Djibouti. A luxury military choke point.

Western soldiers are a common sight in Djibouti. There are Western troops all over the place. The hotel in Djibouti’s nondescript capital was filled with German soldiers – the first I have ever encountered. Near the airport, a gaggle of French troops wearing camouflage fatigues and absurdly short shorts were marching along the road. A Mirage jet from the French air force screamed overhead.
French warships regularly visit the harbour a few miles away. France seized Djibouti in the 19th century and kept the tiny country as a colony until as recently as 1977. Paris ensured that Djibouti’s independence treaty enshrined its right to keep a military presence here in perpetuity. An old French base, known as Camp Lemonier, is now home to about 2,300 Americans from the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa.

Djibouti is Africa’s smallest countries, with only 500,000 people, resembles a camp for European and Americanarmies. Why? The Red Sea joins the Indian Ocean alongside Djibouti, making it one of the most strategically important locations on earth. This strategic location at the mouth of the Red Sea makes Djibouti an important port for goods entering and leaving the east African highlands. It makes an interesting and exotic yachting destination, and the city is laid out on a grid, making it very easy to explore in an afternoon.

Djibouti is a blend of colonial French and modern Arabic, and visitors are treated with traditional African hospitality. The Central Market just south of town is worth seeing, and is the best place to go if you’re hungry. Spicy, oven-baked or barbecued fish is a local specialty that you shouldn’t miss. The Aquarium Tropical de Djibouti is one of the town’s main attractions, open daily from 4 to 6:30pm, except during Ramadan. The best beaches are near the city of Dorale, and you can boat to the islands of Maskalii and Moucha in the Gulf of Tadjoura. Swimming, diving and snorkeling are excellent in the Red Sea coral reefs not far from the city of Djibouti. The climate here is mostly hot and humid, with the best time to visit being November to mid-April when it is less hot. Rainfall is less than five inches per year and vegetation is sparse or non-existent.

Here, Africa and Arabia are only 17 miles apart, separated by the Bab-El-Mandeb straits (which translates, appropriately enough, as the “Gates of Tears”). Giant tankers carry 3.3 million barrels of oil through this natural corridor every day. Last year, about 17,000 ships entered the “Gates of Tears”. This is what military planners call a “choke-point”. If terrorists were able to disable or destroy a super-tanker here, they could block the Bab-El-Mandeb and cause huge damage to the world economy. This explains the Western presence. But what do ordinary Djiboutians make of it? Post what you think today!

(Note:This Story was origionally posted by david.blair@telegraph.co.uk at 20 Oct 06 18:18)

World's Most Expensive Jeans

Forbes has the scoop on the most expensive jeans. They cite trends towards custom-fitted denim and lots of added detailing, including embroidery and crystals, as major reasons that prices were driven upwards, but not every pair on their list has these features. The single most expensive pair was 115-year old Vintage Levis sold on eBay for $60,000, followed by the significantly newer Ernest Sewn custom jeans, which cost up to $1,000 per pair.
Other pairs we liked this year included Levis iPod Jeans and Denim for Immortality Jeans, though we also liked the opportunity to make our own from Denim Design Lab.

Pamper Yourself. BringThe Spa Home!

Any day is the right day to pamper yourself. Cozy loungewear and luxurious products help you relax and unwind. Plus, these products are “mental health investments,” since, unlike a single spa visit, these last and last and last. A cotton sateen sheet set is perfect for breakfast in bed. Splurge on the highest quality you can afford, to give you the feeling of staying in a four-star hotel. Loungewear creates a perfect excuse to relax all day and forget about your usual hectic schedule. Soft cotton separates, such as yoga pants or casual tops can also be combined with jeans and trousers for fashionable, yet comfortable looks on more “real world” days. What’s a spa without beauty treatments? Give yourself the full spa experience with a plush cotton robe and stock the bathroom with cotton-centric products like cotton-scented candles, cleansers and bath mitts. Keeping your spa pantry stocked means that you have a relaxing escape at your fingertips when you need it most. Luxurious cotton sheets, comfy loungewear and cotton beauty products are not just a special treat for you, keeping yourself relaxed and happy benefits the entire family.

PRATIMA Ayurvedic Spa

At PRATIMA Ayurvedic Skin Care Clinic and Spa, a creation of Dr. Raichur, we have taken the traditional principles and formulas of Ayurveda and created a unique array of services to restore balance to your whole being, address problem skin, counter the effects of stress and aging, and cultivate a genuine, lasting beauty.
Each of our luxurious treatments are customized to complement your individual dosha (body type) - nourishing your skin with what it wants and what it needs. The products we use are Dr. Raichur's exclusive formulations, based on decades of research in Ayurveda, botany, and biochemistry, and are made with only all-natural ingredients and the purest herbs, roots, flowers, minerals and essential oils, with no chemicals or preservatives whatsoever.
From exotic facials and massages to traditional Ayurvedic therapies incorporating elements including milk, rose, sandalwood and pure oils mixed with herbs; each treatment and consultation is customized to complement your individual dosha (body type) leaving you with a revitalized, radiant beauty that emanates from deep within.

Are you Vata, Pitta or Kapha? Take this quick Dosha Test to help determine your own Ayurvedic constitution/skin type to learn more about the wonderful science and beauty of Ayurveda.
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Head down to SoHo for your favoritePratima Ayurvedic Skincare Clinic and Spa servicesand products!As of April 19th, 2006, we are excited to announceour new address as: 110 Greene StreetSuite 701New York, NY 10012(between Prince and Spring Street

Medical Pedicure

I come not to praise your bunions, but to bury them!Or at least that's the thinking behind the medical pedicure -- a new trend in high-end beauty treatments. According to an article in the New York Times, medical pedicures refer to a treatment involving "extensive cleaning, sanding, buffing and shaping."Unlike the pedicures most of us have come to love, which typically involve strip malls, special foot-bath chairs and conversations amongst pedicurists in languages you do not understand, the medical pedicure takes foot cosmetics to a whole new level. The actual services involved in a medical pedicure can vary. If the service is provided by a medical spa, customers can expect to have their calluses, corns and ingrown toe-nails cut out with specialized tools. Some tend to be less involved and invasive -- offering customers a thorough cleaning and shaping that still trumps what you would get in your neighborhood nail parlor. And what is the explanation for this trend? My guess is over-exposed feet. With springtime shoes that are going from bare to hardly there, it's no surprise that women have started to feel self-conscious about the appearance of their feet. The beauty industry has tapped into a new lucrative market with this treatment, since the average medical pedicures range from $100-$300.

SAMSUNG PIPS OUT THE IPOD IN GOLD

Because, apparently, there are enough My Super Sweet Sixteen types out there, gadget companies seemingly can't find enough reasons to bling up their wares, and Samsung is surely no exception. To commemorate the 1 millionth Yepp YP-Z5 unit sold, the company and interface designer Paul Mercer (he also designed the iPod's 'face) are auctioning off 10 of these 18k gold bars, which are predicted to net over $1,000 each. Go for it, if you're in Korea.

Wine Auctions

Don't turn to Trader Joe's for a bottle of Two-Buck Chuck if you're looking for a good price on wine. The Wall Street Journal (subscription) reports that more and more wine lovers are heading to auction houses like Christie's to shop - not for the ultra-expensive or rare bottles of wine, but for bargains. Many lots of good, ready-to-drink wines, perhaps "from overzealous collectors, who bought more than they [could] drink," sell for well under $100 per bottle.
When people consign their collections to the auction block, they almost always have several lower-ticket items in addition to the really expensive bottles of Chateau Petrus that the auction houses take one either because they must, or because they're hoping to attract new bidders. Whatever their reason for offering the wines, the budget bottles are a boon to wine fans who find cases of their favorite vintages for less than retail. The self-described "bottom feeders" say that it just takes a little research on the catalogue listings to sniff out the best deals, but to come home with some good wines at even better prices, it is worth the effort.

GUILDED MAGIC

Sure, you could pick up your own seashells on the beach but they won't come pre-gilded. Ruzzetti and Gow sells a variety of gilded seashells that are far better than anything you could put in your pocket while beachcombing. The shells range from the exotic murex to the iconic sand dollar and are priced from $50 to $225. They also offer shells and coral dipped in silver.

ARMANI HIV/AIDS CHARITY

Red) is a charitable effort that is designed to raise money for the Global Fund to support HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, especially in underfunded and underprivileged areas of the world. Armani is one of the designers participating in the program and his newest addition to the Armani Red line is an Inspi(Red) Watch. The watch has a 43mm stainless steel case with a coin-raised bezel and a leather strap. The strap is available in either black with red contrast stitching or red with black (pictured). It is a unisex timepiece and has an extra-large numerical display for easy readability. It is available in all Armani stores and the retail price should be $225.

Mercedes-Benz S6000

The last thing we are thinking about is the winter holidays but Mercedes-Benz is showing off the new 2007 CL600 flagship coupe which will debut in the Saks Fifth Avenue's "The Gift" Holiday catalog. The 20 Saks Special Edition CL600 coupes have a Mystic White exterior, Porcelain Nappa leather and Piano Lacquer Black interior with five-spoke 18" wheels, and a 510-hp twin-turbocharged V12 engine. Pricing has yet to be announced this year but last year's 20 S600 flagship sedans which cost $145,775 sold out in less than ten minutes. The catalog comes out in October. A shot of the interior is after the jump.

My Trip to Verona

Duing my recent trip to Verona Italy, I enjoyed visiting classical and medieval monuments, a picturesque town center where bright geraniums bloom in window boxes, and a romantic reputation, thanks to its immortalization as the setting of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. It is one of Italy's most alluring cities, despite extensive industrialization and urban development in its newer sections. There's an opulence in the air and in the shops that line the red Verona marble pavements with their enticing and elegant wares. Inevitably, with its lively Venetian feel, proximity to Lake Garda, and renowned summer opera season, it attracts hordes of tourists, especially vacationing Germans and Austrians, who drive over the Brenner Pass.

G. Jackson

Scott's Hotel, Estate of the Month

Join me for a little fantasy this Friday. Today's estate is the chance to buy a restored 18th century hotel in Spain. This charming small hotel is located in Mallorca´s wine region, an area whose charm has not been completely exploited yet. The hotel has 17 bedrooms total: five full suites, one junior suite, two super king doubles, two king doubles, three queen doubles, three twins and two singles. All rooms have ensuite bathrooms and air-conditioning. The hotel also has an indoor spa pool. Enjoy breakfast with your guests on the sunsplashed terraces or in the indoor breakfast room. Gather in the evening in the library, bar, or the inner courtyard garden. It is listed at 6 million euros. You can see even more pictures at the Scott's Hotel website. After the jump, who needs the Tuscan sun?
G. Jackson

Classic Harbor Line Cruise

It's prime leaf-peeping season but you don't need to haul yourself up to Vermont. The Classic Harbor Line is offering a fall foliage cruise that starts in Manhattan and meanders along the Hudson river. The cruise includes a brunch buffet and warm apple cider. The three-hour tour takes place not on the SS Minnow but on the Manhattan, a 1920s-style commuter boat that has an enclosed seating area, glassed-in observatory and heated and enclosed cabin. The cruise runs each weekend through November 12 and costs $85 per person.

Pet Pavilian

This Louis XV Pet Pavilion is only for animals who really deserve to live like kings. It is styled after an 18th century French commode (which we prefer to think of as just a little building, since it sounds a bit classier) and is hand-carved from mahogany and rosewood. It is liked with antique-style Newton Ferrers fabrics and the colors and patterns can be chose to suit your own tastes. Customizations are available, if you need a larger or smaller bed than the 35" H x 27" W x 27" D standard, or simply prefer a custom finish. Price: $24,266.

Where to Surf in New York

Main Beach Surf & Sport's mission is to provide a gateway for people to experience their natural surroundings on the East End. We provide the public with local knowledge, product knowledge and expert advice on how to best utilize those products. Our services expand our clients' awareness and experience of the East End's natural beauty. Our goal is to accomplish all of the above with great respect and professionalism.
Owner - Lars SvanbergLars has been a surfer, athlete and outdoor enthusiast for the past 25 years. Now 44, he has completed 10 Ironman Triathlons, numerous adventure races and marathons. World surf travel has been his first love and he has built the Main Beach store around this love. "Getting people to experience their outdoor environments in challenging and exciting ways has always been my number one goal," he says.Having surfed all over the world in search of the best waves the planet has to offer and sharing his experiences with his customers has lead to a perfect union of lifestyle and business. "I use and test all the products we sell. It's about offering and participating in what I love most," says Lars. "The ocean has always been my first love; surfing, kayaking, swimming long distance, or just bodysurfing. My whole life revolves around the ocean and it's natural rhythms."Main Beach Surf and Sport has imbibed this love for the ocean and it's local environments. According to Lars, "My store is a natural reflection of my life." It's a simple equation, integrate your business life and love for the outdoors and the ocean. A perfect symmetry unfolds: Main Beach Surf and Sport, a natural resource.
Contact
Main Beach Surf & Sport328 Montauk HighwayWainscott, NY 11975631-537-2716sales@mainbeach.com