The grand canyon life in the gorge

An eagle swoops overhead, its vast wingspan silhouetted against the morning sun. A trained eye surveys the land below, anticipating any sudden movement.

Deep in the canyon beneath, the Colorado River runs its relentless course through Grand Canyon National Park, carved through the ages by this vein flowing through Arizona. As the sun climbs the morning sky, flooding the valley with light, the ground temperature rises and the creatures of the valley begin their daily quest for survival.

The immense scale of the Grand Canyon is difficult to comprehend. At its peak, the side walls plummet 1500 m (5000 ft) down to the river. At its broadest the canyon extends up to 29 km (18 mi) wide and overall the complex stretches over 446 km (227 mi).

The Grand Canyon is perhaps America’s most recognisable landmark. The region is a magnet for tourists, attracting over 5 million visitors each year. Nobody fully appreciates the landscape until they have experienced it for themselves.

From the Colorado River, deep in the canyon floor, layer upon layer of rock becomes noticeable, stacked like pancakes, each one representing millions of years of evolution. Tiers of lime and sandstone stand excavated by the river, wind and sands of time.

Above the canyon, the temperature in the plateau area ranges from one extreme to another. Down on the canyon floor, temperatures can exceed 100°F, though winter frosts are rare.

It’s surprising to imagine anything living in this hot and arid land far from the river, but the valleys are bursting with life. Plants and animals cling precariously to the vertical cliff faces, every nook and cranny bustling with activity.

Deep on the valley floor, the creatures scurry around, living their own rat race. The park is home to a wide variety of animals including the unique Grand Canyon “pink” rattlesnake. Ringtails, beavers and chipmunks are all widespread. Hundreds of bird species have made their home in the park, as well as countless insects and arachnids.

The canyon communities have their own pecking orders. Here, in this parched and hostile land, the food chain provides a delicate balance between survival, or finishing as dinner for those in the hierarchy. The environment is uncompromising and evolution has chosen its few.

In the distance, the eagle glides effortlessly over the broad crevasse. A sudden change in direction and the predator is racing to the ground at speed. Moments later, an unfortunate rodent has become breakfast.

Fano a dream of a holiday destination

You stand on the beach on Fano Island with your back to the sand-dunes looking out towards the North Sea and you wonder if what you’re seeing is real. The beach is so wide you cannot guess how far it is to the sea. You can see little black figures on the shoreline; sometimes they resemble the figure eight and sometimes they break in half, just for a fleeting moment, so that you see two ovals, one above the other. Everything about this island is dream-like and when you leave you wonder to yourself if you were really ever there.

But real this island is. Fano (pronounced fay-nooh) is the northern most of the North Sea islands that span from Holland in the south, to Denmark in the north. It is small, only about 8 km wide and 20 km in length and lies 3 km off the Danish city of Esbjerg, onetime 3rd largest fishing port in Europe and, undeniably, Denmark’s ugliest city, though a good deal better than many other cities to be found in Europe.

The only way to reach Fano is by a small car and passenger ferry that departs from Esbjerg every 20 minutes. There has been talk of building a bridge to the island, but it is to be hoped that this will never happen. After a 15 minute crossing you arrive at the main town of Nordby (pronounced nor-booh). It is called a town but it is really only a village. The island has two settlements Nordby and Sonderho (pronounced sunner-hooh) and both are exquisite.

When departing the ferry, spend some time walking the length of the main street. The street has barely changed in over 200 hundred years. Both sides are hemmed in by single storey thatched cottages - the ridge of the thatched cottages is finished with sods of grassy-earth, unlike England where the ridge is also made of thatch. And the road narrows in places so that a car can only just squeeze through. The street contains many little shops, selling everything from flowers, knit wear and crafts. There is an ancient potter (complete with a shaggy beard) who makes and paints beautifully simple pots, vases, plates and cups. You can also pop-in to the amber shop. If you talk to the owner, he will tell you how he collects the amber off the beach after the spring storms and polishes and grades the amber. He will even show you his more unusual pieces that contain insects that lived and died millions of years ago.

You can travel south to the island’s other settlement, Sonderho. Both villages are on the east side of the island, gaining protection from the North Sea on its westward side. Sonderho, especially, seems to ‘hunker down’ in the sand dunes. The visitor will leave Nordby knowing that the town is truly exquisite, he will arrive in Sonderho and know he has found something sublime.

Sonderho, is beautifully positioned on the south of the island amongst the sand dunes and reed beds. There are few shops but there is the Sonderho Kro (inn). It was founded in the early 18th century and has been in the same family for nine generations. The visitor really should dine there. The cuisine is superb and the inn is one of the most romantic spots on earth. You should try the smoked fish and meats, and afterwards walk in the small garden of the inn and inspect the smoke-houses. There is also a windmill on the outskirts of the village and a church, and both are well worth seeing.

The islands crowning glory is its beach. It runs the entire length of the island and is very, very wide. There are acres of room, even at the height of summer. You can be far away from everyone else despite the cars and camper vans that drive up and down it; the island bus that connects Sonderho to Nordby; the kite buggies and kite boarders that throng to the island; dog walkers; and the few nude tourists you’ll often see strolling along the beach! There is an annual kite festival held every year on the beach, in May, and thousands of kites are flown; it’s a fantastic site.

The island has, what seems like, hundreds of summer-houses. Most are holiday homes for Danish families. If you’re going to spend some time on the island, you should consider renting one and spend time amongst the dunes or in the woods, sitting on the porch, sipping wine in the a amber-glow of the long, Nordic summer evenings. The intoxicating, dream-like quality of the island will take hold of you and wash your weariness away; it’s a promise.

And when you come away, you’ll have dream-like memories of the shimmering images you saw on the beach and doubt if you were really there. Maybe the island is just a dream, maybe it isn’t. Perhaps, the island is the ‘Lorna Doon’ of the North Sea. A place, a lucky few, has had the good fortune to visit.

Visit hollywood california

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By: David G. Hallstrom, Sr.

World famous Hollywood, California is one of the best known cities in the world, however it not a city, it's mayor is honorary, it has no city council or other city officers. It is part of the city of Los Angeles and as such is governed by the Los Angeles city council and mayor and it's security is maintained by the Los Angeles Police Department.



What Hollywood does have is the Kodak Theatre which since opening in November 2001, has hosted a range of prestigious artists and events including the Academy Awards® Ceremonies, Celine Dion, Prince, Elvis Costello, Barry Manilow, American Ballet Theatre, Moscow Stanislavsky Ballet, AFI Life Achievement Award to Tom Hanks, ESPY Awards, American Idol finals, GREASE starring Frankie Avalon and more, the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre with it's movie premieres, it's cement handprints and footprints which immortalize some of entertainment's brightest stars, the Egyptian Theatre, a 40,000-square-foot - theater complex, located at 6712 (& 6708 which is the address of retail space on the property) Hollywood Boulevard, currently consists of an operational 618-seat theater, a 6,700-square-foot tiled courtyard and a 3,080-square-foot retail building
and the Pantages Theatre, which has become one of the greatest landmarks of Hollywood, signifying both the glorious past and adventuresome future of the world's entertainment capital.



Hollywood is also home to the Hollywood Bowl, The Greek Theatre which offers top quality entertainment under the stars, the Whisky A Go-Go, the Troubadour, the Hollywood Wax Museum which takes visitors of all ages on a personal stroll down memory lane, recapturing special moments with old friends from movies, television, music, sports and history, the Hollywood Entertainment Museum which features technologically advanced, interactive exhibits, memorabilia, special exhibitions, a six-minute multi-screen video presentation and a studio backlot tour and the El Capitan Theatre, an exclusive first run theatre for Walt Disney Pictures with live stage shows and world premieres.



While Hollywood does not have much in the way of hotels it does have the recently renovated (at a cost of $35,000,000.00) Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, a Hollywood landmark since 1927, which is right across the street from Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Celebrities stay there frequently, especially during premiers and other special functions. There is also the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel by Marriott with it's 637 rooms and suites, roof-top pool, fitness room, full business center and more.



Hollywood, which had been in decline since the late 1950s has lately been undergoing it's own renovation and while it is not yet like it was in it's heyday, it is again, a fun and interesting place to visit.



Stroll down Hollywood Blvd., take in the sights, visit the Wax Museum, the Entertainment Museum, and the Kodak Theatre, have your picture taken with one or more of the many celebrity look-alikes hanging around, go shopping at Frederick's Of Hollywood or at one of the many specialty shops, dine at one of the many restaurants, go dancing at Wiskey A Go-Go, take in a concert at the Greek Theatre or take in a movie at one of Hollywood's famous theatres.



For more information about Hollywood, California see hollywood. usacitydirectories. com, a directory of links to Hollywood, California guides and directories listing resources, services, things to do, places to go and more.

Siberia russia part 6 when stairs attack in the khabarovsk train station

In this continuing series, we cover my move from San Diego to Chita, Siberia to be a professor at Chita State Technical University. We pick up the story going to the train station in Khabarovsk to catch the Trans-Siberian Railroad.

Day 4!

If you’ve been reading this series on NomadJournalTrips. com, you know my original travel estimate was 2 Ѕ days from San Diego to Chita, Russia. Well, day 4 has arrived and I am just getting on the train. This horrible time estimate is evidence of a poor math education. I blame the American education system!

I never could figure out those math hypotheticals, “If a train is going south at “x” speed and a cyclist is going north at “x” speed, when will they meet?” When are they going to meet? More like, “What the heck is cyclist going to look like WHEN they meet?” What about his family, not to mention the nightmares suffered by the conductor. I mean, really, who can do math under such circumstances?

Stairs…Evil, Evil Stairs

At the Intourist hotel, we arranged for train tickets to Chita. By we, I mean my friend Grae did everything. For $27, “we” had arranged a private berth and all was good. With a good nights sleep, we headed down from the room and out into the…pouring rain. A local was kind enough to give us a ride to the train station and all seemed good. After a bit of pointing, extreme facial expressions and so on, we discovered our train was running about an hour slow. We hunkered down and did a bit of people watching.

As we sat, I pondered my luggage. I had a large hiking backpack and something I called “the lump.” The lump was an extremely large duffle bag with tiny wheels on one-end and plastic bars running down the flat side/bottom. In theory, you could roll it or drag it anywhere. Mine was black, wet and weighed about 70 pounds. Before you snicker, keep in mind I was going to Siberia for a year. What would you take? Still, I had an uneasy feeling, but couldn’t really figure out why.

Our hour was up and it was time to head to the track platform. Like many European train stations, one had to actually walk down stairs, through a tunnel and then back up stairs to get to your platform. This is not the way it works in San Diego. It also doesn’t rain in San Diego. Rain, 70 pound bag on wheels, plastic bars, stairs…I think you get the picture.

The stairs were packed as I shuffled forward pulling the lump behind me. You would be proud. I made the first flight without maiming anyone or being slapped. Just as I stepped down the second flight, “thou was nudgeth from behind.”

Time slowed.

The lump hit me in the back of the knees. I fell back onto the lump. In a transformation beyond my primitive understanding of quantum physics, the lump became a high performance bobsled. Down I went.

Still in slow motion, I couldn’t help but notice the agility of the Russians in the stairwell. Some jumped up an ornamental shelf running down the stairs. Overweight individuals sucked it up and suddenly became thin. Miraculously, not one soul was hit on my way to the bottom. My landing was uneventful, which is to say there wasn’t a loud smack on the wall at the bottom of the stairs.

I jumped up and turned to see if anyone was injured. There was total silence. Faces just stared back at me. Apparently, the only thing injured was my ego and skin, which was turning a dark shade of red. Well, I like to make an impression! I vehemently prayed that none of them were going to Chita.

Everyone started moving again and not a word was said. Alas, the lump was not so accommodating when it came to climbing up the stairs on the other end of the tunnel.

Next – The Trans-Siberian Railway…How Many Days To Chita?!

Discover mijares mexican restaurant in pasadena california

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Mijares Mexican Restaurant in Pasadena, California is extremely well known for two things, their margaritas and their all you can eat Sunday champaign buffet brunch, both of which are excellent. This restaurant has been around for what seems like forever and has developed a crowd of very loyal patrons.



Although it is justly well known for it's Sunday buffet, this is a good place to dine in at any time. Their food is always fresh and well prepared and their service is usually above average. The atmosphere is casual, relaxed and friendly and their prices are very reasonable.



Every once in a while someone will tell me that the food here is not authentic Mexican cuisine (most of these people, by the way, are not Mexican or Hispanic and have never been to Mexico). When I ask them why they feel that the food is not authentic, they say that the food is not spicy or hot enough. They say that Mexican food is very hot because of all the chili that is added during cooking. Well, I have news for those people, not all Mexicans like their food extra spicy and many that do enjoy it hot like to add their chili while they are eating. Every Mexican that I know who has eaten here likes the way the food is prepared and likes the chilis and salses that are served with the food. My son, who is one half Mexican, likes his food hot, the hotter the better, yet this is one of his favorite Mexican restaurants. He says that neither the food nor the salsas can compare with those prepared by his mother or grandmother but they are better those served in most Mexican restaurants that he has been to.
I have been a fan of Mexican cuisine since I met my wife in 1966. I do not like hot or very spicey food but I do like well prepared food with good flavor. I do not think that anyone can cook better than my wife, however we both like to go out to eat and we both enjoy good Mexican restaurants. While there are some Mexican restaurants that I prefer over Mijares, none of them are in Pasadena.



The Sunday brunch at Mijares is very good and at $16.95 per person is very cheap. Some people I know drink that much in free champaign and mimosas. If you are not that much into Mexican food the buffet also has eggs, hash browns, bacon, ham and delicious ribs. Their omelet chef makes excellent omelets and definitely doesn't stint on the ingredients. If you are into Mexican food they serve menudo, fajitas, various types of tacos, enchiladas, carnitas, rice, beans and more. They have a nice variety of desserts including flan and plenty of fruit.



Mijares has a fairly small but well stocked bar. It seems, however that almost everyone goes there for the margaritas which are inexpensive, generously proportioned and made with good quality tequila. The bartenders are friendly and the patrons at the bar always seem to be part of one big party.



Mijares Mexican Restaurant is a family owned restaurant and is located in it's own hacienda style building at 145 Palmetto Drive, Pasadena, California. It has plenty of free and valet parking except on Friday and Saturday nights when it seems as if almost everybody in the San Gabriel Valley is there partying, eating, drinking margaritas and listening to mariachi music.



Reservations are not required but they are a good idea. The telephone number for Mijares is 626-792-2763.



For a directory of restaurants and restaurant reviews in the city of Pasadena, California see pasadena. usacitydirectories. com/restaurants. html, a directory listing Pasadena restaurants alphabetically and by category or type with reviews written by restaurant customers.

Nunavut canadas diamond

The province known as Nunavut has supported a continuous population for more then 4000 years. The province was founded by Martin Frobisher back in 1576 while leading an expedition to find the Northwest Passage. In 1976, talks for a land claim agreement and the new territory between the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada and the federal government began. Then in April 1, 1999 Nunavut Act were passed by the Canadian Parliament.

The population of Nunavut as of 2004 is 29,300, the economy is based on, mining, diamonds, gold, zinc, lead, copper, and nickel. There are a lot of companies investing there money to look for diamonds as we speak.

Here are some quick facts

-Iqaluit is the largest city

-The Population 29,300

-13th province Admittance into Confederation on April 1, 1999

-13thTime zone

There are many neat things to do and see, you can tour some of the old mines that have been shut down, fishing in the summer is awesome, hunting if you are the hunting type, touring the cities and villages. It is pretty amazing to see the people up there, the way they live, how they hunt and how they keep there traditions alive in there children. I think that it is worth while place to visit because you will learn so much that you thought never existed. So you will want to visit here in the summer so you can see nature at its best unless you like cold weather.