Journeyetc |
- Top 7 of the Oddest Prisons in the World
- Hiring a Private Tour Guide: The Wise Traveler’s Code
- Travel Tips for iPhone Users
- Complicated Visa Application Process Affect Euro Tourism
- The Opening of W Retreat Koh Samui Nears
- Qatar Airways Pilot Passes Away while Flying Plane from the Philippines
- We’re not in Kansas anymore: Virgin Galactic’s First Solo Flight Completed
| Top 7 of the Oddest Prisons in the World Posted: 21 Oct 2010 10:58 AM PDT While we don't suppose you'll be taking a tour around these odd prisons anytime soon, a glimpse of them makes for a fun read. Below are the seven strangest rehabilitation/prison camps you'll find in the world. Top 1: Bolivia's San Pedro Prison
This prison doesn't look like a prison at all. It's really more of a community or a small town which keeps criminals from mingling with the rest of society, but which doesn't isolate them in a gray concrete barren hole with bars. Here, prisoners will have to work (either selling groceries or making something useful) if they want a roof over their heads. The point is to let prisoners learn to make their lives useful by letting them earn their own cells. At the end of their stay, they might actually miss the community. Hopefully, they don't try to commit another felony just because they're homesick. Top 2: Cebu Prison Music tames the monster, as the old adage goes. In Cebu, prison authorities thought their inmates should have some physical activities, but unlike other jails where basketball and push-ups seem to be enough, Cebu's prison requires music and dance. Videos if these dancing inmates have been going around Youtube that they're now pretty world-renowned. Apparently, they enjoy this too, and even make a living out of it. Sometimes, the inmates perform for charity, and sometimes they perform for major events in Cebu, Philippines. When they have a generous donor, these inmates are compensated for their talents. Never mind that some of these dancing inmates were serial killers or bank robbers, hey, they could dance, and they sort of rocked in their orange jumpsuits. The video above involves the crew of Michael Jackson flying in to dance with the inmates for an official music video. Top 3: Austria's 5-star prison
There has been an influx of burglary cases in Austria, and we suspect that it's because of theJustizzentrum. This is a 5-star prison which really looks more like an office building than a prison. If you want to stay in a hotel for free in Austria, perhaps you should just get involved in a petty crime like burglary, and you'll be earning yourself a few days' stay there without being penalized so much. As a matter of fact, if you're smart, you will try to shoplift a computer screen and walk very slowly to the store door. When they talk to you, confess, and you can be sure that you'll be off the streets and have a roof over your head—right in that posh little building they call the prison, of course. Top 4: Russia's Kresty Prison
Have you ever imagined just being allowed 15 minutes to take a shower every single week? If you think that's stringent, how about standing on only 4 small square meters of private space? Russia doesn't do this to its inmates because the government is cruel. It's because they have no choice but to do this. The Kresty Prison is considered the most overcrowded penitentiary in the world. The building's capacity is actually only 3,000, but the average population of the prison house is more than double at 10,000. If the building doesn't collapse because of the weight, inmates will probably die of suffocation because it's so crowded inside, oxygen's bound to run out. Of course, the Russian government did promise to relocate the prison, after which the Kresty will be converted into a shopping mall. Top 5: Guernsey's Sark Prison
In a little island called Sark in Guernsey is also a little prison which can fit only two people. This prison is so small that it's reportedly the smallest prison in the world. The longest that felons are allowed to stay here is overnight. For crimes that are more serious, the island's felons are transported to a "big boy" jail cell where there's more space and possibly tougher bars. Despite its size, Sark prison continues to be in use, and the sign on top of the door says it's been there since 1856. Top 6: Super Maximum Security (ADX) in Colorado, U.S.A.
This prison is unusual if only because the security here is unusually tight. As the name suggest, it's where the worst felons of the U.S.A. are detained, and just to give you an idea on how life usually goes here, each inmate is only allowed nine hours out of their cells. They are not allowed to interact with each other or anyone at all, during their stay here, and they have to do everything, even their toilet habits, inside the cells. The toilet bowls are also programmed so that they shut down when anyone attempts to plug it. The showers in the cells are set to run for 15 minutes only so there won't be any danger of flooding. The guards in this penitentiary are highly trained, and they take anything—from pens to toothbrushes—from the inmates if they suspect that it's going to be used as a tool for escape. The furnishings in the cell are made from concrete. Everything is gray, and it's going to be close to impossible to move anything in the space even if one of the inmates tried. If you're a milder felon, your worst fear should be interacting with inmates who have more serious crimes than you. It's an entirely new world in here, giving the world "prison" a totally new meaning. Top 7: Spain's Aranjuez Prison
Spain is very worried about the children in their country whose parents have been imprisoned. With that in mind, they've allowed children to grow up obliviously to the realities of a real prison. Inmates who have children in Spain are lucky because they will probably be transferred to the Aranjuez Prison where they can be with their families most of the time. At the encampment where small children and the inmate's better half stay, you'll see white walls lined with murals of cartoon characters. Cozy is a good word to describe the habitat. This way, children won't have to notice that their parents are imprisoned criminals until they're old enough to understand the consequences. We're guessing that Spain is trying to lower the crime rate by giving an inmate's offspring a shot at having a normal, if not happy, childhood.
     |
| Hiring a Private Tour Guide: The Wise Traveler’s Code Posted: 21 Oct 2010 10:24 AM PDT If you've been used to traveling alone, being escorted by a guide would sound very unappealing to you. When you see packs of tourists follow a canned itinerary, it's easy to understand why. However, you're also missing out on the "insider's point of view" when you go to a strange place and try to explore it on your own. There's a solution to this. Just hire a private guide. Finding them Most travel brochures also provide a list of private guides who can be trusted. You can contact them through email and get to know them better. Private guides are a mixed bag—you can sign up for a tour led by a university graduate, if you're interested in the more academic take on your destination; or a former cab driver who knows his way around town and who has had tons of casual conversations with his passengers. The non-academic tour sure sounds like a risk, but it might give you a more localized (and more real) feel of the place. Ask people about the guide's reputation first, though. You'd want one who won't try to charge too much for the tour. On the plus side Private guided trips have a lot of advantages over unguided independent trips and group trips.
Taking your Pick
There are basic things you need to remember when you're shopping for the right private guide. The first thing you have to consider is the guide's reputation. If a guide managed to impress most of your friends who went to the same place you're about to embark on, then there's a good possibility that you'll be safe in this guide's hands. When you're looking for a guide, you must also choose one who has a good car. A guide on foot might seem cheaper, but if you're renting a car from a separate company, you might actually end up spending more. A guide with a rickety old car is a disaster waiting to happen. Contact travel agencies who can be trusted who have excellent private guides and cars that won't hamper your tour. You may also look for a guide and a driver. The only downside here is that this trip is bound to be more expensive. On the upside, though, you don't really want your driver distracted because he's giving you information about a tribe while you're traversing a precarious hillside curb. Chemistry is probably the most critical factor you need to look at. You don't want to spend your good money on a guide who will just end up annoying you. Again, look for a guide with whom you think you can be fast friends with. You'll enjoy your daytrip more when you're not constantly at war with your tour guide. The Process Most private guide arrangements can be carried out online. You can either email your prospective guide or choose from a line-up of competent guides from a trusted company. They usually have write ups and testimonials so you won't be second guessing your choice. Next, you should agree on a working itinerary. The beauty of a private guided tour is that you don't have to stick to a strict itinerary, but this doesn't mean that you should be at your destination without plans either. Tell him/her what kind of trip you're envisioning, the kind of places you're planning to see, and how much your budget it. Most of the time, guides compute the total cost of your trip. You should bring a little extra, though, because s/he might have forgotten to include entrance fees, scuba diving fees, environmental feels, and food costs. Make sure that you think of these things ahead of time and ask your tour guide to find out how much these fees are, exactly. Some private guides include the gasoline cost in their service fees, but it's still important that you ask. If you're exploring a remote area, the gasoline stations might not accept credit cards, and there might not be any ATM machines nearby.
  |
| Posted: 21 Oct 2010 09:28 AM PDT The iPhone is more than just an iconic gadget. For travelers, it's one of the finest ways to stay in touch—that is, of course, until they receive their bills. Below are iPhone usage tips for travelers so they can keep the costs down to a minimum. Things to do before the trip
The fee doesn't include your domestic voice and iPhone data plan yet. Also, the service may be limited only to some countries, so check if you're destination is covered before activating the plan. Should you exceed the limit, an additional 0.005/KB will be charged by the service. This can be a hefty $5 per megabyte, so watch your downloads.Outside the list of countries supported by iPhone, the service cost doubles. You can spend up to $10 per excess MB.
Things to do while you're on the flight:
What to do once you're home: Turn off all iPhone global data services after a week or two of your arrival. Even if these services are pro-rated monthly, it takes at least a week for the phone bill to arrive. The service might charge you more if you turn of your international data plan any later than that. Since you're already home, anyway, the service is practically useless. There's no harm in deactivating it sooner.
  |
| Complicated Visa Application Process Affect Euro Tourism Posted: 21 Oct 2010 01:29 AM PDT
This is actually a fact now that the European Tours Operators Association (ETOA) found out how 450,000 tourists decided to put off going to Europe because of the new system in visa applications. The new system put a hamper on European tour plans especially for travelers coming from China and India. The bureaucratic red tape in these countries is most likely to just make travelers give up on their plans. The reports also indicate that among visa applications across Europe, those that are for the United Kingdom are the toughest to process. France comes in second. Just recently, 58,000 travelers to the UK canceled their trips because of the slowness of the visa application process. ETOA also estimated that an even bigger number, about 314,000 travelers, gave up on the application completely. ETOA pointed out that one of the major causes of unease is that the Visa applications were not given in the traveler's first language. European Visas need to be more accessible to travelers otherwise, they're actually breaking sales rules. With visa applications in English, travelers might feel that the host country is being a tad too arrogant. Travelers are always turned off by arrogance. ETOA also pointed out that China would never require Europeans to fill up their Visa applications in English.
  |
| The Opening of W Retreat Koh Samui Nears Posted: 21 Oct 2010 01:20 AM PDT
The first thing you'll love about it is the sheer size of the private pools. The pool of the guest villa is almost as big as the guest house itself. For average New York Hotels, pools that size are meant to be used by all hotel guests. When you book your stay at one of the guest villas of the W Retreat Koh Samui, you have the whole pool to yourself. The E-WOW suites also have something to be proud about. Their bathrooms feature what's probably the grown-up counterpart of Disney's spinning teacups. The circular tubs in the E-WOW Suites are interior design breakthroughs, certainly. We're more thankful, though, that they look like so much fun. The only downside to this hotel is that the WiFi isn't free. You need to pay an equivalent of $16.50 in Thai money to access the internet. The question is, why would you want to pay THB 495 per day for internet access when you can go to the retreat's spa? aWay Spa is simply spectacular. The facilities and treatments here are unique. Aptly named Thaimazical, the spa combines Mexican tribal techniques into their treatments with oils, mudpacks and more making use of Thai ingredients. You're already in Thailand, right, so why skimp on the good stuff? The room rates, we've found out with much prodding, start at $539 a night. That's a bit pricy, buy hey, it's a W property and it's in Thailand. If you like what you see so far, you might also think of pushing that stay so you'll be there during the New Year's. Kom Samui is hosting a New Year's Eve Gala Dinner and they've labeled it "compulsory" (meaning guest must attend). Now, how could you not like a hotel which makes parties compulsory? Then again, we've found out that the hotel is hosting the party but guest will be asked to pay. For the gala, you'll have to shell out TBH 12,000 or $400 USD, and that doesn't include the service fees and taxes yet. With that price, spectacular details for the gala are definitely expected.
  |
| Qatar Airways Pilot Passes Away while Flying Plane from the Philippines Posted: 21 Oct 2010 01:10 AM PDT
This happened last Wednesday, aboard Qatar Airways flight 645. The plane left Malaysia in no more than 2 hours and immediately headed to Doha. The landing in Malaysia was timed at 11:35 AM. When asked about the incident, Qatar airlines only assured us that their primary concern is still the safety and comfort of their passengers.
  |
| We’re not in Kansas anymore: Virgin Galactic’s First Solo Flight Completed Posted: 21 Oct 2010 01:03 AM PDT
This time around, the VSS Enterprise flew 45,000 feet above the Mohave Desert on its own and landed safely back on earth. What's more, the flight was manned, and the spaceship glided smoothly for 11 full minutes—a good sign in anyone's standards considering the niche Virgin Galactic is breaking. Richard Branson, founder of Virgin, enthusiastically said that the "sky is no longer the limit." Perhaps what Branson forgot to include is that a seat in this spaceship costs $200,000. Also, 370 seats already have names on them amount to $50 million sweet dollars in the Virgin Group's piggy bank. Even if you do have the funds, you're going to have to wait in line. According to resources from the company, they're doing everything they can to pull the ticket costs down. However, commercial access to space isn't likely to be accessible to average Joes in two or three more years. This is Earth calling The progress of landing facilities back home is also looking up. In New Mexico, the Spaceport opened its doors for tours. However, its blastoffs aren't due in at least a month or so. The runway still needs a few weeks for it to be completed. However, the place will be inaugurated formally on October 22, 2010. That's certainly sooner than the expected runway completion. After the inauguration, there's more waiting to be done. While the pad might be used for tests, actual commercial flights aren't scheduled to begin until late 2011 or early 2012. While the facilities are ready, there's also the question of FAA approval. The agency still needs to approve of the spacecrafts and the facilities because any of the passengers can actually fly to space. So how far along are we with space tourism? It's definitely a possibility, but with bureaucrats in the government to worry about, we're bringing it down to 50/50. Let's hope they make up their minds before the sun gets too close to planet Earth for comfort. What's the harm in making some sci-fi geek dreams come true, right?
  |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Travel Guides To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment