I am grateful to be here by invitation from the Finnish Tourist Board for a site inspection and travel conference. After hotel check in, I am given a private city tour by Irene, a local guide with sincere passion for her city. There are 560,000 inhabitants and 43% are single! What a venue for a creative AFS trip. Finland is 10% water with 187,000 lakes and 584 islands.

This is a high tech capital of the world. Fins have an extreme appreciation for innovation and love their toys. Everyday tasks are preformed on their Nokia Imaging cell phones. With it they can buy a tram ticket, pay a parking fine or program their lights to turn on before they arrive home. This is also sauna world where nearly every house has an electric sauna. There are over 2 million and even some restaurants have them. Caf Tin Tango is a place where you can do your laundry, eat lunch and sip a beer in a sauna with locals discussing how to solve the worlds problems.

The shopping is great for designer knitwear, jewelry and glassware. Although tax free, prices are high, yet I am told Oslo is far more expensive. At night locals fill clubs that provide some Nordic oddity like gay karaoke, sauna and ice bars.

Sunday I fly the polar express 600 miles north to Roveneimi, gateway to Lapland and where the fun begins. People here ride bikes in the snow, swim in the ice holes and do artic picnics. The hottest activities happen in winter. Last month the city of 35,000 received 20,000 visitors. It is 2 Fahrenheit and considered exceptionally warm

We are a group of 22 tour operators from around the world and check into a cozy wilderness lodge. Each room has a private sauna. Dinner is presented in a rustic lodge lit with traditional candles muted lighting. Glow fried salmon was prepared over an open hearth along with wild mushroom soup and blackberry mousse. Afterward we gather to bake in a smoke wood sauna.

Monday morning we are outfitted head to toe in Gortex artic suits for a full day snowmobile safari. We each mount our super Skidoos and head out to the forest. Across the lakes we reach speeds of 50mph! First stop is a husky farm with 200 dogs to greet us. Seven blue eyed huskies are chosen per sleigh for our dog sled adventure. The cacophony of yelping, howling and barking is near deafening as the dogs anxiously await their turn to run. So strong, so gentle and they love their work. Upon rope release, theyre off like a bullet and the journey is thrilling. We get to view 9 new puppies. After a thousand licks, I hate to leave.

We stop at a farmhouse for a lunch of sauted reindeer, goat cheese potatoes and cranberry ice cream. Back on our snowmobiles, we traverse a snow covered paradise. We cross the Artic Circle, the most northern terrain of all my travels. Parallel with Siberia and just 40 miles to the Russian border, I want to defect but we soon stop at a reindeer farm to be greeted by costumed Lapp-lads. They perform the customary Lappish baptism and give us an official border certificate as well as a reindeer drivers license. We then enjoy a sleigh ride from the docile yet powerful deer.

This is the land of the indigenous Sami. We learn of the fascinating culture of these semi-nomadic people who live on top of the world. Reindeer husbandry is the oldest livelihood. They possess a genuine love of this frozen land.

We had 4 hours of daylight today. As I change back into my jeans, I recall that I was never cold, not even my toes. We motorcoach north to Luosto, a village of 40 residents and check into a beautiful ski resort. Outside on my balcony is a theatre of wilderness. The purity of nature is shown through a forest of birch trees backlit by the moon. The snow listens. White silence surrounds me. I am entranced by the tranquility. This is a romantic environment where all haste is forgotten. Simply put, it is spectacular. Here I wait. Here on earth, the Aurora Borealis presents its most amazing spectacle. Perhaps Ill get a glimpse. A peaceful sleep overcomes me after a totally exhilarating day.

The next day we dine on a hearty breakfast of smoked fish and set out to tour the area. One resort has 310 log cabins each with a private sauna. We tour an amethyst mine, the largest working mine in Europe. With picks in hand, it was a treasure hunt to dig out the brightest purple gemstone. On to the tiny ski town of Pyha, where we lunch at the worlds largest log cabin. There is a snow chapel here entirely sculpted from snow and ice. Weddings are routinely performed. With ice pews, the sermons are short. Another highlight here was a visit to Santa Claus Village. I got to meet the real Santa. He lives here and is fluent in a dozen languages. His elves are busy in the post office answering the annual 40,000 letters from children around the world.

Back at the airport, our plane lifts off a runway of solid ice. I will miss the polar darkness and yet long to return for a visit in the summer with its 24 hours of sunlight.

The following days are productively spent at the travel trade show in contemporary Helsinki. I have learned so much of a land that exceeded my expectations. I never had a chance to overnight in the Ice Hotel of Kemi, ride the Sampo Ice Breaker or swim the Baltic Sea in a floating survival suit. But Im grateful for a taste of Lappish adventure. On my last night, a flickering of northern lights dance in the sky. Its a perfect scene to bid me farewell and is said to bring good luck. I hope good fortune will allow me the chance to share this adventure with a group soon. It is like no where else Ive been. Everyone should experience such a warm atmosphere in the heart in winter.

Ko Chang

In October 2003, the travel bug seriously bit me. The symptoms led me to sell my business, pack a small backpack with necessary items and roll into Los Angeles International Airport with a major credit card and an attitude. A few days later, I was in Thailand and headed for the island of Ko Chang, located close to the border with Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand.

Ko Chang is a heavily forested island with little towns full of beach huts. This is what I was exactly what I was after. Spending days lounging in the sun and contemplating my navel. Unfortunately, I soon experienced the local bacteria, which was not what I was after.

Since I had rented my beach hut for a week with payment in advance, the family running the place looked me upon favorably. They took pity on me and I was soon growing fat on Tom Yom Kung and other soups and curries. After four days, I had finally kicked the bug and felt halfway human. This was good news as it was the night of the full moon water festival.

I had heard of full moon festivals in Thailand. For hard partying tourists, this was apparently the night the big beach parties happened. In Ko Chang, it was a little different as the night was tailored to the actual Thais, not tourist.

The Loi Kathong Festival happens every full moon. Offerings are given to appease the water spirits. These offerings come in the form of banana leaf bowls with flowers, fruit, candles and incense. The candles and incense are lit and everyone heads down the beach and starts putting them in the water. It is one of the more amazing light shows you will ever see and beats Las Vegas hands down. Thousands, and I mean thousands, of little lights bobbing on the surface of the smooth ocean.

After the bowls comes one of the most visually amazing things Ive ever seen. Everyone is familiar with the paper lanterns used in Asia. Typically, they come in the form of a rectangle form with a bamboo or light wire frame. Very popular with college students since they are cheap and look better than a bare light bulb.

For the festival, Thais would take these paper lanterns and close off the top. They would then affix a small this paper plate to the bottom with a candle on it. Light the candle, wait for the heat to do its work and they had an instant hot air balloon. Once the lanterns could float, you simply let go and off the slowly went over the ocean. It was a sight to see as there were thousands of them floating over the water.

As the festival wound down, the ocean had been transformed. The air was full of gracefully floating lanterns while the water itself was dotted with slowly bobbing points of light.

If you intend to travel to Thailand, make sure you schedule your trip around a full moon. It is a scene youll never forget.

Kangaroo Island is about seven times the size of Singapore and around 155 kilometres in length, with the town of Kingscote being the island’s capital and main settlement. Wildlife is abundant on the island, where koalas laze in the gum trees and seals laze on the beach. In addition, kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, platypi and goannas all thrive on the island.

A wide range of tours are available on Kangaroo Island, enabling you to relax while someone else does the driving. In addition, guides can provide a great deal of information about Kangaroo Island on the way. Both coach tours and four-wheel drive tours are available, with most tours collecting passengers from their accommodation, the airport or the ferry terminal. Bike riding and hiking are also possible for those with the energy, but beware that Kangaroo Island is large and the necessary level of fitness is required for these options.

Large luxury vehicle and passenger ferries operate between Cape Jervis on the South Australian coast and Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island (travelling time 45 minutes). There are four departures daily, with extra services at peak times. Bus connections are available to/from Adelaide to Cape Jervis, and to/from Penneshaw to American River and Kingscote on the island. Regional Express operates a 30-minute air service from Adelaide to Kingscote Airport, located 13km from Kingscote.

Because of its relative isolation, Kangaroo Island has experienced much less impact from European settlement than than the South Australian mainland. Half the bushland on Kangaroo Island remains untouched since the time of British navigator Matthew Flinders named the island in 1802, and more than a third of the Island has National Park or Conservation Park status. This pristine bushland supports a rich wildlife population of wildlife and makes Kangaroo Island on of the best places in Australia to see wildlife in its natural environment.

Kangaroo Island was separated from mainland Australia about 10,000 years ago. In that time, some species have evolved differently from their mainland counterparts. This is evident for example in the Kangaroo Island Kangaroo (a subspecies of the Western Grey Kangaroo common in south-eastern Australia) which is today smaller, darker and has longer fur than its mainland counterpart. The now endangered Glossy Black Cockatoo is also a unique Kangaroo Island sub-species, as is the small marsupial carnivore the Sooty Dunnart.

Similarly, King Island’s plants have evolved in isolation to the point where at least 45 species are endemic (found only on Kangaroo Island) including several eucalypts. The total absence of feral creatures such as foxes and rabbits helps ensures the integrity Kangaroo Island’s bushland ecosystems.

In recognition of Kangaroo Island’s unique plant and wildlife species (some of which are either threatened or unique to the island), National and Conservation parks were declared across the island very early in the history of its European settlement. Kangaroo Island’s National Parks provide access to spectacular coastline scenery, unique geological formations, fascinating history and abundant wildlife. There are four major parks: Flinders Chase National Park (walking trails and spectacular rock formations), Kelly Hill Conservation Park (limestone caves and hiking), Seal Bay Conservation Park (Australia’s largest accessible colony of sea lions) and Cape Willoughby Conservation Park (first lighthouse in South Australia).

The New Year’s parade in Hong Kong is an event not to be missed! The city is dressed up with bright decorations and colorful lights for its biggest celebration of the year, and thousands pour into Hong Kong to take part in the festivities.

Winding along Hong Kong’s picturesque waterfront, the New Year’s parade is filled with colorful, lavishly decorated floats. Representatives from Hong Kong and countries all over the world sing, dance and play music. The songs of marching bands fill the air along the parade’s route as performers in bright costumes prance along the streets.

The forthcoming year (2006) is the Year of the Dog. No matter which zodiac animal is being celebrated for the coming year, there are always plenty of lions and dragons in the parade. Energetic dancers wearing giant lion heads leap in the air as long dragons held aloft by more than twenty people snake past the enthralled parade watchers.

The New Year’s parade is the biggest event of Hong Kong’s Lunar New Year celebration. Close to 300,000 people attend the parade and millions more watch it on television. In recent years the parade has taken place in the evening, featuring vivid, dazzling light displays.

The Lunar New Year is one of Hong Kong’s most important and well-loved holidays. Each year one of twelve different animals is celebrated, according to the Chinese zodiac. Many of the city’s towering skyscrapers are decked out in glittering lights for the holiday. Throughout the three-day celebration, dancers in colorful costumes perform lion and dragon dances in the streets, malls and hotel lobbies. Traditionally, people exchange small, red envelopes filled with money as gifts. Flower markets show up all over the city during the holiday, selling plants and flowers with special significance, and stores and restaurants display flowers meant to bring immortality and good luck.

The New Year celebration usually begins anywhere from January 21 to February 19, depending on the year. While the holiday officially lasts fifteen days, in Hong Kong it is celebrated for three days, with the New Year’s parade taking place on the first day. January 29, 2006 is the first day of the forthcoming new year.

The day after the New Year’s parade a brilliant display of fireworks lights up
Hong Kong’s famous Victoria Harbour. The fireworks can be viewed from the waterfront or from boats cruising the harbour. On the third day of the celebration a large horse race takes place at the Sha Tin racetrack. This lively race is a favorite for gamblers and horseracing enthusiasts.

It’s no wonder why so many travel to discover all that Hong Kong has to offer, with the vibrant fusion of ancient customs and modern day fun at one of the world’s biggest Chinese New Year celebrations.

Milan

Milan is a thoroughly modern city and I would hazard to guess a wealthy one. This is not really the place for a budget traveler, but then again budget travelers seem to survive anywhere.

Milan is a good city to stroll around in. One can see a lot of interesting little shops and neighborhoods, but there isnt the monument to you find in most Italian cities. Dont worry, the Cathedral makes up for it all.

In a city with a very modern feel, an old structure dominates. If you have interest in churches, you must visit Milan. The Duomo is simply staggering in appearance. From the outside, it is all gothic spires and frescos. I dont know why, but the place is just radiates intensity and power. The inside of the structure is world unto itself. Marble is everywhere and you cant help but stand around with your mouth open.

I hate to say it, but Milan can be a bit boring once youve had your fill of the Cathedral. The nightlife can be vibrant, but there is a definite dress to be seen feel to the place.

Pisa

Who hasnt heard of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. When you visit, you will indeed find the tower is leaning. Unfortunately, you will not find much else. The tower is impressive as are the buildings immediately surrounding it. Nonetheless, the rest of Pisa is more interested in getting on with things. A nice place to visit, but dont plan on spending more than a day or two.

There is nothing inherently wrong with Milan or Pisa if you know what to expect. If youre expecting destinations similar to Rome, youll be disappointed.

Lets start off with the obvious attractions: Castles, German Beer and German Food.

Castles: Arguably the number one attraction of Germany. Castles are one of Germanys most historic prized possessions. With at least one Castle in every single decent sized town in Germany, you will always have a place to visit no matter where your travels in Germany take you. Most of these Castles have nice restaurants inside where you are given information on the historic value of the establishment, not to mention great food in my experience.

German Beer: Many say that German beer is the best in the world, because of this many German breweries are hesitant to give up their tricks of the trade many saying its in the water. Whether this is true or not Germany definitely has a reputation for providing delicious preservative free beer. The German government actually mandates that only a few main ingredients are to be added to the beer and no preservatives can be added, BY LAW.

German Food: I am sure that you all have either heard about or tried some of the typical German dishes, i.e. Schnitzel, Wursts (German sausage) and Spatzle, but what you may not have tried are some of the not so traditional but common dishes in Germany. If you are planning a trip to Germany I recommend going to any German restaurant and ordering the house special. Most restaurants, just like in the U.S., have a house special that is different from restaurant to restaurant and will usually be very delicious.

In this continuing series, we cover my move from San Diego to Chita, Siberia to be a professor at Chita State Technical University. We pick up the story outside the airport in Khabarovsk, Russia.

Khabarovsk

Khabarovsk is an amazing city. Museums with works from Picasso, Rembrandt and other masters. A bustling downtown area with cafes, a lively music scene and architectural triumphs. Then again, maybe not. We were far more interested in finding a hotel with hot water and never ventured into the city.

Outside of the airport, we were a bit flummoxed by the fact there appeared to be no taxis. We quickly learned that practically any Russian with a car is also a taxi for hire. After 5 minutes of egging each other on, Grae made taxi arrangements and we were off. Apparently taking in out disheveled appearance after 3 days of traveling, our driver suggested the Intourist hotel. We readily agreed.

During communism, Intourist hotels were set up for exclusive use by foreigners. Ours was fairly nice and, importantly, had showers with copious amounts of hot water. You can see a picture at http://www.lodging.ru/hotels/intouristkhab.asp. After having returned to humanity with one of the best showers of my life, it was time to brush up on my Russian skills.

I am a huge fan of ice hockey. During the eighties and nineties, many of the best players were Russians. In interviews, they almost always talked about learning English by watching television. If it worked for them, it would work for me. Not exactly.

As Grae showered, I flipped through the eight available channels. Sitcoms were a non-starter, but I eventually found a news channel. I see the images. I know what the images are. I hear the words being spoken by the reporters. I have absolutely no idea of what words go with what images. Okay, lets back up. What words do they use over and over? Damn, do they have to talk so fast? After 30 minutes, I have learned nothing, nada, zippo. My respect for Russians playing in the NHL has never been higher.

Might as well sleep on it. Yes, day three of the trip was finally done. My original prediction of a 2-day trip was out the window. Still, we were in Russia, so how much longer could it take? Pull out a map and take a look at the country. It is twice the size of the U.S.

Next When Stairs Attack

The protected waters around the islands provide a haven for boaties. Be the captain of your own ship as you explore the endless passages with plenty of harbours and secluded sheltered bays to hide away in. Drop your anchor and spend a night in the crystal clear waters of your own personal paradise.

Airlie Beach is the closest mainland town to the Whitsundays and provides a great starting point for your vacation. Plenty of first class accommodation can be found there as well as shopping and restaurants. You can book all your tours from here which leave from Shute Harbour twenty minutes down the road.

Within easy reach of Airlie Beach is the Great Barrier Reef, a must do activity on your vacation. Explore the vast coral reefs with there stunning colors by diving, snorkelling or even sitting in a semi submersible for a once in a lifetime experience.

For a vacation you will talk about for years Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays will keep you entertained and enthralled for as long as you stay in the region.

Lake Balaton

Lake Balaton is located in the wine-growing region of Hungary. It just so happens the Lake is also populated with a number of thermal mineral springs. Hmmwine and hot tubs! On top of this, the lake is relatively shallow resulting in water temperatures in the seventies in the summer. All and all, it is nearly impossible to get stressed out at Lake Balaton.

Lake Balaton is located about an hour an half to the west of Budapest by minivan. While minivan travel can be aggravating, this trip is definitely worth it. There are plenty of hotels and resorts in the area, although summer weekends can get packed.

Visegrad

Visegrad is a tower castle that has seen better days. In its heyday, Visegrad was a major outpost for the Roman Empire. The history of Visegrad is interesting, but you will want to visit for a different reason. Visegrad is a great place to parasail. Located approximately 1,000 feet above a river, the terrain and air currents are ideal if youre interested in flying like a bird. In fact, you can literally float for hours.

Szentendre

Szentendre is a little town located about 20 minutes north of Budapest. The town has an old feel with cobblestone streets and outdoor cafes. Perhaps the biggest reason to go, however, is the vibe of the town. Szentendre is the artist center of Hungary. Walk down the streets and you will start seeing art you recognize from shops in Budapest. There are literally hundreds of galleries and artist sketching in the sun. If art is your thing, Szentendre is worth a visit.

Budapest is definitely the must see location of Hungary, but Lake Balaton, Visegrad and Szentendre are definitely worth a look.

First we must divide this question into two parts. If you are coming for the legendary skiing on Whistlers 8000+ acres, you have to choose sometime between November and April. Although there is skiing available later than April it is not for serious skiers, due to the combination of marginal snow conditions and limited mechanized uplift. Within this time, you should definitely avoid November, as although occasionally there is good snow, more often than not it is too thin on the ground. So your choice is between the months from December to April. What are the main characteristics of each month?

December is a game of two halves. The early part will find the slopes deserted, great deals on accommodation and restaurants and a lottery with respect to snow. If you have come in a great early snow year, this will be a fabulous time to visit. If not, bring your rock skis and plan to spend some time in Whistlers great spas. Later in December, and especially over Christmas and New Year, you will pay the steepest prices of the season, have trouble getting a table in any of the good restaurants and stand in some brutal line-ups on the Harmony Chair. However you will experience the rush which goes with peak season in a top resort: the buzzing nightlife, the parades, the fireworks and the thrill of First Night in the Village.

January often has the best snowfalls of the year (Jan 2006 was the snowiest month in Whistler for 25 years). It also offers discounted accommodation (you can safely wait to the last minute to get a great deal on a beautiful chalet or condo), and no lift lines, except on weekend powder days, when the locals will crowd the lifts lines at 8.00 to catch the fresh tracks. But it can be cold, and it gets dark early. January is the best month for hard-core skiers.

February and March are more crowded, but more mellow. Avoid Presidents Week in February and Spring Break in March and you could have the best of all worlds: plenty of time for snowfall accumulation to have built up, plenty of buzz in town but easy access to the best tables.

April is mainly for the British market, who come over in droves during their Easter holidays. The peculiarity of the April snow is that there is more of it at the top of the mountain, but less at the bottom, so dont bother to pay the premium for a ski-in, ski-out condo as it may not be possible. Last minute Whistler accommodation discounts are widely available in April.

In the non-skiing season you can pretty much write off the autumn: too cold to swim in the lakes and too much rain. May and June can be fabulous weather-wise; perfect conditions for white-water rafting in the snow run-off and great golfing weather. But you will probably have to leave it to July and August if you are looking for warm water in Whistlers beautiful lakes.