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Spanish Troglodytes – The Cave Dwellers of Guadix

On the A92 between Granada and Almeria you’ll come across Guadix, which is famous for the Jarra Accittanas. These ornate terracotta vases are used for wedding guests to carry their gifts for the bride and groom (no-one ever receives a TV for a wedding present in Guadix). Despite this unusual tradition and the pretty streets and buildings, the town is better known for its cave houses.

You can find ‘La Barriada de Las Cuevas’ in the north of the town, and as you’re walking around you half expect to see Barney Rubble leaving one of the small front doors, ready for a hard day at the quarry. The small frontage of the houses and the white square chimneys would lead one to believe that the homes are tiny, but think Tardis. The interiors can be quite large, some are even hotels. One great advantage of the cave houses is the year-round constant temperature of a much civilised 20 degrees centigrade, and when it’s 40 degrees outside, you can begin to see the attraction. There are in fact around four thousand caves that form biggest inhabited cave settlement in Europe. Half the population of Guadix are Troglodytes.

Guadix itself has been around a long, long time. Julius Caesar instigated the building of a settlement in order to mine the silver from the nearby hills, but it was the Moors who created the cave settlement. Before that, they developed an important silk industry, which put the town on a par with Granada, but in the fifteenth century they were expelled by the Christians and had no choice but to retreat to the hills and live in existing caves, or dig new ones. The ground in this area is easily excavated, so it was a natural thing to do, rather than brave the harsh outdoor elements. The name Guadix stems from the Arabic ‘Guadh-Haix’, which means ‘River of Life’ and the town was once an important centre of art and poetry. The cave museum is situated in the centre of Guadix, and is well worth a visit. Also of interest is the Cathedral which dates back to the sixteenth century. The Alcazabar, which was built in the eleventh century, is the best example of Moorish construction in the area, and from its towers a breathtaking view of the Sierra Nevadas is afforded.

Just down the road is the castle of Calahorra, which was awarded to a Christian knight as a reward for his deeds during the Christian re-conquest. It boasts an impressive courtyard made from Italian marble, which was constructed by Florentine craftsmen. Approaching the castle, you can’t help but be moved by the sight of the round towers standing proudly against the Sierra Nevada mountains. Another impressive place to add to your list is the desert landscape around Benalua de Guadix. Combine this with a visit to the Banos de Las Alicun de Las Torres, and you have a fantastic day out right on the doorstep.

Fiestas play a big part of Guadix life, the main one falling on the weekend before Ash Wednesday. The summer fair takes place in the first week of September. In January the ‘Romeria de San Anton takes place, when pilgrims ride nine times around the town on horseback. The Bishop gives mass on San Torcuato’s day in May, before the remains of the saint are paraded through the town. Of course, Semana Santa is a very important time here, as it is throughout the whole of Spain, so there’s a very good chance that your visit to Guadix will coincide with a fiesta.

Getting to Guadix couldn’t be easier. The mountain tracks have been replaced by modern highways which link the town to other important centres such as Almeria, Granada and Malaga. There are international airports in both Malaga and Granada which have numerous incoming flights from Britain and the rest of Europe, so if you’re looking for something just that bit different, renting a cave house could be right up your street. Many visitors take a day off from the beaches of the Costa del Sol and Costa Tropical to soak up the atmosphere of the Troglodyte village. The inhabitants of the cave houses are renowned for their friendliness and hospitality, probably because they’re so cool while everyone else is steaming.

The Author is the founder of Your Holiday Rentals.com, providing worldwide holiday rentals and villa rentals

Spanish Troglodytes – The Cave Dwellers of Guadix / Author: Alan Liptrot

Choosing The Right Private Jet Company When Traveling Is Crucial

Most people who travel a lot do so for pleasure and business purposes. For those who are involved in the world of business, traveling is practically their way of life.

They travel from one place to another to visit and check on business dealings and holdings. If you are a business man who seldom stays and rests because of traveling from point to point, then it is very crucial to choose the right private jet company that will help you with you business travel needs.

Flying is one of the most convenient ways of getting from point A to B these days. That is why we see a lot of different private jet charter companies to choose from, which are all equipped and ever ready to accommodate the demands of their clients.

One of the most popular companies is Ocean Sky. The Ocean Sky private charter service offers you serenity and relaxation while you are onboard. They promise you a hassle-free traveling experience, all designed to cater to your personal requirements.

Ocean Sky has a well-trained and professional staff to assist you and you are guaranteed an enjoyable, safe and secured travel experience, thus leaving you refreshed and relaxed once you have arrived at your point of destination. For their avid customers, Ocean Sky can provide their clients with what they call a block hours program, which is tailored according to the whim of the customers.

All in all, when you fly with Ocean Sky, it is like owning your very own private jet. The company has business partners all across major locations that can provide you with helicopter or limousine transfers, exclusive accommodations and restaurant reservations, and even access to the hottest night spots in town.

Blue Star Jets has become one of the world’s leading jet private broker companies. They make sure that their clients are happy and very pleased with their luxurious accommodations while traveling with a private jet company.

They offer a jet travel experience that is both luxurious and efficient and many clients keep coming back for more. This company gives their clients what they want and puts them into the driver’s seat, so to speak.

There are many different private jet company airlines out there for your consideration. Before you make a decision on which one is right for you, you should speak to representatives of the companies and compare notes. You want to find the best form of jet travel possible that will give you and your employees comfort, yet will also provide you with the means of quick travel to your destination.

Enrich your knowledge further about the private jet company from Mike Selvon portal. We appreciate your feedback at the use of private jets blog where a free gift awaits you. 

Choosing The Right Private Jet Company When Traveling Is Crucial / Author: MIKE SELVON

Why Are Luxury Holiday Cruises Becoming So Popular With Vacationers?

In this era of faster everything, including faster and larger commercial airliners where passengers are packed in like sardines, one thing seems to remain constant. That is the wonderful, leisurely world of cruising. For many years the airline industry has experienced numerous setbacks, while the cruise industry has been growing by leaps and bounds. There are many reasons why you should consider becoming a part of this amazing phenomenon. Here are some of them.

According to recent research from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), ninety-five percent of cruisers give top marks to their cruising experience and more than seventy-five percent plan to cruise again within three years.

Contrary to what some people think, cruises are very affordable. With most vacations you end up paying for air flights, hotels or resorts, restaurants, entertainment, and sometimes car rentals. If you add all these costs up, cruises can be a real bargain. When you book a cruise, in most cases you pay for the airfare and cruise. However, if you live close enough to your cruise ship departure port, you may be able to drive there much cheaper than you can fly. Even if you have to fly to the departure port you can always get a flight and cruise package deal which is usually less expensive than purchasing your flight and cruise separately.

When you book a luxury cruise vacation, well over 85% of your holiday is prepaid and that includes all meals, night clubs, stage shows, movies, and entertainment, as well as numerous other activities and amenities. In addition, most ships have onboard activities such as golf, rock climbing, dancing, swimming, scuba diving lessons which can lead to certification, Pilates, yoga, and fitness trainers. You can also pamper yourself with wonderful spas and body massages.

Another way to save big bucks on a cruise is to book an inside cabin. If you do not need to have a cabin with a balcony or ocean view, then you will save a lot of money. You have use of all the shared amenities that your fellow passengers have, but it’s costing you a lot less.

You can also save a bundle on repositioning cruises. A repositioning cruise is made possible at certain times of the year, usually in the spring and fall, when cruise lines relocate their ships from one part of the world to another.

There is a large variety of luxury cruise vacations to choose from, ranging from three day mini cruises to several month long cruises as well as an amazing around the world cruise odyssey.

When you cruise, you are traveling in the lap of luxury in a floating five-star hotel. You will be pampered and feel you are living the life of a king or queen, not just for a day, but for the entire length of the cruise. Gourmet dining, impeccable service and elegant surroundings are only a few of the superlatives that are used to describe cruising.

If you like delicious food you will absolutely love gourmet meals and scrumptious desserts created by great chefs and served in a variety of restaurants. There are always wonderful buffets available throughout the day and even midnight buffets. A number of themed lounges are located throughout the cruise ships for your convenience.

Love seeing Broadway style shows and theater performances without having to make reservations or pay outlandish prices for tickets? Then taking a luxury cruise is the answer. So many things are included on cruises which make them such a great value for your travel and entertainment dollar.

From children to great grandparents, there is always something to interest everyone on a cruise. You have the option to be as active as you like or you can just relax and experience magnificent sunrises and breathtaking sunsets while watching the world go by. So many wonderful, precious memories and experiences will stay with you a lifetime when you take a luxury cruise.

Want to party around the clock? Not a problem. Whether you are with a partner or single, it’s always party time. You don’t even have to plan or clean up after the party, just have a lot of fun!

Businesses from around the world book conferences and seminars, team building get-togethers, new product launches and employee reward vacations on cruise ships. Cruise lines do not charge extra for conference room facilities and use of audio and video equipment.

Group cruises are not only for companies and business people. Family reunions, honeymoons and weddings, sports groups and clubs, charities and fund raisers are only some of the many kinds of groups that have their events on cruises.

On cruises there is no hassle of having to pack and unpack again and again every time you travel to a new destination. Another bonus is that there is no limit on the amount of luggage you can bring on a cruise.

People with disabilities should have no problem getting around on a cruise ship. Cruise lines have made onboard accessibility a non-issue as their ships are equipped with ramps, elevators and easily accessible cabins and state rooms.

Modern cruise ships have dramatically reduced the problem of seasickness. Today’s larger ships slice through the waves instead of riding on top of them. Also, new innovative technologies like stabilizers and counterbalancing systems have greatly reduced the pitch and roll of cruise ships, all but neutralizing any problem of seasickness.

Cruising is also one of the safest forms of travel. The cruise industry has an exceptional safety record. And as far as assaults and robberies are concerned, they are over a hundred times less likely to occur on a cruise ship than in your own home town.

A physician and medical staff are never more than a few minutes away on a cruise ship should any passenger need to see doctor. Most common passenger ailments and minor mishaps occur less on a cruise ship than on shore.

For those that have a fear of flying or don’t enjoy being crammed like sardines into commercial airplanes when traveling to their destinations, here is some great news. The cruise lines in the United States are making terrific strides catering to cruise passengers needs. They are opening up more ports of call on both the East and West coasts so more and more people who would love to go on a cruise but don’t like flying, can easily drive or take a bus or train to most departure ports.

Dorothy Yamich has a passion for travel. She has lived and traveled extensively throughout Europe as well as traveled in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. She is a travel consultant and specializes in luxury cruises as well as vacation packages. To quickly find and book cheap cruises, at the best price possible, every time you feel like traveling, visit Travel Tips Guide, for more information.

Why Are Luxury Holiday Cruises Becoming So Popular With Vacationers? / Author: Dorothy Yamich

Occupation: Travel Consultant
Dorothy Yamich has a passion for travel. She has lived and traveled extensively throughout Europe as well as traveled in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. She is a travel consultant and specializes in luxury cruises as well as vacation packages.
http://www.traveltipsguide.com

Hotels And Resorts – Don’t Let The Bed Bugs Bite When You Travel On Vacation

Even the best luxurious five-star hotels and resorts can occasionally get an infestation of bed bugs. This is sometimes unavoidable because many hundreds, or even thousands of travelers and tourists can be staying at a hotel or resort at any given time. These little blood sucking critters can easily hitch a ride on unsuspecting travelers or hide in their luggage. Hotel and resort managers are very aware of this problem and do their best to prevent this from happening.

What do these pests look like?

Bedbugs are very tiny, flat, wingless bugs. Their size can vary from a head of a pin to about
one-quarter of an inch in length when fully mature. They have an oval shape and look like small watermelon seeds. Their color can vary from a translucent yellow to a dark reddish brown. If they have just dined on a person’s blood they may appear dark brown or black in color.

How easy are they to detect?

Most travelers are not aware of bedbugs until they see the red bite marks on their bodies and start scratching their itchy wounds. Bed bugs can be extremely difficult to find if the infestation is light. Their eggs are very tiny and about the size of a grains of rice which are even harder to see. To make matters worse they tend to be nocturnal so they are waking up and looking for a blood breakfast when most vacationers are going to sleeping.

When you check into your room it is advisable to roll the bed sheets, blankets and comforters all the way down to see if you can find any bed bugs. A tell tale sign that they are there are dark fecal spots or drops of dried blood on the linen, pillowcases, or in the seams around the mattress or box springs. You may also find what appear to be shells of bed bugs which are in fact the skins that they shed as they mature. If you find any sign of their presence, call down to the front desk and ask for another room. You may be able to get a discount on your room for the upsetting experience and inconvenience.

However, bed bugs do not reflect on the cleanliness of hotels and resorts. These insects do not eat crumbs or dirt, or anything we may associate with unsanitary hotel room conditions. They only feed on blood.

In terms of a vacationer’s health, current research indicates that these insects do not appear to spread disease even though they can harbor well over twenty-five different pathogens.

Not everybody gets bitten by bed bugs. Sometimes, if there are two travelers sleeping in the same bed, only one may get bitten. However, bed bugs do not discriminate. Given a chance they will gladly dine on anyone’s blood. Bed bugs are attracted to the heat of our bodies and the carbon dioxide that we exhale when we breathe. They also release chemicals to attract and find each other. These night crawlers move fast and are excellent climbers. They can quietly tag along in a traveler’s luggage or on their clothes.

What can you do to avoid these pests when traveling on your holidays?

Unfortunately, apart from checking the bed linen, mattress, box springs, bed frames, behind the bed’s headboard, any upholstered furniture, and along the baseboards in your room, that’s about all you can do.

Bed bugs are a universal problem and can be found in motels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, hotels, pod hotels, resorts, hospitals, airplanes, trains, buses, cabs, cruise ships, etc. These little blood suckers can be found near any readily available sources of blood, like tired travelers. Bed bugs can even hitch a ride home with you, turning your home sweet home into a living hell.

What can you do to get rid of bed bugs?

You should leave the job to a professional pest control company as these pests are very difficult to get rid of. It’s expensive and can take time treating an infestation of bed bugs which usually involves using steam and pesticides. This process may have to be repeated a number of times before the very hot steam and pesticides kill all of them. Keep in mind that the insects must come into direct contact with the hot steam and pesticides for these tactics to be totally effective.

As far as your home is concerned, prevention is a lot easier and far less costly than the cure. In your home, you do not have to throw your mattress and box springs out. You can easily cover your mattress and box springs with zippered plastic coverings which will prevent bedbugs from hiding in the cracks and crevices of your mattress. There are also zippered plastic protectors that are just as effective for your pillows. This will prevent any possible bedbugs that are inside from getting out. At the same time it will prevent any new infestations from getting in, thus eliminating the bed as a problem. However, this is only one part of the solution. You will still need to apply steam and pesticides to any areas of the home where they could be hiding.

There is a new and exciting revolutionary product that looks very promising for monitoring and eliminating bed bugs. It’s called the NightWatch Bedbug Trap designed by Bio Sensory, Inc. This small, easy to use product has a kairomone, carbon dioxide, and heat lure that traps and kills bed bugs. Under a monitored field test this product captured and killed over a thousand bed bugs. The company’s website is Biosensory.com.

Dorothy Yamich has a passion for travel. She has lived and traveled extensively throughout Europe as well as traveled in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. She is a travel consultant and specializes in luxury cruises as well as vacation packages. To quickly find and book cheap holidays, at the best price possible, every time you feel like traveling, visit Travel Tips Guide, for more information.

Hotels And Resorts – Don’t Let The Bed Bugs Bite When You Travel On Vacation / Author: Dorothy Yamich
 
Occupation: Travel Consultant
Dorothy Yamich has a passion for travel. She has lived and traveled extensively throughout Europe as well as traveled in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. She is a travel consultant and specializes in luxury cruises as well as vacation packages.
http://www.traveltipsguide.com

Fiestas in Spain – Squashed Tomatoes and Jumping Devils

Ask About This Article 18th November 2008Author: Alan Liptrot

Fiestas take place throughout the year in various parts of Spain. The ones in small villages are certainly worth a visit, but if you want to experience something truly spectacular, try one of these;

SEMANA SANTA

Easter week in Spain is something to behold. Processions take place every day across the country, culminating with ‘the big one’ on Good Friday, when members of the various brotherhoods carry huge floats through the streets until the early hours of the morning. The most impressive ones are to be found in Cordoba, Granada, Malaga and Seville.

THE RUNNING OF THE BULLS

Known locally as San Fermin, the patron saint of Pamplona, this week long celebration begins on July 7th. Each morning the runners gather at 8am at the start of the route named ‘Cuesta de Santo Domingo’ and through song, ask San Fermin to protect them during the Bull Run. A rocket signals the release of the first bull, followed by another one when the last bull has left the corral and entered the streets of Pamplona. A third rocket tells us that the bulls have reached the ‘Plaza de Toros and a fourth indicates that the bulls are in their pens and the run is over.

LA TOMATINA

Surely the craziest fiesta on the planet. On the last Wednesday of each August in Bunol near Valencia, thirty thousand visitors join the nine thousand residents for a food fight, or to be more precise, a squashed tomato fight. The event begins when someone has successfully retrieved a ham from atop a large greasy pole. More than one hundred thousand tomatoes are thrown in just over one hour. Those taking part in the event are advised to wear safety goggles. The fiesta was banned under Franco but returned during the 70′s after his death. Don’t forget to take a change of clothes.

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR

For the Spanish, Christmas is a time to be spent with the family. New Year’s Eve however is celebrated across Spain with huge parties organised by the various town councils. At midnight, a grape eaten with each stroke of the clock will bring good luck for the coming year. After that you can enjoy music and dancing until the early hours of the morning.

THE FALLAS FESTIVAL
Valencia hosts the Fallas Festival in mid March. This week long extravaganza of bonfires and fireworks is quite possibly one of the loudest in Spain and that’s saying a lot. Over two million tourists make their way to the city to watch the giant papier-mache Fallas, which are made in the image of famous people and characters from all walks of life, burnt at the end of the festivities, whilst worried fire-fighters stand by. The figures, which are made during the previous twelve months, are displayed in the city during the week, before they are burned amid a frenzy of noise and heat.

THE BABY JUMPING FESTIVAL
Yes, you read that properly. The El Colacho baby jumping festival takes place in Castrillo de Murcia in the foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains every May. All newborns from the previous twelve months are eligible to be leapt over by a man dressed as the Devil, and consequently purged of evil. If you get to the town during the week before the Baby Jumping, you may have the dubious pleasure of being terrorised by one of the two individuals who go around with their truncheons and whips at ready. Then on the Sunday, the babies are laid out on the ground ready for the Devil, who has been hiding in the church, to leap forth and hurdle the infants before disappearing into the distance.

Hopefully, this will have whetted your appetite for a visit to a Spanish fiesta. Whether you opt for a large fiesta or the more intimate village celebration, the common denominator is fun. This is just a small sample of the fiestas that take place around Spain. It’s up to you; do you fancy being chased by a bull, being pelted by a soggy tomato or seeing the Devil himself leaping over innocent babies. You must admit, there’s quite a choice, and every one promises be a memorable experience. Buen Viaje! and hasta pronto.

The Author is the founder of Your Holiday Rentals.com, providing worldwide holiday rentals and villa rentals