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# Monday, 20 August 2007

blogoftheweek_thumb This week's travel blog is travelhappy written by Chris Mitchell a British travel writer based in Bangkok. One of his more entertaining articles is about what he calls "Engrish", for those of you who are unfamiliar with the term; it's the way that the English language can get somewhat mangled in Bangkok. Arrogant Bear
He points out some humorous signs in "Engrish" as well as some really entertaining T-shirts, some of which are a little rude to mention so we decided to highlight the Arrogant and Bear pencil case instead, pictured below.

 Another really interesting article is a video showing swimming with sharks. The video was shot in South Australia with a Canon IXUS camera, and although the clips are short, it is fascinating to see shots of these amazing creatures so close. The videos feature Great White Sharks. For the safety of the diver the video is shot from within a shark cage. In the first video the shark passes within touching distance to the diver and in the second we see a shark approaching tuna fish bait and the amazing speed at which the shark can strike out of nowhere.

posted on Monday, 20 August 2007 21:20:00 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback
# Saturday, 18 August 2007
Madrid is the largest city is Spain and is best known for it cultural and artistic heritage. One important thing to remember when visiting is that due to the extreme heat many people take a siesta at midday; so many stores are likely to be closed at this time. You will find however, that many bars are open until 6 to 8 in the morning. It is important to bear this in mind when choosing Madrid hotels, as places near to bars are likely to be a nightmare for light sleepers.

Some attractions to visit include the Museo del Prado which has one of the finest art collections in the world including paintings by Goya, van Dyck, Botticelli and Albrecht Durer. The National Archaeology Museum is also worth a visit. It contains exhibits from Prehistoric to Renaissance times many of which were removed from churches and monasteries. The biggest attraction of the museum is a replica of the prehistoric cave paintings featuring bison, horses, and boars discovered in Altamira, Cantabria.

You can find some cheap hotels recommendations at HotelClub before you go away. The information they provide on the accommodation is quite detailed including a good description of the room and the location as well as a break down of facilities. If you book online you can also benefit from cheaper rates than if you were to book directly with the hotel. All the hotels offered on this site are also ranked by people who have been there previously, which is a useful indication of the quality of the accommodation.

posted on Saturday, 18 August 2007 13:31:35 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback

We have now launched a Developer section on www.pc2paper.co.uk to help developers create new applications and integrate their existing back end systems with PC2Paper's API interface, enabling easier sending of real letters from the Internet using our service.

The area consists of a chat section for developers to raise questions with us and other developers and an API documentation section. All these features will also be backed up with updates from our blog site www.pc2paper.org.

There are no sign up fees to use our API interface, it is enabled on all PC2Paper accounts as standard. If you are a business or just a novice programmer who would like to integrate with our service please visit our Developer section.

posted on Saturday, 18 August 2007 10:24:05 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback
# Friday, 17 August 2007
The number of claims for lost luggage has increased twofold this year. The travel insurance firm Insureandgo has seen an 85% increase in claims, so far this year. The figures show that British Airways has been the worst airline for losing customers luggage.

posted on Friday, 17 August 2007 16:38:52 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback
# Thursday, 16 August 2007
Sydney is Australia’s oldest city and has an interesting blend of the old and the new. Whilst the Opera House attracts those seeking a bit of culture, it also has a vibrant nightlife in the Kings Cross area. There is also wealth of things to do in Sydney including visiting Sydney Wildlife World and the Sydney Aquarium. If you are planning a visit you might want to check out these Sydney hotel deal before you go.

Darling Harbour is well worth a visit. It is a lively waterfront precinct, with an abundance of Darling Harbour Hotel accommodation close to the nightlife and the Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre. King Street Wharf is the place to go for sleek dining establishments or the nearby Cockle Bay Wharf offers waterfront promenades and alfresco restaurants.

Melbourne is Australia’s second largest city. It combines Victorian-era architecture with museums, art galleries and spacious landscaped parks. Here you can enjoy a stay in a nineteenth century Melbourne hotel and a glass of the local chardonnay. The area also has some of the best shopping and nightlife in Australia as well as offering many specialised restaurants.

posted on Thursday, 16 August 2007 12:15:12 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback
Royal Mail has been given the go-ahead to increase the price of a second class stamp. The rise could mean that the cost of a second class stamp could rise to 29p by 2010. The price increase which has been approved by the regulator should help Royal Mail to tackle its deteriorating financial situation.

posted on Thursday, 16 August 2007 12:12:34 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback
All Inclusive holidays can be a good way to stay within your budget when going away. Although it means you might pay a little more for you holiday up front, once you are there you don’t have to worry about the final hotel bill because all your food and drink is included in the price. If you are taking the family away then an all inclusive holiday can be a good idea because a lot of sporting activities and entertainment is also included in the price.

www.otbeach.com currently has some good deals on destinations including Egypt, the Caribbean, Dominican Republic and Turkey. By booking online with them you can save up to 40% off the high street price. I came across some surprisingly cheap deals to Egypt that actually worked about the same as a regular holiday. It seems very reasonably priced particularly when you think it includes all your food and drink.

posted on Thursday, 16 August 2007 09:35:34 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback
If you are a red head you might want to head off the National Botanic Garden of Wales. They are holding a Ginger Family Festival on the 26th of August to celebrate the ginger plant and they are offering red heads the chance to get in free. The festival will have home made ginger beer and a ginger themed menu and will generally celebrate all things ginger.

posted on Thursday, 16 August 2007 09:15:04 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback
# Wednesday, 15 August 2007

Eurobookings provides a good resource for people booking a hotel within Europe. Their Europe hotels guide provides an inside view into some of the top travel destinations and hotels around the world. The United Kingdom guide has an interesting article on the British pub including information on how to order a round of drinks, which being British myself, I go without thinking. It does also contain a London hotels guide which is very useful when planning a trip to London. I find it is always best to check out the hotels the in an area because it is often nicer to book a room and come home the next day rather than rushing to catch the last tube.

The Amsterdam hotels guide is also useful. The guide allows you to view the hotels on a map and also shows you the price of each hotel. There is also detailed information on what to expect when you get there, even down to which credit cards they accept. A lot of the hotels have reviews from people who have already been there, so you can make an informed decision before booking a hotel, and I always feel better when I can see recommendations from real people.

posted on Wednesday, 15 August 2007 14:40:48 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback

Airlines have been ordered to display the full price of plane tickets on their websites after it has emerged they were covering up the total cost. The problem is that many airlines advertise a low price to draw the customer in and only show the total price including the taxes and other additional charges later in the booking process. Some airlines add as much as £25 in extra charges on top of the advertised price.

posted on Wednesday, 15 August 2007 14:37:42 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback
# Monday, 13 August 2007

blogoftheweek The Cheap Family Vacation Planner is as the name suggests a family orientated blog filled with tips and advice for parents taking their little kids or teens on holiday. As I have experienced when going on holiday with friends who have children, that its a bit akin to mobilising a small army. The blog offers tips on how to keep kids occupied on long car journeys, what to pack, how to be safe and suitable holiday destinations.

The one thing I like about this blog is that it shows that family holidays don't have to just be about amusement parks and sea side resorts but can also be as exotic as ancient Mayan cities.

One of the most amusing articles is Six Unavoidable Items to Pack While We Go, Do You Dare? which lists duct tape of all things as an essential item to pack. However I strongly agree with taking a portable door lock with you especially when staying in a place you have never been before.

posted on Monday, 13 August 2007 20:39:07 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback
# Saturday, 11 August 2007

PC2Paper.co.uk has been named by The Times as one of the top 100 travel websites. The Times lists us under the Travel Essentials category which includes insurance, money, health and communications. Here at PC2Paper we are always happy when we receive good feedback on the service we provide, we are certainly pleased we made it onto the list.

posted on Saturday, 11 August 2007 11:47:40 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback
# Friday, 10 August 2007

The latest postal strike has been suspended as Royal Mail agree to meet the Union for talks. The talks will be held at the TUC and both sides are committed to reaching an agreement by the 4th of September. No further strike action will be held whilst the talks are being held, meaning its service as normal, here at PC2Paper.

posted on Friday, 10 August 2007 15:35:19 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #    Trackback