Best Travel Way

Archive for August, 2011

Dutch Debate Building Tulip Island

Dubai has built Palm Island. Now the world leaders in land reclamation are considering an island in the shape of a tulip to fight overcrowding and shield the coastline from the rising sea.

Supporters of the scheme say it will give Dutch companies a chance to showcase water management skills that are increasingly in demand due to global warming but critics say the plan will be prohibitively expensive and harm delicate ecosystems.

While a poll in October by research company TNS NIPO with the Red Cross showed the Dutch are more afraid of flooding than a terrorist attack many have a strong faith in Dutch expertise and technology to protect them from the water.

The Dutch parliament has asked a commission on coastal development to look into the idea of building islands in the North Sea that could be used for housing farming or a nature reserve while at the same time helping to protect the coast.

“People live on top of each other in the Netherlands” said Christian Democrat politician Joop Atsma who sponsored a parliamentary motion on building in the North Sea. “We are hungry for land. A huge area is needed for building.

Atsma says high land prices threaten the country’s position as the world’s third biggest exporter of agricultural products and make a 100000 hectare island potentially worth 10 billion euros NZ18.7 billion enough of a return to fund the project.

A government body set up to promote innovation has drawn up proposals for an island about 50 km long sparking fierce debate which inspired one blogger to joke that a cannabis leaf may be a more suitable shape than the tulip on the formal plans.

“The Netherlands has a lot of knowhow in terms of water. It exports this knowledge but it is missing out on innovation. More experiments are needed in the fields of alternative energy tides and wind” said Maria Henneman of Innovation Platform.

“Of course it is an expensive investment but with current technology a lot is possible.

The Netherlands literally the Low Countries has a long history of pioneering technology to help it claw back land from the sea and fight recurrent flooding.

US officials sought advice from Dutch experts on water management after floods devastated New Orleans in 2005 and Dutch firms have been central in major coastal developments worldwide.

Dutch firm Boskalis developed techniques during the Zuiderzee and Delta projects to become the world’s largest dredger helping build the island for Hong Kong’s airport and now working on Oman’s “Wave” project a huge resort added to the coast.

Dubai’s island that juts into the shallow waters of the Gulf in the shape of a palm tree was built by Dutch marine contractor Van Oord using more than 100 million cubic metres of sand.

“I live far below sea level and I have never had wet feet at home” Atsma said. “So much can be done with water management.

One of the world’s most densely populated countries with 16 million people living in an area about half the size of Scotland or 485 people per square km a quarter of the Netherlands is below sealevel and it lies on the flood plains of three big rivers.

The country’s earliest inhabitants built their homes and farmsteads on mounds to protect them from flooding. From around 1300 windmills were developed to pump water off lowlying land. Steamdriven pumps accelerated the process in the 19th century.

In 1932 work was completed on a mammoth 32km dike that closed the Zuiderzee off from the North Sea and allowed 1650 square km of land to be drained.

After devastating floods in 1953 killed more than 1800 people the Dutch launched one of the world’s largest construction schemes the Delta project to raise dikes close sea estuaries and build a huge stormsurge barrier.

Scientists expect global warming to raise sea levels along the Dutch coast by up to 85 cms in the next century and cause more severe storms that could make rivers more likely to flood.

“Funny shapes like tulips clogs and windmills are a good way to start a debate but they should not be considered as realistic” said Bert Groothuizen spokesman for Van Oord the builder of the Dubai palm island.

While Dubai’s Gulf rarely sees waves above two meters high the North Sea is much stormier with waves of up to 10 meters.

“The seaward protection must be stronger than in the Arabian Gulf which means that construction costs are greater” he said adding it might be more realistic to extend current Dutch beaches into the sea or move the main airport onto a new island.

That idea was already floated after a plane crashed into an apartment block in Amsterdam in 1992 but it was was shelved due to cost and environmental concerns. Naturelovers have also scuppered plans to drain more land onshore.

Independent environmental group the North Sea Foundation notes that an artificial island could disrupt shipping fishing and migrating birds.

“The North Sea is not a wasteland where you can do whatever you want. Especially the coastal zone is one of the most fertile seas in the world. An island would do a lot of damage to the animal life” said the foundation’s Lisa van der Veen.

Given rising sea levels Van der Veen said it made more sense to protect existing land than build a new island:

“If you build houses on it you would have to build it really high to protect it from storms and waves. Building an island is a huge investment and you could much easier fortify the dikes.

About the writer:  Web design indiaWebsite DesignOutsourcing Company Professional web site designer. Go for Custom web site design at affordable price and be unique. Leading web site company in India. Seo services.

A Vacation In England: How To Fit 2000 Years Of English History Into An England Vacation

A vacation in England is an opportunity to experience history culture fashion and quintessentially English customs and traditions. From the moment you step off your plane or disembark from your ship you cannot help but be captivated by the charm and quirks of this island nation who have been so massively influential globally. Perhaps one of the first places youll think of visiting is London itself the capital city of both England and of course the entire United Kingdom.

London is indeed every bit as awe inspiring as tradition and reputation would have and with over two thousand years of history within its walls there is as much diversity in architecture and design as there is amongst the people who live and work here. With over 300 languages spoken in London it remains an important hub for culture business art and entertainment.

From the majestic Buckingham palace where perhaps you might be fortunate enough to see the changing of the guard to the famous Mall scene of so many parades and celebrations witnessed across the world. Perhaps one of the best ways to see London is to cruise down the Thames the mighty estuary which gave rise to Londons importance so long ago. As you watch the remarkable skyline drift by you cannot help but be struck at the vast range of styles and the innate sense of history and belonging.

Where else can you find a skyline which sees such contrasts as St Pauls Cathedral and Canary Wharf the amazing Gherkin Tower 42 and the palace of Westminster The Millennium Dome and Westminster Cathedral all in perfect harmony embracing so many hundreds of years of history in perfect accord. Perhaps it is this embrace of diversity which has helped London to keep its history and past so alive whilst at the same time forging ahead into the future with imagination determination and energy.

Whether you prefer to stroll through such magnificent royal parks as Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens or go shopping down the world famous Oxford Street or Covent Garden there is more to do here that could possibly fill many vacations. If shopping is your passion then the internationally renowned Harrods is of course an essential visit whilst for others an astonishing tour of London Zoo or an entertaining trip to Madame Tussauds where you can rub shoulders with Hollywood stars and royalty fits the bill.

When it comes to Entertainment Londons West End is an essential place to visit where a range of world class theatres offer a wealth of theatre opera musicals and shows. So many famous names are associated with these shows and performances but as you tour London famous names and famous sights will constantly surround you. Certainly the best way of seeing London properly is to be driven privately by someone with local knowledge since the sheer size and complexity of this city can challenge even the locals.

By engaging the services of a local driver you will be able to appreciate such places as Trafalgar Square the London Eye Park Lane and Mayfair Marble Arch and the unique Tower Bridge. No matter how long you decide to stay in London on vacation it will never be enough and almost certainly you will be planning your next visit even before you have left.

But if you are to appreciate England at its finest during your holiday and to experience the many other reasons why this nation are so justly proud of their island then leave London you must and perhaps head towards Winchester. This cathedral city boasts one of the largest cathedrals in the world and its gothic architecture is astounding. Winchester was the capital city of Wessex an important location if you have ever read any of Thomas Hardys literary works.

Imagine being driven from a gothic cathedral city through miles of rolling English countryside and finding yourself transported magically backwards in time thousands of years. England has a history that is hard to match anywhere else and you cannot fail to be moved by the magic and mystery of Stonehenge. This iconic symbol of ancient times has the power still to move people inspire them even strike awe and fear into mens hearts. If you are able to enlist the services of a good guide then you can learn about the ways in which the seasons the moon the stars and the heavens in general can be read understood and foretold through these powerful rocks placed here by ancestors as distanced from us as though from another world.

But there is so much more to see during your vacation in England from Stratford upon Avon the home of William Shakespeare where perhaps you will see one of his plays being performed again transporting you to another time to the Cotswolds perhaps the epitome of English country life. A well planned itinerary and a good guide or experienced driver will be able to take you on a journey through Englands green and pleasant lands passing through castles and keeps cathedrals and spires thatched cottages and duck ponds village pubs and royal palaces. Take time to visit Althorp the home of the Spencer family and where Diana Princess of Wales is now buried. The finest medieval castle in the country Warwick Castle is just next door.

A vacation in England is a chance to embrace more history in a single day than all the text books you read at school. But English history is not dry and dusty but alive and rubbing shoulders gladly with the modern vibrancy of the twenty first century. It is a country of contrasts of traditions of culture and entertainment. Above all England is an island that is justifiably proud of its unique heritage and always eager to offer a friendly hand to anyone willing to spend time within its boundaries. If you only vacation in England once it will stay with you forever.

About the writer:  If you are seeking a luxury England vacation you can’t beat the personal service offered by Ultitude with top class accommodation food and travel. Ultitude provides you with a luxury travel experience for a fabulous England vacation.

Kham East Tibet

The news was shocking!

The ticket agent at the Shangrila bus terminal in Zhongdian Yunnan province was happy to tell me over and over in both Chinese and English that yes foreigners can now travel east through the Tibet Autonomous Region to Lhasa overland and without a permit! I really couldnt believe what I was hearing but rather than falling down in rapture I agonized over taking advantage of this new policy or continuing as planned on my alreadypaidfor governmentauthorized oneweek tour across Kham to Lhasa. Ultimately it would have been silly for me not to choose the latter.

The decadeold Land Cruiser was in surprisingly good condition having driven through Tibet 99 times. We set out through northern Yunnan to the crags of Feilaisi finding ourselves at a dizzying 4000 meters above sea level and nauseously breathless to stay overnight at a roadside pilgrimage site of sunbleached chortens windtattered prayer flags and a stunning view of Mingyong Glacier.

Bright a light so bright it was hard to believe and early the next morning we continued into undulating hills. Vistas of incomparable beauty revealed themselves with each bend. The forest was a tapestry of earthy shades in orange purple browns and greens both light and dark. With the iridescent blue sky and cottony white clouds above us we traced perilous dirt switchbacks whose collapsing shoulders threatened to toss us hundreds of meters below into the Mekong River; it looked peaceful enough from above its banks and farmland dotted with eyecatching whitewashed adobe homes that seemed to beckon us into Tibet.

Xizang! our driver called out. In fact we had been in Tibet for half a day but how could we know without having crossed any sort of border or being stopped by officials asking to see our papers? We had to remind ourselves that entering Eastern Tibet was now a permitless process and all the checkpoints on our maps and guidebooks were recently abandoned. We celebrated our unbeknownst entry into the TAR Tibetan Autonomous Region by spending the day in the small dusty city of Markham. Winding down from its weekend market the city was brimming with the splendor of the traditional Khampas population: goldenskinned women with their long striped dresses and colorful plaits and largesized men with lengthy braided hair woven with red Chamdo tassels and a solid jade hoop. We were greeted by dozens of redcheeked runnynosed children dancing around us. My European traveling companions were constantly surrounded by a crowd of curious adults who took turns running their fingers along the thick blonde leg hairs then letting out a collective fascinated murmur.

Traveling through Eastern Tibet can be compared with experiencing the four seasons in just a matter of days. While we started with clear skies and venerable forests the next morning took us into icy tundra. Ascending 99 bends into the Hengduan Range the mountains seemed to freeze over before our eyes. At 5008 meters we reached the highest altitude of our trip.

At the bleak Dongdola pass we encountered a settlement of nomadic shepherds drokpas living in black tents while herds of emaciated yakcows grazed the surrounding frozen pastures. These gentle people of an inhospitable land were dressed in simple handwoven attire but they were extravagantly accessorized in coral turquoise and silver jewelry. These shepherds had seen few white faces in their lifetime. One drokpa family had yet to see a digital camera and they were mesmerized by the sight of their own images on the LCD screen.

At Pomda a noisepolluted junction of logging trucks and tractors we met a bunch of international backpackers and hardcore cyclists sitting at the literal crossroads that connects the northern route of the busy SichuanTibet highway with the lesstraveled southern roads. From there our journey took us through and down into verdant terraced hamlets and patchwork plots of land fed by snow springs over the Salween River to the unbelievably mintblue twin lakes of Rawoktso. Dodging Khams morning traffic of goats lamb and yakcows yes crossbred we pressed on along the boulderstrewn road of the Sundzom Valley past the Parlung Tsangpo white water rapids and old avalanches of frozen snow to Tongmei where we encountered our first real obstacle.

Rumors had been circulating amongst the backpackers wed been meeting on the road about a downed bridge at the Brahmaputra and Parlung Tsangpo convergence which would prevent anyone from continuing on to Lhasa. It turned out the bridge was fine but a landslide on the other side had literally wiped the road off the sheermountain face. Anyone wanting to continue on had to either nimbly navigate a narrow footpath or wait a week or longer.

So it was here that we said goodbye to our Land Cruiser and crossed the bridge to meet another driver. The organizer of our trip told us via cellphone from his cozy office in Kunming that the new driver would be waiting just a short walk from the landslide. It turned out to be an arduous fourhour hike up a treacherous mountain path above the Rongchu gorge in the dark of night under the pouring rain of Tibets monsoon season. We braved the muddy slopes deftly crossing washouts and literally dodging falling rocks from above before finally arriving at a construction workers tent made from a giant nylon bag. The Israeli and British backpackers decided to stay while my companions and I trekked onward in search of our new driver.

With our new vehicle and driver we headed onwards toward Lhasa. Passing vivid fields of yellow youcai flowers we arrived at the famous Draksumtso an azure lake and lush Alpine forest which would have been breathtaking had it not been for the sea of baseball capwearing tour groups the isolated beauty of Eastern Tibet was behind us.

About the writer:  TOM CARTER is the author of ‘CHINA: Portrait of a People’ a definitive 600page book of photography due out winter 2007 from Hong Kong publisher Blacksmith Books.