Student Travel News is a 2005 initiative by GTTP directors to provide students in its world-wide programs with a platform which they can use to tell people and potential visitors about their communities and about attractions in their area. One objective is to encourage students to see their communities from the perspective of a visitor. Another is to encourage writing and descriptive skills. A third is to encourage students to travel to places where other GTTP students live.
The first Student Travel News report is from Canada. We also have a report from Russia see below
I have the pleasure of living in a town with a population of 5,200 people. This small town is ready to be exposed to the rest of the world. My home is called Gananoque. Gananoque is a name that only locals can pronounce, or so it would seem. We say "Gan-nan-knock-way." The word is Indian in origin, and it has been said to mean a number of things over the years. Some of these are, "a meadow rising out of the water", "up which many hunters go", "rocks in running water" and the most accepted and used meaning is "land slopping into water". All interpretations of the name tell us that Gananoque is a very scenic place. So where is Gananoque?
Gananoque is located on the St. Lawrence River among the Thousand Islands in Ontario, Canada. It is a small community located between two cities, Kingston and Brockville. The St. Lawrence River flows through Gananoque. Although the name "The Thousand Islands" gives the impression that there are one thousand islands, there are in fact more then a thousand, there are approximately 1, 864 actual pieces of land declared islands on the St. Lawrence in front of Gananoque. To be officially recognized as an island the piece of land must remain above water all year and support two living trees.
The Gananoque Boat Line: During the summer scenic boat tours are available to locals and tourists who wish to get a closer look at the islands.
However, people are not limited to only the tour boats, boats can be rented at local Marina's. From a rented boat tourists can indulge in a number of activities, including fishing, swimming and touring public islands. Kayaks can also be rented.
On the St. Lawrence River pike, bass, perch, and musky are most commonly caught.
During the summer the river generally only reaches temperatures of about 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Centigrade). The river is an excellent place to cool off and have some fun. However it is also recommended that guests avoid touring the St. Lawrence River at night without the company of a guide.
The Thousand Islands Charity Casino: All year round people enjoy the charity casino located just outside the gates of Gananoque.
Other indoor activities in Gananoque include bowling at "Delaney Bowl", going to see a movie at "The Boulevard Cinema", swimming and playing squash at the "Best Western Resort" or going to see a play at "The Gananoque Play House". All indoor activities are relatively inexpensive. The cost of a ticket to the movie theatre is five dollars every night of the week, with the exception Tuesdays when the seat price is two dollars.
The Festival of the Islands: The Festival in Gananoque occurs in August and it includes fun in the park and along Main Street during the day. Each night there is a live band at the water front. Such Canadian wonders as "Great Big Sea" have played during the festival. This event attracts thousands of people.
Winter is also a great time in Gananoque. Winter activities such as ice fishing, snowmobiling and public skating are common among locals. Cheering on the local "Gananoque Islanders" during Sunday night hockey games is also a regular activity. Iceboats can also be seen on the St. Lawrence River.
The local specialty is found in the Town Park, located down Main Street. Gary's French Fries has been around for a number of years, pleasing locals and guests and sharing with them his hundreds of bumper stickers on the side of his truck. There are a number of excellent restaurants in and around the Gananoque area, one of the favorites is "Good Time Charley's" where on Tuesdays a two-for-one wings special is taken full advantage of.
There are a lot of hotels in Gananoque. The most recommended is The Gananoque Inn, located right on the St. Lawrence River. Guests at the Inn can arrange a number of activities through the hotel.
There is limited shopping in Gananoque. There are not very many shops downtown. However the ones available are enjoyable, as they are local-family run. The employees have a certain small-town charm. "Larger" shopping can be enjoyed in Kingston, twenty-five minutes west of Gananoque.
Gananoque is a nice place to visit. However there is little advertising telling tourists some of the things they can do here, so we need to do more advertising. It has also been suggested recently that travel promotions should be developed with cooperating local businesses. For example, a "Romantic Get Away" package might include accommodations at a local hotel, a romantic scenic boat cruise, and other arranged activities.
Teen Travel
Destination:
Moscow, Russia
By: A.Krylov, A.Kryuchkova; V.Nurieva, A.Mihailova, K.Kurbatov, D.Rublevsky, E.Taranina
School 1228 Moscow
Supervised by N.Zezerova
What is Moscow:
Moscow is the capital of Russia with 11 million people who live here and about 3 million tourists every day. It is the centre of political, industrial and cultural life of our country . Moscow is more then 850 years old (1147), but it looks very modern.
Where is Moscow:
Moscow is situated in the west of Russia ( we hope you know where Russia is). It was built on both banks of the Moskva- river, connected with the great Russian river Volga. It is the biggest transport centre of Russia, with 4 airports, 9 railway stations, 2 ports and a lot of roads.
What is Moscow for us:
Moscow is our home. We were born here, we live and study here and we are going to work here in future. Moscow is our pride and a national symbol.
What to see in Moscow:
One of the most important places in Moscow is Red Square. Red means beautiful, wonderful. Here you can see historical places and the most interesting building in Moscow- the Kremlin. It is not only a historical site; it is also the seat of Russian President.
We advise you to visit the Lenin Mausoleum, which contains the embalmed body of the founder of the Russian Communist Party and leader of the 1917 Russian Revolution. It is one of the most well known places in Moscow and in Russia.
There are 6 churches and cathedrals on the territory of the Kremlin. The most beautiful of them is Saint Basil' s Cathedral. It was rebuilt three years ago and now it is very colorful.
History museum. Learn the history of Russia and the world history and also visit some interesting temporary exhibitions such as the exhibition of cards or other unusual exhibitions.
Tretyakov gallery. The most famous Russian gallery. See the greatest pictures of Russian artists. There are shown a lot of portraits of Russian outstanding people, landscapes and masterpieces of still life.
Gallery "Kino" Visit the Exhibition of modern arts and projects of The Russian representatives. You can see classical art works, graffiti, video- art, photos and other. It shows different works of every time, so you should make inquiries about the exhibitions.
The Central artist's house. There are temporary and regular exhibitions. It is part of the Tretyakov gallery where you can visit an art exhibition of the XX century. The area around the Central artist's house is named The Park of Arts. There are trade picture rows and The Museum of sculpture outside the building. The main attraction of it is the monuments of the communist period.
Where to stay:
There are three central hotels: "Russia" , "Sputnik" and "Ukraine" where there are different types of rooms. There are also more economical variants: hotels located further from the center and also accommodation in families.
Where to go in Moscow:
Arbat is the historical and cultural center of Moscow. It consists of two streets - Old Arbat and New Arbat.The old part of it is a pedestrian street with ancient lanterns. In this street you can find Pushkin museum. In front of it you can see a monument to Pushkin and his wife. Also you can see a monument to a Russian bard Okudjawa. Here is a unique architecture of Old Moscow, history, which is in every stone of ancient buildings, churches. There are a few theatres in Arbat. New Arbat is just opposite Old Arbat. In this street you can find a great number of shops, casinos, restaurants. It's a modern part of Moscow.
Moscow Zoo is situated in the central part of Moscow. It's a very modern construction with more than 950 species of animals. On the other hand, it is one of the oldest zoos in Europe. It was opened 12 February 1864. Nowadays Moscow Zoo is a home for really rare animals, which are in the Red Book.
The zoo is one of most humanitarian places in Moscow, also a very attractive place to rest.
Victory Park is a big park situated in the western part of Moscow in Kutuzovskiy prospect. It was called so because of the Russian Victory in the World War 2. The metro station "Park Pobedy" situated near the park was opened in 2004.
There is a unique ensemble of fountains, which are beautifully colored at night. There are also several churches of different confessions. Inside the park there is a museum of weapon.
Straight alleys of the park is a favorite place for Moscow skaters, rollers and bikers. Though it is forbidden, they all do this and even organize their own championships.
Victory Park is a unique place where families and companies of friends rest and where the atmosphere is incredibly friendly and relaxing.
Where & what to eat:
In Moscow there is a great number of different restaurants. Among them there are such as:
"Rosticks" - a traditional fast-food place like "McDonald's". The difference is that "Rostikcs" cooks serves chicken. But you shouldn't forget that fast food is not good for your health!
"Friday's" - they've got traditional American food such as beef, pork, fried potatoes or vegetables. But you also should be prepared that people are allowed to smoke there.
"Patio Pizza" - they cook a variety of pizza, so if you like one it is the place for you. But be ready that waiters are not always hospitable.
So "Planet sushi" is for people who like sushi. The dishes are not bad at all. But unfortunately they won't let you eat your meal with fork - only sticks and it'll make you a problem if you are not used to eating with them.
But if you really want to feel Russian you are always welcome to the "Yolki-Palki" restaurant. There you can taste national Russian cuisine, consisting of such dishes as: meat dumplings, aspic, Russian potatoes, pickled cucumbers and mushrooms and other simple but tasty food. The advantage of this restaurant is that it is very cheep and accessible for everyone!
What to do:
At midnight you can choose a tour by motor ship on the Moskva River, by tourist tram "Annushka" or by excursion bus. The most impressive excursion is "Following the steps of Moscow ghosts". You will hear Moscow legends, terrible omens, which keep on coming true nowadays. You will know about different phenomenalism and paranormal activities, of which our city is full. Also you may book a classic version of a bus excursion along night Moscow, where the guide will tell you about Moscow clubs, casinos, restaurants, which you can visit if you want.
Parachute jumping, snowboarding, rock-climbing are available in Moscow. There are special extreme festivals. The feature of such festivals is that you can watch professional sportsmen or take part in any kind of sport activity. Equipment can be rented at the festival. Also you can get some training courses for beginners. In Moscow there are some places, where a lot of extreme-sportsmen show their skills every day.
One of the most exciting experiences offered to tourists can be a boat trip down the Moskva-river. On the way you will see the Kremlin, Krimskiy bridge, Andronikov, Novospasskiy, Novodevichiy, Donskoy and Simonovskiy monasteries. The most interesting place is Vorobiovy hills. Vorobiovy hills is the name of the right bank of the Moskva-river. Its height is nearly 70 meters about the river. Here the world-famous Moscow University building is situated. It is the favourite sight of tourists and Moscovites wedding couples traditionally come here. Also, many artists have pained this sight.
Shopping:
There are many shopping centres in Moscow, where you can buy everything you want from traditional souvenirs to fashionable clothes. The most popular shop for clothes are: Mango, Benetton, Mexx, Your life, Kuvyrcom, Sisley etc. So if you want to buy souvenirs, you can go to Hallmarks shops , where you will find different small things. If you want to buy sport clothes you might visit Nike, Adidas, Puma or Sportmaster. National Russian souvenirs can be found in Ismailovsky Vernisage and Arbat street.
Cautions:
It is very dangerous to walk alone at night.
Be aware of pickpockets.
It would be better if you use credit cards not cash.
Don't speak with strangers.
It would be better if you take the city map and the map of underground in your own language.
