Mr. A.W. Smith was bored with life in the British Army in 1930 and decided to try something wildly different. He ended up in the largely uninhabited teak forest in Burma. His adventure is recounted for us in "Working Teak in the Burma Forests: The Sagacious Elephant is Man's Ablest Ally in the Logging Industry of the Far East," in the August, 1930, issue of National Geographic Magazine.
Smith brought with him from London six months of food due to the remote area. During the journey to his destination, he tried to learn to speak the Burmese language. "Of the 8 or 9 languages, ancient and modern, Asiatic and European, I have learned or tried to learn, Burmese is the most difficult" (p. 240).
The country of Burma is now called the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. In southeast Asia, it is bordered by China on the north and east, Thailand and Laos on the east, and Bangladesh and India on the west. (Gotta love my globe and also Google!) It has a long coastline (1,200 miles) on the Bay of Bengal. Burma has many hills with a thick tropical forest.
When finally in the teak forest, Smith was trained for two months by an experienced native elephant master. Smith would be in charge of 80 elephants and 300 men in a district of 3,000 square miles.
Anxious to get started, he was cautioned by his manager in camp, "You will see all the elephants you want to in the next month or two. . .and unless you are a born elephant master you may begin to get tired of looking over backs and feet and seeing that saddlery fits" (p. 241).
Teak trees are relatively rare in the hardwood forests, so they have to be hunted. Why go to such great lengths to harvest teak trees in 1930? "Many hundred millions of feet of teak are produced in the Rangoon mills annually, most of it to be used locally in India and Burma for housebuilding abroad, principally as shipbuilding material. Of all the timbers of the world, teak is the shipbuilders greatest prize" (p. 246).
The teak trees were located, felled, measured, and floated down rivers by the ancient, tried-and-true methods, using elephants. I was impressed that both the elephants, the natives, and the teak trees were respected, never forced, and that all habits and seasons were faithfully observed by the British, foreign owners.
The elephants were worked very hard but taken care of very well. There was a certain annual percentage of loss of elephants in the camps. Mr. Smith was extremely proud that in his first year, not a single elephant died.
Mr. Smith concludes, "I must be a born elephant master, for I never tired of it, though I have never attained to any great heights of skill or knowledge in elephant management" (p. 241).
FYI: In this year, 2013, Burma produces one-third of the world's teak wood.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Our Holiday!
You and I are both getting a holiday, dear blog reader! For two days I have digested 100 pages of cool relief from the Antarctic tales of Admiral Byrd's expedition to the South Pole. I have written a longer-than-usual report ("To the South Pole!" Tuesday, October 8, 2013). So, now we have a miniscule 6-page account of an award given to the Admiral in the next article.
"Richard E. Byrd, on the evening of June 20, 1930, in Washington, D.C., received from the hands of President Herbert Hoover the National Geographic Society's Special Gold Medal of Honor" (National Geographic Magazine, August, 1930, "Admiral Byrd Receives New Honor from the Society," p. 228).
Have a nice day!
"Richard E. Byrd, on the evening of June 20, 1930, in Washington, D.C., received from the hands of President Herbert Hoover the National Geographic Society's Special Gold Medal of Honor" (National Geographic Magazine, August, 1930, "Admiral Byrd Receives New Honor from the Society," p. 228).
Have a nice day!
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
To the South Pole!
As the heat of summer lingers in Kentucky, U.S.A., this October day, I am pleased to stay in the cold, far south of the world. Richard Evelyn Byrd, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy Retired, tells us of "The Conquest of Antarctica by Air" in the August, 1930, issue of National Geographic Magazine."
Imagine a land as large as our United States, covered by ice and snow. In 1930, there were many unanswered questions concerning the bottom of the world. "Is it a continent? Some geographers believe it is two huge islands. How far does its mountain range extend . . . How thick is the ice cap? How old? How is it fed?. . . Are there coal beds, minerals, fossils?" (p. 127).
Admiral Byrd reports, "with our airplane, in a single flight, we saw more of the continent than all the previous explorers, necessarily land-bound, could have possibly have beheld" (p. 127). The land was also mapped by camera during his trip.
FYI: "South Polar regions affect the world's weather even more than do Arctic areas" (p. 128).
Since there are no groceries in Antarctica, Admiral Byrd spent three years making extensive preparations for the fourteen month trip. They took tons of food and supplies with them on the sailing ship, The City of New York. They chose this huge motorized sailboat due to the thickness of its hull, 34 inches of wooden timbers, proven to break ice if necessary. Forty-two men went on the expedition "without critical illness or distress;. . . (their base contained) scientific laboratories, hospital, gymnasium, storerooms, mess hall, offices, machine shop, dog kennels, and radio station" (photo caption, p. 136).
For a new view of our beautiful world, look at the globe - upside down, with the Antarctic Continent at the top. New Zealand is closer to the South Pole than Australia! New Zealand is where many of the party's supplies were shipped prior to the Big Trip. Oh! The things I'm learning!
No wonder they took three years' supplies with them, in case they got stranded. "When the winter night should set in, all the combined merchant marines and navies of the world could not reach us" (p. 137).
Admiral Byrd analyzed his feelings before the trip. "I could get no sleep, knowing the risk involved, not only to the success of the expedition, but to the lives of the men. I believe it is impossible for any one to realize how tough it is on a leader to have his men in grave danger" (p. 159).
Their two ships, "The New York and the Eleanor Bolling set sail from Donedin (New Zealand) December 2, 1928. (p. 138). Also included with their supplies were two monoplanes and 80 dogs. "In three days we faced the ice pack that encircles Ross Sea. East and west, as far as we could see, the ice extended in an unbroken line of white" (p. 139).
The men tried traveling over the snow with a motorized snowmobile but it quickly broke down and they relied entirely on dogs pulling supplies on sleds while they skied. The 80 dogs were fed with seal meat, easily obtainable. The Weddell seals can be nine feet long, "sometimes weighing a ton or more" (photo caption, p. 168). The men saw many penguins and whales also.
Part of the privilege of exploring new areas was naming them. Admiral Byrd named the new land after his wife, "Marie Byrd Land" and claimed it for the U.S. (p. 168). Note: parts of Antarctica had already been claimed by the British and Swedish during land expeditions.
The winter night in Antarctica was four months long, from April 18 to August 20, and there was NO SUN at all. "Our main winter job is keep happy, and the way to keep happy under these conditions is to keep busy. We allowed no one to stay in bed" (p. 175).
After the sun rose again, there was beauty in the land. "The rolling plain of snow, leading into that vast ice wilderness, was tinted in soft rose traversed by purple shadows. The Sun flamed above the western horizon; in the eastern sky rode the ghostlike moon" (p. 184).
The Admiral monitored news from around the world via radio. "For several weeks we had been thrilled by the daily report from Dr. Hugo Eckener's flight around the world. . .we got in direct communication with the Graf Zeppelin" on August 29 (p. 183). Please see this blog entry of Friday, September 27, 2013, "Around the World in 21 days in a Blimp."
To carry their supplies, all 650 tons of it, from the ships to the place where they would build the base camp, "Little America, dog sleds were used. "They stuck to it without let-up" (p. 149).
During the fourteen months which the Byrd expedition spent at the Antarctic base, only two days recorded an air temperature above 32 degrees Fahrenheit" (photo caption, p. 162). The extreme cold, as low as 72 degrees below zero, was, of course, a big problem. Every aspect of the trip was considered before leaving. Building materials and insulation were very thick. "The walls and roofs were four inches thick and painted orange color so they could be seen from planes. . . not a nail was used. The beams supporting the buildings were held by bolts which did not go to the outside, so they would not transmit cold" (p. 150).
How cold is 72 degrees below zero? "We had to warm the candles under the meteorological balloons before they would burn" (p. 177).
The first plane, "Stars and Stripes," made its first flight January 15, just weeks after camp was established. "Ahead of us stretched a vast snow-covered ice field that the eye of man was scanning for the first time. We felt the lure of entering the unknown" (p. 154).
"In Polar regions there inevitably arise occasions when to succeed one must take long chances" (p. 159). Here are some 'almost' disasters they faced:
*The planes 'almost' crashed into the many mountains they met.
*When unloading, one plane was almost lost to the breaking ice floes.
*There were no accidents when unloading supplies, even though everyone worked feverishly day and night.
*When a large ice chunk fell onto a boat, one man was thrown into the water. The Admiral himself jumped in to rescue the man. He failed but others succeeded in rescuing the man.
*On ice travel, there were many wide and narrow cracks and crevices, some descending 100 feet directly down to saltwater.
*The last supply ship was so coated with the winter ice it threatened to sink.
When the Admiral and his crew of three were ready to fly to and photo-map the South Pole, "we shared a feeling of excitement and interest; facing us was one of those adventures that occur seldom in a lifetime" (p. 193). Near the Pole, Byrd described, "Never have I seen such rugged mountains or such magnificent scenery, but to us they were more like jealous ramparts guarding the solitude of the Pole" (p. 194).
The team decided to try to land close to the Pole at the base of a mountain. "This was one of the biggest moments of the expedition. Everything was staked on that experiment. It was one of the risks an explorer must take sometimes to win" (p. 195). They accomplished the landing, albeit rough. They had to unload supplies for the geological team traveling by dogsleds. In the extreme cold, they couldn't stop the airplane engine because the oil "would have solidified at once" (p. 198). Then they left the area only to have to make an emergency landing in the rough snow when they were 100 miles from their base camp at Little America.
The remaining plane at the base brought them gasoline, they heated the oil and the engines, and made an uneventful trip back to base.
Byrd explains the difference between what explorers on foot could see and what could be seen from a plane. "While a sled party can see over the flat snow approximately 50 square miles, from an airplane 10,000 feet up the visible world covers an area of about 50,000 square miles" (photo caption, p. 204).
Their primary goal of reaching the South Pole having been accomplished, the Byrd expedition packed up and returned by ship to New Zealand to be welcomed gloriously. Byrd concluded, "Our expedition had carried the American flag a thousand miles farther south than it had ever been before. We are all proud of that. Above all else - what means more to me than anything else - is that we left not a single man in Antarctica, and for that we give thanks to Providence" (p. 227).
When I started reading this article, I thought, "What could possibly be adventurous about a land of white snow in every direction?" I found out! This article was an amazing story of foresight, hard work, and scientific expertise.
Imagine a land as large as our United States, covered by ice and snow. In 1930, there were many unanswered questions concerning the bottom of the world. "Is it a continent? Some geographers believe it is two huge islands. How far does its mountain range extend . . . How thick is the ice cap? How old? How is it fed?. . . Are there coal beds, minerals, fossils?" (p. 127).
Admiral Byrd reports, "with our airplane, in a single flight, we saw more of the continent than all the previous explorers, necessarily land-bound, could have possibly have beheld" (p. 127). The land was also mapped by camera during his trip.
FYI: "South Polar regions affect the world's weather even more than do Arctic areas" (p. 128).
Since there are no groceries in Antarctica, Admiral Byrd spent three years making extensive preparations for the fourteen month trip. They took tons of food and supplies with them on the sailing ship, The City of New York. They chose this huge motorized sailboat due to the thickness of its hull, 34 inches of wooden timbers, proven to break ice if necessary. Forty-two men went on the expedition "without critical illness or distress;. . . (their base contained) scientific laboratories, hospital, gymnasium, storerooms, mess hall, offices, machine shop, dog kennels, and radio station" (photo caption, p. 136).
For a new view of our beautiful world, look at the globe - upside down, with the Antarctic Continent at the top. New Zealand is closer to the South Pole than Australia! New Zealand is where many of the party's supplies were shipped prior to the Big Trip. Oh! The things I'm learning!
No wonder they took three years' supplies with them, in case they got stranded. "When the winter night should set in, all the combined merchant marines and navies of the world could not reach us" (p. 137).
Admiral Byrd analyzed his feelings before the trip. "I could get no sleep, knowing the risk involved, not only to the success of the expedition, but to the lives of the men. I believe it is impossible for any one to realize how tough it is on a leader to have his men in grave danger" (p. 159).
Their two ships, "The New York and the Eleanor Bolling set sail from Donedin (New Zealand) December 2, 1928. (p. 138). Also included with their supplies were two monoplanes and 80 dogs. "In three days we faced the ice pack that encircles Ross Sea. East and west, as far as we could see, the ice extended in an unbroken line of white" (p. 139).
The men tried traveling over the snow with a motorized snowmobile but it quickly broke down and they relied entirely on dogs pulling supplies on sleds while they skied. The 80 dogs were fed with seal meat, easily obtainable. The Weddell seals can be nine feet long, "sometimes weighing a ton or more" (photo caption, p. 168). The men saw many penguins and whales also.
Part of the privilege of exploring new areas was naming them. Admiral Byrd named the new land after his wife, "Marie Byrd Land" and claimed it for the U.S. (p. 168). Note: parts of Antarctica had already been claimed by the British and Swedish during land expeditions.
The winter night in Antarctica was four months long, from April 18 to August 20, and there was NO SUN at all. "Our main winter job is keep happy, and the way to keep happy under these conditions is to keep busy. We allowed no one to stay in bed" (p. 175).
After the sun rose again, there was beauty in the land. "The rolling plain of snow, leading into that vast ice wilderness, was tinted in soft rose traversed by purple shadows. The Sun flamed above the western horizon; in the eastern sky rode the ghostlike moon" (p. 184).
The Admiral monitored news from around the world via radio. "For several weeks we had been thrilled by the daily report from Dr. Hugo Eckener's flight around the world. . .we got in direct communication with the Graf Zeppelin" on August 29 (p. 183). Please see this blog entry of Friday, September 27, 2013, "Around the World in 21 days in a Blimp."
To carry their supplies, all 650 tons of it, from the ships to the place where they would build the base camp, "Little America, dog sleds were used. "They stuck to it without let-up" (p. 149).
During the fourteen months which the Byrd expedition spent at the Antarctic base, only two days recorded an air temperature above 32 degrees Fahrenheit" (photo caption, p. 162). The extreme cold, as low as 72 degrees below zero, was, of course, a big problem. Every aspect of the trip was considered before leaving. Building materials and insulation were very thick. "The walls and roofs were four inches thick and painted orange color so they could be seen from planes. . . not a nail was used. The beams supporting the buildings were held by bolts which did not go to the outside, so they would not transmit cold" (p. 150).
How cold is 72 degrees below zero? "We had to warm the candles under the meteorological balloons before they would burn" (p. 177).
The first plane, "Stars and Stripes," made its first flight January 15, just weeks after camp was established. "Ahead of us stretched a vast snow-covered ice field that the eye of man was scanning for the first time. We felt the lure of entering the unknown" (p. 154).
"In Polar regions there inevitably arise occasions when to succeed one must take long chances" (p. 159). Here are some 'almost' disasters they faced:
*The planes 'almost' crashed into the many mountains they met.
*When unloading, one plane was almost lost to the breaking ice floes.
*There were no accidents when unloading supplies, even though everyone worked feverishly day and night.
*When a large ice chunk fell onto a boat, one man was thrown into the water. The Admiral himself jumped in to rescue the man. He failed but others succeeded in rescuing the man.
*On ice travel, there were many wide and narrow cracks and crevices, some descending 100 feet directly down to saltwater.
*The last supply ship was so coated with the winter ice it threatened to sink.
When the Admiral and his crew of three were ready to fly to and photo-map the South Pole, "we shared a feeling of excitement and interest; facing us was one of those adventures that occur seldom in a lifetime" (p. 193). Near the Pole, Byrd described, "Never have I seen such rugged mountains or such magnificent scenery, but to us they were more like jealous ramparts guarding the solitude of the Pole" (p. 194).
The team decided to try to land close to the Pole at the base of a mountain. "This was one of the biggest moments of the expedition. Everything was staked on that experiment. It was one of the risks an explorer must take sometimes to win" (p. 195). They accomplished the landing, albeit rough. They had to unload supplies for the geological team traveling by dogsleds. In the extreme cold, they couldn't stop the airplane engine because the oil "would have solidified at once" (p. 198). Then they left the area only to have to make an emergency landing in the rough snow when they were 100 miles from their base camp at Little America.
The remaining plane at the base brought them gasoline, they heated the oil and the engines, and made an uneventful trip back to base.
Byrd explains the difference between what explorers on foot could see and what could be seen from a plane. "While a sled party can see over the flat snow approximately 50 square miles, from an airplane 10,000 feet up the visible world covers an area of about 50,000 square miles" (photo caption, p. 204).
Their primary goal of reaching the South Pole having been accomplished, the Byrd expedition packed up and returned by ship to New Zealand to be welcomed gloriously. Byrd concluded, "Our expedition had carried the American flag a thousand miles farther south than it had ever been before. We are all proud of that. Above all else - what means more to me than anything else - is that we left not a single man in Antarctica, and for that we give thanks to Providence" (p. 227).
When I started reading this article, I thought, "What could possibly be adventurous about a land of white snow in every direction?" I found out! This article was an amazing story of foresight, hard work, and scientific expertise.
Monday, October 7, 2013
"P" Help #6: Using Local Transportation
Review: For any new reader, "P" stands for one of the mantras of Nursing, my former occupation, from which I'm now retired. "Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance" was drummed into our tired student heads. Toward that end, in traveling, the same thing helps: prepare well for your travels and you'll have a much better time!
Here's a list of my former blog posts about the "Ps": P#1, July 31, 2013: "The Five Ps;" P#2, August 5, 2013: "P" Help #2: Travel Insurance;" "P" Help #3: I.D. & Credit Cards;" "P" help #4: Money, and "P" Help #5, Medical & Safety Needs."
Buses, Cars, Trains, Planes & Taxis: For every place I've traveled in the last twenty years, I've at least had to travel from airport to destination in a city. I might be going to visit a relative, the best scenario, and just have to collect my baggage and be met at some pre-designated area, and be chauffeured to the relative's home. Oh, happiness!!
Otherwise, I'll be going directly to a hotel, hopefully, one close to where I want to be. There are always waiting taxis, sometimes hotel shuttles, or you may rent a car. Taxis are always expensive from the airports. All hotels don't have shuttles. Car rental is an good option if you'll use it during your visit and if the parking fees are included with your hotel room (rare), or if you don't mind expensive parking fees. The only hotel with complementary parking I've stayed in is the Royal Hawaiian in Honolulu. Anyone know of others? I have seen folks on buses with their suitcases but - wow! - I wouldn't do it: cheap but exhausting.
Buses: In many large cities, there are so many wonderful sights you want to see that are spread out all over the city that you can't walk to everything, even in the 'old', historic, central city. If you research the bus system, you'll know how it operates. In Rome, Daughter #3, Cathy, and I, used the local buses extensively. Riding is strictly on the honor system. Pay the fare and receive a printed ticket. Many people don't bother paying. BUT - if an official 'checker' comes aboard and asks to see everyone's ticket, you will get a fine if you can't produce your ticket. It was so cheap; why would anyone cheat?
Cars: I'm hesitant to rent cars in foreign countries. . .especially if it's one of those countries in which you'd be driving on the 'wrong' side of the road. Check before you leave home if your car insurance would pay if you need it in another country. Try to find out the rules of the road also before you leave home. Be really, really careful about parking by your touristy sites. Daughter #4, Theresa, and I got the rental car towed in Hawaii. We looked for "No Parking" signs but didn't notice the little ones that said, "no parking 3:30 - 6:30." It was a very expensive lesson!
Trains: In Europe, the trains are phenomenally wonderful! They are super-clean and super-on-time, not to mention very affordable. Cathy and I found First Class in Italy positively luxurious. Daughter #7, Marie, and I found Standard Class really nice in England. Cathy and I traveled with my nephew, Cieran, from his home in Cavan County, Ireland, to Dublin, in pure comfort, in a bus that was just as nice as our American tour buses, and quite affordable. In Boston and Washington, D.C., the Subway trains are clean, on-time and also affordable.
One feature in England we noticed that was quite different from our American trains: from London to Shrewsbury, there was not a single gated crossing. All the intersections were over bridges. How safe that must be for motorists. What efficient planning they accomplished.
Planes: Yes, planes!, local transportation in Hawaii. You can get from one island to another either in a boat or in a plane. Theresa and I had more than enough fun in Hawaii this time. We thought of taking a day trip to another island but decided we'd rather not rush and get in some more 'beach' time.
Taxis: They are everywhere. I think they're really expensive, even on the rare occasion I've used one in my own city in Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A. But Marie and I found them rather affordable in London. The cabbies were so informative and interesting. One told us, "I could tell you who most of the American presidents were but not so the Prime Ministers of my own country." Another asked us, "What do you think of your president?" (private answer!).
Walking: Perhaps I should add this! The only city I have ever felt unsafe and intimidated in, I'm sorry to say, on both occasions I visited, the last one this past summer, was New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. Tourists have been cautioned for years to walk always in a group, a large one. I'm really embarrassed by this! No where else have I felt unsafe! The exercise is good and you can certainly see much more on foot than by vehicle. Cathy and I also found that in the blistery city of Rome in July are many clean water fountains to be found. Caution: traffic is wicked fast in Rome: look both ways twice before you cross a street!
Plan your next trip soon - travel is SO fun!
Here's a list of my former blog posts about the "Ps": P#1, July 31, 2013: "The Five Ps;" P#2, August 5, 2013: "P" Help #2: Travel Insurance;" "P" Help #3: I.D. & Credit Cards;" "P" help #4: Money, and "P" Help #5, Medical & Safety Needs."
Buses, Cars, Trains, Planes & Taxis: For every place I've traveled in the last twenty years, I've at least had to travel from airport to destination in a city. I might be going to visit a relative, the best scenario, and just have to collect my baggage and be met at some pre-designated area, and be chauffeured to the relative's home. Oh, happiness!!
Otherwise, I'll be going directly to a hotel, hopefully, one close to where I want to be. There are always waiting taxis, sometimes hotel shuttles, or you may rent a car. Taxis are always expensive from the airports. All hotels don't have shuttles. Car rental is an good option if you'll use it during your visit and if the parking fees are included with your hotel room (rare), or if you don't mind expensive parking fees. The only hotel with complementary parking I've stayed in is the Royal Hawaiian in Honolulu. Anyone know of others? I have seen folks on buses with their suitcases but - wow! - I wouldn't do it: cheap but exhausting.
Buses: In many large cities, there are so many wonderful sights you want to see that are spread out all over the city that you can't walk to everything, even in the 'old', historic, central city. If you research the bus system, you'll know how it operates. In Rome, Daughter #3, Cathy, and I, used the local buses extensively. Riding is strictly on the honor system. Pay the fare and receive a printed ticket. Many people don't bother paying. BUT - if an official 'checker' comes aboard and asks to see everyone's ticket, you will get a fine if you can't produce your ticket. It was so cheap; why would anyone cheat?
Cars: I'm hesitant to rent cars in foreign countries. . .especially if it's one of those countries in which you'd be driving on the 'wrong' side of the road. Check before you leave home if your car insurance would pay if you need it in another country. Try to find out the rules of the road also before you leave home. Be really, really careful about parking by your touristy sites. Daughter #4, Theresa, and I got the rental car towed in Hawaii. We looked for "No Parking" signs but didn't notice the little ones that said, "no parking 3:30 - 6:30." It was a very expensive lesson!
Trains: In Europe, the trains are phenomenally wonderful! They are super-clean and super-on-time, not to mention very affordable. Cathy and I found First Class in Italy positively luxurious. Daughter #7, Marie, and I found Standard Class really nice in England. Cathy and I traveled with my nephew, Cieran, from his home in Cavan County, Ireland, to Dublin, in pure comfort, in a bus that was just as nice as our American tour buses, and quite affordable. In Boston and Washington, D.C., the Subway trains are clean, on-time and also affordable.
One feature in England we noticed that was quite different from our American trains: from London to Shrewsbury, there was not a single gated crossing. All the intersections were over bridges. How safe that must be for motorists. What efficient planning they accomplished.
Planes: Yes, planes!, local transportation in Hawaii. You can get from one island to another either in a boat or in a plane. Theresa and I had more than enough fun in Hawaii this time. We thought of taking a day trip to another island but decided we'd rather not rush and get in some more 'beach' time.
Taxis: They are everywhere. I think they're really expensive, even on the rare occasion I've used one in my own city in Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A. But Marie and I found them rather affordable in London. The cabbies were so informative and interesting. One told us, "I could tell you who most of the American presidents were but not so the Prime Ministers of my own country." Another asked us, "What do you think of your president?" (private answer!).
Walking: Perhaps I should add this! The only city I have ever felt unsafe and intimidated in, I'm sorry to say, on both occasions I visited, the last one this past summer, was New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. Tourists have been cautioned for years to walk always in a group, a large one. I'm really embarrassed by this! No where else have I felt unsafe! The exercise is good and you can certainly see much more on foot than by vehicle. Cathy and I also found that in the blistery city of Rome in July are many clean water fountains to be found. Caution: traffic is wicked fast in Rome: look both ways twice before you cross a street!
Plan your next trip soon - travel is SO fun!
Saturday, October 5, 2013
To Juneau in June
This next article in the National Geographic Magazine, July,1930, has immediate appeal for me because the History Channel's show, "Ice Road Truckers," is one of my favorites. Mr. Amos Burg write about a trip to Canada and Alaska in "To-day on "The Yukon Trail of 1898."
Mr. Burg explains the reason for his journey of 2,500 miles, "inspiration armed me with a movie camera. . .and sent me north to see for myself that famous old "Trail of 1898" (p. 84). He took along a friend and a contract to film the annual caribou migration across the Yukon.
The two friends launched their journey in June in Juneau, Alaska. They went by train to White Pass mountain to the headwaters of the Yukon Lakes, "beginning scarcely 15 miles from the Pacific. . . 2,300 miles to reach the Bering Sea" (p. 84). Then the real adventure began. They set out their canoe on Lake Bennett. "Our clothes and provisions were packed in waterproof bags. One of those was marked "Miscellaneous - if you can't find it, look in here" (p. 85).
They paddled to Skagway, the town once crawling with gold-hungry prospectors. The novice adventurers, or "Tenderfeet," were on foot in town. "Our new boots raised blisters as we descended Chilkoot Pass . . . and the mosquitoes buzzed, "They shall not pass" (p. 84).
The sights they saw from their canoe vantage point were mostly breathtakingly beautiful, pristine scenery, many small Indian villages, one phantom mine (spent gold mine), much wildlife but also dangerous rapids along the Yukon. They assessed that they would be killed in the rapids at White Horse so sought 'portage.' I always have a dictionary on hand and generally have to consult it for each and every new article. 'Portage' is the carrying of boats and goods overland between navigable bodies of water.
When I was a young mother years ago, I read an article in National Geographic extolling the wonders of a family living in the North American wilderness. They built a log cabin, raised all their own food, and home-schooled their children before it was popular. This appealed to me very much. Then I read the part about having to ski at least 20 miles in a snowstorm with a child on the dad's back because the child had suspected appendicitis and there was no other way out to get medical help in town. That changed my mind so I didn't even consult my husband who would have probably had a good laugh over my wild idea.
Mr. Burg and companion had multiple opportunities to view the activities of herds of caribou, "one of the most important animals of the Arctic. Scarcely anything manufactured equals caribou skin as warm clothing. In many places in Alaska and Arctic Canada the natives live for long periods exclusively upon caribou meat" (photo caption, p. 98).
Usually the two camped on a river bank but at times would be offered a warm cabin. "One is welcome among these people at any time or place, and the farther the traveler has come the more welcome he is" (p. 123).
There are always new facts of history about which to marvel. The Russian czars possessed the Yukon River area for nearly 100 years! When close to the end of their trip, "After being swept off the beach by a raging storm at Russian Mission," their canoe was "battered beyond repair" (photo caption, p. 121). The two tried "unsuccessfully to charter another boat . . .then shipped on as deckhands aboard the Northern Commercial Company boat Ensee for St. Michael" (p. 126). This was less than 150 miles from the end of the Yukon River and the end of their journey.
"Rounding the passage between Stuart and St. Michael's islands at dawn, we saw, strewing the desolate beach, the last remnants of a faded regime that had spanned almost a century. A Russian blockhouse facing seaward, with its rusted iron cannon, was the beginning; a broken, weary fleet of magnificent river packets that once stemmed the currents to the far reaches of the Yukon was the end. The "Trail of '98" is gone, and Time turns his pages to write a new chapter" (p. 126). FYI: the trip cost Mr. Burg $130.71, not including film.
My dear parents, Adeline and Reuben, were fortunate to take many boat cruises in their later years, all over the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. One time, I asked mom, "What was your very favorite cruise?" She immediately answered, "Alaska. The mountains and ice were unbelievable. But on the deck were teenagers that completely ignored it and played ping-pong." Think I'll have to find out myself someday!
Mr. Burg explains the reason for his journey of 2,500 miles, "inspiration armed me with a movie camera. . .and sent me north to see for myself that famous old "Trail of 1898" (p. 84). He took along a friend and a contract to film the annual caribou migration across the Yukon.
The two friends launched their journey in June in Juneau, Alaska. They went by train to White Pass mountain to the headwaters of the Yukon Lakes, "beginning scarcely 15 miles from the Pacific. . . 2,300 miles to reach the Bering Sea" (p. 84). Then the real adventure began. They set out their canoe on Lake Bennett. "Our clothes and provisions were packed in waterproof bags. One of those was marked "Miscellaneous - if you can't find it, look in here" (p. 85).
They paddled to Skagway, the town once crawling with gold-hungry prospectors. The novice adventurers, or "Tenderfeet," were on foot in town. "Our new boots raised blisters as we descended Chilkoot Pass . . . and the mosquitoes buzzed, "They shall not pass" (p. 84).
The sights they saw from their canoe vantage point were mostly breathtakingly beautiful, pristine scenery, many small Indian villages, one phantom mine (spent gold mine), much wildlife but also dangerous rapids along the Yukon. They assessed that they would be killed in the rapids at White Horse so sought 'portage.' I always have a dictionary on hand and generally have to consult it for each and every new article. 'Portage' is the carrying of boats and goods overland between navigable bodies of water.
When I was a young mother years ago, I read an article in National Geographic extolling the wonders of a family living in the North American wilderness. They built a log cabin, raised all their own food, and home-schooled their children before it was popular. This appealed to me very much. Then I read the part about having to ski at least 20 miles in a snowstorm with a child on the dad's back because the child had suspected appendicitis and there was no other way out to get medical help in town. That changed my mind so I didn't even consult my husband who would have probably had a good laugh over my wild idea.
Mr. Burg and companion had multiple opportunities to view the activities of herds of caribou, "one of the most important animals of the Arctic. Scarcely anything manufactured equals caribou skin as warm clothing. In many places in Alaska and Arctic Canada the natives live for long periods exclusively upon caribou meat" (photo caption, p. 98).
Usually the two camped on a river bank but at times would be offered a warm cabin. "One is welcome among these people at any time or place, and the farther the traveler has come the more welcome he is" (p. 123).
There are always new facts of history about which to marvel. The Russian czars possessed the Yukon River area for nearly 100 years! When close to the end of their trip, "After being swept off the beach by a raging storm at Russian Mission," their canoe was "battered beyond repair" (photo caption, p. 121). The two tried "unsuccessfully to charter another boat . . .then shipped on as deckhands aboard the Northern Commercial Company boat Ensee for St. Michael" (p. 126). This was less than 150 miles from the end of the Yukon River and the end of their journey.
"Rounding the passage between Stuart and St. Michael's islands at dawn, we saw, strewing the desolate beach, the last remnants of a faded regime that had spanned almost a century. A Russian blockhouse facing seaward, with its rusted iron cannon, was the beginning; a broken, weary fleet of magnificent river packets that once stemmed the currents to the far reaches of the Yukon was the end. The "Trail of '98" is gone, and Time turns his pages to write a new chapter" (p. 126). FYI: the trip cost Mr. Burg $130.71, not including film.
My dear parents, Adeline and Reuben, were fortunate to take many boat cruises in their later years, all over the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. One time, I asked mom, "What was your very favorite cruise?" She immediately answered, "Alaska. The mountains and ice were unbelievable. But on the deck were teenagers that completely ignored it and played ping-pong." Think I'll have to find out myself someday!
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Ever been to Mexico City?
"Into Mexico City swarms the travel stream, mostly Americans. . ."This is the oldest big city in the Western hemisphere," volunteers a professor of history, slyly pocketing a guidebook. When the Spaniards first came they found here a rich city of perhaps 300,000 people, with an emperor's court, luxurious palaces, lawsuits, poetry, music." So Mr. Frederick Simpich begins the next article in the July, 1930, issue of National Geographic Magazine, "North America's Oldest Metropolis: Through 600 Melodramatic Years, Mexico City Has Grown in Splendor and Achievement."
(Personal: This is SO fun! I never look ahead so I never know where I'll be going next!)
The Spaniard who conquered Mexico City was Senor Cortez in 1519. Try to "imagine into what excitement the whole world would be plunged today were it possible to discover a new continent, with a new language, a new race, and an emperor living in the splendor of Montezuma!" (p. 48).
The first Christian church, a cathedral, was completed in 1667. In a large open area in front of the church is Constitution Plaza. "Here, in 1325, the Aztecs first saw the symbolic snake and eagle and built their first temples. Here, in 1521, was staged one of the most bloody of all combats between Aztec and Spaniard, when prisoners of war were sacrificed to the idols. Undoubtedly more people were executed here than any other spot on earth. More than 100,000 skulls were found in one temple, and it is estimated that at least 20,000 men, women, and children were sacrificed here each year" (p. 53).
In the old city the Aztecs traded animal skins, live animals, cloth gold, silver, fruit and vegetable and Indian slaves. The same type of items were available in 1930 with exception of Indian slaves. Mexicans, like the Spanish, love their bullfights!
Mexico City is built on a swamp which would flood regularly. The Indians worked on flood control for centuries but the problem was not solved until the 30-mile Canal de Desague was finished. Mr. Simpich considered this "easily the most spectacular engineering feat from the Roosevelt Dam to the Panama Canal" (p. 59). Still, the city is sinking due to its swamp soil; some buildings were leaning in 1930.
The Arts and Crafts of Mexico City from the Indian era to 1930 were extremely fine, pictured in color on pages in this article. I can almost hear the 'click-click' of flamenco dancers!
(Personal: This is SO fun! I never look ahead so I never know where I'll be going next!)
The Spaniard who conquered Mexico City was Senor Cortez in 1519. Try to "imagine into what excitement the whole world would be plunged today were it possible to discover a new continent, with a new language, a new race, and an emperor living in the splendor of Montezuma!" (p. 48).
The first Christian church, a cathedral, was completed in 1667. In a large open area in front of the church is Constitution Plaza. "Here, in 1325, the Aztecs first saw the symbolic snake and eagle and built their first temples. Here, in 1521, was staged one of the most bloody of all combats between Aztec and Spaniard, when prisoners of war were sacrificed to the idols. Undoubtedly more people were executed here than any other spot on earth. More than 100,000 skulls were found in one temple, and it is estimated that at least 20,000 men, women, and children were sacrificed here each year" (p. 53).
In the old city the Aztecs traded animal skins, live animals, cloth gold, silver, fruit and vegetable and Indian slaves. The same type of items were available in 1930 with exception of Indian slaves. Mexicans, like the Spanish, love their bullfights!
Mexico City is built on a swamp which would flood regularly. The Indians worked on flood control for centuries but the problem was not solved until the 30-mile Canal de Desague was finished. Mr. Simpich considered this "easily the most spectacular engineering feat from the Roosevelt Dam to the Panama Canal" (p. 59). Still, the city is sinking due to its swamp soil; some buildings were leaning in 1930.
The Arts and Crafts of Mexico City from the Indian era to 1930 were extremely fine, pictured in color on pages in this article. I can almost hear the 'click-click' of flamenco dancers!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Survival in the Extreme North
Norway is a country in the extreme northwest in Europe. Most of the Norwegian inhabitants live on the coasts, on the fjords, or in the valleys between the mountains. The most northern part of Norway is actually in the Arctic Circle. The first article in the July, 1930, issue of National Geographic Magazine is "Norway, a Land of Stern Reality: Where Descendants of the Sea Kings of Old Triumphed Over Nature and Wrought a Nation of Arts and Crafts." Alfred Pearce Dennis, Ph.D, LL.D, is the author.
FYI, definitions: fjord: a narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or steep slopes. Fjells: the mountains in Norway. In no way do these explanations do the country justice. "The Sogne Fjord is 112 miles long, four miles wide and, on an average, its greatest depth is around 4,000 feet. In the Viking Age it was a highway to the ocean and many a high-prowed dragon ship cut its waters" (photo caption, p. 16). Many photos in this issue show tall cliffs very near the water in the fjords. The mountains also have their advantages: "In water power, Norway leads all Europe" (photo caption, p. 13).
The Norsemen were great seamen, fishermen, and adventurers. A thousand years and more ago, they traveled to Britain, Iceland, Gaul, Ireland, Russia, Italy, and Sicily. Their chief gods were Odin, the God of Battle, and Thor, the God of Thunder. "To the cultured and the Christian peoples of Europe, these pagan, marauders were the scourge of God sweeping down from the North, the land of night and wonder, the terrible unknown. . .from pirates they became colonizers. . .a case of redundant population outrunning sustenance" (p. 29).
One country appreciated their visits. "In 1874 Icelanders celebrated the thousandth anniversary of the settlement of Iceland by Norsemen . . .Greenland was colonized about a century later . . .The shores of America had been reached by Leif Ericsson early in the eleventh century, more than 400 years in advance of Columbus" (p. 31).
Norway's weather is more pleasant than we would expect due to the "warm Atlantic drift from the Gulf Stream" which "supplies Norway with both climate and fish" (p. 8). There are fewer sunny days due to the average rainfall of 200 days per year. Yet, in 1930, Norway had to import most of its food. Only approximately 3% of the land was under cultivation.
The fishing industry centered on cod, herring, and the whales. At that time, their vessels at sea not only caught and killed an incredible number of whales, they had factory-ships which then processed the whales at sea. "Every part but the "blow" is utilized." On the ships, they could "slice and chop a whale in two hours. Whale oil is used for soap, butter substitutes, for currying leather, and in latching flax and jute; also as a lubricant for machinery" (photo caption, p. 22).
Mr. Dennis had great praise for the education system of Norway. "So well-organized is the school system of Norway that illiteracy is practically non-existent" (photo caption, p. 17).
"Skiing is Norway's national sport" (photo caption, p. 10). This article had many color photographs of the beautiful artwork, especially embroidery, accomplished in Norway. Who knows, with a last name like 'Jurgensen,' maybe I have an ancestor from Norway!
FYI, definitions: fjord: a narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or steep slopes. Fjells: the mountains in Norway. In no way do these explanations do the country justice. "The Sogne Fjord is 112 miles long, four miles wide and, on an average, its greatest depth is around 4,000 feet. In the Viking Age it was a highway to the ocean and many a high-prowed dragon ship cut its waters" (photo caption, p. 16). Many photos in this issue show tall cliffs very near the water in the fjords. The mountains also have their advantages: "In water power, Norway leads all Europe" (photo caption, p. 13).
The Norsemen were great seamen, fishermen, and adventurers. A thousand years and more ago, they traveled to Britain, Iceland, Gaul, Ireland, Russia, Italy, and Sicily. Their chief gods were Odin, the God of Battle, and Thor, the God of Thunder. "To the cultured and the Christian peoples of Europe, these pagan, marauders were the scourge of God sweeping down from the North, the land of night and wonder, the terrible unknown. . .from pirates they became colonizers. . .a case of redundant population outrunning sustenance" (p. 29).
One country appreciated their visits. "In 1874 Icelanders celebrated the thousandth anniversary of the settlement of Iceland by Norsemen . . .Greenland was colonized about a century later . . .The shores of America had been reached by Leif Ericsson early in the eleventh century, more than 400 years in advance of Columbus" (p. 31).
Norway's weather is more pleasant than we would expect due to the "warm Atlantic drift from the Gulf Stream" which "supplies Norway with both climate and fish" (p. 8). There are fewer sunny days due to the average rainfall of 200 days per year. Yet, in 1930, Norway had to import most of its food. Only approximately 3% of the land was under cultivation.
The fishing industry centered on cod, herring, and the whales. At that time, their vessels at sea not only caught and killed an incredible number of whales, they had factory-ships which then processed the whales at sea. "Every part but the "blow" is utilized." On the ships, they could "slice and chop a whale in two hours. Whale oil is used for soap, butter substitutes, for currying leather, and in latching flax and jute; also as a lubricant for machinery" (photo caption, p. 22).
Mr. Dennis had great praise for the education system of Norway. "So well-organized is the school system of Norway that illiteracy is practically non-existent" (photo caption, p. 17).
"Skiing is Norway's national sport" (photo caption, p. 10). This article had many color photographs of the beautiful artwork, especially embroidery, accomplished in Norway. Who knows, with a last name like 'Jurgensen,' maybe I have an ancestor from Norway!
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