Madagascar - An Island Nation in the Indian Ocean

Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Africa, at the height of Mozambique. It is also the largest island in Africa and the fourth largest in the world. It is separated from the mainland by the Mozambique Channel. It is noteworthy that the island was once joined to Africa, which was separated. This led to the isolation and cause many unique species in the world. Thus, home to 58% of animal and plant species in the world (of which 80% are endemic to Madagascar). Of the more notable are the lemur infra-order of which are primates, the carnivorous fossa, three endemic bird families and six endemic baobab. It is within the list of mega-diverse countries.

Climate
Madagascar is located in the tropical climate of the South Equatorial Current. The precipitation in continuously from east to southwest. Rain fall on the west coast is sometimes only 500 millimeters per year, while it may be on the east coast region once before 4000 mm. The average annual temperature is 25 degrees celsius. Higher temperatures are on the coasts, but in inland highlands temperatures can fall below the freezing point.

Flora
Due to its long geographical isolation, Madagascar is home to a unique fauna and flora with a very high proportion of endemic species. Before the arrival of the first settlers the island was probably almost completely forested. The coastal zones are covered by tropical lowland rainforest. Of the original rain forests, only 4% are obtained. The largest contiguous areas of rainforest that still exist, lie on the Masoala peninsula. From east to west, the rain forest passes gradually over the savannah in the dry and in the south and thorn savanna.

Madagascar - An Island Nation in the Indian Ocean

Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Africa, at the height of Mozambique. It is also the largest island in Africa and the fourth largest in the world. It is separated from the mainland by the Mozambique Channel. It is noteworthy that the island was once joined to Africa, which was separated. This led to the isolation and cause many unique species in the world. Thus, home to 58% of animal and plant species in the world (of which 80% are endemic to Madagascar). Of the more notable are the lemur infra-order of which are primates, the carnivorous fossa, three endemic bird families and six endemic baobab. It is within the list of mega-diverse countries.

Climate
Madagascar is located in the tropical climate of the South Equatorial Current. The precipitation in continuously from east to southwest. Rain fall on the west coast is sometimes only 500 millimeters per year, while it may be on the east coast region once before 4000 mm. The average annual temperature is 25 degrees celsius. Higher temperatures are on the coasts, but in inland highlands temperatures can fall below the freezing point.

Flora
Due to its long geographical isolation, Madagascar is home to a unique fauna and flora with a very high proportion of endemic species. Before the arrival of the first settlers the island was probably almost completely forested. The coastal zones are covered by tropical lowland rainforest. Of the original rain forests, only 4% are obtained. The largest contiguous areas of rainforest that still exist, lie on the Masoala peninsula. From east to west, the rain forest passes gradually over the savannah in the dry and in the south and thorn savanna.

Nature Study - Our Winter friends (Birds)

Last month in November, the boys felt left out as our neighbors to the North got vibrant colors of foliage in the Fall while we see only brown leaves and maybe yellow at best. This winter makes up for it when we saw different birds in our area that have migrated from the north.We have been seeing a house wren that sings each morning on our patio’s ledge. The bird’s song is very loud that you don’

Hitler was a Green Guru Too ( He's back !)

With a new year to celebrate, it's time to seriously reflect on the coming years ahead. It seems a lot of the Green movement had it's roots in Hitler's era and such thinking is back and changing us so fast that we can't say how our society will look by the time we die.

A kind of eugenics is with us again, along with an obsession for perfect bodies. Children in the womb are being killed mid-term for the sin of being a dwarf, for instance, and famed animal rights philosopher Peter Singer wants parents to kill deformed children in their first few months of life. Meanwhile support for euthanasia for the sick. tired or incompetent grows.

As for tribalism, that's also back---and as official Labor left-wing policy. We now pay people to bury their individuality in tribes, giving them multicultural grants or even an Aboriginal "Parliament"! God help us! But most dangerous is that we strip our children of pride, security and even hope. They are taught that God is dead and so is the morality that sprang from that Judeo-Christian legacy, our institutions corrupt, our people racist, our land ruined, our past evil and our future doomed by global warming. No wonder the suicide rate is growing in the young.

They are then fed a culture that romanticises violence and worships sex---telling them there is nothing more to life than the cravings of their bodies. No one can live like this and be fulfilled. People need to feel part of something bigger and better than ourselves--a family, or a church, or a tradition or a country. Or, as the devil may whisper and seduce, "the Greens, the Greens."

Hitler was an avid vegetarian and greenie and also addicted to homeopathic cures. His regime sponsored the creation of organic farming as well. Hitler also banned medical experiments on animals, but not as we know to our grief, on Jewish children. He created many national parks, many called "sacred" forests. The Nazis drew heavily on a romantic, anti-science, nature worshipping, communal and anti-capitalist movement that tied German identity to the forests. If fact, Professor Raymond Dominick notes in his book, "The Environmental Movement in Germany", two-thirds of the members of Germany's nature clubs had joined the Nazi Party by 1939, compared with 10% of all men. The Nazis also organized the German Youth Movement which indoctrinated the young into our mystical relationship with the earth.

Peter Staudenmaier, co-author of "Ecofascism: Lessons from the German Experience", says it was for the Hitler Youth that the philosopher Ludwig Klages wrote his influential essay "Man and Earth". In it he warned of the growing extinction of species, the destruction of forests, the disruption of the ecosystem and the killing of whales. People were losing their relationship with nature, he warned. Sressing that Man must submit to the protection of Nature.

Heard all that recently? I'm not surprised. This essay by a notorious anti-Semite was republished in 1980 to mark the birth of the German Greens---the party that inspired the creation of our own Greens Party. Its message is much as Hitler's own Mein Kampf: "When people attempt to ignore the iron logic of nature, their actions against that nature must lead to their downfall." Why does that matter now you ask? Because we must learn that people who want animals to be treated like humans really want humans to be treated like animals. By that I mean that we must realize a movement that stresses "natural order" and the low place of man in a fragile world, is more likely to think man is too insignificant to stand in the way of Mother Earth, or the Fatherland or some other man-hating god.

The Way I See It....it is here already...big time. A Greenpeace co-founder, Paul Watson, called humans the "AIDS of the Earth", and one of the three founders of the German Greens, Herbert Gruhl, said the environmental crisis was so acute the state needed perhaps "dictatorial powers'' (Seig Heil!) And our growing church-of-nature worshippers insist that science make way for their fundamentalist dogma, bringing us closer to a society in which muscle, not minds, must rule. Former head of Greenpeace International, Patrick Moore, says "In the name of speaking for trees and other species, we are faced with a movement that would usher in an era of ECO-FASCISM."

This threat is still small but growing. They do it by seducing our present-day disenfranchised youth with their manta of saving the planet and teaching them that sacrificing their future wellbeing is the only way to achieve it. Be warned....if we don't resist the "watermelons'' siren-song today, who knows where it will sweep us humans tomorrow?

Sleep Problem Linked with Memory Loss !

I was amazed to come across this research that wasn't published in the "lame-stream" media for some reason, so I'm happy to warn you about it now. It stated that the part of the brain that stores memory appears to shrink in people with sleep apnea, adding further evidence that the sleep and breathing disorder is a serious health risk.

The findings, from brain scan studies conducted, last year, by researchers at the University of California, in L.A., shows for the first time that sleep apnea is associated with tissue loss in the brain regions that store memory. And while the thinking and focus problems of sleep apnea patients often are attributed to sleep deprivation, the scans show something far more insidious is occurring.

Sleep apnea occurs when muscles in the throat, soft palate and tongue relax during sleep. They sag and narrow the airway and the tongue slides to the back of the mouth, blocking the windpipe and cutting off oxygen to the lungs. The sleeper gasps for air, wakes up briefly and falls back to sleep in a cycle that repeats itself hundreds of times per night. The result is loud snoring and chronic daytime fatigue. The disorder also is linked to a higher risk of stroke, heart disease and diabetes.

The study focused on structures on the underside of the brain called mammillary bodies. so named because they resemble small breasts. The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to scan the brains of over 100 subjects and found the brains of the sleep apnea patients had mammillary bodies that were nearly 20 percent smaller. These structures are also known to shrink in people who have other forms of memory loss related to alcoholism and Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers have a theory why the sleep disorder affects the brain tissue this way. They say it's related to the repeated drops in oxygen during the apnea episode. The brain's blood vessels constrict, starving the tissue of oxygen and causing cells to die. This leads to a form of inflammation that is also linked with heart disease and stroke, further damaging the tissue. The fact that patients' memory problems continue despite treatment for their sleep disorder implies a long-lasting brain injury.

The Way I See It....is that the data shows the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of the sleep apnea. Unfortunately, the most effective treatment is a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP. To accomplish this, there is a machine and face mask apparatus that many patients find unwieldy and uncomfortable. In a future study, the U.C.L.A researchers will explore whether Vitamin B1 supplements might help restore memory in sleep apnea patients by moving glucose into cells and thereby preventing cell death. Here's hoping.

Volunteering in the Sacred Valley

Volunteering in Peru is a unique experience and an interchange between the volunteer and members of Peruvian society which is greatly advantageous to both. There are many direct and indirect advantages of volunteering in Peru, or anywhere else in Latin America for that matter. Peruvian people are generally friendly and open people and the country is relatively cheap to live and travel in plus it is also very safe compared to many other developing countries, much safer than most in Africa it is said.

Not only do volunteers have the opportunity to practice their language skills during the day in a practical manner without studying (which is often the best and fastest way to learn), but volunteering is an exchange where volunteers learn from the Peruvians and Peruvians in need get the help they need an gather information about the countries of the volunteers.

Volunteers can gain very helpful life and work experiences that they probably would not find in their own country, bolster their CVs and get to discover more about the rich Peruvian culture in a way that is very different than that learned in a classroom. There is no real age limit for people wanting to involve themselves in volunteer programs, only a requirement that they should be willing and able to help people less fortunate than themselves. No previous experience is necessary but a level of Spanish that enables holding a basic conversation would be very useful. Typically, volunteers would take classes in Spanish while volunteering to help them communicate, probably at a local school which may also arrange the volunteering program.

There are many volunteering programs in Peru. A program typically consists of a four-week long study and working period, the study period being one that assists the volunteers in the projects on which they will be working, as we have mentioned. A work permit is not needed to volunteer or study in Peru as technically visitors will be tourists and be given between 60 and 90 days free stay upon entering the country.

There are some medical volunteering opportunities in hospitals but these are only for qualified nurses or medical students undergoing training in their home countries. There are many volunteering projects in centers for children whose goal is to improve nutrition as well as the education level of mainly rural children on a daily basis. There are many projects of this type in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, just a short drive from Cusco. Children will attend community centers during the morning and have a good meal, which may be the only one they have all day. Volunteers then play with the children, teach them English, organize outdoor activities and help with other projects organized by the center that facilitate the local community, such as building clay ovens, walls, drainage ditches etc.

Sometimes social projects aim to teach children specific life or technical skills so they have a better start when they look for work. Craft workshops are set up for sewing, knitting, weaving, ceramics and other craftwork and children learn these skills and then are able to sell their work to tourists. Children in this type of program go to school in the morning and then work on crafts in the afternoons.

Teaching English in a primary school is another popular volunteering project involving children. Volunteers normally create their own lesson plans for the classes that are 45 minutes long and typically have about 40 students per class. Volunteers have always said that this type of work is extremely stimulating and rewarding as the students are usually fairly well behaved and eager to learn, maybe even more so that western children of the same age!

There are many other social projects aimed at helping older people who are forced to live in poorly funded care homes in Cusco. In one such project there are about 250 people living in the center which is divided into two parts, one for men and the other for women. Many of these old age pensioners may have been left without any family to look after them, or have medical problems that restrict them. Activities that the volunteer may be involved in include helping elderly people at meal times, organizing amusements and helping with government funded health initiatives.

Whatever kind of volunteering you decide to do you will be helping the less fortunate, you will advance your Spanish and learn more about other people and yourself, and carry away experiences and skills that will stay with you the rest of your life.

Volunteering in the Sacred Valley

Volunteering in Peru is a unique experience and an interchange between the volunteer and members of Peruvian society which is greatly advantageous to both. There are many direct and indirect advantages of volunteering in Peru, or anywhere else in Latin America for that matter. Peruvian people are generally friendly and open people and the country is relatively cheap to live and travel in plus it is also very safe compared to many other developing countries, much safer than most in Africa it is said.

Not only do volunteers have the opportunity to practice their language skills during the day in a practical manner without studying (which is often the best and fastest way to learn), but volunteering is an exchange where volunteers learn from the Peruvians and Peruvians in need get the help they need an gather information about the countries of the volunteers.

Volunteers can gain very helpful life and work experiences that they probably would not find in their own country, bolster their CVs and get to discover more about the rich Peruvian culture in a way that is very different than that learned in a classroom. There is no real age limit for people wanting to involve themselves in volunteer programs, only a requirement that they should be willing and able to help people less fortunate than themselves. No previous experience is necessary but a level of Spanish that enables holding a basic conversation would be very useful. Typically, volunteers would take classes in Spanish while volunteering to help them communicate, probably at a local school which may also arrange the volunteering program.

There are many volunteering programs in Peru. A program typically consists of a four-week long study and working period, the study period being one that assists the volunteers in the projects on which they will be working, as we have mentioned. A work permit is not needed to volunteer or study in Peru as technically visitors will be tourists and be given between 60 and 90 days free stay upon entering the country.

There are some medical volunteering opportunities in hospitals but these are only for qualified nurses or medical students undergoing training in their home countries. There are many volunteering projects in centers for children whose goal is to improve nutrition as well as the education level of mainly rural children on a daily basis. There are many projects of this type in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, just a short drive from Cusco. Children will attend community centers during the morning and have a good meal, which may be the only one they have all day. Volunteers then play with the children, teach them English, organize outdoor activities and help with other projects organized by the center that facilitate the local community, such as building clay ovens, walls, drainage ditches etc.

Sometimes social projects aim to teach children specific life or technical skills so they have a better start when they look for work. Craft workshops are set up for sewing, knitting, weaving, ceramics and other craftwork and children learn these skills and then are able to sell their work to tourists. Children in this type of program go to school in the morning and then work on crafts in the afternoons.

Teaching English in a primary school is another popular volunteering project involving children. Volunteers normally create their own lesson plans for the classes that are 45 minutes long and typically have about 40 students per class. Volunteers have always said that this type of work is extremely stimulating and rewarding as the students are usually fairly well behaved and eager to learn, maybe even more so that western children of the same age!

There are many other social projects aimed at helping older people who are forced to live in poorly funded care homes in Cusco. In one such project there are about 250 people living in the center which is divided into two parts, one for men and the other for women. Many of these old age pensioners may have been left without any family to look after them, or have medical problems that restrict them. Activities that the volunteer may be involved in include helping elderly people at meal times, organizing amusements and helping with government funded health initiatives.

Whatever kind of volunteering you decide to do you will be helping the less fortunate, you will advance your Spanish and learn more about other people and yourself, and carry away experiences and skills that will stay with you the rest of your life.

TV Will Save the World

Forget Twitter and Facebook, Google and Kindle. Even forget the latest sleek iGadget. Television is still the most influential medium around. Indeed, for many of the poorest regions of the world, it remains the next big thing...poised, finally to attain truly global ubiquity. And that is good thing, because the TV revolution is changing lives for the better.

Across the developing world, around 45% of households had a TV in 1995; by 2005 the number had climbed above 60%. That's some way behind Australia and the U.S.. Five million more households in sub-Saharan Africa will get a TV over the next five years. In 2005, after the fall of the Taliban, which stupidly outlawed TV, 1 in 5 Afghans had one. The global total is another 150 million by 2013--pushing numbers to well beyond two-thirds of households.

Television's most transformative impact will be on the lives of women. Cloistered in Muslim countries with severe restrictions on clothing, shopping, credibility in law courts and respect in the home and limited in determining their destiny. Now TV viewing is opening their eyes to how their sisters in other countries live. Oprah Winfrey has a helped women every where gain a measure of self-respect and assurance in their inborn abilities beyond having babies, cooking and being a sex-toy for an arrogant husband. They will be a rising force for gender equality in the next 10 years, a force that will push Muslim men into the 21st Century.

In India, researchers found that when cable TV reached villages, women were more likely to go to the market without their husband's permission and less likely to want a boy rather than a girl. They were more likely to make decisions over child health care and less likely to think men had the right to beat their wives. TV is also a powerful medium for adult education. In the Indian state of Gujarat, a hugely popular show that plays Bollywood song and dance clips, the routines are subtitled in Gurjarati. Within 6 months, viewers had made a small but significant improvement in their reading skills.

The Way I See It....in the West, too much TV has been associated with violence, obesity and social isolation. But TV is having a positive (some call it civilizing) impact on the lives of billions worldwide. As the spread of mobile TV, video cameras and YouTube democratize both access and content,it will become an even greater force for humbling tyrannical governments and tyrannical husbands as well. That can't come soon enough!

Things to Do in Chiclayo Peru

There are a variety of things to do in Chiclayo Peru. Chiclayo, also known as "The City of Friendship," was founded in the 1560s by Spanish priests. Chiclayo was inhabited by a largely indigenous population rather than Spanish colonizers. It is a center for witchcraft, has some of the best cuisine in Peru, and is well known for its archaeological sites.

The Top 5 Things to Do In Chiclayo Peru Are:

1) The Lord of Sipan (El Señor de Sipan) - La Huaca Rajada

The Lord of Sipan is a mummy found in the Huaca Rajada tomb. Built by the Moche culture around 1 AD to 700 AD, the Huaca Rajada is considered by some to be the most important archaeological discovery in the region in the last 30 years; because the tomb of Sipan was untouched by thieves. A total of four tombs have been found in the Huaca Rajada.

2) The Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum (Museo de las Tumbas Reales de Sipan)

This museum is built in the pyramidal form of ancient Moche tombs and displays the most important findings of the Huaca Rajada. On display are tiny gold figurines, gold and turquoise jewelry, pottery, ornaments and much more. It is one of the most impressive museums anywhere.

3) Batan Grande - Señor de Sican (Lord of Sican)

Batan Grande is an important archaeological location of the Sican, Moche and Chimu cultures. In the Huaca El Loro the tomb of the Señor de Sican was discovered. There are 30 monumental adobe platforms in the area and huge amounts of valuable jewelry and gold, much like the Sipan area, have been extracted.

4) Tucume

Tucume encompasses 26 major adobe pyramids and mounds that were developed by the Lambayeque people in AD 1000 and 1375. It was a major regional center, and the Huaca Larga is the longest adobe structure in the world. There is also an onsite museum.

5) Pimentel

This is a unique beach resort popular with surfers. Sea-going reed boats, known as the Caballitos de Totora, have been used since ancient times and locals use them to go fishing. There are several seafood restaurants in the area.

Chiclayo Peru is an interesting city. Its plethora of intriguing ruins, scenic countryside and vibrant culture, makes traveling in the area a rich and exciting experience.

Things to Do in Chiclayo Peru

There are a variety of things to do in Chiclayo Peru. Chiclayo, also known as "The City of Friendship," was founded in the 1560s by Spanish priests. Chiclayo was inhabited by a largely indigenous population rather than Spanish colonizers. It is a center for witchcraft, has some of the best cuisine in Peru, and is well known for its archaeological sites.

The Top 5 Things to Do In Chiclayo Peru Are:

1) The Lord of Sipan (El Señor de Sipan) - La Huaca Rajada

The Lord of Sipan is a mummy found in the Huaca Rajada tomb. Built by the Moche culture around 1 AD to 700 AD, the Huaca Rajada is considered by some to be the most important archaeological discovery in the region in the last 30 years; because the tomb of Sipan was untouched by thieves. A total of four tombs have been found in the Huaca Rajada.

2) The Royal Tombs of Sipan Museum (Museo de las Tumbas Reales de Sipan)

This museum is built in the pyramidal form of ancient Moche tombs and displays the most important findings of the Huaca Rajada. On display are tiny gold figurines, gold and turquoise jewelry, pottery, ornaments and much more. It is one of the most impressive museums anywhere.

3) Batan Grande - Señor de Sican (Lord of Sican)

Batan Grande is an important archaeological location of the Sican, Moche and Chimu cultures. In the Huaca El Loro the tomb of the Señor de Sican was discovered. There are 30 monumental adobe platforms in the area and huge amounts of valuable jewelry and gold, much like the Sipan area, have been extracted.

4) Tucume

Tucume encompasses 26 major adobe pyramids and mounds that were developed by the Lambayeque people in AD 1000 and 1375. It was a major regional center, and the Huaca Larga is the longest adobe structure in the world. There is also an onsite museum.

5) Pimentel

This is a unique beach resort popular with surfers. Sea-going reed boats, known as the Caballitos de Totora, have been used since ancient times and locals use them to go fishing. There are several seafood restaurants in the area.

Chiclayo Peru is an interesting city. Its plethora of intriguing ruins, scenic countryside and vibrant culture, makes traveling in the area a rich and exciting experience.

Happy *PEACE filled New Year

With the torrential non stop rain comes the frogs....
And their continuous song. 

The children love them especially these green tree ones.

Happiness is, caring and sharing.
Grandchildren, Shiarn to Izaiah.

This Mr Froggy is displaying the Sign of PEACE..

The world does not have peace, although it's what EVERY person desires.

But knowing Jesus can give peace to the heart in troubled times as we place our faith and trust in Him.


Jesus tells us in His Word:
"Peace I leave with you;
My peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled
and do not be afraid." (John 14:27)

To keep immersed in Gods Word, feeds and water's the parched soul.

There should be no divisions between different Christian faiths.
No Hostility...
There should be Peace!!


"For Christ himself has brought peace to us.
He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when,
In his own body on the cross,
He broke down the wall of hostility that separated us."
Ephesians 2:14
 
PEACE... what a beautiful word...
 
Jesus died to unite us in Himself...
And yet He still knew the wicked heart of man..
 
Jesus Said....
“Brother will betray brother to death,
and a father his child;
children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 
You will be hated by everyone because of me,
but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." 
Matthew 10:21-22
 
Peace, keep the Peace!!
Don't argue,.. Pray!
Forgive and Love.
 
PEACE BE STILL....

Volcano Climbing in Arequipa

Arequipa, the attractive "White City" in Southern Peru, is surrounded by three volcanic mountain ranges: the Cordillera Volcanica, the Cordillera de Ampato and the Cordillera de Chila. The volcanoes have provided interesting findings for archeologists as it has been discovered that the Incas used to climb some of these volcanoes and use them to perform rituals in various sanctuaries, leaving human sacrifices near the summits. Some of the special Inca offerings that have been discovered include Juanita, the Ice Maiden, who in 1995 was discovered on top of Ampato. The geography of the area lends itself to volcano climbing with summits of between 5000 and over 6000 meters.

There are various organizations that provide guided volcano climbing in Arequipa. For example some tours climb to the summit of Picchu Picchu (plus many others) in two days. The first day involves reaching the base camp, firstly driving in a four-wheel drive vehicle and then climbing to 4700 meters to camp. The second day involves a four to five hour climb to 5664 meters at which point, El Misti, Chachani, Ubinas volcanoes and the lovely colors of Picchu Picchu itself can be admired.

Another popular tour climbs the famous El Misti cone in two days. A Quechua name, El Misti means the gentleman. This volcano is 5825 meters high and sits between the Chachani mountain and the Picchu Picchu volcano. There have been some random eruptions of the volcano since written historic records began and between 1438 and 1471 the last really strong eruption is thought to have occurred.

Inca inhabitants living near the volcano reported other smaller eruptions dating from the mid-fifteenth century but the year 1870 saw the last major eruption of this volcano. A large quantity of white volcanic stone from El Misti (sillar) has been used as construction material for most of Arequipa's colonial buildings and gives the historic center of the city a lovely appearance.

In common with climbing of Picchu Picchu the first day of the El Misti climb is taken up with hiking for five hours to the base camp at 4500 meters and then the second day requires hiking for another five or six hours to reach the summit. At the top the crater can be seen which is still active pumping out sulfur as well as affording great views of the beautiful surroundings.

At a height of 6075 meters, Chachani is another popular volcano to climb. The altitude is the biggest concern to climbers, who really need to spend time to acclimatize, but no special equipment is needed to climb the mountain as it has no remaining glaciers. It was first ascended by Biggar in 1889 but it was also climbed in pre-Columbian times shown by the existence of archeological remains near the summit. Although it is not climbed as often as El Misti, many people still attempt it.

The first day of the ascent of Chachani involves a 4x4 excursion through the National Reserve of Aguada Blanca to see wildlife such as vicuñas, guanacoes, eagles, viscachas, deer and sometimes condors. Following this is a hike to the base camp at 5200 meters with its sandy slope, reddish colorations and volcanic ash. The next day is a two step approach to the summit with a stop at 5800 meters to view the other nearby peaks of Coropuna, Ampato, Hualca Hualca, Sabancaya, El Misti, and Ubinas. Then it is a push onwards to the summit to enjoy the superb views and spectacular scenery. Then climbers descend to the base camp and take road transport back to the city of Arequipa.

For those interested in volcano climbing Arequipa in Peru is really an excellent place to indulge your passion, and somewhere that has a lot more to offer too!

Volcano Climbing in Arequipa

Arequipa, the attractive "White City" in Southern Peru, is surrounded by three volcanic mountain ranges: the Cordillera Volcanica, the Cordillera de Ampato and the Cordillera de Chila. The volcanoes have provided interesting findings for archeologists as it has been discovered that the Incas used to climb some of these volcanoes and use them to perform rituals in various sanctuaries, leaving human sacrifices near the summits. Some of the special Inca offerings that have been discovered include Juanita, the Ice Maiden, who in 1995 was discovered on top of Ampato. The geography of the area lends itself to volcano climbing with summits of between 5000 and over 6000 meters.

There are various organizations that provide guided volcano climbing in Arequipa. For example some tours climb to the summit of Picchu Picchu (plus many others) in two days. The first day involves reaching the base camp, firstly driving in a four-wheel drive vehicle and then climbing to 4700 meters to camp. The second day involves a four to five hour climb to 5664 meters at which point, El Misti, Chachani, Ubinas volcanoes and the lovely colors of Picchu Picchu itself can be admired.

Another popular tour climbs the famous El Misti cone in two days. A Quechua name, El Misti means the gentleman. This volcano is 5825 meters high and sits between the Chachani mountain and the Picchu Picchu volcano. There have been some random eruptions of the volcano since written historic records began and between 1438 and 1471 the last really strong eruption is thought to have occurred.

Inca inhabitants living near the volcano reported other smaller eruptions dating from the mid-fifteenth century but the year 1870 saw the last major eruption of this volcano. A large quantity of white volcanic stone from El Misti (sillar) has been used as construction material for most of Arequipa's colonial buildings and gives the historic center of the city a lovely appearance.

In common with climbing of Picchu Picchu the first day of the El Misti climb is taken up with hiking for five hours to the base camp at 4500 meters and then the second day requires hiking for another five or six hours to reach the summit. At the top the crater can be seen which is still active pumping out sulfur as well as affording great views of the beautiful surroundings.

At a height of 6075 meters, Chachani is another popular volcano to climb. The altitude is the biggest concern to climbers, who really need to spend time to acclimatize, but no special equipment is needed to climb the mountain as it has no remaining glaciers. It was first ascended by Biggar in 1889 but it was also climbed in pre-Columbian times shown by the existence of archeological remains near the summit. Although it is not climbed as often as El Misti, many people still attempt it.

The first day of the ascent of Chachani involves a 4x4 excursion through the National Reserve of Aguada Blanca to see wildlife such as vicuñas, guanacoes, eagles, viscachas, deer and sometimes condors. Following this is a hike to the base camp at 5200 meters with its sandy slope, reddish colorations and volcanic ash. The next day is a two step approach to the summit with a stop at 5800 meters to view the other nearby peaks of Coropuna, Ampato, Hualca Hualca, Sabancaya, El Misti, and Ubinas. Then it is a push onwards to the summit to enjoy the superb views and spectacular scenery. Then climbers descend to the base camp and take road transport back to the city of Arequipa.

For those interested in volcano climbing Arequipa in Peru is really an excellent place to indulge your passion, and somewhere that has a lot more to offer too!

The Tale of Three Trees: a Traditional Folktale

Last year during Advent, we came across a book that told a beautiful story about three trees. This book is usually read during Easter time but we enjoyed reading it during the Holiday season leading to Christmas day.The Tale of Three Trees: a Traditional Folktale by Angela Elwell Hunt, illustrated by Tim Jonke tells the story of three small trees stand living on a mountaintop. The three trees

Machu Picchu Mystery

One of the greatest unsolved mysteries of South American civilization is Machu Picchu. The ancient Inca city looks like a dream and reality surpasses the imagination. Situated between the crest of two mountains along the Peruvian Andes at more than 2,400 meters above sea level, the almost intact remains of an ancient culture consisting of alcoves, terraces, plazas, and temples make this ancient city the premiere archaeological site of South America. Once you get there, it is not difficult to imagine the inhabitants of the place and the priests and Inca royalty that made the existence of the city possible in the 1400s.

Machu Picchu was said to be a citadel whose impregnable position is made possible by the steep canyon walls that lies beyond the edge of the city. The only access to the city is by way of narrow ridges that have to pass over the mountains before getting into the ancient site. Another access point is by way of bridges made from felled logs. The logs cross a narrow chasm and could be withdrawn anytime if security of the citadel warrants it.

While the normal tourist route is just within the confines of the city, it is possible to revisit these choke points in order to appreciate how invulnerable Machu Picchu was to the standards of warfare that existed then. Tourists who posses the requisite Type T personality can take a 20 minute long trail that is officially off-limits to most visitors. In fact a sign that says prohibido el paso marks the end of the normal tourist trail. Past this sign, the trail snakes all the way down and become insanely narrow. Midway along this trail, those who have made it this far will come across the narrow chasm that was once bridged by tree trunks and could be withdrawn anytime by the Inca guards who were assigned there.

Like the ancient pyramids of Egypt, the stone blocks that are used to construct the buildings of Machu Picchu are surely to create statements of incredulity. The Inca at the 1400s did not possess iron tools although they had knowledge of making bronze implements. Large teams of laborers dragged these blocks from adjacent quarries. They used the ridges and ramps to position them on their present locations. Archaeological finds give us a clue on how the Inca must have reduced the rocks to manageable sizes. Quarrymen inserted bronze chisels into cracks and fissures that occur naturally in the stone. Heat was applied to the metal and this helped split the boulders into workable sizes. Each rock was painstakingly chosen so that when these are finally put in place, the gap between rocks is so narrow that even a razor blade wouldn't fit between them.

The location of Machu Picchu gives us hints into its creation. The mountains where the ancient city is located were considered sacred by the Inca. The position of the sun during equinox could be estimated using the natural landmarks present in the vicinity. At the center of the city is a pyramidal mount called the Intihuatna and on top of it stands an obelisk. Inca priest believed that the sun has to be lassoed and hitched to the obelisk after each winter solstice so that it wouldn't continue on its present course and leave the city in darkness. Intihuatna in the dialect of the Inca means "hitching post of the sun". The sun is sacred to the Inca and is one of their deities. The view east and west of the city presents a vista that gives Inca priests wide opportunities to observe the sun.

Machu Picchu Mystery

One of the greatest unsolved mysteries of South American civilization is Machu Picchu. The ancient Inca city looks like a dream and reality surpasses the imagination. Situated between the crest of two mountains along the Peruvian Andes at more than 2,400 meters above sea level, the almost intact remains of an ancient culture consisting of alcoves, terraces, plazas, and temples make this ancient city the premiere archaeological site of South America. Once you get there, it is not difficult to imagine the inhabitants of the place and the priests and Inca royalty that made the existence of the city possible in the 1400s.

Machu Picchu was said to be a citadel whose impregnable position is made possible by the steep canyon walls that lies beyond the edge of the city. The only access to the city is by way of narrow ridges that have to pass over the mountains before getting into the ancient site. Another access point is by way of bridges made from felled logs. The logs cross a narrow chasm and could be withdrawn anytime if security of the citadel warrants it.

While the normal tourist route is just within the confines of the city, it is possible to revisit these choke points in order to appreciate how invulnerable Machu Picchu was to the standards of warfare that existed then. Tourists who posses the requisite Type T personality can take a 20 minute long trail that is officially off-limits to most visitors. In fact a sign that says prohibido el paso marks the end of the normal tourist trail. Past this sign, the trail snakes all the way down and become insanely narrow. Midway along this trail, those who have made it this far will come across the narrow chasm that was once bridged by tree trunks and could be withdrawn anytime by the Inca guards who were assigned there.

Like the ancient pyramids of Egypt, the stone blocks that are used to construct the buildings of Machu Picchu are surely to create statements of incredulity. The Inca at the 1400s did not possess iron tools although they had knowledge of making bronze implements. Large teams of laborers dragged these blocks from adjacent quarries. They used the ridges and ramps to position them on their present locations. Archaeological finds give us a clue on how the Inca must have reduced the rocks to manageable sizes. Quarrymen inserted bronze chisels into cracks and fissures that occur naturally in the stone. Heat was applied to the metal and this helped split the boulders into workable sizes. Each rock was painstakingly chosen so that when these are finally put in place, the gap between rocks is so narrow that even a razor blade wouldn't fit between them.

The location of Machu Picchu gives us hints into its creation. The mountains where the ancient city is located were considered sacred by the Inca. The position of the sun during equinox could be estimated using the natural landmarks present in the vicinity. At the center of the city is a pyramidal mount called the Intihuatna and on top of it stands an obelisk. Inca priest believed that the sun has to be lassoed and hitched to the obelisk after each winter solstice so that it wouldn't continue on its present course and leave the city in darkness. Intihuatna in the dialect of the Inca means "hitching post of the sun". The sun is sacred to the Inca and is one of their deities. The view east and west of the city presents a vista that gives Inca priests wide opportunities to observe the sun.

Global Warming Turns Into a Joke

The great global warming scare is dying not with a bang, or even a whimper. Try a great horse laugh!! Early this month, 20,000 activists, watermelons, politicians and carpetbaggers met in the Mexican resort city of Cancun. They were there for the latest United Nations conference on how to make everyone also cut the emissions caused by, for instance, flying a population the size of a small city to a Mexican beach. Did anyone hear of Tele-Conferencing?

These are the emissions we're told are heating the world so dangerously that Europe is now gripped by one of the coldest winters in a generation. Today, my friends in New York emailed saying they are expecting a blizzard with an 18 inch snowfall in the next few hours. Indeed it was so bad that Vicky Pope, a warming pundit from Britain's Meteorological Office, was trapped in London by the snow that the Met's own climate models failed to predict and couldn't fly to Cancun to explain how hot the world is becoming.

Remember, this kind of thing dogged the UN's climate mega-summit in Copenhagen a year ago. The heavens dumped 10cm of snow on the city in one night alone, while blizzards threatened America's eastern seaboard down to Florida. Now, presently, in our case here on the eastern coast of Australia we are, for the past 3 weeks, getting continual torrential rain that our own warmist-leaning Bureau of Meteorology didn't see coming either, having predicted a drier Spring.

Never mind the weak predictions. Fresh off their jets and cooled by the resort's airconditioners, the Cancun evangelists are learning of cheery plans to put the rest of us on rations to restrict our use of such things as planes, air-coolers and that filthy gasoline all the while listening to Salsa bands flown in from Acapulco. Indeed, our own warmist-deadshit Prof Gary Egger from Southern Cross University has proudly told the summit-fest that's he's got $390,000 from our Gillard Government to test the first rationing scheme on Norfolk Island. (See my November posting: "Watermelons invade Norfolk Island")

How did we ever succumb to this madness? Actually, WikiLeaks may help us to understand, having now published leaked US diplomatic cables revealing Obama's socialist Government finances whole nations to give in to the warming faith. In February this year, an ambassador from the Maldives told US deputy for climate change envoy Jonathan Pershing that if the US handed over "tangible assistance", other nations would realize "the advantages to be gained by compliance" with the accord agreed to at the Copenhagen summit. He mentioned a figure of $50 million!

The Way I See It....does the Maldives Government REALLY believe warming will drown its island nation? You'd think not, given it's building a brand new airport right by the sea, so even more tourists can fly in. Everyone from cynical scientists, environmentalists, greenie-leftists, and politicians with hands in subsidized green technologies are using climate change/global warming as a cash gravy train.

It's man-made, all right, this Climate of Opinion----made by an army of salvation seekers, grant seekers and pleasure seekers, that were doing the samba in Cancun while we sandbag towns from the floods they told us not to expect again in this strangely, madly over-heated world.

Fluoridated Water Meets its Waterloo!

Major congratulations are in order for the Canadians! The residents of Waterloo, Ontario stopped adding fluoride to their tap water at noon, November the 29th, 2010 at four water treatment sites, after 33 years of fluoridation.

Wisdom finally won over ignorance and greed and an important step has been taken toward safeguarding the health of their children. Two years of advocacy and hard work by anti-fluoridation community members led to a winning campaign. The battle over fluoride, which was introduced to the water supply in Canada in the 1940s, is part of a growing movement across North America. In the early 2000s several communities in British Columbia voted to get rid of fluoride, as did Whitehorse in 1998.

The battle rages on and appears to be gaining traction as more health-conscious people, world-wide, become more educated about the dangers of fluoride to their health. A number of books on the subject have come out in recent years, particularly, "The Case Against Fluoride" by environmental chemist Paul Connett, Ph.D. He shows that many dentists are simply seriously stupid or misinformed about fluoride, warning that cavities and public health costs will rise and that low-income children are at special risk. Yeah right, like the little buggers will give up drinking soda now that fluoride is in the water. Reducing the rates of cavities requires education, not fluoridation!

The American and Australian Dental Associations have had tunnel vision on the fluoride issue for decades, paying no attention to the ample evidence of the damaging systemic health effects of fluoride. It's time for them to grow up and face the facts. First of all anybody with a lick-of-sense realizes that the closest your teeth with get to fluoride is the fluoridated water passing your lips. Down it goes to be absorbed into your interstitial fluids and blood stream with its toxicity touching every part of body tissues where it stays and not one molecule gets on to your teeth. It's not rocket science..there is no BENEFIT, it is just so obvious. Dental topical "painting"or toothpaste is the best direct option.

The bad affects of fluoridated water starts with the fact that the type of fluoride added to your water supply is NOT pharmaceutical grade fluoride, but rather an industrial waste product. If pharmaceutical grade fluoride were added to municipal water it would be cost prohibitive. So they came up with a cheap substitute....a toxic waste product cleverly marketed as a health product. It's a byproduct of phosphate fertilizer industry called hexafluorosilic acid. It's against international law to dump it in the sea but if someone buys it, it's no longer hazardous waste. Bizarre!

The Way I See It...it's not how much future you have but what's in your future? The more you drink the greater are the effects. Evidence shows that arthritis-like symptoms with an increase in bone brittleness. Fluoride also lowers thyroid function. Over 30 studies show the damage fluoride inflicts on your brain. Even more with a child's immature blood-brain barrier allowing more fluoride to flow into and accumulate in their brains. There are 23 studies showing a lowing of of a child's IQ. Yet no one informs the parents to refrain from using tap water for making infant formula.

If you are convinced this future is not for you or your young family, join an anti-fluoridation society in your area and go out and have a Reverse-Osmosis Water Filter System installed under your kitchen sink or where ever you have easy and regular access to pure, safe water.

Don't Pretend Green Jobs will Save Us

Australians have been told it is time to call out Greens Party leader, Bob Brown, for his wild claims that whacking the country with a huge carbon tax will create a "green jobs revolution". Green policies in fact tend to kill jobs, not create them, not least by diverting huge amounts of taxes from more productive parts of the economy.

Americans have seen the Obama Administration channeled 90 billion of the 870 billion dollar stimulus package towards the new Green Economy. The hope was that a national move from fossil energy to green energy would not only be good, long term, for the environment, but that transition could also be a jobs driver, which would help resuscitate the overall economy.

But two years into Obama's administration, the White House has reported it's helped create 224,500 green jobs, far short of the 5 million it had openly predicted. That's $400,000 of government help for each green job. Now economists are saying that Obama's promise at the recent Cancun Climate Conference to reduce to 60% the United States' emissions by 2030 will actually subvert the country's economic productivity to 1905 levels! At that time household electrical needs were mainly for lighting. Pure crazy!

Even then, that's cheaper than the green jobs 'created' by Spain's mad flirtation with green power, that's brought the country to the brink of bankruptcy. A study calculates that since 2000 Spain $1.03 million to create each green job, including subsidies of more than $1.8 million per wind industry job! I have personally seen the vast stretches of windfarms across southern Spain. The study also calculates that programs creating those jobs also resulted in the destruction of nearly 110,000 jobs elsewhere in the economy, or 2.2 jobs destroyed for every green job. What a mess watermelons can get you in!

The Way I See It....Resources Minister Martin Ferguson has rightly accused the Australian Greens of seeking to derail mining approval processes. He has vowed he will not be ''intimidated" into putting politics ahead of jobs and any other Labor economic development projects. He was relating to Bob Brown description of the proposed liquefied natural gas processing plant in Western Australia as a "blight" on the Kimberley landscape disregarding that the project would create thousands of jobs and guarantee $1.5 billion to the surrounding Aboriginal communities. Being in bed with Julia Gillard's minority government, the Greens will continue to flex their voting muscle. Hopefully their cockamamie policies will be held in check.

Time to Profile Terrorists at Airports

Americans are the first to sample new enhanced security measures at their next visit to the airport. It has travelers feeling that the terrorists have already won in inhibiting their free way of life. Pre-flight screening has moved from safety to comedy. Before it devolves into tragedy, officials should say ''damn'' to political correctness and start profiling the obvious suspects.

After al-Qaeda's attempted bombing of FedEx and UPS cargo jets, any package from, say Somalia to a San Francisco synagogue likely will get close scrutiny. This is profiling. Now, obviously, packages are not people. Boxes have neither civil rights nor emotions. People do, and we always must be aware of and sensitive to that.

Unfortunately, the majority of the uneducated TSA agents (thugs is a better word) seem to think everyone from children to little old ladies are easy targets for their highly personal pat-downs. The crotch grabbing and breast feeling are relentless...unless you agree to be irradiated in a full body scanner that easily shows if you are anatomically correct. So being forced, on pain of arrest, to take out your breast prosthesis, your full urine bag (urostomy) or child's artificial leg * is really too much to ask. This is besides watching (as an eye-witness) the Hispanic and Black "thugs" not requiring their kind to take off belts and shoes and letting them pass through. A sort of undercover profiling I guess, but white folk are fair game. America must focus its finite capabilities on those who crave the destruction of planes and the people who ride them.

What would that profile be? Today's threat comes almost exclusively from militant-Islamic males between about 18 and 35 who hail from the Middle East and predominantly Muslim African and south Asian nations. This profile was not drawn by anti-Muslim bigots, nervous Jews or paranoid Southern Baptists. The terrorists themselves created this profile. Aviation has obsessed them for years. "Bring down their airplanes," demanded Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, who inspired the 1993 World Trade Center attack. "Slaughter them on land, sea and air."

The Way I See It....not everyone named Mustafa should be waterboarded beside the first-class lounge? But if he's between 18-35 from a Middle Eastern country and a Muslim, it might be wise to ask him a few extra questions, carefully peruse his papers and inspect him and his possessions. While officials need to respect the rights of innocents who fit this profile, passengers also have an overarching right to land at their destinations intact. Continued political correctness eventually will kill innocent civilians. It's time to stop the offensive pat-downs and body scanners and finally employ terrorist profiling to shield all travellers from those who want to murder them.

* Actual confirmed incidents

Romancing Christmas

Unwrapping the Gift of Christmas, is my grandson Luke.

We have romanced Christmas with our western culture.

We think of it with beautiful Carols, the Nativity Scene and gaily wrapped presents.

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

                though you are small among the clans of Judah,

                          out of you will come for me one who will be 
                     ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old,
                         from ancient times." (Micah 5:2)


It is no accident that the man chosen to be Jesus father on earth, Joseph,  was "of the house and lineage of David"
(Luke 2:4) and that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.


 "Joseph went to Bethlehem to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born."
(Luke 2:5-6)

I cannot imagine the young Mary walking all that way from
Nazareth to Bethlehem while heavily pregnant.
It was a three to four day trip, and as a woman I can empathise with her. I understand how she gave birth, after that long and tedious journey. How difficult!
We are not told she rode on a donkey??
We are not told her age?
But this was her first baby, and there were no luxuries.
No doctors or nurses to assist with the birth.
No pretty clothes or crib.
Only drudgery and hardship.

How different for us who worship Him, the King of Glory.
We don't suffer to celebrate our Savours birth.

We eat to bursting.
We relax in the comforts of our homes.
We are entertained by lovely Christmas Carols.
We romance the birth of Christ. 

Do we fully understand? Do we fully appreciate???

God's son was born in hardship.

We need to contemplate on these things..