Free International Travel Guides

Hospitality and tourism industry is by far one of the thriving fields of business that boosts up reputation of a certain city, country or state. Domestic and foreign tourists alike are relying on services offered by travel agencies, airlines, hotels, tourism bureaus and tourist guides so that every tour is made worthwhile and meaningful. The virtual side of business, Internet, is getting along with the jet-setting lifestyle of people, thus free international travel guides are accessible online.

The phenomenal approach of providing free international travel guides is a manifestation of how tourism keeps up with technology. Traveling is huge part of people's lifestyle especially those transacting business in any parts of the globe or those who are big fanatics of exploring the world for pleasure. Travel packages for city tours, ocean cruises, island hops, zoo explorations, island escapades, bar hopping and other interesting itineraries are being accessible through world travel sites such as Real Travel, The World Travel Guide, Travel Library, Ex-Travelation and Around The World Guide.

Free international travel guides provide every bit of information including map for travels to Africa, Australia and South Pacific, Far East Asia, Indian Subcontinent, Middle East, North and South Americas, South East Asia, Central Asia, Europe and the United States. By specifying the name of destination name and target dates of travel, you will be led to more specific information such as airlines flying to and fro, hotel options, landmarks to catch sight of, distinctive features of your chosen destination, and tourism services you can enjoy during the entire travel duration. Travel agents are usually available to respond to your needs as soon as you send your queries.

Online magazines are integrated in free international travel guides so that you are up-to-date with feature stories about what the top tourist destinations in the world with corresponding landmarks it is known best for-say Paris is known for Eiffel Tower, US is known for the Statue of Liberty in New York, Canada for Niagara Falls, and so on. Free holiday and travel brochures or travelogues are also made available to those local tourists hoping to explore nearby cities and foreign tourists aspiring to fly across the continent.

Helpful information to prepare any tourist for his trip is definitely for free. Tips on how to have a safe tour are also given. There are also travel entities that deliver free international travel guides right to everyone's doorway without any mailing fees at all. After mapping out the specifics of your intended trip, you can consult travel sites for whatever it is that you need: airline, hotel, package tours and car service or whatever. Most travel sites are accommodating and ready-to-serve just for you to attain a fulfilling travel agenda.

Aruba - more Dutch than the Netherlands

My generation grew up in the Netherlands not knowing any better than that Aruba was Dutch, together with Curacao and St Marten. Nobody questioned this very much, and many of the islanders came to the “main land” to work and live. Of course, there were also people from Suriname and Indonesia that did the same, and we lived together, all happily united in the Netherlands. At least, that’s how it seemed to me.

In reality, the Dutch spent a few centuries looting these lands and killing those who thought that wasn’t entirely fair. They’ll never recover, and there’s very little original culture left on Aruba, but it has wonderful beaches and are now top tourist destinations. The capital of Aruba is Oranjestad, which is pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable. It means City of Orange, where Orange is part of the last name of the Dutch royal family, and signature color of the Netherlands.

The architecture shows a blend of Dutch Calvinistic austerity and colorful Caribbean cheer. From the parking lots and malls surrounding the port rises a merry din. Up ahead is the marina and all around the blue-green water of the Caribbean Sea. Whatever its cultural heritage, Aruba still looks like a fine place to spend a holiday lazing.

Aruba welcomes a traveller with lots of parking lots and malls

Nice coasts

Slick marina too

Can someone please retire me...?

Guide your clients to be a responsible traveler

One social responsibility of a tour guide is to help with the sustainable development in local tourism. Guide is one of the links in tourism (others including scenic spots, natural and cultural legacy, transportation, hotel, entertainments…). Your contribution to the local travel environment will benefit yourself in the long term.

Help with the natural environment. This is especially important for guiding in natural sceneries. Inform your clients what they can do and what they should not. For example, can travelers feed animals in the wild? In most cases “No”. Do not step on the plants or grass for a better picture. Tour guide need to inform general rules in advance. Then during the sightseeing tour, mind the behavior of your clients and gently point out misbehavior.

Respect local culture, people and customs. Each destination has its own culture and customs. Local people speak the same language and live with their tradition. For a foreign visitor, it is important to recognize the difference and respect the local way of living. Tour guide performs as a bridge between local people and foreign travelers. Travelers are new to a place so your guidance is necessary.

Contribute to the local economy. Inbound tourism is a way that makes contribution to the local economy. Traveler’s spending on dining, shopping, sightseeing…all help the economic growth. As a tour guide, why not introduce more local foods, brands, and unique projects? On one hand, things with local characters appear more interesting to travels. On the other hand, you made your contribution to the local society. A win-win situation.

Have you realized your social role as a tour guide and what have you done to guide more responsible travelers?

The Panama Canal

Unique in our time is the ability to take seagoing vessels across the isthmus of Panama. Fortunate for all of us, there were already a couple of lakes half-way and all that needed to be done was connect the lakes with the shores on both ends. Unfortunately for the canal builders, the lakes are much higher than the Pacific on one end and the Caribbean on the other. The solution lies in a series of locks that receive the ships one at a time, then are filled with water and thus actually lift the ship up the lake-level. Funny looking locomotives drag the ship in and out the locks; up the hill, down the hill, two convoys per day. Few people know this, but the canal runs not straight north-south, but diagonally from south-east to north-west.

Twenty-five thousand men died building the canal. The total cost is estimated at around 375,000,000 US dollar. France had the first go but gave up. The Unites States continued, finished it and became the proprietor of the most lucrative shipping project in the Americas. Since 31 December 1999 the canal is owned by Panama. The first year that the Panamanian ran the canal, it made them a little under 800,000 dollar. Last year they made 2,100,000,000 dollar off of it.

Early in the morning we join the north-bound convoy at Balboa, slip through the Miraflores Locks and onto the canal. At noon we arrive at the other end and line up to enter the Gatun Locks. Locals hoard on tribunes and wave and cheer us on. We stand on deck and wave back, wide-eyed and exited. It’s fantastically bizarre to see perfect strangers this close to the ship, and all of us enjoy it. From a sailor’s perspective, the Panama Canal is one of the most surreal places on earth.

Eraly morning arrival at the Miraflores locks

Funny looking trains drag us up the hill

The Panama Canal

Little island somewhere in the lakes we're crossing

Some parts are kinda wide

Big blue neighbour going north too

Couple of big boys right behind us

Tribune at the Gatun locks

We can almost shake the viewers' hands

Nice line guy

Finally, the end of it

Panama City - A Handsome Town

It’s curious. Technically we’re still very much on the other side of the world, taking into account that I’m from Europe. But arriving in Panama after sailing around South America gives me a feeling of homecoming.

Panama City is a handsome town, spawn to grandeur due to the Canal, I’m sure. We’re in the northern hemisphere again, and tomorrow we’ll cross this tiny worm of water that connects the alien Pacific to the familiar Atlantic. I grew up on its beaches, breathed its air. Now we share the anchorage with countless mastodons, waiting for the convoy to pick up. I’ve crossed the Canal so many times but it never fails to excite me.

Yesterday I saw Orion. Today the moon stands slumped over Panama City and tomorrow we’ll rev up the mains, hoist the anchor and go home.

View on the bridge between North and South America; the entrance to the Panama Canal

Panama City; a handsome town

Nice marina too

Countless ships waiting for the north bound convoy

Moon over Panama City

uniqueness of trunyan graves

Trunyan VILLAGE located in District of Kintamani, Bangli regency, Bali. Trunyan is the ancient village which is considered as the village of Bali Aga (original Balinese). Trunyan have a lot of uniqueness. Highest charm is the unique body treats its citizens. Trunyan has three types of graves which, according to village tradition Trunyan, the three types of graves were classified by age of the deceased, the integrity of body and manner of burial.

The main cemetery (sema), considered the most holy and most good. The bodies were buried on this sacred tomb is only the body remains intact, no defects, and the body of the death process is considered good (not a suicide or accident).

The second cemetery is a special young cemetery reserved for babies and adults who are not married. But still with the terms of the corpses was should be intact and not deformed.

The third cemetery is called Sentra Bantas. This graveyard specifically for disability bodies and who died because of one act of starches and starch (unnatural death such as accidents, suicide).

the three types of graves that are the most unique and interesting is the main cemetery or sacred tombs (Setra Wayah). This cemetery is located about 400 meters north of the village. To carry the corpses to the cemetery must use a dinghy special for bodies called Pedau. Although called a buried, but the unique way of burial is known with mepasah.

Bodies that have been got special ceremony according to local tradition just placed above the hole as deep as 20cm. Part of his body from the chest to the top, left open, not buried with soil. Corpses was only limited with some thing called ancak saji, made from a type of bamboo, form a cone, used to fence off corpses. In Setra Wayah, there are 7 grave divided into 2 groups. Two holes for the head of village that his body without disabilities located at the upstream and still there are 5 holes were lined up after the second hole is for ordinary people.

If all the canal is full and no more new bodies will be buried, a long body is raised from the hole and the new body then occupying the hole. Long bodies, placed casually on the edge of the hole. So do not be surprised if the Setra wayah-strewn human skull that should not be planted or throw away.

Although not conducted with Ngaben ceremonies, funeral ceremonies Trunyan village tradition in principle has the same meaning and purpose of the death ceremony performed by Hindus in Bali. Ceremony held to pay debt service on the child's parents. The debt was paid in two stages, first stage is paid with good behavior when parents are still alive and the second stage at the time of their parents died with ritual behavior in the form of funeral ceremony.

See more pictures below ……

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Tag: trunyan,trunyan bali,balinese people,trunyan village, keunikan desa trunyan, the uniqueness of trunyan, pekuburan trunyan, trunyan grave, trunyan in Bali

Manta, Ecuador - Seeing the Light

Engineers don’t get enough sunlight. It’s a known fact. So on sunny days we tend to select deck machinery that’s a pending disaster. Deck officers run their winches until they combust, which is also a known fact, so this morning I decided to pull Ludin out of the filters and took him along overhauling a winch.

A sunny day in Ecuador might get a bit toasty so we brought water, tied bandana’s around our heads and labored in the sweat of our brow, whilst singing engineering songs and telling engineering tales. Engineers are known for their narrative qualities, and work is usually conducted in environments too noisy to outshout, so when the weather permits and the job is on deck, we lavishly review the digest of our lives and recount the heroisms of those who went before us.

Next to us a reefer is loading tuna from smaller fisher vessels. No doubt they’ll take them on transport to Japan or even Europe. Two decades ago I was an apprentice on a reefer. We ran bananas from South and Central America to Europe mostly. As I stare across the concrete dock and recall my early days I see the crew and recognize them. Ben the Cook, who died. Captain Sherby who excelled in creating Caribbean cocktails. Frowning Willy. Simon Suddenly.  And Ludin! For crying out loud! In an unguarded moment, Ludin must have snuck off, got his Canon and stands yapping with the neighboring crew, shooting pictures of the fish while I’m standing with half a winch in my hands!

Then I see the light. It’s too warm to be carrying on with winches. I’ll go up to the bridge to inform the Chief Officer that he broke his winch and that it won’t work for a while.

Fisher ships at anchor

The cruise ship discovery at Manta, Ecuador

Fishermen everywhere

More fisher boats

A reefer vessel at Manta, Ecuador

One of Ludin's photos of the reefer

One of the holds of the reefer