Mardi Gras is Big Business for Gulf Coast

Photo courtesy of The Associated Press

Mardi Gras. It brings to mind beads, parties and fancy floats in New Orleans as people cram in all the fun they can before Lent begins.

In reality, Mardi Gras has long been celebrated in coastal towns from Texas to Florida. And it means big business.

"It is more of a regional thing, Mardi Gras is, from Texas down to (the) Gasparilla
(pirate festival) down in the Tampa area," said Stephen Toomey, whose family started a chain of Mobile, Ala.-based Mardi Gras party supply stores.

The Dark Side of New Zealand

Bay of Islands is so far the best of the islands I have visited. It has many interesting historic towns including Paihia, Russel, Waitangi and Kerikeri. I, myself, cannot believe that I have explored the bay up to the edge of the world at Cape Brett.  

But before I lost control of jumping to the climax of this story, let me start with our scary flight via Air New Zealand from Auckland to Kerikeri.

Hole in the Rock ~ Cape Brett NEW ZEALAND

I am not used to fly with small aircraft with only 8 passengers on board. Though it's not the flight itself which is scary.

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

Go Ahead with the Cruise - After the ill-fated Costa Concordia?

I have not been to a luxury cruise but have had enough information on how luxurious the cruising was.  The sailing I am referring to are the ones on the high seas for a couple of nights.  The ones that stop on some ports that give the passengers experience what the stop-over has in store for them.  To me, it is a better way of exploring and discovering small places. 

I have been to short cruises that last from four hours to a day.  I always want to experience all the transport facilities in my destinations.  I fly, take the bus, the taxi, the train, and cruise to go around must-see places.

Taking a week-long cruise is not in my itinerary but I had planned on cruising to Alaska just before the mishap in Giglio, Italy.  I never question my original travel plan after the disaster and I don't see any reason why I should change my mind.  

Cruise bookings after the Costa Concordia disaster remain strong according to the cruise industry. Daily Telegraph in UK confirmed that prospective holiday makers are still making almost as many inquiries about cruises as they were before the mishap.

To read the details of the story released by Tribune Information Services, please click here.

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