The Residence Zanzibar was designed by HBA / Hirsch Bedner Associates and is a villa complex situated in a remote corner of the spectacular Zanzibar Island, Tanzania, East Africa. The resort has no less than 66 villas and their design is said to be inspired from the Swahili, Omani, British and Indian cultures present in Zanzibar.
Each building has its own opulent personality, while showcasing an exterior that blends perfectly with the surrounding natural landscape. Moreover, the small exotic cribs all have access to generous pools and spa units.
As for the interior design of the villas, the architects over at Hirsch Bedner Associates stated that the island was a rich source of inspiration and materials. All furniture pieces that were chosen are strongly connected with the history and culture of these places. This is why visiting this resort will be not just relaxation and taking time off, but an important learning experience as well.
Source
A biscuit which polar explorer Ernest Shackleton handed to a starving fellow traveller on an expedition more than 100 years ago sold at the British auction house Christie’s on Thursday for US $2,000 The biscuit, one of thousands which formed the staple diet for Shackleton and his companions on the 1907-1909 Nimrod expedition.
Made especially for the expedition by British company Huntley and Palmers, the biscuits were fortified with milk protein to help the group on their arduous journey.
The explorers were forced to turn back after battling to within 100 miles of the pole. Their return journey became a race against starvation, with the group surviving on half rations.
At one point Shackleton handed fellow explorer Frank Wild one of his own biscuits, prompting Wild to record in his diary: “Thousands of pounds would not have bought that biscuit.”
The biscuit was left at the hut at Cape Royds in the Antarctic where Shackleton was based during the expedition and is perfectly preserved. Nicholas Lambourn, a director at Christie’s, said ahead of the auction that the biscuits were designed to provide the explorers with maximum stamina but they lacked a crucial ingredient.
Source
Qatar surpassed Luxembourg as the world’s richest nation in 2010 and is set to pull away with wealth that’s almost twice that of the US.
The IMF’s Chart of the Day shows Qatar’s gross domestic product per capita at $88,221 in 2010, beating Luxembourg for the top spot.
The figure may reach $111,963 by 2016, surpassing Luxembourg’s $94,621 and Singapore’s $70,992, the IMF said.
“It’s the combination of wealth, growth and a small population,” said Paul Cooper, Dubai-based managing director at Sarasin-Alpen & Partners.
Qatar forecasts economic growth of about 16 percent in 2011 and projects a budget surplus of $6.1 billion this fiscal year.
The IMF estimates the Gulf nation will have the world’s fastest-growing economy for a second year (Qatar has a population of about 848,000).
The country, the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, has reached its target of 77 million tons of annual production.
Qatar, one of the largest global investors through its sovereign wealth fund, plans to spend over $125bn in the next five years on construction and energy projects.
Source
