Dalat Mountain is adrenaline and adventure places

Though when written in local tongue, the name 'Da Lat' may seem uncompromisingly Vietnamese, the name actually derives from the Latin phrase 'Dat Aliis Laetitiam Aliis Temperiem', which means 'giving pleasure to some, and freshness to others'. This picturesque, high altitude town couldn't be endowed with a more appropriate name. Its temperate weather makes it seem like spring all year 'round, and its nearby cliffs, lakes, and waterfalls make for adventurous fun for the adrenaline-fueled visitor.

After the warm coastal beaches, Dalat offers something different. Many are shocked to be able to see their own breath at night, and jackets are a must in the evening, making it a refreshing retreat for those looking to escape Vietnam's at times searing heat.

The city offers many charming tourist sights, including the man-made Xuan Huang Lake, which makes for a lovely walk. The beautiful Tuyen Lam Lake features a scenic tram ride that whisks you over top of its sparkling green waters. It's worth taking a trip over to the Crazy House, which is a bizarre but fun attraction designed by the daughter of Ho Chi Minh's third successor to the presidency. It's an Alice In Wonderland-type structure that visitors can actually stay in (though the constant stream of visitors that trek through the abode daily may get tiresome after a while).

If you like Crazy House, but have a hankering for some coffee, you’re in luck: 100 Roofs is a funky, jungle-like, multi-leveled café, where the service is excellent, and the coffee unbeatable.

But save your energy for Dalat's real treasure: the topography on the outskirts of the city. As you walk around the town, you’ll see endless ads for 'Adventure tours'. Don't ignore them. YouthAction provides an excellent canyoning tour that many tourists claim to be the best thing they did on their entire trip. Their enthusiasm is well earned. The tour begins with a self-controlled rollercoaster ride down a mountain. You control the breaks, and can go as fast or as slow as you like. It's much more exciting than climbing down the mountain to the walking path. After a bit of a hike, you'll find yourself hopping down cliffs (after a thorough canyoning training session), balancing carefully on a log over top of a river, using a waterfall as a waterslide, and free-jumping off a six-meter cliff. The big event is canyoning down a 30-meter waterfall, which may seem daunting, but is totally doable. Adrenaline will fuel your body with more than enough energy to hike back to the top of the mountain at the end of the day. You should have a few scrapes and nicks to show off at the bar that evening.

Many tourists also opt to try out the local Easy Riders to see the peaks and valleys of the Central Highlands. This is a great option for those who don't feel comfortable riding their own motorbikes. That said, even if you do ride a motorbike perfectly well, Easy Riders usually speak excellent English, and being themselves from the local villages, often know an exceeding amount of information about the sights you'll be seeing. Make sure to see their comment book, usually full of praise from tourists who have done their tour.

After a few days (or maybe a week) in Dalat, you'll find yourself cooled down and possibly physically exhausted from all the adventures you’ve been having. Best to head back to the beach – Nha Trang or Mui Ne – for some R & R.

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Jack Huff's Motor Lodge are Clean Room, Comfortable Bed, a Ton of Space, and Friendly Staff

A quick one night stay before heading to a cabin rental. Room was a double Queen on the third floor in the newer part of the building. Able to park close to the room. (Didn't realize til the next morning that there is an elevator in the center of the building)...however, it was such a short distance to the stairwell from where we parked that we probably would not have used elevator. Room was spotless. Handy to have both frig and microwave. Recliner/armchair was so comfortable...wish more hotels would have this. We missed having a desk to set our computer on, but the small round table sufficed. Bed was very comfortable. Did not notice noise from the street. Balcony shared with the next room overlooks parking lot/street. 

Walking distance to the Village and through the Village to the parkway. Slipped over to Donut Friar for a special treat early in the morning. At the hotel coffee is available in the morning in an alcove under the stairs near the elevator. Staff in the office is so friendly. We were able to leave our car in their lot after we checked out to stroll the parkway for a couple of hours. Even grounds staff are friendly and upon our departure gave us hints to get to our cabin and avoid the traffic generated by the Rod Run in Pigeon Forge.

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Top 5 Things to do in New York

If any city deserves to be viewed as the world's capital, it must be New York. Even more of a heavyweight than London, New York is a mammoth financial and cultural hub, plus it's physically huge.

New York consists of five boroughs (Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island). Each is the equivalent of a city in its own right and may be split into districts.

The giant mosaic owes its existence to the Dutch, who founded New York as Nieuw Amsterdam at the dawn of the 17th century. That slab of Dutch land so destined to change hands and grow explosively once stood on the site of modern Manhattan.

Find out the top five places to see across New York's five boroughs. If most have one thing in common, it is size. Most are huge. New York just does not do modesty.

1. Coney Island 

Coney Island is just a husk of what it was in its early 20th-century heyday. But the husk still has atmosphere. Eerie attractions with names that convey some of the old magic include Dreamland Roller Rink, the Cyclone rollercoaster, Luna Park and the Wonder Wheel, along with a dubious exhibit called Shoot the Freak. Sideshows by the Seashore is billed as the last place in the USA where you can experience the thrill of a traditional 10-in-one circus sideshow.
www.coneyisland.com

2. Times Square
Like Coney Island, Times Square may be past its best. The New York Times, after which the Square was named, has moved on. Remaining attractions such as Madame Tussaud's wax museum and Ripley's Believe it or Not could be more classy. Even so, Times Square has been called "New York's laboratory for unprecedented urban revitalization". Like neon London rival Piccadilly Square, Times Square is iconic. You just must get a blast of its webcam-heavy theater-land intensity.

3. American Museum of Natural History
One of the world's greatest science museums, the American Museum of Natural History is a giant complex crammed with fossils, gems and organic natural specimens. The culture vulture magnet takes up four blocks and hosts no less than 32 million items: greater than the population of Australia. Amid the immensity, you can learn about everything from spider silk to the Hubble telescope. Another draw is the "night at the museum" sleepovers.
www.amnh.org

4. Staten Island
Roughly triangular, Staten Island is twice the size of Manhattan but essentially a slab of suburbia. Why go there? For the views it affords of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Then you can jump on the next boat back to the Big Apple.
www.statenislandusa.com

5. Bronx Zoo
A jungle within an urban jungle, Bronx Zoo sprawls over 265 acres. The vast expanse hosts over 40 species including marmosets, mandrills and Chinese alligators. The size of the zoo means that creatures too big to shoehorn into New York’s other zoos are present in force. Watch out for bison, bears, buffalo, elephants and rhinoceroses among other monsters.
www.bronxzoo.com

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Baskins Creek Condominiums is Excellent. Will visit again

We just returned from a 4 day weekend in Gatlinburg. I found the Baskins Creek Condos on the web and decided to stay there based on the reviews I found here. We were VERY happy with our decision. We rented unit 203. The nightly cost (with tax) for our 2br unit was only $70 more per night than a 2 double bed hotel room in the family hotel we have stayed in forever that was still in 70's decor. We were splitting this 2BR rental with our son and his wife so we actually got off much cheaper per family than the 70's hotel room. It was in excellent condition! Very clean. Decorated nicely.

The mattresses were very comfortable and seemed new. Our view was towards other hotels and not the mountain but we did not come to Gatlinburg to sit in our condo and look at the views. It was a nice jaunt (.3 to .4 miles) down to light 5 (I believe) of the Parkway. It is also on the Red Trolley line which you can ride for 50 cents per person. I called the rental office when we departed our home to double-check how long they would be open. The paperwork we received stated the office was open until 8pm on weekdays, however they informed me they would be in until 6pm that day. I almost freaked out a little but they made accomodations for us to get our room keys that did not cause us to be put out of our way and we just went down to the front desk the next morning to pay the remainder of our bill and swap our keys (which were set to expire the 2nd day since we had not paid for the rest of our visit before the office closed).

At first I was a bit shocked that they were closing earlier than they stated in their paperwork but they were very accomodating and my husband reminded me that they were more laid back than we were which was why we were going away for a long weekend. They were not the staff you would find at a concierge desk of a five star hotel but every time we stopped by to ask a question about attractions or where the best place was to find something was, they were very helpful and always provided us with spot-on information. We loved that you had to have a keycard from the parking garage to the hotel to call the elevator which kept just anyone from roaming the halls. The pool was not open in October so we had no trouble with noise from outside. We cooked a big breakfast in the condo every morning and found everything we needed there.

However, you have to remember to bring all the minor details like coffee, coffee filters, shampoo, soaps, etc. You are not in a hotel so you do not have daily maid service but I really don't like folks coming in my room everyday anyway. The only room for improvement were that the bath towels could probably be replaced but I won't lie and tell you that I don't have one or two in my closet that are well worn. :) We would HIGHLY recommend this place! It was very economical for the size, cleanliness, etc. and we will stay here everytime we visit in the future!

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Feng Shui - What is it?

A lot of people in western culture have heard of Feng Shui, and some may even be able to describe how it works, although it’s often in rather broad terms. Most likely you’ll hear it explained as “Something about the way things are arranged…and…the energy of…water? A mountain? The universe?” Well, that’s a start. While Feng Shui isn’t generally considered a hard science, it’s a historic pillar of Chinese culture and has roots that go back over 8,000 years. In that time, it has seen significant study, refinement and expansion in equal measure by practitioners around the world.

The earliest records of something we can identify as Feng Shui date to 4,000 BCE in central China, where buildings were constructed in such a way that their front doors aligned with the sun or certain stars. Later archeological discoveries show its evolution, with shapes and decorations found in tombs that represent celestial objects, and charts that helped early practitioners plan events based on the heavens.

But it was the invention of modern tools that really kicked things up a notch. The magnetic compass and the astrolabe (an apparatus used to measure the movement of planets and stars) helped refine and enhance existing techniques, and eventually Feng Shui was being used to plan the layout and design of graves, houses, decorations, bodies of water and even entire cities to harness the positive effects of qi, the energy that penetrates everything in the universe (a concept which George Lucas borrowed for his Star Warsmovies).

Today Feng Shui is still widely practiced by Chinese around the world, and many use it to plan the layout of their homes, offices, gardens and even entire buildings. Of course, many are skeptical about the practice, but there are also those who swear by its efficacy.

There are far too many elements of modern Feng Shui to get into in a single blog post. The practice today has many schools, and each has their own rules and forms, which can deviate slightly or greatly from more established methods. There are approaches that claim to maximize advantage with money, aspirations, family or fame; rules that dictate the layout of furniture, water fountains and parking lots; and even forms which include elements from eastern and western religions. Some use Feng Shui to improve health, decrease bad luck, and even to size up a potential mate by evaluating the “Feng Shui-ness” of their home upon the first visit!

However, there are some basic rules that anyone can try to see if they notice a difference. Who knows, maybe you’ll become one of the many Feng Shui experts who consult on everything from the shape of a new koi pond to the direction a building faces:

-  De-clutter! Many experts recommend you carefully look at every item in your home. If you’re not using it, ditch it. Clutter creates confusion, and a clean space = a clear mind.

-  It’s all about flow. The energy of the universe moves in a flow, man, and if you block it, you invite bad luck. Create spaces that are inviting and easy to “fall into”. This includes eliminating obstacles, creating inviting entry ways, and making your house/office/room easy to find – qi is powerful, but it doesn’t have a map to your location.

-  Ouch! Sharp angles are like little catapults for negative energy, and this includes tables, chairs, countertops, etc. Round those babies off and increase your harmony.

-  Limit the colors. Don’t use more than three colors to decorate. And while we’re talking about colors, red = passion/courage; yellow = happiness/nourishment; blue = tranquility/peace; green  = growth/health; orange = optimistic/sociable; brown = strength/stability.

-  Avoid doors. Don’t sit with your back against the door, and don’t put the headboard of your bed on the same wall as a door. Doorways are like the offramps of hallways, in which bad energy can sometimes whoosh by, shooting through the doors. That doesn’t sound good, does it?

-  Water, water everywhere. Water is a powerful element, but be sure to place aquariums or fountains in the east, north or southeast part of a room to benefit business endeavors. What about north or northwest? Put a safe there (a metal one, preferably) to generate income.

-  Bad shoes! Don’t put shoes beside your front door, because good qipasses them as it enters your house. And when good qi picks up the stanky odor from your sweaty Nikes, it suddenly isn’t so good anymore.

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Paia Inn Hotel is Great chill down from a busy vacation

We stayed in RM12. The 3BR oceanview suite on the website. The pictures are extremely accurate, it was a beautiful suite -spacious and well thought of. I would have given a perfect score for this suitee except for 3 major items that affected my decision to score a 3 for value:

1. WIFi service wasnt high speed as published and expected. We were constantly getting kicked off so our connection was often interrupted

2. The published TV and appletv service and amenities didnt work At ALL which was a disappointment. We spent our nights in our room hoping they could have fixed it during the day but our stay ended and we didnt have a chance to use the tv at all.

It is not to say though that the staff were extremely helpful and tried to check on the issue and continued to follow through but with the amount we were paying for the room you would think that the management would think that Absolutely EVERYTHING is working as it should. 

3. Last issue - a small thing but for future improvement i think it must be mentioned. The maid service was ok and daily BUT didnt thoroughly cleaned and washed the kitchen wares used. Placed used items in the dishwasher and left it without getting it cleaned. The coffeemaker was left uncleaned on all days. Again, small items but since we were paying for $450/night i expected impeccable service cleaning.

Overall, i loved the hotel and staff and would recommend and come back BUT will make sure the issues i mentioned are addressed :-))

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Awesome pink dolphins in Hongkong

Few other animals except pigs and people have pink skin. Another species which boasts that peculiar distinction is the pink dolphin.

The pink dolphin exists in only two places in the world -- China and the wilds of the Amazon basin. The name stems from the cuddly looks of the adults, which are blessed with the bubble-gum-pink colouration that makes such a refreshing change from your average dolphin's dull blue.

Despite their many charms, pink dolphins are in decline. Only a smattering of rosy diehards still weaves through the bustling triangle of water that divides Hong Kong from the southern China industrial belt. The inner-city pink pod is thought to consist of just 100 or so members.

'It's a mega-city dolphin, yet for how much longer?' says Hong Kong conservationist Dr Martin Williams.

Few people in Hong Kong even registered the existence of the odd-coloured mammals with a weakness for shorelines until the early 1990s. Then, the government started 'reclaiming' land in the heart of pink dolphin habitat for the new airport.

The airport project had gathered too much steam to be stopped. So, the Hong Kong conservation group devoted to saving them, Dolphinwatch (www.hkdolphinwatch.com), has its work cut out.

Threats that the pink dolphins face span the spectrum, from pollution and overfishing to net entanglement, habitat destruction and boat traffic. If you want to support and see the pink dolphins, skip the 'pile-em-high, sell-em-cheap boats that go speeding into the dolphins' habitat', in the words of Hong Kong Dolphinwatch director Janet Walker.

For information on Dolphinwatch tours, email booking@hkdolphinwatch.com or orinfo@hkdolphinwatch.com. Or call Hong Kong (+852) 2984 1414.

Meanwhile, to buoy your interest, here are seven pink dolphin titbits.

1. Mystery clouds the reason for the pink dolphin's unusual colour. One theory propounded by scientists, who have few studies to use thanks to the shrinking population, is that it comes from consuming crabs and shellfish which have a red pigment to their muscle tissue. The pigment builds up in the skin, and the dolphins become pinker as they grow older.

2. According to legend, the pink dolphins of the Amazon change shape and impregnate young women on shore.

3. Picturesquely, the pink dolphin is also called the "Chinese white dolphin", the "speckled dolphin", even (mainland China) "giant sea panda".

4. The pink dolphin has a beak and a stocky body that weighs up to 284kg as an adult. That's big – about the same as a top-weight sumo wrestler.

5.  Fond of sandy bays, the pink dolphin also loves resting and socialising with other members of its species. A slow swimmer, it can still chase off and even kill sharks.

6. The pink dolphin has a party trick that consists of lying on its side and waving its flippers.

7. The Hong Kong pink dolphin is even pinker than its South American cousin.

PS  Dolphins in general sleep just below the surface of the water, often surfacing to breathe. They are also known to sleep with one eye open.

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