Archivado en: Uncategorized | 30 October, 2008
You should apply for a new passport if:
- You are applying for a U.S. passport for the first time.
- Your previous U.S. passport was lost, stolen, or damaged.
- Your previous U.S. passport has expired & was issued more than 15 years ago.
- Your previous passport has expired and it was issued when you were under 16.
- Your name has changed since your passport was issued and you do not have a legal document formally changing your name.
To apply for a new passport, you need to provide the following items:
1. Completed Form-DS11, Application for Passport.
Read directions carefully. Check everything twice or, even, three time. You wouldn’t want your application denied for a simple thing like not signing the application.
2. Proof of U.S. Citizenship.
The two most frequently used documents to prove citizenship are a previous U.S. passport or a certified birth certificate. If you do not have one of these, you can provide a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Naturalization Certificate or a Certificate of Citizenship.
Voter registration cards and army discharge papers are not acceptable proof of citizenship.
3. Proof of identity.
A previous U.S. passport can also serve to prove your identity. If you do not have one, you can provide a Naturalization Certificate, Certificate of Citizenship, a current, valid Driver’s license, government ID or military ID.
4. Two passport photos.
The two photos must be 2 x 2 inches, identical, taken within the last 6 months. The photos must show a full face, front view with a plain white or off-white background.
You should dress in normal street attire. Uniforms other than religious retire that is worn daily, hats, headgear and dark glasses are not acceptable. Prescription glasses with clear lenses may be worn.
5. Applicable fees.
The passport fee is $55. The security surcharge is $12. The execution fee is $30. The total is $97.
When applying at one of the thousands of designated application acceptance facilities in the U.S., you pay the passport fee and the security surcharge to the ”U.S. Department of State” and the execution fee to the facility where you are applying. Acceptable forms of payment vary.
Fees are non-refundable.
6. Social security number.
If you do not provide your Social Security Number, the Internal Revenue Service may impose a $500 penalty.
If your passport was lost or stolen, you must also provide a completed Form DS-64: Statement Regarding Lost or Stolen Passport.
After gathering the documentation, take it to one of the more than 6,000 passport acceptance facilities where an acceptance agent will witness the signing of the application.
Regular passport processing takes about 6 weeks. This is not guaranteed and may extend to 3 months or more.
About the Author
William Manor of U.S. Passport Service Guide reviews private travel document expediters and provides comprehensive passport, visa and destination information for international travelers.
Passport, travel visa and destination information for international travelers.
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Archivado en: Uncategorized | 29 October, 2008
Guadalupe Island’s 100-foot visibility is evident in its crystal-blue water. Unlike the Farallons or South Africa, Guadalupe Island has great visibility. This allowed us to see the great whites from a distance giving notice to get the cameras ready.
Our white shark encounters provided action from daybreak until sunset. Swimming slowly and cautiously around our shark cages were male and female white sharks ranging between the sizes of 12 to 16 feet in length. During close-up passes, the sharks looked directly at us, revealing the different color variations in their eyes. The center of their eyes is not black as described; they are actually brown. While staring into the eyes of one of the great whites, I noticed a thin, beautiful, blue circle. The great whites also have cones in their eyes. Animals having such cones are able to see different colors; therefore, it is likely that great whites also see color variations.
The water temperature at the island ranges between 70 - 75 degrees Fahrenheit. A 7mm wetsuit with a hood and boots, or a drysuit is recommended for exposure protection. I used a inch wetsuit, but I plan on having a drysuit for next year’s trip. Most of the participants wore wetsuits and were just fine—some were even a bit warm.
The last day of the trip we enjoyed an extensive visit from two California sea lions. Enchanting encounters to say the least—watching the ballet-like movement of the sea lions as they swim through the water. Next year’s escorted trip to Guadalupe Island will be September 20- 24, 2004. The cost of the trip is $2,350 per person bunk quarters, and $2,550 for private stateroom. The adventure is worth every cent to see the ocean’s apex predator up close and personal. For those who wish to come along for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity contact TerraSea Travel & Tours toll free at 1-800-403-8488 or visit their website at www.terrasea.net
TerraSea offers an array of adventures and expeditions. Travelers can chose from wonderful land-based hotels and resorts to liveaboards for the maximum diving. Our worldwide adventures encompass diving from the Caribbean to the Pacific. Divers can choose from wreck diving, diving on coral reefs, or high adrenaline action in close up encounters with pelagics: great white sharks, whale sharks, dolphins, whales, manta rays, great hammerheads and tiger sharks.
TerraSea customizes individual and group tours for scuba diving travel adventures to fit your needs and desires. Their knowledge and expertise of travel and destinations provides first class service for a first class trip, and guarantees the lowest price with the best value.
TerraSea also offers land adventures where you can visit the Maya ruins, travel up river through a nature preserve encountering beautiful tropical birds and monkeys, go hiking through a rainforest, or explore the Australian Outback.
About the Author
None
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Archivado en: Uncategorized | 27 October, 2008
Cheap car rental deals are spread all over the web. But not all are good deals. There’s a few thing you must look out for… or your cheap car rental deal might work out a lot more expensive than you planned !
Here’s some things you mustn’t do :
* Forget to check the car’s condition
When you pickup the car, be sure to check it carefully. Some companies will blame pre-existing scratches & dents on you. They know it needs fixing, and wait for a sucker to pay for it. This is less likely with the big, reputable companies, but can be avoided with these tips.
Check it over with the delivery guy, or when you go to pick it up. If you have a digital camera or camcorder, which you probably do if you’re going on vacation, then give them a quick run over the car. Then you can prove the exact condition of the car when you first took it.
* Don’t use the Internet to check for best deals
Of course you’ll check for deals on the Internet ! That’s probably where you’re reading this article. But there’s still people who don’t check, and just take the first offline offer they see. Check online, and use one of the search engines that scans lots of different car rental offers.
* Don’t check Offline too
Even though the Internet is probably the best place for car rental deals, it’s worth checking offline too. I found when searching for Hotel deals, I often get the best deals by calling ahead and negotiating with the receptionist (it’s hard to negotiate with a web page). Yet, with Airline tickets the best deals are usually online, and the telephone/walk-in prices are higher and can’t be negotiated.
But with car rentals, if you want to cover all your bases, be sure to check online and offline. Your local car rental dealer might have a special offer he’s forgotten to update on the web site, or maybe someone’s just cancelled a booking and you can take it cheap at short notice.
* Don’t carefully check the terms of your car rental deal
Make sure you’ve got unlimited mileage if you want to drive a long way. Some deals have a mileage allowance, after which you get charged high dollar per extra mile. Unlimited works out best most times.
Check the terms to see if you need to return the car gas tank full or nearly empty. I once made the mistake of returning it full when I didn’t need to - the car rental company refused to refund the cost.
* Fail to clean the car if you genuinely do get it dirty
It’s okay to return it dusty from driving a couple hundred miles, but if your kid sicks inside, or someone spills coffee, or drops a burger & fries, then clean it up ! If you don’t the car rental company will add an extra cleaning charge onto your credit card.
Follow these tips and you’ll have a relaxed and stress free car rental experience, all ready to enjoy your vacation or business trip.
by Neil Stelling B.Sc, MBA - Marketing Manager,
DigiLectual Inc. ==> http://www.cheap–car-rentals.com/
© DigiLectual Inc. 2004
Discover some of the best cheap car rental deals on the internet. Go ==> http://www.cheap–car-rentals.com/
** Attention eZine editors / Site owners ** Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include our resource box as listed above.
If you do use the material please send us a note so we can take a look.. mailto:articles@digilectual.com
Neil Stelling B.Sc, MBA - Marketing Manager,
DigiLectual Inc. ==> http://www.cheap–car-rentals.com/
© DigiLectual Inc. 2004
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Archivado en: Uncategorized | 25 October, 2008
When it comes to opportunities to enjoy good food, Paradise Island of the Bahamas is aptly named. On this small island, the cuisines of the world are represented. There are a wide range of cuisine choices and dining settings.
Anthony’s Caribbean Grill, located at the Paradise Island Shopping Mall, serves Caribbean and American foods. While the Caribbean is - to be truthful - rather Americanized, the quality of the ingredients is high, and the food, whichever culinary genre it may properly or officially belong to, tastes good and is satisfying. Among the eatery’s offerings are pizzas with a plethora of available toppings, barbecued chicken and ribs, fried chicken, ribs with Caribbean-style barbecue sauce and a host of large sized salads that serve as meals. A broad range of mixed drinks is available. The hours are from 7:30am to 11pm, and it is open daily.
At The Water’s Edge, a nightly seafood buffet is served. The culinary influence is decidedly Mediterranean, and in addition to an abundance of seafood, there are many pasta dishes, including penne a l’arrabbiata. Pizzas of various types and styles are also a part of the buffet. The dining area itself is beautiful and works to set the tone of the meal. There are immense chandeliers and an artificially created miniature lagoon with three waterfalls adds an interesting touch. Reservations are strongly suggested for this establishment, found at the Atlantis. It is open daily, from 6pm to 10pm.
Mama Loo’s specializes in Asian cuisine, though there are a few dishes with a Caribbean touch. The décor of the restaurant, with its ceiling fans and potted palms, does add a sort of Far East mystique that is enjoyable. Szechwan, Cantonese, and Polynesian cuisines make up most of the menu, though there are a few Caribbean dishes as well. The specialties of the house are the stir-fried lobster, beef, and broccoli with ginger, the shrimp in spicy chili sauce with a peanut sauce, and the deep-fried chicken filets with honey-flavored garlic sauce. Reservations are strongly suggested for this restaurant, located in the Coral Tower of the Atlantis. Mama Loo’s is open Tuesday through Sunday from 6pm to 10pm.
The Cave, located at the Atlantis, offers simple fare that is delicious. Burgers, sandwiches, salads and ice cream draw a casual crowd, many right off the beach which is close by, and many families with children. The prices are reasonable and the hours are from 10am to 6pm every day.
Villa D’Este serves what many consider to be the best Italian food on the Island. Located in the Coral Tower of the Atlantis, this restaurant serves a variety of traditional favorites that take their influence from the Tuscany region of Italy. Some of the more interesting dishes are whole roasted rack of lamb coated with red wine sauce and rosemary potatoes and pan-fried chicken breast with artichokes and mushrooms in a lemony white wine sauce. Reservations are essential and the hours are 6pm to 10pm, Thursday through Tuesday.
Paradise Island is indeed a heavenly experience for those with an adventurous and discerning type of culinary taste. There’s a lot to choose from, and certainly nobody will have to leave the island hungry.
About the Author
This article provided courtesy of http://www.holiday-bahamas.com
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Archivado en: Uncategorized | 24 October, 2008
It was a ‘heady’ time in my life. I knew I had some insights that would be helpful from history and I knew something big had happened and was in process spiritually.
Here I was ‘head over heels’ with a young woman who was teaching me about empathy and demonstrating her willingness and ability to grow, as much as I could have hoped for. I was ‘in tune’ and waiting for the next ‘event’. Barbi and I headed for Cancun, where I could take a side trip and see my first Pyramid, at Chichen Itza. I expected something big to happen! And I could remember the re-incarnated Mayor of Old Sacramento who I had met some twenty years earlier. He said he had discovered many Mayan sites in his previous life.
The trip was prepaid, including hotel, but when we arrived at the Mayaland Hotel they had no record of our reservation. Barbi was upset which can easily happen if you expect efficiency in México. I on the other hand, began to feel my body hair ’stand and quiver’. Fate was smiling on me but Barbi wasn’t. My explanations about what was ‘intended’ just added to her frustration. She commanded that I should, “Get the owner! And straighten this out.”
It was no problem except that they had no rooms at The Mayaland that evening. The owner was quite pleasant and said she’d arrange a place for us at the ‘Club Med’ property up the road. Barbi wanted to be sure we could come back for the entertainment at the Mayaland and asked if I had ascertained how this had happened? I replied that it wasn’t anyone’s fault and that she would soon see we were the better off for it. I didn’t need any intuition to feel her mounting disgust with my arrogant certainty that it was about to happen. There had been other events of synchronicity and weirdness in our time together for the previous thirteen months and I had told her that her energy had been very important all of these things that had happened. I was ‘in the flow’ and she couldn’t relate to my elation. The ‘Villas Archaeologique’ was the place that the people who had excavated the site a hundred years or so ago, had stayed in.
Upon walking into the courtyard, I was even more certain something ’special’ was going on! The place was like a museum in a jungle gazebo and even smelled the way it should. I was looking at all the artifacts and carved rocks in their displays or among the plants. The earlier statues were much more refined and Greek looking. Why had no one mentioned this in any of the literature? I was absolutely ’stoked’! The more recent Mayan statues had this gargoylish long-tongued creature that Barbi had told me during the week in Cancun that reminded her of me. I was so sure anyone could easily see the degradation of a society over many millennia. Barbi said it could have been her Greek ancestors who had come to Central America. The dates on the statues would make that fit my ‘traveler’ theory as well.
I was certain that anyone could see the work of Churchward and MacDari might be vindicated by this art alone. Churchward claimed Mu had a higher culture and technology and Barbi had to agree the older artistry was in every way superior. “I wish MacDari and Churchward had met here to compare their notes.” I enthused. “Just as the Kelts (Toltecs) and Lemurians did.”
“Well if they met here they probably met in the Indus and became the Phoenicians as you say, too. But we need to get to the temple or pyramid, Bob!”
I was trying to ‘feel’ the presence of ‘The Red-Headed League’ (of Megalith Builders) that my early-life literary friend Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes had turned me on to. The scientific branch of their unified organization or original League of Nations called the Tuatha de Danaan seemed more likely the makers of these fine works of art. I forget how long it was before Barbi took me by the hand and brought me back to the reason we were there in the first place. She was into that almost as much as I was grooving on the Etruscan/Phoenician or Mu/Kelt connection to this part of the world. It had taken me by surprise but still I felt there was more, and off to the room we went. It was cooler in the small room, and as we freshened up I pestered Barbi for a celebration.
“Bob, we don’t have time for all of that.”
“Just a ‘quickie!” I pleaded.
“You don’t know the meaning of the word.” She joked as she ran away from me and out the door.
As we rounded the first corner of the courtyard I saw the manager in front of us, talking to a group of ‘turistas’. I waited anxiously as Barbi tried to push or pull me towards the exit. At what appeared to be an ‘opening’ in their conversation I brazenly asked, “Can you direct me to what is really important here? I’m not interested in the ‘official’ Mexican government position that the tour provides!?”
He responded in his best English combined with a calming French type accent. “I don’t know what you mean, Sir?!”
“I mean I know the Mexicans and their Franciscan forbears aren’t interested in having the Mayan people of Chiapas and elsewhere getting to know the degree of pride they should have in their heritage.”
He looked at me and shrugged his shoulders as he looked at Barbi tugging on my arm. I was sure he knew more than he was allowed or willing to tell me. I was convinced I wasn’t going to get any encouragement from him, so I followed Barbi who was into her ‘mall walk’ that I always joked about. Her small legs were quite powerful and when she wanted she sure knew how to use them, like when shopping.
“You know, I might learn more if we took the tour.” Barbi said in a half-hearted manner with full knowledge that I was not going to listen to their lies which included the Mayans not having existed before the time of Christ. Barbi remarked with conviction. “You know everyone isn’t into the same things you are.”
Many people would agree with her criticism of my often intense social behaviour. “I make no apologies for being willing to question authority and act in a right and growth oriented or ‘open’ manner. You are getting pretty good at it yourself lately, you know!” I said as I squeezed her hand.
At that time Barbi and I were living apart, but we had lived together for about six months during the time we had known each other. Her sexual abuse issues had been faced but the character and programming of behaviour that had been her life for so many years were still being evaluated. She had just turned twenty five and I was forty three years old.
I had read about the buildings on the site more than once and I was most interested in seeing the ‘Pelota’ where they had played a game with a big ball. The winner of this game got to choose who would die! Thus I figured, it was likely that sometimes the winners chose death. You wouldn’t imagine that a team with ten players would make this kind of decision without some major motivation. I told Barbi that the Persian roots of the game Parcheesi were not necessarily the real origin, by saying. “The early MesoAmerican Indians played a game just like Parcheesi that some historian/anthropologists said was Persian.”
“Is that the game like hook and ladders?” She replied as she saw some Greek looking columns up ahead.
I had read Carlos Castaneda a lot and always had wondered about his teacher/brujho’s claim that he was the last Toltec. I presume he was claiming to be the last pure Toltec and since the time I was at Chichen Itza I have discovered more sources that indicate they were not indigenous people but most likely Ovates of the Keltic tradition. The teachings of Don Juan as reported by Carlos and then performed by him, include dimensional shifts and time or immortality issues, that I felt were connected with this game in the ‘Pelota’. Barbi had heard my theory a few times I guess and wanted to have ‘fun’ egging me on to explain why some teams of winners might choose death.
Carlos Castaneda had been a UCLA anthropology student when he began his association with the ‘cult hero’ Don Juan and his sorcerer friends like Don Gennaro. The rumor was that Carlos did no longer exist in this physical frame of reference and that the journalists who waited to interview him at his publisher’s offices had always been frustrated. He would deliver his books from time to time and the journalists or paparazzi would chase after him. When he would duck into a stairwell and they would converge on him from above and below he wouldn’t be there anymore. I didn’t think any journalist who really understood his work would be interested in being a journalist once he was an adept. The Castaneda debunkers have their position that they understand everything he writes but I am sure they don’t.
It requires a great deal of right thought and attunement to shift physical dimensions or dematerialize. Barbi and I had been watching a cable access show called Tootlevision after its host Harry Tootle. We had seen Al Bielek describing his work as a physicist dealing with the nature of Time and its seven levels of a helical nature. The universe seems to expand, with the logical progression from lesser to greater cardinalities playing the role of time. I knew that ‘viewing’ time through the Philosopher’s Stone had given many people like the priestly Michel Nostradamus the insight to his confusing quatrains. The work of David Ovason in Secrets of Nostradamus is the best I have found on that matter.
I had met some people who had more than just premonitions and I had had a couple of them myself. It seemed to me that parallel or alternate universes had a part to play in the confusion. I think deja vu is a very common time frame feeling that is at the earliest stage of the helical structure of time.
The pyramid that you always see pictures of, in reference to Chichen Itza, dominates a plaza or field of immense proportions with large spaces between each of the main buildings. The Observatory or Caracol was being worked on and was unavailable for entry at the time of our visit. I found the Parthenon like columns of interest after having seen the statues at the ‘Villas’, and we walked among them first. It was getting hotter by the minute and it was very humid.
“Bob, I’ll race you to the top of the Pyramid!” Barbi called to me as she came running up beside me. It wasn’t going to get any cooler and August in Mexico is always hot. I guess I would have asked her to do it herself and tell me what she was able to see from the small altar room at the top, if she hadn’t challenged me in this way.
“When have you ever beaten me at anything physical, Short Stuff?” It didn’t matter to me, whether this was the famous Kukulcan jaguar cults’ pride and joy or not, by the time I reached the top. It was my primary concern to not breathe too hard so that my younger lady wouldn’t think I was too old or something like that. She was excited and rushed to me with news that she had gone under the altar and had been able to see the original temple structure below.
The Popul Vuh is the Bible of the Mayan peoples, or I guess I should say what the Bible purports to be. The historical and legendary traditions and laws of their ancestors; had mentioned the current temple was built around an earlier one that the jaguar cult of Kukulcan had built. It says that three brothers from across the ocean to the west; designed and led their ancestors to build this structure.
I think the very existence of the Mayans had been presented as a no longer existing factor at some time in the twentieth century: it was because they intended to wipe them out. I know in Mexico that many in the government wishes that were the case, and I know the Mayans had successfully kept away from the Spanish for many centuries since the Franciscans came to rob and ridicule them. Their mercenary brethren like Cortez had tried their damndest to ‘make it so’. At this time I was not sure I had really met a Mayan except at Fritz’s once, a few months earlier. I found out more about these things later in an extended visit that included living in Belize for about five months. The Mayans had been much more than their primitive Aztec conquerors. In fact the Aztecs held the Mayans in very high esteem and basically plagiarized the Mayan calendar and anything else they could. The Mayan still have a racial purity that makes them look like their original ancestors from the Orient or Mu.
As I re-energized, Barbi and I hugged in the presence of a vista once shared by a priesthood of austere and unproven origin who I was sure we could learn a lot from. The Mayans have a saying that can be expressed in many different ways that goes like this: “Don’t put yourself in front of your Self!” The soul is our true nature for sure; I mused as I saw Barbi’s wide-eyed excitement and shared her awe of this beautiful view. I felt vindicated in my zeal or often apparently ludicrous pursuit of something others only gave a modicum of care about; but much more was ‘in store’ for us that wonderful and ‘freaky’ day.
“Bob, I actually feel that I am somewhat responsible for bringing some of these things into your life. The truth is you bring them or make them a reality for me, in ways that no one else could. I don’t tell you that I love you enough, do I?”
“Yes, Barbi, you do. But, I always love to hear it.” We kissed before beginning the more difficult journey down the side of the pyramid.
It was so steep going down that it was amazing to both of us that they allowed old and infirm tourists to do it alone. Barbi probably made some crack about me having to do it on hands and knees some time in the near future. There were some old people and even some who weren’t so young who did this at some tricky points on the descent to ‘terra firma’. I was still naive enough to think the Mexican government and its fifty extended Spanish families that owned everything, had some kind of ethic. This illusion was rudely and totally corrected in my next visit to this land where might is still right.
We headed directly for the ‘Pelota’ after reaching the ground. This building was ominous, and we saw the royal box looming high above the field where the ‘little people’ played out their life and death game or struggle.
About the Author
Author of Diverse Druids
Columnist for The ES Press Magazine
Guest ‘expert’ at World-Mysteries.com
This article appeared in New Age Travel with pictures and a little more content.
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Archivado en: Uncategorized | 23 October, 2008
The first recorded mapping of what is now Koombana Bay and the eventual City of Bunbury, was in 1803 by the French explorers Nicolas Baudin and Louis de Freycinet, from their ships the Geographe and Casuarina. In 1831 there was a temporary English military settlement with the first settlers moving to the area named after Lieutenant Henry William St Pierre Bunbury in 1838. A growing port serviced the settlers and the subsequent local industries that developed.
The area is the traditional land of the Noongar Aboriginal people with many Noongar names and travel routes still widely used today.
Enjoying a mild Mediterranean climate, the city is bordered by the Indian Ocean, Koombana Bay and Leschenault inlet and naturally enough water sports, port and harbour facilities as well as a growing seafoods industry, feature highly in the local lifestyle and economy. Bunbury’s port is Australia’s ninth largest port by volume and by 2020 should be rated within the nation’s top five.
Located 175km south of Perth, the city and its neighboring suburbs have a population of 52,000 and Bunbury is one of Australia’s fastest growing cities. Bunbury is the commercial hub to WA’s “South West”, an area that is home to the Margaret River wine region and major coal, alumina and mineral sands industries; a region that boasts around 8,000 businesses and a GDP of over $5 billion. Presently it is about a 2 hour drive from Perth to Bunbury, but this will be reduced by 30 minutes on the completion of the recently announced Bunbury Highway or Peel Deviation.
Bunbury is well known for its “Cappucino Strip” restaurant and café precinct and more recently the fast developing Marlston waterfront area that already includes the upmarket Vat 2 restaurant, Taffy’s “live” confectionary outlet, Barbados tavern and nightclub, Jiving J’s waterfront bar and eatery and “Surprise Chef” Aristos’s own seafood boardwalk.
Thousands of years ago Bunbury was subject to lava flows which resulted in both the unique basalt rock formations on the city beach as well as the present Marlston Hill and Boulters Heights, where today some of Bunbury’s most exclusive residential real estate is located.
There are numerous property choices in the Bunbury area ranging from trendy cosmopolitan apartments to traditional suburban family homes and from beach retreats to rural or semi-rural properties.
There is a wide variety of attractions, with Bunbury the home of the Dolphin Discovery Centre where you can learn about and interact with wild dolphins, whilst in 2005 the city hopes to host a round of the Formula Nippon motor racing circuit. There is an indoor skate centre, ten pin bowling, cinema within the CBD area with the Bunbury Entertainment Centre alongside. Bunbury boasts a major aquatic and fitness centre with a smaller indoor pool located at Australind.
There are 9 secondary schools in the central Bunbury area, a campus of Edith Cowan University, TAFE College, several shopping centres, sporting grounds and major private and public hospitals.
Shops are normally open 8.30am-5.30pm Monday to Friday and 8.30am-5.00pm Saturdays with late night shopping until 9pm on Thursday. The Eaton Fair Shopping Centre in Bunbury’s northern suburbs has extended trading hours 7 days a week. Banks only operate 10am - 4pm Monday through Thursday and until 5pm on Fridays, although credit and building societies normally also open on Saturday mornings. There are a host of automatic teller machines and bank agencies dotted in and around Bunbury.
To get around Bunbury there are ample modern taxis, a public bus transport service and more recently a tourist “tram” that will carry you about the city areas and give you an explanation of the local sites as you go. The Bunbury Visitor Centre in Carmody Street near Centrepoint Shopping Centre will also assist with additional maps and local knowledge.
There are several Bunbury medical practices and we have a listing of emergency medical contacts on our “Contact” page.
There are a number of Post Offices in the Bunbury area and postage stamps can also be purchased at local newsagencies. Postage for a standard letter, anywhere in Australia, is 50c.
Free to Air TV channels in Bunbury are the ABC, GWN, WIN and SBS but many homes also receive the Perth networks 7, 9 and 10. Foxtel pay TV is also available in Bunbury. The electricity supply in Bunbury, like the rest of Australia, is 240v.
City and suburban locations in the Bunbury area include Australind, Eaton, Dalyellup, Vittoria Heights, Marlston Hill, Clifton Park, Gelorup, Mangles, Leschenault, Crosslands, Sandridge Park, Glen Padden, South Bunbury, Withers, College Grove, Carey Park, Picton, Davenport and East Bunbury. There is a full listing of Bunbury real estate in our Bunbury real estate guide.
The Bunbury region of Western Australia includes the areas of Harvey, Capel, Dardanup, Binningup, Myalup, Burekup, Boyanup, Peppermint Grove Beach, Stratham, Yarloop, Wokalup, Benger, Brunswick, Roelands, Leschenault and the Ferguson Valley.
Bunbury is now also home to a substantial expat community from the USA, Canada, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Our Bunbury real estate guide is of obvious benefit to both business migrants and the local Bunbury community alike.
Keith Palmer is creating the WA Online project - “Building information bridges for Western Australian communities.
office@bunburyonline.com
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Archivado en: Uncategorized | 19 October, 2008
In 2004, I completed two Inuit art buying trips to Iqaluit (formerly Frobisher Bay), the capital of Nunavut, Canada’s newest territory. For both trips, I flew out of Ottawa on Canadian North airlines. The other airline that services Nunavut is First Air. Only the last half of the jets was allocated for passengers as the entire first half was for cargo. Being so remote, Canadian Arctic Inuit communities pretty well have to have everything shipped up there by plane or by boat during the summers since there are no roads connecting to the rest of Canada or even between each Nunavut community. The Arctic landscape from the air was desolate, hilly and barren. As the plane got closer to Iqaluit, the airport’s small terminal building stood out with its bright yellow color. The airport itself is within walking distance to the rest of the town. There are taxis that charge a flat rate of $5 per trip anywhere in Iqaluit. Interestingly enough, these taxis also pick up and drop off other passengers along the way so shared rides with others are common here. There are several hotels in Iqaluit and rooms are generally clean, comfortable but quite basic. Accommodations and dining up north in Nunavut are both expensive. All food items with the exception of local Inuit fare must be flown up from the Canadian south. A carton of milk will cost about $10 in Iqaluit. Most Inuit locals cannot afford to buy overpriced fruits, vegetables and meat from the south. Many local families still rely on Inuit hunters who bring caribou, seal and whale to the table.
There is only one high rise building in Iqaluit and it is used mainly for local Nunavut government offices. All other buildings are low rise, including the hospital. The vast majority of the residential housing is similar to cabins that are raised off the ground because of the harsh Canadian Arctic winters. Many look a bit run down with junk and disposed items piled outside. With the fact that there are no lawns or trees possible this far north, the neighborhoods are certainly not the prettiest sights around. But one Inuit art carver told me that his government subsidized rent is only $36 per month. There are some small clusters of nice homes on the outskirts of town. Some houses have husky dogs tied up outside and many have snowmobiles. In fact, the roads, most of them unpaved, are shared by cars, trucks, snowmobiles, all terrain
vehicles and people. During the summers, Iqaluit can get quite dusty with all the vehicles turning up the dirt on the roads. As a result, Iqaluit did look a bit nicer during my first trip which was during the winter when the city was in white snow rather than brown dirt. There is new construction going on since with the creation of the Nunavut territory, Iqaluit is growing as more Inuit from other Arctic communities are migrating to the city.
One thing that was very noticeable in Iqaluit was the large numbers of children everywhere. Nunavut has a very young population with 56% under the age of 25. I saw many Inuit mothers wearing traditional Inuit parkas with large hoods in the back where their babies are carried. The Inuit youth is one of the Canadian Arctic’s untapped resources and its future. They have access to satellite television and dress just like their counterparts in the south. However, at present only about 25% of high school students graduate so a big challenge for the Nunavut government is to encourage the Inuit kids to stay in school. During my second trip, there was darkness for only a few hours each day so it was very strange to be walking around town at 10 pm in the evening with daylight still present. Even at this hour, there were still quite a few young Inuit children playing outside. The locals, Inuit and non-Inuit alike were very friendly. I got the impression of a tight community perhaps because of the isolation of the Canadian Arctic. However, the local Inuit were also very open to visitors and willing to share a bit of their lives. During the daytime, I went up to a few Inuit art carvers who were working outside their houses. Each turned off their power saws when I approached them and seemed happy to talk to me. I met most of them later during the evenings when they showed me their finished works of Inuit art.
I had the opportunity to walk about 30 minutes to the outskirts of town past the airport one day. I climbed up a hilltop with a satellite dish facility overlooking an expansive valley. There was nobody else around and it was incredible how silent the area was. It was like a vacuum where I could hear only my own breathing. It was a very peaceful and even spiritual moment there. While sitting on this Arctic hilltop, I was suddenly startled at one point by a noise and it turned out to be the flapping wings of a large raven flying by. There are tours offered by local outfitters to see the northern wildlife and experience some of the Arctic tundra further out. I hope to take one of these tours on a future visit. A trip to Nunavut is not cheap since everything, including flights are so expensive. However, I will definitely return not only for more Inuit art, but also to experience more of the local Inuit culture and the Arctic land.
About the Author
Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca , an online gallery specializing in Inuit Eskimo and Northwest Native American art including carvings, sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous information resource articles with photos of authentic Inuit and Native Indian art as well as free eCards.
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Archivado en: Uncategorized | 18 October, 2008
If you’re looking for the best honeymoon possible, then you need to consider the Smokey Mountains as your destination.
Don’t get a motel room or stay in Gatlinburg. Find a cabin to rent that has all the amenities of a 5 star hotel but in the serenity, solitude and secrecy of the mountains.
My family and I just had one of the most awesome and relaxing vacations ever and we spent it in a cabin that was fully furnished. It had a pool table, 2 indoor jacuzzis and an 2 person hot tub on the deck overlooking the mountains.
The cabin we stayed in would sleep 8 so there will be more than enough space for two. While we were there we saw wild turkeys, deer, a wild peacock and scorpions.
Now when I say cabin, don’t think for one minute that this was a cabin like the old settlers used to call home. This cabin was more like a luxury vacation home than a log cabin. The price range for the cabin was from $130-160 per night with a 2 night minimum and a price break if you stay more than 3 nights.
Cabins are located all over the area, so it pays to shop around, but almost all of the cabins are located within 15 minutes of the main highway and 25 minutes from the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. You are close to true outlet malls as well.
The Smokey Mountains offer some of the best times and places to create lasting memories with the love of your life. Make sure you take a hike to one of the many waterfalls and be certain to do a horseback ride.
The best deals on cabins are found on the internet. Do a search for Smokey Mountain cabins and you’ll get more results than you know what to do with.
Our cabin was rented from Fireside Cabins and Chalet rental. They can be found on the internet with a websearch.
The weather in the Smokies is fairly mild, even in the winter and you’ll really enjoy your honeymoon there!
About The Author
Carlingue Demontagne is the manager and developer of Any Honeymoon which is an awesome site on the internet to learn more about planning a honeymoon. To learn more about visiting the Smokies, please visit my website at: http://www.anyhoneymoon.com.
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Archivado en:
Baker's Dozen,
Lucky Web | 18 October, 2008
Not playing online sports bet odds yet? Sign up here!
Hook up man’s most popular pursuits and what you’ve got is a craze we generally title a sportsbook wagers web location. Truly, what could feasibly be more original. If you envision a band of people cheering in support of a home players, and frequently stakes are calculated parallel to the noise. Set to participate in of the pleasure, onlookers on a regular basis attempt to surmise who will prevail the approaching struggle. In the end, this all eventually turns into a fun little struggle titled sportsbook wagers web location.
If you want to place a wager, you should surf to a sportsbook wagers web location, which is a place that offers sportsbook wagers web location. In the United States, there are four states where to do sportsbook gambling in a legitimate manner, but beyond legal you can do it just about anywhere provided you can pinpoint a bookie AND you’re of age. Included in the games you’ll be able to bet on are professional including, beyond, college league football plus basketball, pro baseball and hockey, including, beyond, betting on both horse and dog racing. You’ll be able to wager on the general tally of a contest, in what round any given competitor will go under, and even whether a given coin toss in a contest comes out heads or tails.
We can select assorted varieties of stakes: straight bets, where you’ll select the contestant you believe is the likeliest to win or fail, parlays, i.e. combined stakes on multiple track-and-field events, teaser antes, plus, also, over/unders, i.e. wagers on the totalized points notched up in the meet by both participating sides, the straight bets being the general favorite in sportsbook gambling.
Why not conduct some test runs, and enjoy the excitement for good measure. Simply make certain that you won’t get overpowered and kill your complete retirement income on a whimsy. For you just might find yourself full of lament all life long.
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Archivado en: Uncategorized | 17 October, 2008
If you have purchased a timeshare property and want to sell it in the resale market, you could do it through a reputed agent. Be warned though, that it is basically a buyer’s market out there.
In the resale market, supply far outstrips demand. Moreover, the original sale has been completed with you at a price that is approximately twice the real value of the property, mainly because of the promotional expenses. Investment in timeshare for financial gain is almost always a non-starter.
If you have compelling reasons, you could consider resale. Even without any compulsions, it is not a bad idea to consider selling your timeshare property if you’re not using it because of the recurring maintenance costs that you would be incurring by holding on to it. However, you cannot expect more than a fraction of the original price to come back to you.
For a buyer, the picture is obviously different. You can get bargain prices that are just 25% to 50 % of the original price.
There are many options available to you if you want to sell a timeshare property. Many resorts have their own owners’ club, which could help you. Agents specializing in timeshare sales are another option. However, make sure that the agent has a decent track record and is a licensed broker. You could, of course, also sell on your own through friends and personal contacts. This is an option that you should consider only if you have something specific. It is a good idea to survey the market on your own before you actually sell. Since the resale market is very price-sensitive, you may have to price your property lower than that offered by other sellers.
As a buyer, you need to take care of a few things too. Make sure that the maintenance charges have been paid and there area no pending dues. Find out the time that it takes the club to make the transfer to your name, and the charges that the club levies for this.
The resale market in timeshares is an attractive option for buyers, while offering a viable alternative to sellers that no longer use them.
Sell Time Shares provides detailed information on Sell Time Shares, Buy Sell Time Shares, Time Share Rentals, Time Share Resales and more. Sell Time Shares is affiliated with Resale Timeshares.
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