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# Monday, 08 October 2007

blogoftheweek This weeks PC2Paper travel log of the week is Stuck In Customs a blog filled with some of the most spectacular photo's taken by its author Trey Ratcliff on his various travels, using a photography technique called HDR of which he provides a tutorial.

One of the most amusing photos is as Trey refers to it "The Kwik-E-Mart in the Backstreets of Beijing" featuring a Chinese equivalent of a 7-11 store.

I heartily recommend a visit to this blog just  to browse through the stunning photographs, as they say a picture is worth a thousand words. 

posted on Monday, 08 October 2007 22:16:02 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback
# Thursday, 04 October 2007
We would like to remind customers that due to the current postal strikes in the UK any mail sent from Thursday 4th of October to Tuesday 9th of October will be delayed. There are now no postage collections or deliveries until Wednesday 10th of October. Any letters received during this time, will be processed on Wednesday 10th of October. There may also be delays to postage times in the days following the strike as postal workers work to clear the backlog of mail. All US bound mail is unaffected.

posted on Thursday, 04 October 2007 10:57:20 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback
# Wednesday, 03 October 2007
If you are looking at booking a last minute break to avoid some of the British winter you might want to have a look at hotelreservations.com. They specialise not only in Hotel Reservations but also in flights and car hire. With a choice of 70,000 properties worldwide they have a lot of options. You can also book a vacation package that includes everything. If you prefer something a little more flexible the website also has vacation rentals.

The website is searchable by destination as well as check in and check out date and the number of people who are travelling. An important feature of this website is that you can view it in your own language and currency which is always useful. You also have the option to search the website using a map. This is quite useful if you want to go to a certain region but are not really bothered about which resort you go to.

If you are unsure where you want to go you might want to have a look at the destination guide on the website. It has useful recommendations for holidays based on your interests. It highlights the best beach holidays, the best family destinations, the best bed and breakfasts, the best spa destinations and even the best destinations for golf and gambling. The guide also has lots of useful information about all the destinations offered including useful tips on where to stay, when to go, money and currency and what sort of food and drink you should expect. It also includes information on the local culture and entertainment, postage and even maps of the area. I found a lot of useful background information on St Lucia where I am thinking of going in the new year. I also found some good deals on vacation rentals in the area.

posted on Wednesday, 03 October 2007 19:45:58 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback
# Monday, 01 October 2007
There will be some disruption to our service this week due to the planned postal strikes. There are currently no collections on Thursday 4th, Friday 5 and Monday 8. Any mail sent on these days will be processed as normal but will be delayed until the next available collection.

For customers sending mail shots during this week, we recommend sending them before the close of business on Tuesday of October, so as to ensure a printing slot for Wednesday and avoid delays to your letters.
posted on Monday, 01 October 2007 16:56:37 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback
# Saturday, 29 September 2007

blogoftheweek_thumb This week's travel blog of the week is Corporate American Runaway by Sherry. She has been travelling around the world since the 8th of October 2006 after deciding to quit her job and take some time out. The blog starts with Sherry setting out on her journey bound for Kenya and details all the anxiety that comes before setting off on an adventure. It then charts her travels through Zanzibar, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Bali, Thailand, Vietnam, Greece and Italy, to name just a few of the places she has been to date. The most recent entries are about her time in India but this blog has so much content that it is really worth reading through the older posts if you are new to it.


goats in trees One of my favourite entries talks about her mission to find some goats in trees in Morocco. Having heard stories of these tree climbing goats Sherry was determined to track some down and get some pictures. After a long taxi ride and much searching she is rewarded by seeing a group of goats that climb into the trees and hop from branch to branch looking for food.

 

Toilet

Another interesting article is about her visit to The International Toilet Museum in India. She describes it as "toilet heaven" and finds that rather than being simply a museum full of toilets it is also part of a programme to provide sanitation solutions for India. The work they do includes building public toilets and educating people on the importance of sanitation. It does also have a number of toilets including toilets through history, royal toilets and even toilets disguised as chairs. This is probably one of the most obscure but nevertheless interesting posts I have read recently.

 

Driving My favourite post on this blog is about driving in India. Sherry has lots of useful tips on driving in India such as "NEVER try to drive yourself in India. it's suicide". She talks about how the system of lanes works. Basically there are three lanes painted on the road but there is enough room on the road for five lanes with an inch of space between vehicles, so it's ok to pretty much drive anywhere you want. She also notices that the horn is very important when driving in India. According to Sherry the steering wheel is the most important equipment in the car, followed by the horn. It is generally used for changing lanes near trucks. The trucks have no side mirrors so it's the responsible of other drivers to honk their horn to signify they are there, otherwise they get hit. Another interesting point about Indian driving is that stop lights are optional. Once again the horn plays an important function here, simply speed through the intersection, ignoring the red light, honking the horn to announce your presence. This article is well worth reading all the way through for its tips on buses and crossing the street, truly brilliant.

posted on Saturday, 29 September 2007 16:16:40 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback
# Friday, 28 September 2007
Russia has recently unveiled a new passenger jet which they hope will be a big seller in the commercial aircraft market. The aircraft has 110 seats and has been developed by Sukhoi in conjunction with Boeing. The plane is due to undergo test flights later this year but there are hopes that they will soon be able to make six planes a month for foreign airlines. If the plane is a success it could help Russia in moving away from its current reliance on income form oil and gas.

posted on Friday, 28 September 2007 10:18:23 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback
# Thursday, 27 September 2007
British Airways has just placed an order for £4.1bn of new planes. They have ordered 12 Airbus A380 superjumbos and 24 Boeing 787s. The new planes will be greener and quieter than current models as well as being more fuel efficient. This order will replace half of BA’s existing long haul fleet. They are likely to be delivered between 2010 and 2014.

posted on Thursday, 27 September 2007 14:46:26 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback
# Tuesday, 25 September 2007
Heathrow Airport will test Terminal 5 prior to opening it. They have recruited around 15,000 volunteers to ensure the terminal runs well. The volunteers receive a free lunch and a goody bag for their help. They will go through mock security and baggage procedures to try and help cut down on delays when the terminal opens for business. During the first four weeks of testing groups of 30 to 100 people will test the facilities, rising to groups of up to 2,250 people just before opening which should test the facilities as though they were operating live. It will be interesting to see if the testing does make the new terminal more efficient.

posted on Tuesday, 25 September 2007 14:39:16 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback