RecreationJungle

So maybe you haven’t quite grasped gaming establishment odds, do please read on.

online casino

A running definition of a gaming room is a structure that accomodates games of chance. Guests may gamble by challenging the slot machines or trying out alternative pastimes of luck. Gaming establishment games may have fully transparent probabilities incorporated that make sure the management keeps up dominion above the gamesters. Many gambling house games can make you end up habituated rapidly. Let’s examine the time-honored one-armed-bandit, a coin eating gadget with 3 plus drums which revolve if a bar coupled to it is yanked. The gadget consistently reimburses in correspondence to a distribution of symbols perceptible on the front panel of the instrument. Sadly, betting saloon pastimes put forward the hallucination of being in full control, effectively deluding the bettor: the participant is confronted with decisions, but actually they will not realistically remove the client’s statistical disadvantage. That is due to the casino never paying the entire wager as hoped for. This pattern is regularly seen at work in popular casino games such as seven-card stud poker, craps, roulette or blackjack.

Blind Poker is a very an immensely fashionable casino game. The gamblers, playing with screened cards, will bet into a pot in the center which is ultimately bestowed onto the prevailing participant possessing the best hand. (As everybody knows, the coolest bluffer can win) Comparable to Texas hold’em, blackjack is also a very trendy casino game. A substantial chunk of its fame is due to its peculiar mix of luck and savvy & choice making, and a process identified as “counting”. It is a craft in which gambling aficionados are in a position to actually force the probabilities of the card game for their own ends by both wagering and strategy opetations correlating with the hands shown. Craps is the name of a well-known game utilizing the roll of 2 dice. Players will place bets on the score of one spin, or on a succession of cycles on 2 dice. Contrary to blackjack, there’s no probable long term killer system players could play on to ramp up the odds. Roulette is another extremely popular casino based gambling pastime. Here a croupier revolves a roulette wheel encompassing precisely 37 (French roulette) or thirty-eight (as in American or Vegas roulette) differently numbered cells in which the pellet will settle, which defines the winner and the respective combinations. Whenever the player has put money on a number which actually hits it meaning they are indeed successful, the set return will be 35 to 1, the original stake itself being paid back. Thus the original bet is increased by 36.

Please try to be very much watchful however, for these gaming hall gambling pastimes are rightly deemed indisputably dependency forming. Countless lives may have been wasted thru uncontrolled gambling & even though it undeniably feels like fun, please do aim to govern your play.

Some of my clients dread the holiday season because it often represents stress, pressure, expectations, guilt, disappointment, pain, loneliness, exhaustion… and the list goes on.

This is a choice. We choose who we spend time with. We choose what activities we say yes and no to. We choose where we go. Your holiday season can be as simple or as elaborate as you choose to make it, and it can be a lot of fun if you plan accordingly.

Take some time this week to think about what’s most important to you this season, and then do a little planning. Here are some suggestions to help.

==> Create a list of holiday rituals that are important to you.

Seek your family’s input on holiday decisions. Ask family members what they liked and disliked about last year’s holidays. Write down the most important elements and activities you wish to include this year, and plan to make it happen.

Keeping time-consuming and irrelevant traditions or rituals “just because we’ve always done it that way” can increase stress. Keep only those traditions that have meaning to you, or create some new ones.

Give yourself permission to be in the moment and enjoy the smells, sounds, feel, and tastes that are unique to this season of the year.

==> Make a list of those you want to spend time with during the holidays.

Who nourishes you? Who are the family members, friends, and colleagues you enjoy being with?

Do you want to do any entertaining? If so, when and with whom? Plan ahead and ask for help if you want it. True friends and loved ones will not care how many hours you slaved over the stove. Spending time with you is what they’ll cherish most. You don’t have to be Martha Stewart to throw a great party!

Are you invited to holiday parties that you really don’t want to go to, but you’ve gone in the past because you should? Be at choice — don’t play the victim! This is not about whom you should see, but rather whom you choose to spend time with.

==> Mail your greeting cards, holiday letters, and packages early.

Some time-saving tips:

Write a short holiday letter that covers the highlights; copy it on holiday paper and add a note at the end to personalize it. Make a collage of pictures to photocopy on the back side of the letter.

Use self-adhesive return labels. These labels are inexpensive and often come with festive holiday designs. One great online source for these is Walter Drake at http://www.wdrake.com. Colorful Images is another source. They can be reached at 800-458-7999.

If you have your addresses on a computerized database, consider printing out your mailing list on clear address labels. Years ago, an old college friend commented that she thought it was tacky to use address labels on holiday cards and letters. I told her that my choice was to either use labels or not mail our annual holiday letter to the 250 people on our list. Now that she has a young family, I’ve noticed she has started using address labels, too!

E-mail a holiday letter to those with whom you correspond electronically. You can easily personalize this for each recipient. Attach color photos highlighting the past year. Another alternative is to create a holiday web page, and include the link to it in a personalized e-mail message.

Mail packages early to avoid longer lines at the post office and ensure they will arrive in time. Or, better yet, sign up with Stamps.com and avoid the lines altogether. You can mail large packages without standing in any lines — as long as you have an accurate way to weigh them before you purchase postage online.

==> Thoughtfully plan your gift-giving.

Give from the heart… not out of obligation. Decide whom you choose to give to and make a list. This will help you avoid overspending through impulse buying.

If you think back to the most cherished gifts you have received, they are often homemade or from the heart. A gift of time — such as a gift certificate redeemable for an activity you can do together — can be very meaningful. Among the most prized gifts I’ve ever received have been homemade cards with a heartfelt note written inside. Value goes far beyond the cost of the gift.

A great resource for homemade gift ideas is a book called The Perfect Mix. It contains creative edible gift ideas, including wrapping suggestions and tag instructions, along with a source guide for supplies. The book offers more than 90 recipes for soups, breads, muffins, cookies, and other gifts. The gifts I’ve created from this book have been very well received and appreciated.

Instead of exchanging gifts with friends, consider having a holiday or post-holiday party with them.

Avoid parking hassles, gridlock traffic around the malls, and long lines at the register by shopping online and through catalogs. A number of retail stores now offer merchandise online, as well. If you are purchasing a gift that needs to be mailed, you can arrange to have it sent directly to the recipient, thus avoiding the extra steps of wrapping, labeling, and mailing the gift.

Spread out your purchase of gifts over the weeks of November and early December. It’s easier on the budget, and less stressful than waiting until the last minute.

Wrapping gifts can take a lot of time. Instead of wrapping all of them, use a gift bag with a nice bow tied at the top, or use a decorated gift box.

Consider giving an alternative gift to a friend or loved one by giving to a charity in their name. One of my favorite charities is Heifer Project International. Through living gifts of animals, HPI is helping families worldwide to become self-reliant. You can buy an animal that can change the life of a hungry family and at the same time honor family and friends. Visit HPI’s “gift catalog” at http://catalog.heifer.org/index.cfm.

==> Spread the holiday cheer with those in need.

Volunteer to serve a holiday meal to the homeless, work in a soup kitchen, or work at a food bank.

Adopt a family for the holidays and provide them with gifts or holiday foods. Many churches and non-profit organizations can match you with a needy family.

Look for a Giving Tree in your local retail stores. The tree is filled with cards that list a specific gift desired by someone in need. You select a card off the tree, purchase the suggested gift listed on the card, and return the gift to the tree with the card attached. The store wraps the gift and delivers it to the intended recipient.

The end of the tax year is a great time to review your budget and consider a year-end gift to your favorite charities. This can represent a significant tax deduction if you itemize, while doing great things locally and globally.

==> Use your calendar.

Now that you’re clear about your intentions, calendar them in. Writing them down for follow-up on a specific date will help you to remember to do it and will keep things from falling to the last minute. Here is a list of activities you can pencil in on your calendar:

• Schedule family meeting to discuss plans and intentions for the holiday season

• Make airline, hotel, and rental car arrangements (if traveling out of town for the holidays)– ASAP!

• Holiday decorating (indoor, outdoor, office, etc.)

• Finalize holiday entertainment plan and guest list

• Mail invitations or call to invite others to events you have planned

• Meal planning and preparation (can some cooking be done ahead of time and frozen?)

• Prepare gift list

• Holiday gift making/holiday baking

• Gift selection & purchase

• Gift wrapping

• Prepare mailing list or database for holiday cards/letters/e-mails

• Prepare holiday cards, letters, e-mails, Website

• Mail cards, letters, packages

• Gather information about volunteer opportunities and calendar in activities you choose to do

• Finalize charitable giving plan for 2000

Happy holiday organizing!

About The Author

Kathy Paauw, President of Paauwerfully Organized, specializes in helping busy executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs declutter their schedules, spaces and minds. She is a certified business/personal coach and professional organizer. Contact her by visiting her website at http://www.orgcoach.net and learn how you can Find ANYTHING in 5 Seconds – Guaranteed!

The second person I had a chance to get to know at the Servas Conference was Gilbert Sherr, a communications professional from Atlanta where he was born and raised.

Until college Gilbert had only been to 5 different states and had never really gone on vacation. That changed radically after college when he travelled all throughout the US, followed by a long trip to Europe about 4 years later. He found, however, that travelling, visiting buildings and museums and marvelling at natural wonders simply wasn’t enough – one thing was absent, and that was meeting the people.

That changed when Gilbert learned about Servas in 1981. He said he had tears in his eyes when he realized that there existed a group of people who were willing to share their lives and invite strangers into their homes. In total Gilbert has spent about four and a half years of his life travelling around the world.

As Gilbert travelled more through the Servas network he found that he wanted to give something back. So he started to make meals for his hosts, babysat their children and truly became a part of their family, just like a long-lost relative. That’s when he had an idea for a book “Dishwashing through Europe”, a project that hasn’t come to fruition yet, but I found the title just delightful.

With his sociology background, Gilbert has a true interest in understanding the societies that he travels to. So what he normally does is he stays with 3 types of Servas hosts: an elderly couple or individual, adult couples with children and a younger adult. This gives him a chance to get a much more authentic, complete picture of the society he is travelling to, and to understand the specific issues that are facing each demographic group.

Similar to me, he also ponders which political / economic system might actually work best, and he has had a chance to spend significant amounts of time in countries with completely different economic systems. He has had the opportunity to study different variations of Western-style capitalism, socialism as well as communism, and he has developed his own insights as to which societal systems might work best for the greatest portion of the population.

He also found that the more he immersed himself in foreign cultures, the more he started to understand his own culture, he described this experience with the saying “When a fish jumps out of water, it doesn’t discover air, it discovers water” – a very interesting statement indeed.

Travelling also taught Gilbert that truth is not absolute, that current events are covered from completely different angles in different countries, and that local media can sometimes present a very biased one-sided perspective on issues.

By hosting other Servas travellers, Gilbert found that he is able to bring the world home, and hosting allows him to give back to this organization. Hosting gives him the opportunity to learn about other cultures from the travellers, and it enables him to share his culture. As a result of close to 25 years of travelling with Servas, Gilbert now has a network of family and friends around the world.

In the upcoming interview Gilbert will share his travel experiences, his insights on different cultures and socio-political systems as well as some of the decision-making and sacrifices that enabled him to spend so much time exploring the world. He will also touch on issues such as culture shock when reentering into his native US culture whenever he returns from an extended trip. Last but not least, he will share the insights of insider who has had a chance to discover his own culture through the eyes of outsiders.

Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions(http://www.travelandtransitions.com). Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and many other features. You will also find stories about life and the transitions that we face as we go through our own personal life-long journeys.

Submit your own travel stories in our first travel story contest(http://www.travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm) and have a chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the Amazon River.

“Life is a Journey Explore New Horizons”.

The article with photos is published at Travel and Transitions – Interviews

We give gifts to family and friends to make them happy. Nothing will make them happier than a gift from the heart. These gift ideas are inexpensive and thoughtful. Get your kids involved because they like making people happy, too.

RAVE RECIPES. Write your best recipes – the ones relatives rave about – on recipe cards or type them on a computer. Put the cards in an inexpensive recipe box and typed recipes in a notebook. Tie measuring spoons, a miniature whisk, or rubber scraper to your gift with ribbon.

CHAFFEUR SERVICE. Loves ones and friends who don’t have a car or no longer drive will appreciate your chaffeur service. Type or write a gift certificate for this service: This gift certificate entitles ________ to personal chaffeur service when needed. Ask your kids to glue magazine pictures of cars to the certificate or draw car pictures with markers.

MIX IT UP. Busy family members and friends will appreciate cooking shortcuts: baking mixes, soup mixes, gravy and sauce packets, and so-called helper meals. Put these products in a large gift bag or basket purchased at a discount store.

FAMILY STORIES TAPE. Every family has funny and touching stories. Record some of these stories and give them to family members. Label the outside of the tape with the date and names of people who shared the stories. Add a pocket-sized tape recorder/player if you wish.

BEAUTIFUL BOOKMARK. Ask your kids or grandkids to draw pictures on heavy paper that has been pre-cut to bookmark size.
You may decorate your own bookmarks with quotes that would have special meaning to your loved one or friend. Punch a hole in the top of each bookmark and tie on a ribbon or small tassel. This simple gift will be used again and again.

SPRING FEVER. Plant four bulbs in a clay pot. These bulbs can be narcissus, tulip, iris, etc. Have kids decorate the outside of the pot with permanent markers. (Make sure the room is well ventilated.) Put a clay saucer under the pot and stick a fabic bow (on a pick) into the soil. Include growing instructions with your gift.

JAR OF JOKES. This is a perfect gift for your children’s friends. Wash a plastic peanut butter jar and lid in hot, soapy water and dry well. Type jokes from a joke book or jokes your kids have created on the computer. Print out one set of jokes for each gift you’re giving. Cut the jokes apart, put them in a jar, and screw on the lid. Tie a bow onto the jar and instructions: Take one joke from this jar each day.
This idea may be adapted to a Jar of Friendship or a Jar of Hope.

PHOTO MONTAGE. Gather photos that your family member would appreciate, such as photos of their pet, candid shots of kids and grandkids, photos of his or her favorite place, photos of flowers and trees. Insert these photos into a montage frame, available at discount stores.

MAGAZINE EXPRESS. Do you subscribe to an unusual magazine, such as a magazine about knitting, or building boats, or trips on freighter ships? Gather back issues of the magazine, tie them with a big red bow, and give them to your local library or nursing home.

A POSTCARD A DAY, DEAR. Do you know someone who is recovering from surgery, is homebound, or struggling with chronic illness? If so, this is the perfect gift for them. Buy a batch of postcards and send one to your friend each day. Your messages may be humorous, hopeful, personal news, or quotes.

COFFEE BREAK. Bake a batch of biscotti and put them in a wide-mouth jar. Put the jar in a gift bag and add ground or instant coffee, a measuring spoon, an inexpensive frother from Ikea, and chocolate covered coffee beans. You may also make a tea break gift.

WEEKLY PHONE CALL. Got a kid in college, a loved one across the country, or friends you see only once a year? Type or print a gift certificate for weekly phone calls from you. Decide on a convenient time for the calls when you give them your gift.

HOMEMADE FOOD OF THE MONTH. Give relatives and/or friends gift certificate for monthly food from your kitchen: bread, cookies, soup, casseroles – whatever you’re good at and love to make. This gift from the heart will make them happy all year long.

FAMILY COOKBOOK. Ask relatives to send you their favorite recipes. Type these recipes (one per page) and comments about them, such as, “Do you remember when Uncle Bob got everyone up at 2 a.m. to taste this soup?” Insert each recipe in a plastic page protector. Put the recipes in a notebook and glue a family snapshot on the front.

ART FROM THE HEART. This gift is for kids and from kids. Kids’ art is more creative than any coloring book. Buy a variety of art supplies – markers, water colors, gel pens, stickers, pinking scissors, special paper punches, glue sticks, and glitter glue – and put them in a large box. Add drawing paper, water color paper, and a picture frame for that budding “Monet.”

Copyright 2005 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com

Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 27 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists. Her 24th book, “Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief,” written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http://www.amazon.com. A five-star review of the book is also posted on Amazon.

Casa de Campo So Rafael is a Guest House in bidos, located in Estrada Nacional 8 Casal do Zambujeiro

2 Kilometers far from the historic center of bidos and with a great view over the village and it’s castle there is a new family turistic enterprise: Casa de Campo So Rafael.
Inserted in a 6800 square meters area, totaly fenced, composed by a family house, swimming pool, gardens, private parking and amusement park for children, we have the best conditions to receive you. Dated from 1888 (year of the last reconstruction) the house has 6 rooms, break-fast room, game room, bar, reception room , kitchen and laundry room. Casa de Campo S. Rafael has 6 rooms in the main house and 4 apartaments in separate houses.

We have available for you 6 rooms in the main house.
All the rooms have private bathroom, central heating, cable tv, mini bar and internet conection. The rooms of Casa de Campo S. Rafael are completely decorated with the purpose of trasmiting a quiet and peacefull sensation to you. The decoration was made to make you feel and know this region and its history. Our service is always professional and nice. We are waiting for you!

We have 4 apartaments in separate houses. All the apartments have room, living-room, kichinette, and are totaly equipped. We have apartments with bed for two persons or with two separate beds. We also have rooms with bed for two persons or with two separate beds. We have 6 rooms to rent, 3 of them WITH 2 individual beds and 3 with a couple bed. You will also have private mini-bar, private bathroom and internet connection.

We also have:

The history of upside down Christmas trees goes as far back as the middle ages, when residents of Europe hung their xmas trees upside down as a representation of the holy trinity. Of course, that is not the most common method of displaying today’s Christmas tree, as what it now represents, right side up, is the tip of the tree pointing to heaven. Because of this modern attitude and style, there are those that think an upside down Christmas tree could be a sacrilege or at least a sign of disrespect.

Though there is no clear history of upside down Christmas trees we do know some of how it came about.

During 600 AD a British monk traveled to Germany to preach the word of God. He spent a lot of time in Thuringia, an area destined to become the home of the first secular xmas decorations. Here the monk, according to upside down Christmas tree history, decided to make the triangular shape a representation of the Holy Trinity made up of God the father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost.

The Europeans he converted started to revere the monk’s upside down Christmas tree, so history tells us, as the Tree of God. By the 1100’s the upside down tree was appearing hanging from nearly every central European ceiling.

The first decorated Christmas tree appeared in 1510 in Latvia. A little later in that century history tells us that Martin Luther decorated a Christmas tree with candles as a way of explaining to his children how the stars shone in the night sky.

Gaily-decorated Christmas trees, not yet upside down, were first documented in Strasbourg Germany in 1601. The decorations were barley sugar twists, wafers and multi-colored flowers.

When you are opting to procure a brand new TV, one of the most important decisions that you ought to make, especially if you have a young family, is if you need to wall-mount you’re Plasma television, place it within a cabinet or on a TV stand.

If you choose that you wish to lay your TV on a television stand, it’s worthwhile to buy your stand at the precise time as you get your spanking new television so that you are capable to erect it up immediately as it turns up. Buy a cheap TV Stand online at Digital Direct.

Countless types of televisions come with a stand already as standard, however if you have selected TV is not one of these, you will want to decide whether you want to get a stand exclusively intended for your telly or a wide-ranging TV stand that is particularly created to fit any assortment of television.

If you choose a telly stand explicitly produced by your TV’s manufacturer, you will certainly need to ensure that you have the correct model number of your specific telly handy when you are searching for the stand to go with it.

Furthermore, there are also several different sorts of TV stands for sale, so you will have to decide if you desire a floor stand, a platform stand or a desk-top stand. You may well wish to acquire what’s branded as an “open cabinet”. Open cabinets are telly stands that, unlike the traditional furniture television cabinets, have open shelves in order you can hold your equipment whilst still being able to get straightforward access to the wires & the back of your TV when you require.

Opting for the best cabinet to suit your set-up can be exceedingly complicated, specially considering the number of TV models in the marketplace at this time. To help you in making the best decision there is a substantial collection of guides available at present.

When you procure a television or home cinema system, you may well desire some accessories to go with it. There’s a diverse selection of TV accessories to be had for you for instance; remote controls, TV stands, television cabinets, wall-mount fixings & television cables.

Over the years many songwriters have referred to the beauty of this green pearl in the string of Caribbean islands, and today it is known throughout the world for its lush vegetation, reggae music, rum and coffee. One of the most overlooked attractions is, however, that part of the island that lies below the surface of the ocean that surrounds it.

Divers typically do not think of Jamaica as a prime diving destination, except for those who have explored its reefs and have found it to be the best destination of all. Where else can you do a breathtaking wall dive in the morning, enjoy the sea life on a shallow reef at noon, and have plenty of time left in the afternoon to go river rafting, horseback riding, play golf, visit a great house or indulge in any manner of activities.

Jamaica as one of the largest islands in the Caribbean has many excellent diving and snorkeling sites: shallow and deep, reefs and walls, wrecks and caverns, home to all manner of sea life: spectacular coral, exotic sponges, spiny lobsters, moray eels, sea turtles and multitudes of colorful fish, big and small. Below we have selected by region some of the unique diving opportunities available to you based on your level of experience.

All dives offered by commercial operators in Jamaica are guided dives. The dive guides must have, according to regulations, at least a dive master certificate from an internationally recognized association and be licensed by the Jamaica Tourist Board. Although this limits your freedom to dive wherever you like, this regulation increases the safety and fun of diving in an unfamiliar area.

The dive classifications employed below were assigned based on the following principles: Novice divers: Persons who are recently certified, or who have done only a limited number of dives with considerable gaps in between; this could include divers with as many as 20 dives. Dives in this category will tend to be less than 60 ft (18 m) or will not require advanced diving skills. Intermediate divers: Persons who have been diving on a regular basis but lack further training beyond certification, also those with advanced training who have not been diving for the past several months. The environment of this category of dive necessitates greater experience. Advanced divers: Persons with training beyond the open water diver certification that have been diving regularly in the last several months. This requirement will apply to most sites deeper than 80 ft (24 m) because those dives require a mastery of buoyancy and a thorough knowledge of the dive tables. These dives may also be accessible to the less experienced diver after a couple of refresher dives.

MONTEGO BAY Rose Hall Reef Depth: 20-45 ft (7-14 m) Class: Novice Named for the famous great house that overlooks the sea just a couple of miles east of Montego Bay, this shallow reef is teaming with marine life. At this location you’ll discover “Fairy Castle”, a massive colony of pillar coral, and “Fairy Bridge”, a coral formation that connects two sections of reef over a sandy “river”. The reef forms an intricate system of tunnels that are home to squirrelfish, goatfish, porcupinefish, bar jacks and grunts.

The Spanish Anchor Depth: 50-90 ft (15-28 m) Class: Intermediate Located on the west side of the marine park, the shallow reef drops to a sandy bottom at 50 ft. The site derives its name from the large anchor, undated but of Spanish origin, that rests on the sandy bottom. Within the reef wall one can explore tunnels and caverns with abundant sponge colonies. Sightings of eagle rays are quite common here, and in the deeper water large mutton snappers- and sometimes a docile nurse sharkmay pass by.

Widowmaker’s Cave Depth: 40-80 ft (12-24 m) Class: Advanced A deep dive along a wall with a vertical, narrow crack which forms the entrance to Widowmaker’s Cave. Inside the tunnel leading to the cave, there is wire coral with, in the beam of your dive light, red polyps, and the walls are covered with multicolored sponges. On this dive you’ll likely encounter schools of silvery blue bogas, glassy sweepers, schoolmaster snappers, balloonfish, trumpetfish, hamlets, wrasses and parrotfish.

NEGRIL The Throne Room Depth: 40-70 ft (12-21 m) Class: Novice The entrance to the Throne Room, a fairly wide but low cavern, is a crack in the reef about 25 feet long and 8 feet wide. The walls on the inside are covered with colorful sponges and on the bottom near to the exit you can see a large orange elephant ear sponge for which the site is named. Ceros, cruising along over the sandy bottom, are a common sight, as are small groups of yellow tail snapper.

The Caves Depth: 40-70 ft (12-21 m) Class: Intermediate This site is named for the two caverns, one small and one slightly larger, with a narrow tunnel connecting the two. You can find a variety of sponges here along with soft gorgonians. On the sand flat you will see the usual occupants: furry sea cucumbers, stingrays, jacks and some lane snappers.

Kingfish Point Depth: 80-90 ft (24-27 m) Class: Advanced Among the elephant ear sponges and yellow tube sponges, you may find Spanish hogfish, smooth and bandtail puffers, and of course the everpresent damselfish. Golden crinoids are tucked in between star and brain coral, and in the surrounding sandy area sand tilefish hover near their burrows. Kingfish, the Jamaican name for ceros, can be seen passing by. These silvery fish are generally solitary and are seen on reefs and drop-offs near deep water.

RUNAWAY BAY Reggae Queen Depth: 50-60 ft (15-18 m) Class: Novice The “Reggae Queen”, a 100-ft tugboat with a wooden hull, was sunk here in early 1993. The wreck lies upright in the sand in between two reef reas. Hovering over the wreck is a large school of blue chromis, bogas and creole wrasse. Southern stingrays have also been reported cruising the adjacent areas. In the reef you can see clusters of yellow tube sponges and green rope sponges covered with tiny zoanthids.

Pocket’s Reef Depth: 90-120 ft (27-36 m) Class: Advanced A wall at 80 ft dropping down to over 200 ft adorned with clusters of bright azure vase sponges, elephant ear sponges and large red sea fans. Large schools of fish go back and forth, and ceros and bar jacks pass overhead. Rainbow jacks are seen regularly and sometimes you may encounter an ocean triggerfish. A shallower reef plateau at 50 ft is home to grunts, goatfish and blackbar soldierfish.

OCHO RIOS Jacks Hall Depth: 30-50 ft (9-15 m) Class: Novice This medium-profile reef has finger coral, brain coral, star coral, an occasional elkhorn coral on the shallower end, and a variety of sponges. Drifting with the current you pass over a section of reef, followed by a sand chute, another reef section and another sand gully and so on. Nurse sharks frequent the area and can often be found napping in the sand.

Top of the Mountain Depth: 60-80 ft (18-24 m) Class: Intermediate Near Dunn’s River Falls, a massive underwater mountain plateau rises up from the sandy ocean floor to 60 ft below the surface. The top of the reef is covered with many different species of soft gorgonians and small coral heads, consisting of sea rods, sea plumes, sea fans, brain coral, star coral, and clusters of smooth flower coral. Look out for golden hamlets that frequent this area and the rare yellowcheck wrasse. Hiding in the coral heads are glasseye snappers, graysbys, and squirrelfish.

Snorkeling opportunities abound in Jamaica for guided tours to areas reachable only by boat or solo, shore entry reef exploration. Be sure to employ guides licensed by the Jamaica Tourist Board or if you have the experience to venture out on your own be sure to seek local advice on the currents and other potential hazards.

Excerpted with permission from the book “Diving and Snorkeling Guide to Jamaica” by Hannie and Theo Smit. This book is out of print but copies are available for purchase at the Montego Bay Marine Park visitor centre at Pier 1.

Montego Bay Marine Park Covering an area from the airport to the Great River west of Montego Bay, officially opened in 1992, mooring buoys and boundary markers are maintained, rangers patrol the area and spear fishing is banned from the park. Training programs exist to assist displaced fisherman in learning new skills and finding alternative employment. A zoning plan addresses the impact of various user groups on the park. Also, an extensive public education program seeks to make Montego Bay citizens more aware of the importance of preserving the marine environment. The effect of destructive environmental practices on land, which influences to a great extent the health of the reefs, is emphasized. For more information, call (876) 952-5619 or visit the head office and visitor centre, located at Pier 1. www.mbmp.org

Friends of the Sea Determined to halt the destruction of the marine environment in the areas of Discovery Bay, Runaway Bay and Ocho Rios this group of concerned citizens seeks to increase public awareness of this problem through education, water-quality monitoring and various conservation initiatives. For more information about their activities, you can write to: Friends of the Sea, P.O. Box 327, St. Anne’s Bay.

Negril Environmental Protection Area Covering over 80 square miles and including the Negril Marine Park and the Great Morass, as well as rain and limestone forests, cliffs, caves and blue holes. The marine park includes demarcation of recreational, fishing and replenishment zones with over 150 marker and reef mooring buoys, and the program incorporates educational projects and mariculture projects as well as an alternative to destructive fishing and farming practices, and a unique reef restoration program using mineral accretion to create artificial reefs. These efforts are financed by user fees, ecotourism activities, souvenir sales, donations and environmental levies. For more information, call (809) 957-4472.

**for more information visit http://www.jam-boree.com/, Jamaica’s visitor website, the complete source for travel and tourism information featuring hand-picked deals on vacation packages, hotels, villas, flights and car rentals**

Jam-boree.com

Located in the Andeas, Ecuador is a land of intrigue for travelers. Travel to Ecuador and you can trek the Amazon, climb volcanoes, or loaf on beautiful beaches. Perhaps the biggest reason to travel to Ecuador is a visit to the famous Galapagos Islands. Regardless of your preference, the following attractions are all worth a look.

Quito

A hot bed of colonial architecture, Quito is the capital of Ecuador. The city is considered one of the most beautiful in South America with architecturally masterpieces of white washed buildings with red tile roofs. For those living in large cities, you will be shocked by the lack of neon in Quito.

Surrounded by snow-capped mountains, the climate is an eternal spring throughout the year. The Avenue of the Amazons, “Avenida Amozonas”, is a bustling area with outdoor cafes and good people watching. Ecuador has economic problems, so watch out for pickpocket thieves.

Avenue of the Volcanoes

South of Quito, the Avenue of the Volcanoes is a must see. Running down each side of the valley are mountain peaks dotted with dormant volcanoes. Small villages throughout the valley give the area an old world vibe.

Galapagos Islands

Darwin and the Galapagos Islands. Galapagos Islands and Darwin. The two are inseparable. Roughly 600 miles off the mainland, the Galapagos consist of 13 islands with exotic wildlife. You can reach the islands by flying into San Cristobal or take a boat ride to the major islands such as Isabela. At last check, entrance to the islands required a $100 permit.

San Lorenzo Railway

If you’re looking for a new experience, try a ride from San Lorenzo Railway to Ibarra. The trip runs through picturesque scenery, but it the train that is most interesting. The train is actually a bus converted for the tracks! Only in Ecuador!

Ecuador has much to offer travelers looking for something off the beaten path. While the Galapagos Islands are amazing, the rest of the country has much to offer.

Rick Chapo is with NomadJournals.com – makers of travel journals. Visit NomadJournalTrips.com to read more articles about Ecuador travel and Adventure Travel.

So what’s up with the Flag? Well after having been reviewing the area we find that the Flag is Fine. Flagstaff has been growing for quite some time since it was named after a pine tree used for a flag pole in 1876 as the travelers come to the top of the mountain on the old trail. Although not as fast as the other mega growth parts of Arizona, it has been holding it’s own against the growth of other parts of this great nation.

The GMP Gross Metropolitan Product grew about 6.3% during the 1990-2000 decade. But the real growth has been more recent and expected to be 3.6% yearly. Why, well many second homes, retirees, and Metro PHX and Southern CA refugees with PhDs. As a matter of fact there are more PhDs in Flagstaff than that of any other city in Arizona.

http://www.flagstaff.az.us

There are many self-employed workers working form home as consultants. More self-employed home office people than any other place in the Arizona and equal to that of Sedona. Tourism is down, but only slightly at 2.2% and for touristy areas, less than most other places in the country, mostly due to the need for driving. Everything is spread out, lots of parks, Grand Canyon, Indian cites. America West has increased flights. Flag is the point of departure for all these locations of interest. We met people here from England, France, China and from many states on there way to Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, State Parks as well as from PHX and Los Angeles, many house shoppers, motor home travelers and people on vacation, this is said to be a year around thing. On any given day there are 5000 plus people traveling through and spending money. Many people come up for the day to shop at the outlet center or just hang out and go into town from Sedona and we met a great couple from Williams. Lots of people who live in the sticks come to town once or twice a week.

Recently tourism was hurt due to the fuel prices and Kinder Morgan pipeline break a month ago. This is because no one could get gas and drive up the hill to get out of the heat (only about 2 hours with moderate traffic, at night you can fly if you have the power). Flag of course being anywhere from 10-15 degrees less hot in the summer time. And when it hits 115 in PHX, everyone wants to leave. Wouldn’t you? They get in there air conditioned car to take a drive and simply end up in Flag? No, just kidding, but it is the joke around town these days. Cost of living is above the national average by a quite a bit mostly due to wealthy city dwellers moving up the hill. They typically come to the town set up and stay five years and get bored and move back. Except for the draft dodger cave dweller, stayed in a cave 11 years in the state park and they kicked him out and told him he must not come back?

The artificial real estate is causing hard ship for kids trying to buy into the town, soaks up all the apartments along with the University of Northern AZ. They claim to be number 8 in the city for the most healthy places to live, bringing in the Granolas. The High Schools have one of the lowest drop out rates in the country. Due to the second hand homes, the K-3 enrollments are dropping, older populations age trends are occurring.

Families just starting out are finding it difficult to stay. Some yuppie soccer mom SUV members moving in but not as fast as the retiree or older professional crowd, wanting out of the rat race and still being able to afford to. This is happening in many similar cities we have visited.

Major Employers include W.L Gore and Associates, which makes medical supplies; Flagstaff medical Center; Grand Canyon Tourist Railway. Remember the railroad has been there since 1881, NACOG – government training (and they need the training too don’t they?), SWCAA, Inc. Environmental Products due to assistance available to all.

Walgrens Distribution, Distribution and Transportation are doing well there and there are just a ton of hotels and restaurants to cater to the tourist. Hurt bad recently was the telemarketing firm Sturner and Klien, although luckily they have other avenues. Nestle Purina cat food manufacturers and it smells like cat food on that side of town, ha ha ha, no really. Lowell famous observatory also there.

Cleaning industry is alive and well there both in pressure washing and Car Washes. Five Guys Car Wash (HA), Flag Car Wash, Twin Pines Car Wash. Also the pressure washing Flagstaff Pressure Washing, Perkins Power Wash, Tryton Enterprises, Joes Power Washing. Now mind you these are pretty good operators and there are only 57,000 people in town living year around. Not including college kids and second homes. Which are both large numbers.

The service sector is alive and well in Flag. Retail and Hospitality also. The Mall is expanding and currently has some 723 construction workers building and these is helping job situation. Retail jobs created by this mall expansion is about 240 additional with approximately 48 non-related supporting jobs in town. For a complete listing of Chamber Businesses. Many jobs currently available for those who want to work?

There are several school improvement construction jobs going on as well as a Downtown revitalization. Multi-million dollar downtown 6 blocks project. Multi-level parking structure and shopping district. The economic Development people are working hard in retention and expansion and training labor supply, trying to increase the number of high paying jobs to the area to keep the families in town and doing well. Many of the families who move down the hill complain about the traffic and want to move back to their home in flag.

Telecommunication is a big issue and they have a big fiber optic line from PHX in now, for great service. Broadband by satellite is available by two vendors. The area is also great for distribution companies with 80 trains coming through a day, some people complain, but the railroad is part of the scenery and has been since 1894 when it was incorporated.

Flag also has a distribution center along the I-40 and an enterprise zone and huge truck stop. The technology park at the airport has just increased by 11 acres. The University has special projects in renewables, energy and engineering. The Solar Project is cutting edge similar to the Tempe University Center’s work. In town is Southwest Wind power, manufacturing getting the benefit of college labor from special projects and the technology too. Flagstaff just came out of level two drought and will most likely have to be careful with water resources as it expands, this is a significant issue for us in flagstaff. Golf Courses, center dividers, city landscaping and Cities careful to use gray water.

There have been in droughts times watering restrictions, and they were happy to see we were low water users for car washing, they like the idea and think this is of value. We found the service sector to be under whelming and if you provide great service you will be slammed with work and thus, not be able to service demand through the referrals you get, it is that type of town and the demand for service is high and we see incredible growth in that sector.

Unemployment is low at 4.9%. There is 11.3% American Indian, who are great labor sources and they really get along well and provide so much to the ambience and heritage of the town/city (still in between). Biggest age group is changing fast and moving upward. Currently 25-40 makes up 30% of population, but fast rising is the 45-65 age group. The tiger files predict 70,000 by 2010, I disagree, with all things equal I expect that number to be more like 85,000. The annual population growth is 3% so that is really high, but appears to be sustainable for some time, only issue again water supplies.

One time it did not rain for 140 days, then President Bush showed up for a speech and it rained, needless to say compassionate conservatism took on a whole new meaning, as he won over a big part of that 6980 foot above sea level city. Annual precipitation was about 21 inches but lately has been much less. Snowfall is good at 100 inches and they need it for the water to soak in and collect. It rarely gets over 90 degrees in summer but the winters can be quite chilly and very beautiful with all the snow, which attracts year around tourism. Being along I-40 it is also a good stopping point for weary travelers and thus collects quite a bit of it’s cash flow without it escaping easily. In July the sales tax went up to 8.125%, and that is the 1.54% city tax, .8125% County tax and the State sales tax. This has promoted many to drive down the hill to buy new cars. Unfortunately this has not been good for that auto sector, however the new inflows of money have also helped sales so maybe the shock is not too bad. One Patel family hotel owner complained about the room tax increases but said “that is okay, because now they have to listen to my wife when she goes down to city hall because we are funding the place?” I laughed and then thought to myself he has a point, luckily the other nearby cities also have hotel taxes, but Winslow, AZ does not, Williams does. So it is a toss up. There is some Agriculture going on in Flagstaff and the farmer’s markets do quite well and there is some good stuff to buy here.

Today agriculture is somewhat small with only about 60 people employed in that sector and they are not large water users. Service sector employs just over 16,000 people and it is growing fast. We were very interested in the projects and job growth and new facilities going up.

We were also excited to find NAU had an employment office for students to find work, good labor source, phone number is (928)-523-9463 . Also good was Arthur’s job Base.

We have noticed the crime rate is not too bad, but substance abuse is an issue. Alcoholism and Drug issues still continue but overall crime has been reduced somewhat over the years even with the increase in population. Over all we really like it here and believe there is a lot of potential. Judging by the competition and their busy schedules a company committed to service in nearly any service sector is good as gold in the city of the Pine Tree Flag Pole.

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/