Power Blackout-holiday travel season around the corner

With the holiday travel season around the corner, I am reminded of highways and airports will filled with families trying to get to visit relatives, and business travelers trying to get home. During this time, you may experience chaos and delay, so I am sharing with you what I learned the last time I encountered chaos and delay during the power blackout in August of 2003 I am convinced that the lessons learned can be applied to all travelers.

I arrived at LaGuardia airport at 4:30 p.m. - relieved that I had beaten the worst of the traffic with over two hours before my scheduled flight departure to grab something to eat and make a few phone calls. After too many days on the road, thoughts about how nice it would be to see my husband and sleep in my own bed were beginning to dance in my head.

I walked up to the kiosk to get my boarding pass. I punched the screen - no response. I looked around and realized no one was moving. The gentleman beside me responded to my quizzical look: "The power's out."

Twenty-seven hours later I fell into the last seat on the last flight that day to the Raleigh-Durham airport (I did get a business class seat!). Like all experiences, there are lessons to be learned:

1. Carry a paper printout of your travel reservations. Because the computer systems were down, the airlines had no way of substantiating that you even had a reservation unless you had some kind of paper documentation with a reservation number on it. Even though I was automatically booked on a later flight (don't ask me how!), I had to show the printout to get my boarding pass. I save all my travel documents in my "calendar entry" file of my Paper Tiger filing system - that way it is easy to grab itineraries and related documents as I head out the door.

2. Travel with cash. Since cash machines and credit cards require electricity, your ability to buy food was directly related to the amount of cash you had available.

3. Keep your cellphone charged and a calling card handy. Although cellular service at best was sketchy, without a battery you had no chance at all. Payphones worked intermittently, but many people were scrambling to borrow change to pay for the calls when they had the chance.

4. Carry a flashlight. I didn't need it this time...

5. Pack some protein. The day before I was in a nutrition store. Protein bars were on sale. I bought a whole box - something I had never done before. I enjoyed passing them out even more than I enjoyed eating them.

6. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Keep in mind that temperatures vary widely - the airport was incredibly hot, but the airplane felt like a meat locker. My feet ached just watching women in 3" high heels with pointed toes struggling up staircases and stalled escalators with heavy bags.

7. Carry wet wipes. Running water requires electricity. Need I say more?

8. Keep physically fit. I said a big "Thank You!" to my fitness trainer every time I climbed the 2-story long escalator carrying all my luggage. (The first floor was relatively cool, but information about flights was only available on the top floor.) Passengers with checked luggage had to tote their own bags since luggage belts were not functioning.

9. Take an extra battery for your laptop. In spite of the chaos, I managed to get some real work done.

10. Carry a good book. Fortunately, the bookstore owner was a true entrepreneur and sold books the old fashioned-way -- without a cash register. (I decided to lighten my luggage and gave her the copies of my books I was carrying with me for samples!)

11. Because I employ the Taming the Paper Tiger system in my office, I was able to rest assured that my staff was able to function in my absence, able to find files and documents and information needed to change my schedule, handle my responsibilities and manage without me. Remember, I had very limited phone service so I really could not communicate with them, so being organized and having a well-trained staff allowed me to feel confident that they could handle the business in my absence.

12. Be gracious. As my grandmother used to say, you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Getting upset didn't solve any problems, and it always created one more.

13. Whenever you think you've got problems, just look around. Other travelers were sick, elderly, physically or mentally handicapped, or traveling with children - one with a premature infant. I had much for which to be thankful!

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Walt Disney World one of sleeping in motel-style

Is your image of Walt Disney World one of sleeping in motel-style accommodations and dining on hamburgers as you roam the theme parks? Well, it's time to change that picture. Instead of a chain motel, how about an African-style lodge or a resort with the sophisticated ambience of an exclusive yacht club? Instead of chicken fingers, how about Potato Wrapped Florida Red Snapper with a Creamy Leek Fondue, Basil-Crusted Rack of Lamb with a Ragout of Spinach, Shitakes, and White Beans, or Grilled Buffalo Top Sirloin with Sweet Potato Hazelnut Gratin and Sweet Onion Jam? No question about it, Walt Disney World offers an abundance of amazing themed resorts and superb restaurants that are perfect for the sophisticated traveler. Here are some of the best experiences to indulge in while touring Mickey Mouse land:

Most Luxurious Resort

Disney's flagship resort, The Grand Floridian, with its red-gabled roofs and Victorian elegance, draws inspiration from the grand Florida seaside "palace hotels" of 19th-century America's Gilded Age. Just a short monorail ride to the Magic Kingdom, it spreads along the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon, offering spectacular views of Cinderella's Castle and the Wishes fireworks display. You'll also be treated to some of Disney's very best restaurants along with two sophisticated pools, a crescent white sand beach, a full-service health club and spa, tennis courts, and sophisticated shopping.

Most Atmospheric Resort

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge is a stunningly faithful celebration of African wildlife, culture, cuisine, and art. Here the atmosphere literally pulsates with the beat of drums throughout 33 acres of glorious savanna filled with hundreds of roaming exotic animals. The lodge's 5-story, thatch roof lobby is a wonder with its massive overhead chandeliers formed by resplendent Masai shields overlooking safari chic seating. Don't even consider a room without a savanna view, well worth every penny for its front row view of the wildlife. The resort boasts an 11,000 square foot pool overlooking the savanna, a full service spa and fitness center, and one of Disney's loveliest restaurants, Jiko, serving international food with an African flair.

Best Resort For Romance

Disney's Polynesian Resort's lush grounds and white sand beaches with views of Cinderella's castle are a dream come true. Tangerine and mahogany tinted longhouses are scattered throughout this luxuriant property where ducks and ibis roam the dense vegetation and thick, grassy lawns. Meandering pathways lined with volcanic rock are tiki torch-lit at dusk, and soft Hawaiian melodies set the mood for memorable nights. Come nightfall, pick a hammock on one of three beaches for a spectacular vista of the Magic Kingdom fireworks.

Best Resort For Nature Lovers

I challenge you to keep your jaw from dropping on your first encounter with the awesome eight-story lobby at Disney's Wilderness Lodge. Sheer walls of ponderosa pine logs, an 82-foot fireplace, and authentic Pacific Northwest totem poles overlook rugged stone and hardwood floors topped with Native American rugs, teepee chandeliers, and a bevy of "park ranger" staff who roam the lodge attending to guests. Outside is a breathtaking scene of roaring waterfalls, rushing creeks, towering pines, and a boulder-lined, hot springs-style swimming pool, one of Disney's best. On the shores of Bay Lake, Wilderness Lodge's very own geyser is surrounded by a steaming expanse of geothermal activity and erupts hourly from early morning until late night.

Best Resort Pool

Stormalong Bay at Disney's Yacht and Beach Club offers three acres of winding, watery delight. Here you'll find sandy bottom pools, a giant "shipwreck" waterslide, a tidal whirlpool, bubbling hot tubs, a kiddie pool with its own slide near the beach, and enough waterway to float lazily in inner tubes to your heart's content.

Best Resort Restaurant

The California Grill is a definite highlight for any connoisseur of cutting-edge cuisine. The modern decor and constant bustle of excited diners only adds to its drop-dead setting on the 15th floor of Disney's Contemporary Resort. Its broad windows present an unbeatable panorama of the Magic Kingdom and the Seven Seas Lagoon and on many nights picture-perfect views of the Wishes fireworks show. From pristinely fresh sushi to the exceptional New American Cuisine to sensational desserts and the outstanding California wine list, this place has it all. The open show kitchen is a treat, and the cocktail lounge has some of the best views in the house. And don't be discouraged if the coveted window seats are all taken. Head out to the adjoining observation platform during the fireworks presentation where you'll get a bird's-eye view of the extravaganza.

Most Romantic Restaurant

Victoria and Albert's at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort offers fine dining in a elegant setting combined with flawless service. Honored with a AAA Five-Diamond Award (the only such restaurant in Orlando), diners feast on six sumptuous, prix-fixe courses served on Royal Doulton china with crystal glasses to the strains of the enchanting sound of harp music. Those seeking a special evening should book the 6-person Chef's Table set in a candlelit alcove in the kitchen, perfect for an up-close, behind-the-scenes look at Disney's top chef in action.

Best Theme Park Restaurant

Epcot's Bistro de Paris is a charming Belle Époque dining room with an air of exclusivity. Here you'll find gilded mirrors, crimson banquettes, and billowy white drapes that frame windows overlooking the World Showcase Lagoon. Servers with delicious French accents roll out sensational dishes and stylishly plate them tableside. Fresh ingredients are prepared simply in tantalizing sauces, and the all-French wine list is a pleasure. Afterwards, order a dessert of crepes prepared and flamed at your table while lingering over cordials and coffee in anticipation of the Illuminations spectacle.

Most Exotic Restaurant

The Animal Kingdom Lodge's premier dining room is Jiko (Swahili for "cooking place"), one of the most seductive spaces yet at a Disney hotel. Floor to ceiling windows look out on a boulder-strewn creek. The soft, contemporary lighting, fantastically shaped in the guise of bird wings, hangs from a rich, blue ceiling creating the feeling of open space. Giant, twin clay ovens draw the eye to the open kitchen where an eclectic blend of creations prepared with African spices and ingredients are turned out in attractive presentations. Accompany your meal with a selection from the all South African wine list, the largest in North America.

In short, Walt Disney World is not just for kids! It's a world of fantastic resorts and innovative dining just waiting to be explored. You may never even make it to the parks.

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Buy Real Estate in Mexico

It's fun to dream about having a getaway place in Mexico, be it a charming condo by the ocean, a little cabin somewhere, or whatever... It's even more fun to do it!
In recent years it has become easier for foreigners to own real estate in Mexico, including Mexican beachfront property. See below for more about how this works... property near the ocean is handled in a different way from other types. But it's great that we can do it now!
Buying real estate in Mexico is different from the process at home in some ways, so do work with an attorney who knows the ropes and speaks good English.
Some Tips on Buying Mexican Houses, Land, etc.
Mexican real estate is typically paid for with cash or by check. Mortgages are quite rare.
Due partly to the rarity of mortgages, a house may be for sale for quite a while. This could be to your advantage when buying, and less so if you decided to sell.
Mexican title insurance for real estate is much less common than in the US, but you really should arrange to get it.
There's one kind of land to be wary of -- ejido land. Ejidos were land held in common in the past, and the titles can be murky.
If you are exploring the real estate -- be it homes, land, condos, or whatever -- in a particular area of a Mexican city or state, ask local people what is for sale. You may have a lot of choices that are not listed with real estate offices and don't even have signs out front. You can find treasures this way, even if your Spanish is pretty basic!
Prices may be higher if the seller knows that a foreigner is interested. So you may pay more than a local, but do feel free to bargain. It's expected!
Property measurements are often in square meters. To give you an idea, 1 acre equals 4046.86 square meters. One square meter equals 10.7639 square feet.
Buying Mexican real estate near the ocean
As individuals, foreigners can't own property within about 30 miles of the shoreline or about 60 miles of the border. But there are two ways that you can legally own Mexican real estate within these regions. Experts say that both methods are secure, when set up properly.
[1] A bank trust is commonly used for residential real estate, and that's called a fideicomiso in Spanish. The bank "owns" the property but you as trustee have total control of the real estate, for building, selling, putting it in your will and avoiding inheritance taxes, etc. You can list more than one trustee, for example, yourself and your spouse or yourself and a friend.
Bank trusts are good for 50 years and are renewable. Setup fees run somewhere around $500 for this arrangement, and annual fees are about the same. There are regulations on how large the land can be.
[2] You can form a Mexican corporation, but none of the owners can be Mexican. If the land will be used commercially, this is the way to go. Costs to set up this corporation are several times higher than for a bank trust. Mexican corporate tax reports have to be filed, which you would have a Mexican accountant do for you.
So if you dream of having a home in Mexico, do your homework and go for it! Thousands of foreigners have don

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Africa's peace haven, Zambia

Peace, stability and friendliness describe Zambia. It is a
country incredibly endowed with natural resources, the
heritage of a natural safari country. Just imagine these
amazing sites:


1 - The Victoria Falls, one of the world's most spectacular
waterfalls, is considered the world's largest curtain of
falling water. It measures 1701 metres wide and plunges
down to 111 metres. The torrent of water plunging over
a steep cliff creates a deafening roar and sends up billows
of spray that can be seen 30km (19 mi) away. Thus the
local people have called it Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning
"the smoke that thunders." And the view from Zambia
is awesome.


2. - The wild untamed Zambezi River. From its source at
Kalene Hills to its mouth at the Indian Ocean the Zambezi
measures a whopping 3,540 kilometres. And 2,572km is
in Zambia.


The river passes through changing scenery. The wild and
exciting Barotse Flood Plain the site of the colourful
Kuomboka ceremony by the Lozi people, the violent
torrent at the Victoria Falls and the 122m deep Batoka
Gorge the river cuts, the serene Lake Kariba behind the
hydroelectric dam. And this lake has a great history.
Finally the wide Lower Zambezi surrounded by wild game.


3 - Add to your travel itinerary the Nchanga Open Pit one of
the largest open cast mines in the world but the largest in
Africa. Operations started in 1957 and today it measures
4,700m long, 2,400m wide and bottoms up at 335m. Zambia's
major economic activity has remained copper mining.


4 - Visit the 19 national parks and 34 game management areas.
All these constitute 30 percent of the 752614sq km of Zambia.
The management areas buffer the game parks and the parks are
strategically located throughout the country.


5 - The unbelievable yet fascinating wildlife in pristine
wilderness. The Zambian national parks are considered to
have the largest concentration of game in the world. The
variety of animal species is wide with over 202 mammals that
include the Big Five: lion, giraffe, leopard, rhino and
elephant.


Annually there is a wildebeest migration in the Liuwa Park.
Take a look and see the endemic red and black lechwe antelopes
in the Kafue Flats at Lochinvar, as well as the Busanga and
Bangweulu Plains. Birding is popular in all game parks but
Lochinvar is Zambia's prime birds sanctuary. Meet the
crested cranes, saddle-bill storks, egrets, wood ibis, vultures
and the rare shoebill stork.


6 - Travel to Livingstone town near the majestic, awe-inspiring
Victoria Falls now accepted as the southern African Adventure
Centre. Here you may choose any adventure of your choice:
White water river-rafting, bungi jumping, river boarding, skiing,
fishing, abseiling, off high way 4x4 driving, elephant back
safari, river safari, micro-light and helicopter flights over the
Victoria Falls.


Livingstone is a town of three museums; one is Zambia's prime
museum, another is a railway museum and then there is the
Victoria Falls field museum. Take a detour and visit a tribal
village. Choose your accommodation from the many
theme-designed hotels and lodges.


7 - The Zambian weather is mild and pleasant despite the
country being in the tropics. The high altitude at between 1200m
and 1500m above sea level ensures that. There are three distinct
seasons; the cool and dry season between April and August,
the dry and warm between September and November and the
warmer and wet season between December and March. However,
the most popular time to visit is during the cool and dry
winter season between April and August. These are cool
crisp days and cool nights!


Zambia is beckoning you! The pristine wilderness, the
profusion of wildlife including birds, the exquisite sunsets,
the changing landscapes and natural habitat and the warm
Zambian welcome of its friendly people. All these make
your travel to Zambia a pleasant destination in African
travel. It's a safari visit you'll treasure forever.


...And you'll never forget to exclaim" what indeed an
amazing country"

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buy your vacation travel package from a business you know

If possible, deal with businesses that belong to professional associations such as the American Society of Travel Agents, the National Tour Association or the United States Tour Operators Association. If you're not familiar with a company, get its complete name, address and local telephone number.

==> Be cautious if the names of the seller and travel provider differ.

You may be dealing with a telemarketer who has no responsibility to you after the sale. And be wary of ads in the newspaper, on the Internet or that you receive by unsolicited fax that offer deeply discounted vacations. These "deals" often contain hidden costs or don't tell you that you may have to attend a sales presentation to qualify for the discount or the travel. Avoid buying from a firm that wants to send a courier for your payment or asks you to send your payment by overnight delivery. The business may be trying to avoid detection and charges of mail or wire fraud.

==> Verify arrangements with your travel agent before you pay.

Get the details of your vacation in writing and a copy of the cancellation and refund policies. Ask if the business has insurance and whether you should buy cancellation insurance. Get the names, addresses and telephone numbers for the lodgings, airlines and cruise ships you'll be using. Don't accept vague terms such as "major hotels" or "luxury cruise ships." Call to verify specific reservations, too.

==> Use a credit card to make your purchase.

If you don't get what you paid for, you may be able to dispute the charges with your credit card company. Some telemarketers may claim they need your account information for identification or verification. They don't. Your account number should be used only to bill you for goods and services.

==> Be wary of prepaying for long-term arrangements.

Timeshares, campgrounds or travel clubs may offer to sell membership vacation accommodations for five years or more, or until you resell your interest. Unless you're certain you'll stay healthy, both physically and financially, and that the company selling the memberships will stay in business, prepaid vacations may not be right for you. In addition, annual membership and maintenance fees may rise. If the seller claims the fees will stay the same, beware. Beautiful properties today may be run-down in five or 10 years without sufficient maintenance. If you decide to buy a timeshare or membership in a vacation club, be aware that resales are difficult, if not impossible, because there's no secondary market. As for timeshares as investments: they rarely appreciate in value.

==> Learn the vocabulary.

"You have been specially selected to receive our SPECTACULAR LUXURY DREAM VACATION offer" doesn't mean you'll get a free vacation. It means you'll be offered an opportunity to pay for a trip that may fit your idea of luxury - or not. "Subject to availability" means you may not get the accommodations you want when you want them. "Blackout periods" are blocks of dates, usually around holidays or peak season, when no discount travel is available.

==> Watch out for "instant travel agent" offers.

Companies may offer to sell you identification that will "guarantee" you discounted rates. These companies have no control over discounts. Only suppliers of travel - cruise lines, hotel companies, car rental companies, or airlines - can decide to extend professional courtesies, and to whom.

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What do you look for in a European vacation?

The romance of a Paris vacation, the buzz of some time in London, England or the relaxation and quiet peace of an alpine valley? The truth is that, with a European vacation package, you can have all of this and more.

Europe is a very diverse continent and the range of possible European vacations reflects this. In each European country you can choose from the buzz of a city visit or the relaxation of the countryside. Transport links are good and it's easy to hop from country to country by plane, by train or by road. This article sets out to help you plan a European vacation that suits you.

European vacation - travel tips for cheap European tours

If you want to travel Europe on a low budget then the two key issues are time and flexibility. There are now many cheap European airlines who offer budget airfares for travel between European countries. Almost without exception they offer an excellent service, and their prices are remarkably low. But you do need to be flexible - both in your choice of destination and in your travel schedule timings.

European budget airlines often fly between the less popular airports and may only operate one flight a day. This means that if you miss a flight or if your flight is cancelled then you could face a long wait in a rather out of the way town or provincial airport.

The Irish airline, Ryanair, can be used as an example. Their flight billed as Glasgow to Paris departs from a town called Prestwick - about forty miles from Glasgow and arrives at Beauvais, a French town about sixty miles from Paris. Coach services are provided and the service is good but you will need to add at least an hour to your journey at either end. Getting stranded late at night in Beauvais or Prestwick is not likely to be fun. You can find a list of cheap European airlines and some of their routes on the websites listed below.

If you would rather travel to Europe on a planned European Vacation Package then you will have other issues to contend with. Planned European vacation packages can sometimes be rather sterile and predictable. Some of them may almost have the effect of insulating you against anything European! The notion of being herded along on like cattle among a mass of bemused fellow travellers is not likely to appeal to many of us.

Try to find a package that will allow you the benefits of having your travel and accommodation organised but still leave time for you to branch off on your own if you want to.

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