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If travel leaves you frazzled, maybe it’s time for an attitude check! Some things will undoubtedly not go the way you planned – but if you pay attention, it’s easy to enjoy things you didn’t even plan for.

One way to minimize the frustration and maximize the pleasure is through good planning. As someone who spends 80% of my time on the road, here are some tricks of the trade I’ve learned.

Packing Choose your luggage carefully. Some is heavy before you even start packing. Lifting a roller bag over your head after you’ve packed it can require a weight lifter. (Consider putting your laptop or heavy books in an outside pocket that you can take out before you put it in the overhead.)

What to pack in your carry-on bag (not to exceed 22×14x10 for most domestic airlines)

Tickets Medications Camera & film Itineray Extra glsses, sunglasses Address book Valuable jewelry Snacks Change of underwear Reading material Basic toiletries/make-up Wallet with cash & minimum number of credit/ATM cards

We often hear “less is more” – and certainly that is the case when you’re on the road. According to Consumer Reports 8% of passengers who check luggage report something lost or stolen, so if you can’t afford to lose it, don’t check it.

If looking good when you get there is important, wearing something that travels well and is still suitable for the occasion will save valuable luggage space, and if bag is lost, you can go “as is.”

Clothing:

Exercise clothing? (equipment)

If you’re going to be in the same hotel for several days, consider sending ahead bulky items, such as exercise clothes or reading material, to arrive before you do. (If you require a signature on the recipient end, you can easily trace the package when you arrive if necessary.)

Choose clothes with lots of flexibility – for example: Flattering slacks to wear with a casual sweater during the day or a dressy jacket for evening. Clothing that can be layered for warmth Dark clothing won’t show spots and can be worn longer Pick one basic color and choose everything else to match

Put clothes in drycleaning bag to minimize wrinkles Hang in hotel show room to steam out wrinkles Roll up socks and underwear and tuck into corners or in shoes Get travel sizes of toiletry items. Carry them in a hanging bag with clear plastic dividers so you can see in a moment’s notice what’s missing. If you travel frequently, always keep this bag packed and ready to go.

The most important thing to take when you travel is a good attitude. Spend less time fretting about the frustrations, and more time enjoying the opportunities, such as a time to read without interruption or a fabulous meal at a local restaurant. Keep your sense of humor and happy traveling!

Rental Cars

Hard to remember: rent same color everytime (white is easy to see) – put something in rear window for identification, such as one of your business brochures)

Go to the rental car counter before picking up bags (consider frequent traveler rental programs)

Find a type of car you like and stick with it. Innocuous looking – less likely to attrack attention of theves; on the other hand, a sporty convertible may make life more fun. Choice.

For foreign travel:

Passport Extra film Traveler’s checks A little local currency (Make copies of your tickets, passport — ID page & visa pages, credit cards, itinerary, prescriptions. Pack one in your suitcase and leave one with a friend.)

Jetlag

Abstain from alcohol and drink lots of water instead When you buckle up, set watch to local time at arrival destination Stretch frequently to increase circulation d reduce muscle stiffness Maintain a good diet Relax – shower/swim/walk

Items you may want to take:

Take First Aid Guide Spot Remover – White soap/toothbrush Dental Floss – good for tieing! Film Holders are leak proof Twisty tie – for replacing buttons Scotch tape – hem, lint remover If you like to sleep in dark room, take clip (potato chip or binder clip) for holding curtains together. Water bottle for flight(trade-off: weight versus comfort)

Dealing with Airlines:

Getting seat you want: no window or aisle seats open, ask the ticket agent for a middle seat between two passengers with the same last name. Couples often book aisle and window, hopin that center will go unclaims, and they’ll trade.

Any flight delay entitles you to a refund, even on a nonrefundable ticket. Airline won’t provide hotel – ask hotel for “distressed traveler rate.” No room at the inn? Ask gate agent for airline pillows and blankets. (Join frequent traveler club – charged it to my client as hotel room!)

According to latest statistics, 99.5) of checked bags get to right airport at right time. Of the .5 percent classified as “mishandled”, 8 out of 10 are returned to their owners within 24 hours. (Always put identification INSIDE bag in case outside tags are torn off.)

Mantra: “May I speak to your supervisor?”

www.unclaimedbaggage.com

Traveling with your PC?

Hide your PC in a bag that doesn’t resemble a laptop carrying case. Never keep passwords or access phone number on the machine or in the case. In hotel rooms, use cable locks to attach to stationery furniture, or store in safe – be sure to log off! Don’t check your laptop or store in overhead luggage compartment Back up your data frequently, and store separately from your laptop. Keep your laptop in view at all times when going through security. Security always involves a trade-off between protection and convenience – how valuable is your information?

Back up data via the Web using services such as US West-e-Backup (www.uswest.com/ebackup)

The time to control travel is before you leave; when you’re on your way, flexibility is the key to survival!

© Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger’s Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com

Ireland is a fantastically beautiful country, and is best seen from a car. Renting a car in Dublin or elsewhere in Ireland will give you the flexibility and comfort that will make your trip to Ireland even better than it would have been.

A car rental in Dublin itself can be rather pricey, so it is always best to research deals on the internet before you go. The internet will give you all the options available, if you know where to look. Booking in advance will also give you the peace of mind that you already have a car reserved, and don’t have to worry if whatever car rental location you end up at will have a car for you.

Nova Car Hire, based in Killorglin, County Kerry, Ireland, is an agent for Alamo, Budget, European, and National car rental companies, and can offer greatly discounted rates to renters. They can be found online at http://www.rentacar-ireland.com.

I did a quick comparison of online quotes from Nova Car Hire and Hertz on a compact sedan. What came up on Nova was a Ford Focus and an Open Astra. I did a 20-day rental during high season. The Focus showed a savings of over 58% at Nova as compared to Hertz. That’s a significant savings ($745 over the 20 day period).

However, the Opel Astra was 79% higher at Nova as compared to Hertz. That’s going to cost you an extra $1,150 to rent the car.

There are two major lessons here:
First, do your research and get all the online quotes you can get. Prices vary greatly with availability of inventory, demand, and more. Try renting from different pickup locations, not just the airport. Look for deals and they can still be found.

The second lesson here is that it can be difficult to compare apples to oranges, as we say in the USA. Case in point, one of the reasons the Astra was so much higher at Nova was because that was for an automatic transmission vehicle, compared to a manual transmission Astra without air conditioning at Hertz. Same with the Ford Focus, it was manual at Nova and automatic at Hertz.

Shop around the internet and you will find the right deal for you. Book your reservation in advance to get the best deals, but check again just before you go to see if there are any better short-term deals.

The beauty is this can all be done over the internet. Find your best rental car deal now!

The native Catalan architect certainly left his mark on this great city and a visit to Barcelona wouldn’t be complete without taking in some of his greatest works. An architect seemingly without contemporaries, Gaudi’s free-flowing post modern creations were decades ahead of his time. The world has taken note of Gaudi and this is reflected in the fact that the properties mentioned below are all UNESCO world heritage sites.

La Pedrera

The real name for this building is in fact, Casa Mila – La Pedrera is a nickname and means “the quarry” in Catalan. When Gaudi built this residence between 1905 and 1907 most Catalan’s at the time lambasted the architect for defacing the city’s skyline, hence the derogatory moniker. Today none of these negative connotations remain and, indeed, city residents view it as one of their proudest landmarks. Standing on the Passeig de Gracia the building does not contain one single straight line, instead following a wave-like, organic form. Highlights include the wild and wonderful wrought iron balconies and the rooftop with its wonderfully original chimney stacks.

Casa Batllo

Gaudi was commissioned to refurbish this building by the owner, Josep Batllo. Taking this brief Gaudi embarked on one of his most daring and easily recognisable designs as he completely transformed the old building. His radical design showed equal disregard for the straight line and he added bone-like balconies and used the “trencadis” technique of using shards of broken tiles to create a shimmering mosaic of colour on the faade, reminiscent of the nearby ocean (a recurrent theme in Gaudi’s work). All of this combined to lend the building a fluid quality. The arched roof has been likened to the back of a dragon and some theorise that the turret and cross, which extend from the roof of the building, are said to represent the sword of St George, plunged into the back of the dragon. Casa Batllo is located close to La Pedrera on the Passeig de Gracia.

Park Guell

Gaudi’s surreal garden complex is located in the Gracia district of the city as well. Originally intended as part of a commercial housing site, the project never came to full fruition due to the financial downturn in the city. Despite this, Park Guell is still one of Gaudi’s most magical creations and displays his versatility. Undulating, organic shapes abound, decorated with the colourful “trencadis” technique – what amazes here is that his designs seem to mould into the natural topography of the landscape. The most famous part of the Park is the distinctive main terrace with its long mosaic benches and the sea-serpent feature, colourfully adorned with shimmering shards of tile. Gaudi’s house, which can be visited within the otherwise free Park for a small cost, exhibits furniture designed by the great man and is worth checking out if you’re a fan of the enigmatic architect.

Sagrada Familia

Without doubt Gaudi’s “magnum opus”, the Sagrada Familia was to be the architect’s unfinished masterpiece. Gaudi took charge of the project in 1885 and continued working on it, even living on site in his latter years, right up until his death over forty years later. A massive project to undertake, Gaudi intended it to be a monument to 20th century architecture with sixteen towers representing the twelve apostles, the four evangelists, the virgin Mary and Christ; the latter was due to tower 170 metres above the city. Tragedy struck in 1926 when Gaudi was run down by a streetcar and killed, halting his work on the project. A further setback struck in 1936 when a fire caused by Civil War bombings claimed his notes, designs and models. Today, over 120 years after the first brick was laid, building continues. The direction that it is to take has been subject to much debate and controversy but Barcelona, and the world, hopes that soon we’ll be able to see the masterpiece finished. There could be no better tribute to one of Catalonia’s favourite sons.

Thousands of golfers flock to the Carolinas each spring and fall to enjoy some of the greatest golf courses in the country, and booking a golf package in Myrtle Beach is one of the best ways to experience what the area has to offer to devoted fans of the sport.

Purchasing a golf package in Myrtle Beach not only provides visitors with great opportunities for golfing but can also make available the finest in first-class accommodations, great meals, and a chance to hear some of the area’s best entertainment.

A number of golf packages may be booked through the town’s many resorts. While some resorts limit the number of area courses from which visitors can choose, many offer the full gamut of nearly 100 courses in the Myrtle Beach area, in conjunction with accommodations at the resort and the other amenities and activities available on the premises. Such resort-based Myrtle Beach golf packages often include reduced-rate accommodations and meals as compared to the cost of booking only a room at that particular resort during a golf vacation in Myrtle Beach.

Many golfers choose to book their golf package in Myrtle Beach through companies that are experts in the area’s golfing resources. Such companies usually offer packages at any of the areas fine courses so there are plenty of choices and visitors needn’t repeat the same courses year after year, if they so choose.

Golfers may want to play on the courses of North Myrtle Beach during one season, come back and experience the links of the south part of the Grand Strand the following season, and return the next year to enjoy the courses on South Carolina’s Brunswick Isles like Bald Head Island. The choices are plentiful and experts can help golfers choose the courses that are right for their skill level, ensuring an enjoyable game.

Packages such as these may include beachfront accommodations but quite often offer lodging at golf villas, condos, or hotels located on the grounds of a chosen golf course. Such accommodations offer close proximity to the golfer’s favorite activity, meaning that they’ll be able to take advantage of each and every moment on the links without having to travel a distance to play each day.

Many golf package accommodations include fully-equipped kitchens and visitors may also take advantage of the other activities and amenities available onsite, such as tennis, swimming, fitness centers, and fine restaurant meals.

When visitors book a golf package in Myrtle Beach, they’ll have the opportunity to choose all features that will make their golf vacation the perfect one for them, whether they’ve been playing the sport for years or are new at the game, having just recognized the tons of fun involved in being a golfer.

About the Author

Gregg Gillies is a freelance writer and long time Myrtle Beach lover. Check out his new site, http://www.myrtle-beach-guide.com

When you live in a holiday resort like Marbella,
you get used to watching an endless stream of holidaymakers with the last-day blues,
solemnly wheeling their suitcases past the swimming pool, taking in a last view of
the sea, before embarking on that dreaded journey to the airport.

“I hate this moment,” sighs Mary Foster from Bristol as she hauls her bags out of
her seaview apartment on Marbella’s Golden Mile. “It’s always such a horrible feeling
having to leave all of this,” she says, wistfully casting an eye across the palm trees.

Mary only has six weeks to go though before she comes back again. Apart from other
obvious benefits such as being able to escape when the black skies of August at home
look disturbingly like winter, owning a bolthole in Spain is a great way to avoid
that awful final-day-of-holiday feeling that you’ll never return.

Along with some 600,000 British buyers so far, with a further half a million predicted
to do so in the next five years – Mary has bought a holiday home in Spain which she
visits several times a year, sometimes for as long as six weeks each time, and with
different combinations of friends, offspring, grandchildren or on her own.

“We can get here so cheaply and easily on low-cost flights that we can come out here
regularly,” says Mary. “And each time we come we bump into lots of people we know
who are doing the same thing, so you end up with a whole new set of friends in a different
country.”

Shaun Powell, managing director of Lighthouse, a company which finds holiday homes
for foreign buyers by working with a network of ethical estate agents in Spain, comments:
“In the past, we went en masse to Spain to spend our annual cheap fortnight in the
sun. Now we are still going there in equally large numbers but as home-owners not
package tourists. “Spain is by far the number one destination for British second-home
buyers,” Powell adds, “and two thirds of them choose to buy on the Costa
del Sol or Costa
Blanca because these coasts have an excellent year-round climate, good infrastructure
and established expat communities.”

Sometimes, however, a lack of local knowledge and expertise in buying property in
a country with a different culture, language and legal system can see buyers falling
foul of disreputable agents, developers or negligent lawyers for whom sudden price
changes, selling illegal properties or promising unrealistic returns on off-plan
investments are daily practices.

This is why Lighthouse was set up, to provide its customers with a protected environment
in which they can be reassured that they are dealing only with trustworthy parties.

“Our network of 100 agents currently spans the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca, with Almeria, Mallorca and Costa
de La Luz to follow,” says Shaun Powell.

“All of our member agents must work according to the network’s strictly-enforced code
of ethics, rules and regulations. If they don’t, they are expelled from the network,
which is highly damaging to their business, and there is an arbitration process to
resolve matters for the customer,” Powell adds.

Holiday homes need not only be by the beach, of course. Lighthouse has a database
of nearly 10,000 properties, which range from rustic 30,000-euro ruins to 15-million
euro villas, and many customers express an interest in buying an inland
property in need of renovation.

Toms Mazn, Professor in the Sociology of Tourism at Alicante University
who is researching the impact of residential tourism in the Alicante province, says:
“There is a shift inland among foreign second home buyers who want to live in small,
less developed villages with a higher quality of life, but which are well connected
to the coast by motorways.”

As part of his research, Mazn recently interviewed 1,000 foreign home owners who
spend at least six months a year in the province; 93% said they came for the climate
while 64% said they enjoy a better quality of life in Spain than in their own country.
Most had visited the area for years as tourists before buying.

“The whole of the Costa Blanca from Denia to Torrevieja is
seeing the phenomenon of foreign buyers, and second-line towns such as Rojales and
San Miguel de Salinas are seeing frenetic activity – as are almost all of the villages
in the Bajo Segura area where there are plans to build 160,000 tourist homes and nine
new golf courses,” says Mazn.

Shaun Powell agrees that buyers are increasingly looking to cheaper areas in the East
of Spain. “The average property price on the Costa
del Sol is 300,000 euros as prices there have risen considerably over the past
few years, so many buyers are either starting to look inland or are considering areas
where you can buy more for your money such as southern Costa Blanca around Murcia,
and Almeria where there is still a wide range of options for 100,000 euros. And you
have the added benefit of being able to rent out the property to cover your mortgage,”
he says.

Despite rising property prices in Spain due to high demand from foreign buyers, an
unprecedented number of British people can now afford a holiday home overseas, Powell
claims. “We estimate that buying a home abroad is now financially feasible for five
million British people, which would have been unimaginable 10 years ago.

“Many people release equity from their UK properties or benefit from higher disposable
income or inheritance sums to invest in a Spanish
property.”

Tony Gatehouse, Chairman of Medsea Estates, one of the largest estate agents in Costa
Blanca and the only AIM-listed property company, has worked in real estate on the
coast for 20 years and reports that residential tourist numbers are now booming.

“In the next decade, about 2.3 million British people over 50 will retire abroad and
the vast majority will choose Spain,” says Gatehouse, who comments that alongside
the constant demand among those planning their retirement, there is a growing trend
for younger people to live and work in Spain, which is opening up new areas of interest.
“We are seeing increasing demand away from our original market around Torrevieja in
favour of the north, towards Valencia, and south around Murcia.”

So, bear all this in mind next time you are forlornly packing your bags and preparing
to say goodbye to Spain. Remember, it doesn’t have to be adis…

About the Author

Zoe Dare Hall is the Communications Manager for Lighthouse Spain, a unique service aimed at taking the risk and stress our of buying a property in Spain.

Angola: The Facts

Angola is a country in south west Africa
Borders the countries of Namibia, Zambia, and Congo. Angola also borders the Atlantic Ocean off the west coat and with a west coast along the Atlantic Ocean.
Angola has plenty of natural resources; the most common being oil and diamonds.
Capital city is Luanda, which is also the largest city
Official language is Portuguese
Total area – 1,246,700 km
Population – 10,978,552 (ranked 71 in the world for size)
Angola is a former portuguese colony
Angola is divided into 18 provinces: 1 Bengo, Benguela, Bia, Cabinda, Cuando Cubango, Cuanza Norte, Cuanza Sul, Cunene, Huambo, Huila, Luanda, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, Malanje, Moxico, Namibe, Uige, Zaire</li>
Angola has three main ethnic groups, each speaking a Bantu language: Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, and Bakongo 13%.
The great majority of the inhabitants are of Bantu stock with some admixture in the Congo district.
In the coast towns the majority of the white inhabitants are Portuguese.
The Mushi-Kongo and other divisions of the Ba-Kongo retain curious traces of the Christianity professed by them in the 16th and 17th centuries and possibly later.

Feel free to reprint this article as long as you keep the following caption and author biography in tact with all hyperlinks.
About the Author

Ryan Fyfe is the owner and operator of Pixibot. Which is a great web directory and information center for information on all types of topics.

The World Cup in Germany this summer is se tot be not only the biggest sporting event of the decade but also the biggest tourist draw in Europe this year. Berlin will be the centrepiece for this celebration of the beautiful game hosting the final and, as capital of Germany, the main host for the festivities.

Although the influx of tourists is set to be huge, Berlin is well geared up for the opening of the tournament. As one of Europe’s most popular city break destinations and the host for major annual events such as the Love Parade, Berlin is well used to throwing a party. Accommodation however will be thin on the ground in Berlin and anyone looking for a late deal will be struggling to find anything within the parameters of Berlin itself but some of the major hotel booking resellers may have some late availability on the outskirts of the city or surrounding towns.

For true football fans getting around Germany during the World Cup might be a troublesome affair. Although Germany has one of the most efficient public transport systems in the world, it is also the largest country in Europe and with the 12 host cities spread throughout the land mass, the transport system is set to be bursting at the seams. Renting a car might be the best option for those looking to explore further than Berlin or to use the capital as a base for following their teams’ fortunes in the tournament. Most of the major car rental firms have a presence in the city and the road network in the city itself and throughout the host cities makes car hire in Berlin and for World cup 2006 a valid option.

Berlin has garnered a reputation as a cultural and party capital since reunification in 1990. A steady influx of short break tourists have ensured that the city has the facilities and tourist infrastructure that one would expect of a major European city and Berlin certainly does not disappoint. There are some interesting towns surrounding the capital and for those exploring the region by car the contrast between east and west although eroded over the last 16 years is still just visible.

About the Author:

Michael Hanna is a keen writer, and internet marketer living in Scotland.

Contact details:
E-mail: samqam@googlemail.com
Phone: 0131 561 2251
Michael’s Website: Taxi Belfast Airport

The Katrina hurricane, the Central America tropical storms and their lethal effects, the intense drought in the Amazon basin with abnormal and not entirely known consequences… The gods of nature seem angry with the Americans. America is under pressure.

Perhaps we should remember some radical words expressed by an eminent climatologist, some years ago: Climate is an unpredictable wild beast, and we are poking at it with sticks (W. Broecker).

I am not trying to suggest that all those natural catastrophes are just a direct consequence of man’s action. But who dares to say that there is no connection? Who dares to say that the infuriated El Nino and all these disasters have nothing to do with modern civilization and their impact on natural eco-systems?

Who dares to say that the destruction of the Amazon forest has nothing to do with what is happening?

Paul Lefebvre, a researcher running a monitoring station in the Amazon, says that the ocean waters in the North Atlantic are warmer than usual, which tends to encourage evaporation, creating storm conditions towards the south of the United States and Central America. And that this warming also sets up high pressure systems further south, in regions such as the Amazon, causing less clouds and providing less rainwater…

More: in future terms, present drought in the Amazon can reduce substantially the growth of trees, which may prevent the forest’s ability to soak up the carbon dioxide that our cars and industry send to the atmosphere. Something that can intensify climate change; Amazon can become part of the problem of climate change, instead of part of the solution.

Unfortunately, the international press and political powers are not picking up and reporting the problem in its true dimension. The ways these issues are presented, are clearly sketchy.

The International press reproduced the words of President Lula of Brazil, about the calamitous Amazon drought. But… what about the regular destruction of the forest? And the causes of the waters warming in the north Atlantic?

In the case of the Amazon, we tend to forget that there are daily fires in the big forest. That Amazon continues to be deforested at a steady pace. Every day, even outside the burning season, fire envelops the jungle. Everyday, a piece of the Amazon disappears. And that isn’t sufficiently contested or publicized. And, still less, its impact in other natural disasters is normally omitted.

The Press report only the spectacular and sensational to satisfy consumer demand. Hidden causes are regularly forgotten. Without famous celebrities stressing the source of our evils, we tend to forget them. And, unfortunately, the Amazon rainforest has no more a Chico Mendes hero.

Eduardo Reisinho publishes Brazil-Travel-Guide.com

(Brazil Travel Guide), a website where you can look for more information about the Amazon rainforest, and other themes and travel information involving Brazil.