According to a study carried out, it is estimated that over 14 million SMS were sent on Christmas Eve between 9:00pm and midnight and the same amount were sent again for the 31st of December 2009.
The total could reach 30 million SMS in two days or rather…. in only 6 hours!! Can you imagine the profits for the 3 main mobile phone companies? But it’s probably better not to focus our topic on that aspect, right?
Everyone sends and receives lots of SMS around this time of year. It’s easy, fast and efficient, but it always so nice to receive a traditional, hand-written Christmas card.
Did you receive more SMS this year than last year?
Which did you use more: social networks or your mobile phone?
Which was the clever text message you liked the best?
Happy 2010!

A few months ago in Blogtelopia we discussed how full body scanners work and the debate being raised about the limits on people’s privacy. These scanners are installed in some airports in Europe and the United States. The debate on this topic has hit the headlines again, after the failed terrorist attack by Al Qaeda on 25 December in Detroit. The United Kingdom and Holland have announced their intention to make widespread use of this technology. In contrast, while we await news as to the Spanish government’s position on the subject, the Spanish Association of Air Transport Users and Professionals (ASETRA) has already declared to be against using full body scanners in Spanish airports, stating that they do not guarantee passengers’ fundamental rights. For now this system is voluntary and therefore travellers may decline to go through it.
Do you think that using these scanners is justified to strengthen airport security?

The calendar has as many pages left as there are hairs on Filemon’s head. The big question is: how and where to celebrate New Year’s Eve? Here we propose four destinations. There may not enough time now to make it for New Year’s Eve, but they have assured us that they will still be there throughout 2010, waiting to be discovered.

Lights, camera…..New York!

The Big Apple invites us to welcome in 2010 with magic. It’s cold, but in Times Square the friendly atmosphere will soon warm you up. Thousands of people congregate there every year to watch the giant dazzling ball descend as the countdown begins. This moment features musical performances, confetti, fireworks and above all, lots of hugs and kisses.

Be the first at Byron Bay

What is special about Byron Bay, apart from being a beachside paradise? It will be the first place in the world to welcome in 2010, as it is located at the easternmost point of Australia. Anyone travelling to Byron Bay will find loads of events and parties to attend, along its 30 km. of beaches and throughout the city. It is also an ideal spot to enjoy scuba diving, surfing and whale and dolphin watching.

Music in Vienna

In Vienna, a classical music concert takes place every to not only welcome in the New Year, but to bid farewell to the year that has ended. This concert has been held since 1939 and it is one of the most famous musical events in the world. The New Year Concert takes place on the morning of January 1 in the “Großer Saal” (Large Hall) of the Musikverein. Georges Prêtre was the conductor this year of the prestigious Vienna Philharmonic. Te concert includes waltzes and polkas and the last festive piece always involves the audience participating in a lively clap-along.

The first ski jumps of the year in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Every year a traditional ski jumping contest is held at the German ski resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen on New Year’s Day. Skiers jump up to 100 metres in length and reach speeds of up to 100km/h. It’s a very original way of starting off the New Year, don’t you think?

Bank holidays + Days owed to me at work + Long weekend + holiday time left over = time for a getaway!
Where to go? This is a question that pops up in many homes just before the Christmas season. Years ago, the only people who travelled at this time of the year were those coming home for Christmas. Nowadays though, many people take advantage of the holiday season to discover new places. Buying a plane ticket on Christmas Day, for example, is often much cheaper than buying it a few days before or after. Of course you have to be willing to give up Christmas dinner though. Are you? Are you going to take a trip over Christmas this year?

… Bon Voyage!

Jon Rawlinson is a filmmaker who specialises in documentaries. His career has taken him all over the world to capture his adventures on video in countless different destinations such as Tahiti, Bora Bora and Jordan. The videos on his blog are spectacular to watch and they also serve as a source of inspiration for planning a future trip. Instead of dealing with all the stress involved with the festivities going on at this time of year, why not sit back and relax with the images that Jon filmed at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan. Its main tank features the world’s second largest acrylic glass panel and it holds whale sharks and manta rays.

A few months ago, a Dutch court ruled that a 13-year old girl was too young to attempt sailing around the globe by herself and it also took partial custody away from her father. The girl disappeared this week, leaving a letter behind for her father. Did she run away to brave the seas by herself? Alone. Apart from breaking the world record by becoming the youngest person to attempt such a feat, would she really enjoy travelling by herself? It is obvious that our experiences on a trip are very different, depending on whether we go alone or in the company of others. We take in the experiences, the emotions and the sensations in a different way. These days, more and more people are deciding to travel by themselves. For now, travelling alone is still proportionately more expensive however. You can get an idea of this by comparing the price of an individual room to a double room in most hotels. Having said that, little by little, more options and offers are appearing that target this type of traveller. In fact, many agencies organise trips especially for single people. In this case, normally these are people who start off by themselves, but end up travelling in the company of others. Others decide to travel alone to discover a new experience. And others simply like to travel by themselves; they prefer to. One of our Hotelopia users told us that she went by herself the first time she went to New York. On the first day, without even realising it, she found herself in the middle of Times Square, surrounded by its millions of sensory stimulations flashing down from gigantic screens, and its spectaculars, or animated digital advertisements. At that moment, she peered around, looking for someone to share that shocking sensation with. That was it really dawned on her that she was travelling by herself. She took a deep breath and started walking. It felt good.
Do you prefer to travel alone or with others? Why?

The Annual Guardian Angels – Motorcycle Police Officer’s Association Rally took place in Benidorm this year from 20 to 22 November on the occasion of its 10th Anniversary. Four-hundred people attended the event and enjoyed a weekend of companionship and the friendly atmosphere that was present throughout their stay. Hotelopia was in charge of lodging and we thank the Association for entrusting us with this task. Congratulations on your 10-year Anniversary!
Hotelopia has also made available to the Guardian Angels an exclusive website with which they can make hotel reservations in any of our destinations at special prices, for both personal and professional reservations.

Travellers, the moment has arrived to write a letter to the Three Magi from the Orient. Where would you like to go on a trip next year? Which destination would you love to explore? Which city or town to pick? Which country to tour? Now is the time to write down your travel wishes. Who knows? They might even come true. Have you been good?

Where would you like to go in 2010? What was the most enjoyable trip away you had in 2009?

If you’re thinking about going to Barcelona to have a walk around the city, put on some comfortable shoes. This is because you are about to discover a city with 14 of the 20 longest streets in Spain. The Gran Vía de Les Corts Catalanes tops the list, with 689 street numbers that extend along a stretch of 13 kilometres. The second street on the list is also located in Barcelona. It is the Calle València. It is followed by the Calle Alcalá in Madrid and the Calle de La Azalea in Alcobendas (outskirts of Madrid). This ranking appears in a report presented by the telephone information company 11811. The study is based on the number of telephone subscribers on each street, i.e. the street numbers that correspond to a dwelling or business. While you are in Barcelona, if you would also like to take a stroll down the shortest street in the city, look for it in the area of Born, near the Santa María del Mar church. It only has one street number and close by there are some bars where you can sit down and have a rest after such a long excursion.