The giant of the skies

Posted by Tihomir Rangelov - 11/11/09 at 09:11:32 am

Just over two years ago, at the end of October 2007 the brand new Airbus A380 made its maiden commercial flight from Singapore to Sydney. The flight was operated by one of the biggest airlines in the world, Singapore Airlines, and the aircraft was produced by the biggest airplane maker in the world, Airbus. That flight was a cornerstone in aviation history.

A380 is by far the largest passenger airliner that the world has ever seen. It is a wide body aircraft and has two decks, the total take-off weight being 560 tonnes and its wingspan – 80 metres. If you have seen it up close and personal, you will know what that means. It is so gigantic that you cannot stop wondering how on earth it can get in the air. But it does and it has been doing it very well in the past two years with an excellent safety record.
One of the best things about the A380 is that it is extremely fuel efficient and the fuel consumption per seat is by up to 20% lower than that of its main “rival”, the former record holder Boeing 747. This has been achieved by the use of the latest technologies and lightweight materials for building the aircraft. Besides, it has a capacity of carrying 853 passengers, which is 50% more than the capacity of a Boeing 747.

Because of its size, the A380 is also able to introduce the earth´s greatest luxuries to the skies. First class passengers on Emirate´s A380 aircraft already enjoy private suites, bars and lounges as well as “shower spas”. Virgin Atlantic plans to have casinos, double beds and gyms on its A380s. These might come in useful during the long hours on the plane. The A380 is namely capable of flying 15,200 km or directly between Hong Kong and New York.
So far only 20 of these aircraft have been delivered to Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Emirates and Air France. Lufthansa and Korean Air expect their first A380s in 2010. So if you are an airliner freak (like me) or just curious and want to experience the giant in the skies, you should look for a flight on those airlines on your favourite search engine, www.dohop.com.

How can tourism improve the world?

Posted by Júlíana Björnsdóttir - 09/11/09 at 08:11:38 am

Eight years ago I passed through the beautiful coastal city of Beirut in Lebanon. It was perhaps the most powerful experience of a city visit I have ever encountered in my short life. As we drove into the city, half-ruined apartment buildings seeminlgy one step away from total collapse were all around me. Occasionally we would hear a thundering noise from distance; we were told it was the city’s attempts to clean up the destructions made to the city in the war in 1983.

As we got further into the city, I remember rather vividly a striking reminder of the human consequences suffered from war-situations; a man maybe in his forties or early fifties past us as we were stuck waiting for the green light at a cross road. He had lost both his legs below knees. He had made himself a wheelchair out of a skateboard. It was a sore sight but one that has remained with me since then.

We finally arrived at our destination, Planet Hollywood for a burger meal. Planet Hollywood is (might have changed following the war in 2006) located on the beach front. What striking change there was to the cityscape: a young woman running along the pavement aligning itself along the beach wearing shorts and running top, and a young man running topless.

What phenomenal oppositions co-existing in the same city!  We had the chance to walk along the area by the coast and a little bit further into the city centre; we found the people of Beirut were warm and welcoming.  Earlier in the day we had been driven to West-Beirut where the fighting had been at its worst.  Nearly twenty years later pillars of broken bricks were still spread on the streets of West-Beirut and the only semi-intact  building was a two-floor house, caged up entirely by bars.  The interior was covered with bricks and sticking out among the brick was the sight of a teddy bear.

At that moment the atrocity of war struck me; I was a young adult from a priviledged background, and although I had heard of the war in Lebanon in the eighties, I had never been exposed to the devastating consequences of it.  Still in 2001 people were living in the half-destroyed high-rises awaiting their benefits from the insurance companies.  I wonder  if perhaps tourism can come to aid countries recovering from catastrophic events such as wars and natural disaster. What if tourists would pay a small amount to support the reconstruction of the cities and countries in return for the pleasure of visiting?

As travellers we subconsciously expect to have more good times than bad times, to be visually stimulated by stunning landscape rather than monstrous piles of blown-up bricks. The gift to travel can also be means to physically experiencing the presence of past atrocities. Westerners are often fenced off and protected like children in day-care centres from the horror of war, but perhaps it would do us good to remove the protective circle and expose ourselves to sorrow. I myself think I am a better person for having seen the duality of Beirut, I at least am able to apprehand how lucky I am, with or without the financial crisis!

The Coffee-chase!

Posted by Júlíana Björnsdóttir - 27/10/09 at 09:10:29 am

Last Friday morning was rather unusual for me, I found myself roaming around Kringlan, Iceland’s first shopping mall, and actually purchasing a couple of items. Kringlan is an excellent place to do your shopping when visiting Iceland during winter or on a rainy day.  On this particular occasion though, my initial plan, to which I stuck eventually, was to hang out at my favourite cafe, Kaffi Roma.

Ever since my Paris years coffee has not been just coffee.  A good cup of coffee is made with passion by baristas who themselves (with few exceptions) are quite particular about what makes for good coffee.  I always order the same single-shot latte with extra milk;  to me consistency in quality is the exception with most cafes, but Kaffi Roma always gets it right!

Kaffi Roma is located on the second floor of Kringlan; its location is not the quietest but to me that’s not an issue. A second branch is supposedly located on Laugavegur 118 in the centre of Reykjavík (although I am convinced the actual location is Rauðárstígur, across the street from the Kaupthing ATM).  I would most definitely recommend with Kaffi Roma if you are as particular (and passionate) as I myself am where it comes to good coffee. Not to mention that occasionally I even get a chance to refresh my Spanish a bit as the cafe in Kringlan is run, or at least managed, by a native Spanish-speaker!

What I would appreciate is if those of you who read this blog take a minute and let us know what your favourite cafe is where you live, and where it is located.  I for one would find that very useful!

Massaging South East Asia

Posted by Erna Eiríksdóttir - 26/10/09 at 09:10:55 am

When traveling in Asia, long flights, hours on trains, more hours on buses, hours on foot while exploring something new, uncomfortable beds and even an upset belly are bound to follow you. A good massage seems to fix all of the world’s problems – the problem is that there are too many of them. The following is a list of the most common massages to have.

Khmer Massage: Your body will be massaged with a body. After changing in to pajamas your tiny masseuse will stretch you in all directions and massage your body with her entire body. For a sore body that needs to be set straight, this massage is terrific. The masseuse frequently puts all her body weight on one spot of your body to help the muscles loosen up. My favorite part of the massage is when the girl sort of kneels on your back and puts her hands under your arms (your hands locked behind your head) and holds your neck. She proceeds to swing you around, slowly at first, until she really cracks it and you think your back is going to break in million pieces. However, you do feel like a million bucks afterwards.

Thai Massage: similar to Khmer massage except you need to participate a bit more. The massage is quite yoga-esque and differs from South to North. In S-Thailand the main focus of the massage is acupressure while in the North stretching is the focal point.

Balinese Massage: a soft aromatherapeutic oil massage from the Indonesian island of Bali. Your muscles are kneaded in a wonderful relaxing with warm, lovely smelling, oil.

Hilot: a therapy from the Philippines. As so many Asian massages it is to relieve sore joints and kneads muscles. But, Hilot is so much more, the technique is often used to reset dislocated shoulders and help with childbirth, amongst others.

Fish Massage: It is exactly what it sounds like. Tiny fishies massage you by eating you, mostly your feet and callus. Tickles a bit and feels a little odd at first, but your freshly eaten and smooth feet will love you for it. You can have fish massage in other parts of the world but this seems to be very popular in the region.

Foot massage: as the name says your feet will be massaged. Sometimes it is infused with reflexology but generally your toes and heels will be very happy campers. Best thing is that most often you get a hand massage, and a short but revitalizing head, neck and back massage too.

Lulur: one of my favorites is this lovely massage and scrub from beautiful Indonesia. Traditionally, brides to be have this treatment for 40 days before their wedding to sweeten and soften their skin. First you are massaged with coconut oil mixed with pandan leaves and cempaka flowers. Followed by a soft scrub made of rice, turmeric, jasmine and sandalwood. To end the treatment is a flower bath filled with aromatic flowers such as frangipani and jasmine along with astringent leaves. During the bath you should drink a liquid remedy called jamu which is made of turmeric, ginger, egg yolk and herbs. After the three steps of Lulur your skin will be rejuvenated and so sweetly scented

A tip for the ladies, they will, most likely, massage your breasts, especially if you have a non-traditional massage and there is no way to stop it in most cases, as the masseuses normally don’t speak English except for a few words.
Unless you go to a spa where the staff knows what they are doing I suggest that you just go with the traditional massage. I’ve had some very interesting massages through out the years in Asia, claiming to be Swedish and whatnot ended up being the same as the traditional but more expensive.

Damascus – a historical wonder

Posted by Júlíana Björnsdóttir - 20/10/09 at 10:10:16 am

When I was 21 years old I had a sense of being invincible! I wanted to experience a proper adventure, and found my solution in an overland trip.  4 months of camping, driving all the way from London to Cairo, and from Nairobi to Cape Town.  The purpose of the trip for me was to get to know the continent I had dreamed of seeing since I was a little five year old, looking at pictures from the dark continent (as Afeica was once called).  I did not want to be staying in hotels away from the nature; I wanted pure exposure to the elements.

Prior to arriving in North Africa, the trip took us through an enchanting part of the world, the Middle East.  Ten days prior to the departure date two planes flew into the World Trade Centre, changing the world as we knew it.  My plan of going to the Middle East certainly concerned my family a great deal, but I was determined to go.  And so I did, along with an equally adventurous friend of mine!

We passed through Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordon, and Egypt.  My favourite city in this part of the world, is without a doubt Damascus.  Damascus is the city in which I felt utterly miserable health-wise but the one city that fascinated me the most.  It is a wonderful city.  Unlike other cities I had visited, the buildings and the narrow streets told a story of a great city; first sign of inhabitation can be dated back as far as 8-10.000 years.

But what I loved the most was the people, the Damascene.  Syrian people are the friendliest I have ever encountered.  Being an olive-skinned brunette I did not feel like an outsider wearing my shawl to cover my hair, a long skirt to cover my legs, and a long-sleeved shirt to cover my arms and middle section.  I remember a conversation I had with a store-owner in the market by the Umayyad Mosque where he asked me why I was not married.  I was not offended in any way, I understood that in their culture that is simply a tradition.  He even offered me tea, and I politely accepted.

But I was not invincible! This city is so remarkable that yours truly, suffering from a nasty case of diarrhea, walked around on a hot day, all covered up, until I had no choice but to go back to the campsite.  Imagine looking for toilet facilities every 15 minutes!  The diarrhea part was my fault, but it was worth it… The street vendors do after all make the best kebab!

Face your fears!

Posted by Júlíana Björnsdóttir - 29/09/09 at 09:09:11 am

Some of my fellow-bloggers have been writing about mountains and mountaineering recently. To me mountaineering is a rather scary activity in which to participate, but about 8 years ago I faced my greatest fear, my fear of altitude.

When I was 21 I signed up for an overland trip for a period of 4 months; the purpose was to expose myself to the great continent of Africa and the Middle East countries.  It was a life-changing experience in more than one way.

I faced my fear of altitude in the most extreme way possible: by doing a bungee of the bridge connecting Zambia and Zimbabwe.  My friend Eva and I had decided to do a tandem-bungee together but she changed her mind to do a trip on a canoe instead.

On the day of my jump, I woke up with a knot in my stomach, I was petrified of what I was about to do but knew in my heart that I had to do this for myself.  I got in the van taking us to the bridge and the no-man’s land separating these two breathtakingly-beautiful countries.

I was accompanied by two other fellow travelers from the truck in which we travelled; they were doing the tandem-jump.

I was to be the first one of us to do the bungee.  I remember my entire body was shaking from fear, and it didn’t get any better when the instructors told me to not look down into the river below me; an impossible task as the rail-platform has an excellent view over the river floating below!  When I was all ready, I found myself overlooking a view to die for, in the distance I saw Vic Falls and the extraordinary miracle of landscape Mother Earth has produced in this remote corner of the world.

I knew the only way to jump was to ask the instructor to push me, and so he did.  That was the best shove anyone has ever given me.  I was afraid for no more than 2 seconds.  There are no words strong enough to explain this feeling of rejoice, and sublimity one experiences during a bungee.  I felt ALIVE!  My screams came from a happy place

Today I have come to terms with my fear of heights and I am proud of myself.  My husband and I are planning to do the tandem next time we travel to Victoria Falls…and this time we might even do the second jump!

HOT spots for Dirty Dancing fans: In memory of Patrick Swayze

Posted by Júlíana Björnsdóttir - 16/09/09 at 09:09:59 am

You don’t need to be born before 1987 to know the name of the greatest love-story ever told, Dirty Dancing.  The 14th of September  2009 was a tragic day for any fan of the movie.  Patrick Swayze passed away after years of battling with pancreatic cancer and the reaction to his death has been one of sadness and sympathy for his family and friends.

Now I am a fair person, and feel obligated to mention that his co-star, Jennifer Grey, did a fantastic job as Baby. Patrick Swayze, as Johnny, said it himself: ´Nobody puts Baby in the corner!´

By now you are asking yourself what an eighties-movie has to do with traveling.  Well, I thought it would be interesting to find out where the film was shot 22 years ago.  When I finally get around to do a road trip around North-America (if not all of America!) I  will be visiting some, if not all, of the locations in which the film was shot.

I went imdb.com to find the answer to my question.  All of the locations are in the United States:

The state of Virginia:

Appalachian region:

Catskill Mountains

Pembroke

Mountain Lake:

Mountain Lake Resort – 115 Hotel Circle

State of North Carolina:

Asheville:

Grove Park Inn – 290 Macon Avenue, Asheville

Lure Woods, Lake Lure:

Rutherford County

I was not able to find decent information on some of these locations but I hope these links are good enough links to start with.  You might even work out where your favorite scene was filmed…

I  do realize some of you are of the opinion Dirty Dancing was just another crappy ‘chick-flick’ and that’s fine with me.  Even if you are not a fan of the movie, some of these places seem well worth a visit.

Personally, I can’t wait for the road trip á-la-Dirty Dancing!

How safe is flying actually?

Posted by Tihomir Rangelov - 24/07/09 at 08:07:30 am

You cannot have missed the horrible news of an Air France Airbus A330 crashing into the Atlantic. Once in a while news of air crashes like that shake the world and combined with the general fear of flying which resides in many of us, it might make some people feel more like driving next time. So how safe is flying actually?

Most people have been involved in some kind of car accident. Most of these end up with a scratch on the car or even less often a minor scratch on a person. If, for some reason, an aircraft “bumps” into another aircraft or the ground though, that more often leads to substantial loss of life. This is one reason why many people are afraid of flying but the statistics draw a totally different picture.

According to the US transportation safety authorities, 100 million miles of driving results in the death of 0.94 (almost one) people, while train travelling costs the lives of 0.04 people and flying takes 0.01 deaths per 100 million miles travelled. This means that flying is basically more or less almost 100 times safer than driving. Each year air travel is responsible for 1,000 deaths worldwide on average, while last year 43,000 people died in car crashes in the USA alone. Car crashes however hardly ever make it further than the local news, while plane crashes always do.

Even birds, which are born with the perfect flying technology, do not seem to be as safe as we are up there. According to ornithologist reports, tens of thousands of birds die each year only because of hitting windows in flight.

So it looks like you will be even safer than birds, not to mention drivers, next time you fly. So hop onto dohop.com and pick up the best fare for the flight that best suits you. It will most probably end up cheaper than driving and the marvelous view from the skies is complimentary.

New Low Cost Airline for the Pacific

Posted by Eliza - 08/05/09 at 03:05:04 pm

Low cost carrier V Australia was founded in back in 2007. The “V” stands for “Virgin” of course, and airline mogul Sir Richard Branson has added his entrepreneurial touch to this latest endeavour too. (Sir Richard’s Virgin airline chain also includes Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Blue and Virgin America.)

The latest endeavour is the launch in late February of V Australia services between Sydney and Los Angeles.

During the global recession, low cost carriers are being seen as increasing attractive options for flights, even in for major long-haul journeys like this. Perhaps the new route will even be enough to encourage the Americans to adopt the “gap year” trend British youths have so enthusiastically adopted….

More low cost sun routes for Canadians

Posted by Eliza - 06/05/09 at 09:05:44 am

The daffodils may be sprouting again in parts of Europe, but across the pond, Canada remains firmly in the clutches of winter. But good news for Canucks looking to escape the sleet and snow. Canadian low cost carrier WestJet has expanded its schedule (admittedly mostly for the summer routes, but even looking forward to a warm summer vacation helps combat winter blues) to connect major Canadian gateways (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal) to popular destinations in Florida, the Dominican Republic and Mexico.

WestJet remains a popular airline in Canada. In an article on the expanded schedule, WestJet Executive Vice-President Bob Cummings was quoted as saying: “Guests have embraced the fact that they can check a second bag for free, enjoy live seat back TV, and stretch their legs in comfy leather seats, especially on longer flights to sun destinations.”

Head on over to Dohop.com to find cheap flights and nice hotels for an ideal summer vacation.

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