Why We Travel To Find Or To Lose?

The enigmatic question, Why do we travel has intrigued thinkers and philosophers through the years and is best answered in the famous words of writer Pico Iyer, when he said, We travel initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel next, to find ourselves.

Do we really need to travel that much? If we find ourselves packing our bags and buying tickets, is it because we have to or is because we want to? It is estimated that 600 million people annually get into airplanes and travel.

When did traveling get so tremendously popular? Time was when so few people traveled, that when they did, it made big news. Christopher Columbus, the Italian Spanish navigator, made headlines when he sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean and discovered America. Marco Polo set sail determined to see distant lands and exotic people; he discovered China. His travels across the whole of China became the greatest travelogue of all times. While these two great travelers of their times were busy traveling the world and making history, where was everybody else? Taking a gondola ride to the neighboring island was the furtherest they dared to get.

Weve come a long way since then. We travel, not to discover anything new (though that would surely be a feather in our collective caps); but to see what others before us have discovered and seen. We travel to snow-clad mountains so we can ski down the slopes and then we travel to sunny Mediterranean countries to bask in the sun. We travel so we can see first-hand the many man-made and natural wonders of the world that so far weve only seen in travel books. We travel because we believe that reading about a place or looking at its pictures is a poor substitute to actually getting there and feeling the pulse of the place and absorbing its culture. We travel the whole of India to sample its many different cuisines and then we travel to China to sample a different fare. We leave our televisions at home and travel across the world to catch the live action at the Wimbledon championships or the World Cup.

Most of all, we travel because the worlds become a smaller place. And with travel into Space becoming a distinct possibility, albeit a very expensive one, well soon have yet another reason to travel.
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
By:

Please visit Your Travel Biz and YTB Travel Network Video

Google

Japan Announces Plans To Develop Search Engine

Japans Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has announced that they will devote approximately 14-15 million yen (a yen being the equivalent of approximately 0.00881 of a U.S. dollar) to the development of an online search engine to rival Google.

This project will include the projects and collective efforts of ten Japanese technology partnerships, each one focusing on a different area of research. A team of scientists from NTT Data, Toyota InfoTechnology Centre, and Toyota Mapmaster, will begin work on a personalized car navigation system.

Both the French and German governments announced similar projects earlier this year, collaborating on development of the Quaero search engine. Quaero, Latin for I search, is still under the development, but Germany has since pulled out of the project, leaving it to the newly created French Agency for Industrial Innovation.

The Japanese announcement of a search engine development comes after concerns expressed by the Japanese government that the reputation and influence of companies like Google contribute to growing fears that the country, known for its technological innovations, is now falling behind.

Toshihide Yahiro, director of the information service industry division at the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, is optimistic about the project, and was quoted, according to Information World Review Online, as saying The question is how Japanese companies like Sharp and Matsushita can be encouraged to provide services.

They (the researchers involved in the project) clearly know how to build things, and the key to Japans competitiveness has been our core technology, Yahrio added.
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
By: Christiane Sing

Christiane Sing is a reporting editor for SEOhaus a San Diego Internet Marketing Company

Google

How To Get Deals On Airline Tickets

In order to get the best deals on airline tickets you should plan to buy your ticket several months before your departure. Many airlines will offer discounted rates if tickets are purchased this far in advance. At a minimum, tickets should be purchased three weeks before your departure as this will also ensure superior seating. Another advantage of buying tickets early is that seasonal price increases will not affect you.

Flying on weekends is best avoided. It is far superior to leave during the week and ideally you should leave early in the week from Monday through Wednesday. Saturdays also often have cheap rates, so traveling on a weekend can work for you providing you do it differently than most people who are traveling just for the weekend. Typically, travelers can expect to pay an additional $40 on weekends if they are doing the standard Friday to Sunday trip. It is also essential to avoid travel during peak seasons. Peak travel seasons such as Christmas, or other holidays will not only delay your flight times and force you to confront crowds but also will cost you more.

Dont be afraid of the red eyes. You can save a lot if youre willing to travel the late-night route. Many of these flights are under bucked, and flights can be purchased at a significant discount. Another trick is to check standby fares. In many cases airlines will offer tickets and a great discount for flights that are under booked.

Another consideration is how long you plan to stay at your destination. Many airlines will give discounted prices assuming you stay at your destination for longer than a week, and return within a few months.

While many people believe the direct flights are the cheapest it is often cheaper to go to your final destination via connection hubs. You can save as much as $1000 when you are willing to take connecting flights. Using connecting flights is ideal for people who travel light and do not carry a lot of luggage.

There is a window of opportunity every Wednesday morning when airlines release information on their new fares and seating plans. If you are quick you can find the best prices at this time. Call for rates at 12:01.

The Internet is a huge boon for travelers as it gives us the luxury of seeing flight data from multiple vendors in a way that even travel agents and airline ticketing agents could not a decade ago. But understand that posted Internet prices are not always the cheapest. In many cases you can contact a travel agent to find better deals. You can also sometimes find discounts at the airlines by calling them directly rather than purchasing a ticket from and online aggregator. It also doesnt hurt to check newspapers as a sometimes you can find consolidators who by many tickets and can provide cheaper flights.

The most important thing is purchasing your tickets early. If you are buying last minute and in a rush youll find that you often paid double to triple what you pay if you buy your tickets well in advance. Many sites like Expedia and Travelocity will list the best rates from all the airlines that offer flights from your current location to your final destination. It is important to use the services and compare them against each other. However, these services will often not have airfares well in advance when you can get the best deals. In these cases it is best to contact a travel agent directly and see what kind of deals they can get for you.
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
By: Dexter Stoakley -

Dexter Stoakley is webmaster of the popular travel site, AllTravelExperts. The site maintains cheap flight lists and allows user travel blogs.

Google