Honduras, et al.

The best description we have of Honduras is:
"This is PARADISE!"
One of our writer/authors came to this spot on earth and so far has refused to leave. She has found her home on the island of Roatan, in the Half Moon Bay. "Just send my checks via Miami." From there mail leaves by boat -- and arrives by hit or miss.
The highest point on Roatan is about 560 feet above sea level. Being an island it has beach front property all the way around it.
The whole nation of Honduras has only slightly more land mass than the state of Tennessee and has its own high hill residents too. It is sandwiched between Guatemala and Nicaragua with El Salvador being the lettuce on the western edge. There is just a little dab of Pacific sea coast on the western edge. The eastern edge of Honduras is almost all Pacific Ocean beach front property.
Rugged mountains rise behind the beach up to over five thousand feet in height. The interior mountains range from two thousand to five thousand feet above sea level with very few plateaus going below the two thousand foot level. The interior is marked by fertile plateaus, river valleys, and in some areas, narrow coastal plains.
"Paradise" it might be while the sun is shining, but in October of 1998, Hurricane Mitch killed some 13,000 Hondurans, left 2 million more homeless, and caused more than $5 billion in damage.
Even without the specter of another Hurricane Mitch, Honduras is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Latin America. Almost two-thirds of the population is living in poverty. That's all to the good for the faintly adventurous tourists, of course with an 18 to 1 conversion rate.

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Take An African Safari
By: Julee Mitchelsin

There are endless ways to vacation in today's world. Air travel makes it possible to get almost anywhere in the world in thirty hours or less. The local park or the state right next door are no longer our only reasonable vacation options. We can go on huge cruise ships and explore the beauty of the seas or we can vacation in a cabin tucked away in the mountains. It is even possible and reasonable to go on an African safari for your next vacation.

I know, an African safari seems a little too exotic and certainly too expensive for a typical family trip. And you are right in that an African safari is not a typical way to spend a week or two as a family, but it certainly is becoming a more viable option as travel becomes easier and more reasonable.

Admit it. There is at least a little bit of you that has always desired to take an African safari, to explore some of the world's wildest and most unknown places. I believe that you should start to make plans for an African safari if only because you want to. Don't let yourself get stressed out with all of the details that seem unrealistic. Instead, allow yourself to commit to planning a trip simply because it is something that would make your life richer and more full.

There are many ways to start planning an African safari. You can always make a visit to your travel agent, if you have one, and allow them to help you begin making the dream of an African safari a reality. You can also utilize various travel and trip planning magazines that often give details and tips about how to go about planning and then enjoying great vacations like an African safari. And don't forget the incredible resource that you have in the internet. With a few hours of searching I'm confident that you can begin to make real progress on planning the trip of your dreams.

Consider taking your African safari with a group of friends or with members of your extended family. Turn your dream trip into something that you can enjoy with the people you love most. Many times there are group discount rates for just about every aspect of a trip: the airfare, the hotel, and even the African safari itself. So for this trip, the more the merrier.

If going on an African safari is something you dream about, why not make steps toward making the dream happen. Apply for a passport if you do not have one and begin setting aside money now even if your trip is still a few years away. Your African safari will be well worth all of the time and planning it takes
to make it happen.


About the Author:

Julee Mitchelsin has enjoyed one African safari so far and she hopes to enjoy it at least one more time. She advises people to do the planning it takes to make their dreams come true. See more at http://www.africansafarihelp.info

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Your Essential Guide To Auto Transport & Vehicle Moving
By: John Thompson

Have you ever bought a car in one state and needed shipped just on the other side of the country? Or maybe, have your car sent to your ex-wife, who happens to live in Canada? Or, why not, bought your car on-line, from San Francisco and need it in New York? I’m sure that, if this hasn’t happened yet, it will probably happen sooner or later. So here are a few tips in transporting your car within USA, or between USA and Canada, no matter the distance.

Scheduling

Bearing in mind that the whole process can take quite a while, especially on long distances, schedule your auto shipping at least 4 weeks before you move, giving enough time to arrange for a car mover carrier to pick up your vehicle. Basically, the more advance time the better. If you are not available, you should arrange an alternative authorized party such as neighbor, friend or relative you can trust to transfer the car to the car mover. Most automobile shippers offer door-to-door service.

The cost

When working with a Car Mover, confirm what the total cost of the shipping will be. As you obtain quotes from several car transport and auto shipping companies (some links included lower), be prepared to provide:

·Origination/destination;
·Approximate departure date;
·Type of vehicle(s);
·Type of car transport service desired (e.g. door-to-door car transport vs. terminal-to-terminal);
·Special car mover or auto shipping requests (e.g. deliver at a location other than your home vs. at your home).

Payment method

While some car transport and auto drive-away companies may not require payment in advance, others require a deposit (10-25% of the total cost), or full payment in advance. If a deposit is given, amount due is always required at time of delivery – oftentimes with a cashiers check or cash. Sometimes a surcharge of 2-3% is required when using a credit card with a car transport or auto drive-away company.

Licenses

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration must license auto shippers, transporters with a valid MC# or US DOT#.

Insurance

The car Transport Company or auto drive-away should insure your vehicle against damage and theft. ASK FOR A COPY OF INSURANCE COVERAGE. Ask if the carrier's insurance is PRIMARY or SECONDARY to your own insurance in the event of damage during car transport. Also, ask if there is damage deductible – VERIFY ALL IN WRITING. In addition, your own car insurance may cover your vehicle in transit – check with your car insurance company to verify.

Inspect your car before shipping

It is advisable that in addition to receiving a condition report document from your car mover detailing any pre-existing damage to your car, that you take photographs of the car, date the photos, and attach them to the condition report provided by the car mover for your records. You must have a detailed description of the condition of your car prior to shipping. The condition report or other document used by the car mover should include current mileage, pre-existing damage of any type including as glass, scratches, paint, dents, and so on. This report is important in case any disputes arise.

Accepting your vehicle for delivery

At the time of delivery, inspect your vehicle SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY and compare the condition and mileage against the "Original Inspection Report" provided by your car transport company at origination (ALSO INSPECT THE ROOF AND UNDER FRONT AND REAR BUMPERS). If there are inconsistencies, note them as exceptions and be sure the driver signs it. NEVER ACCEPT YOUR VEHICLE AT NIGHT IF YOU CANNOT VERIFY ITS CONDITION – without being viewed and signed by the driver, you have little recourse if damage had occurred during transit.

Unresolved Disputes

Always try to work out your dispute with the car mover or auto shipping company first. They often work on a referral basis and are motivated to working out problems. However, if you feel you have reached a dead end or that you have not been treated reasonably, you have the option of filing complaints with multiple agencies (BBB, State and or Federal Department Of Transportation, Interstate Commerce Commission) as well as seeking legal counsel.

As I hope everything will turn out all right with your delivery, I’m giving a few links to some major auto-transportation companies. There you should find responses that are more comprehensive to your questions and to the money and work involved in shipping your car from one place to another.

www.carmoves.com -A AAAdvantage Auto Transporters (800) 233-4875
www.dasautoshippers.com -Dependable Auto Shippers (800) 763-4165
www.afldir.com -A Florida Direct Auto Transport (888) 432-4708
www.btransport.com -B&T Auto Transport (866) 849-3700


About the Author:

John Thompson is editor of http://www.autotransportguide.net a website detailing tips and resources on auto transport & vehicle moving.