget the city

Throughout the year there numerous local and international celebrations, with color and pageantry, song and dance, some specifically designed with a youthful audience in mind. The website http://www.oaxacacalendar.com should be consulted just before leaving for your trip. In addition to listing weekly events such as where and when the mariachis and the state band of Oaxaca can be heard, as well as particulars of a number of museums and galleries, it details specific upcoming fiestas and performances, when the Guerreros baseball team will be playing (a treat for sports enthusiasts of all ages), fireworks displays and most major upcoming events.

A Saturday morning bilingual hour for children is held at the Oaxaca Lending library ( http://www.oaxlibrary.com ). The library sometimes sponsors additional programs for children. From mid-July to mid-August there is a summer camp offered in San Felipe for kids of all ages, and seasonally there are courses and similar offerings through the Textile Museum. Art and music classes are also available.

Many of the Spanish language schools have a specific curriculum for kids, so if you’re contemplating brushing up on your Spanish, there’s no need to worry about how the children’s morning time will be occupied. Casa de La Cultura also offers courses for children. Finally, there are a number of charitable organizations where foreign youth are given an opportunity to assist disadvantaged or struggling local children.

Speak to your tour guide or hotel manager for more specific suggestions geared to children of particular ages and passions. Youths with a strong interest in the fine arts might be thrilled to visit workshops of a couple of local artists, or perhaps go on an alternate tour out of the city which takes in the studio of a sculptor, a hand-made artistic paper factory, and the Center for The Arts housed in a 19th century mill. For those who have been sensitized to environmental issues or who have been exposed to camping and the outdoors, the family can spend a couple of days in a rustic mountain setting in the Sierra Norte…hiking, biking, horseback riding, and learning about how particular industries in the state are making inroads in terms of environmentally friendly production.

The options are innumerable. It’s simply a matter of doing a bit of homework, asking, and then committing yourself to a vacation dedicated in large part to your children. The inevitable rewards will include your own memories of the region’s richness and cultural diversity, and a greater appreciation of the magic of Oaxaca.

Great Non-Gambling Fun in Las Vegas

admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:05:02 +0000

There are many fun things to do in Las Vegas that have nothing to do with gambling. So, if you don’t care to throw dice or drop quarters into slot machines, you can still have a terrific time in “Sin City”. An increasing number of tourists are seeing Vegas as more than a casino town and the revenue from non-gambling venues has been growing steadily over the past few years. Many casinos are investing their resources in amenities such as beautiful hotel rooms, amusement parks, luxury pools and spas, live entertainment shows, animal exhibits, upscale dining establishments and specialty stores for shoppers. In some facilities, these added attractions have taken over as the main draw. There is something for everyone in Las Vegas!

Popular Shows in Las Vegas
Casinos are just as acclaimed for their shows as they are for gambling. There is a wide variety of entertainment from the famous dancing shows featuring feathered and fringed chorus girls to many other categories. For headliner shows, there is Celine Dion at Caesar’s Palace and for some doo-wop, The Platters, Drifters and Coasters at the Sahara. Comedy shows abound with The Riviera comedy Club and the Improv at Harrah’s. Tribute shows are always fun and often nostalgic. You can take in American Superstars at the Stratoshere, Barbra and Frank at the Riviera and Legends in concert at Imperial Palace. Magic shows entertain young and old alike. Check out The World’s Greatest magic Show at the Greek Isles Hotel and Casino, Lance Burton for family fun at the Monte Carlo and Dirk Arthur at Tropicana with his white Bengal tiger and leopards. If production shows are your favorite, you are in luck. Ongoing shows include Cirque du Soliel for astonishing acrobatics at MGM Grand, Mama Mia at Mandalay Bay and Phantom of the Opera at Venetian. If you enjoy adult shows, there are numerous ones to attend, such as the renowned Chippendales at Rio, and hypnosis with Dr. Scott Lewis at Le Bistro Theater. You can even watch the longest running TV game show in history with The Price Is Right at Jubilee! Theater. For every man, woman and child, there is a great show to enjoy in Las Vegas. Tickets and reservations are available for advance purchase on many websites.

Restaurants and Buffets
Las Vegas has quickly become one of the most sensational restaurant cities in the world. New restaurants are opening almost on a daily basis. Nowhere can tourists dine so lavishly for so little as at the abundant buffets, which began in the early 1940’s at the original El Rancho Vegas Hotel. Their Midnight Chuck Wagon Buffet was invented as a way to keep customers in the hotel for the second show. What followed were other hotels offering the same. Next came breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets. Some hotels offer champagne brunches on weekends featuring all the bubbly a person can drink. Many of the top chefs in the world have opened restaurants in Vegas. While the casinos and hotels feature varied and exotic cuisines, don’t forget to check out the local restaurants as well.

Family Fun
There are plenty of family friendly venues in Las Vegas. The Lied Children’s Museum is a hands-on, interactive museum close to downtown. There are many lessons to be learned here about science, humanities and the arts. Another destination popular with children is Circus Circus with the Circus Acts and Adventuredome Theme Park. For hours of fun, ride the rollercoaster and other rides, play a game of miniature golf or challenge yourself with the many arcade games. The Gameworks Arcade at the Showcase Mall next to the MGM Grand has the tallest indoor rock-climbing wall in the country and a movie theater. Ride the rollercoaster, play laser tag or enjoy racing Daytona style at the Coney Island Emporium at New York/New York Resort and Casino. Two more places to thrill the kids are the old western town on Bonnie Springs Old Nevada 16 miles west of Las Vegas and the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay.

Outdoor Activities
If you enjoy hiking, golf, horseback riding, hot air balloon riding, or just lounging by a pool, Las Vegas has plenty to offer. Grand Canyon National Park and the Red Rock National Conservation Area are a short drive away. There are also the pirate battles at Treasure Island, the volcano at the Mirage and the fountains of the Bellagio.

Specialty Shopping
If outlets are your favorite, visit the Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas for designer clothing. Caesar’s Palace has the Forum Shops or Appian Way Shops. The Venetian features the Grand Canal Shoppes and don’t miss the Bellagio’s Via Bellagio. For more specialty shops and restaurants, visit the Desert Passage. If you prefer a mall environment, check out the Boulevard Mall.

Relax at a Spa
Las Vegas, along with the surrounding areas, boasts over thirty spas. These spas are as varied as the casinos and hotels around them. Choose from Shiatsu or Swedish massage, herbal baths, aromatherapy, reflexology or creme brulee body wraps. Relax in the many whirlpools, saunas or steam rooms. Manicures, champagne facials, pedicures, customized scrubs and hair styling are offered at the numerous salons. Do you want advice on fitness, nutrition or health? Some hotels offer trained personal trainers. Some of the most popular spas include Mandalay Bay’s Spa Mandalay, The Spa at the Palms, the Venetian’s Canyon Ranch Spa, Rio Spa, Elemis Spa at the Aladdin and the Spa Bellagio.

Teen Friendly Cruise Vacations

admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:42:30 +0000

Point one: More and more Baby Boomers have taken to cruise ship vacations as their favorite way of getting away from it all.

Point two: Most Baby Boomers have kids, and most of those kids are approaching or in their teens.

Point three: Most Baby Boomers are reluctant to leave their teenagers behind when they head for the high seas, and prefer to vacation as a family.

The cruise industry is fully cognizant of all of these points, and they are doing their best to make sure that every member of their Baby Boomer families are provided with exactly the sort of cruise experience which will be entertaining, relaxing, and most of all, FUN. Most cruise lines now offer planned and supervised activities geared for teenagers throughout the day, because they know that the happy teen customer of today will be the paying adult customer of tomorrow.

Teen centers and video arcades are standard on all ships offering family cruises, and many cruise lines have age-based programs which will tempt your reluctant teen from spending his or her time moping about in the cabin dreaming of the friends or love interest left behind. Ships with good teen activities will schedule nighttime dances or pool parties where the teens can escape from Mom, Dad, and their annoying younger siblings. Many of the best cruise lines also have Internet cafes so your teen’s email lifeline is never far away.

Some cruise lines, including Carnival and Disney, go out of their way to make their cruises fun for family members of all ages. For teens in particular, Carnival Cruise Lines offers Camp Carnival for kids up to age 15, and a Fountain Fun card, which will let you tens drinks as many soft drinks as they like at any hour of the day or night. They also have 24-hour pizzerias.

Carnival’s Destiny-class ships have high-tech video game arcades, and its Fun Ships have 2,400 square foot Fun House activity centers. When it comes to catering to the kids and teens, however, few cruise lines have as much to offer as Disney.

The cruise ships Disney magic and Disney Wonder each have almost an entire deck (1500 square feet) set aside for kid and teen activities, including a teen club with its own coffee bar and video arcade. Disney debuts its latest theatrical releases aboard ship on the same day that they are released into theaters, so if there’s a teen offering from Disney studios while you’re on your cruise, your teenagers won’t have to wait to see it!

Royal Caribbean will keep your teens busy in their own nightclubs and huge video arcades, and keep them happily fed with burgers and shakes at their Johnny Rocket’s restaurants. Their latest ships also have a teen pool complete with water slide and (for a small fee) the use of a rock climbing wall to provide a crow’s nest view of the surrounding sea. Organized activities for teens are held throughout the day beginning at 10:00 AM. Karaoke contests are open to passengers of all ages, and the teens are often the most enthusiastic performers!

Royal Caribbean is also among the handful of cruise lines which has onboard skating rinks of some of its ships, where your teens can either skate or enjoy a replica of the Ice Capades. They will love the contrast between ice skating and the surfing experience they’ll get on Royal Caribbean’s Flowrider, where the surf’s always up!

Cruise vacations are no longer the domain of honeymooners and retirees. They are genuinely family-friendly experiences, with entertainment and social activities to appeal to even the most sophisticated teens!