Vacations 4 America

Cuba – Peninsula of Guanahacabibes – has been selected as a base for a research venture between Cuba and Spain. Cuban Scientists from the Cuban Oceanology Institute and the Spanish University of Oviedo have come together to document hundreds of marine species in the western most part of Cuba and Los Jardines de la Reina in trhe central part of the Island.

In an interview conducted by Prensa Latina the Spanish Biology Professor Jesus Ortega from Oviedo University expressed that more than 700 species are yet to be classified in the area known as Guanahacabibes. So far 50 varieties of mollusks have been officially classified and documented as new species.

Among the most eye-catching with very tiny almost transparent shells are the Emiliotia Inmaculatus and the Cubalaskeya Machoi both Mollusks collected at 33 meters deep in the sediments of Pedro Cavern.

Similar marine diversity can be found in the Cienaga de Zapata rewarded as the largest wetland in the Caribbean. Zwaps, countless canals and natural water courses are typical of this rugged landscape.

Peninsula de Guanahacabibes has so far been responsible for the findings of 50 percent of all mollusk varieties found in Cuba. This zone was declared a protected area of the Biosphere in the late 1980 and the least spoilt part of Cuba in terms of Tourism.

This a is a territory in Cuba with the most vivid natural resources, with a huge variety of species yet to be documented said Cuban ecologist Jose Espinosa, and continued – Cuba might be a centre for plankton larvae that could favour the most needed healing the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean sea.

Maria La Gorda is the only tourist resort that can be found in the vicinity of peninsula de Guanahacabibes and it is very popular amongst snorkellers, divers, oceanologists and holiday makers in general.

Want to find out more about Cuba, then visit Perucho Ochoa’s site on how to choose the best Cuba Holidays for your needs.

read comments (0)

Tangier is a mysterious city influenced by several cultures. It is located in 60km from Gibraltar and 14km from Spain. It is believed to be the most vibrant and mythical city in Morocco. Tangier is popularly known as the “gateway of Africa” and has several tourist attractions such as beaches, museums and gardens. Because of its rich European, Moroccan and African cultures, Tangier makes it a perfect destination to visit.

Tangier offers several traditional Moroccan houses for you to stay known as riad. Riad may also be a palace with an indoor garden. If you are planning to visit Morocco for a vacation getaway, you may want to stay to a Tangier riad to feel and experience the Moroccan culture. Here are some of the riads that you may consider.

Riad Dar Sultan. It is located near the beach and the center of Kasbah district in Tangier. It was once the house of a late Sultan who lived in Dar El Makhzen Palace. This palace is now converted into a museum. Riad Dar Sultan is a 300 year old riad equipped with splendid ornaments of ancient objects and a spectacular view of the sea and the old Kasbah district. The riad has its lobby, fireplaces and library. All the 6 rooms and suites are comfortably spacious designed with the local Moroccan traditions.

Riad Dar Jameel. If you want to have a taste of the past and at the same time the beauty and elegancy of the present, you may want to stay to Riad Dar Jameel. This riad is known as the “sanctuary of peace and tranquility.” This is the most intimate place in Tangier that lets you relax and at the same time, experience and feel the mysteriousness of the city. The place is designed with both Moroccan and European flavor. It has elegant rooms and suites with splendid stucco ceilings as well as a bed with baldachin and a traditional Moroccan couch.

Riad Tanja is the oldest riad in Tangier designed purely by Moroccan artifacts, old furniture and ornaments. The guests are provided with high quality, luxurious comfort and pleasure of a Tanger riad. It has 6 exquisite, well-furnished double suites. You can admire the stunning flora hanging in its terrace while enjoying the splendid view of the sea.

Riad Dar Nour, known to its unique beauty has 7 cozy rooms and suites. Each room has its own shower room, air conditioning and heating. Meaning the “house of lights”, the riad is further adorned by its collection of carpets, old ceramics and other ornaments from the 15 year period of the Arabs in Tangier. The guesthouse has also its own library with books from various parts of the world.

If you appreciate art, try to stay in Riad Dar Nilam. Riad Dar Nilam is an exquisite place with magnificent works of art that are expressed in every little detail. It is greatly influenced by both the African culture and the east of the Orient. You will be left in awe while looking at the smooth architecture of the riad, as well as its splendid gardens. Riad Dar Nilam offers uniquely polished rooms and suites with private shower room, air conditioning, Internet access, mini bar and satellite TV. Relax in the riad’s massage room, swimming pool and hamman. You can also enjoy the spectacular view of the city while reading in its fireplace and reading place.

Morocco is a nice, peace and quiet area where you long to relax and soothe yourself; places like tanger riad is the answer. The tanger appartementthat surrounds the area perfectly suits your way of spending a relaxing vacation. You will certainly have no regrets visiting this place.

read comments (0)

For people who travel on camping holidays or vacations to wooded areas, it should be an enjoyable experience. Most of the time it usually is. However, Lyme disease which is caused by ticks can ruin a fun holiday or vacation.

Vacationers, campers, and travelers alike can be at risk for contracting Lyme disease, a serious, debilitating condition caused by being bitten by an infected tick.

What are the common symptoms of Lyme disease?

Some symptoms of Lyme disease are the classic bull’s-eye red rash, fatigue or loss of energy, feeling sleepy, tingling and numbness, swollen and painful joints, memory loss, and feeling like you are catching the flu. Facial paralysis is a less common symptom.

Getting Lyme disease can make your life miserable and cause you a lot of pain and suffering if it is not diagnosed and treated immediately. The longer you wait before seeing a health care professional allows this disease to progress quickly and it may not be possible to lessen it’s effects.

How is Lyme disease usually spread?

Ticks bite and then feed on animals such as mice, other small rodents, and deer. If any of these animals are carrying Lyme disease bacteria, they can then pass it on to the ticks. When people get bitten by an infected tick they can contract Lyme disease.

What are the best ways to reduce the chance of contracting Lyme disease?

Since some people do not notice any symptoms for a period of time, prevention is always the best policy. When you are traveling through the spring and summer months to, or through areas where deer, mice, other rodents and animals reside, the following are some things that you can do.

If you plan to camp when you are on vacation or holidays, you can reduce the number of ticks around your campsite by removing a lot of the brush and leaves debris. If you wear light colored clothing you can more easily see these extremely tiny black insects and remove them before they attach to and burrow your skin. Always wear long-sleeved shirts and tuck them into your pants, and also tuck your pant cuffs in your socks. It is great idea to wear rubber boots because ticks are usually found close to the ground. You can also get them in your hair if you brush against leaves on a low hanging tree branch. Wearing a light-colored, wide-brimmed hat may also help. Be sure to check your scalp and skin carefully as ticks can easily be overlooked, particularly in your hair. Apply a DEET containing insect repellent to your clothes and exposed skin, as well as permethrin, an insecticide and insect repellent, to your clothes. That will also help.

How can you remove ticks safely?

Ticks that have burrowed and embedded themselves under your skin can be removed with small-tipped tweezers. Make sure that you do not leave any part of the tick under your skin. Once the tick has been completely removed, disinfect the wound thoroughly with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. Keep in mind that you are not totally out of the woods yet, so to speak, as the symptoms can take several days, even weeks before they show. Using tweezers is the best and safest method for removing ticks. Do not try to remove any ticks using burnt matches, petroleum jelly, or alcohol as this will cause the ticks to release more of the bacteria into your blood stream.

Please note that there is no vaccine available for Lyme disease.

According to the Center For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) this bacterial disease is vastly under reported, perhaps by well over 100,000 cases per year in the U.S. alone. You can go to their website at cdc.gov for more information on Lyme disease.

holiday, visit Travel Tips Guide for more info.

read comments (0)

On a cold, gray morning in late January 2000, the historic Mapes Hotel in Reno was imploded by 75 pounds of explosives tucked into the art-deco structures support columns. The controlled demolition came despite years of effort by a number of groups within the community and nationally to preserve the building with lawsuits, redevelopment proposals, and grass roots lobbying efforts.

While the logic and necessity of demolishing the Mapes is very questionable, one thing that is certain is that the hotel was an important part of Northern Nevada history. The Mapes opened in’47 and with it ushered in a new era for casino gambling and the state of Nevada. Despite some historical revisionism that suggests that the modern era began in Las Vegas with Bugsy Siegel’s famed Flamingo, the Mapes was actually the first building in America to have a hotel, casino and live entertainment under the same roof. The Mapes attracted countless celebrities who’d make it their home when business brought them to Northern Nevada–this included movie stars like Clark Gable, TV stars like the cast of ‘Bonanza’ and political power brokers like infamous anti-Communist crusader Joseph McCarthy.

In the 50s and 60s it became, along with Lake Tahoes Cal-Neva Lodge the place to be seen in Northern Nevada. The top floor, window-walled Sky Room showcased performances by the legends: Sinatra, Louis Prima, Mae West, Milton Berle, Sammy Davis, Jr., and the Marx Brothers among others. Subsequent years were not kind to downtown Reno but the Mapes prospered during the 60’s and 70’s. The hotel finally closed in’82, due more to financial difficulties experienced by the Mapes family caused by one of their other Northern Nevada gaming properties than anything else.

Reno never experienced the massive growth that occurred in Las Vegas and southern Nevada, and for that reason the destruction of the Mapes is more open to debate than the hotel demolitions to the south. Even the demolition of The Sands–perhaps the most historically significant casino in the state–is hard to argue against given the inability of such a small property to compete in the current Las Vegas marketplace and in light of the value of the mid-strip real estate. The old properties may have historic value to pop culture historians, but their survival doesn’t make economic sense. They’re simply ‘analog players in a digital world’.

This is not the case in Reno, where land and buildings for development in virtually every casino area are abundant. The official reason that the Mapes had to come down was that the city needed the land–which sits along the banks of the Truckee River–to expand its riverside district of art galleries, restaurants and shops. The revitalization of downtown Reno is definitely needed and a legitimate goal, but at the same time it is hard to think that the Mapes was a barrier to this. Indeed, a number of proposals for redevelopment including office space, artists lofts and upscale senior housing would have probably served to enhance the livability of the downtown area. For whatever reason, the City Redevelopment Authority wouldn’t approve any of the proposals and the fate of the Mapes was sealed.

The role of the City Redevelopment Authority was questioned throughout the process. Overlooking the Truckee River, the hotel was on a prime location between the downtown casino area and the riverfront district. Back in’96, the city of Reno purchased the hotel and began entertaining proposals for renovation and redevelopment. A number of sound financial proposals were presented that would preserve the integrity of the structure including condominiums, office space, and perhaps most viable, upscale senior apartments. Oddly, all of these proposals were turned down by the citys Redevelopment Agency which eventually led to the demolition of the structure.

Following the 2000 demolition, the lot remained vacant for over a year until a temporary ice skating rink was hastily constructed the following winter. The site now houses a permanent ice skating rink which, while not a bad use for the land, isn’t the sort of game changing improvement suggested by the City Redevelopment Agency and their adamant insistence that the building be demolished. To the contrary, it appears they had no specific plan or even general idea of what to do with the land but for some reason wanted to see the hotel come down. This has led to all manner of speculation, ranging from financial self interest to a rumor that the structure was ‘haunted’ and needed to be destroyed to forestall future paranormal activity in Washoe County. Whatever the reason, the city of Reno lost a valuable landmark that played a significant part in the economic growth of the entire state.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority onsports betting. He is also a consulting handicapper for Sports-1 Sportsbook and is in charge of setting NFL lines. He has written extensively on sports betting theory along with a wide range of other topics including fencing, boxing and dog training.

read comments (0)