One of the most unforgettable moments in our life is to go for vacation and travel especially in places of our dream to visit. However, this does not happen oftentimes because we usually spend lots of money during travel– like air fare.

The good thing is, with the Internet, it is now quite easy to find discounted air fare which is offered by lots of airline companies. Whether you will search for “cheap flights to ireland ”, “cheap airfare to london ” or “cheap international plane tickets ”, you will surely find information in the internet about this as many airline companies are moviing online for promotions.

If you are not that aware of the sites that give this offer, you can search them through the help of search engines. All you need to do is to type keywords like ““cheap flights to london” , “cheap airfare tickets to hawaii”, or “cheap international air tickets” and it will generates number of websites which are ranked according to the relevance of the information to your search. You can check them one by one.

Here are more information about cheap airfare you may want to know:

Sources of cheap airfare are not restricted to airlines alone. While you can call up airline companies and ask them if they have cheap airfare, you can also obtain for the same information through sources such as the Internet. Airfare sources are varied and vast and it is up to you to find the source that is valid.

Talking about multiple stops, these are an excellent way to save costs on air tickets. Multiple stops include you stopping at a number of places along the way before you get to your destination. Multiple stop flights generally cost less than direct flights.

A lot of fare tariffs usually have a 30-day maximum stay restriction. To cut costs, pay for a ticket that indicates that you will be staying less than thirty days. If you stay more than thirty days in your destined area, your ticket will cost more.

Prior to deciding where to stay in Christchurch New Zealand, it is worth considering all the options. You may be travelling to Christchurch on business, checking up on family, or just touring around. You may be on a budget, looking for a luxurious romantic getaway or after comfortable accommodation with facilities to suit your needs.

It does not take long by international comparison to get to the central city from any of the suburbs.

If you prefer to stay in the country, among some of our sheep, then you will be able to find accommodation in the country with less than a 30 minute drive to be in the city. Even during peak travel times it would not take much over 45 minutes.

Christchurch has a population of around 368,000 people.

Christchurch Backpackers

From the beaches to the central city is roughly a 15 to 30 minute drive. By bus you will be looking at 25 to 40 minutes plus waiting time.

Christchurch streets are laid out in a network of squares with many streets nestled in behind the main streets. Hotels, motels, apartments and even bed and breakfasts can be found in places less obvious to the tourist.

Christchurch Airport

Like any city, Christchurch also has areas you will not necessarily be aware of. One of our preferred spots is the suburb of Sumner located on the beach at the foot of the Port Hills.

This is a little village offering very much its own village atmosphere and a relaxed setting. There are a selection of Christchurch beaches where you will find accommodation, most of the other beaches are on a more open strip of beach front from Spencer Park to South Brighton.

There are some delightful places to stay on the Port Hills, the backdrop to Christchurch City. Accommodation on the hills tends to be more the homestay or bed and breakfast type of accommodation.

Christchurch New Zealand

Most of the large Christchurch Hotels are found in the Christchurch CBD, although there are some out by the airport. There are Christchurch hotels with a smaller offering of accommodation found in across Christchurch including Christchurch beaches, the suburbs and the Christchurch rural area.

Rangiora is a township to the north of Christchurch. Many people travel from there to their work in the city. For accommodation away from the city, you may enjoy a stay either in Rangiora or in the rural area between there and the city.

The country area around Christchurch offers a selection of homestays, farmstays or bed and breakfast accommodation as well as a choice of lodges.

While Chris & I were away on a 6-week trip a fatal shark attack by a great white took place at Fish Hoek beach, Cape Town on November 16th. The attack was on 77-year old Tyna Webb who had been going for an early morning swim, as she had been doing everyday for the last 17 years.

I first heard about it while sitting on the Tube in London while on the way to the airport so we did not have any idea about the details other than the fact that the attack took place a mere 10 km from where we live. Shark Cage Diving

Upon landing back home in Cape Town we very quickly were able to find out what had happened. The media and the public were in the grips of Shark Hysteria. In the first few days after the attack the newspaper and radio talk shows were extremely quick to report claims that the shark must be hunted and that the shark population has increased, now putting all water users in danger. Of course all these statements were made by people with no knowledge of sharks as well as not being from any official departments. I greatly admire Mrs Webb’s Family who very publicly stated that they did not want any harm to come to the sharks and that this is the last thing that Mrs Webb would have wanted. Apparently Mrs Webb was a “Child of the Sea” and would never miss her morning swim. She was aware of the danger of sharks and had been warned many times by friends and family especially bearing in mind that she would swim up to 150 meters off shore. Ironically she was also warned before taking her last swim that a shark had been sighted. The day before the attack the local beach seine net fishermen had caught over 1000 yellowtail. This is the favourite fish for white sharks to feed on. Also, in the region of 200 white steenbras (large thick scaled fish averaging 15-20lbs) were released by the trek netters that morning very close to where Mrs Webb was attacked , as these were caught as bycatch. The fish just being present in the Bay would be a reason for any predator to be in the area but having a net of 1000 struggling fish being pulled onto the beach would be a huge attractant for sharks. The attack took place at about 7am. Great white sharks are diurnal feeders meaning they feed at dawn and dusk and this would probably have been another contributing factor in the attack. About 70% of the 2700+ predatory events that we have witnessed occurred in the first hour and a half after sunrise.

For the last 2 months many different white sharks have been sighted moving close to shore in False Bay and of course many speculations have been made about this too. The most common speculation, one that the media has lapped up, is that because the white shark has been protected for the last ten years, the population has exploded. If I may give our own speculations I have to say that this is the most uneducated speculation I have ever heard! We have worked with white sharks for the last 11 years and spend in the region of 100 days per year observing them. Up until 2002 the average amount of sharks we would see in a day would be 12 different animals. This past season the very most we saw was 11 different animals in one day, the average being about 4. Also, very importantly, we only saw one shark that was larger than 4 meters this past year. So, we are not seeing any sexually mature sharks. We feel that at very best the shark population is maintaining a constant number, but most likely on the decrease.

We did see more natural predation this year than any past year, but some newly acquired scientific information could account for this that I will talk about later. Shark Cage Diving

Another speculation we have regarding more shark sightings close the shore could be that the sharks are being forced to look in new areas for food as these resources are being diminished. Our white shark operation actually shuts down after September simply because we do not see the sharks at Seal Island during the summer months. We have always known that they prefer to feed on the summer fish that come into the bay, as well as other sharks that move with the fish. Such sharks are bronze whalers (copper sharks), ragged tooths, smooth hounds, hammerheads and rays. These shark populations have been plundered further up our coast for their meat and fins. These decreased populations are particularly evident by the lack of sharks that are being caught in the trek nets as by catch. Ten years ago nets of sharks were not uncommon, but we have seen a huge decrease in the amount of sharks caught over the past few years. In fact since the start of our spring we have not seen one shark that has been caught. So, the point being, if a shark cannot find food in a area where it has been for hundreds of years what is likely to happen? We would think they have to look elsewhere. Shark Cage Diving

This festival takes places during 19th til 28th September in the centre of this fantastic city at various sites. A festival not only dedicated to the cultural aspect of Barcelona, but the fun aspect, this festival has been running since 1902 and is definitely worth a visit! Don’t miss out on this amazing festival, Barcelona apartment and Barcelona hotel get booked up quickly around this time.

This street party is held in honour of held in honour of Mare de Deu de la Merce, the Patron Saint of Barcelona. Perhaps my favourite part of the festival is the Giants Parade (23rd to 24th). These giants with effigies of kings, queens and nobles march through the streets of Barcelona. These huge figures tower above the crowds and spin around and around so the crowds can see them in all their glory. The Parade is often accompanied by small percussion groups that beat out a rhythm on drums as the Giants go by.

Be sure not to miss the night of dragons, eagles and devils that breathe fire on 20th September at 20:30 to 22:30 at Porta Cambó, av. Francesc Cambó, pl. Antoni Maura, Via Laietana, pl. Antoni López i Consolat del Mar. Be careful, because often fireworks and sparklers are sprayed onto the crowd, so it’s best to wear protective clothing. There are two types of “correfoc” (running fire) and this activity is thus known due to the people who dress up as devils and chase the crowds up and down the streets with bangers and hand held fireworks. The first correfoc is for children and is not as chaotic, but the second is for adults which is a lot wilder and happens later on in the evening.

On 21st Sep, the castellers takes place. This is the formation of a human tower, (which takes a lot of planning and practice), where a child is then invited to climb to the top, a skilled and slightly dangerous act, I can tell you! However, the suspense is wonderful and the crowds go crazy for this festival gem which normally takes place in Plaza Jaume.

Festivities aren’t just kept on the ground either, La Mercè also celebrates the sky with static hot air balloon flights, kite displays and other aerial exhibitions taking place throughout the festival on the city’s beaches. Keep your eyes peeled for discounts on Barcelona accommodation and free entrance to many of the city’s museums, including; the Picasso museum, the Museum of History of Catalonia, the Maritime Museum and many more. For other exciting features of the festival, check out the Centro de Cultura Contemperanea de Barcelona where you can view street theatre, Moll de la Fusta which will be giving centre stage to numerous circus acts and Plaza St Rei where various dance troupes and performing artists will be performing.

If you have never been to London before, it is hard to imagine how huge it is. I have been to New York, Chicago, San Francisco – all of the major American cities in fact – but London still blew me away. It has everything in it. The diversity of housing ranges from downright dowdy to middle of the range and very costly and at the top end of the market there are some beautiful and rich neighborhoods.

The City Of London has culture, pathos and it has a truly thriving vibrant and interesting society. But to me, the biggest draw was the London West End and the London theater. Shows in London have been rumored to be some of the best in the world. I was on a trip there to find out if that is still true.

It is amazing how many people come to England only to see Broadway shows in London. They brag that they have seen, for example, Cats, or The Lion King in London. To me, this practice borders on disgusting. It is why people hate Americans abroad. The native London theatre leaves the big, gaudy Disney productions in the dust. Seeing Broadway shows in London is like eating McDonald’s in France.

The first show in London that we saw was a production of Hamlet. I have seen Hamlet many times. My parents, in fact, have been taking me to see Hamlet since I was about 12 years old. It is one of the best plays ever written, and I assume there is no better place to see the Shakespearean theater than in London, England.

It is hard to impress me with a production of Hamlet at this point in my life because I have seen it so many times. Nevertheless, the show in London was truly spectacular. Of all the shows in London I saw, in fact, it may have been the best. There was nothing novel about it, and the characters were conventional as was the directing. The level of the acting, however, was above and beyond anything that I had ever seen.

Of course, not all of the shows in London that I saw were so serious. Besides a few local plays done by contemporary playwrights – both of them very good.

If you are lucky enough to visit London then make sure you take in one of the superb West End Shows 

I recently went to a trade show in Las Vegas. I am involved in the high-tech industry, you see, and so these things are unavoidable. I hate trade shows, but there was nothing that I could do about it. Nonetheless, I was pretty happy to be there. I figured that it would give me the opportunity to check out some shows in Las Vegas. I didn’t think that there would be many Las Vegas shows that interested me, however.

We all know the stereotypes of Las Vegas – chorus girls, lounge singers, and Siegfried and Roy. None of these interested me that much, but I figured that I would check out the scene anyway. I am glad that I didn’t stay in my hotel room. Las Vegas has a lot to see!

The first night I was there, I went to a magic show in Las Vegas. I wasn’t that interested in it, but some of my friends were going there, and I figured I would check it out. Anyway, it was at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. I had heard a lot about this place, and was interested in seeing it. It was supposed to be so spectacular and over-the-top that you had to check it out. Needless to say, it did not disappoint me.

The magic act did not end up being one of my favorite shows in Las Vegas, but it still was pretty good. I have seen a lot of magic shows in my life, and even know how to do a few magic tricks. I am pretty jaded because I can usually figure out what is going on. Nonetheless, this one had me completely baffled. The shows in Las Vegas have a higher quality then back home, and even the magicians manage to keep it fresh.

Nonetheless, there were many other shows in Las Vegas that I enjoyed much better. One of my favorite rock bands was actually coming through the area. I did not expect to see shows in Las Vegas featuring music that I liked. I assumed that it was beneath the dignity of today’s musicians to come to Las Vegas if they were still fresh and real in other parts of the country.

I figured that shows in Las Vegas featured people like Tony Bennett – old, washed up, and not that talented to begin with. It turns out, however, that the shows in Las Vegas are every bit as good as back home. The only difference is that there are more of them.

Hollywood CA is like many great cities throughout the whole entire world.  It is a place that many people would like to visit, but few would like to go and live in.  If you do not believe me try spending a month in Hollywood California. 

I have lived in Hollywood California for several years now, so I know just what I am talking about, and that is no lie.  The thing about Hollywood California, is that it is the center of almost everything, but there is no center to it itself.  It is all one vast smoggy sprawl spread all over Southern California.  There is no place to walk around, no good public transit, and no downtown even. 

Apartments in Hollywood California are outrageous, and even to stay in a Hollywood California Hotel for just a few weeks can be a huge financial drain for just about anyone there is. Read more »

I was lucky enough to go to Prague  for a few days recently with my husband and two friends. It’s a very beautiful and fascinating city, and within convenient distance from the rest of Europe. Perhaps unfortunately, a Prague break is becoming extremely popular. I say unfortunately because I don’t want it to be too busy when I go back there!

The other worry is that not everyone is going to see the cultural landmarks. A Prague break has become a favorite destination for bachelor parties, or stag nights as we call them in the UK. Gangs of young, British men are descending on the city to drink it dry. This is because the flights are cheap and the beer is very cheap compared to prices at home. I’m no snob, but when I go for a Prague break, I don’t want the streets to be cluttered up with loud drunks. The same thing is starting to happen in Barcelona.

Anyway, with that rant aside, I fell in love with Prague. It’s a very elegant place and has a strange melancholy that’s hard to describe. You feel it when you walk over the Charles Bridge at twilight when the mist settles on the river. Read more »