It looks like Spain is the latest destination to use a clever Facebook campaign to drum up some interest among traveling social media users. Free vacations are being offered to users who provide the best answers to questions about Spain and its customs. The contest is set to last through the end of February, so there’s still time for you to get in on the action. Winners wil receive a one-week trip ever year for three years, including airfare and lodging at Parador hotels, which are refurbished castles and monasteries – not a bad way to roll. If you think you have what it takes to get your vacations covered for the next three years,head over to Facebook to prove it!
Europe
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Across Northern Europe, Balkan Odyssey
New US embassy in London to be bigger, sexier, stronger
With today’s modern threats all around us, US embassies have become a bit of an eyesore of late, many circumferentially heaped with piles of concrete, checkpoints, armor, guards and other, nefarious security. One would never imagine that those sorts of security facets could tastefully be integrated into a structure, but lo and behold, the folks at Philadelphia-based KieranTimberlake have pulled it off.
London’s new US Embassy, an update to the current, less-secure digs, looks less like an iron and concrete government building (J. Edgar Hoover building what?) and more like an architectural masterpiece from the 21st century.
As KieranTimberlake describes it:
The expressive challenge is to give form to the core beliefs of our democracy – transparency, openness, and equality – and do so in a way that is both secure and welcoming. At the same time, the building must confront the environmental challenges all nations face with leading edge sustainable design.
And so the building will rise, a glass cube on the south shore of the Thames with an integrated urban park, photovoltaic (solar cell) roof panels and energy efficient design throughout.
That said, the new building will also still have plenty of security features, from a giant moat to (shrubbery infused!) barriers to blast resistant glazing.
Check out the full details over at KieranTimberlake. The new building should open up in 2013
[Via PRI’s The World]
Travel insurers pay mostly for Brits beaten up in Asia
It’s a pretty specific trend, which makes you wonder just what the hell is going on. According to the latest data from travel insurance provider WorldNomads.com, more than 65 percent of all major claims submitted by UK travelers are for injuries sustained in Asia. North America, on the other hand, is only good for 25 percent … I guess there aren’t too many Brits twisting their ankles on the Times Square sidewalks. Nineteen percent of the claims involved road travel accidents, and there was a shocking increase in mosquito-borne illnesses, such as Dengue Fever and Malaria, which are responsible for 14 percent of claims.
“The rising increase in incidents relating to road traffic accidents and mosquito borne diseases is of great concern and traveler education needs to play a large role assisting to reduce this,” says Nick Pound of WorldNomads.com. “Travelers also need to understand that the rules of the road that apply at home in the UK are thrown out the window when traveling by road through Asia. Extra precaution when crossing roads, driving scooters and hire cars needs to be taken.”
Dengue is a viral illness spread by infected Aedes mosquitoes and is no longer confined to Southeast Asia. It’s now more common in Latin America, Asia, Africa, North America and even Australia. Nicknamed “breakbone fever” because of the muscle cramping it causes, Degue has no specific treatment and carries a case fatality rate of 40 percent to 50 percent if left untreated (and if it progresses to Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever).
“Travelers headed to areas with Dengue activity should travel prepared to do what they can to prevent mosquito bites. Caution should also be used when looking at the time of year traveling occurs, especially during rainy seasons,” comments Dr. Erik McLaughlin, WorldNomads.com’s roving medical expert.
“Dengue is a serious and persistent health risk and savvy travelers need to be aware of it and start getting used to taking proper precautions.”
German Lufthansa pilots vote to strike this week
If you have flights scheduled on Lufthansa this week, you may be in for a nasty surprise.
The Lufthansa pilots affiliated with the German pilots union “VC” have voted to strike from February 22nd till February 25th. As usual, the dispute revolves around pay, working conditions and job security.
As can be expected, a decent number of flights will be impacted, and the airline is warning passengers about possible lengthy delays.
When possible, passengers have already been rebooked on flights that are not impacted. To check the status of your current Lufthansa reservation, you can check “my booking” within the Lufthansa web site.
An alternative timetable is available on their site for the 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th.
Airline strikes are no fun – I’ve been caught in several of them, and the best thing you can do is be prepared for the worst. Make sure you add all the local phone numbers of the airline in your phone, bring chargers and be prepared to spend the night at an airport or airport hotel (if you are lucky).
The Lufthansa information page with the latest flight status can be found here.
UPDATE: As of midnight (German time), the pilots have agreed to suspend their strike. Lufhansa posted the following statement:
Irregularities of the flight operation will continue, however, on Tuesday. We will inform you of any updates to the flight operation as soon as possible on this page.
(Image: Getty Images)
The 18 strangest airports in the world
Airports are unusual places. Every city of decent size has one, but they are rarely all that interesting. Each day, thousands of people move through these places, on their way too and from all manner of destinations, spending time browsing crappy little bookstores and consuming lousy food that would cost half as much elsewhere.
But sometimes, airports can be unusual for different reasons. Perhaps they’re located in odd places, or maybe they have some unusual feature or monument that makes them stand out. Popular Mechanics has compiled a list of the 18 strangest airports in the world, each of which meet those criteria and more.
The list includes airports large and small from all over the world and in a wide variety of settings. Some of the very unique airports that make the cut include Kansai International in Osaka Japan, which is famous for having been built on a man-made island and Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which sits just five miles from the very heart of that large and busy city. Other unusual places to take off and land include a runway made of ice in Antarctica and several that have you actually landing on a beach, proving that if we are determined to reach a destination, we’ll find a way to get there.
With 18 airports on the list, Popular Mechanics has done a fine job of highlighting some of the most unusual airports in the world. But did they miss any? What is the most unusual airport that you’ve ever been? As for myself, I’m looking forward to experiencing the airport in Lukla, Nepal in April. That airport is famous for it’s location, high in the Himalaya, with the landing strip running up the side of a mountain. Arriving and departing there is said to be scary and exhilarating all at the same time.
Be sure to check out the gallery below for some of the coolest airports in the world…
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…or watch the videos that demonstrate why these airports are soooo strange.
Courchevel International Airport
Courchevel, France
Princess Juliana International Airport
Simpson Bay, Saint Maarten
Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport
Saba, Netherlands Antilles