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	<title>Flavour of vacation &#187; rock</title>
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		<title>Green Canyon</title>
		<link>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/green-canyon/</link>
		<comments>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/green-canyon/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:26:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.virtualtraverse.com/?p=110</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As I have discuss in earlier articles, green canyon is one of seven wonders in the world, included as the most exotic places on Earth. Today I&#8217;d like to be more specific onto it. A gap that is quite very high and steep cliffs, carved by the Colorado River, in northern Arizona. Grand Canyon is [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/grandcany2.jpg"><img src="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/grandcany2-150x150.jpg" alt="" title="grandcany2" width="150" height="150" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-112" /></a>As I have discuss in earlier articles, green canyon is one of seven wonders in the world, included as the most exotic places on Earth. Today I&#8217;d like to be more specific onto it. A gap that is quite very high and steep cliffs, carved by the Colorado River, in northern Arizona. Grand Canyon is 3.5 hours (193 kilometers) from the famous gambling city of Las Vegas to Canyon County.</p>
<p>The process of forming a steep cliff in Grand Canyon through various periods of climate change, arising sinking continents, forming mountains, etc. Indirectly this allows us to examine what is happening on earth for 1.7 billion years ago, judging from the layers of the cliffs. So Green canyon does give us big contribution for history as well.<br />
<span id="more-110"></span><br />
It was said that the Grand Canyon was first seen by Europeans in 1540. At the Grand Canyon there are some very famous canyons and beautiful to behold. Among them 3200 meters deep Colca Canyon, Cotahuasi Canyon as deep as 3535 meters. In addition to the edge of a deep cliff, other interesting thing is the unique structure of the cliffs, colorful lining. Reportedly tourist visitors who come to the Grand Canyon reach 5 million visitors annually. Really amazing.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/grandcany.jpg"><img src="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/grandcany-150x150.jpg" alt="" title="grandcany" width="150" height="150" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-113" /></a>The red dry rock that covers all the view in Grand canyon is the attractive parts of it. Not just wild view, but you could also see new architectural art phenomenon, for example you could found an U-shaped building made ​​of thick glass and the transparent edge of the cliff at the end of the Grand Canyon. It might be a good solutions for you whom afraid of height. To be able to enter this area you need to book a ticket and then use a layer of shoe (to prevent the destruction of the glass floor in there, I guess). To keep in mind also when you visit the Grand Canyon in winter, then you should not forget bring a jacket.</p>
<p>How to get there, you could access it by bus, such as <a href="http://www.allaboardamerica.com/web/" target="_blank">phoenix bus tours to grand canyon</a>. And of course if you do have some more budget to spend, you could rent a helicopter for a beautiful grand canyon sightseeing, but tracking is not bad idea as well. Have fun.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Echoes of the Ancients</title>
		<link>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/echoes-of-the-ancients/</link>
		<comments>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/echoes-of-the-ancients/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:31:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[advance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adventure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adventure worth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aeolian islands]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.virtualtraverse.com/?p=31</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Standing in the Sicilian sun with your feet washed by the waves of the Tyrrhenian Sea, it’s easy to forget that there’s more to the tri-corner island than beauty. The beaches are magnificent—turquoise waters stretching out to the horizon, soft sand, gentle waves and some of the clearest water in the world. In the distance, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/sicily.jpg"><img src="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/sicily-150x150.jpg" alt="" title="sicily" width="150" height="150" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-33" /></a>Standing in the Sicilian sun with your feet washed by the waves of the Tyrrhenian Sea, it’s easy to forget that there’s more to the tri-corner island than beauty. The beaches are magnificent—turquoise waters stretching out to the horizon, soft sand, gentle waves and some of the clearest water in the world. In the distance, on the rockier portions of the coast, volcanic rock juts out of the sea, its dark color and jagged edge adding drama to the vista. </p>
<p>Inland, the hills rise up and greet the sun, patched with golden fields of grain, vibrant citrus orchards, and the vineyards that produce Sicily’s fragrant nero d’avola wines. The skies are blue, the weather is warm, and somewhere, a few steps down a narrow street, someone is rolling fresh pasta to tempt you back from the shore. <span id="more-31"></span></p>
<p>There’s no mistaking Sicily for part of mainland Italy. Though Sicily has been officially part of Italy for nearly 150 years, it has also been ruled in turn by Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and Normans, and the island has kept the flavors of each passing wave of conquerors. Only a few blocks beyond the monuments to Vittorio Emanuele II outside the train station in Palermo are palaces and churches with the domes, mosaics, and geometric loveliness of medieval Arab architecture. </p>
<p>Baroque details line graceful, decaying buildings that shade sprawling markets and tanned children playing soccer in the streets. Most visitors come to Sicily for the weather: the climate is warm year-round, and in the summer months the sunshine is constant and temperatures hover around 86 degrees Fahrenheit. But in Sicily, history, culture, and natural wonders are layered on so thick that the trouble is in choosing the adventure, not finding it. </p>
<p>One adventure worth having, though, is a voyage to the Aeolian Islands off the north coast. The ancient Greeks and Romans called these islands the home of the winds, and their breezes offer some relief from the constant beat of the sun. One boasts the forge of the fire god himself: Vulcano, a volcanic island reachable by ferry or hydrofoil with sulfur baths and dark umber beaches. </p>
<p>Here, the intrepid and long-winded can climb to the top of the sleeping volcano that spewed forth much of the island and peer into the crater once said to be the entrance to Hades. Though it hasn’t erupted in a century, Vulcano’s main crater is far from extinct, its peak smoking with sulfur from multiple exhaust holes and the giant divot of its mouth still muddy-looking and dangerous. </p>
<p>The rock that surrounds the crater is as brittle and sharp as ceramic. Signs warn that hikers should spend no more than a few minutes at the top, lest the fumes intoxicate or poison them. Still, with the wind blowing freely on the sweat spent making it up, the feeling and the view are well worth the scorching hour-long climb.</p>
<p>While the ancient Greeks assigned their gods’ homes on the outer islands, though, they worshiped them on Sicily itself. And after experiencing Vulcano’s primordial power, you can remind yourself of the force of human culture in the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. Here a complex of Greek temples was hewn from the native red sandstone and erected on a ridge overlooking the countryside, with the hazy cerulean smudge of the Mediterranean visible below the swell of the fields. Modern Agrigento rises to one side, and majestic sandstone forms cascade down the slope, linked by a pale road the Romans called the Sacred Way. </p>
<p>Each temple has its own appeal. The temple to Hera offers the best view and perhaps the most picturesque profile, perched atop the high point on the temples’ ridge. The sanctuary to Concordia is nearly intact despite the twenty-odd centuries since its construction, and dark shadows hide its inner depths even at the height of the day. </p>
<p>The temple of Zeus, meanwhile, is massive and almost completely destroyed, its ruins now poetically crumbling courtyards and staircases among the aloes and olive trees. The temple of Heracles demands humility, one row of its massive columns still standing and each one three times as wide around as the arm span of the average man. Together, the complex inspires awe—after two millennia, its structures are not only standing, but ethereally beautiful and seemingly indestructible. </p>
<p>Sicily’s mysteries are too many and too varied to explore in one short trip. But like the striking beauty of the island itself and the cultural marks so many have made on it, the memory of them will surely endure.<br />
<a href="http://www.pacificadvance.com" target="_blank">payday advance</a></p>
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		</item>
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		<title>Victoria Falls</title>
		<link>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/victoria-falls/</link>
		<comments>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/victoria-falls/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:25:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[air]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[scottish explorer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[side]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[site]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smoke]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smoke that thunders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southern Africa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[southern Zambia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spray]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stand]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[statue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[statue of david]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stream]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[structure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[surprise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[swing]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[tourist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[town]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[traffic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transportation schedules]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tunya]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[underfoot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[valley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[victim]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Victoria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[victoria falls]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[visit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[void]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[walkway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waterway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[way]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[work]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work assignment]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[world heritage site]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[year]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zambezi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zambia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zimbabwe]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.virtualtraverse.com/?p=27</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Take the Zambezi, one of Southern Africa&#8217;s largest rivers. Let it loose across the floodplains of Angola and Zambia, tributaries swelling it until the river is as large as a racing track. Once the waterway is flowing with full force over the basalt plateau of southern Zambia, cut a 1700-meter wide gash in the valley [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/devils-pool-victoria-falls.jpg"><img src="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/devils-pool-victoria-falls-150x150.jpg" alt="" title="devils-pool-victoria-falls" width="150" height="150" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-39" /></a>Take the Zambezi, one of Southern Africa&#8217;s largest rivers. Let it loose across the floodplains of Angola and Zambia, tributaries swelling it until the river is as large as a racing track. Once the waterway is flowing with full force over the basalt plateau of southern Zambia, cut a 1700-meter wide gash in the valley and watch the entire width of the river come pouring down an 180-meter face of rock into a narrow gorge. That is Victoria Falls, one of the most monumental waterfalls in the world. </p>
<p>The falls’ indigenous name, Mosi-oa-Tunya, means “the smoke that thunders”. And indeed, it roars, it throws up spray, it crashes and it swirls – Victoria Falls is an overwhelming sight, twice the height of Niagara Falls. So spectacular, in fact, that it already was a popular tourist attraction in 1905, when the railway from then-Rhodesia to Cape Town was completed under British colonial rule. Now a World Heritage Site, Victoria Falls attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, some content to simply take in the natural wonder, others, like me, daring (or brainless) enough to bungee jump over the gorges, too. <span id="more-27"></span></p>
<p>While in Zambia on a work assignment, I took the first opportunity to escape from the dreary capital, Lusaka, and visit Victoria Falls, which are a six-hour bus ride away through flat, dry savannah. In fact, African public transportation schedules being what they are (“when it is full o&#8217;clock” is as close as it gets to a departure time), it took me and my friend Leila most of our Saturday to reach the characterless town of Livingstone, then the park.</p>
<p>We first heard the low rumble. Then we came across the life-size statue of David Livingstone, the Scottish explorer of Doctor-Livingstone-I-presume fame. As the first European to have seen the falls in the mid-19th century, he named them in honor of his monarch, Queen Victoria. A little further down the path, we caught our first glimpse of the cataracts. Stretching as far as the eye could see, curtains of furious white water tumbled down, divided by the rocks jutting from the crest of the falls. A massive cloud of spray rose from the gorge, hiding the depths of the chasm. </p>
<p>As we walked down the path that paralleled the falls and led to a narrow footbridge spanning the gorge, we noticed that all the people coming in our direction were soaked. Continuing beneath the protection of the trees, we began to feel fine drops, which, once on the bridge, turned into a literal upside-down rain, so thick was the spray. “Hence the clever stand renting out raincoats back there!” shouted Leila, as she started to run towards the other end. But the sun playing on the drizzle had created a beautiful rainbow, a sharp circle leaping over the walkway and plunging into the gorge. Later, as the sun descended over the far side of the falls, the light turned the haze into a golden cloud. </p>
<p>The next day, we made our way to the bungee jumping center on Victoria Bridge, which spans the second gorge a few hundred meters downstream, linking Zambia with Zimbabwe. As we reached the entrance, 120 meters above the rocks and rapids of the Zambezi way below, my knees went weak. How could my so-called friend have talked me into hurling myself off that bridge? </p>
<p>Feeling hollow inside, I trudged to the jumping platform, amid the traffic of indifferent African women carrying bundles on their heads. As the instructors strapped my gear on, they directed a steady stream of chatter at their (idiotically consenting) “victim”, to distract me from what was coming. I had picked the gorge swing, so I was to step off the structure, not drop headfirst. “Look straight ahead, not down, and when we count to three, just walk,” they told me. </p>
<p>One-two-three, the solid ground underfoot gone, a startled cry of surprise, a few endless, terrifying seconds of free fall, then I was swinging silently in the peaceful morning air, suspended alone above boiling green waters, far from the crowds of onlookers way above. Once I had been hoisted back onto the bridge, I felt relieved to have gone first. </p>
<p>My friend was almost in tears as the instructors gently pushed her into the void. She screamed all the way down. Bounced up. Fell again, still screaming. Later, she swore that she would “never again” perform such a jump, but it was too late &#8211; we had both earned our bragging rights in one of the world’s most amazing natural sites. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.fastcashonline.com" target="_blank">payday loan</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Places of interest in Australia</title>
		<link>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/places-of-interest-in-australia/</link>
		<comments>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/places-of-interest-in-australia/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:23:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accommodation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accommodation option]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[activity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Adelaide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[admire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Airlines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alice Springs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[architecture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[area]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[array]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[australia one]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ayers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barrier]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beautiful island]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Below]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bridge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bridge 2]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brisbane]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bush]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bush areas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cairns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canberra]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[capital]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[car]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Centre]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[city]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coastline]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[colonial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[continent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coral]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coral reef]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[country]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cuisine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Derwent]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[destination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[distance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[doorway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[drive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[endless hours]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Everyone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[excitement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[facility]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Far]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[far north queensland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fascinate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[favorite travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Federation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ferry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fish]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Found]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gallery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Got]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Great]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[great barrier reef]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Great Ocean]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harbour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[harbour bridge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heart]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hiking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hobart]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[holiday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[house]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[icon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[interest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[island]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[island resorts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[land]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[last minute accommodation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[last minute flights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Library]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[luxury]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[luxury holiday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Melbourne]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[melbourne melbourne]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Memorial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[minute]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mix]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[modernity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[night]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[North Queensland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Northern Territory]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[number]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ocean]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ocean side]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[offe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[offer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Olgas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[opportunity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[option]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Outback]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[paradise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parliament]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[part]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[place]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[point]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[preparation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pristine sands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[produce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[property]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Qantas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Queensland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[queensland coast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[range]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Red]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reef]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[river]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[road]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scenery]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[sea life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shopping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[side]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sidney]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Singapore]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[spectacular harbour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spectacular night]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spot]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Sydney]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Tasmania]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[taste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tjuta]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tourists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[town]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uluru]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Victoria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[view]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Viewing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[visit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[War]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waver]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[way]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weekend]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[world]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[world visitors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[year]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.virtualtraverse.com/?p=66</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Australia one of five continent in the world has something special and unique rather than any other continent. It has cultures and modernity mixed in one place and really enjoyable place just for everyone. From simple holidays to culture filled excitement, there are all sorts of options to enjoy. Below some places tourists must see [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/sydney-opera-house.jpg"><img src="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/sydney-opera-house-150x150.jpg" alt="" title="sydney-opera-house" width="150" height="150" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-70" /></a>Australia one of five continent in the world has something special and unique rather than any other continent. It has cultures and modernity mixed in one place and really enjoyable place just for everyone. From simple holidays to culture filled excitement, there are all sorts of options to enjoy. Below some places tourists must see and events around Australia that you can consider for your next holiday. Although you don&#8217;t have enough preparation, <a href="http://www.lastminute.com.au/flights.html" target="_blank">last minute flights</a> will take you to Australia.<br />
<span id="more-66"></span><br />
1. Sydney</p>
<p>Sydney is Australia’s number one favorite travel destination in terms of number of visitors. Most visited place in Sidney is The Sydney Opera House which is completed in the 1960&#8217;s. The unique design for the facility, coupled with the excellent acoustics, make this cultural icon a must see stop that even persons who are not interested in opera will enjoy.<br />
While in town, don&#8217;t forget to admire the spectacular Harbour Bridge.</p>
<p>2. Cairns &#038; the Great Barrier Reef</p>
<p>Cairns is the main entry point and from there you can travel north or south and out to beautiful island resorts. Luxury holiday homes are a great accommodation option in this part of Australia. Find it in <a href="http://www.lastminute.com.au/hotels.html " target="_blank">last minute accommodation</a>.</p>
<p>The Great Barrier Reef is known as the world&#8217;s largest coral reef, the Great Barrier Reef stretches along the Queensland coast for a distance of approximately 35 million hectares. Many varieties of fish and other forms of sea life make the Reef home, and there are plenty of opportunities to learn about and observe. As a family opportunity, the Great Barrier Reef is an activity that will fascinate even the most jaded of travelers.</p>
<p>3. Brisbane</p>
<p>While visiting along the Great Barrier Reef, Brisbane is the place to go when you need a taste of the big city. Located in Queensland, the city is known for spectacular night spots that offer a little something for everyone, as well as a range of cuisine that is considered to be the best in Australia by many visitors.</p>
<p>4. Melbourne</p>
<p>Melbourne offers a mix of modern architecture and amenities along with some of the most beautiful examples of Victorian architecture in the world. Shopping and food that ranges from fine cuisine to guilty pleasures can easily be found at Federation Square and the New Quay.</p>
<p>5. The Great Ocean Road</p>
<p>No visit to Australia is complete without enjoying the view from the Great Ocean Road. Running for over two hundred miles along the coastline in the area of Victoria, the view is breathtaking any time of the year. There are plenty of interesting local restaurants to try along the way, as well as several great places to stop and enjoy a beer. The Great Ocean Road is a wonderful drive over a weekend or stay a little longer at a holiday rental property. Got unplanned weekend / holiday, don&#8217;t worry there always be <a href="http://www.lastminute.com.au/hotels.html" target="_blank">last minute hotels</a> for your accommodations.</p>
<p>6. The Red Centre including Uluru-Tjuta National Park</p>
<p>Found in the Northern Territory, the Red Centre is considered to be the physical center spot of Australia. Tourists will enjoy viewing the Ayers Rock, which is also known as Uluru. Viewing Uluru is considered to be an ideal activity at sunrise and sunset, when the range of colors across the red rock seem to waver and change in fascinating patterns.</p>
<p>Uluru-Tjuta National Park is an area that functions as both a wildlife preserve and a national park. Along with the Ayers Rock, the part also encompasses such sites as Alice Springs and the Olgas.</p>
<p>7. Canberra</p>
<p>Canberra is the Capital of Australia and a fascinating place to see. Visit Parliament House, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Library, National Archives which feature old movies, records, books and artifacts as well as the War Memorial. Four days is Canberra is adequate to see most of the attractions.</p>
<p>8. Tasmania</p>
<p>Tasmania offers breathtaking scenery, hiking and camping. Just off the coast, the main land you can reach Tasmania by car ferry or by short flight. Hobart is a stunning town on the Derwent river and features colonial architecture. The local food produce is deliciously fresh and restaurants reasonably priced.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.lastminute.com.au/directory/australian-airlines/qantas.html" target="_blank">Qantas</a> and <a href="http://www.lastminute.com.au/directory/international-airlines/singapore-airlines.html" target="_blank">Singapore Airlines</a> able brought you to feel the delightful and cultures of Australia.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Costa del Sol</title>
		<link>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/costa-del-sol/</link>
		<comments>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/costa-del-sol/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Mar 2010 04:17:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[addition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[advance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[air]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alhambra]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[altitude]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andalusia-meets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anyone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ape]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[are]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[area]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[array]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[average]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[backwater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barbary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bargain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beach]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[break]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[calm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cavers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[century]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[challenge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chamber]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chance]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[check]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[check th]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[citrus groves]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[classical music performances]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coastline]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[cold]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[gamut]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Gibraltar]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[playground]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[population]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[practice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[price]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[region]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reputation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[resort]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sand beaches]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[score]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[search]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seaside]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seaside resort town]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sierra]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sierra de las nieves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sixty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[skeletal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[skeletal remains]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[slice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[snowfall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[southern Spain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[square kilometers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strait]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stretch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[system]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tarifa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tasting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[territory]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[time]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Today]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Torre]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[torre del mar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Torremolinos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[town]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trek]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trip]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vertical caves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[view]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[virgin pine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[way]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weather]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[while]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[year]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.virtualtraverse.com/?p=21</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It isn&#8217;t very difficult to see why southern Spain&#8217;s Costa del Sol is such a hit with European holidaymakers. With its white-sand beaches and mountainside citrus groves, this stretch of Malaga coastline is a marvelous slice of pure Mediterranean, boasting an average of over 300 sunny days a year. In the past sixty years, the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/costa-del-sol.jpg"><img src="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/costa-del-sol-150x150.jpg" alt="" title="costa-del-sol" width="150" height="150" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-43" /></a>It isn&#8217;t very difficult to see why southern Spain&#8217;s Costa del Sol is such a hit with European holidaymakers. With its white-sand beaches and mountainside citrus groves, this stretch of Malaga coastline is a marvelous slice of pure Mediterranean, boasting an average of over 300 sunny days a year. In the past sixty years, the region has gone from backwater to big-time; today, the geography of the coast is a litany of high-end resort towns, like Marbella and Torre del Mar, which cater to the wealthier crowd.</p>
<p>Despite the Costa del Sol&#8217;s reputation as a seaside playground for the rich and famous, visitors willing to go beyond the beach may find themselves surprised by how much the region has to offer. They run the gamut from outdoorsy to intellectual, from windsurfing all the way to wine tasting. Malaga&#8217;s coast offers an array of adventures to suit every palate, each one flavored with the Costa del Sol&#8217;s unique Andalusia-meets-Mediterranean charm.<span id="more-21"></span></p>
<p>For history-hungry travelers, Nerja Cave, located near the town of the same name, is a good place to start. In 1959, the first cavers to access this 5 km-long system discovered skeletal remains and tools dating back to the Paleolithic era. Visitors can tour the cave&#8217;s main chamber and look at some of the excavated artifacts. In addition, the cave, which supposedly possesses excellent acoustics, occasionally hosts classical music performances, though this practice is becoming less common due to conservation concerns.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;d rather be out in the fresh air, lace up your hiking boots and head to Sierra de las Nieves national park. The park, which lies in the mountainous hinterland about 18 kilometers north of the seaside resort town of Marbella, offers hiking and biking in over 200 square kilometers of slopes and virgin pine forest. The park is also famous for its many vertical caves, a few of which plunge to depths of over 1000 meters. Due to its higher altitude, the park does sometimes experience snowfall during the winter months, so check the weather before heading out and come prepared for the cold.</p>
<p>When it comes to watersports in the Costa del Sol, windsurfing is king. Spain&#8217;s southern coast is a veritable windsurfing Mecca; on any given day, dozens of sails dot the horizons at the Costa&#8217;s major beaches as groups of surfers skim and spin their way across the water. Equipment rental shops line most beaches, and most resorts have windsurfing clubs where beginners can pick up the basics in the relatively calm waters. More experienced surfers in search of a challenge can make the hour-and-a-half trek southwest to Tarifa, where aficionados from around the globe gather to try their skills on the strong winds and currents from the Strait of Gibraltar.</p>
<p>In addition to the sights of the region itself, the Costa del Sol is also convenient to some of the Iberian Peninsula’s most famous destinations. The city of Granada is a day trip away; beach-weary travelers can take a break from the sun and explore the Alhambra, the magnificent 14th century palace that once housed Granada&#8217;s Moorish rulers. On the off chance that visitors finish their tour with any time left to spare, a stroll around the maze-like cobblestone streets and open-air spice stalls of old Granada offers enough captivating sights and sounds to keep anyone occupied for days.</p>
<p>For a slightly different excursion, Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located at the edge of the Iberian peninsula, is about an hour and ten minutes&#8217; drive from Marbella. The iconic Rock of Gibraltar, a peak that looms up from the center of the territory, offers Europe&#8217;s best view of the African continent as well as the chance to meet Gibraltar&#8217;s well-known Barbary ape population. Because Gibraltar is British territory, visitors need to bring their passports in order to enter.</p>
<p>Finding budget-friendly accommodations in the Costa del Sol can be a bit challenging, but it&#8217;s certainly possible. While top-tier resorts like Marbella&#8217;s are pricey beyond belief, less exorbitant resorts in towns such as Torremolinos sometimes offer fairly reasonable package deals. If that doesn&#8217;t work, try looking for accommodations a few kilometers inland; if you&#8217;re willing to stay a little further from the coast, you&#8217;ll have an easier time escaping the resorts&#8217; high prices.</p>
<p>Alternatively, if you&#8217;re traveling with a group, it may actually be cheaper to rent a house, especially if you&#8217;re planning on staying in the area for a while. Because the Costa del Sol is such a popular destination, many travelers from other European countries buy second homes in the area, often renting them out when they&#8217;re not using them. Plan your trip well in advance and try to negotiate the rental price with the owners and you may well be able to score a bargain, a rare enough event on these shores.<a href="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/costa-del-sol.jpg"><img src="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/costa-del-sol-150x150.jpg" alt="" title="costa-del-sol" width="150" height="150" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-43" /></a></p>
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