6 Exciting Water Sports to Try Out

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Heading for the Southern beaches this Winter?  If you have a chance, try out any or all of these fun-filled - and maybe new for you - watersports - other then just plain swimming, diving or snorkeling.  Click on the headlines to find YouTube videos showing the sport:
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Water Skiing
Instead of skiing downhills, you follow a boat, grabbing a line and using gravity as your momentum.
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Wake Boarding  
Are you usually snow boarding in the mountains?  Then wake boarding shouldn’t be too difficult for you!  It’s the same concept, and it’s even easier to maneuver.
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Are you usually bringing your iPod to the ski hills?  Most people do, as it is so much fun to dash down the mountains, listening to your favoured music.  Same is true for water sports - but only since Underwater Audio Waterproof iPods and Swimbuds are available.

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Wind Surfing
I always felt pity for the guys who went out on the cold waves of Lake Deschennes, near Ottawa, Canada’s capital.  It must be so much more fun to do it in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean. Windsurfing sails are relatively large, one doesn’t need a massive amount of wind to get started.
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Jet Skiing
No fun for people on the beach, as it is a very noisy gadget. But civilized drivers go out for a mile or two - were the waves are higher anyway and do their stints.

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Sailing
Just the power of the wind - and your skipper skills, or that of a group on a larger boat.  What a fun, and totally quiet, you and anyone around hears only the wind in the sails.  An amazing sport indeed!
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Surfing
It became one of the most popular water sports in the world - not only in Hawaii. Think of the great waves in Portugal, South Africa, and even in Munich, Germany, were hundreds of people watch every day the surfers on the famous “Eisbach” next to the English Garden in downtown Munich! 
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A Golfer's Paradise: the Okanagan Valley, BC, Canada

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Black Mountain Golf Course

When you hear "Okanagan Valley", immediately wines come to mind, maybe even orchards, and the often praised "semi-desert" climate with an average of 2,000 sun hours.  But golf?  Certainly!  Rolling hills and lakes make the perfect background for the numerous golf courses.  Alone in Kelowna are more than 20, and it seems as every year a new one is built. 

Many avid golfers choose this area as their main residence and are on the Greens from April to November - and then hit the ski slopes at Big White with its top elevation of 6,900 ft. Big White is conveniently close by, just 70 kilometers / 45 miles from downtown Kelowna.  

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Fabulous Christmas Gift for Golf Enthusiasts

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Easy-going to Ego-shattering
That's how the Golf Guide characterizes the huge variety of challenges one can encounter.
Golfing in Kelowna is for every skill level.  Mild weather, stunning scenery and exceptional courses make Kelowna a must-play destination on every golf enthusiast's list!  A map helps to find not only the 18-hole courses (majority) but also the less discerning ones. 

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Interactive Map of all Golf Courses with Description

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My Favorite: Tower Ranch Golf Club
Golf Kelowna says:  "A Thomas McBroom designed championship golf course featuring dramatic undulating land, giving way to a fascinating and thrilling golf experience for all levels!
The semi-private club, located minutes from downtown Kelowna and the Kelowna Airport, features captivating views from 18 holes of golf, a pro shop, driving range, the restaurant and a fitness facility. Tower Ranch Golf Club was voted #1 course in Kelowna by the PGA of British Columbia in 2013."

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From Coast to Coast in Canada

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7,000 kilometers criss-crossing the Canadian provinces from Nova-Scotia to British Columbia. 
Here are some of the impressions:

16 kilometer long Bridge from Prince Edward Island to Nova Scotia 

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Light Tower near Antigonish, Nova Scotia

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Lobster Traps on a Wharf in New Brunswick

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Old Montreal, Quebec

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Patisserie in Bromont

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Governor General's Rideau Hall Guard, Ottawa

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Parliament in Ottawa

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Manitoulin Island Lake Huron Ontario

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Niagara-on-the-Lake

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CNN Tower Toronto

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Algonquin Park Cottage

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You Are in Bear Country

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Human Rights Museum Winnipeg

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Heritage Buildings in Winnipeg

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First Nations Casinos

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Floatplanes

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Endless Wheat Fields

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Old Grain Elevators

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Prairie Grass

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Hockey Mascot and Grain Elevator

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Big Skies in Alberta

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Oil Towers

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Native Reservations in Southern Alberta

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Bog at the Waterton Ntl Park

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Glacier Ntl. Park

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Canadian Pacific Train

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Lots of Vegetables and Fruit in BC

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Kootenay Lake British Columbia

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Small Town Feel in Greenwood, BC

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Osoyoos Desert, BC

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Native Winery in Osoyoos, BC

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Rainbow over Vineyards

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Roses of the Okanagan Valley

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Okanagan Lake towards Vernon

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Monument Kelowna Harbor

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Kelowna Bear

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Okanagan Wine

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View over Kelowna and Lake Okanagan

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Take a couple of weeks at least to enjoy a wonderful trip, exploring marvelous Canada.

The Guardian: Not-so-Happy Traveler

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It seems I am not the only one who doesn't like to book with AirBnB.  I just found this familiar story at the Guardian, about a lady who wanted to pay for a room during the completely booked out conference time in Bremen, Germany:

"For the uninitiated (until recently, me) Airbnb works like this. “Hosts” advertise their spare rooms (or house) and “guests” contact them through the site to arrange to stay and to pay. But, since February, the site has required some users to “verify their identity”. And there’s the rub:

Airbnb wanted a picture of me. I uploaded one. Up on my screen popped a dialogue saying they needed to verify my “offline” identity. Could I scan in a driver’s licence or passport? With a sinking heart and a nasty sensation of violated privacy, I complied. Now for my “online” identity, persisted the dialogue box: Facebook, LinkedIn or Google account? My Google account is a work one (not that, then); Airbnb rejected LinkedIn (well, ok, I’m not planning to leave my present job, so I seldom update that). As a last resort, I offered up Facebook. The pop-up dialogue greedily demanded access to all my friends.

Still it was not enough ... Three days, three lost bookings, a spate of emails, and two calls to Casey and her colleague in Colorado later, my problem was resolved. I was “escalated” to one of Airbnb’s “verification specialists”, who allowed me to upload my (very grumpy) video directly to him, explaining who I was. Twenty-four hours after that I got my green light. Off I went, and had a wonderful weekend courtesy of my excellent host “Felix”.

My privacy already feels violated by Airbnb – and I want to speak up for those who may feel the same. Dear Airbnb, I may not have a fully developed “online identity” – but that doesn’t mean I’m not real."

And I would like to add: "Dear AirBnB, your competition is growing, watch out how you treat your customers, there are other offers out there, for example from RoomoRama... 
Read the whole story here:
http://www.theguardian.com/money/blog/2014/nov/14/airbnb-wont-let-book-room-facebook-friends

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Discover the Warmest Place in Canada

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A hidden gem that even many Canadians have never visited:  the Okanagan Valley with it's dry, semi-arid climate, reminding me of Northern Italy.  The hills and mountains around the 135 kilometers long Okanagan Lake are dotted with vineyards, rose gardens and apple orchards.  Winter temperatures go rarely into the minus degrees, yet there are skiing areas within an hour driving distance.  The Southern Okanagan Valley is the only desert-like place in the whole of Canada. 
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The Okanagan is for Wine Lovers 
Hundreds of wineries invite visitors for tastings, many have even cosy outdoor restaurants or patios and nothing is more relaxing than to sip a glass, overlooking the surrounding wine fields, orchards and golf courses and watching the sailboats on Lake Okanagan. 
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Even a Native Tribe owns an award-winning viticulture company, including tasting rooms, and last week I found a winery in West-Kelowna that offers delicious organic wines.

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Sailing is the Preferred Outdoor Sport
Marinas in the Okanagan are full of boats, many have long waiting lists and sailing the lake is a popular past time.  Non-sailors can book a boat with skipper for sightseeing or a romantic Sunset Tour.  The Okanagan Lake cruising region offers some of the best inland sailings in BC with excellent winds and clear blue skies.

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Floatplane Tours from Kelowna Harbour
At Hart Aviation you can experience the excitement of a floatplane or seaplane sightseeing tour over the breathtaking beauty of the Okanagan and its surrounding mountains, glaciers and alpine lakes. I chatted with the pilots about their Floatplane training classes and they mentioned an offer of a Fly n' Dine Tour to the Lake Okanagan Resort where you will enjoy the three-course "Wine Country Escape Meal".  After your wonderful meal, you can relax while traveling from the Lake Okanagan Resort to Kelowna in a stretch " Black Tie Limousine". A special evening for sure!  
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Golfers Paradise
I am getting the impression there is a golf course on every hill around the huge lake. Next to sailing, the best outdoor fun in the Okanagan seems to be golfing.  Amazing how many new golf courses are still built.  Each of them seems to compete not only with their greens but also with their clubhouses and restaurants with other golf clubs in the area.  Kelowna alone has over 20 golf courses, and many more are located around the whole Okanagan Valley.
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Now, that it is almost November, the Roses and other Summer flowers are still in full bloom, even so, the tree leaves are slowly changing colors.  But I can hike in a short-sleeve blouse in the warm sun.  Yes, the Okanagan is a hiker's paradise too, among many other sports- and countless event offers.  A perfect holiday destination for year-round pleasure - also I would not come here in Summer:  it's just too hot then!

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