Archive for the Enviroment category.
Awareness goes very deep it doesn’t only refer to awareness of our surroundings as difficult as that may be. Awareness goes deep to awareness of our actions, why we do what we do. The reasoning for our actions. This is can be a lot of work to first be aware that there are motivations behind our actions but then to identify what that motivation is. Why do we get angry when we do, why do we get upset over something, why do we get scared. Most of these emotions are conditioned responses. Frequently learned before we even new we were learning the. We see the reactions of our role modes and emulate this in our lives as we go forward. Recognizing this can help make changes in unwanted behavior and thinking. Awareness is the only way to make changes in these ways of thinking and reacting. When we choose to be aware we are choosing to be present. Here now instead of being off in the mind thinking about the past, making a grocery list, thinking about what needs to be done. We are aware of what is right now and not worried about the past, future and things undone. Awareness can go even deeper to the thoughts that even make it into our mind. Are you aware if the thought is negative or positive? Is the though productive or destructive? It takes an awareness that the thought has happened and then analyzing it to understand its nature. The simple awareness that a thought has occurred is hugh. This can take years of practice to slow down enough to recognize this, let alone get to the place where you can analyze these thoughts. This awareness is growing with more people meditating and practicing yoga from the best Singapore hotel to slums of Delhi. Awareness is the key to human transformation.
Thomas Raffles stepped into Singapore almost two hundred years ago. When the government was set up on the island it was set on the banks of the Singapore River, where it still stands today. This is located in what is known as the Colonial District. There are many monuments and historical sites that are located in this neighborhood, each of them reflecting a bit of the rich heritage and history of the island.
In this district one will find a Singapore restaurant to suit ones culinary desires as well as large shopping malls, museums and galleries, cafes and pubs, all set within the incredible architecture and historical buildings and homes. It is the neighborhood that still provides the influences of the British, as well as the traditional Singaporean aspects such as the rickshaw drivers and the hawker stands.
The river has been the life line for the country for hundreds of years, as far as commercial and economic industries go. Raffles is honored along the river by a large stature, and his house still stands on the hill that it was constructed upon, two hundred years ago in Fort Canning Park. One of the best night time walks is to stroll along the river banks and take in the beauty of the skyline as it sits just on the other side.
While standing in the Colonial District, and looking across at the skyscrapers of the business district, one is immediately and at once, in the old world witnesses the modern world. Located in the area of the Padang, are many museums and historical buildings such as the Old and the New Parliament House, as well as the Raffles Hotel, historical churches and the Esplanade, home to the Theatres on the Bay. Art and culture is found in the Colonial District as well as the history of the hard work of those who labored in the past along the docks and in the warehouses. This is just one of the areas of the island, where history is located on every corner.
According the the Aboriginal people, Sydney has many sites that they consider sacred. The Eucalyptus ’scar’ tree trunk is an example and highlights the importance of sites such as Sydney and it’s indigenous history of the area. Scars on trees have been noted to occur for a number of reasons. Including taking the bark to make canoes and coolamons, for marking out a boundary area, marking a sacred burial site or indicating traditional women’s and men’s sites. These things, these markings are what constitutes a ’scar’ tree.
Many surviving Aboriginal scar trees can be found in the rural areas surrounding the city and the suburbs, but several still exist in the urban areas. For example there are some located in front of some Sydney Five Star Hotels and one located in front of a police station. The tree is an endemic species to the region. If the tree is not a naturally occurring species, then the scar, no matter how authentic it may appear, is certainly not a genuine Aboriginal origin. Of course, it is difficult to get an accurate age of a eucalyptus tree, so the age is a guess along with the age of the scar tree. An interesting aspect is that a tree bearing a scar will most definitely have to have been a mature tree in order for the bark to be removed and the tree would have to be at a fairly large size.
Historically, the scar tree is significant because it defines Aboriginal occupation of Australia before 1788 and will help in their challenges of Britain’s claim over it. The Aboriginal peoples land has been lived in for well over 40,000 years. The scar tree has been a considerable research tool revealing the Aboriginal culture and how communication became about and was lost over time. It is evidence of the experience of the indigenous tribe and will be of tremendous value to their heritage.
I was recently staying at a New York Cheap Hotel and decided to do a little bit of research while I’m here visiting my ailing Uncle. I’m a Horticulturists and was interested in what kind of trees can survive in Manhattan and its surroundings. I read an article a while ago called Census Shows Street Trees Add Value to City Life. It reported that the Metropolitan New York City area has increased its tree population by 10 percent from 1995 to 2009.
This survey gathered this information by using more than 1,000 volunteers, I was quite impressed with the amount of volunteers that were even interested in helping out, they managed to log over 30,000 hours for what apparently is the largest participatory urban forestry project in the whole of the United States. Very impressive indeed. Through all the data collected, they found that this increase in trees looked pretty hopeful. But, a closer look reveals details using the most common tree species surveyed. The top ten, except two native trees: Green Ash and Red Maple, might have a substantial negative impact on urban sites and they might have a potential impact on the surrounding suburban areas. They observed that four of the top trees are not native to the United States.
Horticulturists, such as me, and urban foresters are now recommending planting eight of the surveyed tree species with a word of caution. The London Plane Tree, the Littleleaf Linden will quickly outgrow many, if not all, urban sites with limited space. I know for a fact that the Norway Maple and the Callery Pear are a very invasive plant and have escaped to the natural forests and are to be considered dangerous and harmful to all the native vegetation.
As I take a stroll outside of my hotel and see all the planted city trees, they are beautiful, but in the long term and cause much damage to New York’s natural forested areas. I do hope that many of those wonderful volunteers that helped with the report I read will also volunteer to keep an eye on the forested areas and take care of any growing issues.
I found game-viewing in India to be quite different that what I experienced in Africa. It’s much harder to view a tiger than it is the sprawled belly-up lions in the shade of an acacia tree. The tiger is very solitary animal and inorder to find one, we had to scour all the dusty tracks for any telltale footprints or it’s pugmarks. I found I had to become the thing I was hunting. I listened to the jungle sounds, an alarm cry of a monkey here, a cry from a deer there and the rustling of a peafowl feathers. I used my vision with the intensity of a searchlight, scanning among the trees, probing around every rocky ledge and peering into crevices where a tiger might hide. Hoping that I might be fortunate enough to spot one on my very first day. No such luck.
I headed back to my Hotel in Udaipur to cool down and get much needed refreshments. The next morning I tried again. I crossed a meadow where Chital were grazing. This is the tiger’s favorite prey. I passed a conclave of langur monkeys and pack of Seoni wolves, which apparently are even more rare to spot than the tiger. I was amused to see Dhole wild red dogs playing amongst themselves in the forest as if I wasn’t there. I watched them play king-of-the-castle for almost an hour and them bid them farewell as I was off in search of my elusive tiger.
The sun was hot only after three hours into the morning, so I made a stop underneath a Tamarind for a bush breakfast. After a nice refreshing lite breakfast, I went back deeper into the jungle and came upon 5 padded howdah elephants with riders who told me to get on board because there’s a tiger about. As Soon as I am perched side-saddle on the elephant’s broad back, we were off. Suddenly, there was the tiger! Reclining on a throne of leaves. Majestic in all of his orange glory. Even in repose, the sight of him made me gasp. He was huge and his round-eye stare was penetrating. His forepaws were bigger than my head. My legs dangled only a few yards away from his cavernous yawning jaws. He rose to his feet and strode easily through the trees as he growled full-on. An earth-shattering sound announcing his territory. Impressive and scary. I’m so glad I didn’t come upon him on foot! But, all the same, I glad I found my prey and managed to shoot several photos.
Before I arrived in Thailand, I did a little research about the bird population. I found Thailand has over 900 documented species and that of those one-third are migrant. It can’t be a simple as that I thought, so after I got situated in one of the Hotels in Thailand, I went investigating.
Some species are for sure migrants, others are definitely residential and the rest of the birds are breeding visitors. One of the migrants, the Barn Swallow, was just recently found to be a resident also. So, I was correct, it’s not that simple to document the amount of bird species in Thailand. So, basically, what I’m conveying is that Thailand is a ‘must’ for any serious birdwatcher. I found, through my own due diligence, that there are well over 100 protected areas in Thailand and that these areas are in the National Parks, wildlife sanctuaries and in no-hunting areas. They even have organized breeding programmes for the most endangered. I found that most of these areas are easily reached by car. I was disappointed to find some closed to the public, meaning me, I really would’ve like to observe and note what species were there. I can only assume it was closed to the public because those were the breeding program areas.
I found my most favorite National Park was the Khao Yai. The park is teeming with bird-life. But, not only bird-life, the park has over 200 elephants and approximately 20 tigers. They even have a stuffed man-eating tiger in the gift shop. The tiger was shot and killed because it ate 2 park rangers. Well, duly noted, and a warning to all visitors. Needless to say, I was in bird heaven. I observed several species of the Hornbills, Barbets and flocks of Fairy Bluebirds. A spectacular bird park indeed and one I recommend you visit first in Thailand.
Menorca, although the second largest of the Balearic Islands just after Mallorca, is one of the more serene destinations of these holiday favorites. There are many resorts and hotels Menorca offers, that cater to families and those wanting a bit more quietude than that found on say, the party island of Ibiza. Interspersed between the resorts are small fishing villages and rugged terrain perfect for long hikes that take one away from the hustle and bustle of life. This is a very hushed environment, that has escaped the development and the commercialization of the other islands in the chain. With a relatively low population of almost seventy thousand more and more tourists are looking to find permanent property, permanent residence on this island. As stated once by Mark Twain, who spent many months on the island, once the breeze flows across oneself, one can not be rid of it and must come back.
There are more beaches on this one island than those located on Mallorca and Ibiza combined. And due to the minimal amount of change and development, many families are re-locating to this island as well as the poets, the painters and the writers of past generations through current and modern artists. This sheltered affect the island has maintained is one of the aspects that makes it so attractive. For while there is fun and excitement to be found, it is found in cities that do not include sky scrapers and mass influxes of tourists each year. And while celebrities and royals are certainly welcome, so is the common man and his family. Some of the more famous beaches on Menorca include Cala Tirant, Santo Tomas and Playa de Fornells. The coastline along these beaches is a combined landscape of pristine white sand and rocky cliffs and coves. The perfect getaway for those wanting to take in the surf, or hone their rock-climbing skills. Or, to just find an out of the way spot for a picnic and a sunset. While partying on the Balearics is hip, relaxing on the Balearics is becoming the new fashion, for families and all those wanting a little respite from the daily life at home.
Experienced world travelers know that four-star Dubai hotels mean excellence, and a fabulous time in one of the world’s most fabulous cities. The hotels here specialize in decadence, where luxury and comfort are the key ingredients to perfection. And perfection is certainly the goal here. There is a magnificent custom of hospitality here that is unfathomable until one experiences it first hand. Although there are old-fashioned values like graciousness that permeate the air here, there is an absolute love for the new. New shopping malls, new art works, and new technologies are found everywhere.
Dubai is truly at the cutting edge of the world for culture and style, and there are multiple reasons why it is one of the world’s hotspots for artists and scientists and travelers from all walks of life. It is also a place of wonderful contradictions. With some of the most lovely beaches in the world, it is also in the middle of the desert. There is the fascinating landscape then, that comes with both water and sand. Chances are, guests here won’t experience record heat, but there are certainly times when the desert lets people know that it’s the desert. One particular heat swell saw 51.4 degrees in the UAE at the Minand Airport, an inland military base. This translates in fahrenheit to around 125 degrees, hot by any standards. Though it’s not unusual for other deserts, such as Arizona, where it’s been known to top 120 in the deepest part of summer.
Of course, here in Dubai, there are state of the art shopping malls where guests can while away their time in the summer by shopping in some of the most gorgeous malls in the world. And as far as the hottest temperatures go, El Azizia, Libya holds the record for 58 degrees (or 136) in 1922. Travelers on the lookout for extremes should also check into Vostock, Antarctica, which dipped to -128.6 degrees fahrenheit (or a mere -89 degrees celsius) in 1983. The desert is mysterious and beautiful all year round, no matter what the temperature.
There is always an opinion about the best of tradition, and the best of contemporary culture, and the best Valencia hotels will carry a little bit of both. With old world sensibilities that value hospitality and graciousness, mixed with new ways of keeping comfortable and connected to modern life, there are happy marriages of the old and the new here. Your stay in Valencia will be one of your most memorable travel experiences, and you may leave here deciding not to choose between the old or the new, but to take the best of both.
The city offers so much in the way of culture, arts and music being a lively part of the social scene. There is also fantastic people watching, great clubs to spend an evening dancing and mixing it up, and fascinating side trips that always make the journey full. However, it is probably the food that you’re most likely to write home about. Known particularly for its paella, Valencia has a historic position in the culinary story of the world. There are many, many generations of chefs and cooks who will insist that paella cannot be altered, that the rice has to be the same short grain that has characterized it for centuries, and that the real secret of paella is Valencia’s water. The amounts must be precisely measured, exactly as the grandmothers have done. There are also some chefs who are doing fantastic things to food here, making meals into works of art, and the artwork suggests that change is in the air.
Local Valencia chef Quique Dacosta is the head chef at El Poblet, and his creations are making mouths water around the world. He’s not entirely an iconoclast, but he is taking certain liberties with how things are supposed to be done here, and the result, it seems, is making life better for everyone who tastes his creations. The restaurant itself is a kind of post-modern twist to the traditional restaurant. Walking in, one sees the kitchen right in front, and on the way to your table, you can hear Dacosta yelling at his staff. You are then greeted by none other than Quique Dacosta himself, who loves to talk about his food. From the way to slice mushrooms, to new ways of carmelizing rice, his enthusiasm for his life’s work shows in his speech, as well as the food. Diners are not only in for one of the most exquisite meals in the world, they are also able to witness an artist at the peak of his creative power.
It’s been 5 years since my mother passed on, but I am currently keeping my promise to her. When she was travelling through Spain and her most favorite place to visit was Mallorca. She told me it was the trees that captured her heart the most. She made me promise to travel to Mallorca and make a study, (botanical drawings) of her two most favorite trees. the Yew and the Linden.
I’m a little late, but at least I am honoring her request. I booked a week at one of the 5 Star Hotels Mallorca offers thinking this would give me enough time to render drawings of her two most beloved trees. In order to do draw a true study, rendering I needed to do some research. The Yew, I found out is a perennial tree. It has needle-like leaves, and is very hardy. It’s only found in the high mountains of Mallorca where it’s cooler. I notice that most of the Yews I found were young trees, maybe 16 years old at the most. When I asked some locals, they told me that I could find a very only Yew in La Granja, Esporles, which they told me is around 2 thousand years old. Upon some more research, the Yew a dioecius tree: a single sex species. The female tree will produce red berries, which are not edible and especially not pleasant. The male tree produces no fruit. The tree is sometimes harvested for its taxine and wood. The taxine because of its alkaloid poison which is being studied as a useful pharmaceutical and the wood for cabinetry.
The Linden is a lime tree, and is well over a hundred years old. Mostly found in Gardens and not in the wild. In the winter is loses it’s leaves and in the summer it produces flowers used by the locals to make a splendid herbal tea as a remedy for a nervous condition or for people with insomnia. The Linden, even without its leaves looks majestic, it’s immense size alone conjures one to be at peace and serene. I can see why my mother fell in love with both trees. I have fallen in love with them also. My mother was right.