The Luster of Lanquin, Guatemala

A True Taste of Tyrol

Five Fabulous Foods in Greece

World Amber Museum in St. Thomas
I have just come back from a 7 day cruise to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Antigua and Tortola and can’t wait to tell about a fascinating new attraction on St. Thomas: the World Amber Museum which only opened on 16th February 2009. To find it, head for Blackbeard’s Castle in the center of downtown and start climbing the 99 steps. At the first section you come across the signs for the amber museum but it takes a bit of twisting and turning and a few wrong steps before you discover the entrance. It’s in fact a replica of a tropical rain forest which generates the light green amber of the Caribbean. The modest fee of $2 is paid to a guy called Michael who runs a cafe at

The Winter Olympics, Getting Around
In Vancouver, transit officials believe that the traffic restrictions in place for the 2010 Winter Olympics will lead to an increase of 20 percent in the number of people using public transport. Currently, 800,000 people use transit each weekday. To help with the increased numbers, 180 extra buses, a third Seabus, and 48 more Skytrain cars will be brought into use, though none of these services will be available around the clock during the Olympics. Transit users are being urged to avoid travelling between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The number of people riding on transit is not the only figure to consider. 5,500 athletes will be competing at the Olympic Game

Camera Talk: Camera Flash
Natural light is always the best choice when using your camera outdoors. Camera flash is always my last resort for eliminating harsh shadows, but sometimes it’s the only available solution. Had this Queen been modeling for me, I’d have used a reflector board and bounced some of the bright sunlight outside her carriage into the scene to lighten the dark shadows, naturally. This shot was one I had been trying to capture at the Coronation Parade in Naha Okinawa, Japan for the past two years and I had to do it in a split second. So my camera flash was required. Some important adjustments need to be made on your camera before making a shot like this. Number one: Remove your lens

Winter Olympics News, Traffic Restrictions
The Winter Olympics are being held between Feb. 12 and 28, 2010 in Vancouver and Whistler. The road closures in Vancouver begin on Nov. 1 when a section of 1st Avenue will be closed so that the area around the Olympic Village can be ‘secured.’ The 2010 Winter Olympic organizers are hoping to eliminate 30% of all vehicle trips in Vancouver’s downtown core, across the bridges to the North Shore, and along the Sea-to-Sky Highway towards Whistler. As a permit will be required to park at Whistler during the Olympics, ticket holders for events at Whistler will have to book a seat on an Olympic bus, which become available on Nov. 24 and will cost $25 from its various start p

Vancouver, New Canada Line Information
From Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver, it takes 26 minutes to the airport and 25 minutes to Richmond or Brighouse. The cost for either trip during the week is $3.75 (two zones in Vancouver transit terms). During the weekends the cost is $2.50. Cellphones will work in the underground sections. The train has wide aisles with storage for luggage and also special areas for bikes, long enough to park a tandem in. The stations are all rather plain with just a few lines of blue tiles breaking the monotony in places. The journey is underground from Waterfront station via Vancouver City Centre, Yaletown – Roundhouse, Olympic Village, Broadway – City Hall, King Edward, Oakridge –