Cruise ships are like all-inclusive resorts with changing scenery. Typical shore visits give you a taste of each port. From Jamaicans hawking their wares to Grand Cayman’s elegance to Cozumel’s stunning reefs – all guests are assured water views and countless activities.

Measuring nearly 900 feet in length and thirteen decks high, you navigate your new world as the captain navigates the globe. Journey to the spa, five Jacuzzis, two pools, the basketball court, theatre, nightclubs, casino, thirteen restaurants, jogging track, fitness center, shuffleboard and library. You can do your own thing or join others in yoga to volleyball or dancing. Out of cell phone range and too busy for e-mail, you live for the moment and anticipate yet another exciting port.

A common sea tale is that you will gain weight on a cruise. It’s true: the food is tasty, all you can eat and available twenty-four hours a day. The dessert options are endless. A quick call to room service yields anything from brownies to breakfast to bananas.

Instead, we chose to sprint the stairs whenever possible, dined on delicious vegetarian entrees and fulfilled a New Year’s resolution to visit the gym. The result? Fitter, trimmer and feeling rejuvenated in just one week.

On Shore

Thousands throng to Jamaica’s 600-foot Dunn’s River Falls each day. A cascade of refreshing freshwater invigorates as you venture from the ocean to the summit.

For Norwegian Cruise Line Passenger Scott Blatt, 48, the climb is an extraordinary feat.

An amputee, Blatt tossed his crutches aside for an unassisted ascent – to the cheers of onlookers. Blatt’s climb is a first in Jamaican history. Regardless of your skill or experience level, there are shore activities for everyone. While some marvel at stunning fish of every color while diving the reefs, others snorkel or tour Mayan ruins.

“Over 1500 divers explore Cozumel’s waters daily,” says Gustavo Costa, 35. Costa, an attorney from Buenos Aires, Argentina, now teaches diving. He sets the dive’s tone with the persuasiveness and knowledge you’d expect from an attorney. “Strict laws protect marine life from humans. Harming or killing is prohibited, ensuring our enjoyment of these beautiful creatures. Do not wear a knife or gloves, harm or chase after the wildlife – fines exceed $5,000.” Costa’s conservation efforts were rewarded. The reef, vibrant and flourishing, passed by like a movie. Floating effortlessly with the current, adult Angel Fish danced about, Puffer Fish looked back with their big, helpless eyes, lobster loitered, a nurse shark nervously darted off, a Manta Ray flapped massive wings in slow motion – like a hawk soaring a ridge. When it was time to go home, it was far too soon.

Getting There

Several cruise lines offer journeys from nearby ports. Norfolk, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York are a quick train ride away. “If you do travel by air to Miami, it is advisable to arrive a day early, so you don’t miss your ship in case of weather delays,” suggests Jerry Carlson of Delta Airlines. Art deco hotels in Miami’s South Beach provide colorful, dynamic architecture. The ocean and people on parade are an extra bonus.

Sidebar

For More Information:

www.oceana.org

www.CruiseNorfolk.org

www.NCL.com

www.Pelicanos.com.mx

www.AtlantisAdventures.net

www.ThePalmsHotel.com

When you’re fresh off the slopes and starving, Whistler’s restaurants can offer a wide variety of fares to please your palate. Bearfoot Bistro, known for fine French cuisine, has a wine collection of over 14,000 bottles ranging in price from $40 to $16,000. Their food and nightly live jazz acts are so popular that reservations are suggested. With a wide range of Japanese cuisine and a casual atmosphere, Sushi Village is a popular spot. Their sake margaritas are said to be legendary. Built at the same time as the village, Citta’s Bistro (pronounced cheetah) is one of the oldest eateries in Whistler. Locals love the large outdoor patio and the friendly atmosphere.

After your hunger for food is satisfied, head to the lounges and bars of Whistler to get together with friends to unwind. A local favorite and the only Irish pub, Dubh Linh Gate Pub has nightly live Celtic music. Black’s pub offers over 90 different beers and has a large outdoor patio to relax on while you enjoy them. Dusty’s Bar and Grill has been a popular hangout almost as long as Whistler has been around.

Whistler is a “pedestrian-only village.” This means that once you park your car, you won’t need it again until you are ready to leave because everything is within walking distance. Having everything within walking distance makes club hopping in Whistler so much safer and easier. Savage Beagle is a popular club best known for famous DJs and fresh squeezed juice martinis. The biggest nightclub in Whistler, Garfinkle’s is a musically diverse club offering VIP services. They offer private booths and private bars. With the largest dance floor and imported DJs from Europe and North America, Tommy Africa’s is always packed with locals and visitors. The music varies from techno and house to hip-hop and retro 80’s.

Even if you are dead-tired after full day of skiing and snowboarding, your trip to Whistler wouldn’t be complete unless you find the energy to experience the nightlife.

For first time travelers, here are some historical destinations you can consider for you student travel:

Athens

As the center of knowledge, government, and system in the ancient world, every student would be amazed how this ancient city grew and evolved. Students can visit Acropolis, Agora, Library of Hadrian, Kerameikos, Olympieion & Southeast Athens, Pnyx, Roman Agora & Tower of the Winds, Arch of Hadrian, City Eleusinion and other ancient sites in this ancient city of Athens.

Egypt

Visit one of the earliest civilizations founded in this part of the world. Egypt features 3000 years old city in the banks of River Nile. Egypt is also one of the oldest tourist spots in the world with visitors coming from the ancient Rome and Greece.

Moving your way south from Cairo, the nation’s capital, you can stop at Giza where the infamous Great Pyramid stands. It was built by Pharaoh Khafu in the year 2550 BC. Standing at 147 meters, it was the largest and the most ambitious structure built in the ancient Egypt requiring 2.3 million stone block to erect. Also at Giza, see the Pyramid of Khafre home if the Sphinx. It was built 30 after the Great Pyramid. As the second largest, the Pyramid of Khafre stands at 144 meters of 471 feet. The third pyramid located at Giza was the Pyramid of Menkaure which stands at 65 meters or 213 feet.

Further south, Saqqara is home to the Step Pyramid of Djoser built in 2630 BC. Pyramid of Pepi II, also located at Saqqara was the last pyramid built by ancient Egyptians. In Dahshur, the Bent and the Red Pyramids are located. And down south at Maidum, the Maidum Pyramid can be found.

See the temples, mummies, tombs, hieroglyphics, and Valley of the Kings and the Queens if you visit Egypt.

Rome

See ancient Rome still intact with evidences of Roman structure and architectures built more than 2000 years ago. Rome presents the living timeline from the Roman Empire to the shift of the Middle Ages, to baroque and renaissance, to the dawn of the romantic period and enlightenment. Rome preserves its temples, churches, arts, and priceless paintings and murals.

Turkey

A former territory of the Roman Empire which stood strong for more than a thousand years against several barbarian attack. Turkey is in the easternmost part of Europe that features a diverse culture, religion, philosophy, and architectures.

China

Travel Far East and learn the history of the ancient eastern civilization that was once unknown until the last centuries. See the Great Wall, a remnant of the Zhou Dynasty along with other unique oriental culture and tradition. See the Chinese painting, calligraphy, paper cutting, and Chinese art.

Peru

As the center of the Inca civilization, Peru is a great destination for student travel for discovery of South American history. The 500-year old Inca traces could be relived in the Inca Trail that is both exciting and educational. Walk to the Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuaman, Machu Picchu, and Pisac.

Therefore my intensions in writing this article are first to present my fellow Americans and those around the world with my personal view of how I saw the events. Second to tell how someone who has read what I would call an enormous amount of history books would classify this day in terms of history.

I like I have already stated was born in New York City where I was raised and spent 20 years of my life, me now being 40 years of age. By September of 2001 however I had adopted myself to live in Warsaw, Poland where I was residing with my then wife of 4 years and my daughter who was 3 years of age at the time who I might add is prominently mentioned in the story called “The Little Opera Singer”. My adoption to Poland however had not been limited to having courted and eventually wed one of its many lovely ladies whom I would go on to have a child with. My adoption also included having become a fluent speaker of the Polish language as well as having opened a language school.

Perhaps to many it is rare to hear of an American immigrating out of the United States specially since most of the stories weather film or book focus on those who immigrated to the United States in search of fortune and all those things that move people from their country of birth to another. I however going against the trend made an exodus from the United States in September of 1994 to Poland where I settled down and where less then a year later met my wife to be while we were both on a short trip to another city called “Zakopane” (the name of this city meaning “buried” when translated in to English).

The day of September the 11th of the year of our lord 2001 started like any other for my family and myself. My wife going off to her place of employment while I dropped off our daughter at preschool before making my way to work where I teach English as a second language in the school I had opened the very same year of the events of this day.

I can not claim much about the day with regards to something happening to me which went outside of the ordinary. I taught the lessons which I was supposed to with nothing going particular well or badly for that matter. I remember going home when my work day was done and arriving at a little past 6 in postmeridian where upon arrival more from force of habit then expecting to hear anything of consequence turned on my TV set. After having turned the TV set on I went to the kitchen to get something to eat and drink.

When I got back to the living room I saw the images that my TV was displaying which I earnestly considered to be from one of the so many mindless action films that exhibit scenes of devastation with visual effects that seem to be creating an art out of mass destruction. I even in a slightly ironic twist of fate thought the special effects as I witnessed a plane smash in to one of the towers of “World Trade Center” to be less then convincing giving me the false impression that this was a B film of some kind which was being advertised.

Just when I was about to use my remote control to turn to another channel the announcer cried out “to nie jest film! To jest prawdziwe!” (This line meaning “This is not a movie, this is real” in Polish). These words hitting me like a flash made it that I could not take this with out seriousness as shock had replaced my prior disinterest in what I was seeing. I instinctively turned to Cable News Network (CNN) were these images which my eyes had failed to accredit the first time were being shown erasing all doubt in my mind as to their authenticity. Once I turned the channel to CNN I saw one by one how the once might towers of “The World Trade Center” fell to ground making such an impact that it would cause other buildings to either fall or have to be demolished as their structure had been weakened to the point of being a dangerous.

The thought of who was responsible had not even occurred to me yet when the picture changed to Washington D.C. where the Pentagon was shown to have been struck. The image of the Pentagon however was not on for long as it was soon replaced with the one of what would have been a fourth airplane which had crashed somewhere in Pennsylvania.

My usual active and imaginative mind had come to a halt and as I looked up at the screen still in astonishment as I heard the words “America under Attack” which created the illusion in me that we were under attack by another country. But which country would be capable of carrying out a blatant act of war against the United States? I had not heard of any diplomatic fall outs in the media that the United States was mixed up in at the time so who could it be? If this had occurred during the “cold war” I would have naturally assumed it was the “C.C.C.P.” or “U.S.S.R.” who was behind it but the cold war was over.

Eventually it would be unveiled to all that terrorism, which in and of itself is the act of carrying out acts of violence in order to achieve political objectives was behind it all. This option I must confess did not enter my mind as from what I knew from experience, this was out of the scope of its activities. Terrorism’s acts I believed where limited to car bombs and little else that went beyond placing explosives were innocent civilians would fall pray to people whose political agendas could not be fulfilled peacefully.

My familiarity with terrorism coming during the time I spent in Lima, Peru from 1991 to 1993 in which “Cendero Lumuniso” (Shining Path) and the “M.R.T.A” were putting bombs all over the city after having terrorized the rest of the country in the same manner. It was there where I witnessed what my mind will never rid itself of which were images created by an act of terrorism in the distract of Lima, Peru called “Miraflores” in the month of August in the year 1992. The sight of those bombs blowing up cars and ripping through the air leaving 27 dead and a lot of damaged buildings in a place where I had been less then 5 minutes before was something as gruesome to me as it was incredulous. As one can imagine it would be as I had never seen till then the body of a dead person other then on TV or in a photograph. The panic, the chaos, the sight of corpses that I saw from the window of my friend’s house (which fortunately was not broken from the sound wave) that day was something that nothing I had been through or learnt could have ever prepared me for leaving me to wonder what if I had not entered my friend’s house when I did.

As one can see in my case it was not that I had not seen violent death in front of my own eyes before not that what was being presented to me on that day was being done in such a way but it was the originality of this act (if such a name can ever be given to an act of terrorism) that flabbergasted me. I had even witnessed an earthquake in South America which went on to form the strongest imagery of my infancy. It taking place when I was 3 years of age (same age as my daughter at the time of 9/11) that I saw the house where I was residing at the time with my grandparents fall to the ground. It might be said that all these events in my life helped to make me immune to what my TV was forcing me to watch which it did but only in a limited way as the magnitude of it all was something surrealistic even to me who had witnessed so much mayhem.

By then the initial stun in me had subsided at least long enough to call my wife over to the TV. My wife who was in our daughter’s room felt alarm by the way my voice called to her at the time, came to the part of the house where I found myself in. Hers was an impression of distress as she also never imagined that something like what she was seeing on the screen might be real.

With regards to the day that followed September the 11th? This day in my mind sticks out for all that it had connected to what happened the previous day. My friends at my favorite bar telling me how great their sorrow was for what had taken place in my country and last but not least there was the phone call I received from my Spanish friend who like me was living in Warsaw at the time. It was this lady from Madrid who had been a friend of mine for over a year and was the only one who actually called me with a word of consolation that made me see that people did care. This however would turn out to be a word of consolation which in a very unfortunate turn of events I would have to return when in 2004 it was her hometown that suffered at the hands of terrorists when the “Atocha” train station was hit by bombs costing over 200 people their lives.

As for my personal feelings toward the “World Trade Center” (a.k.a. Twin Towers) I can not claim to have been an admirer of these buildings as they architecturally speaking were not to my liking in matters of esthetics. However these buildings though not among my favorites were a part of the New York I knew and lived in as they were across the street from the building that for two years was my place of work. The building I am referring to for the curiosity of those who care to know is the lesser known “World Financial Center” which like the “World Trade Center” was located on Liberty Street.

It was during those two years of 1993 and 1994 that I took the subway to the “World Trade Center” whose underground passages and covered Bridge allowed me to get to my place of work without the need of going outdoors. This being a benefit on rainy days.

My having worked so close to it and having passed it everyday make it hard for me to think of its destruction and not imagine the realistic possibility that I might have been there on 9/11 as I on many occasions during my lunch break ate in its many restaurants. I even speculate from time to time as I can not help but do such that perhaps several of the people I worked with at “John Hancock Clearing Corporation” might have been unfortunate enough to have found themselves at the wrong time and place like so many others that day.

In a personal observation from the historical point of view I would like to remark that strangely enough the “World Trade Center” will most likely be remembered in the centuries to follow not for having been the tallest building in the world at one moment in time (till “The Sears Tower” in Chicago replaced it), nor for having been the place were huge deals of globe’s money passed through but for having been destroyed in the spectacular manner in which it was. For in many ways The World Trade Center’s destruction like that of Pompeii reserved it a place in the pages of history. A place that it has obtained arguably for all the wrong reasons but a place that it might not have had if it had gone on to be demolished like any other building. This view from a historical perspective is not rare as is not Pompeii mostly remembered for having been destroyed by a volcano then the developed or promiscuous society it was?

Antigua is an island that is close to Bermuda. This island has many beaches for you to visit, water activities, and great food options. If you envision yourself relaxing on the beach, you should consider visiting Antigua. The average temperature is usually 80 degrees, which will make you forget about winter very quickly. Many people visit this island each year, so you will have the opportunity to meet new friends from all over the world. In addition to beautiful beaches, there are many hotels and resorts for you to stay in while on vacation.

If you don’t want to spend your winter vacations on an island, visit Perth, Australia. In addition to beaches, you will be able to drive to Sydney and see many historic buildings and enjoy the culture Australia has to offer. This is a great place to spend winter holidays because you will be able to shop, see a show, meet new people, and enjoy the ocean breezes. With surfing and other outdoor activities, you will never be bored.

Rio de Janeiro, which is located in Brazil, is the place to go if you want to visit the beach and enjoy the nightlife. With many activities including the legendary Carnival, you will be able to sample great food, listen to music, and soak in all the local color that Rio has to offer. This city is also a great place to sightsee with many religious statues and buildings to see. When you visit Rio, you will never want to leave. With 75 miles of beaches, you will be able to spend the day working on your tan and participating in the nightlife once the sun goes down.

Singapore has four official languages include Chinese, so you will definitely be able to learn more about the culture during your visit. With many small towns surrounding the city, you will never be bored. Relax and eat good food and meet interesting people from all over the world.

If you want to travel to a warmer place, but you don’t want to leave the US, how about traveling to Florida and visiting amusement parks and beaches. You can buy day passes to Disney World or Busch Gardens and enjoy rides and food. These vacations are a lot less expensive than a trip to an island or foreign land. Discover vacation spots that are closer to home when you want to get away from the cold weather.