It seemed like a crazy thing to even consider this late in our trip. Here we had spent almost 5 months straight in Europe and the surrounding area and were getting on a plane to head as far south in Africa as we could get. As we left our hotel in Barcelona, at 6pm on Tuesday, I wondered how I had let Kel talk me into a crazy trip a quarter of the way around the world........

The best seismologists in the world don't know when the next big earthquake will hit. But a Tel Aviv University geologist suggests that earthquake patterns recorded in historical documents of Middle Eastern countries indicate that the region's next significant quake is long overdue. A major quake of magnitude seven on the Richter scale in the politically-fragile region of the Middle East could have dire consequences for precious holy sites and even world peace, says Tel Aviv University geologist Dr. Shmulik Marco. In light of this imminent danger, Marco, from the school's Department of Geophysics and Planetary Sciences, has taken an historical approach to earthquake forecasting by using ancient records from the Vatican and other religious sources in his assessment. The past holds the key to the future, he says........

Paris started it all back in 2002 with Nuit Blanche. Its success led to the organization of Operation "European Notti Bianche". And now, 4 other cities are organizing their own White Nights in Europe: Rome, Riga, Brussels and Madrid. What exactly can you expect during these White Night festivals? It's mainly a cultural event held between the end of summer and the beginning of Autumn. It starts at sunset and the party continues on until the sun rises the next day. Yes, it's a whole night affair!.......

For those with limited budgets but are not really willing to give up the comforts offered by standard hotel rooms, Qbic Hotels may be the answer to your budget traveler's prayers. With hotels located in Maastricht, Amsterdam and Antwerp, Qbic Hotels offer travelers the comfort of extra long handmade Hästens beds, bathroom elements designed by no less than Philippe Starke, entertainment system which includes LCD TVs (something which you definitely can not expect from a budget hotel!), hi-speed internet and dining/work area........

Snowbound and frigidly cold for most of the year, the brief arrival of summer transforms the mountains of Northern Sweden into a trekker's paradise. Overlooked by most foreign tourists in favour of mountain playgrounds further south, such as the Alps, this isolated corner of Europe offers a wilderness experience par excellence........

Just in time for the most dangerous days of the year to drive July 3 and 4 the national Center for Excellence in Rural Safety (CERS) at the University of Minnesota today released a list of the states where Americans are more likely to die in a traffic crash on a rural road. For most people, riding in a motor vehicle is one of the most dangerous things they ever do, and this is especially true when traveling on rural roads. While U.S. Census figures show that about two out of ten (21 percent) Americans live in rural areas, the U.S. Department of Transportation has observed that about six out of ten (57 percent) highway deaths happen on roads that it considers rural........

Our final trip with the 2007 Dartmouth Ski Team was a special one for the athletes, coaches, and administrators who have dedicated so much to the ski team in particular and Dartmouth Athletics in general. At the White House on June 18, President George W. Bush honored 27 of this year's NCAA Division-1 national championship teams-of which we were one-in an afternoon-long celebration that included a tour of the White House, a personal meeting with President Bush, and Presidential remarks delivered on the South Lawn........

Denali, the "High One," is the name Athabascan native people gave the massive peak that crowns the 600-mile-long Alaska Range. Denali is also the name of an immense national park and preserve created from the former Mount McKinley National Park. In 1917 Mount McKinley National Park was established as a game refuge. The park and the massif including North America's highest peak were named for former senator - later President - William McKinley. In 1980, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) enlarged the boundary by 4 million acres and redesignated it as Denali National Park and Preserve. It exemplifies interior Alaska's character as one of the world's last great frontiers, its wilderness is largely unspoiled........

When travelers palaver, one experience that gets everyone's rapt attention is an account of visiting mountain gorillas. It's a heart-piercing encounter you have doubtlessly heard good things about, and our Africa team has built this trip to give us the ?nest and most polite visit possible. We begin in Entebbe, then fly by charter to southern Queen Elizabeth National Park for two days before driving to the famous Gorilla Forest Camp. We'll spend three nights at the camp and two days in expertly guided, very careful and respectful search for and observation of the gorillas in their forest habitat. On our return to Entebbe we'll have a visit to the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary for a ?rsthand look at the groundbreaking chimpanzee conservation project........

One of my favorite toys at CES this year is the RCA Small Wonder, a digital camcorder which is "EZ," to quote the packaging. With this "point-and-shoot" MPEG-4 digital camcorder, there are no tapes or discs to buy, and the device runs on standard AA batteries, meaning that you won't be trying to shoot a family milestone and realize you forgot to charge the battery. At 60 minutes of standard-quality recording time (30 minutes of high-quality video), you're not going to run out of time, either........

Most people heading off to a sunny winter vacation in a foreign country know something about how to avoid a nasty case of travellers' diarrhea, but they don't know everything they should, as per a University of Alberta study. A survey of 104 vacationers boarding flights for Mexico revealed that their general level of knowledge about the prevention of this condition was generally adequate; however, there were still some things they needed to know more about........

I was in Puerto Rico this weekend. Puerto Rico is the land of beaches. It is said that Puerto Rico has 365 beaches. People who love sea and beaches can have a fabulous time in this island. If you are keen you can visit a different stunning string of sand every day of the year. The climate is more or less uniform, with occasional unpredictable rain. So you can start from the New Year day on Jan 1st and visit a different beach each day till December 31........

Have you ever seen a Racisson Hotel? This weekend I was in Puerto Rico and saw one. This is the new years eve and in the dark, the Racisson hotel stands out with unique sign. Hmmm!.......

One in three drivers suspected of driving while 'over the limit,' but subsequently found to be below maximum permissible levels of alcohol, nevertheless tested positive for a range of drugs, reveals research in Injury Prevention. The findings prompt the authors to call for routine drugs testing in all drivers who are suspected of being over the limit for alcohol........

If the Gold USB Hub got your attention, this laptop with crystals should probably have the same effect. On the outside the MSI Crystal M677 has 120 pieces of Austrian crystal located on the laptop lid, while on the inside there is an AMD Turion 64 x2 processor that can handle 2GB of RAM memory. The whole package includes a built-in 1.3megapixel camera, a 15.4-inch screen, a DVD burner, a GeForce Go 7600 video card, and bluetooth + Wi-Fi on the connectivity sections........