Bush’s nomination of Paul Wolfowitz to lead the World Bank has attracted a lot of criticism from people who don’t
believe the architect of the Iraq War has the chops or compassion to lead the global institution. But according to
Reuters, Wolfy,
playing diplomat, has apparently checked in with U2 lead singer Bono to win the rock star-cum-global-activist’s
blessings…or perhaps just to have him sign his copy of Joshua Tree.
Looking for a Killer Surf Hotel?
So was Bill Lee. He had very exacting requirements, too. He wanted the perfect surf spot with ample opportunities for hard-core adventure junkies, but also the perfect mix of laid-backedness and good food and friendly people. So when he had trouble finding this hotel, he said fu%$ it, I’ll start my own. Which is what he did.
So after cruising the surf beaches of the Caribbean and the northern Pacific for a year or so he decided to found eXtreme Hotels. EXtreme Cabarete, Lee’s property on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, matches his ideal. It caters to adrenalin sport enthusiasts, from kite boarders, to paragliders and rock climbers.
Miami Herald Travel Expo
The Miami Herald is having its third annual travel
expo this weekend, March 19-20, 2005 for any
interested persons in south Florida. Not quite as big as some of the other
expo’s that have happened in the last few months, yet it looks as if they have a pretty nice line-up of
travel information as well as guest speakers. Peter Greenberg, Editor of the Today Show will be in
attendance as well as father-daughter, Frommer & Frommer. Topic areas include luxury travel, gay
travel, budget travel, adventure travel, family travel, and women on the road. Also, there will be quite a
few travel giveaways if that peaks your interest.
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Lost My Heart In…
The Guardian runs a clever little series called
“Lost My Heart In…” where they
ask famous….or not-so-famous…people what their favorite place is and why. They’re short, but fun. In
this one, Nick Park of Wallace and
Gromit fame mentions Antarctica. But there are also “Losts” for the Hebrides, Donegal, Iran, and so on. I like this
idea. Maybe we should start doing something like this…
Welcome to the Hitler Hotel
The opening of
a luxury hotel on the site of Adolf
Hitler’s Alpine retreat in southern Germany is aimed at boosting tourism, but it has also sparked new debate about the
country’s Nazi past.
The five-star Intercontinental Resort Berchtesgaden opened last week in the rarified Bavarian air 1000 metres above
sea level where Hitler wrote part of his manifesto “Mein Kampf”.
Personally, I really don’t see the problem. It’s not like the hotel is shaped like a Swastika…although in early
designs it was shaped like an “H”. Not that any of the horror there should be forgotten, but the effort seems like a
good one to improve German tourism, and to help the area get over it’s dubious past.