Day 1-- USA - Paris Overnight flight to Paris. (In-flight Meal) Day 2-- Arrive Paris Arrive in Frances capital, Paris, for a relaxing 2-night stay. This evening enjoy a Welcome Reception with your Tour Director. (In-flight Meal) Sofitel Porte de Sevres Day 3-- Paris The color and excitement of Paris come to life this morning as our guide takes us down the Champs-Elysees to view the Eiffel Tower, Opera and a visit to the magnificent Gothic Cathedral of Notre Dame. The remainder of your time is at leisure to visit the famous Louvre Museum or the Palace of Versailles, shop for paintings in Montmartre or enjoy the glamour of a Parisian Cabaret! (BB) Sofitel Porte de Sevres Day 4-- Paris - Tours South today into the famous Loire River valley. This is France as you have always imagined it! Rolling vineyards, quiet canals, imposing castles and elegant chateaux are around every corner. We view the beautiful Chateau Chambord and visit the 16th century Chateau Chenonceaux built unbelievably over the River Cher. (BB,D) Holiday Inn Centre Day 5-- Tours - French Alps A picturesque drive today through the heart of France via the spa town of Vichy, famous for its water. Continue past the Beaujolais wine country to the lovely French Alps. (BB,D) Mercure Day 6-- French Alps - Riviera From Grenoble we follow the famous Napoleonic route via quaint villages, such as Sisteron and rushing mountain streams to sun drenched Provence and the spectacular French Riviera, our home for 2 leisurely nights! (BB) Four Points Elysee Palace/Radisson Cannes Day 7-- Riviera A full day at leisure to enjoy the Cote dAzur. Take a swim in the blue Mediterranean Sea or join an optional tour to the medieval village St. Paul de Vence. This evening we have an included visit to the principality of Monaco and a Monte Carlo casino! (BB,D) Four Points Elysee Palace/Radisson Cannes Day 8-- Riviera - Venice Across the border into Italy today to the cypress-clad hills of Verona to admire the Roman Arena and Juliets balcony from Shakespeares famous Romeo & Juliet. Then off to magical Venice, for a relaxing 2-night stay. (BB,D) Plaza-Mestre Day 9-Venice Enjoy an included canal cruise this morning to St. Marks Square viewing the Bridge of Sighs and Doges Palace with a visit to see traditional glass blowers at work. Afternoon at leisure. (BB) Plaza-Mestre Day 10- Venice - Pisa - Florence We travel to Pisa this morning to view the famous Leaning Tower before driving through the vineyards of Tuscany to the home of the Renaissance, Florence, our home for 2 enjoyable nights! (BB,D) Corona D'italia/Gabriele D' Annunzio Day 11- Florence Enjoy an included sightseeing tour of Florence that visits the Duomo, Santa Croce Basilica and the Signoria Square. Your afternoon is at leisure to shop for the famous Florentine leather and gold! (BB) Corona D'italia/Gabriele D' Annunzio Day 12- Florence - Siena - Rome A pastoral drive this morning through the Chianti wine producing region to the hilltop town of Siena. Enjoy a sightseeing tour of this once powerful republic before traveling to the Eternal City, Rome, our home for 3 leisurely nights! (BB) Melia Hotel Days 13 & 14- Rome Two full days to enjoy this mecca of art and history. Our guided sightseeing tour includes views of the Roman Forum and Circus Maximus, with visits to St. Peters Basilica and the famous Roman Colosseum. The rest of your time is at leisure to throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain or join an optional tour to Pompeii and the Isle of Capri. (BB) Melia Hotel Day 15- Rome - USA We bid farewell to Italy. (BB, In-flight Meal)
0 Comments
GENERAL RULES:
TOURNAMENT FORMAT: 3 Tier Format Qualifying Round/Cut Scores
Qualifying Round
$ 31.00 Prize Fund $ 29.00 Tournament Expenses – Lineage, Supplies, Advertising $ 60.00 (Winner’s Pot, Side Pots, Brackets and Handicap 300 Pot Optional) Re-entries will be at a $5.00 reduction at $55.00 (when applicable)
AVERAGE ADJUSTMENTS:
Online backgammon opens a lot of opportunities for every beginner. You can play backgammon against a real player somewhere around the world or play against a gaming program to keep your skills sharp. Another opportunity that comes to mind is participating in online backgammon tournaments. The question that comes to mind at this junction is if it's fine for a beginner to participate in online tournaments.
When beginners hear about online tournaments, it usually sounds like a tempting offer. You can expect to engage players of various skill levels and hope to win the prize money and the prestige of being the tourney's champ. Before delving deeper into this discussion we should mention that there are small tournaments online and there are also really huge ones. Beginners and new players will have a few reservations when checking out huge tournaments on the Internet. The usual point of view of new players is that they may not survive that long in a tournament and so there really is no point in joining one. Beginners will usually want to participate in such online tourneys after gaining some experience playing non-tournament matches. If you think about tournaments this way then you're missing out on a lot of things. Just like any other tournament, backgammon tourneys reel in a lot of players of different skill levels. You can be sure to find a lot of great players participating. You will find really great matches played in these online tournaments that can give you a lot of ideas about the game. Tournaments also give you a little push forward since you'll be bringing out your best in each match you play. You'll be forced to focus on the game and really think about your moves. Sometimes you just don't get that when you play a casual game of backgammon. Another thing that will help you develop your skills even further is that the pressure of the competition will you a mental edge and raise your level of competence. You'll be surprised what one well-played match in an online tournament can do for you. This is a high speed ticket to master backgammon. The next question is when should a beginner start participating in tournaments. The simple and short answer is that beginners should sign up as soon as they can. If you already know the basics of the game by heart and have a decent grasp of backgammon strategy then you should start playing in online tournaments. You should never miss out on the mental edge you'll gain when you participate in backgammon tournaments online. I’m sorry that I haven’t been around to get this blog up earlier so I will try and get as much information up as soon as possible (before I go away again). Therefore this blog pretty much serves as a bit of an overview and recount of some of the notes I made along the way – but what about this first: Q. Is it always the way or is it just me that has the amazing insight in regards to my equipment/fitting/adjustment etc. during the final hours of my 5 day hike? Obviously, I MADE IT! Wow the Cooloola Great Walk (CGW) is a… “Great Walk” I guess that pretty much sums it up right there. The CGW topo’ map say’s that the CGW is ‘designed to hold you captivated for 5 days’ and I can honestly say it did just that. Each day had its own unique flavour (and weather) and took you through so many diverse ecosystems and habitats that I hardly got a chance to put the camera away before I had to get it out again! This diversity I must admit was the hidden bonus for me – I knew I was going to see some beautiful examples of our native flora and fauna but I failed to anticipate just how often it would change from one distinct system to another – so quickly and dramatically in so many places. Then, at the end of the day, to arrive at one of the four walkers’ camps with real (eco) toilets (DON’T FORGET YOUR TOILET PAPER!) – and (tank) water within these systems – to spend the night there and to wake up there well… just awesome! Of course, out of the four camps there is a standout and for me that was the Brahminy walkers’ camp on the very first night (coming from the South). I spoke to one of the rangers before doing the CGW and he “warned” me about how beautiful it was going to be up there (weather permitting – and it was) and he was spot on. Sunset at Brahminy Walkers’ camp with a well deserved cup of coffee and the sounds of nature all around me – and nothing else – was a truly unique experience: mind blowing… and this was day one! Now I’m going to try and complete fairly succinct highlights/timings/notes blogs for each walking day to help out anyone who is interested in completing the CGW however it must be noted that I completed the walk by myself which was totally cool but it makes for a little heavier pack and the definite requirement for an emergency strategy/action plan in the event that “something” should go awry and as you will read later “that something” nearly happened to me before lunch on day one! Therefore I would recommend that you share the experience (and the load) with at least one other person for safety reasons but once again going by yourself – if you have the knowledge/experience, the equipment, the first aid and the fitness is a very awesome thing too. A few notes (as I think of them): 1. Phone Reception: Telstra is sketchy in some places – every other carrier (I have Optus) is shit! I met another walker along the way and he had Telstra and was getting reception in most places where I wasn’t getting anything. So if you plan to use your mobile phone as part of your emergency comms. plan (as I did) and you are not with Telstra – think again. 2. Water: I weigh 83kgs and about 180cm tall and I carried a 25kg pack so I liked my water. I had a 3litre Camelback and this seemed to be the exact amount of water I required (for the walk) each day – I would literally arrive at camp swallowing my last two mouthfuls of water! I couldn’t help but think to myself about how much water I would need (and therefore how much heavier my pack would be) if I was to do the CGW during the summer months. Even though there are rainwater tanks at each of the four walkers’ camps it is “not guaranteed” and there is no water along the way (remember: all water needs to be treated). So you really need to accommodate for these realities especially during the summer. 3. Fitness: I am by no means superfit but I do however work in the outdoors which requires lots of walking so I felt that I had the “moderate” level of fitness required beforehand and after the five days of walking an average of 17.62kms a day with what was initially a 25kg pack it was just as well. There is really no shortcut around this – and you should know it within yourself if you are fit enough or not so don’t kid yourself: at base, your enjoyment levels have a direct correlation with your fitness levels. 4. Pack Weight: Even though I go on many multiday adventures (with my pack) they are always with large groups where there is a certain amount of sharing the load going on and, I must admit, most of our food/cooking requirements have been “dropped off” which negates even further the need to be totally self-sufficient (i.e. carrying more weight than is absolutely necessary). Now, it has been some time between drinks so to speak in regards to packing for a fully self-sufficient multiday hike and I am getting a little older and I do like my little luxuries here and there so my advice to you in regards to pack weight is: LEARN FROM ME! Apart from your essential equipment – wet/cold weather, emergency, first aid, sleeping, cooking etc. IF YOU CAN’T PICTURE YOURSELF ACTUALLY USING IT DON’T TAKE IT AND IF YOU CAN – QUESTION YOUR VISION – especially if you are travelling solo. I love my coffee (read: I am addicted to coffee) so I just had to take my ground coffee and small percolator because I need coffee(s) first thing in the morning and when I arrive at camp in the afternoon and preferably with some dark chocolate! Of course such desires have repercussions: (a) you must carry your used grounds out with you (so the idea of weight loss through consumption is nullified) and (b) sure you can have as many coffee’s as you want but you need to think about the fuel you are burning vs. your other meal requirements (note: I always carry more than enough fuel and always will however, I could have definitely saved weight here). My MSR standard size fuel bottle (full of shellite) provided me with 8 percolated coffee’s, 4 hot breakfasts and 4 hot dinners + 2 extra hot meals. I might also think again about using my old trusty stainless steel cook set too. Just to give you an idea, Andrew’s (I met along the way) pack was about 9kgs lighter than mine – NINE #%&*ING KILOS LIGHTER! Man…that’s a lot of weight I can think about not taking next time. 5. Food: which in turn is related to pack weight so the good thing about food is that after each meal your pack becomes lighter! I didn’t want to spend $17+ a night for a lightweight dehydrated dinners beforehand – BUT I CAN QUITE EASILY SAY THAT I WILL DEFINITELY THINK ABOUT IT IN THE FUTURE! – or better still, do my own dehydrating because apart from the weight the other consideration when buying supermarket-easy-cook-meals is the leftover packaging that you need to carry out afterwards – with the dehydrated meals you can just squash them up and pack them into each other. A basic run down of my meals is as follows - Breakfast: hot porridge (oats) with dried fruit and nuts thrown in; Morning Tea: homemade “power bar” with dried fruit and nuts; Lunch: salami, cheese and crackers; Dinner: pre-packed ready to eat meal; Extras: coffee, milk powder, dark chocolate, honey and 2 pkts “mi-goreng” noodles. 6. Tracks and Navigation: The Cooloola Great Walk (CGW) is a class 4 track according to Australian Standards -
Well that should do it for the overview – if I think of anything I’ll try and fit it in for tomorrow. hope this helps – please let me know or if you require any further information Source: https://www.npsr.qld.gov.au/parks/great-walks-cooloola/about.html Source: Finally government has provided money for the hotel classification, a stamp of quality that consumers will rely on. The framework allows the award of one to five stars based on the quality of services and amenities provided. In this case Five Star will denote top of the range. “Times are gone for individual hotel owners to declare their facility a star of their preference,” said the acting director Ministry of Tourism Grace Akullo Mbabazi. “The country has a lot of to benefit from this hospitality service providers grading. Worldwide hotels are classified in some way.” This was revealed during a refresher workshop of 15 graders at the Uganda Museum, this week, before they embark on the exercise in Kampala and Entebbe for a start. “Once in place, the cheating of tourists by hotel owners will be no more,” stressed Akullo. “With information on our website, Uganda will ably compete with its neighboring countries in the East Africa Community (EAC) where accommodation facilities have been classified.” That way the EAC will be able come up with standard charges added Akullo. This comes long after hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, in 2007, when grading was first proposed. The facilitator Blandina Nshakira who has been instrumental in training of trainers in Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania said, “Grading is long overdue if the region is to attract and satisfy tourist from UK, USA, China and Saudi Arabia. They have sophisticated tastes.” However as the grading takes off, there have been careless whispers of resource shortage and lack of equipment. The team of 15 assessors have only two cameras and are destined to be availed sh100, 000 for every day and sh12000 night allowance they spend doing the exercise. Some complainants, on terms of anonymity, revealed that they come from as far as Jinja and Entebbe. “You cannot get decent accommodation with a total upkeep of sh100000,” one voiced her views. “Will this not compromise our decision while in the field where a meal goes for sh30,000 and bedding costs $200.” Talking to members of Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA) was a revelation that most of them determine what they charge in comparison to rates of rival service providers. “I have never sat down to calculate how much I spend to make a resident comfortable for a night in my hotels,” confided Boniface Byamukama. “But all I know is that the charge comprises of bed, dinner and breakfast.” However, hotel classification across the world is not similar. According to Nshakira star rating systems can vary from global region to another or from country to country. In a new development, the four-star ceiling of old has given way in some places to a five-star rating. And lately this has been over taken by six- and seven-star ratings for hotels in Europe and the United Arab Emirates. “Much as Serena Hotel or Sheraton Hotel may be rated as five star or more,” paused Nshakira for the point to drive home. “They will have to undergo our checks and meet our desired standards to be operational in the region.” “There are guidelines for Home stay service providers, Restaurants, Guest Houses, Hostels and Camping Caravan sites.” Adding that, “Our EAC classification covers physical and tangible characteristics of accommodation. These comprise; location, dimension of rooms, supplies in the bathrooms, frequency of change of linen and elegance.” There is a strict criterion of requirements for Hotels, Guest Houses, Self Catering, Back Parkers and Home Stay service providers before submitting an application for grading. The location of the establishment should suitable. Its entrance must be easily accessible for delivery and by the clients besides being built in accordance to the laws. The facility ought to have at least ten beds rooms. Its corridors and stair cases must be spacious. They ought to have a good number of bell boys should be available for 18 hours per day. The above and consumer feedback on social media will be considered while being graded. A random tour of hotels in Uganda was a revelation of many establishments operating without most of the requirements in the guidelines. Day 1 On arrival at Libreville spend the day at your own leisure. visit the local market, enjoy a swim in the beautiful sea or simply relax at your hotel. Overnight: Hotel Tropicana a well known local hotel situated on the seafront offering tasty local cuisine. Day 2 Visit Cap Esterias to see the beautiful sand beaches having coconut trees with a shoreline covering several kilometers. On the other hand visit Pointe Denis situated opposite Libreville; and there explore the spectacular pristine beaches and even swim in the clear blue waters whenever you want. Later in the day catch the Transgabonais Express, head south to Ivindo. This Transgabonais is an excursion in itself, hardly ever reaching its destination in time it’s an experience worth not missing. Overnight: at Transgabonais Express. Don’t anticipate getting a lot sleep tonight! Day 3 On arrival at Ivindo you will clean up at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) headquarters before going for a drive in the forest. This 3 hour drive in a 4WD vehicle takes you to the finish of the track and the beginning of your walk heading to Langoue Camp. On this slippery climb you will move the first 30 minutes as soon as you arrive at the peak it is a stunning walk through this beautiful forest. You will be lucky to explore this region; only discovered a couple of years ago, most of the animals that you see within this area are entirely naïve to humankind. In case you still have stamina upon arrival, you can visit Langoue Bai after lunch. Overnight: WCS research camp. A reasonably old-fashioned camp comprised of tents raised on wooden platforms placed in the middle of the 2nd biggest rainforest on the planet. Amenities are basic however comfortable with bucket-showers (warm water may be prepared on request). At night sit with the researchers and find out about the forest and the Bai as well as the surrounding region. Days 4, 5, 6 You will spend the next days at Langoué Bai. It is an one hour’s walk from your camp having a steep hill towards the end. 3 platforms within the trees on the fringe of the bai offer an perfect location for viewing wildlife. Guides will accompany you as you go to the bai as well as on the forest walks. These paths close to Langoué go through magnificent tropical forest with amazingly large trees and great biodiversity. Animals like the red river hogs, monkeys, as well as birds and sometimes gorillas plus chimpanzees can occasionally be viewed while walking in the forest. Elephants plus gorillas are periodic visitors to this bai. Elephants are best seen in the rainy season (from April to June and from November to January), while gorilla are best seen from April to July. Please be aware that they are wild animals and seeing them is not guaranteed. It is a real adventure! Overnight: WCS research camp. A reasonably old-fashioned camp comprised of tents raised on wooden platforms placed in the middle of the 2nd biggest rainforest on the planet. Amenities are basic however comfortable with bucket-showers (warm water may be prepared on request). At night sit with the researchers and find out about the forest and the Bai as well as the surrounding region. Day 7 After breakfast, head to a local airstrip. Following the Two hours walk from the forest you will have a three hours drive to the airstrip to catch your departure flight. After roughly a 1.5 hours flight over Central Africa’s forests you will reach at Loango National Park during the early evening. Spend this evening unwinding and taking advantage of the hot and cold water, air conditioning plus the gorgeous view over the lagoon as you enjoy dinner. Overnight: Loango Lodge with 7 bungalows having en-suite bathrooms plus showers and 3 nice suites having en-suite bathrooms and bath. Additionally you will find a 2 bedroom house having 2 bathrooms plus a living area, well suited for families. Each of the bungalows plus suites has a fan, safe, screen window, a mini-bar and air-conditioning. Their restaurant has a sizeable sun terrace plus a library having a wide-ranging variety of books about Gabon, its wildlife and birds. The paillotte within the lagoon offers the choice of dining privately. Day 8 Following breakfast at the lodge, you’ll visit Loango National Park in a 4WD Vehicle, kayak or simply on foot. You’ll discover the attractiveness of this reserve and its varied landscapes as well as wildlife. Alternative activities we provide include sport-fishing with our expert equipment and well trained guides, or even a village tour in the neighboring Ntchongerove village as well as the Okoume Forest. Our guides who are eco-friendly will explain to you how the locals have managed to survive inside this forest and you’ll observe how the local population goes about the day to day activities. Myths, plus the medical purposes of plants plus trees as well as other secret treasures will be unveiled to you on this unique experience. We as well provide you with the special opportunity of joining a research teams as they carry out their research on crocodiles, whales and leatherback turtles (basing on the time of the year). Overnight: Loango Lodge with 7 bungalows having en-suite bathrooms plus showers and 3 nice suites having en-suite bathrooms and bath. Additionally you will find a 2 bedroom house having 2 bathrooms plus a living area, well suited for families. Each of the bungalows plus suites has a fan, safe, screen window, a mini-bar and air-conditioning. Their restaurant has a sizeable sun terrace plus a library having a wide-ranging variety of books about Gabon, its wildlife and birds. The paillotte within the lagoon offers the choice of dining privately. Day 9 Following breakfast head out in a 4×4 jeeps and go southwest to Tassi or Louri area, and the drive takes roughly 1.5 hours. On this drive you might see animals like elephants, sitatunga, red river hogs and buffaloes plus birds. Tassi bush camp is located on the savannah, flanked by a primary plus secondary forest. If lucky you may see chimpanzees or even gorillas. In Tassi Sud, just 30 minutes drive from Tassi Bush Camp, you will find the Max Planck Institute which conducts a crucial habituation process with these various primates. From Tassi you will have an excursion to Louri. There you will get an opportunity of seeing buffaloes plus elephants moving along the beach: a very impressive sight which is trait to Loango National Park! Overnight: Tassi with 5 tents placed on sundecks having private bathrooms and bucket showers plus a toilet. Every tent features comfortable beds plus chairs as well as a private terrace. These tents are well spaced from each other offering utmost privacy. Their restaurant is constructed on a platform that offers breathtaking views of the surroundings which can be enjoyed as you have your breakfast, lunch as well as dinner. Day 10 From Tassi close to lunchtime, you will discuss with the guide how you wish to explore the other areas of the park; by kayak across the lagoon, on foot to the mangroves, or by ‘houseboat’ to the Bat plus Bird Island. We as well provide you with the special opportunity of joining a research teams as they carry out their research on crocodiles, whales and leatherback turtles (basing on the time of the year). Overnight: Loango Lodge with 7 bungalows having en-suite bathrooms plus showers and 3 nice suites having en-suite bathrooms and bath. Additionally you will find a 2 bedroom house having 2 bathrooms plus a living area, well suited for families. Each of the bungalows plus suites has a fan, safe, screen window, a mini-bar and air-conditioning. Their restaurant has a sizeable sun terrace plus a library having a wide-ranging variety of books about Gabon, its wildlife and birds. The paillotte within the lagoon offers the choice of dining privately. Day 11 Unwind at the lodge all morning or conversely visit the beautiful beach camp at Point St. Catherine (around 30 minutes). The camp is located on a gorgeous part of the beach north of Loango National Park. Some activities to enjoy include: fishing Swimming and shell seeking. You can as well, just unwind here and enjoy the beautiful beach to yourself. After lunch, catch a charter flight returning along the spectacular coastline to Libreville and there you will take your international flight home. Japan is undoubtedly one of the best culinary countries in the world and sushi is the first dish that strikes our mind. However, the Japanese cuisine includes varied things like fresh vegetables, meat, and seafood raw, cooked and grilled. The side dishes often consist of fish, pickled vegetables, and vegetables cooked in broth. The must try foods are:
Today’s world has seen a lot of travelers making their way to different cities and countries in the need for finding out about their culture and looking for options to enjoy new cuisines. The travelling needs are increasing as people understand that traveling makes you rich and enhances your wisdom. It also increases your knowledge in a lot of ways. The most popular and one of the most preferred destination these days in Greece. Though Greece is not a new entry, in fact Greece has been home to travelers ever since it was built. Greece is one of the oldest countries in the world. Greece is known to be in existence since the Bronze Age. Greece has respondent well to all the developments and is now a proud country which is self-sufficient. Greece is open to tourism and has easy and friendly polices to ensure that more and more tourists visit the place. The Greece National Tourists Organization ensures that the country gets its fair share or more of tourists each year. Greece and the Tourists Tourism started bustling in Greece in 1960’s and 1970’s which are called the ear of mass tourism in Greece. The place is known to have made infrastructural changes to ensure that tourists get desired places to stay. The Greece land has been rich in culture and even though it does not have the world’s most preferred cuisine it sure allows a change of taste to many. There are many continental eateries that allow tourists to eat what they like when they are on holiday and not have to compromise on food. Greece has been home to eh 2004 Olympics and after that year there have been many changes in the infrastructure to provide five star facilities to the guests from the west. Greece has plethora of opportunities that attracts most of the tourists. It must however, be kept in mind when in Greece that he place may allow you to get lost in its beauty and thus keep a little extra time in your plan to enjoy an extended stay which is often seen here. Greece allows a magnificent tour that has everything in it. There are beaches, sunsets, monuments, museums, scenery and relaxation. When one is on holiday it is advised that it should be divided in a way that everyone gets a fair share of what they want. Greece has been seen making growth over the years, a place that was way ahead of time has somehow managed to keep pace with all the changes making it even more desirable. Greece was the birth place of Democracy and Olympics, it is known to the base of western philosophy and thus is so strong in its foundation that even with all the changes there are still traces of rich culture. People from Greece are friendly and open to the idea of foreign tourists. It is a place that one brings back a lot of memories and also a place that allows falling in love with something magnificent that will remain a memory for life. |