Chocolate Bar
Viva Terra

Currently Browsing: vacation

How Green Travel Will Survive the Recession

The global economy is tanking. The U.S. and the UK are in full-blown recession. Other countries are heading that way. We’re all going to have to tighten our belts, hold on hard and ride it out.

Grim economic news is never welcome and I sincerely hope the pain for you and your family is minimal. For the environment, the R-word is slightly more mixed news. On the one hand, people are sometimes less willing to pay extra for green supplies – sales of organic food are falling and farmers …

ESC

The New Side of Sunshine

Our relationship with the sun is a complicated one.

Take sun tans. Nobody’s sure how it happened, but sometime over the last century in America and Europe, being tanned became fashionable. Yet go halfway round the world today, and you’ll find pale skin most desirable. Go back two centuries, and the same is true in Europe – just read up on the long tradition of lead-paint cosmetics (and deadly consequences). But now we have sun-beds and artificial tanning lotions that turn you a lovely shade of orange…whilst …

ESC

Lessons from Our Grandparents: Proven Habits of Personal Sustainability

It seems like yesterday that the SUV was a coveted status symbol and the sight of a compost bucket could elicit a raised eyebrow. As for drying clothes on the line in the backyard? Now that’s just…frugal.

That was then. This is now. With green issues at the fore (both economic and environmental), “going granny” isn’t such a bad idea. We can learn a lot from our older, wiser relatives. They had to make do when there was little to make of anything. Many of our elders – whether grandparents or …

ESC

Practicing Earth Stewardship, Woman Creates Sanctuary for Wild Mustangs

T. Boone Pickens has been putting his fortune to good use, it seems – and he’s certainly putting himself in the limelight. Mr. Pickens supplied $7 million to victims of Katrina. Since then he’s made a huge splash in the green energy debate.

But you may not know that his wife, Madelaine, is passionately involved in conservation efforts. After Katrina, she helped to rescue 800 animals, dogs and cats, and had them flown to Colorado and California for adoptions.

More recently, the wild mustang population has had need …

ESC

Merchants of Venice Tormented by Thrifty Tourists

Legend has it there was a time when you could move through the fashion boutiques, Murano shops and cafes of San Marcos Square without battling monstrous crowds. Friends of mine even speak of walking right into the Duomo, right on in. No sweating a one-hour line.

But these days, the main island of the famous Grand Canal is as packed as Disneyland in July, heaving with tour groups fresh off cruise ships and trains, eager to look, but not to buy.

While the spastic market hasn’t exactly curbed travel to Venice, …

ESC

Flip-Flops: Walking on Shaky Ground?

I grew up in Cyprus, which meant I spent the best part of 5 years wearing flip-flops. The air was too hot for shoes, the ground was too hot to go bare-foot: there was no alternative. But when I think back, what springs to mind are the little annoyances. The way the thong plastic stretched, edging my toes over the front so the ground nipped at them when I walked. The strange dull ache in my ankles. The criss-cross sunburn.
In fact it’s easy to argue for and against flip-flops. On the one hand, …

ESC

Guest Post: Gunpowder Magazine on Chateau Mcely: Czech Mate


Located amongst towering pines just 55-kilometres from the hen-and stag-filled hustle and bustle of Prague, Chateau Mcely is the perfect venue for weddings, corporate events or for couples looking to get away from it all.

Comprising 25 well-appointed suites and rooms, all of which are decked out to the highest standard, the old-world-style hotel has more than enough room for its well-heeled guests to enjoy the all-important privacy they crave. Aside from accommodation, Chateau Mcely is renowned for its Alchymist Club, where the expert bartender considers drink-making something of science and serves the best international …

ESC

Guatemala: Volcanoes, Sugarcane and Yoga Mats

Yoga is all about finding an oasis of calm within yourself, but your surroundings certainly help, the more remote the better. Hence the appeal of yoga retreats.
If you’re going to retreat, you might as well do it properly. How about Guatemala, which is currently turning into a yoga and eco-tourism hotspot? The country is enjoying a stable economy (as of 1996) and is an ecological feast for the senses. Lake Atitlan is the obvious destination (shown above) – it’s already home to a community of yoga enthusiasts. And …

ESC

If There Were No Joshua Trees in Joshua Tree National Park, What Would We Call It?


Our National Parks are a precious sanctuary from modern life. Places where you can view an infinite number of stars, or enjoy a hike that is completely silent – save for the calls of birds and the rustling of grasses. Places where you might see wildlife like coyotes and bears, or interesting flora like the incredibly strange Joshua Tree. Visiting wilderness areas and spending a few days away from our internet connections can remind us of our connection to nature and the universe.

I recently spent some time in Joshua Tree National Park

ESC
Health Top Blogs TopOfBlogs Design Directory Blog Directory