Travel Bug

Ah, Hawaii. Sun, sand, surf and… smoke monsters?

Okay, not exactly, but for six years, the TV series “Lost” made its home there, pumping approximately $400 million into the state’s economy, according to Pacific Business News. Fans come from far and wide, not just to enjoy the usual Hawaiian R&R, but to spend as much as 10 hours in a day checking out locations where some of the show’s most memorable scenes were filmed.

Like “Seinfeld” and “Sex and the City” before it, “Lost” tourism has become a business unto itself. One such tour is run by Ed Kos. “‘Lost’ just fell into my lap,” he said. “I was already doing a Hummer/off-road movie location adventure about a year before ‘Lost’ started to film. They started filming along the same roads and trails that I was driving. I never had to change the route.”

Kos, an “obsessive” fan of the show himself, offers four different tours of varying lengths ranging between $79 and $209. He’s been told by some fans that his tour is the reason they came to visit Hawaii. “We had a man propose to his girlfriend at the same location that Jack and Juliet embrace and kiss for the first time on the show,” he said. “We have people bring their own Dharma suits and wear them during the tour.” Read the rest of this entry »

New measures go into effect at midday Tuesday that will let planes fly at higher ash densities than currently permitted.

As flight disruptions continue due to the ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano, the measures — announced by the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority on Monday — are designed to ease the backlog.

Flights that operate in the so-called Time Limited Zone will be subject to time limits and stricter maintenance policies, the CAA said. Airlines must provide a safety agreement from their aircraft and engine manufacturers to receive clearance to the zone.

British airline Flybe will be the first to use the new zone starting Tuesday, the CAA said.

Major European airports reopened Monday after being closed for six hours due to the ash cloud.

The Monday cancellations were the latest in a round of weekend closures of airports across the United Kingdom and into continental Europe. Read the rest of this entry »

The 2010 Shanghai Expo has begun, and is on till October 31. The host country, China, hopes this World Expo will show everyone evidence that China is becoming powerful. With a sustainable-development-theme, at least 250 countries and international organizations are demonstrating their unique cultures.
In fact, the Expo is the most luxurious one in history till date, and will display the recent green technology from all the 191 participating countries. The slogan of the Expo is, “Better city, better life in music and dance”.

China is incidentally the first developing country that is holding an Expo – and is making efforts to promote this event as environmentally-friendly. Thus, the country’s largest solar plant has been created, and zero emission vehicles are being used for transportation. Read the rest of this entry »