Now all over the country rice is harvested and there is not much time for celebrations. Yet, Tabodwe is also a joyful time that finds it culmination in the harvesting festival, Burma’s equivalent to Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day as it is called in North America. Enough rice means that the people must not starve. So, the time of rice harvesting is not only a time of hard work but also joy.

This festival is called ‘Htamane’ after the special food offering that is cooked and eaten at this time. This gives women the most welcome opportunity to provide proof of their cooking skills. Htamane consists of glutinous rice, coconut (shredded), peanut or cooking oil, peanuts (husk removed), ginger (sliced), sesame and salt.

There are three ways in which the htamane – or rice cooking festival as it is also called – is usually celebrated. These are in the private family circle or together with selected friends and neighbours or communally. Whatever way is chosen to celebrate htamane it always means a big, happy gathering because many hands are needed to get all the necessary work done. There are lots of things that need to be done;

Brac is the largest islands in the central Dalmatian region of Croatia and Postira is specifically located on its northern coast. Postira is an excellent representation of a quaint Dalmatian town bathed with narrow streets, small houses, green meadows and old vineyards. Dominating its skyline is the Baroque Church of St. John the Baptist. These days, the town is also populated by various hotels; bed and breakfasts; and private apartments to accommodate the growing number of tourists who are lured to the village’s charm and tranquil beauty.

Postira is blessed with a long history, which goes all the way back to the 14th century. Even today, you can find structures and remnants that serve as reminders of the real age of the village. When you go to the village port, you cannot miss the row of stone houses that used to be properties of wealthy families in Brac. The Palace Lazanic is among these striking buildings. The house was also the home of Vladimir Nazor, a celebrated Croatian poet.

The village’s serene valleys and lovely bays make a lasting impression on anyone who sets foot on Postira. The people here are known for their friendliness and

La Tomatina Festival is the distinct food fight event held on the last Wednesday of August of every year. It attracts thousands of Spanish tourists and also other nationalities from all over. The town of Bunol is located near the Spanish region of Valencia. Its streets within the old town vicinity are the main venues for the fun tomato-throwing event. About 40,000 to 50,000 people participate in this amazing fight, making Bunol’s regular small population swell up during the one-week lone festival. If you are concerned about wasting tomatoes at the event, don’t worry. The world’s biggest food fight make use of only slightly over 100 metric tons of over- ripe tomatoes.

To protect the different shops surrounding the food fight venue, owners place plastic covers on their store facade before the tomato fight. Then several trucks carrying loads of tomatoes drive into the center of the town named Plaza del Pueblo. The first event of La Tomatina begins at about 11 am, and the firing of the water canon marks the start of the tomato battle, where every person is responsible for himself. After an hour, the water cannons are fired again to signal the end

Tour Departures

There are two locations for taking a helicopter tour, and one of them is in Vegas, while the other is in Arizona. Helicopters that depart from Vegas fly to the West Rim and the choppers that depart from Tusayan fly to the South Rim of the Canyon. Just so you know, there are no flights between the two rims. So if you want to take a helicopter tour of the South Rim, but you’re staying in Vegas, then you need to take a plane to the South Rim where you can then begin your tour.

Another thing to know is that the temperatures are colder at the South Rim. That’s because the South Rim sits at an elevation of 6700 feet. The West Rim, on the other hand, has an elevation of only 4700 feet. At the South Rim, daytime temps from December to March hover around 40 to 50 degrees in the day and they drop to 18 to 25 at night. The West Rim has warmer daytime temperatures that reach into the 60s and 70s, but the nights are a little chilly with 40 degree temps.

It’s even possible you’ll see

Toll roads are virtually empty and most of the motorways, with the exception of large town interchanges like Bilbao or Madrid they are very light with traffic and on the whole drivers here do not seem to be in such a rush.

Something we learnt yesterday from a fellow driver you can easily be caught speeding on toll roads as your entrance and exit times are recorded and if you show excessive speed you can be fined on the spot at the exit barrier.

Talking to a cyclist, helmets are to be worn according to the police although locals never seem to bother; or with lights. However this chap told us he had been fined 250 euros for being drunk in charge of a bike and not wearing a helmet on a major road.

There seems to be zero tolerance for any drink driving situations.

The quality or most Spanish roads we have travelled on is excellent, I cannot vouch for mountain trails, which look frightening as you pass the mountains on the motorways, as they wind precariously up the side of the mountains, but the main roads are fine. Most motorways seem little

This may sound blindingly obvious, but you might be surprised to know just how many people leave their own equipment at home on the assumption they will be able to rent some upon arrival, only to then find that it is not quite as readily available as they had hoped. A variation on this is making sure that you understand how much your hire charges are likely to be.

Do you understand what your catered ski chalets are offering by way of food included in the price?

There can be some surprising variations here, but it doesn’t need to be a problem, providing you haven’t been caught unawares by them upon arrival.

Is all of the equipment you are taking with you fully serviced and ready to go?

We are all busy and many of us are inclined to put off little jobs. Discovering that there are problems with your ski equipment after you’ve arrived on holiday is likely to lead to frustration and delay.

Don’t forget that your free European health cover isn’t full holiday insurance. It won’t, for example, pay for your medical repatriation if you are injured. Don’t overlook this