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The Japan Rail Pass, a popular and cost-effective method for foreign tourists to traverse the country by train, is set to witness a significant price increase from October 2023. The pass price has remained largely unchanged for decades, but Japan Railways has deemed it necessary to implement a substantial increase due to several contributing factors. These include the yen’s decline in value relative to other currencies, inflation of energy costs, and rising maintenance and operational costs for the railway network.

Reasons for the Price Hike

Japan Railways has attributed the impending price increase to several factors. The yen’s decline in value relative to other currencies, inflation of energy costs, and increasing maintenance and operational costs for the railway network are all factors that have necessitated the price hike. The price increase will affect all types of JR Passes, with the largest increase being 77% for the 7-day Green pass. Japan Railways has also stated that new perks for JR Pass holders will accompany the increase in cost.

Understanding the New Price

Passengers can witness the difference between the current and new prices in the provided comparison table. It’s important to note that the price of children’s tickets is half of the listed adult prices. For instance, the Ordinary 7-day pass, currently priced at 29,650 yen, will rise to 50,000 yen, marking a 69% increase. Similarly, the Green 7-day pass will see an increase from 39,600 yen to 70,000 yen, a 77% jump.

Impact on Tourism and Local Commerce

The rise in price may prompt travelers to reconsider their transportation options within Japan, potentially impacting tourism and local commerce. Despite the increase, the company has stated that the new price comes with added benefits for JR Pass holders. The most notable perk is that it will now be possible to use the JR Pass on Nozomi and Mizuho trains, allowing pass holders to move more quickly between stops on their travel itinerary. However, Japan Railways has confirmed that pass holders will have to pay a supplement per journey by purchasing a special ticket to travel on these trains.

Preparing for the Price Increase

If you’re planning to visit Japan in the near future, you can still take advantage of the current prices by purchasing your JR Passes before the price increase takes effect. JR Passes can be activated up to 3 months after the issue date. You can order your pass at the current price until 25 September. When you activate your pass in Japan, you can select a start date up to 30 days in the future. This means you could potentially travel to Japan with the Pass until the end of January, depending on when you order.

With Japan Airlines launching new service between Tokyo and New York, the carrier is introducing a new level of flagship service with the Airbus A350-1000, with four classes of seating.

Flyers on Japan Airlines’ new route between Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) will be treated to four new brand experiences as part of the new company flagship.

The flag carrier officially announced their First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy seats aboard their new long-haul aircraft on Monday, October 2, 2023.

First- and Business Class Transform to Personal Suites for A350-1000

In what has become a trend with premium airline products, both the First Class and Business Class products have been converted to suites for enhanced privacy. The aircraft will feature only six First Class suites, offering ample space through removing the overhead bins.

Illustration courtesy: Japan Airlines

Each First Class suite is fully enclosed with many of the amenities of home, including a wardrobe and 43-inch entertainment monitor. The seats can be converted to a single or double bed, with a total length of 80 inches for passenger comfort. All suites are configured with built-in headrest speakers, allowing guests to leave their headphones in the carry-on bag.

Illustration courtesy: Japan Airlines

The new Business Class seating offers 54 private suites with doors, increasing headroom by only offering overhead bins on the window sides. All seats can be converted to a 78-inch individual bed, with a 24-inch in-flight entertainment screen featuring the headrest speakers. While window suites offer the most privacy, traveling partners can spend time together by lowering a privacy partition on the middle suites.

Illustration courtesy: Japan Airlines

Premium economy will also feature additional privacy with larger headrest partitions and 42 inches of pitch. Seats will also feature electric footrests and a 16-inch in-flight entertainment screen. The Skytrax-award winning economy cabin will offer 13-inch in-flight entertainment centers and approximately 34 inches of pitch between seats.

Illustration courtesy: Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines is planning on offering the configuration on 13 A350-1000 airframes coming into the fleet. The flights will be operated as Japan Airlines Flights 5 and 6, operating on alternating days when the new service is launched.

Share your thoughts on the new Japan Airlines flagship product on the FlyerTalk Forums.

This latest award puts Wiltshire on the map as one of the UK’s greatest destinations for staycations and dining

Adding to its long list of recent accolades, including Muddy Stiletto’s Best Hotel in the UK, The Old Bell in Malmesbury has now been awarded 4 Stars for its truly spectacular rooms, two AA Rosettes for its fabulous restaurant, Abbey Row, and a pretty rare AA Breakfast Award for their “memorable breakfast”.

After visiting over 4000 hotels and restaurants across the UK, the AA report writes that the “hotel team are evidently at the heart of this property and ensure a most memorable stay… refurbishment presents very well with a modern contemporary feel whilst still retaining the many characteristics of this impressive Grade I listed property. The overall quality is impressive.”

Set in the chocolate box borough of Malmesbury, Wiltshire, The Old Bell Hotel first opened its doors over 800 years ago, in 1220. These days, however, expect to be delighted by its spectacularly unique and stylish interiors following the top to toe refurbishment in 2021 by its owners Kim Hanks and her husband, renowned antiques dealer and collector, Whit Hanks.

The hotel boasts 34 exquisite bedrooms, each individually designed and furnished with colourful wallcoverings as well as two stunning bar concepts – the 1220 bar and the fabulous, terraced aviary-like Tyger Bar.

The on-site fine dining restaurant, Abbey Row, is headed up by their ever talented and multi award winning Executive Chef, Leigh Evans. With hyper seasonal and local ingredients being his biggest inspiration, Leigh has the privilege of working directly with The Old Bell Hotel’s gardeners who grow much of the kitchen’s produce from their stunning kitchen garden at Abbey House Manor.

The Old Bell Hotel
Abbey Row, Malmesbury, Wiltshire
SN16 0BW

https://www.oldbellhotel.co.uk
01666 822344

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That’s one small step for Blue Origin, and potentially one giant leap for NASA.

Jeff Bezos’ space venture is expected to back out of plans to build a commercial space station with the support of corporate partners as well as the US government, according to a Reuters report on Tuesday. This is another example of the company getting lost in space.

Ground Control Major Jeff

Blue Origin first announced plans to build a low-orbiting private space station – called an “orbital reef” – in 2021 with fellow private space company Sierra Space. And soon after, NASA awarded Blue Origin a $130 million contract to design a space station. Sierra is acting as a subcontractor.

The pair immediately unveiled plans for a “mixed-use business park in space”, featuring a microgravity lab available for public and private research as well as spaces for tourists, with a plan to launch the first piece of space into orbit in 2027. There is a plan. But earlier the next year, Blue Origin redeployed most of the Orbital Reef team to other projects, sources told Reuters, as big dreams and fat government contracts diverted attention from the venture:

• Most notably, Blue Origin has focused on building Blue Moon, an astronaut lunar lander, which allowed the company to win a $3.4 billion government contract. Blue Origin said it also plans to invest “well north” of that amount into the program.
• Other members of the Orbital Reef team have been reassigned to a top-secret satellite mobility program, sources told Reuters.

Don’t worry, penny pinchers — a NASA spokesperson told CNBC last week that the government has only paid Blue Origin $24 million so far for its work on the orbital reef.

Cost in space: Some US officials are worried about the possibility of the project being scrapped, Reuters reports. That’s because the International Space Station – a joint effort between the US, Russia, Japan, Europe and Canada – is scheduled to be retired in 2030. Without a replacement, this will leave China’s National Space Station as the major center for low-orbit research. And tourism. Even in space, someone can hear you scream “National Security!”

Source: www.thedailyupside.com

2023-10-03 19:29:48

The installation ‘Thirteen a Centauro’, by the Basque artist Sergio Prego, has won the first edition of the Bosch Aymerich Foundation Sculpture Prize, worth 30,000 euros. The work was conceived for the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum in 2022, where it occupies several rooms of the old building. Its exhibition will end in November 2024.

The jury’s decision was made unanimously, among a total of 164 works presented. The prize is awarded without the obligation to transfer the work to the foundation. The public award ceremony will take place today at the headquarters of the Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya. Sergio Prego and the president of the jury, Ainhoa ​​Grandes, among others, will participate in it. According to the court, ‘Trece a centauro’ makes “a forceful spatial and conceptual gesture, which includes a recognition of the radical architecture experiments of the 60s and 70s.”

At its inauguration at the museum, in May 2022, of ‘Thirteen a Centaurus’ – a title based on a story by science fiction author JG Ballard -, Sergio Prego explained the relationship of this work with the so-called »pneumatic architecture«, next to the old Nogaro ice rink, in Artxanda, and designed by architects such as Miguel de Prada Pool. With his inflated volumes, he participated in the historic artistic meetings in Pamplona in 1972. A year earlier, he had built an inflatable city in Ibiza to host a congress of young architects, which ended in a party at the height of the island.

The artist’s interest in this type of radical architecture, which had its greatest relevance in the sixties, comes from the five years – from 1997 to 2002 – that he worked in New York with one of the greats of performance, Vito Acconci. «His interests were focused on architecture as public art, something with which he did not really agree. But I had a very good library and I took advantage of it,” he then noted.

Prego and a team of artist collaborators assembled the entire installation with their hands, including the air propeller inside the pieces, something unusual among contemporary artists, who usually commission the work to specialists.

#Sergio #Prego #wins #Bosch #Aymerich #sculpture #prize #work #exhibited #Fine #Arts

Provided by Prince William County Solid Waste Management

Fall is here, which means leaves will soon be covering the ground. Wondering what you can do with all that yard waste?

Leaf composting is an inexpensive, productive and sustainable way to get rid of all the leaves and help your soil, plants and lawn. It reduces the need to landfill organic material, saving landfill space. Composting can be a rewarding experience because it is beneficial for the composter and the environment – a win-win.

Compost is produced when organic matter is broken down by bacteria and fungi into a valuable soil amendment. It is nature’s natural recycling process.  Raked leaves, mowed grass and trimmed branches are some of the materials you can use to make compost at home. Compost can be used in vegetable gardens and flower beds, raked into an existing lawn or used with potting soil.

The Compost Research & Education Foundation believes that recycling organics into compost and using it on our farmlands creates healthy soils that produce healthier food and higher yields. It can reduce the need for fertilizer and pesticides, improve water quality, conserve water and store carbon in soil – possibly helping to reduce climate change. Composting helps the environment and may help to decrease food shortages experienced around the world.

Interested? There are several methods of backyard composting and the tools and equipment range from basic gardening tools to special-purpose bins and tumblers. The Virginia Cooperative Extension provides extensive information on the benefits of using compost and how to start composting at home in its Backyard Composting publication. The Solid Waste Division also sells compost bins at the county’s Compost Facility for $30.

Not ready to start composting on your own? Simply place yard waste in paper yard waste bags or in a container labeled “Yard Waste” for curbside collection by your trash and recycling collection company. The special collection of yard waste is mandatory from March through December in Prince William County. Collected yard waste is commercially composted at the county’s compost facility and the commercially produced compost can be purchased at the Prince William County Landfill or Compost Facility to use in gardens and landscapes.

Fall is a great time to get some exercise and outdoor activity by composting your leaves and other yard waste to make a soil amendment that is beneficial for your garden and the globe, year-round.

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2023-10-03 20:29:43

New version of the document is a partnership between the corporation and Casa da Moeda; issuance fee will not change

Disclosure/Federal Police New document model has security features to prevent forgery

A Federal police (PF) began issuing the new model of the passport Brazilian. Applicants who attended PF offices since last Friday, the 29th, will already receive the new model. The new document is a partnership with Brazilian Mint and gained more security features, aiming to provide a greater guarantee of authenticity and prevent counterfeiting. According to the PF, the new passport aims to be “a business card for Brazilian citizens to the world”, paying homage to all regions of Brazil through icons of local biomes and cultures. Among the security items added are printing and enhanced watermark technologies, holographic security elements, security thread, electronic chip, photo with element insertion, among others. According to the PF, there will be no change in the value of the document issuance fee, which is currently R$257.25. The expectation is that the new model will be issued in Brazilian consulates and representations abroad from the 1st quarter of 2024.

#starts #issuing #Brazilian #passport #model

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As part of a plan to attract visitors to Charlotte County and its parks, the county’s parks and natural resources divisions are thinking a bit outside the box by hosting a hunt for a mythical creature that has become a part of Florida folklore over the years.

Jason Thompson, a scientist with the county’s land management team, said the Florida Skunk Ape is purportedly a cousin to Bigfoot, or sasquatch.

The campaign, where visitors at the county’s more than 60 parks will be on the lookout for pink Skunk Ape paw prints on trees, began Oct. 1 and continues throughout the month. Thompson and his creative team designed the event to encourage local and visiting families, as well as fans of the mythical creature to explore the parks.

On its Facebook and Instagram accounts, the county issued a wanted alert stating, “The Land Management team is actively searching in West County parks for the Florida Skunk Ape, who is wanted in connection to vandalism that took place at a Charlotte County property.”

Although scientists don’t acknowledge the existence of the Skunk Ape, there are Floridians who believe the creature inhabits swamps and forests in Southwest Florida and other parts of the state.

Dave Shealy presides over the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters and museum, which has become a tourist attraction in Ochopee in the Everglades, where Shealy’s family has lived for more than a century.

Shealy traveled to Punta Gorda in June 2022 for a one-day Skunk Ape convention and was joined by dozens who listened as eyewitnesses regaled the audience with their sightings of the creature. Shealy has been featured on TV documentaries and claims he saw a Skunk Ape when he was a child in 1974. Exhibitors at the convention sold an array of Skunk Ape bumper stickers, books, statutes, magnets and memorabilia.

Thompson hopes true believers in the creature won’t be offended by the hunt, as it’s meant to be a fun experience for children and their families and to introduce the public to Charlotte County parks. However, not all 60 parks will be involved in the event.

The skunk ape hunt is hosted in West County at Ann & Chuck Dever Regional Park, Oyster Creek Environmental Park, Cedar Point Environmental Park, Amberjack Environmental Park and Bill Coy Environmental Preserve. It also is at Tippecanoe Environmental Park, Tippecanoe II, Peace River Environmental Preserve and Charlotte Flatwoods Environmental Park as well as Prairie Creek Preserve and Shell Creek Preserve.

The pink paws visitors will be in search of will be a nod to October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Wholesale FIT tour operator Avanti Destinations has expanded its offering for advisors’ independent travel clients going to Panama with two new customizable vacations, 10 new hotels and 19 new tours and experiences, as well as one new destination—the province of Veraguas, home to two national parks.

In addition, Avanti has partnered with Visit Panama on three tools designed to educate advisors and their clients on the many options for independent travel throughout Panama— a new downloadable, shareable e-brochure, a special microsite and a webinar scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023 at 1pm eastern/10am Pacific.

As part of the joint educational campaign on independent travel to Panama, travel advisors can earn one $25 gift card for each FIT booking made by Dec. 31, 2023 for a minimum of three nights in Panama with a minimum land value of $2,500.

“Panama is easily accessible for U.S. travelers with convenient air connections and stopover programs,” said Paul Barry, CEO of Avanti Destinations in a media announcement. “While Spanish is the official language, most Panamanians speak English, and the U.S. dollar is the main currency.”

“Panama is so much more than just the Canal,” Barry noted. “Because of our year-round mild climate and the many intriguing off-the-beaten-path places that we offer, travelers can choose from a wide range of activities, including hiking, surfing, snorkeling, cycling, wildlife-spotting, learning about indigenous traditions, and gastronomic experiences, all featured in our new products. We are pleased to partner with Visit Panama on this educational campaign, which we believe will inspire excitement about the destination.:

New Tours and Destinations in Panama

Among Avanti’s destinations in Panama are the following:

• Panama City, flanking the canal, with a colorful historic district, and home to the world’s first biodiversity museum, designed by Frank Gehry.
• Boquete, a small town in the cool Chiriqui Highlands, a region of mountains, waterfalls, hot springs, cloud forests, coffee plantations, and the Barú Volcano National Park.
• The Bocas del Toro archipelago, encircled by coral reefs, dolphins, white sand beaches, and crystal clear emerald waters.
• Boca Chica, on the Pacific Coast, near Chiriqui National Park, eco-resorts, private islands, with abundant opportunities for snorkeling, fishing and whale-watching.
• Veraguas, Avanti’s newest Panama destination, known for its vast wilderness areas and two national parks—one with mountains in the north, the other in the south, a protected UNESCO World Heritage area rich in marine wildlife, consisting of dozens of tropical islands, including Coiba.

Avanti sells custom-crafted independent travel vacations exclusively through travel advisors, not directly to consumers, and recently revamped its advisor portal. For more information, visit book.avantidestinations.com.