By this time Bali got named “The Island of the Gods” and became one of world's foremost holiday and bumming locations. Packed with expensive hotels and villas, fairly good art but mainly kitsch and cries of “Hey Mister”, this heaven among other irritations is very expensive to be on.

The Cheaper Paradise

Java which is entirely volcanic, on the other hand is packed with spectacular views, a long backbone of volcanoes, tropical jungles, beaches, a haunting presence of most of the major civilizations and a population engrossed in their own daily affairs, is exquisitely sensuous. It is one of the more generous spots on earth. Java is paradise but not a tourist one.

Yes there are five star comforts to be sure in the cities. The infrastructure is simple or practical in the lovely interiors. No five star accommodation. Two stars at best, if any at all. In these parts “sights” are left to fend for themselves without even the support of a soft-drink kiosk. The people are busy at day-to-day living. They may spare you a hesitant smile but wouldn't know how to call out “Hey Mister.” The Gods charge visitors very little on this paradise. But promise a most gratifying experience.

One Great Buffet

It may sound a bit of a rugged experience. In truth it is not. For example, take a traveler's basic need, food. There are no starred restaurants but the food is fabulous. Breakfast is usually chicken porridge, “bubur ayam”, in Central Java.

Available at carts or little rudimentary” cafés”. Delicious with boiled rice, pepped up with backyard spices, fortified with herbs and sprinkled with bits of chicken (organic of course). Washed down with superb tea (leaves plucked and cured down the road), this meal will cost you sixty cents. Java is really one large buffet.

Every street offers carts, shacks, shelters, café's canteens and restaurants with mind boggling variety of foods. Java is one of Indonesia's 17,000 islands. Yet it, not only offers food from almost every one of the islands but also from every town and city in Java. There is Bandung Satay, Padang Satay, Ox Tail stewed, fried or curried from all over, Madura Noodles, fantastically spicy Menado dishes, local versions of beef jerky,Acheh Fried Noodles, Fried Rices from almost everywhere with almost anything for ingredients; the list is endless.

Like a buffet at the Four Seasons, you just walk along and make your choices. If you are a big eater it may cost to a princely sum of six dollars.

While poverty exists in Java, thirty percent exist on $2 a day; a traveler will not come across anyone starving. For two reasons, Java is bountifully fertile. Two dollars does help, if a little, to buy food. There is also another reason; Javanese, whatever the world perceives their faults maybe, are extraordinarily philanthropic. They give recklessly.

Strictly Not For Tourists

Java, though rich with “sights,” is not a “sight-seeing” destination. Java is not for tourists who come to relax. Java is for travelers who are eager to know. Earliest arrivals in Java were the Hominids. The cranial fossil of the Java Man, about five million years old, was unearthed in 1891. More recent visitors were Ptolemy and Marco Polo. The former a geographer and the latter a professional traveler probably hit upon Java by accident. History, maybe folk tales record, that they were impressed and surprised.

Whatever they, or subsequent celebrity visitors may say of this island, the best thing about Java is its lack of pretense. A striking contrast to its aggressive brand dedicated (not always accurate) neighbors. Java is Java. Home of almost every spice, clove and herb known. Every natural cure heard and unheard of.

Home of the most imaginative food and beverage recipes in the world.

Home of intriguing batik haute couture. Home of exciting cocoa. The world's biggest manufacturers of quality shirts. Home of numerous spirits, benevolent and malevolent. Island of the most volcanoes, active and dormant, in the world. Place where some really awful films are made. Regrettably because Java is probably home of the very first cinemas, the “shadow plays” theatres of centuries past. In Central Java, now showing, at various locations, is the longest running play in the world, “Ramayana”; first performance sometime in the sixth century?

Java is also repository of a massive collection of a million years of vocal history. Daily news to spread speedily from mouth-to-mouth and is deliciously entertaining. It is worth getting someone to translate for you.

The Best Bus System in The World

Java is a race-track to eighty million motorcycles. And the world's best bus transportation system.

The Bus Transportation is divided into four categories. Plush air-conditioned cruisers, Executive Buses, Economy Buses and ankots(Covered mini-vans). They connect the whole island and ply in all villages; towns and cities.Ankots and Economy buses are staffed by a driver and conductor. They provide the ultimate in customer-service. They will die for their customer. Sadly, sometimes they do. Service on board Singapore Airlines pales in comparison.

Ankots and Economy buses stop anywhere for their customers. Even in the middle of a busy road or in the centre of an intersection. If they can't for some reason, stop, run alongside, and the conductor who hangs out of the back door, will sweep you up gracefully into the vehicle. Many Economy buses and ankots provide a mini live band for customer entertainment (I swear this is true). Customers pay a humble two cents for this. Iced drinks, snacks, newspapers and cigarettes are sold on board. You can even sometimes buy something as extraordinary as a Javanese speaking parrot.

There seems to be millions of buses. Especially Economy buses and Ankots. There is one born every minute. As a result transportation for a traveler is excellent. A wait for a bus in a town or city rarely exceeds five minutes. A great way to meet Javanese.

More personalized transportation is available.” Ojeks,” or motorcycle taxis are available to take you anywhere and especially where buses can't go. The fare averages around 50cents with including free use of the helmet. Traffic rules don't apply to “ojeks” therefore they take the shortest distance between two points, even if it means going against the traffic or leaping over road dividers.

Tourist Services

The Javanese are entrepreneurial. Travelers may avail themselves of numerous services in all towns and villages. The most advertised on lamp-posts, walls and with banners are hair salons (you could have a choice of up to ten every two kilometers), “cuci-sofa” (Sofa cleaning),”baduts”(party clowns) and “ketow-magic”(car repair by magic). Weary travelers may look out for “pijat” (massage) signs, also easy to come by as are “baby-sitters”. Doctors, dentists, traditional cures, modern pharmacies, local medical shops and magical cures are always within easy reach. “wartels”, little places where you can make telephone calls while enjoying a bowl of noodles and “warnets”, little places with internet facilities are plentiful, Costs for any of these services are cheap.

To blonde your hair in a village will cost no more than two dollars. A massage that puts you right in an hour, just one dollar. Baby-sitters, negotiable. Tipping is expected and ten percent will suffice. Transactions are always in cash.

Shopping

Things unique and possibly appreciated back home are available all around often direct from the craftsmen themselves. Superb colonial Dutch and Javanese antiques abound. Very intricate shadow play figures, Javanese doll-puppets with moveable arms, drum casings made of mahogany(eventually exported to Europe and United States), full-sized rocking horses, excellent teas and coffees, local tonics for almost every ailment, local Viagra in capsules or tonics, silverware and jewelry, pearls from the Java oysters and dried and okay-to-keep indefinitely or ready-to-eat dried and spiced fish. You can take home a crate of treasure for what you would pay, for a night in a four star accommodation in Bali.

You won't see much, if any advertising of Java. Most traveler or tourist information on Indonesia tends to focus much on Bali and attractions mostly manufacturer by the Ministry of Tourism (I guess it's their job) and travel agents. Java remains, most often, as an accidental encounter. Major airlines fly to Jakarta. From where you can bus, fly or take a train to the best of Java.

However, summer isn't the only time of year when things happen there. The Island doesn't hibernate all winter just waiting for the next season to begin, well not completely anyway. Some of the months there, outside of the normal tourist season, are still warm and sunny, especially November, March and April. The latter is our springtime when a vast numbers of wild flowers, such as, the Campanula versicolor and the Wild Orchid, Ophrys tenthredinifera are plentiful and blanket this exquisite isle in a myriad of color.

The winter months of December, January and February are particularly cold and rainy but can still boast the occasional sunny and warm day. I have found myself sitting in a friend's garden, enjoying a local beer in nothing but a T-shirt and jeans in the middle of January. You wouldn't catch me going for a swim though. The temperature of the surrounding sea drops quite a bit and even on the warmest of days can be very chill. There are some, however, who are not put off by the chill.

In the year of 2006 the small historic town of Lixouri, on Kefalonia's western peninsula hosted Greece's, 2nd most popular, winter, open-sea swimming event. Mentor is a 5km marathon from the harbor of Lixouri across the gulf to the Theodore lighthouse in Lassi and back again. The event itself was the brainchild of local government and is sponsored by many local businesses. It was introduced as a means of bringing people from different nations together and to promote the Island itself.

In its 3rd year, Mentor sparked interest from swimmers all over the world, including Hungary, America and Turkey and this year also boasted the first female contenders. So, on January 6th 2006, at 9.30am, 19 swimmers decided to throw themselves into the chill waters (at 13C) to test their endurance. On this day also falls Epiphany (Holy Light), a religious Greek Orthodox celebration, where a small group of young men also decide to throw themselves into the chill waters in order to catch a holy cross thrown from on high by one the local Priests.

The day itself was cold and cloudy with the occasional peep of sunshine and the very real threat of rain from the dark Cumulo Nimbus clouds circulating around the top of Mount Enos (our highest peak). Needless to say, because of the cold conditions a number of support boats accompanied all the swimmers throughout the duration of the event and warm blankets and drinks were on hand for them on their return. The harbour side was filled with spectators, local dignitaries, journalists, photographers and ET1, one of Greece's national TV stations. All had come to watch the Mentor swimmers make their first jump into the chill harbor waters. The cold proved too much for 3 contenders who were rescued by 1 of the 2 safety boats on call that day.

The first to finish was America's World Champion, Jay Benner, in a time of 1 hr 20 mins, second was the lone Hungarian entrant (who won last years event) and third, Aristo Lassus from Larissa. The first female to finish came in sixth. All in all 16 out of the 19 entrants finished, the last few, unfortunately being caught in the sudden downpour as the heavens finally decided to open. The rain continued to fall for the rest of the afternoon as rivers of water flowed down the streets, at least the rental car had a good clean, which was well overdue.

We all met up for lunch at the Apolafsi Hotel and Restaurant, just outside of town and very close to, Lepeda, one of Lixouri's finest beaches and it was here that I managed to catch up with the winner, Jay Benner. From Tacoma in Washington State where he lives with his wife and little girl, Jay started swimming competitively from the age of 10 and spent 8 years on the World Champion Pool Racing Circuit, which is where he gained his World Champion title. It wasn't until 1993 that Jay decided to move his swimming from the pool to the open sea. He has visited Greece 9 times for summer racing events, including the 30km marathon across the Messinian gulf at Kalamata, which he has taken part in 4 times.

Mentor, however, was the first winter event he had taken part in and marked his 10th visit here and his return to swimming. To have a World Champion like Jay Benner and also entrants from neighbouring Turkey (whose relations with

Greece have had there problems in the past) come to Kefalonia and take part in Mentor has given the Island and the people here a real boost.

There are other celebrations that take place before May, when the main tourism season starts. Greek Independence Day, which falls on the 25th March, is one. One this day there is music and festivities all over the Island, the biggest of which, happen in Argostoli and Lixouri, the two main towns. Each town has a Parade in celebration of this day, which all the children take part in.

Easter is another and probably the biggest event of all but often prior to this religious celebration is the Carnival. All the surrounding villages take part; each has their own themed float and all participants are in fancy dress. This tradition arose from the period when the Turks occupied the Island. The Greeks were banned from conducting these celebrations during this time and so any religious festivities had to be celebrated in secret. Because the locals were driven under cover they were forced to disguise themselves, lest they be recognized. And so fancy dress became a part of the custom and tradition of many Greek events. It is a wonderful event with children and adults all dressed in a variety of colors, there's music and traditional dancing and generally an air of excitement and joy, a must to witness for any visitor.

The 23rd April is another important day in the Greek calendar and elsewhere. This is St George's Day but also happens to be the National day of Greece. Again there are celebrations, music and small marches to commemorate this day.

So, as you see, life after tourism does exist on this somewhat sleepy Island and it is still possible to get here during the winter. Ok, so it means taking 2 flights, one to Athens and then a hopper to Kefalonia but with the price of Easy Jet flights these days, this can be done for about the same money you would pay in the summer.

The other alternative of course is the 1 flight option to Athens, then a 3-hour coach drive to Patra, a 3-hour ferry ride to Sami (on Kefalonia's East coast) and then no more then an hours coach drive to any part of the Island you may choose. A long haul you may think, but I have made this journey and it's not as bad as it may sound, it's much cheaper for a start. The coach, plus ferry fare is about 32 euros one-way and at least this way you get to see some of Athens and its surrounding towns and countryside.

The ferry is also very comfortable, with good, large couches to lounge on and food and drinks available from the café-bar on board. You get to see some of the wonderful small islets that abound the Ionian Sea and coming to Kefalonia out of season can give you a much better insight into the lives and culture of the people here. Life on a sleepy winter Island can be a wonderful experience. Kefalonia is an Island to be enjoyed at any time of year.

This stories about people, the many different peoples who live on the islands of the Indonesian archipelago. It offers a composite stories of the many different environments and cultural backgrounds that co-exist here, as well as the underlying traditions that bind these differing cultures together.

These common traditions are based on simplicity, belief in the Good, tolerance, and respect for others. Most important is an all-pervading spiritual sensitivity, and a strong belief in God. Many different religions exist side by side in Indonesia, and most people participate in at least one.

The stories aims at giving the reader an understanding of the country and people as they are today, with their long traditions in tenuous balance with the demands and intrusions of the modern world.

Although their ethnological characteristic will not change in foreseeable future, attitudes, behavior and way of life are likely to be greatly influenced by the tide of western-style modernization sweeping the country.

No-one can predict what effect this modernization will have on peoples with a traditional culture strongly rooted in rural, agricultural society, but certain changers in living patterns are already visible.

Thirty years from now this stories may tell only the Indonesia of the “Good Old Days”.

In North Africa, there are 80 blocks of such pyramids scattered around the Egypt's Nile River, which have become one of the most miraculous places in the world. The highest pyramid called Cheops Pyramid and it was build by overlapping pile of boulders together. In the making of pyramids, Egyptians were not using any adhesive, glue or nails to attach the pile of boulders and one could even hardly find cracks or gaps among the rocks or stones from the overlapping plot. Nevertheless, the structure is extremely firm and strong that the sharp blades or swords could not even pass through. In addition, Egyptian Pyramids have experiencing 5,000 years of strong wind's erosions and yet these artifacts are remained not touch by the nature. They appeared to stand alone like warriors in the desert. These towering pyramids are such spectacular and superior buildings human had ever made on the Earth.

This is a mysterious place encountered in the Antarctic Island. People call it “a dry valley with no snow cover.” Antarctic is a place with fewer inhabitants and dwellers and thus some unexplainable phenomenon happenings in Antarctica remain mystery to the outsiders. Approximately 14 million square kilometers of the total area of the Antarctic continent have the snow cover. When viewing from the high sky, the central of the Antarctic is like a pot's lid plateau. Most of the areas vividly have their surfaces covered with snow with its thickness reaching 2000m and sometimes may attain the thickness up to 4,800m. In winter, the surrounding ice combines with the ice from the ocean to form up one smooth, large plateau to which people can hardly distinguish between the land and the sea.

Bermuda Triangle is located in Western North Atlantic, which comprises of seven major islands, 150 small islands, some islands composed of reefs group. Any high-tech devices or equipments will become malfunction when reaching this mysterious place and thus the survivors may have encountered problems to communicate with the outside world. Because of its extremely mysterious characteristic, people have called this place as a devil triangle.

In China, people have named this desert as “Moguicheng” or a city of devil. “Moguicheng” is famous in Xinjiang, China. When someone is strolling towards the castle in a sunny day accompanying with a gentle blowing breeze, one may heard a nice rhythm coming from the distance. The melodies are just like 10 million shaking bells, and sometimes one may feel the music like gentle flicking of 10 million guitars' strings. However, when cyclones come, bulks of sands are rising up in the sky by the strong winds, the sky turns pitch dark suddenly like a hell, and the nice music no longer heard but turns into strange sounds. The sounds resemble the roaring of the tigers, trumpeting of the elephants, and sounds by pigs that are being slaughtered, babies' crying, shouting of the women who are going to die, and alternately the sounds change to shouting, mourning and quarreling. The storms are then swirling aggressively by shooting up to the sky accompanying by terrified wolf growling sounds in the cloudy nightfall. People are wandering who had built this city and where do the sounds come from?

This island is legendary full of Surreptitious and specter. Westerners prefer sailing by venturing many historically strange events occurred here in the history of seafaring. In 1707, the British captain of the Andean Julius had discovered this land; however, it was strange that he could hardly reach this land. He later affirmed that this was not an optical illusion, so he marked the “land” on the map. 200 years later, the admiral Makaluofu and his inspection team who were sailing to the North Pole on their icebreaker vessel called "Ye Ermake," accidentally came across this piece of land. In 1925, Navigator called Woershi, too, passed through this land and he memorized the outline of the land. Nevertheless, the investigation team comprising of scientists, who sailed to this land in 1928 never found any islands as claimed by the previous navigators.

This place is located in Henan, China, and local people called it “bingbing bei” or the back of the ice. When midsummer approaches, people tend to move to places that are cool and refreshing. Although the change of four seasons, namely summer, autumn, spring and winter is an unchangeable law, in certain parts of the world, this theory seems not to be applicable. They are some fortunate people live in “warm” zone. This phenomenon is applying to people dwelling in the eastern mountain areas of Liaoning Province, China. They are experiencing warm temperature while other areas of China are experiencing the changes of seasons. Thus, this area has named after this phenomenon as "temperature anomaly zone." This "geothermal anomaly zone" extends from 1.5m out of the town of the left riverbank of Hunjiang to the end part of the right riverbank of Hun River and to the foothills near Guandian Province. The entire length for this "temperature anomaly zone" is approximately 15km, occupying the areas of approximately 106,000 square meters. The advent of summer is always accompanying with a decline of temperature in the area of "temperature anomaly zone." When the temperature reaches as high as 30 degree Celsius during the summer, the temperature is minus 12 degree Celsius at one-meter deep into the underground of this area, and the ice froze underground. When someone dips a drop of water one-meter deep into the underground of this area, the water will immediately turn into ice.

Shennongjia is located at the intersection of Sichuan, in Hubei zone, with the meeting of two rivers, namely China's Yangtze River and Hanjiang River. This region comprises an area of 3,250 square kilometers, accounting for more than 85 % of woodland. The average elevation is 1,700m, with the highest point of 3,105 meters, and with the characteristic of various types of climate. When speaking of Shennongjia, people here will think of “savage.” Since ancient times, large numbers of documentations have revealed the existence of savage roaming around this area. Legendary, people could even hardly identify the authenticity of the savage. The effort of collecting evidence on the existence of savage was initiating by the relevant departments from 1977 to 1980. They had collected savage hairs, footprints and feces left by the savage. This proved to us that a kind of bizarre animal might have existed in Shennongjia not long ago.

This is the famous ancient city of Teotihuacan in America, which called “death to the road.” This region stretched from a so-called main road of “death to the road” to the north-south roadway. In the tenth century AD, Ards heroes who were the earliest team walking along this way leading to a castle found nobody in the city, and thus they believed that the buildings on either side of the road were gods' tomb lands. In 1974, a Mexican person called Dayton • Halisi said that he had found a suitable unit measurement for all these streets and buildings at this city at the International American meeting. This unit length is 1.059m using a calculation from a computer. For example, the units for the Teaodiwakan snake temple, the moon and the Sun Pyramid is the height of 21, 42, and 63 "units" respectively with the ratio of 1:2:3 based upon the ancient calculation.

People not allowed entering this Kunlun Mountains as its name suggested as "The Gates of Hell." This valley is a death valley, which further claims the Kunlun Mountains "The Gates of Hell." The remains found in this valley were the furs, bones, skeletons of wolves, bears and hunters and some scattered lonely tombs, rendering the world in the death of a ghastly terrifying atmosphere. The Xinjiang Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources of a geological team in China had recorded a true story in the year of 1983 on a group of hungry horse that was grazing the grass and disappeared suddenly in the "The Gates of Hell." A herdsman went into the prohibited area of "The Gates of Hell" to search for his horse. After few days, he was found missing but the horse emerged at the foothill of Kunlun Mountains. Later, the herdsman was found lying on a small hill with his clothes badly torn off, barely footed, eyes widely opened with an angry look, a shotgun gripping in one of his hands showing that he was reluctantly to die. The miraculous thing was that no wounds or signs found around his body to show that he had attacked.

Canada Niagara Falls is the world's most mysterious places in the world. Niagara Falls constitutes a part of Canada and the border of United States, the New York State and Ontario, Canada, separating from the Niagara River by flowing northward from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario with a total length of nearly 30 miles. Located in the north, covering an area of 250,000 square miles, Niagara Falls is a smooth exit to these lakes. Its maximum water flow reaches 250,000 cubic feet per second. Niagara Falls is indeed very awesome.

This Geysering is a magical spring found in the upper part of the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet, China. The spring bursts out in a short while and stops for a while before following by other bursts. The burst goes on, stops and goes on. In other words, its eruption cycle is continuous for a few minutes, auto stop after a few dozen minutes; and followed by another burst and so forth. It bursts like an eruption with a huge, shocked sound. It vents out some high temperature steam from the mouth of the spring. The spring then expands immediately into one to two meters in diameter, and rushes out as water column as high as 20m into the sky. In addition to China's Geysering, in the place near Reykjavik, capital of Iceland, the Geysering is renowned in the world with its diameter of 20m. When there is drizzling rain, this water column can even soar up as high as 70m into the sky.

The Map of Antarctica

Satellite image of Antarctica

Because of a high altitude, thin air, coupled with the snow and ice on the surface of the solar reflection, has been the result that the Antarctica becoming the coldest areas in the world, with an average temperature 20 degrees lowers than the Arctic's temperature.

There is a common phenomenon with 12 or more tropical storms (typhoon) in the Antarctica and it is by far the most frequent turmoil, with wind speed above 100km per hour. The France “Dierweier” observation team has detected the wind speed with 100m per second, a wind speed of 12 typhoons three times, and its destructive power is equivalent to 10 times of 12 typhoons. Therefore, the Antarctic is renowned for a characteristic of “very windy.”

Luoerde Amundsen (Roald Amundsen) is the first explorer who reached Antarctica on December 14, 1911. A month later, Robert Scott (Robert Falcon Scott) arrived at the Antarctica. However, Scott and his four companions were dying of hunger due to extremely cold weather in the Antarctica.

Exploring the Beauty of Antarctica

Migration process is usually a tiring and hard journey for the penguins to venture. When they hardly bear on hardships while walking over the time, they will use their fat belly to crawl around the ice or snow.

These emperor penguins have gigantic heads. They are the giant penguins in the world. In general, their height is 90cm, but they can achieve as high as 120cm in height. Their maximum weight is 34kg. These penguins are monogamy but not polygamy, and thus the family structure of them is one wife and one husband. After laying the eggs, mother penguin will hand over the eggs to father penguin. Then the mother penguin goes out in search for foods, while the father penguin incubates the eggs. Every year in March, these penguins will leave the ocean and migrate to different places that they find free from natural enemies to produce offspring. Almost all the penguins from these species will have a mass migration to leave the sea every year. Their two feet walk in a slow pace as tough a baby starts walking to explore their challenging and attractive journeys.

These penguins have small black feathers from the side of the ear pass through their chins and to the other side of the ear. Sometimes, people call them “police officer's penguin.” Their height can extend from 43 to 53cm and weighing 4kg. These penguins are very aggressive, as they prefer to fight. Their reproductive season is in every winter. Mother penguin produces two eggs each time, while the father penguin incubates the eggs. Both father and mother penguins will take turn to take care of their baby penguin.

Young penguins has strict custody and well care from both of their parents, nevertheless, young penguins have to bear on the harsh environmental condition in the Antarctic coupling with the threat from the predators. Therefore, the survival rate for them is relatively low with their low birth rate of 20% to 30%.

Penguins are renowned for loving their nests the most. Sometimes, they steal the neighbor's eggs by conquering other penguins' nests. They monopolize the custody by taking care of other baby penguins that they succeed to steal. Thus, penguins refuse to leave their children even a second as they fear of losing their children. When mother penguin is out in search for foods, father penguin will take strict supervision to their children. Similarly, when father penguin is out for “business affairs,” mother penguin will take over the responsibility to look after their children.

Young penguins stand at the feet of their parents, while adult penguins will use their abdominal features to let their children stay warm. On the whitish and ice-covered land, penguins nest and feed their children. Both male and female penguins will take turn to hatch the eggs. The hatching process takes approximately one to two months.

In order to survive their lives, penguins have to adapt themselves to an extreme weather in the Antarctic. Therefore, they always walk in a crowd close to other penguins with their back facing out. Their ancestors have taught them how to walk against the cold and strong winds with the speed of 160km per hour. The penguins that walk out of the group will always rotate to the middle of the group to get warmth. The empty place left by them will be filling by the penguins in the middle group. They will always take turn to get warmth. The spirit of unity ensures them to store the energy in their bodies to continue to survive at the harsh environmental condition in the Antarctic island.

Antarctic seabirds breed in the summer. They breed their eggs mostly in the Antarctic Peninsula and Sub Antarctic Islands, with one to two eggs each time. Male and female birds will take turn to hatch the eggs. They share their responsibility to take care of their young children. After three months, they teach their children how to swim and how to search for foods. The main characteristics of the Antarctic seabirds are their ability to fly, to land on the land, iceberg, on top of the water and icecaps. They feed on shrimps, fish and squids.

Antarctic swallow or commonly known as the Antarctic pigeon as its appearance resembles the pigeon. Antarctic swallow is the most beautiful seabird among the bird species in the Antarctic Island. They inhibit in the Antarctic region throughout the year and thus they are “indigenous tribes” as compared to other birds that tend to migrate to the north of the Polar Regions when the season changes.

Skua is a natural enemy for penguins. Skua has about 0.7m in length. Its body has a covering of black, blue, green, shining and bright feathers. Besides that, Skua has a long hooked beak and a pair of strong wings.

Skua, a type of bird mostly flies over the Antarctic Island and seldom stays close to the water. However, sometimes when searching for foods, Skuas will fly near offshore to capture its prey. Skuas have a marvelous flying ability to adapt itself to the extreme climate conditions in the Antarctic Island.

Antarctic fur sea lion, a type of seal, which is also called sea wolf. Its head and facial appearance resembles a dog or a wolf, and its long beard looks as if a lion. The fur sea lion has about 2m in length and weighing 150 to 200kg. They do not like to live in groups, and only 3 to 5 of Antarctic fur sea lion will stay together.

Chinese Antarctic expedition team has named this region as the Great Wall Bay. Behind the Great Wall Bay is an island of penguin and the ice on this island never melt off throughout the year.

The winds in Antarctica are strong with a maximum wind speed accelerates to 100m per second. Years and years, the strong winds erode, grind and construct the stones by shaping them into a diverse and unique shape of rocks and stones.

Lichen is one of the oldest plants on Earth. It belongs to a kind of primitive type of lower plants, and they are the most widely distributed species found on the island of Antarctica. Its growing rate is relatively low, with the growth of 1mm every 100 years.

Penguins can be seen everywhere near the station in the Antarctic. Three penguins were lining up in a sequence to walk towards the station, while the other three rooted on the ground by paying great interest to the helicopter.

The station was located in Fildes Peninsula on the island of King George, which is the largest island in South Shetland Island. Approximately 85% of the island has a snow cover. Its location is in the low latitude areas of Antarctica, surrounded by sea with a characteristic of marine climate, and thus this area is also known as “tropical” in the Antarctica. Its annual average temperature is -2.8°C.

Antarctica has its surface covered with tremendous amount of iceberg. Most of the iceberg forms in spring and winter. The warm weather at these periods causes the glacier or ice edge to split at a tremendous speed. Greenland glaciers alone have 10,000 pieces of iceberg forming up each year.

At the high latitude of Antarctic, there will be a bright light phenomenon flashing through the long dark night. Very often, this colorful and endless changes in the Earth's Aurora is caused by a huge discharge phenomenon occurred in the atmosphere, approximately 100km above the ground.

There are numerous caves in Boracay Island. The Kalikugan Cave is between Balinghai and Punta Bunga Beaches. In Yapak, you will find the Crystal Cave, Cave of Buslugan and the Bat Cave. Obviously, the Bat Cave is the home of many bats. You can also see bats with four feet wingspans. Also, during day time, there are Flying foxes hang on trees. One of the Beaches that offers several coves and caves is the Ilig Iligan Beach located in the east coast of Boracay Island. If you will request, local tour guides offer their service to guide you in goin to all the caves. However, environmentalist recommend to visitors not to disturb bats during their daytime sleep. Observing them should be at twilight when bats emerge from caves and fly over to search for fruits.

Moreover, the caves can be reached by walking, by bicycle and by motorcycle from Road 2, or by walking from Ilig Iligan beach.

The standard of living in Aruba is very high, and they cater toward a classy, high-end market. Therefore, if you wish to travel to Aruba, your stay may be a bit pricier than in some of the nearby islands in the Caribbean, like the Bahamas or Jamaica. However, the stay is definitely worth it. Aruba has famous white sand beaches and beautiful clear blue waters. If you like water sports, you don't have to lie on the beach all day! You can try diving, snorkeling, sailing, swimming, parasailing, jet skiing, or any number of other fun adventures.

The Carnival season is important in Aruba and takes place from January until Ash Wednesday. Just as in many other Caribbean countries, Carnival in Aruba has a variety of great festivities in which vacationers on the island can take part. This includes midway games and children's rides, parades, contests, parties, and special foods. If you're looking for an exciting time to visit Aruba, try during the Carnival season.

Because the majority of this island's revenue comes from tourism, and many of their tourists come from the United States, Aruba's residents usually speak English. The America dollar is also widely accepted (for a fee) in the major shopping and restaurant districts, and the exchange rate is fairly fixed, so money is easily exchanged if you want to do so. More and more, Aruba is becoming a second home for the wealthy from the United States and from around the world.

Aruba can be your sole vacation destination, and you can fly directly into the country's large public airport, or you can take a cruise throughout the Caribbean islands and stop to enjoy Aruba for the day. The island has a little something for everyone, so whether you like a relaxing vacation to sleep in the sun or an exciting vacation full of adventure, Aruba is a destination in the Caribbean that you should consider.

As for the terrain it is mostly mountainous with the highest point being 4,000 feet above sea level. Although Jamaica is considered to be a tropical island the climate can vary in most parishes including this one. There are underground rivers in this area. Above ground are the Rio Nuevo, the Wag Water and the White River. The land close to these rivers tends to be swampland.

Probably due to the fact that it is one of the smallest and poorest parishes on Jamaica, one would guess that tourism was not the primary source of jobs. Agricultural production seems to be decreasing although bananas and breadfruit among the crops grown are popular food. On the positive side are the good schools that it is known for. Some of the graduates hold important positions in banks and other businesses.

Located in Middlesex (county of) it had a population of 113,000 as of 2001. The land area covers 610 square kilometers. The crops of coffee and citrus, cocoa to coconuts are still produced in addition to sugar cane of course. The people also raise livestock. The fact is though, agriculture is on the decline. There has been talk of developing the land for parcels of housing and other buildings. Being inland makes the land less valuable as a resource. Although I'm sure that any citizens in all of Jamaica can get to the shoreline to enjoy the ocean though.

Some business ideas for Jamaica's citizens to explore might be designing swim suits as well as other light clothing. Since livestock is flourishing they could open a livery stable or two for horseback riding. Being inland they might want to consider raising and training the horses to supply stables closer to the ocean and therefore more profitable due to the tourist trade. Another thing to think about might be building boats of all sizes. There must be a need for many boats of all types. Any luxury items and souvenirs to sell to the many visitors might be lucrative. It is a fact that over one hundred thousand people from all over the world flock to Jamaica each year. The beauty of the land, the many activities and the friendly people who make their trip pleasant are all influencing visitors to return year after year.

Among visitors who can afford the luxury, they might fly their wedding attendants and all the guests to Jamaica for a grand celebration. This is usually movie stars, oil billionaires and others with financial advantage. The hotels cater wonderful weddings on the beach with an outdoor or indoor reception afterwards. With the trend among movie stars being multiple marriages, Jamaica will be busy catering possibly three or four weddings for each during their lifetime.

During the Spanish occupation Montego Bay had a unique industry. They exported lard. In the forests were many wild hogs and they became the source of supply. An amusing part of the folklore of the area is that Montego was once known as "Bahia de Manteca" which sounds exotic to the reader of the English language, but the joke is on us. The name is interpreted to English as "Lard Bay." When the English began their rule of Jamaica, this was said to be one of the island's poorest parishes. As it prospered, so did the naming of places, towns, etc. after the British. King James II. was given respect by naming the St. James Parish after him. He was honored by Sir Thomas Modyford, first Governor. This entire area grew and flourished as it moved into the growing of sugar cane.

Along with the plantations came the advent of slavery, a dishonorable part of Jamaica's history. Fire destroyed parts of Montego Bay through the seventeen hundreds and the early eighteen hundreds. Then in eighteen thirty-one a rebellion against slavery was initiated by Samuel Sharpe. As you recall he is a National Hero of St. James. It was through his efforts and that of the English in general that slavery was ended. Many fought and died to achieve this. As is usually the case, the slave-holders protested them being freed. Samuel Sharpe was hanged for his achievements of planning the rebellion. He would be proud to know that Emancipation was achieved in eighteen thirty-four.

Covering 594.9 square kilometers with 1524 meters being above sea level. Two rivers run through it. One appropriately named the Montego River the other the Great River. There are smaller ones but these are the main ones. There is a lot of limestone in two-thirds of the parish. In Montego Bay are the commercial (industrial) section and the tourist section. It is divided in half. Can you guess which half is located along the shore.

The citizens of Montego Bay work mainly in the tourist industry. Jamaica is a popular honeymoon destination. Some people who are able to afford it will fly their entire wedding party and guests to the island for their ceremony. No wonder one in four people work in the tourist industry.

One major attraction is Rose Hall Great House. Built in seventeen-seventy, it has a total of over 100,000 visitors per year. There is a fascinating ghost story attached to this home. A woman named Annie had lived in the house with her then husband John Rose Palmer. The Legend (short version) is that Annie murdered all three of her husbands. Her slaves later killed her by strangulation. As in every chilling ghost story, her spirit is reputed to inhabit the house to this very day.

SNORKELING. Snorkeling is a practice on observing underwater world Moreover, it is the easiest way to explore beauty under the sea. Snorkeling is fun to do because the whole family can participate at the same time. Snorkeling is easy. You will enjoy much when you learn all the right techniques .

Equipments use are mask, snorkel and fins. The mask is the important piece of equipment use for snorkeling. It should be properly fitted. Another equipment is the snorkel, it allows you to breath when you are under the water. Lastly, the fins. It must be flexible and lightweight, but some uses booties to protect their feet from pointed objects and jagged corals.

The Place in Boracay where to snorkel best is in Balinghai Beach because of a coral garden not too far from the shore. For those who want a quiet place, this resort is a place to be. Cottages are scattered on the rock cliff. The resort is offering foods and drinks to be delivered to the cottages as part of their service.

Snorkeling Balinghai Beach

WINDSURFING AND KITESURFING. Most travelers windsurf and kitesurf during the northern monsoon period, between the months of December to February because wind and wave conditions are most effective during that time,

The ideal destination to windsurf is in Bulabog Beach. Beginners and professionals are taking advantage on the waves that brought by the strong winds. When visiting the place, you can avail of the equipment rentals. Also, there are windsurfing and kite surfing lessons to those who want to learn. There are courses available to beginners up to advanced sailors. There are spots for beginners and for professionals for easy learning. It's really fun when you get used to it.

Windsurfing Bulabog Beach

SKIMBOARDING. Skimboarding is simply riding a board on an outgoing wave and it is similar to surfing. What makes skimboarding interesting is that they are riding the waves. Older people love to skimboard, but for kids, it is just a new sport for them. The best beach to practice skimboarding is at the White Beach in Boracay. White Beach is a well known beach in Boracay. You can see a lot of people sunbathing on the white sand trying to unwind and relax.

Skimboarding White Beach

WATERSKIING, BANANA BOAT, PARASAILING AND GLASS BOTTOM BOAT.

These activities are popular in the White Beach of Boracay Island. Waterskiing is fun, but you should have 20/20 vision to remain safe behind the boat and also, to avoid debris while you are waterskiing. Banana Boat Riding is popular mostly for children. They use banana boat or a boat made of banana or a yellow boat shaped like a banana while pulling by a larger boat to move the banana boat fast with four people riding on it.. Two glass bottom boats are available to see the beauty of underwater while staying dry. Parasailing is an adventure sport and favorable when the sea is calm. It is a favorite activity of some people who loves to fly in the air like a bird.

Waterskiing Banana Boat Ride Parasailing Glass Bottom Boat

FISHING. Visitors love to go to Kingfisher's Farm to eat. You can see various kinds of jumping fishes. It's very relishing because there are a lot to catch and eat. The Kingfishers's Farm will grill them for you. One thing why fishes here are delicious and juicy because they cook them fresh.

SCUBA DIVING. Scuba Diving is one of the popular sport . Swimming underwater longer is an accomplishment because not all people can do it. Ilig Iligan Beach is perfect for Scuba Diving especially when the beach is normally calm and clear.

Scuba Diving Ilig Iligan Beach

Ilig Iligan Beach is on the east coast of Boracay Island and has many caves. Local Boracay boys offer their service as a tourist guide to travelers who want to explore the caves.

Exploring the island can learn you many things and. doing all the activities makes you feel very proud of yourself. It serves as a fulfilled experience. You can tell your friends and the world that you've been to one of the most beautiful island in the Philippines. It's really worthy to spend money for a vacation.