Archives for March, 2010
Posted on Mar 30, 2010 under USA Beaches |
California, aptly termed as the Golden State, is located on the Pacific coast of USA. The most populous state in the country, California has created many a millionaires. Therefore, California real estate investing is a superlative way to cash in on the opportunities offered by the state – more so since the real estate trends in California have often acted as a harbinger for the rest of the nation. This is why veteran investors always keep an eye on the California real estate market.
California, with its sun-kissed beaches, the Hollywood studios and the Silicon Valley, entices many alike who wish to relocate there. The state also boasts of excellent educational facilities, thriving businesses, sporting and recreational arenas, and cultural avenues – an attractive amalgam that holds something for everyone. California real estate investing is the ideal way to benefit from this buzzing environment.
It’s true that California is well known for its affluent and well-healed along with their rather ostentatious villas and mansions. But this should not put off a small investor in any way at all – there are scads of opportunities for small investors. And here are a few tips on how to approach California real estate investing.
Joel Teo
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/california-real-estate-investing-how-to-approach-it-92101.html
Posted on Mar 30, 2010 under South America Beaches |
I left Colombia (continental, that is) with all its guerrilla – army – paramilitary violence plus the mafia-related problems, headed to, as the island´s webpage proclaimed, “the best kept secret in the Caribbean”. (I already knew the secret since I had been on the islands on sabbatical week twice before). The small airport in Providencia, called El Embrujo (The Bewitchment), brought strange deja-vu feelings not counting the fact that I was still mesmerized by the finite but subtle gradation of colors I had seen in the water from the small plane minutes before landing. The airport zone was like a tropical parade with the multi-color passenger lobby looming over gardens of red hibiscus in their turn being pierced by the yellow bananaquit birds fluttering from one flower to the other in a dreamy slow motion. Beyond, the turquoise waters of the Mc. Bean Lagoon National Park shimmered peacefully.
Isla de Providencia & Santa Catalina are two small mountainous outcrops of land less than 8 square miles both situated 400 miles southwest of Jamaica and a quarter of the way on an imaginary line traced across the Caribbean from Punta Gorda, Nicaragua to Cartagena, Colombia. And a few hours after arriving, there I was, sitting behind this large, black, simpatico and unmet women who decided to take me on her small motorcycle to meet my friend Rolando in order to hand him some pictures I had taken the last time I was here. That type of kindness struck me since it is not very usual in many other places. Clearly on the maps says Col. (Colombia) after the name of the islands. How far is reality from the assumptions this abbreviation brings to people’s minds.
The hurricane season has hit few but strong blows on the islands. One of them came about in 1510 when the expedition of Diego de Nicuenza separated from Alonso de Ojeda (Colon´s Second Voyage) and was caught in a storm and its ships blown to a small island which Nicuenza named Santa Catalina, because it was common in those days to name sites after the Saint of the Day. To the other larger island just 200 meters across a shallow sea he gave the name Providencia in honor to the God that had just saved him. The beautiful Lover’s Floating Bridge now links the two islands.
A name and a position on a map brought settlers. As the Spanish colonies in Central and South America grew more and more, slaves tried to escape from imprisonment and reached the islands.
So it was for 150 years when the buccaneers, having been given the Elizabethan wink to raze the Spanish galleons that traversed the region hefty with the New World richness, looked for a good place to establish their operations and cure their illnesses. They found these mountainous islands, ungoverned, hills ready to be used as searching periscopes over the Caribbean. Who else could find safety there but the famous Welsh pirate Morgan with also famous Paco, the parrot that sat on his shoulder? Legend says he buried the treasures stolen in Panama in 1671 in these islands.
After Morgan’s escape to Jamaica the Spanish took control of the islands but only by word of mouth since English men with their slaves from Jamaica and the Cayman Islands tried to establish cotton farming here but instead ended up raising cattle. By this time the population was as diverse as the vessels that traversed the Caribbean. Nevertheless, lovers were not interested in racial aspects and African, Anglo, Dutch (who were also around) and Latin mixed, populating the island with that distinct clear eyes-dark skin look of many persons in Providencia. After much give-and-take among governments and several entangled political moves that passed through England, Spain, colonial Guatemala, Chile (the son of Admiral Louis Aury, a corsair, claimed the islands for Chile), Nueva Granada (which included actual Colombia and Panama) and Nicaragua, Colombia would stay with the islands although, as so many islands nowadays, looking at a map it would never occur to anyone that they belong to this country.
Providencians feel Colombian but most of all they feel Providencian, a pride openly demonstrated when they start so many phrases with the words “Our island” talking to outsiders or when they speak a distorted English among them with distinct accents and Spanish words intermixed but very different to the ‘Spanglish’ spoken by Hispanic immigrants in the U.S. They even distill their own Providencia Old Bushi Rum (a little too strong for me I have to say) using spring water outbursting from the mountains. As kind and joyful as they are to other people, they don’t want their island becoming another San Andres, a larger island of the same archipelago with duty-free commerce all around and overpopulation problems. Residence in the island is controlled by a government agency called OCCRE and for outsiders is very difficult to get permanent resident status as more and more tourists that visit Providencia want to stay and share the secret. As I casually heard a woman saying to another: “that seems to happen to everybody that comes to the island. They come for eight days, fall in love with it and then don’t want to leave”.
I remember one night in Providencia as one of the most pleasing I ever had in my life. I was staying at one of the two cabins that a middle-aged fisherman named Van Britton had on Black Bay. That night the waves crashed against the lower wall of the cabin and through a glassless window I could see myriad stars while I slowly fell asleep. At morning a temperate breeze swayed my mosquito net in harmony with the ebb tide. That morning I felt I had found what peace and harmony are about.
There are no big hotels in Providencia, instead there has been an initiative toward having the natives install small cabins in synchrony with the colorful wooden architecture of the islands. The ‘native dwellings’ program surely established the islands as the place for a tourism more willing for nature’s calm rhythms but not entirely disregarding human conveniences or night life for that matter: it is a pleasure to go dancing reggae on one of the open-air bars just by the sea as I did one night with some friends. We arrived a little early by Providencian standards, so we just waited there talking, drinking beer and enjoying the warm night air. By midnight the dance floor was filled with people moving softly to Lucky Dube’s songs. A longhaired Rasta told me: “this is great, everybody is groovying now” giving me a big smile. I couldn’t have said it better.
The next day I snorkeled from Black Bay to South West Beach passing in front of small beaches with cerulean bays in whose depths hid octopuses, eels, sea snakes and all kinds of coral fish luminous under the sun. I lingered in the water while some horses, one of the foreign contributions to the islands, were readied for a race on the distant beach. It was another Saturday for the Providencia derby and kids around twelve years old jockeyed horses along the shore, riding without saddles and hoping for a moment of glory, the horses’ owners expecting big dividends. If it’s not horses it’s sail boats or dominoes. “People just love to bet even if they have no money” a young woman named Luz Marina Livingston told me. But more than that they love the sea. These people are fishermen, sailors and even the most office-secluded person has to take a glimpse at the Caribbean waters daily. They depend on the sea for food in many ways: the staples are fish, sea snail, lobster, and the black land crabs that have to reproduce in the sea but most of the supplies also come by sea on twice-a-week (when lucky) ships from the continent: gasoline, potatoes, rice, flour, drinking water, etc. If a ship breaks as it happened when I was there, everybody tries to move around the least possible. There are two occasions when everybody stays at their home in Providencia, everyone coincided: when the ship with the gasoline for the hundreds of motorcycles doesn’t come and when it rains. So from late April to July during the rain season the other ubiquitous inhabitants of the islands come out and take control.
The phenomenon of thousands of crabs that live in the mountains, following their ancestral instincts, coming down the hills to the coast where they reproduce is a truly remarkable natural event. I had specially come at this time of year to witness the march. Confusion, however, was what I found. If somebody told me the crabs had already come down this year just a week before my arrival, a few hours later another person, with the same ‘I know for sure’ look on his face said that they were still to come. 12 days went by and I had to resign myself to watch the crabs eating decaying matter at night. There are many sites where this same reproduction spree takes place. In Christmas Island on the Indian Ocean 120 million crabs (a different species) do the same process and though such numbers are not reported in Providencia, the pictures I had seen showed black crabs covering the only paved road in the island which could be closed at this time of year at Crab Peak Hour Traffic.
After a heavy nocturnal storm I rose early one clear morning day and headed for shore where I found tiny little spiders moving in the pockets of rain. What I took for spiders were actually newly transformed land crabs heading to the mountains. There weren’t a lot of them but it was wonderful to see a life cycle completion, how endurance had worked for these little crabs after being dropped as eggs in the ocean without any other maternal care.
I had yet to see the beginning of the cycle, and it occurred one night when I heard scratching noises on my room door. I knew burglary wasn’t one of Providencia’s problems so I figured it could only be that the crabs had started their 200 meters migration to the shore. The females’ underbodies were full with eggs that looked like Iranian caviar ready to be spread on a cracker. As I moved through the wave of crabs they clapped their claws fiercely. I saw some entering the hotel’s kitchen, climbing walls, crossing the road painfully slowly, descending staircases and some even plummeted from high cliffs to fall unharmed on the rocky shore. The ones that made it to shore settled a little bit and then came forward to reach the gentle surf. At the first contact with the water the females raised their claws like in ecstasy and danced a trembling tropical ‘cumbia’ letting go of their eggs.
The day before departure I grabbed my hammock and decided to tackle The Peak, the tallest mountain of the island. I had never been on that part of the island and, as I would learn later, should have. I passed the last settlements where a few undernourished cows grazed over the dry grass. Then I followed the spring the owner of the hotel told me to look for. The spring was a trickle at this time of year and the tall trees cast a green tinge down over the rocks that formed every now and then small cascades where I sat massaging my back with the falling water. Apparently the mango trees had adapted very well to the environment and some were so plush with fruit that the rocks below were stamped with their explosions. A small shack appeared near the end of the forest assuring me I was in the right direction since this should be the cabin of a hermit Rasta man that makes a living with what he can reap from nature. A little farther up, the forest was one of short palm trees and scrubby vegetation; the ground was rocky which reminded me that this archipelago had risen through volcanic activity millions of years ago. On the top the metallic plaque that stated the 370 meters (1220-ft.) of altitude of The Peak welcomed me mirroring the setting sun.
Since its eruption from the depths through all the years of political moves of possessive governments the island and Providencians have managed to keep the same peace and tranquility of always and that is their best kept secret.
Day in the Life: Providencia
Providencia
Carlos Sastoque
http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/isla-de-providencia-silent-secret-of-the-caribbean-715672.html
Posted on Mar 30, 2010 under Pacific Beaches |
More sea turtles and nests found in area Stressing importance of species for region ever since the legacy of “Peñasquita”, the first hawksbill turtle adorned with a satellite transmitter to track information concerning her migratory route and nesting grounds, released into the Eastern Pacific on October 24 th, more turtles and nests have been found in Puerto Penasco, Mexico.
This stresses the regional importance of this group of very charismatic organisms.
Paloma Valdivia Jimenez, education coordinator of the Intercultural Center of Desert and Oceans (CEDO) reported via press release that last month staff from Playa Encanto came across a young Pacific Ridley turtle with a shell measuring just 30 centimeters in length. Unfortunately, this turtle was quite sick and later died.
Valdivia Jimenez indicated that shortly thereafter a tourist came across a young Black Sea Turtle near Playa de Oro.
Furthermore, she added, just recently a Hawksbill Turtle was found at Playa Miramar, which also just a young sample! This turtle is currently recuperating from a slight illness at the CETMAR Aquarium and will be released around the same place where it was found.
The CEDO official added that generally, the Northern Gulf of California is feeding grounds for sea turtles, although it is known that some species occasionally nest in Puerto Peñasco.
“In fact, although no nest had been fully completed given the extreme climate conditions of the region, during the last 3 years there have been reports of nesting along different beaches,” she explained.
Nevertheless, this year the sea turtle nests have been in luck! Two nests of the Pacific Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), and one of the Black sea turtle (Chelonia mydas agassizii), reported at Playa Encanto and Playa Miramar, respectively, hatched young ones successfully. Coincidentally, the young turtles were born on precisely the same day of Peñasquita’s release.
Paloma Valdivia indicated that up to now, the importance of the Northern Gulf of California for young sea turtles had not received much reporting, which is a very important point within conservation efforts of organizations on a global level.
She stressed that while in Rocky Point Mexico it is necessary to take care of the beaches where nests have been detected, it is much more important to protect the feeding grounds at sea, as turtles spend many years there and their reproductive success does not only depend on the environmental health of the site where they are born, but rather the sites where they grow.
“Remember that we all can contribute to the conservation of turtles! If you want to help, pick up trash found on the beach, report any fishing or consumption of the sea turtles to PROFEPA, and inform CEDO if you come across a nest or a turtle on the beach. Only together can we help prevent their extinction,” stressed the press release.
Author: RealtyExecutives Mexico
Steve Schwab
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/aquatic-wildlife-in-puerto-penasco-mexico-707232.html
Posted on Mar 30, 2010 under Mexico Beaches |
Kite boarding or kite surfing—however you want to call it, one thing is for sure. It will definitely add more fun and sun into your Grupo Mayan vacation. Indeed, this one is considered to be one of the hottest water sports activities that you can do. It is exhilarating and intensifying all at the same time.
What Is the Sport About
As its name implies, this one is combination of two activities: kite flying and surfing. But since you are going to do this in the Grupo Mayan waters, there will be some differences. First, surf boards are larger than usual. Kites, on the other hand, are also not typical. They are also huge and sometimes heavy, which is important to ensure balance. The main objective of kite surfing is to maintain your balance while you are on board the surf board. Your height, weight, grip, and the weather of the beach will be the determining factors when it comes to choosing your equipment.
What to Do
But how do you exactly start with your kite surfing adventure in Grupo Mayan beaches? Here are some of the best ways:
1. Look for great spots in where you can start your kite surfing. Almost all Grupo Mayan beaches are currently offering this one, so you will not really have a difficult time looking for a spot. Nevertheless, to give you ideas, you can go to Isla Blanca, Los Barilles, and La Ventana. You can also hit up a number of popular spots, such as in Acapulco, Los Cabos, and Puerto Vallarta.
2. Get those equipment ready. As mentioned, you need two highly important things: surf board and a kite. There are a lot of them that you can find in the market, and they all come in various designs and features. You can select from the most basic to the state of the art. Of course, if you are just learning how to do the sport, you are better with the basic ones. If you cannot afford to buy your own gears, you can always rent them. The arrangement will be per equipment or hour of use.
3. Search for a trainer. You can watch all the videos of Grupo Mayan beaches as often as you want, but nothing still beats the real thing. That is why you should make it a point to seek a trainer once you are in the beach. This is also recommended for those who are already experienced in kite surfing. The waters are still different from those of Hawaii and other great kite boarding spots. You need excellent tips to help you get by.
Moreover, there are some training courses or kite surfing schools that are just nearby. You can enroll in one so you will definitely be handled by professional kite surfers. These ones already have the certificate to teach the sport. Most of them don’t really last for hours. After all, they still want you to practice what you’ve learned and just enjoy the beach.
irinaM
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/kiteboarding-in-mexico-a-new-way-to-enjoy-the-waters-736573.html
Posted on Mar 30, 2010 under European Beaches |
The Canary Islands are a part of Spanish archipelago. The archipelago consists of seven major islands, one minor island, and several small islets of volcanic nature and are found in North Atlantic Ocean. The islands belong to Spain and although part of the European Union, avoid various European custom/duty charges. The Canaries enjoy hot sunny weather all year round, duty free prices and are home to some of the best beaches od Europe.
I have a set of friends who have not visited Canary Islands just once but good FOUR times! They say they can never have enough of it. The water is so clear you can see the fish swimming so clearly. The beaches there hardly need a mention. Then again the hot weather is a blessing. The rest au rants and eatery joints are quite reasonable. So all in all it’s the place to visit. People from around the world take a second and third tip to Canary Islands, so to know what’s on the Canary Islands that makes it such a favorite destination for the tourists, you will have to visit the place to believe it and of course then start recommending to friends and family. That’s the way it has always been with holidays, isn’t it?
If you are someone who loves those multifarious landscapes, sub-tropical rainforests, arid plains, pinewoods, mountain peaks, sand dunes, and remarkable flora, you will fall in love with Canary Islands. It will simply prove to be your type of vacation spot. The islands offer a fabulous array of picturesque sights, and its volcanic origins add to the beauty of the terrain. You can hire a Yatch to cruise along the coastline of any of this Islands to soak in the beauty of Canary Island.
When it comes to fruits, the region is blessed with special climate – microclimate, which allows the fruits and vegetables typical of Europe as well as the most exotic of tropical fruits are cultivated here. You can come across a large variety of mangoes, tomatoes, avocados and eggplants, which grow here. Lest we forget the most famous super-sweet Canarian banana. Their reputation has reached beyond the islands.
Lets get on with some interesting facts about the Canary Island.
The famous and charming Canary bird has got its name from the Canary Islands. The bird is from Azores, the Canary Islands, and Madeira. Then. the name of Canary Islands comes from the Latin “canariae insulae” which means “islands of dogs”, as Guanches used to keep a big and large breed of dogs.
Another interesting thing to know about Canary Island are the Dragon trees known as the Dracaena. They are common in the Canary Islands. They are called Dragon trees because the bark of these trees secretes red latex, which in earlier times believed was dragon blood.
Besides Dragon trees, you can also see milk trees or sweet tabaiba also known as Euphorbia balsamifera, which grow in Canary Islands and in North Africa. This 3 m tall which is approximately around 10 feet high shrub is from the spurge genus and like all spurges this one also secrets a milky latex, but, unlike other spurges, this milk is not supposed to be toxic. It is on the contrary sweet and harmless. Despite the name of the shrub, the milk does not have alimentary uses but is widely used under certain medical conditions. Chewing the tabaiba latex is supposed to strengthening the teeth and works as an antalgic treatment for acute dental pulpits. The milk secreted from this tree is also used against calluses, warts or moles, and has proved to be very effective.
These are very uncommon and unusual facts about Canary Island, which everyone may not be aware of. But if you are visiting Canary Island, you must make sure you have seen these trees and do some Canary bird watching!
For more resources about Canary Island or even to find out What’s on please review this web page http://citygonow.com/
Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/whats-on-the-canary-islands-that-will-make-the-experience-unusual-679798.html
Posted on Mar 30, 2010 under Caribbean Beaches |
If you’re looking for a vacation getaway – or even a permanent home – in a tropical paradise, you owe it to yourself to consider buying real estate in the Caribbean. Though there are numerous tropical destinations in the world, none share the unique combination of attributes that distinguish the Caribbean islands generally, and the Jamaica real estate market in particular.
Though buying real estate in the Caribbean does present some minor challenges (simply because of the distance involved) it’s not nearly as difficult as you might imagine. In the case of The Palmyra in particular, the entire development has been specifically designed to accommodate the needs of the American buyer. At no point in the conduct of your transaction will you feel you’re dealing with a “foreign entity”. All dealings are in English, and the entire process of buying real estate in the Caribbean is very much like buying real estate right at home in the United States.
The advantages of buying real estate in the Caribbean
There are a number of factors about the Caribbean that make it a great place to invest in real estate. First, it is easily accessible from the United States. There are many direct flights from U.S. cities to Jamaica’s Montego Bay International Airport, which is only minutes from The Palmyra.
Of course, the main reason to buy Caribbean real estate – particularly in Jamaica – is simply that it is one of the world’s most beautiful locations. The climate is wonderful year-round, never getting cold while rarely oppressively hot. White, sandy, palm-lined beaches are plentiful. The water is clear and warm and the scuba diving and snorkeling are world-class. Buy real estate in the Caribbean, and you’ll find there are several championship golf courses are at your disposal.
The final icing on the cake, and one of the most delightful reasons for buying real estate in the Caribbean, is the warm and friendly treatment you’ll receive from the locals. Jamaicans in particular are famously agreeable. You’re sure to find their joie de vie contagious.
John Sims
http://www.articlesbase.com/vacation-rentals-articles/find-out-about-buying-real-estate-in-the-caribbean-704895.html
Posted on Mar 21, 2010 under Caribbean Beaches |
I’m going to stay there in April, and I know Florida has a lot of alligators in the lakes, so I was thinking would there be alligators in the resorts, or do they like make sure the alligators don’t get in to it?
Yes and they are blood thirsty. And they WILL eat you.
Posted on Mar 21, 2010 under USA Beaches |
preferably in a good sized metropolitan area.
Bonus!
Would this make a good postcard:
http://www.ehow.com/members/dannthamann-articles.html
Ft. Myers Beach.
Posted on Mar 19, 2010 under Caribbean Beaches |
I am going on a cruise to St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, and St. Martin/Maarten and want to know what 1 or 2 beaches on each island are best. Also, could you give some pros and cons? Swimming is important and preferably white or golden sand.
Since it’s a cruise that you’re on, I’ve googled your options (assuming that you won’t be spending too long on each island) and got the following:
St. Thomas – Magens Bay:
Pro: The water is warm and so still, it’s like a big bathtub; perfect for lounging and lazing.
Con: It gets a little crowded when cruise ships are at port, and there’s a cost of approx $5 for a non-local.
Dominica – Champagne Beach:
Pro: You can take a taxi to Champagne Beach for some sunshine and snorkeling.
Con: Be aware that the beach is not too user friendly as there are small pebbles for sand
Barbados – Brighton/ Brandon Beach:
Pro: 1½ mile long stretch of white sands offers a tranquil place to relax in the sun or calm waters to bathe. The Weisers Beach Bar on the beach provides lunch, dinner, watersports and volley ball court for patrons.
St. Lucia – Pigeon Island Beach (I personally love this one):
Pro: The white-sand beaches at Pigeon Island have all sorts of amenities, including a restaurant, historical museum and water sports.
Con: As with all St. Lucian beaches, the beach is not very long (compared to others in Barbados for example)
St. Kitts – South Frigate Bay:
Pro: Popular for swimming, windsurfing and water-skiing.
St. Martin – Orient Beach:
Pro: Activities include swimming, sunbathing, drinking, parasailing
Con: The island’s most popular beach features a clothing-optional area on one end (It’s a con, depending on you)
St. Maarten – Mullet Bay
See link: http://www.st-maarten.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=65
Posted on Mar 19, 2010 under USA Beaches |
What remote long beaches are there on the east coast of the USA in which there is snow during winter? And how close to the beach can one build a house in said location? Thanks.
Go to Google Maps and search for Parsons Beach Road in Wells, ME. Turn on Photos to see what it looks like. This is a rather remote beach with building lots available that will allow structures as close as 50 yds from the avg. high tide line.