Backpacker hostels say business as usual (April 18, 2010)
It's business as usual for two of Brisbane's major backpacker hostels despite further cancellation of airline flights to and from Europe due to the ash cloud from an erupting volcano in Iceland.
Banana Benders Backpackers receptionist Nick Ratcliff said it has had no cancellations nor has anyone been forced to stay extra nights.
"We've had no emails from anyone wanting to cancel," Mr Ratcliff told AAP.
Full story:
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/backpacker-hostels-say-business-as-usual-20100418-smap.html
14 years
Given the tiny fraction of long haul flights in and out of Brisbane - especially cheap ones - this isnt really surprising. I'd be interested to see if Sydney has noticed a change. The overwhelming majority of long haul flights go through Sydney and id wager every single backpacker who's been to Australia has been there too.
Anyone here from Sydney?
14 years
We're in Sydney.
So far there's been no huge effect. We've had some people who haven't been able to make it, but just as many people who've booked more nights because they can't get home.
14 years
I wonder what happens to people who are stuck in foreign countries while their visa expires due to the volcano...
It's interesting -- Eyjafjallajökull [audio] is so hard to spell/pronounce, the media conspicuously avoids mentioning the volcano by name :)
Nice photos here:
14 years
It's interesting -- Eyjafjallajökull [audio] is so hard to spell/pronounce, the media conspicuously avoids mentioning the volcano by name :)
I know something about Icelandic pronunciation though I am not an expert. That audio clip sounds totally weird -- are you sure it is not a spoof? That ".ogg" bit suggests it is a joke.
The main features are that j is pronounced like English "y". And ll is pronounced like "tl". That sounds fine for the one in the middle, but is a bit puzzling for the one at the end. The o-umlaut is like English o in "oven".
So the first half is easy: "A-ya-fyatla-". The second half sounds clumsy "yukutl" and I wonder if they simplify it.
14 years
That audio clip sounds totally weird -- are you sure it is not a spoof? That ".ogg" bit suggests it is a joke.
I'm not sure -- the audio clip is from Wikipedia, so anyone could have uploaded it. Maybe it's an inside Icelandic joke and means something different :)
.ogg is an open source media format that is designed to replace MP3, WMV and other closed, proprietary formats...
14 years
Thanks for the last link. Somewhere among those there was a genuine-sounding pronunciation guide. That "tl" sound which would be very awkward in the last syllable was spoken just like the Welsh "ll". The middle "ll" seems to be midway between "ll" and "tl". So if you can do that, it runs easier. And the first syllable rhymes with HAY, not with EYE. So try:
AYA - FYATLA -- yu- kull
where the last "ll" is as in Welsh "Llangollen". Have fun!
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