Mar 27, 2013
Singapore. Looking at one of 3 scale models of the city/country of Singapore, I was awed by the amount of green space. While Singapore is the second most densely populated country in the world, almost 50% of its land is dedicated to parks and other green space. We visited the Urban Redevelopment Authority to see the city from a different perspective, a 1: 5,000 scale model which was very cool. The models are used for urban planning and development which is particularly important in a country with only 272 square miles. And Singapore has won many awards for their urban planning. So many, in fact, they now sell their urban development expertise to other countries such as Dubai, Brazil, Qatar and Oman (not sure where all these countries are located but they sound pretty exotic). So not only is Singapore one of the cleanest cities/countries in the world (and while you don’t get caned for littering, the fine was just increased to $410 US dollars for improperly disposing of your trash), it is also one of the best planned. And safest. And greenest. My, my. Do I see a move in the future? ... read more
Mar 25, 2013
Thailand. With over 40,000 Buddhist temples in Thailand, Wat Po is one of the largest temples in Bangkok. Home to the reclining Buddha we have seen, it also has numerous curious statues guarding the inner courtyards. Here we see a Farang (meaning foreigner in Thai) guard who is dressed in Western style wearing a top hat. Very strange. What is even stranger to me, these statues were used as ballast on trade ships returning from China. So what exactly is ballast? While it is used by ships to lower their center of gravity, by providing weight, it is also used by Formula One racing cars, hot air balloons, offshore drilling platforms, snow plows and floating wind turbines. Wow. I never really thought about ballast. Race cars use ballast to help the car meet minimum weight requirements, ships use it to improve stability and maneuverability and of course the Wizard of Oz(my all time favorite movie)used it to launch his hot air balloon that poor Dorothy missed as she ran after Toto. Good thing she had her red shoes to get her home!... read more
Mar 22, 2013
Thailand. Frogs for sale in a Northern Thailand market. I guess if I had grown up eating frogs instead of chicken, I wouldn’t be so put off by the thought of eating them. But wait, that may be a really good thing. How so? Frogs are amphibians (another cool word) living on both land and in the water, unlike reptiles that only live on land. And frogs are one of the most rapidly disappearing animal on Earth due to over harvesting and disease. Some reports indicate we could see up to one third of all amphibians go extinct in our lifetime, which would be the largest mass extinction since the dinosaur and have serious environmental impacts. Just think of all the Mosquitos they eat! Some are taking action. France has banned the collection and sale of all native frogs due to a declining population. Unfortunately, at the same time, they increased their imports making them one of the largest frog importers along with Belgium and the US. Most frogs are imported from Indonesia including Thailand, severely putting the frog populations at risk in the export countries. In the US, the famous San Francisco restaurant, Gary Danko, removed frog legs from their menu in 2010 (I have eaten there once and it was fabulous) and Wegman’s, the grocery chain, removed them from all their stores due to the environmental impact. So next time you are offered a frog leg, think twice. It is the small choices we make every day that make a difference. ... read more
Mar 20, 2013
Thailand. While this photo is not Motty, it is of a very happy baby elephant crunching on sugar cane at The Four Seasons Resort. I am about a foot away from her with more sugar cane in my hand. Very fun! So who is Motty? Motty was the only known hybrid born from a African and Asian elephant mating. He was born in 1978 at The Chester Zoo in England and sadly died after 12 days from an umbilical infection despite intensive human intervention. Having characteristics of both parents he looks very cute in old photos. Normally African and Asian elephants are not in the same geographic area so they don’t have an opportunity to mate. And they are actually 2 different species so cross breeding is very difficult. Which got me to thinking, do other species cross breed? Well of course? There is the zebroid (zebra and horse), the cama (camel and llama), the pizzly (polar bear and grizzly) and no I am not making this up, the wholphin, a cross between a dolphin and killer whale. Wow, I continue to be amazed at this whole world out there just waiting to be discovered. ... read more
Mar 19, 2013
Bermuda. Is it called caving, spelunking or potholing? Depends where you live. In the US and Canada, caving is known as spelunking (which is really one of the coolest words ever) and in the UK and Ireland, it is known as potholing (not such a cool word). Caving involves exploring caves (brilliant) which are some of the most fragile and rarest environments on Earth. Recreational caving differs from other sports in that it is intentionally not publicized to ensure individuals don’t abuse caves due to ignorance or disregard. Many species found in caves exist only in that single cave. In Bermuda, over 25 cave species are critically endangered meaning they have a 50% chance of extinction if nothing is done. Wow, I had no idea. So what can we do to protect our caves? Learn about our environment. Knowledge is power. Even on the cave tour I joined, people had thrown coins into the pools to make a wish. Unbeknownst to me, the copper in pennies deteriorates rapidly causing toxic copper ions that pollute the water. Had I known, I would have said something to the tour guide. Now that would have made for an interesting dialogue!... read more
Mar 18, 2013
Thailand. The soles of the Reclining Buddha at the Wat Pho temple in Bangkok are inlaid with Mother of Pearl. Of the 108 scenes, each represents a depiction of enlightenment. Flowers, baskets, flags, animals. As you can see from the photo, all very intricate and shiny. So what exactly is Mother of Pearl? Well, I had no idea other than it is iridescent. So I learned it is also called nacre (good Scrabble word) and is made in much the same way as a pearl. Produced by a mollusk, such as an oyster or abalone, it is a blend of minerals secreted by the mollusk inside their shells to protect them from foreign objects and parasites. A pearl is made by the same substance deposited around an object (inserted naturally or by humans) lodged in the mollusk’s shell. Mother of Pearl is used in jewelry, furniture making, buttons and musical instruments. Items made using nacre are considered to be organic since they originate from living creatures or plants. While it is very resilient and tough, it scratches easily. Another amazing work of nature used by us humans to enrich our lives!... read more
Mar 18, 2013
Thailand. Another interesting mystery. This is the largest gold Buddha in the world weighing over 5 tons and standing (well actually sitting) almost 10 feet tall in the Wat Traimit temple in downtown Bangkok. The origins remain unclear but it is believed to have been made in the 13th century. No one is sure where the statue was cast which is part of the mystery. At some point, again no one is sure, the statue was covered completely in plaster to hide it from thieves, possibly marauding Burmese. And then it was completely forgotten for a couple of hundred years. Made of over 175,000 ounces of gold it is worth $300 million at today’s prices. No small amount to be just forgotten. Seriously how do you overlook a few hundred million dollars for over 200 years? At any rate, in 1955, as a plain plaster Buddha, it was being moved to a new location and was dropped. Some of the plaster chipped off and it was discovered to be be made of solid gold underneath the stucco. So viola. One of the most stunning statues I have ever seen. ... read more
Mar 15, 2013
Bermuda. The only fresh water source in Bermuda is rainfall. There are no streams or lakes. So how is rain water collected? From the roofs. Which is why all the roofs on Bermuda buildings are white. Bermuda law requires every household collect 80% of the rain that falls on the roof. The white paint on the roof tiles is a nontoxic material applied every 2-3 years which keeps the rain water as clean as possible as it is channeled off the roof into cisterns. Very civilized. And what a great idea! Why doesn’t everyone collect rainwater. Well, in the US, it is illegal in 9 states. What? Illegal? But in some states it is a law you must collect rain. You have to be kidding. So if you live in Utah, Oregon or Washington you have no right to the precipitation (rain or snow) that falls on your property. It is publicly owned. Yet if you live in Texas, you are incentivized to buy rain water collection equipment and in Arizona, most new buildings are required to install rain catchment systems. Very confusing and absolutely crazy.... read more
Mar 13, 2013
Thailand. Here we are back in the Andaman Sea looking at one of the many caves appearing in the limestone karsts. The caves are home to a bird species, of the swallow family, who builds its nests high inside the dark caves. And somebody has to harvest the nests since they are highly prized by the Chinese for making bird nest soup. You can see one of the bird nest gatherers in the photo along with some of the bamboo scaffolding they use to climb up to the nests. This goes on my list of most unique jobs ever. The nests are only woven by the male birds and made of bird saliva so in essence, bird nest soup is the same as eating steamed bird spit (yummy). But don’t cringe as bird nest soup is one of the most expensive animal products consumed by humans. The gatherers live in the caves for up to a month at a time and most are heavily guarded to prevent theft. Luckily this guy appeared friendly as he waved at us. And on an interesting note, a synonym for gatherer is magpie, another bird friend who we know recognizes him/herself in the mirror. So the world comes full circle. ... read more
Mar 13, 2013
Bermuda. Having never heard of a karst until visiting Thailand, I was excited to learn there are karsts in Bermuda. Not only karsts, but caves. Filled with stalagmites and stalactites. On a quick business trip to Bermuda last week, standing in the Customs line, I watched a video on the caves and cave animals living in Bermuda. Caves in Bermuda? I have been to Bermuda 12-15 times and never heard of caves. It just goes to show what happens when we look around us to experience life. A karst is formed when water sinks into limestone forming peaks, caves and sinkholes. And Bermuda has one of the largest concentrations of caves in the world with over 150 caves. Really! This is Crystal Cave with an underground walkway through the cave. Our guide told us stalactites always go down (an elderly lady told him the tights are always down. I don’t know if she meant hers but it has helped me remember it). The stalagmites grow up and a column is where they meet in the middle. How very cool.... read more
Mar 11, 2013
Thailand. What are all these intricate patterns on the beach, I wonder? Where did they come from. Aliens? Reminds me of the mysterious corn maze circles. But on closer observation, there are tiny little sand colored crabs scurrying around. Every time I get near they descend into their burrows. It turns out, the sand balls shown in the photo, are made by sand bubbler crabs native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The crabs take sand into their mouths, sift thru it looking for organic materials washed in by the tide, and then spit the sand out into a ball. They can make 360 balls an hour (I am not sure who sat and counted) forming the most amazing patterns radiating from their burrow holes. At high tide, the balls are washed away and the crab starts all over at low tide. The longer the tide is out, the more detailed the pattern. Quite the little artists in nature.... read more
Mar 11, 2013
Thailand. Traveling to the southwest corner of Thailand, we flew into Krabi. The waters around Krabi and Phuket, about a 2 hour drive between the 2 cities, is known as the best all season sailing waters in the world. On a private longboat ride we were able to visit some of the numerous limestone karsts (a great scrabble word) in the Andaman Sea, located off the southwest coast of Thailand. A karst is a unique landscape found all over the world, including in Indiana (go figure), formed by the underground erosion of rocks such as limestone. And these are indeed limestone karsts. This area of the world has no winter and an average temperature of 82 degrees for both the water and air temperature. There are no hurricanes or typhoons (this place is looking better and better), however….. Isn’t there always a but? The 2004 tsunami devastated the entire region which lies on the ring of fire where 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur. Oh my. We didn’t see signs of the devastation and I am very glad I didn’t read about it in detail until we got home, but it is a real threat. Funny, no one mentioned it at the resort we stayed.... read more
