Many think of the Hawaiian Islands as a series of lush tropical paradises, but the island of Kaho'olawe is mostly dry and barren, and for almost 50 years was a target for Navy munitions. However today volunteers are helping to restore the island by cleaning up unexploded ordinance and replanting vegetation.
The island of Kaho'olawe is located in the rain shadow of the volcano Haleakala in eastern Maui. This island receives less than 30 inches of rain a year. The fragile forests that once covered the island were wiped out from warfare between islands and tribes, and most of the topsoil eroded by wind into the ocean. When King Kamehameha III abolished the death penalty in the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1830, the island was used as a penal colony for 23 years. Various Native Hawaiian and American interests have started ranching, sugarcane, and reforesting operations, but droughts would always recur and supplies of fresh water could not be replaced due to the low average rainfall and eroded soil.
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States military seized the island and trained soldiers and sailors there, using vast tracts of land as a bombing range. The bombings would continue until 1990 when all live fire exercises were stopped and the island was given back to the state of Hawaii.
The Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission now directs the removal of unexploded ordinance and restoration efforts on the island. The island and two miles of ocean from the shore are off limits to the public, but Native Hawaiians can fish in these waters and perform religious ceremonies on land. Volunteers can sign up on the KIRC's web site, however there is a two-year waiting list as of 2013. Volunteers stay on the island for four days performing a variety of tasks to help restore the island to its pristine past.
In 1854 a solution to London's chronic overcrowding was required, and not only for the living; cemeteries were full and the threat of disease was high. To deal with this ever-growing problem the London Necropolis Railway company was set up, using the newly industrialised railway to transport corpses (and their accompanying mourners) to a giant new cemetery in Brockwood, Surrey.
Nothing remains of the original LNR station which was located at near Waterloo and demolished during expansion of the regular railway terminus in the early 1900s, but the replacement station, opened in 1902, still stands nearby, or at least it's grand facade does. Designed by Cyril Bazett Tubbs, and specifically intended to be as attractive and un-funereal as possible, the building featured a ticket office, waiting rooms for mourners (separated from one another for privacy), a mortuary, storage rooms and a luxurious chapel, where those unable to make the journey to the final resting place could pay their respects. Tickets were issued in three classes and also for each coffin to travel, often with up to five funeral parties travelling together on one service (the names of the deceased were displayed on carriage doors to avoid confusion).
The LNR ferried over 200,000 bodies between Waterloo and Surrey over the course of the 87 years before closing its doors for the final time in 1941, after heavy bombardment from German bombers during World War II. Due to this, little of the London Necropolis Railway station still exists, however, the driveway and some rooms on the ground and upper levels can still be seen at 121 Westminster Bridge Road, as well as Tubbs' elegant and imposing frontage. The site is now a private company and there is no public access.
Reader Pamela wants to know, Which is your favorite airline for business class from the east coast to Europe? I have tons of points and miles for any alliance. To date we have preferred Lufthansa (but don’t even mention Air Berlin around me!). Any gateway is fine and any destination can work. I believe that […]
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I've stayed at the Park Hyatt Dubai more than a handful of times before, though have only reviewed it twice. I first reviewed it in 2011 when I stayed in a Park Deluxe Room, and then briefly reviewed it during a quick overnight in Dubai where I stayed in a Park Suite.
While I'd like to review some new hotels in Dubai, in this case I didn't want to "experiment," since I wanted to be sure my dad had as smooth of an experience as possible.
In this case I booked the Park Hyatt using Points + Cash. The Park Hyatt Dubai is a Category 5 Gold Passport property, and had Points + Cash availability for our three night stay. That made the cost 10,000 Gold Passport points plus $125 per night. The best part about Points + Cash rates is that they count as revenue stays, so are eligible for Diamond Suite Upgrade Awards. I actually used one of my Diamond Suite Upgrade Awards expiring in February 2014, since I booked the stay really early last year, and they let you book them for a stay after the expiration date, as long as there's upgrade availability.
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Here are the Turkey deals and here are the Russia deals. According to The Flight Deal, Delta is attacking United’s hubs with deep discount airfares priced at $1 plus taxes and fees. They report these fares to Moscow from San Francisco, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, and Washington Dulles — all of United’s hubs (and in […]
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