As they say, the shoe is now on the other foot. After years of enjoying the benefits of a strong US dollar, American travelers are now feeling the pinch as the greenback tumbles back down to earth. In the last 24 months, the US dollar has slid 10% against both the Canadian dollar and the […]
With California fiscally drowning deeper into the red, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently proposed a round of painful budget cuts in an attempt to close an eye-popping, $14.5 billion projected deficit. The Governor’s plan to shutter 48 parks and beaches in California’s prized state park system stands out as among the most controversial of the reductions. […]
Advancements in communications technology make it easier than ever for the globetrotting traveler to stay connected and keep in touch. However, the shortening product lifecycles of the latest cell phones, PDAs, and notebook computers translate directly into increasing amounts of obsolete electronics piling up in a landfill near you. The consequences aren’t pretty. So-called electronic […]
Cloistered in splendid isolation high atop the majestic eastern Himalayas, the Kingdom of Bhutan is considered by some to be the world’s last Shangri-la. For the rare traveler who’s lucky enough to be granted a visa to visit, it must surely seem the case. A land of pristine forests, sparkling lakes, and spectacular alpine geography, […]
Many would be hard pressed to find Suriname on a world map. Surely, the estimated 12,000 working in illegal, wildcat gold mining in the isolated Amazonian rainforest of the northern South American nation would probably prefer to keep it that way. However, anonymity became more difficult last month. Researchers from Conservation International put the country […]
Saturday, May 26th, 2007, marked the tenth anniversary of National Sorry Day in Australia. However, those who have waited patiently for an official apology to Aboriginals from Prime Minister John Howard and the Commonwealth (federal) Government of Australia are still waiting. In Spring 1997, the damning conclusions of the “Bringing Them Home” report – which […]
Climate change is threatening the polar bears of western Hudson Bay and the tourism industry of Churchill, Manitoba (population: 923), which depends heavily on the furry, photogenic beasts. “Churchill is unique as a destination. It’s where the sea-ice of western Hudson Bay freezes first, and the bears aggregate each fall, waiting,” remarks John Gunter, Marketing […]
