By Washington Post PUBLISHED: June 13, 2019 at 6:32 am | UPDATED: June 13, 2019 at 6:45 am By Andrea Sachs | The Washington Post The reports on six deaths, one high-profile shooting, an assault and a fatal car accident over the course of a year have darkened the Dominican Republic’s typically sunny skies. The Caribbean country had been experiencing an upswing before the full brunt of the tragedies hit: Nearly 605,000 tourists visited in the first two months of the year, an 8 percent rise over last year. The spate of incidents could trigger a rush of cancellations, but experts are advising travelers to consider the larger picture before abandoning their beach plans. Without a doubt, the events are upsetting and alarming, especially with so many unanswered questions swirling around the deaths. Organizations including the FBI, the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating several of the cases. However, people in the travel … [Read more...] about Is it safe to travel to the Dominican Republic?
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Social News In Brief
Hà Nội plans to spend about $16.2m on Tết presents for the poor The elderly are given Tết presents in Hà Nội. — Photo vietnamhoinhap.vn Hà Nội plans to spend about VNĐ378 billion (US$16.2 million) from the city budget to give Tết presents to nearly 872,000 residents. They are beneficiaries, revolutionary contributors, the elderly, retired cadres, poor people, elite citizens and intellectuals. Secretary of Hà Nội City’s Party’s Committee Hoàng Trung Hải said that apart from the support from the city, localities should have policies to support those in need and help them have a warm Lunar New Year Festival. Hải asked departments and sectors to ensure a safe holiday for people, especially foreign tourists. Meanwhile, HCM City said it would spend about VNĐ800 billion ($34.4 million) from its budget to care for those in need, an increase of VNĐ35 billion ($1.5 million) over last … [Read more...] about Social News In Brief
Social News 16/1
Police seize bulk of smuggled wine Police in Ho Chi Minh City’s district 1 yesterday said that they have seized 500 bottles of wine without receipt in a car. While patrolling on Thursday, policemen of the Police Agency on Economic and Corruption Crimes (C46) under the Ministry of Public Security found a Toyota vehicle with red plate travelling in district 1 suspicious; therefore, they stopped the vehicle. Driver Pham Van Viet showed document of the vehicle but not with the red plate. They discovered five containers of Chivas Regel Aged 12 year each container with two bottles of wine; 20 containers of Johorie wine each container with 12 bottles of wine and 20 containers of Kakhia Coffe Liqucur wine each container with 12 bottles of wine. The vehicle was carrying 490 bottles of wine totally. The driver couldn’t show any document relating to the wine. From driver’s statement, police officers raided the warehouses in Thu Duc District, finding 4,220 foreign-made bottles of … [Read more...] about Social News 16/1
The Wanderland Dive Guide to the Florida Keys • Alex in Wanderland
This post is brought to you by PADI and The Florida Keys & Key West. As a scuba addict with a US passport, I recently noted an almost embarrassing omission from my dive log: the one, the only, Florida Keys. The 120-mile stretch of islands is home to the only living coral reef in the continental United States and the third largest barrier reef on the planet. The Keys are world-renown and undoubtedly the most beloved dive destination in my home country (Hawaii, perhaps, is another contender.)Having spent years traveling to Florida and recently taking on a major road trip to explore its freshwater dive sites, you could say I was almost criminally overdue for a trip to the Sunshine State’s dive mecca – The Conch Republic.very appealing topside atmosphere, it’s easy to see why divers are so happy to hang their fins here.And it’s no surprise that one of America’s capitals of all things quirky would feature some unique diving attractions, too – … [Read more...] about The Wanderland Dive Guide to the Florida Keys • Alex in Wanderland
Feature: Climbing Torres del Paine’s Secret Moderates
Uncovering approachable routes for the everyday climber in South Patagonia Author: Andrew Bascue Publish date: Feb 23, 2016 This story originally appeared in the November 2014 issue of our print edition. The wind was a phantom, raking across the Central Tower and curling into the grooves of the heavily textured orange granite, haunting every move and chilling us to the bone. It ripped back on itself, building speed through the gap between the North and Central towers. As the sun began to rise, rays etched an outline of the Central Tower on the enormous east face of Cerro Escudo far across the valley. I could imagine my position way down on the edge of the shadow. Little hairs on my neck stood on end as I contemplated the vertical distance to the summit. I belayed André Labarca up the third pitch of the Central Tower’s über-classic Bonington-Whillans (V 5.10, A1, 800m), wondering if we could climb 15 more pitches in this wind and survive the trip back … [Read more...] about Feature: Climbing Torres del Paine’s Secret Moderates