Many of Dunedin?s street names have an origin in Edinburgh, Scotland. There is a statue of famous Scottish playwright Robbie Burns in the Octagon at the city centre, to show the great link between the two countries.

Apart from the Scottish and European immigrants Dunedin also has a very strong Chinese community. Many Chinese immigrants arrived in Dunedin and travelled to the Central Otago goldfields and worked hard to sustain a living. The families of these Chinese pioneers can still be found living in Dunedin.

A large percentage of Dunedin?s population is made up by students of the University of Otago a popular New Zealand university. When the students are around a good time is always had. Dunedin is the largest city in New Zealand, and indeed the fifth largest in the world in terms of land area (population makes it about number 5 in New Zealand with around 110,000 people living in the greater Dunedin area). Greater Dunedin encompasses many tourist attractions. Visit the peninsula and take in the sights from the tower of New Zealand’s restored castle, Larnach’s castle. New Zealand?s only other castle is also in Dunedin this is called, Cargill?s castle and is situated in disrepair on the St. Clair hill, which can be seen from the St. Clair golf course. Travel inland to Central Otago and pass Gabriel’s Gully, where the third largest gold find in the southern hemisphere during the 1800’s sparked Dunedin’s economic growth. During this time Dunedin was for a short period, the capital of New Zealand.

Venture within the central city itself and view the historic buildings such as the Town Hall and Municipal Chambers. The Railway Station is well worth a visit to take in its impressive stained glass windows and intricately detailed mosaic floor. You can also visit the Otago Settler’s Museum which focuses on the people and past of Otago, as well as the innovative developments that made colonisation easier. Visit the Otago museum next to the University and see how Dunedin was the most pioneering and influential city of early New Zealand.

The Taiaroa Peninsula features a world-renowned albatross colony where you can take a look at these wonderful birds. You can also see some yellow eyed penguins and seals on the Peninsula.

Dunedin is a great city to visit with a great mixture of peoples, but it is best to visit in the summer to take in its full beauty. The winter can be a bit grey and cold.

The Aquarius Sports Resort Hotel in Marawila, a sleepy western coastal town of Sri Lanka is always a fascinating place to me.

The beach-end restaurant of the resort facing the scenic Indian Ocean will become at times a forum for various international issues.

My conversation with the students from various leading German universities who were in their exchange programs and doing their undergraduate and postgraduate studies in the fields of economics, political science, social science, engineering and other disciplines gave me a chance to know more about the German history, economy and cultural issues.

I had a good discussion with Marita Kantar at the beach-end restaurant of the Aquarius Hotel today.

The sun had started to go further and further towards the deep-end of the Indian Ocean’s horizon.

The evening sunlight shone on Marita’s face as she was seated facing the ocean directly and I asked her whether she would like to seat opposite the ocean at the rectangular table.

She smiled and opted to stay where she was enjoying the glorious sunset in the Indian Ocean.

While I was talking to her on various issues, I asked her how she felt about the massacre of Jews by Adolf Hitler. She said, ‘They are only the victims for a person who was mad and power-hungry.’

She further continued, ‘He managed to brain-wash many for his unjustified cruelty on Jews and others in the Germany and neighbouring nations.”

She burst out at one point by saying that the act of one lunatic had the effect of giving a bad image of them.

I placated her saying the act of one megalomaniac does not necessarily tarnish all Germans.

I think not only in Germany even in other countries by the act of some of the reckless leaders, their nation and people have become untouchables or villains for other communities and nationalities.

In our recent past, we have seen many like them. Sadam Hussein in Iraq for his marginalization of Kurds and Shi’ite Muslims and some of the leaders from then Yugoslavia for their violation of Bosnian Muslims and Croatians are too the perpetrators of crimes against humanity in their own way.

Some of the culprits had been prosecuted by the International Criminal Court for War-Crimes, but others escaped. Still there are many war criminals around the world at large.

I told her, ‘These culprits are either hiding or not punished yet or still the law is not strong enough or its enforcement is too weak’.

As Marita was a Diploma student and doing her field of studies in managing social science, I asked about the unification of Germany which created a lot of unemployment problems in Germany and some Germans in the former West German part are uncomfortable about it.

I knew as she is from the former East German part, she might feel uncomfortable at my question.

Her eyes had gone really blurred over my question and answered with a sobbing emotion, ‘the Germans won’t like them to be seen as East Germans and West Germans.’

She further went on that she had been all over the Germany and saw minor changes in their dialects and couldn’t identify any major differences.

What she said is correct. Even East Germany is only a creation after the Second World War when the major allied forces divided Germany into two parts.

East Germany had been left out with the communist USSR and their puppet East German administration.

But when the cold war came to an end and the demise of the Berlin wall in 1989, the new united Germany had made East Germany part of the existing federal system in other parts of the Germany as a new territory.

The capital of the new unified Germany was shifted from the then West German capital Bonn to the then East German capital Berlin.

Marita was doing an interesting assignment on a topic on Germans and their perception on the benefits for going abroad for a better living in their retirements for her Diploma at the University of Applied Sciences, Technology Business and Design in Wismar.

As Walker told me, she is from the plain land which has a vast horizon on land and with its Baltic sea; she has shown some natural intelligence in her arguments.

She answered intelligently to certain complicated issues on Germany.

While we were discussing at the restaurant, some German students were sun-bathing on the beach.

They were shining when the sun-rays reflected on their swim-suited white skin.

The sunshine penetrated everywhere in the restaurant through the wall-less space facing the Indian Ocean and made the restaurant into a sudden surge of brightness.

The sea wind was flowing towards the restaurant gustily.

The whole atmosphere in the restaurant something different from the normal and Marita was fascinated by the change.

But, the sunshine and its rays when time was passing into early twilight were cooling and the reddish sky looked so unique.

The sun was about to be set in a short while.

Though Marita was traveled vastly in Europe, she hardly made any comments on other nation’s social or economic issues.

She said firmly, ‘I can’t comment about other countries by staying just a few days on their cultural, social and economic issues.”

I also agreed with her.

Even people living together in one country are failing to identify other communities who are living with them for centuries.

They fail to identify different aspirations, cultural differences with acceptance and religious differences with understanding for some reason or other, causing many of the world’s conflicts from time to time.

It is sometimes very difficult for a visiting tourist or a trouble-shooting diplomat to get the right picture of the social aspirations of different communities in a short stay.

Darkness had spread everywhere over the Indian Ocean and the restaurant balanced by its lights to make the whole environment out of darkness and the atmosphere had become such a fascinating place for those who want to be away from worldly struggles and problems.

There’s something about the Pant’on de Bel’n cemetery in Guadalajara, Mexico that simply takes your breath away. This old graveyard turned museum is a unique attraction and comes with a few old legends and folk tales that have drawn in curious residents and tourists to see if they could actually be true.

The Bel’n cemetery was built in 1848 by brilliant architect Manual Gomez Ibarra who also undertook the rebuilding of the Guadalajara Cathedral towers after the originals were destroyed in a massive earthquake in 1985. The Pant’on de Bel’n served as the cemetery for the Old Civil Hospital which to this day still remains (reconstructed of course) and sits right next to the Pant’on de Bel’n.

Even well after the cemetery closed in 1896, this beautiful landmark is a sight to behold and is truly a magnificent work of art. Upon entering, you’ll be amazed to find a long mausoleum wall on either side of the main entrance. The 100 mausoleum arches which decorate the corridors are painted in a bright and cheerful orange color. They are a welcoming contrast to the somber surroundings and only add to the beauty of the grey and weathered tombs that adorn the cemetery grounds.

The original layout of the cemetery consisted of 2 sections known as ‘patios’, a section for the rich which still remains today and a section for the poor. Unfortunately, the second section for the poor was demolished in 1967, supposedly due to unrecognizable grave markers. The Specialty Tower for the Old Civil Hospital now stands where the second patio used to be.

While walking through the peaceful grounds, the tour guide will recant the rich history of the Pant’on de Bel’n. They will tell you of the great legends that have made Bel’n cemetery quite famous throughout the state of Jalisco and all of Mexico for that matter. (Tours in English are available for larger groups if scheduled ahead of time.)

The legends included are those like the Legend of the Vampire or El Vampiro, who stalked the citizens of Guadalajara and lies entombed under a giant tree in the cemetery. The legend says that if a branch is broken instead of sap you will see blood trickling down, the blood of all the innocent victims. In the past, a large number of visitors tried to break the branches to see if the legend was true. The tree was on the verge of dying from all the damage so a fence had to be built around it for protection. According to the legend, if the tree dies the vampire will be released!

There is also the legend of a young and terminal cancer patient who was treated at the Old Civil Hospital and sadly took his own life in the Pant’on de Bel’n in a gruesome way.

These are just a few among many others this popular attraction provides, and to add to your experience they offer night tours as well. You will be carefully guided through the cemetery in pitch black night with only your flashlight to guide you. I have heard the night tours are especially fun and come highly recommended. To really enjoy the experience you might want to visit during the day first to see everything and then take the tour at night. Let us see if you can catch a glimpse of any spirits!

Make the Belen cemetery (Pant’on de Bel’n) one of the first ‘top things to do’ on your list when you are in Guadalajara, Mexico.

So, We’re off to the Beach in Cancun, jewel of the Yucatan in Mexico ?

You simply can’t go to one of the world’s premiere beach resorts and NOT go to the beach  it’s just downright illegal. From the main bus terminal take any bus headed Southeast (to the right) along the Avenida Tulum that’s marked “Playas” or “Zona Hotelera”. When you get to the luxury-hotel-lined peninsula you can get off anywhere and cross the street to access the beaches. They’re along the left side as you head away from town. Several are specifically set aside for the general public, but you should know that ALL of Cancun’s (and Mexico’s) beaches are public property. You can walk along and swim at ANY beach no matter how much the hotel costs that fronts it.

To access many beach areas, however, you’ll either have to be able to fly or walk through hotel property. Most hotels don’t mind you walking through their premises if you’re unobtrusive and discreet. Local maps, especially of the tourist area, are easy to pick up. There’s a tourism information counter right in the main bus terminal that has them and other useful information at no cost. A map will help you to more readily identify the specific beach areas. A few of the more notable ones are: Playa Las Perlas, Playa Tortugas, Playa Chac-Mool, Playa Ballenas, Playa Linda and Playa Caracol, to name only a sampling.

HOLY HOT FOOT !

No matter how hot the weather gets or how intense the sun is, the sand of the beaches in Cancun won’t burn your feet because the sand isn’t composed of silica, but is instead, the skeletal fossils of billions of microscopic plankton. Not only is the sand always cool, but it’s lightweight as well. Get some hot honey or hunk to bury you up to the neck in it at high noon and you’ll see. (Not that it’ll matter at that point!)

THE LATIN FANTASY: A SCAM YOU MUSTN’T GO FOR: They’re WAITING for you Don’t get caught!

Strolling down a sunlit street in Cancun (or another Mexican beach resort town), a sea breeze gently tossing your hair, window-shopping in a luxurious mall, passing along a beachfront boardwalk, day-dreaming of fresh, succulent seafood as its aroma wafts from a nearby restaurant. “Excuse me”, you hear. You stop and turn to see a smiling face. “Where are you from?”

I’m from ?, you respond politely.

How’s your vacation?, the smiling face continues. You exchange pleasantries.

Can I offer you a free pass’a night’s stay’a free lunch or dinner’a day at this new resort hotel??, the smiling face offers. It’s to promote a new hotel, “resort-facility” or service that isn’t well-known to foreign tourists yet. And we want our hotel-facility resort or service to be known so you can tell your friends about it.?

You receive a genuine-looking piece of paper and perhaps a brochure and map. (somewhere in the back of your mind, your parent’s words- or mine- appear, “There ain’t no free lunches in this world”) But, “Looks good”, you think, and accept.

Take this and go this afternoon-tomorrow or whatever and everything will be taken care of with no obligation, the hook advances.

And then the clincher words strike home, like a harpoon in the side of a great white whale, Be sure to bring your credit card! Oh, it’s not essential, the smiling face continues, Maybe you’ll just have to flash it, to show you’re not Mexican, or a serious tourist, or whatever.

At this point BAIL OUT – drop everything and leave  go, keep going and don’t listen or look back. If you don’t, you’ll be sorry  for years and years to come.

What they want is your credit card number, by any means necessary – your signature too, if possible, on anything; a ticket stub, free car rental agreement or thank you note; anything. It’ll be used to charge dozens, scores, even hundreds of items  next week, next month, next year, etc., etc., etc. Getting the charges off your card will be a next to impossible nightmare and cost you hundreds in legal fees. You won’t be able to get back at them or recover the merchandise, products, even real estate charged off to your account. Millions are made by them and irretrievably lost by unsuspecting tourists each year. Don’t YOU be next! Just say, NO. And keep saying NO.

MORE PLACES TO STAY IN CANCUN:

If you’re still checking out digs in Cancun, here are more inexpensive hotels you can add to your list. No Bunky, you’re still not going to be staying on the beach, but there IS air conditioning and sometimes even a nice pool.

Hotel Novotel
Avenida Tulum No. 75 (near the bus terminal)
884 – 2999
Fax: 884 – 3162

Rooms here are a tad pricier than on the Avenida Uxmal but all rooms are air conditioned and comfortable although rooms fronting the street can be noisy at times. The location is good and transportation conveniently available on the Avenida Tulum for zipping all around town. Expect to pay $300 pesos to $360 pesos during the slow periods from May to June and from October to mid December, which is hurricane season in this part of the Caribbean. The Summer months of June and July are slow enough that you can haggle a pretty good deal for an extended stay of a few days to a couple of weeks or so. Prices will sky-rocket during the peak Winter season.

Hotel Best Western Plaza Caribe
Avenida Uxmal (directly across the street from the bus terminal)
884 – 1377
Fax: 884 – 6352

This is the priciest of the accommodations mentioned in our listings. If you arrive very late into the city and speak little (or no) Spanish, don’t get yourself into a dither or risk any danger tromping around the area late at night. You don’t want to run into any of the “late-night” people who frequent the vicinity. You can just pop right across the street and book a room for the night here (staff speaks English) and do your search in earnest for a more moderately-priced room the next day. Don’t run the gauntlet of undesirables (including taxi drivers) late at night here ? especially without a solid command of Spanish. The $40 USD you’ll pay is well worth your health and safety if it comes to that.

Casa de Huespedes Punta Allen
Punta Allen No. 8 (half a block off the Avenida Uxmal)
Cancun
884 – 0225, 884 – 1001

A small place with economical, but rather Spartan, unattractive rooms. Quality of the rooms varies somewhat, although most I saw were fairly tight quarters and not too well lit. All have at least a fan and many are air conditioned. Their singles are priced at $170 pesos, while doubles go for $230 pesos. And these are the LOW season prices. Negotiate the rate if you’re going to be around more than a few days. Peak season prices fluctuate based on what the traffic will bear and the economy at the moment.

GETTING TO AND AWAY FROM CANCUN:

Getting to and away from Tulum and Playa Del Carmen

Buses headed south from Cancun aren?t that hard to come by. A number leave from the main first-class terminal on the Avenida Uxmal just off the Avenida Tulum. Others across the street on the Avenida Uxmal from one of the smaller bus companies specializing in trips to the surrounding small towns. Expect to pay around $40 pesos one way to Tulum and make sure to leave early and return by early evening if you?re just making a day trip.

To Playa Del Carmen

Playa Del Carmen costs around $15 or $20 pesos one way and takes barely an hour to reach. Frequently you can cop a deal for a slightly better price if you?ll shop around a little (your Spanish permitting!) The Playa Del Carmen terminal is an over-crowded, open-walled eye-sore of a building a block or so from the beach and is absolutely packed during the summer months making it a hot, steamy, sticky experience you won?t enjoy.

Be VERY careful with your belongings. The arrival terminal and the departure terminal are in different locations a few short blocks apart. Don?t forget to ask around for it before you?re ready for the return trip. Go early for more comfort and to beat the heat plus crowds combination. Buses either way depart as frequently as every 15 minutes or half hour. Plan to stay overnight in Playa del Carmen or return by early afternoon on day trips, otherwise? Madre Mia!

Getting to and away from Merida and Chichen-Itza:

Headed for Merida or want to be dazzled by the awe-inspiring ruins at Chichen Itza? No problem. Same terminals but the buses are headed in a different direction. Both Chichen-Itza and Merida are West of Cancun. For a fare in the neighborhood of $70 pesos you can make the four to six hour jaunt to sizzling Merida. From here, the Mayan astronomical complex at Dtzibilchaltun (a definite must-see), the beach-fronted Progresso and other north coastal towns are only a short hop away. Roughly half-way to Merida, along the same route, lie the magnificent ruins of Chichen-Itza, one of the most visited archeological sites in the western world. They?re so commonly known that they?re recognizable by most people in the northern hemisphere. Fares run around $50 pesos to reach the site. Cheaper routes take up to three and a half hours to reach the ruins while the more expensive express buses (up to $70 pesos one way) make the trip in as little as two hours.