Top Airport in North America - Ottawa International Airport

Photo courtesy of CBC

I have not landed at the Ottawa International Airport although I have been to Ottawa a couple of times.  I have yet to see how my fellow Canadians at this airport serve efficiently with millions coming to visit our country.  Kudos to the customer service staff and the whole airport staff in general for job well done.  I have no complain with our own Pearson International Airport in Toronto whatsoever.  The following is a news story by Jordana Divon based on a survey.....

Visitors flying into the nation's capital are landing in world-class style, says a new Airports Council International poll.

According to the survey, Ottawa boasts the top airport in North America for customer service and high quality facilities, and places second overall in the world for airports that serve between two and five million passengers.

Though it sits at the top of the North American list, the airport slipped from the number one worldwide spot it earned in 2010.  This year's slot was awarded to Ecuador's Guayalquil airport.  
Read the full story here.

Courtesy of Daily Brew - Yahoo News

Wanted Volunteers to Live in Ecuador City for a Month

Consider retiring abroad?  You could win a month living in Cuenca, Ecuador courtesy of International Living Magazine.

Reuters published this fresh news today.  I am sharing this information to those interested in adventure and exploring new places.

Ecuador - Photo Courtesy of Julia Rubinic

An international magazine is looking for volunteers to spend a month in Cuenca, Ecuador to test its potential as a retirement destination.

Applicants must be near retirement age, from the United States or Canada and be willing to explore, shop, try local restaurants, maybe take a Spanish class, and report on their experience during an all-expenses-paid month in the Latin American country.

"We're not giving away a free vacation," said Jennifer Stevens, the executive editor of International Living magazine, which launched the competition.

"The idea is we will find a candidate who is already thinking about living overseas, is excited about the prospect. We are looking for someone who is adventurous and eager to try something new," she added in an interview.

The winner of the competition, who will be announced on May 30, will receive round-trip air fare for two, a furnished apartment and $1,500 in living expenses, according to an ad posted on InternationalLiving.com.

The magazine said the competition gives it the opportunity to show readers the benefits of retiring abroad.

Ecuador, Panama and Mexico, in that order, were the top destinations in the magazine's Retirement Index 2012, which assessed a country's retirement potential based on property prices, special benefits, cost of living, assimilation, entertainment, health infrastructure, healthcare and climate.

Malaysia, Colombia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Spain, Thailand and Honduras rounded out the top 10 destinations in the index.

InternationalLiving.com estimates that a couple can live in Cuenca for as little as $915 per month after rent.

It is the first competition of its kind for the magazine, which is expecting thousands of applicants. If it is successful, Stevens said, she is open to repeating the opportunity.

"I'm hoping we can get tens of thousands of people interested," she said.

The contest is limited to Americans and Canadians because they make up the bulk of the magazine's readership.

People interested in entering the competition, either solo or as a couple, should post a video no longer than three minutes to YouTube saying why they would want to spend their golden years abroad, as well as a month in Ecuador.

The competition closes on March 15. Magazine staff will select a shortlist of 20 applicants that will be posted on its website, where people can cast votes online. But the ultimate decision will be made by the magazine staff.
"Anyone can vote," Stevens said.

No writing experience is necessary but if the magazine publishes the winner's report, they will be paid its normal freelance rate.

To read more about this story, follow the link:
http://www.canada.com/travel/Wanted+Volunteers+live+Ecuador+city+month/6126484/story.html