Postcript: blogging and Blogspot in Syria
Another postscript to my posts of a couple of weeks ago on blogging and Blogspot in Syria (see my last post and the postscript before it): after uploading the posts below, I received loads of emails and tweets from around the world, from Syrians asking everything from why I couldn't go to an internet cafe where it's often possible to access Blogspot (sorry, we were working 16-hour days so the only time I had to email was early morning or late at night at our hotels) to foreign and local censorship/IT experts wanting me to provide them with a list of every hotel we stayed at and the hotel's proxy info (apologies again, but one of the things we were doing in Syria was reviewing hotels, so we were moving hotels every second day, and I had enough to do as it was). Based on my recent experience ('recent', because I've never had time to blog on previous trips to Syria), my advice to you is if you're planning to travel to Syria and blog regularly, do your research first but research widely: there are plenty of experts eager to share their opinions (indeed, some rather aggressively) and there is a lot of contradictory advice around (even among the self-proclaimed "experts") about blogging and Blogspot in Syria, from people both outside and within Syria. I found that rarely did opinions align and every expert was able to cite a wealth of research on the subject. Once again, I apologise for not having time to test out your theories and suggestions, but I'm a travel writer who also blogs, rather than a travel blogger who also publishes - and that's likely to stay that way until someone pays me as much to blog as I earn writing. The paid work - which one charming "expert" referred to as "travel fluff" (rest assured, I took her as seriously as she took me) has to take priority, I'm afraid. So, back to work... or writing nonsense?
Mo's at Five Islands, Nova Scotia
Mo's at Five Islands"A hostel, art gallery, used bookstore, community center and a café with a wood-fired pizza oven, Mo's is a place with an identity issue.
Mo’s is set in the small rural community of Five Islands on the shore of the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia. The Bay of Fundy is home of the highest tides in the world, rising up to 50 feet in some areas The area is calmly beautiful and offers hiking trails, waterfalls, crystals, fossils, rare stones, blueberry fields and abundant wildlife. Check out www.notsincemoses.com and www.fiveislandsretreat.com for information and pictures of the islands.
Mo’s is a historic general store refurbished now a place for the community to gather. Mo’s will host live music, art openings, open mics, yoga, softball games, workshops and discussion groups.
Five Islands Provincial Park is just down the road from Mo’s. The park has hiking trails and beautiful scenery overlooking the Five Islands. Sunsets are stunning. Ask about hiking the beach at low tide. Nearby Parrsboro offers local theatre, paragliding lessons, tai chi, a geology museum, music, sea kayaking in Advocate harbour and more.
Driving from Truro you must make a stop at the Masstown market to stock up on supplies.
We look forward to meeting you!"
Hostel of the Week, August 30th to September 5th 2009
submitted by Kennedy Jones
Backpackers Hostels Canada
Ocean Island Backpackers, Victoria BC
Ocean Island BackpackersOcean Island is located in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia and provides a wide variety of accommodation to travelers with a variety of needs and budgets at our two heritage properties. Our Backpackers Inn (built in 1893) is located in the downtown core and offers everything from budget dorm rooms and mini-private rooms to hotel-style rooms. Our second location, Ocean Island Suites (built in 1907) in quiet nearby James Bay offers deluxe apartment suites and vacation rentals. Both properties are within walking distance to restaurants, Chinatown, clubs, theaters, museums and the inner harbour.
Our colourful historic buildings are clean, comfortable, secure and offer modern facilities including a licensed cafe & lounge/live music venue, extensive free/cheap internet and tech services, modern fully equipped kitchen, comfortable lounge and dining rooms, inexpensive laundry facilities, parking and secure bike and baggage storage. We also offer sign up for Day Trips to beautiful nature spots and great travel info on our website and from our 24 hour Front Desk staff.
For Reservations call 1-888-888-4180 or book online.
submitted by Kennedy Jones
Backpackers Hostels Canada
Best Tourist Attractions To Visit When Traveling To London
The great city of London remains a must see city destination for all backpackers traveling around Europe. England's capital has an extremely rich and ancient history and offers more great visitor attractions than perhaps any other city in Western Europe. London remains the centre of media attention across the world and is famous for typifying new cool trends and innovations with its hundreds of highly diverse modern, fashionable bars and restaurants serving a variety of food, beers and wines from a huge number of countries and cultural influences across the globe. As well as its passion for the modern and cutting edge however, London also has some of the oldest and grandest visitor attractions in the world - making the city the perfect meeting place of the old and the new.
Perhaps not surpringly, the British royal family are a major tourist draw for travelers and backpackers of all ages visiting London, and her majesty Queen Elizabeth the second's current residence at Buckingham Palace is an essential place to visit when making your first trip to London. This fantastically grandeur palace has been the main home of the royals since 1837, and is now well known as the main HQ for the residing British monarchy and her family. Although entering the palace requires special invitation, it is worth going to visit it to see the beauty of the architecture of the building itself, and to soak up some quintessentially British culture and history. While you are at Buckingham Palace, you should also stick around to see the changing of the guard. This highly regimented and ceremonious tradition is quite something to behold.
If your visit to the palace has wet your appetite for more rich English history then you must surely take a trip in to Westminster to see the Houses of Parliament where the British government and members of parliament debated the ins and outs of British politics. This incredible architectural wonder lies on the north bank of London's famous river: the Thames and is truely an epic site to behold for any traveler. It encompasses both the house of commons and house of Lords which are central to Britain's political system. The famous Victoria Tower of the building houses Westminsters famous bells including the vast great bell (more commonly referred to as Big Ben) - weighing a massive 16 tons. The clock tower itself is said to be the largest free standing clock tower of its kind in the world and this year celebrated its 150th year in the month of May.
Perhaps not surpringly, the British royal family are a major tourist draw for travelers and backpackers of all ages visiting London, and her majesty Queen Elizabeth the second's current residence at Buckingham Palace is an essential place to visit when making your first trip to London. This fantastically grandeur palace has been the main home of the royals since 1837, and is now well known as the main HQ for the residing British monarchy and her family. Although entering the palace requires special invitation, it is worth going to visit it to see the beauty of the architecture of the building itself, and to soak up some quintessentially British culture and history. While you are at Buckingham Palace, you should also stick around to see the changing of the guard. This highly regimented and ceremonious tradition is quite something to behold.
From the old to the new: while you are in the centre of Westminster you should take a short walk along the famous bridge to visit the London Eye. This huge wheel provides spectacular views across the famous city and can be a beautiful and romantic place to visit with your partner on a summer evening. Towering at 135 metres at its peak, the Eye lays claim to being the biggest ferris wheel in all of Europe and at the time it was built just before the turn of the millennium was in fact the tallest in the whole world. The London Eye has 32 passenger pods - 1 for each of London's Boroughs - and has an individual capacity of 25 people. As you can imagine, this is an extremely popular visitor attraction for travelers and UK tourists alike - so book early to avoid the disappointment of missing out.
Auberge L'Apero, Montreal
Auberge L'Apero, Montreal"Welcome to Auberge L'Apéro, a European-style hostel in North America's most European city, Montreal. Apéro is the French word for aperitif - the beginning of a great meal or in this case - a great vacation.
With only 12 beds, we offer a cozy, personalized atmosphere on two floors of an old 1880s graystone with all the amenities you expect from a hostel, and many that you don't. The rooms are bright with hardwood floors and some interior brick walls that add an air of coziness to the Auberge.
Auberge L'Apéro is not just a regular hostel that happens to be in Montreal, L'Apéro is like Montreal. It reflects the city's vibrant social life and European style. Don't just visit the city, be part of it at Auberge L'Apéro."
Hostel of the Week, August 18th to August 24th, 2009
submitted by Kennedy Jones
Backpackers Hostels Canada
