Lonesome George, the giant tortoise who had become an unofficial ambassador for the Galapagos Islands, and friend of Amazing Journeys, passed away on Sunday at an estimated 100 years of age. The Jurassic-looking creature had become a symbol of the islands scattered off the coast of Ecuador and is believed to be the last of his species, the Pinta tortoise. Various mates had been provided for Lonesome George after he was found in 1972 in what proved to be unsuccessful attempts to keep his subspecies alive.
The pen where George lived was visited by thousands of tourists every year, who often had to scramble with each other to take pictures of one of the rarest creatures on Earth. Around 180,000 people visit the islands every year to see animals up close and have their picture taken with the giant tortoise who became known as one of the rarest creatures on Earth. Amazing Journeyers have had the opportunity to visit him three times, twice in 2007 and once in 2010.
Here at Amazing Journeys, we’re lucky to have the best jobs in the world—and we think our good fortune is worth sharing. So, when your next journey seems like a distant dream, take a few minutes to explore our WANDERLUST blog—it’s chock-full of engaging tales and helpful tips from our travels around the world.
Lonesome George, the giant tortoise of the Galapagos Islands
Monday, June 25th, 2012Wanna Get Away?….Wanna Stay In Touch?
Tuesday, June 19th, 2012Getting out of town these days is much more than a luxury. Whether its just for a weekend or for a full-on vacation, the need for a mental and physical break-in-the-action is as important to one’s psychy as a good nap when you’re sleepy or a good sip of water when you’re thirsty. It goes without saying that there are a lot factors that go into making or breaking a good vacation, but one factor often thought about as an after-effect can be a tool for having peace of mind for back home. Staying in touch.
With smart phone technology ruling our communication means these days, one needs to be careful with a gliche (sure, we’ll call it a gliche) in the system – a horrible auto-search that your phone initiates when out of network; called “roaming”. Many unsuspecting smart phone users have been snagged with outrageous roaming and data charges while traveling abroad as their device actively (and chargingly) searches for new towers. This is especially prominent on cruises and multi-country tours where accessible towers can change with the wind.
What to do? You may be able to add a feature from you provider that will allow you to use the device internationally; phone, texting and email capabilities for a fee. If you do not turn off this feature and leave your phone on (or it turns on in error), you could potentially sustain recurring charges while your phone continuously searches for international signals. Even if you are hanging out in one locale, regular roaming charges can be exorbitant. There are very inexpensive and reliable options on the market today that can allow you to stay in touch with loved ones, dog sitters, plant waterers and fish feeders back home without paying the price equal to another airline ticket. Check out a few of these options:
Skype: for NO CHARGE whatsoever, you can connect to someone else on skype using a smartphone device or laptop. For mere pennies, you can make actual phone calls from Skype to someone’s landline or mobile phone. If you are not using Skype, you need to. Download it at www.skype.com
Onesuite: for mere pennies a minute, your friends & family at home can call you in your hotel room or on your mobile device. Onesuite is a virtual calling card that you can recharge online instantly anytime. From the US, one simply calls a toll free access number then keys in PIN and then the number they want to call. Cheap Cheap Cheap! Visit: www.onesuite.com
PennyTalk: No Wifi, PINs or access numbers required. You can download this app on your mobile device for free and then you simply use your contact list or app keypad for easy calling. Canada = 1¢ per minute. Spain = 2¢ per minute. UK = 1¢ per minute. Over 200 countries available and most are 2¢ per minute or less. Visit www.pennytalk.com
Whatever you choose, don’t get ripped off by the ease of roaming charges. With a little effort, you can save a LOT of money…and have peace of mind to stay in touch with those at home so that you can enjoy your holiday time away.
4 Tips on How to get that First Class Upgrade on your next flight
Sunday, May 20th, 2012First-class upgrades used to be given away almost at the whim of the gate agent when the seats were undersold. Those days are gone for the most part, and you are much less likely to get a free upgrade simply for dressing nicely or having a pleasant demeanor. Fortunately, upgrades are still available, but nowadays they require more planning than charm.
Departure Time
First-class cabins are much more likely to be full when business people tend to be traveling. By flying at alternate times, you are much more likely to encounter an empty first-class cabin with upgrades available. Consider flying on midday or late-evening flights when there are fewer business travelers on board. Saturdays and holidays are also great times to avoid the business fliers, increasing your chance of an upgrade.
VIP
If you have a title or an important position in politics, business, academia, a religious institution or some other organization, you can increase your chance of getting an upgrade. Consider adding an OSI (Other Significant Information) message to your PNR (booking record) with your travel agent. The OSI will say if you are a CIP (commercially important passenger,) increasing your chance of getting an upgrade.
Customer Loyalty
Airlines court customer loyalty, and if you show yourself to be a loyal customer you might be rewarded with free upgrades. Take all of your flights with the same airline whenever possible and join that airline’s frequent flier club. Read the frequent flier emails and keep an eye open for free upgrade deals. As you accumulate frequent flier miles, you might qualify for free upgrades at certain flight times or for first-class upgrades at a discounted rate.
Gate Agent
Free upgrades are far less common than they used to be, and many airlines are more likely to sell upgrades to coach passengers than to give them away outright. It never hurts to ask, though, and a gate agent is the best person to ask for an upgrade. The gate agent has a fair bit of discretion in seating passengers. Wait until he or she is not busy and politely ask if there are any free upgrades available. If there aren’t, ask what upgrade deals are offered for the flight.
Feria
Wednesday, May 9th, 2012
In the spring in the city of Seville in southern Spain, a week-long celebration takes place that draws over one million people a year – the event is called “La Feria de Sevilla”. Over the years, Feria has become an internationally known celebration of flamenco, bullfighting and fun. Flamenco is an integral part of the tradition because Seville is considered to be the cultural epicenter of flamenco culture and music.
During Feria, a temporary “tent city” is born and the make-shift “tents” (or as they are known in Spanish, “casetas”) divide the land into different dance halls and private areas that are filled each evening with dancing and life lasting from 9 in the evening until 6 or 7 in the morning. Every tent is set up differently with a unique atmosphere and different customs. Visitors roam around the fairgrounds until they find an open tent with a good vibe to have a drink, watch performances and experience the atmosphere.
The women are known to dress in their most spectacular gowns, usually brightly colored flamenco dresses inspired by Gypsy fashion. The most common beverage drunk in during the Seville Fair is Spanish sherry wine, very famous in southern Spain. Often, to battle the heat of April in Seville, the sherry wine is mixed with 7-up or sprite to produce a drink known as “rebujito”.
In addition the the long nights of stomping, clapping and celebrating in the casetas, Feria also offers a wide range of other events during the day. Andalusian horse parades with decorated carriages are daily processions as they make their way through the city and fairground. The equestrian events are usually accompanied by singing groups who serenade crowds with traditional Sevillian ballads and guitar music. Many of the parade participants are members of Seville’s upper class aristocracy and normally dawn exquisite traditional Andalusian outfits with wide-brimmed “bolero” hats and short-cropped jackets. Of course, not to be missed during Feria are the afternoon bullfights. The bullring in Seville is known as one of the most beautiful in Spain and is commonly known by the locals as “the cathedral”.
Our Amazing Journeys travelers had the opportunity to experience the thrill of Feria. They sipped on sherry, explored the casetas and danced until the wee hours of the morning soaking in every bit of the tradition as possible!
Hola España!
Friday, April 27th, 2012Memories in motion: Amazing Spain is well underway–from churos con chocolate to Flamenco dancing on the streets, to the festival of Feria and the pagentry of a bullfight, check out this montage of amazing fun from our group:
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