What’s more amazing is that, I had the privilege of visiting this humongous ship just a week ago since it has now docked in the warm shores of Cebu City, Philippines. It has been over 5 years since I last saw its sister-ship, the Doulos.

The World's Largest Floating Book Fair

Unfortunately, Doulos had already retired from sailing and was immediately replaced with a newer and bigger ship, and this is where I was headed for the afternoon.

Before boarding, you have to purchase your admission ticket. But no need to fret, entrance fee is very much affordable. When I got hold of the ticket, I tried my best to keep my toes calm, although deep inside I’m dying to run like crazy directly inside their bookstore. And as I near the entrance to the heart of the ship, I can feel and smell (yes, I can smell them) the books. Oh, how my eyes watered from seeing rows and rows of books of different genres, sizes, shapes, titles and colors. It was like heaven on earth for any bookworm (like me).

And for those of you who would like to see a glimpse of this floating book haven, you can catch them docking in the ports of Manila and Subic Bay in the next few months.

Hot, sunny and plain out exhausting could easily describe the ’15 minute’ drive (apparently 15 minutes away means an hour sitting in polluted traffic) to Downtown Amman. Today, of course, our car’s AC decided it was going to take a break and have the stale air coming from the windows do its job. So let’s just say the car ride to Amman’s Roman Theatre was not at all pleasant and it is safe to say probably ruined my appreciation for history until the weather cools off a bit.

Alright, so my state of mind was pretty clouded at the time due to the month of August’s hot intense weather climate. Looking back now and browsing through my pictures I’ve come to realize how beautiful and extraordinary the Romans’ creation really is. Downtown Amman is altogether the daily hustle and bustle  that anyone would see if they visited a city that was full of this many people. But as soon as you trek your way past the King Hussein mosque (after admiring its beauty and capturing a few pictures) and continue to push your way through the crowds of smoke and Arabian men attempting to lure you into their shop you will find a piece of history standing right before your eyes.

When it comes to admission expenses I was only required to pay 1 JD (a little less than $2) which will probably be the most affordable price you will pay throughout your entire trip in this city (even less than the taxi fare). Included in the price is admission to two miniature museums which are quite interesting if you like to browse through ancient artifacts and see back in the day wardrobe selections. More than likely there will be beggars aka ‘tourist guides’ that will offer their hosting skills but this really isn’t necessary and although they advertise a variety of different languages they ‘speak’ it is safe to say 99% of the time they only know how to say Hello and Money in that language . Guests in the theatre are allowed to walk around as they please and if you want to hike your way up to the towering top you’re more than welcomed. However, I cannot stress the importance of holding on to the nearest railing or step that’s closest to you since most of the steps are not exactly the modern definition of leveled.

For all you history buffs out there Amman’s Roman Theatre is a must-see. It is not very often history just presents itself to you in tact and just lightly touched by Mother Nature. Although August’s scorching sun may not have allowed me to be as enthused at the time, this definitely qualified as a ‘cool and interesting place in Amman’ that I had searched for to begin with. Perhaps this Spring I will venture to explore the various historical sites also found in Downtown. Has any of your travels not been what you’d imagine they would be?

1:07 the water is still rising, neighbors were knocking on the gate of the house with the camera. As shown on the CCTV,  they were welcomed in.

The water was knee deep already. On the camera set outside more people are still evacuating, but most are in their houses, still sound asleep.  Others are just hoping that the flood will be gone after the rain ceases, but for a few more hours it never did.

1:10, caught on cam set outside is a house being washed away by the rushing water. The current is getting stronger and some destructive logs from the mountains are going with the flood.

1:20, a man was caught on cam floating along with the current with a floating device. 1:24, the water reached the cameras of the two story house, the camera was broken, and the video feed stopped.

In the morning news broke out about the flood on that community and other communities near the area, including a subdivision.  But from an aerial view, almost all parts of the city had been flooded. Thousands were dead, hundreds are missing, entire homes washed away. Whole family drowned in an instant, children were orphaned and parents were left looking for their missing children and other family members.  This is the horrible sight that the people of Iligan City experienced 7 days before Christmas.

Within 24 minutes families were torn apart, homes were destroyed, lives were taken, hearts were broken. On that day both rich and poor, Christian and Muslim felt the same agony and walked the same mud. Dead people with no names are on the streets filled with mud.

A sight that struck me the most when I went to the area the day after is a father crying while carrying his dead son, placing his son among other dead bodies lined up for identification and body count.

As a citizen of the city and as a nurse I did my part to rebuild and try to restore what can be rebuilt and restored and offered a prayer for those who suffered the devastating effects of that 24 dreaded minutes.

Riding the longest zipline in Asia

Suspended on 840 meters of wire at 4,500 above sea level,  with nothing to hang on to except dear life, I rediscovered how to pray and called on all the angels and saints, even ancient gods and goddesses of the Vikings! I wanted to back out, but before I knew it I was being strapped  and hung like washing, ready for launch in plank position on the longest zipline in Asia. What was I thinking? At 42 with 2 teen-age kids and my own company to run, insurance, future…none of those! I was thinking what if the bloody thing stops in the middle and I get stuck? That would be embarrassing, like the time I got stuck in one of those enclosed water slides, but that’s another story.

Everything happened so quickly but my life was flashing before me in slow motion as I waited to be released. This was our first stop in a  week-long Mindanao adventure which included scuba diving, trekking, firefly watching in mangrove forest, white water rafting and dolphin interaction. We took the first flight from Manila to Cagayan de Oro, got picked up from the airport at 7:30am, and traveled approximately 2 hours through towns and a huge pineapple plantation.

The zipline is located in Dahilayan Adventure Park in the province of Bukidnon and regarded as the longest zipline in Asia. We purposely didn’t have a big breakfast to avert the release of puke bombs while traversing the length of the zipline at 30-60 kilometers per hour.

Then I heard the countdown…3…2…1…and I was released! It was exhilarating! Okay, I must admit I screamed like a school girl when I was launched but this was soon replaced by howls of achievement as I gathered the testosterone, hoping my companions would forget how I sounded earlier.

Within 2 seconds of being propelled I felt like superman. I was flying and it felt so good! I could see my shadow from the ground below and I was reminded of how I wanted to become Peter Pan, those green tights are a delight to wear. I remembered a scene in a spy movie on how to influence speed and started to experiment on the principle. I spread my arms and I slowed down, I put my arms flat to my sides and I sped up, so it is true.

In less than 2 minutes I could see the landing, I spread my arms to slow down, not wanting the experience to end, the freedom, the excitement, the youth, but it was inevitable. The ride had to end but the experience and memory of the rush and what seemed to be eternal seconds of being transformed back 20 years in time of how simple it was, my super heroes, and episodes of my favorite spy movies will remain in my spirit forever.

Find your Zipline Adventure

• Parking is a free for all and wherever you can fit your car it seems people will park. This means there is a great possibility you will find cars parked behind you and with just enough space on the side you might not be able to open all of your doors. I suggest taking up a lot of space when you park (parking diagonally works great) that way it will be very difficult for other drivers to get too close and when it’s time to pull out there will be extra space for your car to maneuver back to the road.

• Always be aware of your surroundings. This should be a no-brainer when driving anywhere but I cannot stress the importance of this tip enough until you actually see for yourself. I used to think NYC was pretty crazy when it came to traffic but at least it was organized! Drivers do not always keep their cars in one lane and stop signs are not at each and every four-way so cars can literally come from any direction.

• There are tons of extremely narrow side streets that are meant to be two-way roads. However, because cars are parked on both sides of the street only one car can fit through there. If you come across a street like this, which is more than likely, use some kind of hand signal or light flashing technique while pulling to the first available open spot to pull over so they can pass through. Make sure to slow down while driving on these roads and if you notice the other car hasn’t noticed you beep a few times to get their attention.

• If you decide to visit this beautiful city and opt for public transportation taxis are the way to go. From what I’ve seen bus schedules are not always accurate and without any notice the bus may not come at all. There are plenty of taxis driving around and if you’re close to a main road this will make it even easier to find one. Rates are quite cheap but if the driver realizes you are a tourist some may overprice it a bit.

Have any of you been to Amman and witnessed their crazy traffic or been to a place and have your own traffic experience? I would love hear some of your stories!

Thanks for reading, Tiffany.

This article is a post from my personal blog Tiffany’s Traveling Journal if you’d like to read more about my own life check it out at: http://tiffanystravelingjournal.blogspot.com/

Tenerife is located off the west coast of Africa and is part of the beautiful Canary Islands. It is known as “The Island of Eternal Spring.” Cheap holidays to Tenerife are a great option for a romantic getaway as well as a family vacation. There are plenty of things to see and do and the weather is ideal year round, providing consistent sunshine and warmth. A holiday to Tenerife can consist of white sandy beaches with a lot going on around you. It’s extremely affordable which helps make this destination a great getaway (View Hotel Rates).

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Tenerife is the Las Americas resort which has a large water park and attractions such as sea animals, crocodiles and sea lions. Mount Teide overlooks Tenerife and can be seen in great detail by riding up to the top of the mountain in a cable car to enjoy the view. A number of other wildlife parks are also in the area and further highlight the landscape. Loro Parque has sea life as well as daily shows featuring penguins, tigers and dolphins.

Throughout the course of the year a number of different themed fiestas take place for tourists to enjoy with their families. Many of these fiestas focus on the saint’s days which are religious events that are highly recognized by the locals. American celebrations such as Mardi Gras and Oktoberfest are put to shame with Tenerife’s parties that bring in thousands of visitors each year, adding to the exceptional nightlife.

For those visitors that are in Tenerife with their spouse and have left the kids at home, Bar Imperfecto, which is located in Santa Cruz, provides a nightlife atmosphere complete with rock and alternative music to enjoy. Banana Garden in the Palm Beach area has traditional Mexican food to top off the cultural experience and you can even hear some local music while you dine. After you finish your meal you can join the other guests on the dance floor for the evening. You can also check out a number of musicals and plays that run throughout the year in Tenerife.

During the day there are a great deal of shops that you can pick up some souveniers from in the areas of Tenerife and Santa Cruz. You can also stop by a surf or bike shop to enjoy one of the locals favorite activities: shopping! The number of cultures that are encompassed into Tenerife makes shopping and dining two of the most featured areas of your holiday. You can dine on local fish and lobster which are usually topped with local ‘mojo’ sauce. Every local restaurant has their own take on this topping so you can even make it your mission to find your favorite while you are there.

Taking some time away from your busy schedule to visit Tenerife will surely be something you will want to do again and again. The beautiful blue skies and year round warmth of the sun pretty much guarantees that no matter what time of year you make the trek, you will enjoy your stay. This island never slows down and you can find plenty to do no matter what time of year.

WHAT IS CONTOUR?

Contour, previously known as VholdR, is pioneering hands-free recording like never before. With the camera, software, and community platform, location based video has never been more fun. Contour makes location video easy to shoot and share with the world. Such tools enable modern day explorers to tell stories of adventure, action, and travel in high quality video.

CONTOURGPS

In September 2010, Contour Added GPS and released the CoutourGPS. It’s the first hands-free video camera to capture real-time GPS data along with high-def, 1080p video. With an integrated GPS receiver, ContourGPS records location data 1x per second with near pinpoint accuracy. The GPS data, along with impressive HD footage, can then easily be edited with the new Contour Storyteller application. You can even post your GPS videos to Contour.com. Watch and share your thrilling run while tracking progress, speed, and elevation on a map.

CONTOURHD

ContourHD is Contour’s basic model, enabling modern day explorers to capture video hands-free in impressive HD. Its use couldn’t be simpler either, even with your gloves on it’s pretty easy. Just slide the record switch forward to start and back to stop. The TRail Mount System slides and locks the camera onto a series of mounts. You can wear the ContourHD on your helmet, goggles, windshield, or handlebars. The wide-angle lens can rotate and two lasers allow shooting from any mounting direction making video easy to capture from inside the action.

goa at a snapshot by gniliep

If you are looking for a place to vacation, then you may want to consider taking your holidays to Goa. There are many different things and places to see while in Goa. With all of the history and beauty contained within this area, it is an amazing place to visit.

When you are in Goa and would like some time to lay around in the sun and relax, there are numerous beaches that you can go to. These beaches are great tourist attraction. The various beaches are lined with palm trees, coconut trees, and shacks if you would like to get a refreshment. Others are lined with hotels and restaurants. Staying within these hotels, would give you a wonderful view of the sea. The majority of the water along the beaches are swimmer friendly with life guards on duty.

If you enjoy being in and around the water, there are many water sports that you can enjoy in Goa. Windsurfing, water skiing, and parasailing are a couple of the popular water sports you can enjoy. If you are into doing some fishing, the Agonda Beach in Canacona is a great spot to catch some soormai, salmon, and mullet. Another additional water sport that is amazing in Goa is scuba diving. Due to the murky water, the visibility is limited, so it can be more difficult, but there is still plenty of marine life and hard coral to discover.

There are many other things that can be done other than hanging out at the beach or in the water. If you would like to do some sightseeing, there are many sights to see. Included in these are caves, waterfalls, and springs. The Arvalem Caves are an amazing sight to see. There are a couple of waterfalls to take a look at and those are the Arvalem Waterfalls and the Dudhsagar Waterfalls. Before going to view the Dudhsagar Waterfalls, you will need to ensure that you ask permission to go and see it. There are two springs within the area that is another great sight to see. The Kesarval Spring and the Pomburpa Spring are the springs to view. The water that comes from the springs are used for medicinal purposes and those that are ill will bath in the water in order to be healed.

If you are looking for some exciting entertainment, you can find that in Goa also. There is plenty of shopping to do. Whether you are looking for some beautiful hand crafted gifts, souvenirs, or even furniture, you can find it in one of the shops. There are also movie theaters, casinos and festivals for your enjoyment.

If you are looking to get around in Goa but are not sure how you would be able to, there are different forms of transportation for you to use. Taxis are the main form of transportation for tourists. You can also use a motorcycle taxi or even rent a motorcycle if you would prefer to drive yourself around. You could also get a ride on a ferry to cross over areas where a bridge has not yet been built.

Before you decide to take the trip to Goa you may be wondering what are the people like. You wouldn’t want to make the trip there just to find out that the natives are not friendly. Rest assured that this is not the case. The people of Goa are extremely friendly and laid back. There is a wide variety of people and cultures which has helped in giving them their laid back attitude.

When you are looking for a vacation spot, Goa is a great place to check into and visit. You will have a wonderful time no matter what your interests happen to be.

Sandboarding in Dubai

I want to have a desert adventure. Dubai, here I come!

Ever since I first read the Dune series by Frank Herbert, I have wanted to explore the open desert and revel in its harsh mysteries. I have read about the different options out there to satisfy my dusty desires, and Dubai it seems has everything I want.

I can take a 4×4 around the dunes of Dubai for around $85, and as my vehicle glides over the sand, I can envision myself riding the back of the great sand worm of Arrakis.

I can’t wait to talk with the locals about their own experiences in the deep desert and even to strap a board to my feet to do some sandboarding. To feel the heat of the sun blazing overhead as I slice my way from dune to dune, learning the secrets that the desert holds, how to identify the scrubby brush, and how to tell a mirage from a real oasis on the horizon.

All these things are just a hop skip and a jump away during any holidays to Dubai. There are also packages available to camp out under the 1001 Arabian stars for a night in the desert that includes a bar-b-que dinner, a visit to a camel farm, opportunities to see how henna designs work and get one yourself, smoke the shisha (traditional water pipe), and the evening is capped off by a belly dancer performing her show for those in attendance.

Holidays in Dubai look to give you a real desert experience, while other more notable desert attractions like the pyramids in Egypt are now so cluttered with tourists that the majesty of the experience can be lost while brightly clad sun burnt hotel vacationers push you aside so they can take pictures of the sphinx.

I don’t want that nonsense. Just me and the desert. To feel the hot wind on my face, feel the grit in the air stinging my eyes, get up close and personal with a camel. It’s as close as I can get to the mythical world of Arrakis here on Earth, and I can’t wait to start my holiday in Dubai.

If you are a nature lover, you will fall in love with the Bamboo Forest in Maui, Hawaii.  The rustling of the bamboo by the wind will relax you on this moderately difficult hike.  Although there are no pandas in this bamboo forest, you can find many tropical birds and wildlife in the Hawaiian ecosystem.  The hike is great for nature lovers and historians both as you will also explore the Hawaiian Folklore and History.

Step into old-world Italy with the Cinque Terre Hiking Trip, a tour of five fishing villages in the Italian Riviera.  Starting from Florence, Italy, you will trek through vineyards and olive orchards as you explore a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site.  Visit the sunny beaches to catch a look at the brightly colored fishing boats.  Stroll through the seaside promenades and piazzas on your way to visit the shops and venders along the narrow paths.

Explore the frozen world of the Mendenhall Glacier just outside of Juneau, Alaska.  The hike starts with a trail through rocky terrain along the lake’s edge.  Once you reach the glacier, you will receive ice climbing instruction and a practice climb to familiarize you with using an ice pick and other equipment.  Then you can climb the Mendenhall Glacier to explore the ice caves and crevasses.  Get a front row view of streams and other glacial formations as you continue your climb.

Start your hiking vacation of the Colored Canyon in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt with a four-wheel drive trip across the desert to Abu Galum.  During the safari, see local wildlife such as Nubian Ibex, Red Foxes, and Striped Hyenas.  Then it is on to the colored canyon for a hike through the mountains.  View the changing colors of the sun glistening off of the oxidized surfaces of the cliffs and mountains.

Hiking in St. Miquel del Fai not far from Barcelona, Spain is an amazing tour.  Here you can combine viewing breathtaking natural scenery with the Medieval Architecture.  Start in a beautiful valley full of cascading water falling from rocky cliffs above into glistening pools.  Then tour St Miquel, a tenth century chapel that was built under a cliff.  A visit to the caves of St Miquel and Tosques will give you photo opportunities with the amazing stalactite and stalagmite formations.  You will explore the best that nature and history have to offer with this hiking vacation.