Photographic impressions collected from near and far…
The Sultan’s PalaceBandar Seri Begawan Mall entrance
The independent Islamic Sultanate of Brunei is located on the northern coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is bounded to the north by the South China Sea and on all other sides by Malaysia, which also divides Brunei into two parts.
It’s best known for the opulent Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, one of the worlds grandest mosques. It is adorned with immense chandeliers, magnificent stained glass, clad in imported Italian marble, and surrounded by a beautiful lagoon.
Brunei is a prosperous, modern place which owes oil for its good fortune and a Sultan who is best described as a beneficent ruler.
The History Behind The Celebration Of Easter Without question the holiest site in all of Christendom is located in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem. It represents the location where Jesus was crucified and where his body was laid to rest. Today there is a high level of certainty that the location has been actually identified.…
Like everything else, the American hotel industry has evolved over time in their size and approach to marketing. They’ve grown from a handful of major names, each with a reputation based on the market segment they were try to serve to mega-corporations comprising large collections of brands ranging from economical to deluxe accommodations. Many of these brands are now multi-national with major ones being global and because they all offer a range of types and price points that are very similar their marketing changed to find a competitive edge.
Today every major hotel chain has a loyalty reward program with the goal to have you be a returning guest. Most everyone is free to join, but they are all not the same as there are different rules, earning point rates and comparative point values. In addition there are a variety of other benefits from free wifi, freebies on arrival and special discounts. How much you can save depends on your level of travel and how much you’re comfortable spending per night and how often you stay in hotels.
Following are the top five hotel reward programs that also offer the ability to earn and use the points when traveling internationally. They are based on WalletHub.com scores calculated for equivalent dollar values.
Wyndham Rewards
WalletHub Score 72.40 Equivalent Earned Per $100 Spent $13.46
For every qualified stay at a Wyndham Rewards hotel or vacation club resort, you’ll earn 10 points per dollar or 1,000 points—whichever is more. Choose how you want to redeem your points with three simple free night tiers—7,500, 15,000, or 30,000 points per night. Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Wyndham Grand, Dolce Hotels and Resorts, TRYP by Wyndham, Dazzler Hotels in Latin America, La Quinta hotels, Wingate by Wyndham, AmericInn, Ramada, Baymont, Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham, Days Inn, Super 8, Howard Johnson, Travelodge and Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham.
Radisson Rewards
WalletHub Score 65.95 Equivalent Earned Per $100 Spent $12.50
Free Award Nights starting at 9,000 points with no blackout dates on Standard Rooms. Members Only Rate – save up to 10% on the best available rate when you book directly on our Radisson’s website. Earn 20 points per US dollar spent on eligible stays. Redeem points for Free Award Nights, airline miles, gift cards, prepaid cards, and more. Radisson RED, Park Plaza, art’otel, Park Inn and Country Inn and Suites.
Best Western Rewards
WalletHub Score 63.71 Equivalent Earned Per $100 Spent $9.75
The Best Western Rewards program is divided into five levels: Blue, Gold, Platinum, Diamond and Diamond Select. •Worldwide Free Night Redemption • Points Never Expire • BWR® Exclusive Member Rates • Rich Rewards & Incentives – Earn points for redemptions including gift cards, free nights and one-of-a-kind adventures. Incorporates the Best Western branded properties, Glō®, Vīb® and Aiden® by Best Western.
Choice Privileges
WalletHub Score 61.99 Equivalent Earned Per $100 Spent $11.63
Enjoy rewards beginning with your very first stay. Stay weekdays for extra perks like coffee cards and online shopping credits. Use your points your way, with reward options like free nights and gift cards. Save with member-only rates and exclusive offers. Elite members also receive bonus points or welcome gifts with every stay. Sleep Inn, Quality Inn, Rodeway Inn, and Comfort, Ascend Hotel Collection and Clarion.
Marriott Bonvoy
WalletHub Score 61.01 Equivalent Earned Per $100 Spent $10.89
Participating properties include The Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis on the luxury side, JW Marriott and Westin in the middle of the range, and MOXY and Element toward the budget end of the spectrum. Cost – Elite Gold no fee, Silver Elite and base level members must pay a flat fee of $10. Marriott Bonvoy Points can be used for free nights, airfare, car rentals, gift cards, and even online shopping.
We were never aware of love locks before about fifteen years ago but recently as we travel we often come across collections of padlocks attached to bridges and other public structures. It wasn’t difficult to figure out what was going on by all the couples names engraved on the locks. But in the last five years or so it is becoming difficult to not notice these collections, they’re popping up everywhere.
The practice isn’t new but was virtually unheard of outside of a few cities, mostly in Eastern Europe. Early in the twenty-first century the practice has exploded worldwide. A love lock is a padlock which lovers lock to a bridge, fence, gate or monument to symbolize their eternal love. In recent years the lovers’ names or initials, and the date, are engraved on the padlock, and its key is thrown away usually into the river under the bridge to symbolize unbreakable love.
This simple and romantic practice seems innocent but more and more being treated by authorities as litter or vandalism, and there is becoming serious cost associated with damage and their removal. We’ve been told that there are places where authorities are embracing them as a tourist attractions.
Paris
A little research will show that love padlocks date back at least 100 years to a Serbian tale of World War I, about the bridge Most Ljubavi or the Bridge of Love in the town of Vrnjačka Banja. A local schoolmistress named Nada, who was from Vrnjačka Banja, fell in love with a Serbian officer named Relja. He went off to war in Greece, where he fell in love with a woman from Corfu. Heart broken Nada broke off their engagement and after some time died from heartbreak. As the tragic love story circulated young women from Vrnjačka Banja wanted to protect their love and started writing down their names, with the names of their loves, on padlocks and attached them to the bridge where Nada and Relja used to meet.
Savannah, Georgia
Ha’penny Bridge, Dublin
In Dublin there is a famous pedestrian bridge called the Ha’penny Bridge. It is one of the more famous symbols of Dublin. Nearly 200 years old (1816) it is a protected structure, but in recent years Dublin City Council have had to remove thousands of padlocks from the bridge on a regular basis. They are considered unsightly and are causing damage by chipping paint and adding considerable weight to the historic bridge. Engineers have estimated that at some point, if not removed, they could cause the bridge to collapse.
While the key to many a heart now lies at the bottom of the River Liffey where couples in love have thrown them after securing their love locks to Dublin’s historic Ha’penny Bridge, a group is dedicated to breaking that bond. Almost as soon as the lovers have left, an expert lock-picking group arrives to tear these bonds of love apart and stop the locks from making the bridge structurally unsafe.
River walk Wurzburg, Germany
“It’s a fairly constant churn,” said Seán Nicholls, who set up the group when he was on his way to a professional lock-picking meeting. “I was heading to the meeting one day and I walked over the Ha’penny Bridge and noticed all the locks. In my mind it was defacing a city treasure. That’s kind of where the idea came from,” he said.
Dublin City Council embraced the group in the aftermath of a love-lock situation in Paris where the locks caused a section of the Pont des Arts bridge to collapse.
Just recently the practice has come to America and is growing in Savannah, Boston and a number of other cities. Since a number of locksmiths are now offering professional engraving on their padlocks the practice is likely to grow even more.
Photographic impressions collected from near and far…
About 125 miles north of the city of Avignon along the Rhône River in southern France is Doux Gorges, located in Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, a commune (community) in the Ardèche department. The area features some of the most beautiful and remote wilderness in France and attracts hikers and bikers from all over.
A network of railway lines was constructed around Vivarais between 1898 and 1903 to provide access to markets for farms and vineyards in remote areas of the region. In 1970 service was restored and the new Tournon – Lamastre line, 21 miles long, was officially opened for full service in April. Pulled by restored steam engines over one hundred years old, today’s train cars carry passengers into the most beautiful and inaccessible part of the Doux Gorges.
with From Cartagena, Columbia to Ushuaia, Argentina the South American continent is an amazing land of natural wonders and human accomplishments. Explore the islands of the Galapagos or hike around Iguazu Falls, climb up to Machu Picchu or cruise through the Panama Canal. You can even cast off for a trip to Antarctica or walk…
It seems so other worldly, like Mars or the Moon but it’s right here on Earth. It’s so alien that the NASA space program uses it to test rovers and other equipment. Find the answer HERE. Here Are A Few Of Our More Recent Postings You might Find Interesting…
Cruising has been the fastest growing segment of the travel industry with an estimated share approaching 20% of revenue. 2017 saw 27 million cruise passengers embark on cruises utilizing 537,000 beds across 314 major cruise ships worldwide. In 2019 there was an estimated increase over 2017 of 14% with a majority of ships operating at near 100% capacity. Because of this dramatic increase the industry had almost 50 new ships on order by the end of 2019.
The Elephant In The Room: The global pandemic has seriously impacted the cruising world. There are a number of reasons for what has transpired but very little of it is the fault of the cruise lines. Overall cruising is safe with the only serious health issue involving cruise ships prior to the coronvirus-19 pandemic being norovirus outbreaks. Norovirus is a virus that is highly contagious, causes severe stomach problems and is commonly associated with outbreaks where groups of people are in close contact. The number one location involving norovirus outbreaks is schools followed by offices. Because of the impact of a coronvirus outbreak on a cruise ship the cruise companies have become very expert at dealing the these situations.
Fall colors on the St. Lawrence
If you have ever been on a ship when norovirus was diagnosed you understand how well prepared cruise ships are to deal with it. Ill passengers are confined to staterooms. Crew with sprayers filled with disinfectant are everywhere. Railings and door knobs are usually drenched in disinfectant and a common joke is that if you stand still too long you’ll get sprayed down too. We’ve experienced 2 of these outbreaks and there was very little spread or impact.Dealing with covid is actually very similar.
Cruising was blindsided by covid-19 just like everyone else and suffered from a panic reaction by governments and it’s still going on.Very little spread occurred into the general population from infected cruise passengers while airlines were found responsible for the majority of international spread. Airlines are still being allowed to fly with lax health requirementseven today.
Malta
While suffering a major reversal of fortunes because of the covid-19 pandemic, cruising has too many avid followers and advantages over the competition to not recover. Currently 2022 bookings are showing an increase over bookings at the beginning of 2020. Some smaller companies may fall away but the financial growth history of the major cruise companies has large investors ready to infuse more cash to help jump-start cruising.
Why Cruising?
The major attractions to cruising are fairly well known; good dining, entertainment, nightlife and exciting destinations and mostly all-inclusive. Todays newer ships offer amazing activities from ice skating to surfing to onboard amusement parks. There are few land-based resorts that provide anything near what today’s cruise ships offer.
Through the Panama Canal
Breakfast On Ice!
Morning coffee at Dawes Glacier Alaska
In our case I’m not sure of any leisure pastime that can come close to what we routinely expect from our cruise. What can match the amazing experience of having breakfast as you watch a glacier drift by your window. How about cocktails while looking down on Piazza San Marcos as you ship sails into Venice.
If you had suggested to us in the past that we would soon cruise into Paradise Bay in Antarctica on a bright sunny day or witness steaming lava pour into the ocean soon after Sunset, we would probably have laughed. How about watching the changing leaves as you sail up the St. Lawrence or seeing a pod of humpback whales breaching in mid-ocean.
Cruising Alaska’s Misty Fjord
Have The World Come To You…
We have traveled a lot over the years with many trips being two or three days in a hotel and than moving on to another destination with more nights in a new hotel. Packing and moving suitcases can be a pain and waiting for your next room to be “ready” can be frustrating. About twenty years ago we took our first cruise and after settling into our stateroom the destinations just came to us. A whole week or more in one room with the scenery changing constantly outside our window! On a number of travels we’ve had problems at times finding a restaurant open (pizza from a convenience store?) or having no idea what dinner would cost. Now, no matter how far from home or how exotic the local food – dinner is waiting for us back on board the ship! – running late? there’s always the buffet.
Cruising into Venice
Dollar for dollar cruising has been one of the best values in travel, which has a lot to do with its popularity. Cruises come in a wide range of lengths and destinations with a number of price levels. There’s probably a cruise out there to fit almost anyones’s budget.
Paradise Bay, Antarctica
What Now?
It’s going to be a struggle for the cruise companies coming out of the pandemic shutdowns and governments aren’t make it easy. Start-up costs are going to be high and they are going to try and recover some of the losses with fares going forward. That may put a damper on some people being able to afford it or even believing the higher cost is justified. All of that will sort itself out and 2022 is most likely to be a resurgence year for cruising.
A St. Thomas Walking Path From Havensight into Charlotte Amalie
View from Paradise Overlook
This is more an urban hike with a special interest to passengers on cruise ships tied up at the West Indian Company docks. Centered on an area known as Havensight it is only about a mile walk into the west end of downtown Charlotte Amalie from the docks. If you are into hiking this is a well paved walkway that runs along the sea and through a few interesting areas.
From the West Indian Company dock walk away from the water toward the Havensight buildings and turn left on the first major passage and head toward Charlotte Amalie. You will be passing a number of duty free shops, food concessions and markets along this two block stretch. As you get near the water again the walkway into town is directly ahead on your left. For one of the best views of St. Thomas you can also take a right turn instead and cross Edward W. Blyden Road to the Paradise Point gondola base station and ride up to Paradise Point overlook.
On the water within a hundred feet or so of picking up the walkway you’ll find yourself in Yacht Haven Grande with luxury yachts tied up in the marina and shops along the walkway. At Yacht Haven you will find the shopping is much more upscale with a number of nice restaurants like a sushi bar, a Mexican cantina, Fat Turtle and Blue Eleven.
Yacht Haven Marina
Ft. Christian
After Yacht Haven the walkway runs along the water with Veterans Drive on your right for about a half mile until you get to Fort Christian. The historic Danish fort watching over the harbor is operated by the National Park Service and is open to the public. As you walk along this part of the trail you’ll also see Bluebeard’s Castle Resort standing above you on the hilltop. With the Fort Christian on your right on the other side of Veterans Drive the V.I. Legislature buildings will be on a point of land on your left. Just past the fort is Vendors Plaza, a street market filled with locals selling their crafts and souvenirs. Vendors Plaza is also where most of the shuttles into town from the West Indian Company dock let off their passengers.
Bluebeards Castle
Creque Alley
Going past the fort the walkway down Charlotte Amalie’s main waterfront continues on for an additional half mile. Along the waterfront crossing Veterans Drive takes you into the main shopping district that extends about three blocks inland up from the waterfront. Charlotte Amalie offers numerous streets and alleys leading up from the water. These alleys are an important part of the towns landscape with each one being a mini-mall lined with cafes, restaurants, galleries and shops. One block up, running parallel to Veterans Drive is Curacao Gade (Street) the main shopping thoroughfare in town.
The Intentional Travelers 