Some of the most popular activities in Cancun are visits to the sites of ancient Mayan ruins. While many visitors are aware of the world-famous Chichen Itza and plenty of tours visit nearby Tulum, archeologists and those in the know often recommend a forgotten Mayan city. Deep in the Mexican jungle rests the city of Coba, an expansive complex of stone structures and winding roads. Due to its remote location, Coba wasn't explored by archeologists until the 1920s and remains mostly unexcavated. However, realizing the cultural value of the site, the local government constructed a modern road to the site in the 1970s and tours have grown in popularity ever since. Though known for its stone pyramids...

The seat, or the chair of the scooter is a very vital part of the scooter. No matter what type of scooter you own, or that you are considering to purchase, the seat will be important to how the rider enjoys the scooter, or how long the rider will be able to use the scooter. The seat could be leather; plastic, vinyl, breathable cotton or it could also be a molded plastic. Caring For The Molded Plastic Scooter Seat The molded plastic scooter seat is one that will wash down nicely with hot water and soap. You want to be careful not to use too much excess water, to avoid putting water on any electric items. Caring For The Breathable Cotton Seat The cotton material type seat is one that you can spot...

Why you need to check out the Al Jissah Resort & Spa in Oman for your affordable family vacation this year The Al Jissah Resort & Spa is the ideal affordable family vacation package as well as being a the best place to take a luxury holiday in Oman. The Al Jissah Resort & Spa consists of the Exclusive Al Husn rated at 6 stars [The Castle], Al Bandar [The Town] rated at 5 star, and Al Waha [The Oasis] which is 4 star, and very much for the family vacation package. This Shangri-La Hotel and Resort has a fantastic location in over 120 acres with mountains behind, and a private beach of golden sand in front with the blue water of the Gulf of Oman to provide the icing on the cake. This is a...

- To get into the tropical atmosphere of Cuba at its fiftieth. Among the American automobiles, the smoky bars of Havana, the effect is assured. - For its fantastic sea. Cuba offers about six thousand kilometers of splendid Caribbean coast, with beaches and cliffs for all likes. - For the people's hospitality, not always interested as it is wanted to make you believe. The Cubans are people full of happiness and eager to leave, people who love to find the foreigner, just to exchange ideas. - To smoke the best tobaccos in the world, made by hand with the leaves of Vuelta Abajo. You can also attend to the making of the tobacco in a factory or maybe inside of a big hotel, where there are exhibited in...

This modern, aristocratic book portrays real-life events and how hard it is to deal with them, overcome them, or even struggle with them. Such is life, anywhere you put it, in the Caribbean or otherwise. Many people might have problems dealing with the material in this book. But it's involving, shocking, yet mellifluously elegant in its portrayal of a wealthy woman's humble and downtrodden existence. She cannot fathom the dark side of life, and in her pure yet misguided rebellion, she becomes a metaphoric symbol for humanity in general--not to mention impoverished, yet mysteriously happy. Professor Ardain Isma's excellent first novel painstakingly describes the fact-based life story of Alicia...

Startlingly enough, it looks as if the time will soon arrive when the USA will have to play catch-up with Cuba in oil exploration. The diminutive and destitute communist enclave that serves as Fidel Castro's personal cigar plantation now realizes that it has enough oil reserves under its coastal waters to prop up its no-go economy for decades and, incapable of assembling the capacity to out the oil itself, the island nation has begun to license drilling rights to other countries, including China, the prospect of which alarms us, and Spain, the idea of which invites us to think of tapas. In wisdom wrought from its neediness, the resourceful islet has also offered to license American oil companies...

- To get into the tropical atmosphere of Cuba at its fiftieth. Among the American automobiles, the smoky bars of Havana, the effect is assured. - For its fantastic sea. Cuba offers about six thousand kilometers of splendid Caribbean coast, with beaches and cliffs for all likes. - For the people's hospitality, not always interested as it is wanted to make you believe. The Cubans are people full of happiness and eager to leave, people who love to find the foreigner, just to exchange ideas. - To smoke the best tobaccos in the world, made by hand with the leaves of Vuelta Abajo. You can also attend to the making of the tobacco in a factory or maybe inside of a big hotel, where there are exhibited in...

As we excitedly wait for film maker Michael Moore's new masterpiece,"Sicko," I decided to do some research on Cuba's healthcare system. "Sicko" spotlights the negligent U.S. healthcare system. In a brilliant example of contrast, Moore takes 911 fire fighters and rescue workers with life threatening lung problems their health insurance policies refused to cover, first to the U.S. Post Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, where care was refused; then to Havana, where the doctors there happily treated them. 50,000 people are without healthcare insurance in the United States. Many of those who are insured are under insured. The job of the insurance companies is to deny claims and services to their clients, whether...

Wondering where to go? In the Caribbean travel and life, that is no big problem. Just scroll down below to find whatever it is you are looking for balmy weather, clear blue skies, glorious seas, luxurious lodgings, fine food, sports, sights, entertainment, and even lazy days for lovers, all under the warmth of the sun. Textual Map Well, it is a bit difficult to describe the place in geographic terms. Just know that the region is actually a group of islands, territories, and countries located just south and east of the Gulf of Mexico and right in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. The following are the islands that are favorite travel and life destinations since time immemorial. Anguilla, Antigua and...

The occupation of Guantanamo Bay, (Gitmo) Cuba by the United States troops came about during the Spanish-American War when the U.S. fleet was attacking Santiago. It was in 1898 and the fleet took refuge in Guantanamo's perfect harbor to ride out the summer hurricane season. Guantanamo Bay is located at the southeastern end of Cuba and is a 45 square mile piece of land and water that the U.S. has occupied since 1903 when the U.S. Government obtained control of all of Cuba from Spain. A perpetual lease for the area around Guantanamo Bay was offered from the first President of Cuba, who was an American citizen, Tomas Estrada Palma. This became the Cuban-American Treaty and gave the U.S. complete...

Very few is known about Fidel Castro's family. In Cuba, unlike most communist countries a 'cult of the leader' was never promoted. In fact Castro fought what we may call a reverse cult of the leader; his regime promoted dead and burred revolutionary heroes such as Che Guevera and Camilo Cienfuegos on everything from statues to pendants sold to foreigners. Though his might is unchallenged, and quotations from his speeches were often fast adopted as national slogans, the Cuban mass media is strictly tabooed from reporting on leader's personal life. Castro says this is for security. There can be found several sources that seemed not to agree on Castro's immediate family but some of them said Castro...

As well as being a raving shopaholic, Jane Morris is also a dedicated Travel Buff. This is just one article on her many visits to the lush clear waters of the Caribbean Imagine all the stories and films you have seen on pirates in the Caribbean, Spanish galleons laden with gold, pretty girls all around, beautiful white sandy beaches, swaying palm trees, clear blue seas, and reefs that have ripped the bottom out of many a fine sailing ship, now beautiful diving territory. Well, this is what makes up the beauty, the mystery, and the attraction for many people as a dream holiday. In fact, there is so much to do that unless you plan your holiday carefully there is so much to miss. That us why it is so...

I really gotta hurry, I only have about 28 minutes left on my Internet card so I am going to try to be brief here. The last few days have been extremely interesting. I am not a political expert, but in a city like Havana you can´t help but be confronted with politics. Everywhere you see billboards with political slogans, monuments of heroes that were significant in Cuba´s history, pictures of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, and the Cuban Revolution as well as the present economic circumstances are omnipresent topics of conversation. I have read a lot about Cuba and tried to talk to as many people as possible and there are a few things that have crystallized in my mind as general impressions of...

Angle of Attack and Stalls Everything that an airplane does in flight depends on the angle with which the leading edge of the wing meets the oncoming stream of air. This is also called the angle of attack. If you go too slowly while pulling the nose higher to try to maintain flight, the wing will stall. A wing can be stalled at any speed, including the airplane's top speed. To accomplish a stall, all you have to do is to simply increase the angle of attack past its critical point, normally between 16º and 18º in a light airplane. Gliders have no engine but they still are able to fly. Their wings produce lift as a glider moves in the air just as the wings of a powered airplane do. Stalling the...

Dogs are part of the family and should always be taken with you when you move - even it's the 1500's and themove is from "civilized" Europe to the wilds of the New World. But dogs braved the harsh sea voyages along withtheir families and settled down to start a New World with them. In Cuba, which Columbus claimed for Spain in 1492, a distinct spunky toy breed developed known today as the Havanese, named after Cuba's capital city Havana. Because of the prosperity of the Cuban colonies, Havanese were shipped back and forth over the Atlantic to Spainalong with the other riches of the New World. The silky coated companion won the hearts and laps of Europeanaristocracy. When the first dog shows...

Every single day there are tens of thousands of cars for sale on eBay which makes the eBay motors division the most profitable department within eBay. There millions of cars sold online every year and eBay is getting a big portion of it. There is large numbers of people making a living just taking cars on consignment and placing them on eBay. Some of these people have never even seen the car they are selling! This is a great business, usually the only risk is your auction fee and some shrewd consigners even get the car owners to pay for that. As with most other online businesses, the biggest issue to deal with is gaining the trust of potential buyers. This can be a little difficult for someone just...

One of the most popular holiday types we sell at Captivating Cuba is the scuba diving holiday. Cuba attracts swarms of divers every year, attracted by its calm, warm waters, its stunning coral reefs, sunken shipwrecks and dazzling array of tropical fish. The waters boast an average annual temperature of over 24 degrees centigrade, and with an average visibility of 98 feet, allowing divers an excellent view of the underwater paradise the Cuban dive sites offer. The lack of strong currents and variety of dive sites available mean that the island is a perfect training ground for Cuba's diving virgins, as well as offering a challenge for those who were born in a wet suit! So without further ado, here's...

Recently, for the first time in over 2,200 years the seven wonders of the world were reassessed. Over 100 million people voted and decided that the Great Wall of China, Rome's Colosseum, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Petra in Jordan, Machu Picchu in Peru, Rio's Christ the Redeemer and the Taj Mahal would make the best new wonders. Certainly narrowing down the finalists from an initial list of hundreds can have been no easy task - most countries can probably compile a list of seven themselves. Cuba, which is of course my speciality, has many architectural and cultural triumphs worthy of celebration. Hell, even Havana itself has enough aesthetic wonder and cultural heritage for me to wax lyrical for several...

Cuba, beauty in simplicity, a haven, a paradise, an experience. One of the largest Caribbean islands, Cuba is all you can dream of and a little more. Endless sandy beaches, captivating culture, old-age architecture, friendly locals, delicious cuisine, it is a place you would not want to leave. Cuba consists of the main island, the Isle of Youth and about 4,195 keys commonly known as cayos. It is 140 kilometers from the Bahamas and 180 kilometers from Florida. Cuba's 11,200,000 inhabitants predominantly speak Spanish. Journey with us as we take you down the alleys, past the favorite haunts and experience with us the true magic of this virgin holiday destination. Join us as we rediscover Cuba's past...

Venice, Paris, Seville and Prague may have a reputation for making the best romantic breaks, but as love and romance are often supposed to be linked to the unexpected, how about choosing a more unconventional location for your Valentine's Day break this year? I speak of course of Cuba - the Caribbean's largest island. From the picturesque beaches, to the idyllic architecture and cosy restaurants, the island makes a memorable retreat sure to keep the flames of passion alive - at least until you return to rainy old England! A Valentines break, or even a honeymoon in Cuba, is something special which will stay with you for a long time. So why Cuba? First of all, Valentine's Day is a big deal on the...

Cuba these days is a rather fashionable tourist destination. Tourists head out there, looking to enjoy the beaches, the wonderful weather, the diving and the salsa. And while all of these provide wonderful diversions for Cuba holiday makers, they are also often entirely artificial, created purely for the tourist market that invariably laps it up. For some, this is not enough, but with the tourist industry largely built on these foundations, where can you find the real Cuba on your holidays? The answer surprisingly lies in the nation's capital, Havana. Though it is a popular tourist area, the real Cuba lies in its narrow side streets and dusky alleys. The city's history dates back as far as 1515, and...

The choice of yacht charter in Cuba is diverse and includes bareboat yacht charter, skippered yacht charter, luxury crewed yacht charter, monohull and catamaran charter and both sail and motor yacht charter. In addition to Cuba, the principal island, there are a further four main groups of islands. These are the Colorados, the Camagüey, the Jardines de la Reina and the Canarreos. The islands combine a mix of colonial history with Latin American, Spanish and African influences. Cuba is well known for its white sandy beaches lined with coconut palms and waters that are home to five hundred species of fish and fifty different coral types. Cuba and the surrounding islands have a sub tropical climate...

Hotel Havana Libre, Tuesday, April 5, 2005, 7:20 pm Yesterday I had to sign up for my Spanish course at the University of Havana. The Campus of the University is an astoundingly beautiful collection of classical buildings and a Cuban tank graces the entrance to the library. At 9 am all the foreign students, about 40 of them, met in the Edificio Varona and we were shepherded by various professors into a very antiquated lecture hall. (By the way, of the 5 or 6 washroom stalls in the women´s bathroom, only 1 or 2 have toilets in them, no toilet seats, and no running water in the sinks. Again a sign of rather run-down infrastructure...) There they told us about the program, but only in Spanish, which...

The U.S. State Department's top official for Latin America said Wednesday Cuba's government has become more hard-line since the ailing Fidel Castro transferred power to his brother Raul in late July. Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Shannon says U.S. officials see no reformer in the current Cuban political lineup. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department. Raul Castro made an overture for dialogue with the United States in a speech December 2 at a rally marking his brother's 80th birthday. But the State Department's top diplomat for Latin America says if anything, the communist government in Havana has become more rigid and orthodox since the transfer of power, and the Raul Castro...

Festival season is in full swing. Summer is a great time to be in Toronto since there are multiple events going on at the same time. I had just heard about the "Taste of Little Italy" street festival and decided to partake of a little free-admission Italo-style celebration. When I got there yesterday at about noon the restaurants and bands were still setting up. Streets were closed all the way from Euclid to Shaw and everyone was working feverishly to prepare for the 3rd and final day of this year's Taste of Little Italy. All the major bars and restaurants had big screen TVs to beam the live Brazil-Australia World Cup match to a crowd of avid soccer fans. At the heart of Little Italy is the CHIN...

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the United States is ready to assist Cuba in a transition to democracy, but is not attempting to foment unrest on the island while President Fidel Castro is ill. It has been nearly a week since President Castro temporarily handed executive authority to his brother, Raul, before undergoing surgery for what government sources described as gastrointestinal bleeding. Since then, Cuban officials have accused the Bush administration of attempting to destabilize the country by repeatedly broaching the subject of political change on the island. Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press" program, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dismissed the allegation, but reiterated U.S...

Huberman and Sweezy, the Marxist Critics, have made an analysis of the land reform of the Alliance for Progress and have proved that it had no probability for success. The city bourgeoisie of Latin America would not give up its' spots easily; in its place, a more practical step was required to give a impulse to the nonviolent revolution. A perfect example to this point that was made by the two researchers is the agrarian agenda that was accepted in Guatemala from 1952 till 1953. These two man which have made a decision to carry out the reform belonged to social democrats of a middle class, where the aim was 200,00 acres of unfarmed land possessed by the United Fruit Co. The Government of Guatemala...

The original author of Lonely Planet Cuba announces the launch of Cuba-Pictures.com, a 23-page collection of 207 travel photos of Cuba. All photos in this picture gallery are by David Stanley, who researched and wrote the first two editions of Lonely Planet Cuba, published in 1997 and 2000. Stanley first visited Cuba in 1975, and over the next four years he represented a Canadian tour company on Isla de la Juventud, at Varadero, and in Havana. Since then, he has revisited Cuba dozens of times. A few of Stanley's photos originally appeared in Lonely Planet Cuba, while the rest are published here for the first time. They offer a cross section of Cuba, with the emphasis on "real Cuban life" rather than...

Italy and Fashion have a very unique and special relationship, and when you consider such names as Dolce&Gabbana, Versace and Armani, to name but a few, it's not difficult to see why. But if we look back into the history of Italian Fashion, (e.g. see also the article on Nina Ricci) we start to understand what gave Italy such a status in the Fashion World. Count Giorgini started the 'Italian Fashion' craze in 1951, when he organised a fashion show to be presented to an International audience in Florence. He then continued to present other fashion shows at his palace, presenting new collections modelled by nobilty against a backdrop of fine arts and scenery. Nobilty would also model new collections at...

Located in the North of the Caribbean, Cuba boasts a wide variety of people and cultures. Many different customs have been bought onto the island including those from the Taino, Spanish colonialism and African slaves. With such diverse cultures present, the country provides a fascinating experience for people from all around the world so it's no surprise that Cuba travel has become so popular. No doubt the tropical climate and beautiful beaches also contribute to the hoards of tourists who contribute to Cuba travel every year. Playa Paraiso and Playa Sirena are possibly two of the most beautiful beaches you will ever see. The two are connected and stretch the length of Cayo Largo del Sur which is on...