River Boat

As we know there are still so many canals and rivers across the town. This public transportation still can be found in several locations to people across the rivers. This transportation often becomes the only way to reach their certain destination.

Becak

This kind of transportation was banned within Jakarta city due to causes traffic jams. My self didn't agree with this statement since there are so many factors why Jakarta has serious traffic jams problem.

Anyway, this traditional transportation is widely missed by people who live in housing complexes with small roads which are not serviced by another modern transportation.

If you come to Jakarta, make sure you tray to enjoy riding becak. It still can be found at several places, especially at complexes house area.

Delman (Horse-Drawn Carriages)

Jogjakarta, the special district in Central Java - Indonesia is the most popular city that still uses this traditional transportation. Usually, foreign tourist never missed to try this special transportation.

In Jakarta, this transportation is often rented by a Betawi family to transport kids around the neighborhood to celebrate a circumcision ceremony. When rented for parties such as this, they are often decorated with traditional Betawi ornamentation which lends a very festive air.

Ojek Sepeda (Bicycle Taxi)

It rarely found but still exist. The operation is much like motorcycle taxi but for short distance only. You can imagine if they carry the passenger for the long distance, aren't you?

By: nobert soloria bermosa

Aside from beautiful white sand beaches and scenic diving spots, the Philippines is also endowed with wonderful caves. There are hundreds of caves in the Philippines. Peñablanca, Cagayan alone has already around 300 caves.

Spelunkers and non-spelunkers, here's a list of the most famous caves in the country that can give you thrill and excitement. You will surely love and enjoy them.

6.) Callao Caves in Cagayan

On the Sixth slot is Callao Caves. Located within the Peñablanca Protected Landscape.The seven-chambered Callao Caves boast of massive limestone and other rock formations, skylights, and a chapel. The conditions inside the cave cause stalactites and stalagmites, particularly in the deeper chambers. Every chamber has natural crevices, which let light get into the cave, serving as illumination for the otherwise dark areas of the place.

5. Jackpot Cave in Cagayan

On the fifth spot is the Jackpot Cave also in Peñablanca, Cagayan. It is the second deepest cave in the Philippines at 115 meters. The cave has a walking size passage, shafts and drops of varying depths that provide for a lot of rope works. Meandering streams and pools of varying size abound inside the cave.

4. Odessa Tumbali Cave in Peñablanca, Cagayan

On the fifth spot-Odessa Tumbali Cave in Peñablanca, Cagayan. At 12.6 kilometers, it is the third longest cave in the Philippines. It is active and provides excellent wet sport caving. It has superb formations and passage shapes, canals and lakes for swimming, photography and cave diving opportunities, and varied fauna. Acknowledged to be a perfect cave system, it has five known entrances.

3. Sumaging-Latipan-Lomyang Crystal Cave in Sagada, Mt.Province

On the third place, we have Sumaging-Latipan-Lomyang Crystal Cave in Sagada, Mt.Province. In terms of vertical range it is the deepest reaching 163 meters from its mouth. In terms of length, it is the fifth longest cave in the Philippines. Six entrances lead to a complex mix of active and fossil cave remarkable for its large passages and impressive gours. The system is partially accessible to tourists and a sump connected to Lokohong Cave.

2. Odloman Cave in Mabinay, Negros Oriental

On the second slot is the Odloman Cave in Mabinay, Negros Oriental. This cave is 8.9 km. long. Five entrances have been connected and the system comprises a mix of large and small galleries with some active streamway. This cave is the 6th deepest in the country.

1. Palawan Underground River or St. Paul Subterranean River - Longest Navigable Underground River in the World

This is the most famous cave in the Philippines. The longest underground river was discovered a few years back in Mexico somewhere in the Yucatan. St. Paul Underground River in Palawan, Philippines may not be the longest underground river in the world anymore, but it is still the world's longest navigable underground river. The navigable part of the river inside the cave of the 4000-acre St. Paul Subterranean River stretches 15 kilometers in length (5 miles). St. Paul Cave is the 3rd deepest cave in the country.

White-water Rafting is one of its undisputed legacies nowadays. It has its level four rapids and twenty-four unforgettable breath taking man vs. nature experience. Considering its effects towards tourist, it also gives us confidence to deal with our daily lifestyle. Like food for our souls need that can replenish and rejuvenate every movement beyond our imaginative era.

In addition, many young individuals try to change their way of living by spicing up their lives to eliminate boredom in their designated hospitable domain. Not only for the strong but also for the wise and respective people who ever wanted to experience the ego boasting white-water rumbling.

Seeing isn't enough to distinguish this spectacular phenomenon that gave way to the Kagay-anon's thirst for adventure but it is a way to challenge everyone's inner fear to let it out for reel by absorbing and by means of doing.

Devoured by this craving, kagay-anons developed the said phenomenon open for tourism. Until then, it's growing roots to attract massive individual lies in the media to obtain prosperity and harmony. We have to take care of it because it is a gift that no one can deny to try and overcome ourselves by putting every bit of pieces to eliminate fear

Time will heal rapidly that is why the most Infinite required us to take care of our environment in order for us to live harmoniously without regrets and emotional distress.

One of these trips was with a friend and involved the use of a 17 foot aluminum canoe in order to see the canyon from the river. The shortish first (and only, in our case) portage of 420 m was near the beginning of our trip and was not bad to negotiate with our light load as this was only a day trip. The portage allowed us access for canoeing the next 3 or 4 km to make our way towards a cliff face about 3 or 4 km up river. I had wondered about how this area of the canyon looked from river level for several years since I had walked the trail a couple of times years before, once in winter and once in summer. We were fortunate on the day that we chose for this venture for three reasons.

First, we were blessed with almost perfect weather with lots of sun and a slight breeze to help cool us and keep the flies away. Secondly, the current was not so strong as to completely exhaust us after the distance we needed to paddle (although, for me, it was a pretty good workout). And thirdly, when we arrived at the location beneath the main cliff, we were surprised to see two or three people rappelling down the rock face. We saw this as a great opportunity to take a breather while we were entertained by these adventurous rock climbers as they made their way down the 200+ foot, almost-vertical cliff face. Unfortunately, neither of us had brought a camera with us (major mistake) and so have no record but our memories of that day. It was several years before digital cameras hit the market so it would have had to have been the 35 mm camera. I didn't really know what to expect that day and so had left it at home. The trip back down river was much less work but no less enjoyable, being a beautiful, untouched piece of Ontario. Good memories were made that day.

Years later, and a couple of years ago, my significant other and I hiked the 1.5 km trail once more to refresh our memories. This time, we had a digital camera with us, and we were able to capture a few photos that give some idea of the natural beauty of the canyon as seen from the trail. I must say, though, that as I have aged, so has my nervousness increased at certain parts of the trail. I find that even though years before, I had ventured out to peer over the edge of precipitous rock edges, now I felt too uneasy about the danger, and enjoyed the wonderful views from several feet back. The canyon is kept as a natural area and so there is no man-made protection or fencing to prevent a person getting into trouble by being too bold and approaching the edge too closely. This should be kept in mind if one is to visit the area with younger folk.

I am not sure if one would be allowed to visit the canyon trail in winter these days. I haven't checked. I did visit with a friend about 30 years ago and I must admit, it was as beautiful in winter as in summer. There is an added advantage in winter. There are no black flies or mosquitoes. However, the trail needed to be negotiated very carefully as it was difficult to tell exactly what was underfoot. After some sight-seeing, we eventually decided on a great spot for our lunch and hot coffee. There, we spent a relaxed hour or two, chatting and in awe of the sight before us. There is a wonderful calmness that invades you when faced with such an experience. While there, we noticed cross-country skiers far below us traversing the river, now frozen and covered in a thick blanket of snow. Two sets of tracks extended behind them, barely disturbing the virgin surface. It is difficult to convey the feeling that one gets in the beauty of a sunny winter day in January looking over the surrounding country with the canyon below.

It is my hope that the natural beauty of the Barron Canyon can be preserved for generations to come so that more may experience it's unique offering.

If one wished to travel between Canada's two most Western provinces, in the winter, one had to drop South into the U. S. of A. and then pop back up North.

Today there are four highways, between the two provinces, that pass through the Rocky Mountains and are usable year round. In the North we have the Hart Highway that uses the Pine Pass. In the South we have Highway 3 that uses the Crowsnest Pass. In the center of the provinces we have highway 16, commonly, and mistakenly, called the Yellowhead Highway, running through Mt. Robson Provincial Park and Jasper National Park. And, of course, we have the Trans Canada Highway which uses the Roger's Pass.

I can recall, as a youngster, traveling between the cities of Golden and Revelstoke, over what was know as the Big Bend Highway. Basically the Big Bend was a logging road that followed the Columbia River which made a big bend as it flowed North and then curved South. This was an arduous trip of some eight hours, only an hour and half today with modern vehicles on the Roger's Pass which follows the Illecillewaet River.

The road wasn't paved, in most places it wasn't even graveled. In many places it was corduroy road. Corduroy road is road over a wet area that is filled in with logs laid, side by side, across the roadway.

Midway, along the Big Bend was a work camp knows as Boat Encampment. One of the workers, Peter Fuoco, who stayed at the camp, with a two bladed axe, and chisels, in his spare time, made a head out of a section of tree and then with some hand carved board, made a hat for the head.

He called his artwork `Wooden Head'. He placed his masterpiece beside the road and made a sign telling people, `Don't be a woodenhead - slow down'.

When the highway was replaced by the Roger's Pass in 1962, most of the Big Bend highway is now underwater as the valley has been dammed up for a hydro project, the government moved the Woodenhead to the intersection of the Big Bend Highway and the Trans Canada Highway, just East of the city of Revelstoke.

Sometime later Woodenhead was moved into the city of Revelstoke.

In 2005 Woodenhead was restored and placed in a gazebo like cage by the city of Revelstoke. It is hard to tell whether it is the original Woodenhead, covered in plastic, to preserve it, or if it has been totally rebuilt out of fiberglass.

It is easy to tell, at a glance that it isn't wood but it still reminds us old timers of its former glory, when it sat among the trees it was made of, near Boat Encampment.

While their are probably scores of locations to float a river for 3 to 5 miles in the state, I will only outline a few here to give you some examples of good place to go. The first one is the Meramec River near Steelville and Cuba, Missouri. There are about a half dozen or so excellent resorts that specialize in helping people float this river. You can rent tubes, canoes, and 3 to 5 man inflatable boats for the ride. Most of these resorts offer two different lengths of floats. On weekends these resorts like most in the state in the summer become major hives of activity. You will find it much better to float during the week if you do not like the overcrowding, loud music and noise, and drinking.

The upper Black River near Lesterville, Missouri, is another excellent and well-used section of water. While not as many resorts and campground to help you with your float, there are still several to choose from. This venue draws a lot of younger late-teen floaters. The float prior to the dog-days of summer is better because the water level tends to be higher. This makes for fewer times that you have to portage your boat or tube. Lesterville is a small town, but still has a decent store and gas stations. It sits at the foot of Taum Sauk, the highest point in the state. There are a number of other areas like Elephant Rocks State Park in the vicinity to explore if you want to make it a multiple day outing.

In the south-central part of Missouri, you will find the town of Eminence. Near Eminence are the Current and Jack's Fork rivers. These are fast flowing cold streams. You can experience more intense rapids in these rivers. This area of the state is even less developed than the previous two mentioned. For the person looking for rustic and back woods areas, there are plenty to be found here. Like the other areas, the campgrounds here make it easy to float. They utilize the more well-know and safer areas of the rivers to insure the well-being of their guests.

No matter where you go to float, the resorts will guide you to enter the river and be waiting for you when you exit. Buses and vans transport floaters back to their campgrounds or to the floater's cars making the return trip very easy. Workers will attend to the boats and tubes once you pull ashore.

Always bring along food and drink for a float trip. Most will take from 2 1/2 to 5 hours to complete. They tend to be somewhat leisurely and relaxing in most areas. There are generous areas to pull ashore and explore or have a picnic meal. Some of the floating areas encourage a moderate amount of fishing if you like to do that.

Shade can be difficult to come by during parts of any float trip. Sunscreen with a 45+ Spf rating is recommended. Apply it often during the day. It will more than likely be hot also. Bring plenty of liquid to stay hydrated. Something besides copious amounts of alcohol are needed to keep your water loss covered.

If you have an older swimming suit, it is recommended. The water can become a little murky after it rains or if the crowd is dense. This can leave muddy stains on swim wear. Bringing your old suit keeps you from putting a new one at risk. Even cutoffs might be the best way to go. Plan on swimming along side your canoe or boat if you rent one. This helps cool you off and is a nice diversion from paddling through large pools. Swim shoes are better than being bare-footed. Some of these rivers have sharp rocks or debris left behind by inconsiderate floaters in the past. Protecting your feet is important. Wearing a good had may be necessary too. This will protect your head, nose, and ears from overexposure to sunlight.

Wrap your towels in plastic to keep them dry in case your boat tips. Leave anything you do not want to loose at home. It will be better there than lost at the bottom of the river. Bring a water proof camera. There are invariably some great photo opportunities on every float trip.