www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. Contact us at [email protected]
Even a rainbow came out to welcome Solomon Airlines to Sydney on 1 June. The carrier started weekly services from Honiara, using its only A320. Photo credit: www.anna.aero
Solomon Airlines launched its latest route on 1 June, with new weekly service from the Solomon Islands capital Honiara to Sydney, the www.anna.aero. website reports.
The 2,871-kilometre sector will be flown each Tuesday, using the airline?s only A320. Commenting on the route launch, Sydney Airport MD and CEO, Kerrie Mather, said:
“Sydney Airport is proud to welcome Solomon Airlines new service to Honiara, which is great news for Australian business and leisure travellers. It is providing more choice for passengers, as this new route expands Sydney’s network of international destinations from 44 to 45”.
The route faces no direct competition and complements the airline’s other Australian service to Brisbane.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. Contact us at [email protected]
A milestone was reached on the construction of the eastern section of Santo Domingo metro Line 2 on May 20, with the completion of tunnelling works on the extension from Eduardo Brito to Carretera Malla on San Vinente de Paul Avenue, the www.railjournal.com website reports.
Excavation work began on the 1.2km tunnel last March and according to Mr Diandino Peña, director of the Office for the Reorganisation of Transport (Opret), the project involved “geotechnical work of a complexity never before seen in the Dominican Republic.”
Commissioning of the four-station extension is scheduled for April or May next year.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. Contact us at [email protected]
Hanga Roa, hovedstaden på Påskeøya, har svært mange av de berømte og mystiske statuene – moai – men det finnes langt flere og langt større ellers på øya, som her ved Rano Raraku, et utdødd vulkankrater. Det var ved kratersjøen her at de fleste statuene ble hugd ut. Området er en del av Rapa Nui nasjonalpark.
Om Hanga Roa kanskje ikke er den aller mest kjente hovedstaden i verden, så er i alle fall territoriet den er hovedstad i, Påskeøya, blant verdens mest kjente destinasjoner, og står på FN-organisasjonen UNESCOs prestisjetunge Verdensarvliste – World Heritage List.
Få øyer er det vel skrevet så mange bøker og artikler om, som nettopp denne chilenske øya i Stillehavet, langt vestover fra det sør-amerikanske fastlandet. Myteomspunnet, særpreget, mystisk – med sine rundt 890 hodestatuer (moai), en fascinerende historie, delvis skjult i mysteriens slør. Vår egen Thor Heyerdahl gjorde sitt store bidrag til å oppklare noen av dem med sine ekspedisjoner til øya.
Påskeøya, eller Rapa Nui som den heter på det lokale rapa nui-språket, ligger 3512 kilometer fra Chiles kyst, flyturen fra Santiago tar fem og en halv time. Nærmeste bebodde øy er Pitcairn – Bounty-mytteristenes øy, som ligger 2075 kilometer vestover.
Hanga Roa ligger sørøst på øya, nær sørspissen, i lavlandet mellom de to utdødde vulkanene Rano Kau og Terevaka. Rundt 3500 av øyas 5800 innbyggere bor i hovedstaden, som er sete for den chilenske guvernøren – Påskeøya er en egen provins lokalregjeringen, bystyre og ordfører.
Mye av byens aktiviteter og tilbud finnes langs hovedgaten Avenida Atamu Tekena. Her finner man flere hoteller, gjestehus og andre overnattingssteder, restauranter og kafeer, og ulike typer forretninger.
Byen har rundt 600 gjestesenger – fra herberger til luksushoteller.
Gaten het tidligere Avenida Policarpo Toro, oppkalt etter den chilenske marineoffiseren som annekterte Påskeøya for Chile i 1888. Avenyen endre navn i 1998, da den ble oppkalt etter den lokale folkehelten Atamu Te Kena, som levde på 1800-tallet.
Hanga Roa betyr for øvrig “vid bukt” på rapa nui-språket.
Havna i Hanga Roa, Påskeøya. Foto: wikipedia.org
I bysentrum finnes også en romersk-katolsk kirke, øyas nasjonalmuseum, internettkafeer, og minibanker. Øya, og hovedstaden har også en egen stadion, Estadio de Hanga Roa, som brukes til ulike idretter og aktiviteter, og er hjemmebanen til Påskeøyas eget fotballag.
Påskeøya. Foto: chiletraveltours.com
Hanga Roa. Foto: flickr.com
Turisme er øyas viktigste næringsvei, men mange jobber også innen fiskeri, landbruk og i det offentlige. Den chilenske staten er tilstede på øya med flere offentlige kontor, og landets marine er også på plass på Påskeøya.
Påskeøyas flyplass er Mataveri International Airport, som betjenes av LAN, Chiles nasjonale flyselskap – med direkteruter til Santiago, Lima i Peru, og Papeete på Tahiti i Fransk Polynesia.
Fra Hanga Roa er det også båtforbindelse til Valparaiso i Chile.
Hovedstaden Hanga Roa ligger på sørvestkysten, ned mot sørspissen av øya, som er 163,6 km2 stor.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. Contact us at [email protected]
American football is set to be played in Dublin once again, with the announcement that Boston College and Georgia Tech will face each other at the Aviva Stadium on September 3rd 2016, the www.fft.ie website reports today.
The Atlantic Coast Conference game is expected to attract a sell out show of 48,000 football fans. In a significant boost to tourism it is estimated that 25,000 supporters will make the journey from the United States for the game, generating upwards of ?25m for the economy.
The Aer Lingus College Football Classic announcement was made by Prime Minister Enda Kenny at a Dublin reception. This was followed by a reception in Boston College in the US, attended by Mayor of Boston Marty Walsh.
The game is being title sponsored by Aer Lingus and will also be supported by Tourism Ireland, Failte Ireland and Dublin City. This will mark the third time in five years that an American College football game will be played in Ireland.
Speaking at the reception on Thursday, Enda Kenny said: “This is great news for Irish tourism and the economy; in 2012 and again last year, we witnessed a huge surge of US visitors to our shores for the Emerald Isle Classic and the Croke Park Classic and I have no doubt, particularly given Boston College’s close links with this country, we will see another spectacular success in 2016.”
Father William P. Leahy from Boston College added: “2016 is a very special year in Ireland’s history and we are particularly pleased that we will be travelling with hopefully tens of thousands Boston College supporters to share in those celebrations and enjoy this important conference game with Georgia Tech.”
Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said: “Tourism Ireland in the US is working closely with Anthony Travel, the official travel company for both colleges, and other travel partners, to maximise the tourism benefits of the game. From today, we will undertake a programme of co-operative promotions, to help ensure the game is a sell-out.”
Tickets are not yet on sale, however already package tours from America are available, as well as corporate hospitality packages at the Aviva Stadium.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. Contact us at [email protected]
Mbabane
The Small Enterprise Development Company (SEDCO) says for Mbabane, capital of Swaziland, to trade for 24-hours a day, the city must consider utilising the electronic mall, the Swazi Observer newspaper – www.observer.org.sz, reports.
He said this during the launch of the Mbabane Community Champions Programme by the Municipal Council of Mbabane at the Mountain Inn.
SEDCO Managing Director Dorrington Matiwane said the entity promoted a virtual shopping mall that would extend business reading beyond the trading hours as well as beyond the country’s borders, thus creating a bigger market.
He said the electronic shopping mall would be called Traders Link.
He said the mall would rely on different forms of transport to deliver these orders which would be placed electronically and the payments made electronically after almost if not all banks were online.
The CEO noted that the time for trading non-stop had finally arrived and the country, including the city of Mbabane, had to embrace it at a fast pace.
“It is time for trading non-stop waya waya. Imagine the post office with its network of delivery infrastructure and the taxi industry delivering the Morris chicken from Ndunayithini without me driving there because I am tired of eating the broiler chickens (Ramtutu),” said Matiwane.
Matiwane then challenged the city of Mbabane to take its leadership role in making sure that they embrace this emerging technology, which he referred to as the power centre.
The MD said this technology would end the frustration caused by the limited trading hours.
“The other reason this programme appeals to us at SEDCO is that it brings us closer to the council to influence policies on trading hours.
“One fails to imagine how we survive seeing that our businesses close at 10 pm. Is the time not ripe for our malls to close at midnight?” asked Matiwane.
The igi-global.com, an electronic mall’s basic form consists of a collection of e-shops, usually enhanced by a common umbrella, for example, a well-known brand may be enriched by a common granted payment method.
The e-malls operators may not have an interest in an individual business that is being hosted. Instead, the operator may seek benefits in enhanced sales of the supporting technologies (IBM with World Avenue). Alternatively, benefits are sought in services (Barclays with BarclaysSquer), or in advertising space and/or brand reinforcement or in collective benefits for the e-shops that are hosted such as traffic, with the expectation that visiting one shop on the e-mall will lead to visits to neighbouring shops.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. Contact us at [email protected]
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (Munich, Germany) is investing in a new solar research center in South America. The aim of the new Fraunhofer Center for Solar Energy Technologies, founded by the Fraunhofer Chile Research Foundation and located in Santiago de Chile, is to better exploit the solar energy potential in the sun-rich country, thereby reducing the dependence on fossil fuels, the www.solarserver.com website reports.
With particular emphasis on regional implementation, the focus shall be on the further development of solar thermal and photovoltaic technologies and applications with partners from research and industry.
Scientists from the Fraunhofer Chile Research Center for Solar Energy Technologies (FCR-CSET), the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile will together perform research on electricity and heat production using solar energy. Now the new research center for solar energy was inaugurated in the presence of the Chilean undersecretary of Energy Jimena Jara.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. Contact us at [email protected]
Emirates, som daglig flyr mellom Oslo og Dubai, åpnet i går en ny rute mellom knutepunktet i Dubai og ferieparadiset Bali i Indonesia, skriver www.travelnews.no
Dette blir selskapets 146. globale destinasjon, og for nordmenn betyr det at de får enda flere alternativer når de legger ferien til øya.
? Bali forblir en svært populær destinasjon og et meget viktig marked for Emirates. Det er stor interesse for å reise til Bali, spesielt blant passasjerer som jakter på en unik og eksotisk ferieopplevelse, uttaler norgessjef i Emirates Terje Grue.
Stadig flere nordmenn går for pose og sekk når de skal på ferie i dag. De som drømmer om å kombinere et idyllisk strandparadis og shopping i verdens mest eksklusive butikker kan gjøre nettopp det. Ved å bli noen dager i den arabiske storbyen på enten veien til eller hjem fra Bali, kan reisende skreddersy ferien etter eget ønske.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. Contact us at [email protected]
Marigot er hovedstaden på St.Martin (Saint Martin), et fransk oversjøisk territorium i Karbia, på øya av samme navn. Øya er delt mellom Frankrike og Nederland. Den sørlige, nederlandske delen heter Sint Maarten.
Marigot, som har rundt 6000 innbyggere, ligger på vestkysten, og har fergeforbindelse til Blowing Point på Anguilla, mot nord. Den franske delen har sin egen flyplass, L’Esperance Airport, men det er nok flyplassen i den nederlandske delen, Princess Juliana International Airport, som er mest kjent, og er verdensberømt for sin spektakulære og hårreisende innflygning, der flyene nærmest blåser solhatten av badegjestene på stranden. (se egen bloggpost under Karibia).
Det var kong Ludvig XVI som gjorde den daværende fiskerlandsbyen Marigot til hovedstad, og fikk reist Fort St.Louis på en høyde ved Marigot-bukta. Fortet, som stod ferdig i 1789, er ennå i dag en stor og viktig attraksjon i byen.
Navnet Marigot kommer for øvrig fra det franske ordet for myr, eller sump –
St.Martin, som skal være den minste bebodde øy i verden som er delt mellom to land, er 87 km2 stor. Den nordlige, franske delen, Saint-Martin, utgjør 53 prosent av arealet, og den sørlige, nederlandske delen, Sint Maartin, 34 prosent. Sint Maarten er en selvstyrt nasjon i Kongeriket Nederland. Hovedstaden Philipsburg ligger på sørkysten.
Turen mellom Marigot og Philipsburg tar en halvtimes tid. Det er ingen grenseformaliteter mellom de to delene av øya, som siden den tilhører Frankrike og Nederland, er en del av EU.
Både Marigot og Philipsburg er svært populære turistdestinasjoner.
Øya har et innbyggertall på ca.78,000, hvorav 41,000 bor i Sint Maarten og 37,000 i Saint-Martin.
Øya har vært delt mellom Frankrike og Nederland siden 1648.
For mer om Sint Maarten, se egne bloggposter på denne bloggen, under Karibia.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. Contact us at [email protected]
The Cayman Islands Seven Mile Beach has been designated the world’s top beach vacation spot by the U.S. News & World Report, www.compasscayman.com reports.
Seven Mile Beach lies on the western shores of Grand Gayman, north of George Town, the capital.
The rankings, released by the publication’s U.S. News Travel website, are based on a review of commentary by visitors and certain expert evaluators, not the editors individual opinions.
The ratings consider a number of factors including ambiance, accessibility, affordability and approval among tourism experts and travelers. Based on evaluations of those areas, the world’s top 12 beaches were chosen.
“In truth, there isn’t one ideal strip of sand that would suit everyone,” the U.S. News Travel website states in its review. “Still, our ranking of the best beaches in the world showcases what makes a beach stand out.”
On why it picked the Cayman Islands as the top beach vacation destination, the website opines: It’s hard to compete with the coral sands of Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach. Brimming with luxury hotels and casual restaurants, the Cayman Islands leave travelers with little to complain about.
George Town
The website review also puts in a plug for George Town shore dive location Eden Rock before linking to a fairly detailed Cayman Islands travel guide.
Moses Kirkconnell
Cayman Islands Deputy Premier and Minster of Tourism, Moses Kirkconnell, who hadn’t seen the rankings yet when contacted, said this welcome news puts another feather in Cayman’s tourism hat.
“We compete globally on sand, sun and sea and for us to be ranked globally No. 1 is a huge tool for us to use – to attract more tourists to the island,” Mr. Kirkconnell said.
Mr. Kirkconnell was also interested to know how other Caribbean tourism destinations fared in the rankings. Three other destinations in the Caribbean Sea made the U.S. News top 12 list. Anguilla was ranked No. 5 while the Turks and Caicos Islands came in at No. 7 and Playa del Carmen, along Mexico’s Caribbean coast, was rated No. 12.
“We’re competing with these other islands,” Mr. Kirkconnell said, noting that Cayman was always keeping an eye on the competition, particularly Cuba and the Turks and Caicos in recent years.
Other destinations on the top 12 list included Kauai (No. 2), Seychelles (No. 3), and Maldives (No. 4). Rounding out the list were Bali, Sanibel Island in Florida, Corfu in Greece, Bora Bora and Fiji.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink. Contact us at [email protected]
Seychelles National Museum in the National Library Building, Victoria
The 2015 celebration of International Museum Day was celebrated on May 18 and was a double celebration for Seychelles, www.eturbonews.com reports.
Half a century ago, in 1965, Seychelles National Museum started as an outgrowth of the National Archives.
This year, the National Museum celebrated its 50th anniversary, highlighting its key achievements in an exhibition, opened at National Museum.
Going back in history, in 1965, the National Museum was located in the Carnegie Library.
It was a retired officer of the Indian Army, Captain Archibald Tindall Webb, who initiated its inception.
At that time, the National Museum was composed of a modest collection of a few interesting objects, such as portraits of governors, shells, corals, handicrafts, photographs, and paintings – with the pièce de resistance being of course the Stone of Possession, one of Seychelles’ oldest monuments dating back to 1756.
Despite its modest beginnings, under the guidance of the first Seychelles Curator, the late Mr. Henri Macgaw, and later under the direction of Mr. Alain Lucas, the National Museum soon became Victoria’s greatest attraction for foreign visitors and local residents, especially students.
So dramatic was its transformation, that it became necessary to enlarge the National Museum repertoire and create two entities. Thus the National Museum of History was created in 1996, followed by the Natural History Museum in 1998.
Officially opening the exhibition, Benjamine Rose, Principal Secretary of Culture said over the past 50 years, the National Museum has continued to evolve.
She said the National Museum has remained connected to the community.
“Over the years the National Museum has formed a strong partnership with national non-governmental and international institutions. These partnerships have kept the National Museum connected with the community and abreast with new scientific developments.”
Benjamine Rose commended the workers for remaining at the center of development at the National Museum.
“Over the past 50 years, the National Museum has continued to evolve; the dedication of past and present staff members have ensured that the National Museum has kept true to its core mandate of conservation and education.”
The National Museum workers’ dedication was recognized in a long service award ceremony organized in parallel with the Exhibition.
