BeTraveler

Table Mountain is Cape Town's most famous landmark and one of the city's greatest attractions and the reason for its popularuty can be understood by seeing the above table mountain picture . There are over 100 scenic ways to climb Table Mountain , which stands at 1086 metres above sea level, but most people take the revolving cable car which whisks you to the top in a just a few minutes. The views in all directions are magnificent and the feeling of being on top of the world is what makes this such a popular destination and this Table Mountain is named so because it is a flat topped mountain with the first person who reach Table Mountain cape town was Antonio de Saldanha in 1503.

The mountain is sculpted from sandstone and it elevation 1086 metres above the bay which you can also see in the table mountain picture . Its flat summit measures nearly 3km from end to end. The Table Mountain cape town is home to approximately 1470 species of plants. Included is the rare silver Tree and the wild orchid Disa Uniflora.

The Cableway was opened in 1929 and provides safe access to Table Mountain cape town even more interesting. It is not advisable to climb the mountain without someone experienced who knows the route well. There are some 350 recognised paths to the summit, some undemanding and some extremely difficult.

Bob Luitweiler, pacifist, war resister, civil-rights and international peace activist, died on April 13, 2008, in Bellingham, Washington, U.S at the age of 89.
Through his passion for peace-building Luitweiler made thousands of people from all parts of the world enjoy hospitality and culture exchange through Servas, a peace organisation he started to build right after WW2. He laid the foundation for fostering peace, understanding and hospitality. Together with Servas BeWelcome will continue to live his ideas and build bridges between people and nations.

Watch a movie about the live work of Bob Luitweiler
Read a news article reflecting his achievements

Servas Open Doors is an international, non-governmental, interracial peace association running in over 125 countries by volunteers. Founded in 1949 by Bob Luitweiler and his friends as a peace movement, Servas International is a non-profit worldwide cooperative cultural exchange network bringing people together to build understanding, tolerance, mutual-respect, and world peace. It works toward world peace by encouraging individual person-to-person contacts.

Servas means "serve", in the sense of "we serve peace", in the language Esperanto. The organization was originally called Peacebuilders.

It operates through a network of Servas hosts around the world who are interested in opening their doors to travelers, and, 'on the other side of the coin', many open-minded travelers who want to get to know the heart of the countries they visit. Travelers and hosts may be interviewed annually according to branch (Member Country) practice; travelers write a letter of introduction annually, as well.

Servas International has consultative status as a non-governmental organization with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, currently with representation at many of the UN's hubs of activity.

There are over 20,000 Servas 'open doors' scattered throughout almost every country in the world.

BERLIN BEACHCAMP VERSION 4.0 FROM MAY 8TH - 12TH 2008 AT "STRANDBAD GRUENAU"

The 4th BERLIN BEACHCAMP will happen from May 8th - 12th 2008 at its traditional
location "Strandbad Gruenau" (Sportpromenade 9, 12527 Berlin).

The Beachcamp is a gathering of Hospitality Exchange members, and one of the biggest events on the calendar.

This time we even can stay longer at the beach, if we want: The official end of the camp is Monday, May 12th, but if there is a minimum of 100 people, who want to stay a few days longer, there would be no problem (as long as we can pay the costs for an extra rescue-swimmer and other expenses).

You will find more informations at the following links:

BeWelcome Forum

Happy-Traveller

White House Tours
Public tours of the White House are available for groups of 10 or more people. Requests must be submitted through one's Member of Congress and are accepted up to six months in advance. These self-guided tours are available from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (excluding federal holidays), and are scheduled on a first come, first served basis approximately one month in advance of the requested date. We encourage you to submit your request as early as possible since a limited number of tours are available. All White House tours are free of charge. For the most current tour information, please call the 24-hour line at 202-456-7041. Please note that White House tours may be subject to last minute cancellation.

For two hundred years, the White House has stood as a symbol of the Presidency, the United States government, and the American people. Construction began when the first cornerstone was laid in October of 1792. Although President Washington oversaw the construction of the house, he never lived in it. It was not until 1800, when the White House was nearly completed, that its first residents, President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved in. Since that time, each President has made his own changes and additions. The White House is, after all, the President's private home. It is also the only private residence of a head of state that is open to the public, free of charge.

The White House has a unique and fascinating history. It survived a fire at the hands of the British in 1814 (during the war of 1812) and another fire in the West Wing in 1929, while Herbert Hoover was President. Throughout much of Harry S. Truman's presidency, the interior of the house, with the exception of the third floor, was completely gutted and renovated while the Trumans lived at Blair House, right across Pennsylvania Avenue. Nonetheless, the exterior stone walls are those first put in place when the White House was constructed two centuries ago.

At various times in history, the White House has been known as the "President's Palace," the "President's House," and the "Executive Mansion." President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the White House its current name in 1901.

A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is to hitchhikers what Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is to bikers. Ok, maybe that is a bit exaggerated, but both books/series/movies have an amazing cult following. But what is A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy exactly, and does it really cover all star systems in the Universe? And what is the Meaning of Life?

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series created by Douglas Adams. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, it was later adapted to other formats, and over several years it gradually became an international multi-media phenomenon.
The title The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy[3] is often abbreviated "HHGTTG" (as used on fan websites) or "H2G2" (first used by Neil Gaiman as a chapter title in Don't Panic and later by the online guide run by the BBC). The series is also often referred to as "The Hitchhiker's Guide", "Hitchhiker's", or simply "[The] Guide". This title can refer to any of the various incarnations of the story of which the books are the most widely distributed, having been translated into more than 30 languages by 2005.[4] The title can also refer to the fictional guidebook The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, an eccentric electronic encyclopedia prominently featured in the series.

The various versions follow the same basic plot, but they are in many places mutually contradictory, as Adams rewrote the story substantially for each new adaptation. In all versions, the series follows the adventures of Arthur Dent, a hapless Englishman who, with his friend Ford Prefect, an alien from a small planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse and researcher for the eponymous guidebook, escapes the demolition of Earth by a bureaucratic alien race called the Vogons.

Zaphod Beeblebrox, Ford's semi-cousin and the Galactic President, unknowingly saves the pair from certain death. He brings them aboard his stolen spaceship, the Heart of Gold, whose crew rounds out the main cast of characters: Marvin, the Paranoid Android, a depressed robot, and Trillian, formerly known as Tricia McMillan, a woman Arthur once met at a party who he soon realises is the only other survivor of Earth's destruction. After this, the characters embark on a quest to find the legendary planet of Magrathea and the Question to the Ultimate Answer.

In Wikipedia you can find everything you always wanted to know about HHGTTG (and much more that you probably didn't want to know). Any self-respecting hitchhiker should at least check it out.