I was so impressed by the helicopters I saw advertised in Toronto that I drove to Canada from Texas to purchase some for myself.  Normally, I would advocate doing an online order, but in this case, it was really better to just go there on my own, because the online inventory was much less impressive, plus the cost of shipping was outrageous.  Anyway, I took the time and drove to Toronto and used that little vacation to make a special trip to Niagara Falls as well, because I just cannot go to Canada without getting a glimpse of the Falls.

Anyway, it was so wonderful to see a bona fide helicopter shop where you knew the owners were also the manufacturers and they would know everything there was to know about helicopters.  And of course, the wonderful Canadian hospitality cannot be beaten, and the people selling remote control helicopters in Toronto and in surrounding areas are always happy to help with your purchase and to lend their knowledge to people who are new to the helicopter world and just want to learn as much as possible before they go forward with their first helicopter purchase.  Although I already consider myself a helicopter aficionado, I still know that I have a lot more to learn, and I am always interested in hearing as much as possible from these helicopter gurus.  It turns out that the day I got there they had just gotten a brand new shipment of their best brands and I got first dibs at looking at what they had to sell.

I was so thrilled with their selection and their true attention to detail, that I bought two remote control helicopters, even though I had initially planned to only buy one.  I brought the helicopters home and can happily say that I got back to the United States with a better knowledge of the newest trends in helicopter purchasing as well as a great idea of the type of warranty I could get in Canada.  It turns out that Toronto has a great warranty plan for their remote control helicopters; one that the United States has not yet been able to match.

And the thing I like best about buying remote control helicopters in Canada is the unassuming elegance of the helicopters these Canadians craft-perfect reflections of these people as a nation.  I still regularly use the two helicopters I purchased there, and I am looking forward to the next helicopter racing competition, when I can really see how well they handle.

This is a situation that may be somewhat unusual, but some have experienced. They have been at no fault regarding the possession of a counterfeit bill because, if not checked properly, they can be distributed by banks, stores, and other venues in which money changes hands.

But what if you were on vacation and this happened? First of all, you’re not from the area and you just handed off a counterfeit bill. That makes you look quite suspicious and, unfortunately, can get you into serious trouble and ruin your entire vacation. That is why it is important to take certain precautions.

Precautions to take

One can never be too careful when traveling with cash. If at all possible, one might prefer to use traveler’s cheques or use a debit card or credit card. These items can be reported if missing, whereas cash cannot be replaced. Traveler’s cheques can be replaced if missing so your trip isn’t completely ruined. However, if you must carry cash, there are ways to protect yourself against receiving counterfeit money.

Depending on where you are in the world is going to determine what tools you need, but using items such as:

•A counterfeit detector can keep you receiving a counterfeit bill. Simply keep one in your purse or pocket to immediately mark the bill. The mark should show up clear if the bill is real and the mark will show up as dark if it is counterfeit. Although many retailers use these pens, cashiers can get into a huge hurry and forget to mark them.

•UV detectors can also protect you. These devices can come as pens or key chains that you can shine on the bill to make sure the security thread is inside the bill and that the denomination of the bill is printed on it. UV devices that work on U.S. bills also work on Canadian bills. When shined on a Canadian bill, the coat of arms along with the words FIVE CINQ and BANK OF CANADA BANQUE DU CANADA appear over the portrait in blue. The UV light will also pick up the red fibers on the bill.

It is also good to know about the different types of security used on the printing of bills even if you are visiting a foreign country and cannot find a counterfeit detection device for that particular currency. By doing this, you can immediately spot a counterfeit bill and call the authorities or return it as soon as you receive it and let them know that it is counterfeit. This can keep you out of trouble for circulating counterfeit money, especially when you are away from home and trying to enjoy yourself. This can also prevent the money from ending up in someone else’s hands.

It’s also amazing how many activities one is able to cram into a short amount of time. I wanted to give them a really good taste of everything that I love about the city of Toronto and my new country. So occasionally I put a few too many things on our plates and we ended up racing through a few of the activities. On the whole though, I think our European guests had a fabulous time and they fell in love with Toronto, just like I did, many years ago.

Saturday all six of us went golfing to a little par-3 golf course in the East end of Toronto. None of my Austrian guests had ever golfed before, so a couple of days earlier we started with a few buckets of balls at the driving range, followed up by an indoor putting practice session on the carpet. Saturday we would get to try the real thing. The attempts at the driving range didn’t look all that great, with balls spraying all over the place, to the left and to the right. But on Saturday afternoon, another gorgeous day, our four Austrian guests performed quite admirably and only lost 2 balls in the water hazard.

They really enjoyed golf, a sport they had never even dreamed of playing, but the Toronto area with its several hundred golf courses, many of them reasonably priced, made it easy to give this sport a try. All preconceived notions about golf only being a sport for old people went out the window, and they enjoyed the challenge of trying to sink the round little ball in the hole.

Sunday came our second big excursion: a driving tour through the Kawartha Lakes. I had only planned two major driving tours: a wine-tasting tour through the Niagara Peninsula, and a second one to the lake district of the Kawarthas. We started by driving east on Toronto’s 401, a 12 to 16 lane highway whose size duly impressed my European visitors. Then we headed north-east through rolling farm country to Peterborough, a rural university town with a population of about 70,000. From there we drove north into the Kawarthas, a gorgeous lake region set in the rocky landscape of the Canadian Shield.

Our first stop was Buckhorn, where we watched the mechanics of lift locks of the Trent-Severn Canal that links Lake Ontario with Georgian Bay. We saw how several boats assembled inside the lock following by an opening of the sluices and the water level equilibrating itself with the level of the lower portion of the river. The Parks Canada lock supervisor explained the whole process to us and it only took about 10 minutes for the boats to reach the lower level.

From Buckhorn we drove through rocky and marshy countryside to the quaint village of Bobcaygeon where we took an extended stroll. We had a nice waterfront lunch, looking across to the marina, seeing the the boats come in an out of the canal. Particularly our Austrian friends Luis and Isabella love boating and seeing the many houseboats on the Trent-Severn Canal gave them a few ideas for future vacations in Canada.

The lunch was delicious and we took a little stroll around this charming town, admiring the waterfront parks and picnic facilities that allow great access to the water. From Bobcaygeon we drove on to another little picturesque country town: Fenelon Falls, whose name comes from a waterfall in the middle of town that has been used for electricity generation since the 1870s.

After a sizeable line-up we picked up a few delicious cones of Kawartha Dairy ice cream and strolled over to the bridge over the falls and then down to the little peninsula that sticks out into the river. From there you can look into a rocky gorge where both sides of the river are surrounded by high rocks.

Again, we watched boats being lifted and lowered, this time in lock 33 of the Trent-Severn Canal System. This is another town with a beautiful little park right by the locks with lots of opportunity for barbeques or simply for a relaxing snooze in the sun . Time was flying by and by this time it was already 3:30 pm so we had to start our return to the city. We only took back roads and my brother lost count of the numerous golf courses that dotted the landscape. It was a nice relaxing drive through rolling countryside and we made it back to Toronto in less than 2 hours. All four of my Austrian guests had fallen in love with the Lake District and the prospect of another vacation in Canada to explore the waters north of Toronto seems ever more likely.

Yesterday was their last full day in Toronto, and we took our bikes out for a spin one more time. Since we all love water we rode down to the Eastern Beaches again, and leisurely explored the waterfront. We watched some lawn bowling, and one of the participants kept coming over to us to explain the rules of the game to us since none of us was familiar with this sport. My guests commented several times on the friendliness of people in the stores, restaurants, in line-ups and even I myself was surprised at the approachability of Torontonians, often known as a more reserved breed of people. But we truly kept having very positive experiences, equally with people employed in the service sector, as well as with regular citizens, taking a stroll, playing a game of lawn bowling or going for a walk with their dog.

Of course we admired the inukshuks by the beach, a public play area for adults with rocks of various shapes and sizes that are used by passers-by to create interesting stone sculptures. We watched a few tense points at the Kew Gardens Tennis Club, and checked out the picturesque Kew Gardens park itself. From there we headed west past the beach volleyball facilities to the little peninsula west of Ashbridges Bay which always offers a fabulous view of Toronto’s skyline. We took in the tranquil atmosphere and soaked in the sun for a while before we started our return back along the waterfront. My European visitors commented several times how incredible it is to have all this publicly accessible land right along the waterfront and how in some secluded spots you don’t even realize that you are in a major metropolitan area.

To get back up to our house we had to climb back up from the waterfront and this time we chose the Glen Stewart Ravine, where a little brook has carved a valley into the slopes leading down to the waterfront. It is a densely forested area and when you are in there it feels like you are in a remote forest somewhere, not right in the middle of Toronto.

Once back at our house, preparation got started for our final goodbye barbeque and we had invited a few extra friends to join us to give our Austrian guests a proper sendoff back home. We enjoyed some excellent food and they sampled a few more varieties of Canadian wines and beers, all of which they had commented quite favourably on. We didn’t sample much restaurant cuisine since my brother is a talented chef, but the fresh ingredients that he purchased in Toronto’s various markets made for some truly delicious dinners.

In the evening we took one more spin in the car, first to revisit the Distillery District at night. Luis had wanted to buy some beer glasses at the Mill Street Brewery as a souvenir, but unfortunately the brewery and restaurant were closed. The whole Distillery area was a little quiet, not surprisingly, since it was Labour Day, the last official day of summer, and the final day of respite before school would begin again. We continued our driving tour with a little spin through downtown and up Yonge Street before we turned east on Bloor Street. We crossed the Bloor Street Viaduct and arrived on the Danforth, Toronto’s Greek area. As always, Greektown was quite busy and people were milling about. We sat down on the patio of one of our favourite restaurants and enjoyed some Greek snacks before we headed home after another long day, all of us a little sad, commenting how nine days can pass so quickly.

Today we’ll have to take their four rented bicycles back and around 2:30 we’ll have to start the trek to the airport. It’s been a fabulous 9 days, an extended sleepover with four great people and we won’t forget this holiday for a long, long time. We are already hoping for another reunion, either in Austria, or back here in Canada, to deepen this fabulous connection.

This country continues to attract tourists from all over the world. And it is not surprising – the climate in Cuba, just wonderful! And the emerald sea, colorful locals, an abundance of festivals and carnivals fetch picture. Besides, who refuses to try the famous Cuban rum and cigars?

Varadero\’s largest shopping complex is Plaza America where fancy boutiques and all manner of shops cater to American-style consumerism. There are a number of artisan markets that sell a wide variety of souvenirs along 1th Avenue. For cigars the Casa Del Habana sells excellent quality cigars.

Many travel sites offer information on this topic, as often about Cuba can be heard from the news, but nevertheless wish to once again talk about Cuba, because Cuba – an island of freedom.

There are many bars offering live music, cabaret shows are popular, and dance clubs and discos in the town cater to Cubans and tourists alike. The hotels have nightly entertainment, with lots of Cuban music, dancing and cocktails on offer.

The Pearl Islands is considered to be the Varadero is located on the island Ikakos. Such amazing beaches with white sand and clean sea still need to search! Tourists are invited to visit the Dolphin Aquarium. Trained dolphins put on shows, after which you can swim alongside these graceful mammals, if you like. Very interesting will visit the cave Ambrosia with its ancient rock paintings, as well as the famous National Park Varadero.

Those who like active rest, too, do not be bored: for their services as much -there are over 30 dive sites around Varadero and dive centers offering dive courses. Deep sea fishing, windsurfing, parasailing, kayaking and sailing are all offered. Land-based activities include golf, skydiving and bowling.

The capital of Cuba, Havana is famous for its museums – colonial and anthropological. There is even a museum to combat illiteracy.

The largest park in the Cuban capital is named after V.I. Lenin, you must visit him. Would be an interesting visit to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (the mid 17 the century), Monastery of Santa Clara (17 century), the zoo and the capital Havana Botanical Garden. And not far from the fortress of La Cabaña is a majestic monument – sculpture «Havana Christ», the whole height of 18 meters! Every evening in the castle passes pompous ceremony cannon shots – try to get it. In the time of the colony cannon shot signaled the closing of the gate for travelers and the cessation of movement of ships between the fortresses of La Punta and El Moro. Today, the gun shot in the evening – it\’s just a tribute to tradition and yet another entertainment for tourists, marking the onset of interesting Havana Nights.

Memories last a lifetime! At least once in their lifetime to change the cold winter to sunny beaches of Varadero, visit the home of Roma and the Cuban cigars, or even meet New Year in Cuba – believe me, it\’s worth it!

I had good deal from my travel agency, but couldn’t pay right away and my credit was not perfect but I was able to get a same day payday loan from a payday loan company and instant cash was in my pocket. With same day instant cash loans, you are not anymore required to worry about any vacation emergency.
I was able to get my vacation dream and enjoyed Varadero a lot!