Tagged With "Encompass Africa"
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Re: Nov. 12, 2016: Memorial to Women of WW II, London
The Cenotaph in London is a remembrance of all the war dead from all the British Empire. Canada, India, Australia, South Africa and many more. They all send servicemen to represent their own countries in a march past. Did you know that Belgium has a parade of armed soldiers at the London Cenotaph too ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT6ChvVoPNQ
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Re: Top 10 Most Beautiful Gardens In The World
Any such list would be contentious, of course. However, this one doesn't contain a single garden in Africa and this, in my opinion, is a serious omission. The Majorelle Garden in Marrakesh and the Kirstenbosch Gardens in Cape Town would be obvious contenders. There are also many more fantastic gardens in Asia - e.g. the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
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Re: St Stephen's Green, Dublin. (Where Gumbo was #137)
I have to admit that the first clue reminded me, in succession, of a spot in Parc des Buttes-Chaumont in Paris, of Prospect Park in Brooklyn and of Frogness Park in Oslo...it was only when the clues got more specific that I could rule them out, and only when the Fusiliers Arch appeared and I could search its text that I could find the answer. That arch, by the way, provoked a lot of controversy when erected in 1907; it memorializes a regiment in England's colonial war against the Dutch Boers...
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Re: On Safari in Africa -- wildlife gallery
Great photo's DrF. !! How close to the animals do you get ? Did you need plenty of zoom on the camera ? Me and the family always had health problems while I'm in Africa. Were you OK ?
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Re: On Safari in Africa -- wildlife gallery
Thank you for your comments PortMoresby and GarryRF!. Yes, we got quite close to the animals Garry, although you definitely need to have a telephoto lens and best to have a camera with a quick shutter speed. I used my digital SLR on these and shot photos in bursts of 5-6, picking out the one I like best. You need to be very careful about where you eat in Africa, maybe more so than in most places. But we traveled with a quality safari outfit (And Beyond), which not only prepared great meals,...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day: Jan. 16, 2014: Liverpool Victoria Gallery
My favourite time to visit attractions is May-June-July. Before the little monsters are released on school vacation. Liverpool has hundreds of things to do - no exaggeration ! Here's 128 to go on with http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/A...seyside_England.html Liverpool makes a good hub for visiting nearby Chester with its 2,000 year old Roman Walls and Tudor Buildings. The River Dee and North Wales. All using local public transport - mostly trains. You can get a flight, Liverpool - Dublin from...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
England is only as big as Florida ! I haven't seen a Guide book that sub-divides us! Wales is full of Castles, Mountains and Lakes. Tourists often divide England between the North and South. The North is often cooler and wetter than further South. But your Dollar will go twice as far up here in the North! And we're much friendlier. Have a look at places you'd like to visit. York (the old one) will keep you busy for 2 days. Train or Bus from Liverpool. Or a day or two in Europe from Liverpool...
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Re: Turkey, Tunisia, Egypt seeing visitors again
The Canary Isles are an all year Spanish hot spot - located off the coast of Africa. Perfect for a Christmas Vacation too !
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Re: A Culinary Adventure in Portugal
Sagres and Superbock Beer are a Portuguese favourite. I always have a supply in the fridge. For drinks after dinner I prefer a Mateus Rose Wine. Strong in alcohol content - sparkling and not dry. Portugal has an all year warm climate as the prevailing winds come up from North Africa and the Sahara Desert.
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Re: Punalu'u Black Sand Beach Park, Hawaii Island, Hawaii
You'd love the Canary Isles. Volcanic islands off the north west cost of Africa. Its a winter hotspot where the islands belong to Spain. Its party time all year and a favourite with the younger set. Its famous on Tenerife for young men to drive up Mount Teide in winter and collect snow from the peak in Cooler Boxes. Drive back down to the 77'f / 25'c beaches and throw snowballs at the topless sunbathers. Might be a bit too much for non-Europeans !!
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Re: Beating Jet Lag
Some people claim the newer generations of jet-liners, like the Boeing 787, will reduce jet lag because they allow higher humidity in the cabin and higher air pressure (more oxygen). In fact that was discussed right here on a TravelGumbo during an interview with Norwegian Air . A few more points. I try not to have more than one or two connections on any flight, especially on overseas trips (for people traveling from small cities, this can be challenging). I find the fatigue factor clouds my...
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Re: How do you use the internet while traveling?
I have not been to Japan, but generally my travel experience with internet access has been much more positive than yours. I've generally had good luck with getting on line in Europe, South America and even Southern Africa. Once in a while the internet might be down at a place I'm staying at, but usually it's quickly repaired. Exceptions to this are very rural areas, like in Patagonia and where I'm heading next week, Yellowstone National Park. There is really not internet available at most...
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Re: Florida warned: take action against future flooding
Climate change "experts" are saying that: "Antarctica’s massive stores of ice are likely to melt as the planet warms and contribute ever greater amounts of water to the world’s oceans." But the facts are: "The winter ice around the southern continent has been growing relatively constantly since records began in 1979. The US National Snow and Ice Data Centre, which monitors sea ice using satellite data, say that the year’s maximum was 1.54m sq km (595,000 sq miles) above the 1981-2010...
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Re: Florida warned: take action against future flooding
Garry, aside from the fact that climate change involves far more than the question of polar ice caps, we're not in huge disagreement, I think. 1. Climate change is a more accurate term than global warming, because it's not all about warming, and in some cases the change brings colder rather than warmer. 2. The effects are not the same everywhere, nor are they always immediately harmful. It is possible for one area to be threatened with inundation while another benefits from a return of...
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Re: Franschhoek Motor Museum, South Africa
South Africa is a country that constantly challenges your expectations. There seems to be a lot of interest in classic cars, at least in the Western Cape. This is another car museum. I must admit that it did not look too promising when we arrived (see first photo), but there were quite a few gems if you cared to look for them (as illustrated below).
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Re: Franschhoek Motor Museum, South Africa
I can see a 60s Ford Capri on the right - Europe's answer to the Mustang !
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Re: Exploring Liverpool's 300 years as a port
Another one of Liverpool's great museums with free entrance! I learned a lot about slavery from that museum and later from GarryRF as he showed me some more sights in town . When I was in Charleston, SC, I asked at the Slavery museum if they had any slaves coming to Charleston that had a Liverpool connection. I was basically made fun of for asking the question. The worker was totally unaware of the Triangular Trade that Liverpool was doing. The BBC describes it: "In Liverpool ships were...
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Re: Around the World in a Day with Coca-Cola
Thanks Samantha! The Taste It Sampling Bar was by far the highlight for me too. I enjoyed the sodas from Africa the best. The Downtown location of the museum is great. The Georgia Aquarium is across from it, the Civil and Human Rights Museum is behind it and on the other side of the street is Centennial Olympic Park. Not to mention you're only a few blocks away from one of the great hamburger and hot dog drive-in's, 'The Varsity' .
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Re: Sahara beats French ski resorts for snowfall
Most of our fresh winter produce ( lettuce - tomato - aubergine - grapes ) comes from North Africa. The stores have few supplies left in the UK.
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UrbanwalkerCT
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Re: Need help planning Morocco trip
February is probably not what I would have chosen, either, but it's when my wife has the time. PortMoresby, I'm not sure about arrival; I'm trying to balance the higher cost of flying right in with what seems to be multiple connections at cheaper rates. I haven't really looked to see what I could get in cheap Europe-Morocco fares if I can get an award flight to Europe. Casablanca looks cheapest so far, about $200 less than Marrakech, but that's not too important if Casablanca's the wrong...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, November 1, 2014: Marsaxlokk
Malta is less than 200 miles from the coast of Africa. It has a winter climate that is absolutely perfect. Its summer climate can be extremely hot. Christmas in Malta is amazing. The locals wearing their furs and heavy coats. And its still between 70 and 80f !
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, July 24, 2014: Floral Clock, Niagara Parkway, Ontario
Outside Pietermaritzburg City Hall, South Africa is a Naval gun from the British Royal Navy Ship HMS Fawn. After the ship ran aground in 1850 the gun was relocated to its current location. It was fired to announce 1 O'clock to the surrounding town. A visiting dignitary asked how the time was kept to ensure its accuracy. "We have a telescope that looks into the local clockmakers shop. He has a 100 year old Belgian clock in the window that is famous for keeping perfect time" So the wealthy...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, July 29, 2014. Shira Plateau, Tanzania
Garry -- that's like saying stay at home with the kids and play in their kiddy pool instead of taking them to see the ocean. It was a hard but most fascinating trip. Standing on the roof of Africa, watching the sun rise above the clouds (which are thousands of feet below you) is an experience I'll never forget! But having done it once, I'm not going back anytime soon.
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All the Tea In...Charleston?
Tea gardens, as the farms are traditionally known, no matter the size, have been seducing me for over a decade. In Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces of China, Himachal Pradesh and Darjeeling in Himalayan India, in the Cameron Highlands of...
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Lonely Planet's Best Bang for Your Buck in 2015
While some of the destinations they include will be no surprise to the well-traveled group here on Travel Gumbo, I was interested in some of the places mentioned. Samoa, for instance, I wouldn't have expected, or South Africa. And I'd...
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Films that affected your Travel destinations
Conde Naste posted a nice piece on 50 films that most influenced travel, which you can find here. As a kid growing up on the Canadian prairies, I do recall films helping open my eyes to the great world out there. Several come immediately to...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov. 13, 2013: Jeronimos Monastery
Sunlight and shade highlight the complex carving of this stonework at the Monastery of Jeronimos at Belem, in Lisbon. This late-Gothic style is called Manueline, after King Manuel I. It’s marked by ornate stonework, often including maritime...
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The Living Desert Wildlife and Botanical Park, Palm Desert
Palm Desert's LIVING DESERT offers a place to see several desert ecosystems, as well as an interesting assortment of animals from the Americas and Africa.
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Monterey Bay Aquarium: Oceans Apart
Located directly on the Monterey Bay just south of Santa Cruz is a sprawling complex of nearly 200 exhibits of more than 550 species in a 2 storey building nearly 30 years old: the Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA). Started in 1978, and open to the...
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A Place of Fairy Tales & Magic – The Biltmore Estate
By JP Chartier NUZZLED SNUGLY, DEEP WITHIN THE PISGAH NATIONAL FOREST AND ENCIRCLED BY MOUNTAINS THAT BREATHE BLUE SMOKE IS WHERE YOU CAN FIND THIS PLACE OF FAIRY TALES AND MAGIC. The opulent and somewhat imposing French Renaissance,...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Feb. 15, 2015: Sweetgrass Baskets
Among the many traditions of the Lowcountry around Charleston SC few are as fascinating or as rich in history as basketweaving using sweetgrass—native bulrush. These baskets are displayed for sale by their makers on the steps of the...
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Magnolia Plantation: Beautiful but Complicated
This story started out simple: A visit to a beautiful riverside plantation, renowned for its centuries-old formal gardens. But the past is usually not so simple, and in this instance involves not only the ugly story of the slavery that made...
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Delta's Cutting International Seats. Will United and American Follow?
Delta is cutting seats for their international routes next winter by 3 percent. A strong dollar and regions that are feeling the decline in oil prices are the markets mainly affected. Service to Africa, Brazil ,India,Japan and the Middle East are...
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Visiting Sicily: An introductory overview
Travel guru Rick Steves likes to say (and I'm paraphrasing) that Italy either gets better or worse as you head south from Rome, depending on what you like. If you like a quieter people, trains running almost on time, etc. head...
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Trinidad de Cuba
Trinidad de Cuba seems frozen in time. That was my immediate reaction on arrival. That was my leaving thought after exploring it for a week too. It's difficult not to fall in love with such a enchanting and unique city especially after experiencing a...
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Spain's 'killer lake' to be disarmed
Carbon dioxide trapped in water at an abandoned mine site has the potential to erupt and replace oxygen, killing hundreds. Help is on the way.