My Trip to Gibraltar

About Gibraltar- the tiny British colony of Gibraltar, nicknamed Gib to the locals, or even the rock. The impressive silhouette dominates the strait between Spain and morocco; it was once one of the Pillars of Hercules, marking the western limits of the known world and in an ace position commanding the narrow pathway between the Mediterranean and Atlantic oceans. I like to think of Gibraltar as Britain, but with a suntan, how it should be. There are double decker buses, policemen in traditional helmets and even the bright red mail boxes. Gibraltar was ceded to Britain way back in 1713 and Spain have been trying to claim it back ever since, but recently Spain and Britain have been having talks about a joint angle-Spanish sovereignty, imagine that all the humble trinkets of Britain with the prowess of Spain. The best thing about coming to Gibraltar is the fact you don’t have to exchange anything, everything is in pound coins!

Coming ashore- as you can probably tell, I came to Gibraltar on a cruise holiday a few months ago, I am determined to come back again, hopefully on Cunard’s queen Victoria in 2014 . Gibraltar has a dedicated cruise terminal in the commercial port. There are a range of facilities, a bar, a café, a souvenir shop (in case you’ve forgot a present for your mum on the way home!), an information desk, a bank and currency exchange and loads more, everything is here really if you have forgot anything or are in desperate need for something! It’s a straight walk into the main part of Gibraltar or take a taxi if you’re feeling lazy for around £2.40 a pickup and 15p per 200m, about the cost of an average taxi in the U.K!

What to do in Gibraltar - Gibraltar has a crazy mount of things that you can do, for such a small place, the two places that I like the best are- visit the Barbary macaques! These little monkeys are the most annoying, mischievous, cutest little things on the planet; you instantly fall in love with them. It is said that as long as the apes stay in Gibraltar, Britain will own the rock. You can feed them at either 8 or 4, where they will climb over you, be warned though, hold onto your handbags and try to avoid sunglasses etc. as they may decide to steal them! They are cheeky little creatures.

I love to take the cable car up to St Michaels cave, its super relaxing and thrilling at the same time. As soon as you can even see a glimpse of Gibraltar you notice the huge cliff and you instantly want to go onto the top (well I do anyway!) with views of Spain and Africa from the rocks pinnacle, I don’t think you can get a better view even if you tried, super romantic too.

Where to eat in Gibraltar- food in Gibraltar is amazing, imagine the belly of an Englishman, with the culinary skills of a Spanish man. There are two places that you must go to the first is called 14 on the quay and the second sacarello’s.

14 on the way is a new restaurant and are very sophisticated. The menu changes with the seasons, but starters such as lemon risotto and seared scallops and mains like roasted wild boar and the good old fashioned bubbled and squeak is all served throughout the year. The dessert here is the reason I’d come back, the creamy malt flavoured mousse with a chocolate crust and shortbread was sublime.

Sacrellos is Right Off Main Street, it is renowned for its exquisite coffee and cakes and for its awesome adjacent restaurant. There is a lavish daily salad buffet, as well as baked potatoes filled with many things, pan-fried noodles with broccoli, chicken, mussels etc., you could have the rack of lamb with wine and fine herbs. To end you must have a coffee with cream and vanilla, I don’t know what they do to it, but in my opinion, it’s the best coffee in the world. It looks like a traditional British pub with all the cosy fittings you’d expect.

Overall Gibraltar is the perfect home from home, it’s like Britain, but with added little extras like the sun, the sea and the views.

A wonderful vacation in Costa Rica!

Costa Rica Beach Resorts

Travel to Costa Rica can be simply a great fun. After all, who doesn’t want to visit a country as beautiful as Costa Rica! I had always wanted to visit this fantastic destination which had all the ingredients to make your vacation wonderful. I was traveling from New York. I got cheap tickets on US Airways flights. I reached New York’s LaGuardia International Airport to catch my flights to Costa Rica. After being airborne for a few hours, my flight had finally landed at Juan Santamaría International Airport, the primary airport serving San José, the capital of Costa Rica. The airport is located near the city of Alajuela, 20 km (12 miles) west of downtown San José. The airport has been named after Costa Rica's national hero, Juan Santamaría.

I was visiting Costa Rica for the first time. It would have been rather difficult for me had I not hired a cab with an expert driver. While traveling to my hotel on the car, the street signs were missing. I inquired my driver about this. My driver was a fine gentleman and quite helpful. He told me that neither city nor country areas have any street signs. This was simply queer and amazing, particularly for the first time visitors. This is indeed difficult for a person like me as I would have been lost most of the time. Finally, I reached my hotel, which was not pricey. I had a relaxing and comfortable stay here throughout my journey.

After spending a sound and peaceful night, I was now prepared to begin my tour the next day. I had a sumptuous breakfast and asked for my driver to take me around for sightseeing. My first stop was at Arenal Volcano. It was a smooth and interesting drive here. Along the way, I got off at a coffee plantation. I was curious to know how the coffee is grown, harvested and processed. The workers at the plantation were nice and friendly, and beautifully explained about the whole process. I thanked myself for gathering knowledge about coffee growing as I didn’t know this before. I also saw a waterfall on the way and asked my driver for a brief stop here. I had a gala time at the waterfall and had local strawberries as well.

The Arenal Volcano was often hidden by the clouds, as it appeared that day. Usually, the volcano is visible when the sky is clear. The volcano was active and I could hear the rumble at intervals and the sound of the falling rocks. I was now feeling hungry and had a great lunch. I was eager to see the lava flowing, which was proving to be difficult. I was suggested to stay overnight in the nearby town as most tourists usually do to see the lava flow from the volcano at night. I was indeed fortunate in seeing the lava flow with my naked eyes. The sight was simply incredible. The following day I returned to my hotel. This was the high point of my trip to Costa Rica. I suggest that do consider seeing the Arenal Volcano while visiting the country. You would love this!

Delhi Attractions that You Should Not Miss

The capital of India is a modern, vibrant and lively city, which is steeped in history and culture. Besides modern amenities, the city is replete with architectural marvels, heritage monuments, shopping areas and recreational opportunities that will delight every vacationer.

With the privatization of domestic airlines, today vacationers can get airline tickets for cheap on airlines that operate from practically all major cities and towns in India. The airport has two terminals, one for international flights and the other domestic flights. Nearly all major airlines, such as Air France and British Airways, have regular flights to Delhi. So reaching this city will never pose a major problem.

If you manage to get cheap tickets to Delhi, you should grab them. This will allow you spend less on your travel and enjoy your vacation even more in the city. You can check with your travel agent for flight deals that include accommodation, travel insurance and airport pickup. This will make your vacation even more affordable and ensure you have more money to spend on shopping and picking up beautiful Indian artifacts and souvenirs.

Be sure to visit India Gate located in the center of the city. It was constructed in 1931 by Edwin Lutyen in the memory of Indian soldiers who were killed during the First World War. Under the gate is the poignant eternal flame that has been burning since 1971. In the night, the gate looks beautiful, as it is lit up.

Many people look for cheap flights to Delhi to be able to see the Red Fort, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built during the reign of the Mughal Emperor named Shah Jahan and functioned as the royal residence. The fort has two main entrances, namely the Delhi Darwaza and Lahore Darwaza. The fort’s architecture is beautiful and breathtaking.

Another World Heritage Site in the city is the Qutub Minar, which was built in 1386 and towers to a height of 72.5 meters. There are 379 steps leading to the summit of the tower. The architecture of the tower is in the Indo-Islamic style and worth checking out.

Visiting India and not exploring temples is just not possible. The city too has its share of temples and two are pretty popular attractions, namely the Lotus Temple and the Akshardham Temple. The former is shaped like a lotus and was constructed in 1986. The temple does not allow ritualistic worship. Instead people from all faiths are welcome to come and pray in silence and then disperse. The ponds and gardens in the temple ground are great for escaping the hustle and bustle of the city. The Akshardham Temple sits on the banks of Yamuna River and its carvings will enchant you. It took 11,000 artisans to create this beautiful temple, which is so huge that you would have to spend an entire day exploring it.

Finally, there is the Humayun’s Tomb, which is a fabulous example of the Mughal-era architectural style. It was constructed by the widow of the Mughal Emperor Humayun for his mortal remains.