Make The Most Of Layover Time Between Flights
For the frequent flyer and the occasional traveler alike, layover time is both an unfortunate occurrence and a fact of life. These hours can be empty and mindless or they can be used productively, or, at the very least, in a way that makes time go faster. So, how do you spend the hours while waiting for your flight? With a little creativity, this once wasted time can become time well spent. A Time to Relax Perhaps you are looking for a calm, relaxed way to spend your layover time. If this is the case then you have many choices. Besides sitting around watching the planes take off, you can listen to some music. Portable mp3 players and other forms of listening devices have made carrying around an entire library of music very manageable. Listening to your favorite songs is a nice relaxing way to spend your time in peace. People watching is a great way to spend time during a layover as well. As a meeting place for individuals from various countries and regions of the world, an airport is an ideal location for people watching. This is a favorite hobby of many travelers. Watching people, wondering where they are going and for what reason can pass the time in a fun way. You could spend your time enjoying a book or magazine. This is the perfect chance to catch up on some of your pleasure reading. Books that have either been given to you as a present or you yourself have purchased provide a great way to spend layover time between flights. If you did not pack any reading materials, you can take a stroll through the terminal and visit some of the airport’s stores. Peruse the reading materials at newsstands until you find something of interest. Layover time can be well spent by doing some window shopping. Most major airports have many great stores offering a wide range of products. A More Technological Approach If you are travelling, it is important to have your cell phone fully charged. If your cell phone is not charged, take the time available during a layover to charge your phone and any other electronics you are carrying with you. Time spent during a layover is an ideal time to catch up on all the conversations you have been putting off, or did not have the time to make. Take advantage of the time available during a layover by catching up with friends and family that you have not spoken with in a while. For a more solitary, although just as entertaining approach, you could bring along a portable DVD player and enjoy your favorite movies. A portable DVD player usually costs between $100-$200 but in a situation such as a layover, it is money well spent. The television sets in the airport tend to be tuned to news shows. If that does not interest you, or cannot sustain your interest, a portable DVD player is a great solution. Plug in some headphones and escape into a great movie. Don’t be surprised if you see some other people watching along with you, envious of the entertainment options you have brought along. If There Is Work to Be Done For those individuals who have a laptop computer, a layover is the great time to catch up on any work-related reading or projects which can be accessed via a laptop. Nowadays, many airports offer wireless internet access, and also several outlets which can be used to either to charge or power-up a laptop computer. Any work which can be completed in the airport during a layover is work you will not have to do later. You can surf the web for business or go to any other sites you choose. You can surely find something to keep yourself occupied with for the duration of your layover. You have time on your hands; why not make the most of it? Layovers can be viewed as a waste of time or as an opportunity. The list of activities you could engage in during a layover is practically endless. Capitalizing on the time available is an opportunity to take care of tasks otherwise put off. Tasks for business or for your personal life can be achieved during a layover. Get ahead at work by taking the time available during a layover to complete important assignments. Buy presents for the holidays or for a birthday coming up. Of course, if you are tired or do not feel like doing any work, the time available during a layover is perfect for simply relaxing. Listening to your favorite songs or watching some great movies will no doubt speed up the time between flights. Use your imagination and take advantage of the time available in the way which pleases you most.Lisa Parker is a freelance writer who writes about topics and tips involving the travel industry and vacation deals, often discussing specific subjects such as hotels and cheap flights at http://www.flightcentre.ca/flights/.
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Famous Ocean Explorers
Today the thought of yachts conjures up images of sunbathing, Caribbean holidays and luxury. But not so long ago, these vessels were the simple structures that intrepid explorers called home for many years at a time and transported people to places that they could never have dreamed existed. Yachts like the Santa Maria helped sailors find the North American continent while the Victoria was the first vessel to sail around the globe. Hundreds of years ago people were not only driven by the desire to explore the earth, but also to claim the best access to the riches of spices in the East. Many journeys ensued, with some resulting in the most spectacular and accidental discoveries. Even though every corner of the earth has now been “discovered”, man’s desire to explore the oceans has never ceased. To this day brave men and women face the swells to cement themselves in history by conquering the world’s oceans. The Forerunners of Ocean Exploration Bartholomew Dias and Vasco Da Gama The Portuguese have often been credited as some of history’s bravest explorers and the establishment of the Spice Route to India is to this country’s credit. What drove much exploration of the seas in the early years was a desire to gain the best access to the rich resource of spices in the East. In his quest to find such a route, Bartholomew Dias became the first European to navigate around the southern-most tip of Africa. It was Dias who first named the Cape the “Cape of Storms” and while the explorers did not make it all the way to the East on their 1488 journey, they have never been forgotten for their feat of being the first Europeans to sail around the tip of the African continent. Vasco Da Gama was more successful in his quest to create the best Spice Route for the Portuguese and, in 1498, reached Calicut in India. The tales of his cruel treatment of the people living in the places along the route are chilling, but his victory was claiming the best Spice Route possible in the name of the Portuguese. This sea route was far less treacherous than heading overland through Asia and gave Portugal the ultimate advantage in trade in the 15th and 16th centuries. Christopher Columbus By 1493, Italian Christopher Columbus was convinced that a quicker route could be found to the East by travelling west. What resulted was a discovery that changed the face of world geography forever. When he could not convince his own countrymen of his theory, Columbus moved to Spain and managed to convince the authorities to fund his expedition. He set sail in August 1492 and was in sight of the Bahamas within only ten weeks, which he mistakenly believed to be Japan. Further west when the voyagers reached Cuba, they were convinced they had found China and moved inland to “India”. The dark-skinned people they encountered were soon labelled “Indians” and Columbus returned to Europe victorious in his achievement of finding the quickest route to the riches of the East. Columbus returned to his East three times during the remainder of his life exploring Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Trinidad. He died believing he had found the shortest route to the East, never knowing that he had in fact discovered something much, much more important. Ferdinand Magellan Ferdinand Magellan was not discouraged by the subsequent discovery of Columbus’ actual failure to find a westerly route to the East and set of in 1519 to prove that it could be done. Although from Portugal, Magellan undertook this journey with Spanish backing and set sail in 1519. The five ships in the party housed 260 men who had no idea where they were going as Magellan believed they would be too frightened too continue. A massive storm along the coast of South America forced the ships to seek cover and thus Magellan discovered an inlet — completely by accident. The Magellan Strait, as it is now known, offers a route through the South American continent to the Pacific Ocean on the other side. With one ship deserting the voyage, Magellan and his four other ships suffered extreme hardships on the Pacific and only 18 of the 260 men made it back to Spain three years later. The journey went through the Philippines where Magellan himself was killed in battle and on to the East where the ships were loaded with spices. The Victoria continued west and made it back to Spain, while all of the other ships were lost at sea. The westerly spice route discovered by Magellan and his crew was not used for many years, thanks to the treacherous outcome it had for the many men on board. Instead of discovering a new Spice Route, Magellan is actually credited with captaining the first circumnavigation of our globe, a more impressive feat by miles. Modern Ocean Explorers Ocean exploration has never stopped since the great explorers of the 15th and 16th centuries, but has simply evolved to become more in depth, competitive and adventurous. By the beginning of the 20th century, most of the earth’s waters had been explored and ocean travels became more about setting records than discovering new places. The year was 1895 when American Joshua Slocum set out to become the first man to sail solo around the world. He sustained himself during the three year trip by stocking up on supplies from islands along the way and his safe return home in 1898 cemented his place in the history books. The next person to better this record was Sir Francis Chichester in 1967 who managed an around the world feat that only required one stop in a year long trip aboard Gypsy Moth. It was a fellow Briton, Robin Knox-Johnston who, twelve years later, managed to finally circumnavigate the world without stopping — in a lightning fast 312 days. In 1988, Kat Cottee became the first woman to sail solo and non-stop around the world in an improved time of only 189 days. To date, the fastest solo trip every recorded to circumnavigate the globe occurred as recently as 2008. Francis Joyon, a 51 year old Frenchman, climbed aboard his 98ft fire-engine red trimaran Idec and reappeared around the world just 57 days later. This took a massive 14 days off the previous record which was held by the fastest female sailor in the history of yachting, Dame Ellen McArthur.Find out more about some of the spectacular yachts sailing our oceans today, many of which are available to buy or charter. http://www.ypi.co.uk/
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