An overview of south africa for travelers

The Republic of South Africa was once the home to apartheid. A movement and a man, Nelson Mandela, changed that. Here is an overview of the country for travelers.

An Overview of South Africa for Travelers

As recently as 1991, apartheid was the rule of law in South Africa. The term means separate and effectively divided the country along racial lines in practically every element of society.

The Portuguese were the first to land in South Africa in 1488, but didn’t claim a colony. The Dutch East India Company arrived in 1652, with Dutch and Germans moving to the country. These whites became the Afrikaners and eventual dominate class of South Africa. In 1779, the British moved in on the proceedings and the Afrikaners moved north. Known as the Great Trek, this shift put the Afrikaners in conflict with Zulu tribes and warriors. The Zulus won most of the conflicts following their legendary leader, Shaka. In 1828, Shaka was assassinated and momentum turned.

Diamonds were discovered in 1870 and gold in 1886. Europeans immigrated like mad to the area. The British eventually took the Afrikaners land, but more or less gave it back to them when they were put in charge of the newly created Union of South Africa in 1910.

Although native blacks had no power, apartheid didn’t officially begin until 1948. In 1912, black groups formed the eventual African National Congress. The ANC became a problem and eventually was banned. One of its leaders, Nelson Mandela, was jailed and became a national symbol of the fight against apartheid.

In February of 1990, the ruling white party gave up the ghost on apartheid. The ANC was recognized as a legal political group and Nelson Mandela was freed after nearly 30 years in prison. He was eventually elected President in 1994.

The transition from white to black leadership has not been without its problems. Crime and economic problems crippled the country for years. Johannesburg was a wild, wild west city at night with rape and other crimes being common. The country has recently seen better times, but it is still rough going for most people.

Modern day South Africa covers an area of roughly 470,462 square miles. The capital is Johannesburg. The country has diverse geographic elements, but a moderate climate.

The people of South Africa are known as “South Africans.” Totally population is just over 46 million, with 79 percent black, 9.6 percent white, 8.9 percent colored and 2.5 percent Asian. The primary languages are English and Afrikaans. Life expectancy is a relatively low 50 years for men and 52 years for women.

Following 80 years of apartheid, it is hardly surprising that South Africa has had its problems. That being said, the country is much more stable than it was 10 years ago. It is also a beautiful land as most guidebooks will show you.

Save on golf clubs

Bag a great deal on golf clubs with help from the Internet. Cyberspace is a vast world of sites to help you save on the things you need. With virtually billions of online retailers, competition is fierce and the potential for big savings is huge.

Online retailers can help you save on golf clubs because they need to undercut real world retailers. Big block stores can offer some good bargains, but surfing the net will usually get you a better deal. Rock bottom prices are available on golf clubs as well as balls, clothing, golf bags, shoes and everything else you need to golf the perfect game.

While the Internet offers endless opportunities to save on golf clubs, it is also a notorious hangout for crooked operations and shady retailers trying to filch some of your money. Simply corresponding with friends online can cause an onslaught of bogus emails call 'Spam' to plague your mailbox. Spam is annoying, but there are more malicious predators lurking on the web. Worms and viruses have nothing on these online conmen.

Scam artists regularly set fake ads, auctions or entire sites with the sole purpose of milking buyers of your hard-earned cash. Send a payment to one of these crooks and you can kiss it goodbye. You'll be old and gray, still waiting by the mailbox to receive your package. If you're shopping for golf clubs and you think the deal is too good to be true, it probably is. Beware and be sure before you buy.

There are many legitimate sellers on the web who stay in business by passing on real savings on good equipment. Don't let a few rotten apples frighten you away from your online search to save on golf clubs. By following save Internet buying practices you will be able to protect yourself from getting scammed.

The most important thing to remember when buying online, is never to provide personal information via email. The only time that you should send banking or credit details is when you're positive the site is secure. You can tell a website is secure by checking the Web address for a "https" rather than simply "http." The extra "s" on the web address stands for 'secure'. Many sites will also show a small key symbol that tells you it's a secure site.

Legitimate retailers will also offer optional methods of contacting them. If they have phone number and real address listed, follow up to be sure the store actually exists. If you're still not sure, try researching over a comparison site like MySimon. com, or check the Better Business Bureau's site. This extra step can mean the difference between a new set of clubs and a lesson learned the hard way.

You can save on golf clubs by shopping on the Internet. Shopping smart is the key to shopping safe.

Mortgage lending rate slows

The increase in interest rates, coupled with rising house prices and the decrease in the average consumer’s disposable income is “increasingly squeezing new buyers out of the market and making it more difficult for existing house owners to trade up,” said Howard Archer, Global Insight’s Chief UK and Global Economist.

This, in turn, has had a pronounced effect on home loans; the continuing rise in inflation deterring homeowners from borrowing.

Existing mortgages repayments have risen, with many homeowners struggling to meet repayments, leading to an increase of 30% in the annual number of Individual Voluntary Agreements.

A large number of homeowners have turned to credit cards in order to manage their finances through difficult circumstances, only to find themselves trapped in a circle of debt that threatens to undermine their credit ratings and restrict future applications for further loans or borrowing.

Some homeowners, however, have found a way to break that circle of debt. The emergence of mortgage brokers who specialise in remortgages for those with bad or negative credit ratings has offered a solution to potential insolvency.

Putting the equity in their homes to good use, they are also exploiting the annual average growth of 10% with regard to property prices. This offers them more useable funds than they previously thought.

With these funds, consumers are able to pay off outstanding debts and positively affect or ‘repair’ their bad credit ratings. The rates of interest they agree with their mortgage or remortgage lenders will also have been designed to reflect their circumstances and allow better future financial management.

Some of these lenders offer what is known as a ‘payment holiday’, allowing homeowners with remortgages the chance to settle any immediate debts quickly and then concentrate on using their newly-freed funds to continue to repair damaged credit scores and maintain solvency.

Shower stalls - bring a touch of style to your bathroom

Bathroom shower stalls come in all kinds of stylish designs to suit bathrooms of all sizes and themes. If you're thinking of revamping your bathroom, installing a shower stall could be a great way to give the whole room a sleek and modern new image, whilst at the same time offering a practical function. With the busy lifestyles we all lead these days, taking a quick shower rather than waiting for the bathtub to fill is a popular option. Even in smaller bathrooms it's often possible to find the space for a corner shower stall.

Modern shower stalls are made from attractive and durable materials, such as fiberglass, acrylic or tempered glass. Not only does a shower stall look great and bring a touch of luxury to a bathroom, it's designed to provide many years of use. Shower stalls are made to be low maintenance and easy to clean. If you have a particular look in mind you might want to look into getting a custom made stall. For instance, you could choose between clear, colored, molded or etched glass, depending on what would fit in best with your bathroom's new look.

When looking at shower stalls, think about the layout of your bathroom and take accurate measurements to help you choose the best design. Consider whether you want to fit a curtain or a door across the entrance. Fabric shower curtains are inexpensive to buy and are a good way to add a splash of color to your dйcor. Alternatively, frameless shower doors offer a more permanent solution. If you've got the space, a folding door can look very elegant, although sliding doors make better use of a small space. Whatever look you have in mind for your bathroom's makeover, the choice of shower stalls available on the internet offers something to fit in with any theme and budget!

Using the ground to cut your utility bill

As fossil fuels get more expensive, society in general is starting to get serious about finding new power sources. Geothermal heating is a simple answer for homes.

Geothermal heating is a fairly old concept that has gained a new life through advances in modern technology and materials. The concept is best explained using a basic example.

In many parts of the world, homes come with basements. If you’ve lived in such a home, you’ve probably failed to notice an interesting fact. Everyone knows that a basement will remain relatively cool during a summer, no matter how hot it gets outside. Fewer people, however, realize a basement will maintain fairly warm temperatures in the winter regardless of how cold it is outside the home. This odd result has to do with how Mother Earth regulates herself.

Ostensibly, geothermal power takes advantage of the inherently stable temperature of the ground. Regardless of temperature fluctuations on the surface of the ground, soil below five feet remains at a fairly constant temperature range of 50 to 55 degrees. During the winter, this temperature can be used to create geothermal heating for a home or building.

The mechanics of using the ground for power are exceedingly simple. To produce heat, plastic piping loops are dug into the ground to create a circuit for heat transfer. Depending on the season, liquid is run through the system to exchange heat or cold with the ground and suck up the opposite. The reconstituted liquid is then run through a refrigerant process to produce cold air that it circulated in the home during the hot summer. In winter, the process runs backwards and the cold air in the home is forced into the ground where it circulates and is subsequently compressed. The compression warms the fluids to well over 100 degrees, which is transformed into heat for the home through air ducts.

An easier way to think of the above concept is to consider the season. In the winter, the system will transfer cold air to the ground in exchange for warm air used in your home. The opposite occurs in summer. Regardless of the season, a geothermal pump system can lower your energy costs by as much as 70 percent.

Baby shower cakes - guaranteed to tickle your fancy

The most important thing not to be forgotten at a baby shower party to make it a success is to remember the reason behind the get together and that being is baby.

What is a baby shower, well let me tell you it is an occasion to celebrate the newest edition to the family. Originally baby showers were intended for first-borns, but in the modern world baby shower parties are practised for every baby born into the family and why not every baby deserves just as much attention as any other.

Baby showers normally have close relatives at hand tending to all the planning alongside mum/dad to be. Remember there are some cultures and religious beliefs that believe certain things like parties or belongings to baby brought into the home before the birth is considered unlucky.

Alias names for Baby showers as such have come under titles like Daddys shower, Men-only party for dads-to-be, Diaper showers or baby sprinkles, whatever this is all about welcoming the new baby. Guests invited to babys party bestow and shower gifts, hence the name baby showers. Not forgetting Grandmas shower where party guests bring baby items such as collapsible cribs and changing pads these gifts stay at the home of the grandparents, need I say any more. This is most probably where the famous saying comes in left holding the baby, well thats what grandparents are for.

Parents love a theme behind there baby shower party and why not something to get excited over secondly to that of the birth of baby. Essential needs to get the party into full swing include games the feast and presents and last but not least the cake which at a baby showers party is considered not complete unless this bakers confection is present.

To make your babys day extra special why not bake your own cake, dont worry if you have no experience in this department ready made mixtures for cakes are available with recipe instructions made easy to follow. The hardest part about baking your own is choosing the flavour. Butter cake/ Chiffon cake/ Cupcake/Chocolate cake/ Cheesecake/ Fruit cake/ Carrot cakes are just a few to mention.

A good idea is to bake the main cake of your choice with a couple of others that differ in ingredients. Good and simple choices and inviting to the taste bud is the Butterfly cake/ Gingerbread/ Spice cake/ Sponge cake, the list is endless. Remember this is your babys shower party so you get to choose.

Specially selected baby shower cake ideas

1. Why not try the belly cake a cake designed to look like that of a pregnant belly You can do this by placing a round cake in front of a square cake then sprinkle icing sugar over them both thus resembling that of a rounded belly.

2. Then we have the popular Toy Blocks Cake. Another fabulous idea that goes down well at baby shower parties, bake the cake to look like childrens toy blocks (one large block accompanied by 3 to 4 smaller blocks). Enhance the Toy block cakes by surrounding them with candies or little novelty toys. Make sure these are removed when eating.

The cake centre piece will stand out in the memories of the parents-to-be but never near as much as to why the reason behind why the cake stands there in the first place.

Congratulations.

Getting from the barcelona airport is easy

‘El Prat,’ Barcelona’s Airport, is one of the best ways to enter the fascinating Iberian Peninsula. El Prat is just 15 kilometers outside the city center on the C-246 freeway heading towards the beach town of Castadefells. Nowadays, Barcelona is not just a summer holiday destination. You can find all your travel needs taken care of with great package deals almost all year round. More and more flights can be found giving you the best deals in and out of Spain. You can travel by rental car, taxi, train, bus, or with a driver to get to and from the airport. Here’s a closer look at how to get back and forth from Barca to El Prat.

- Car Rental

If you are going to be in Barcelona for a long or short trip, a rental car could be the way to go. If you are just hear for a short trip, mostly likely for business reasons, then a car hire would be a great way to get to town fast and get around quickly. You can take advantage of your short stay by your quick transport. You can also travel out of town quickly and easily with a car hire at your disposal. If you are in Barcelona for an extended stay with your family or friends, then a rental car is totally worth it.

- Taxi

If you don’t want to rent a car, but need to get from the airport to town fast then a taxi is a good option. You can sit back and relax in your 15-minute taxi ride into the city. You can catch a taxi at Terminal A, B, or C. Expect to pay about 16 Euros to get to Plaza Catalunya in the center of the city. If you are heading towards Sagrada Familia expect to pay about 19 Euros. There is an additional charge of .90 for each piece of luggage.

- Train

If you want to test out the train system then look for the signs inside the terminal that point you to the train. You will see signs that show trains going to Mataro Line, Sant station, Plaza Catalunya, and to Arc de Triomf. Trains run from about 6:00 a. m. until about 11 p. m.

- Bus

Another easy option is the airport bus called the, Aerobus, that takes you from terminals A, B, and C all the way to Plaza Catalunya. You can’t miss the big blue buses right outside the terminals. They leave every 8 minutes and it costs 3.75 Euro to board the bus. You don’t need a ticket ahead of time and the driver has plenty of change.

- Private Transfers

These are a great option if you are honeymooning or just like to have total comfort when traveling. There is a minibus service that can carry about 13 people or there is also a Mercedes for up to 3 people. The minimum service is for four hours and you can even hire them to take you around outlying areas with or without an English-speaking guide.