following the fragrance of shooting stars: Gorges and mountains, hairpin bends and mind-blowing scenery

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Gorges and mountains, hairpin bends and mind-blowing scenery

Marrakesh, 29 March 2011

Wow! Spectacular! That is the word that sums up the past few days.

I had no idea just how spectacularly diverse and beautiful this country is. It is without a doubt worth a vist to Morocco just to do the trip we have done over the past couple of days:

Starting with a visit to Toudgha (Todra) Gorge – magnificently grand and overwhelmingly beautiful, the red rock formations soaring a hundred metres above the deep shadowy gorge where we all slept on the rooftop of a backpackers' refuge, with the stars of the northern hemishphere forming a sparkling canopy over our heads. Suffice to mention that a red button found a resting spot in this stunning scenery.

Then on to Dades Gorge – again breathtakingly beautiful. I am afraid I am gushing here, but the scenery is simply incredibly impressive and even my store of hyperbolic adjectives cannot begin to do justice to this countryside.

From there we went to spend an afternoon wandering in the 13th century casbah at Ait Benhaddou – like everything around here, built in red mud and straw and stones – which has been used as a set for over 30 films, the most notable probably The Gladiator. (The gladiator arena has been demolished though – a disappointment, but apparently the major set buildings for individual films are demolished after the filming is done, and only the original casbah remains behind. ) Lawrence of Arabia (yes, so now the youngsters in my group at least know the name!), The Jewel of the Nile and The Prince of Persia were all filmed here. It is very impressive, and thankfully UNESCO stepped in recently and gave money for the construction of stairs and soon the installation of running water and electricity so that the 100 original families that inhabited the casbah will come back to live there permanently. At the moment only ten families live there – the rest run their little shops in the casbah but live on the other side of the river where modern conveniences are available.

We then camped out for the night at the foot of the first foothills of the High Atlas, and yesterday morning we crossed the High Atlas Mountains to come to Marrakesh – over the Col Tichka – at 2260 metres, a hairraising experience manoeuvering around the tight hairpin bends, climbing, climbing, climbing up the one side, then descending down the other into a deep gorge where a river provides greenery and blossom trees, then again up another steep steep climb, ancient cedar trees bonazai'ed into distorted and wrangled forms where they grow on seemingly sheer rock against the stark mountain face. Three times we climbed up and three times we came down and each time the scenery completely changed – the colours, the plant growth, the atmosphere – like three completely different mountain passes – and the one more beautiful than the next. Every one of us sat transfixed, gazing out and taking photographs, silent in our stunned admiration of this magnificent nature.

As I said so eloquently – Wow! Spectacular!

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The Tokoloshe says

Egypt:The Greek historian Herodotus called Egypt, "The Gift of the Nile," and along that life-giving river, the ancient Egyptians built their amazing civilization, one they ruled for three millennia. Conquered by the Persians in 341 B.C., the Greeks and Romans followed, but it was the Arabs that introduced Islam and Arabic, and subsequently dominated this ancient land for many centuries. In 1517 the Ottoman Turks invaded, and took control. Besides a brief French incursion (1798-1806), the Ottomans remained until the mid-19th century. Following the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt developed into a vital transportation hub, but fell heavily into debt. To protect its investments, Britain seized control in 1882. Egypt then became a British protectorate in 1914, achieving partial independence in 1922, and full sovereignty in 1945. A rapidly growing population, limited arable land, and on-going dependence on the Nile River, all continue to overtax resources. The Egyptian government still struggles through economic reforms in the 21st century, and the pressing need for massive investment in communications and infrastructure. Official Name Arab Republic of Egypt Population 81,731,000 Capital City Cairo (17,856,000) Largest Cities Cairo, Alexandria, El Qahira Currency Egyptian Pound Languages Arabic (official), English, French National Day 23 July; Revolution Day Religions Muslim (94%)

The Tokoloshe says

Bissap or Karkadé (pronounced /ˈkɑrkədeɪ/ kar-kə-day; Egyptian Arabic: كركديه,[kæɾkæˈdeː]) is served hot or chilled with ice. It is very popular in some parts of North Africa, especially in Senegal, Mali, Egypt and Sudan; hibiscus from Upper Egypt and Sudan is highly prized in both countries. This drink is said to have been a preferred drink of the pharaohs. In Egypt and Sudan, wedding celebrations are traditionally toasted with a glass of hibiscus tea. On a typical street in downtown Cairo or Khartoum -- or any village in between, one can find - mostly women, sitting behind their little tables and rows of bottles of different teas, a small coal brazier next to them on the ground where the water is kept boiling, as well as in open-air cafés selling the drink. In Egypt, karkadé is used as a means to lower blood pressure if consumed in high amounts. In Mali, where we tasted Bissap for the first time, we drank it ice ice cold as the most refreshing drink in the extreme heat of the Sahel. Hibiscus tea is often flavored with mint or ginger in West Africa. We also added it to Vodka and to beer -- both delicious! A study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension has shown that drinking hibiscus tea can reduce high blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes. Scientists attribute the blood pressure reducing effect of hibiscus to its diuretic effect and its ability to inhibit the angiotensin-converting enzyme through the presence of anthocyanins. We most certainly can attest to the fabulous 'cleansing' and refreshing effect of this beautiful ruby red drink! I was convinced there had to be lemon juice added as the taste is slightly lemony, but now that I realise there is a high content of natural acids in the Hibiscus flower, I am satisfied that they do not add lemon! --Hibiscus tea has a tart, cranberry-like flavor, and sugar is often added to sweeten the beverage. The tea contains vitamin C and minerals and is used traditionally as a mild medicine. Hibiscus tea contains 15-30% organic acids, including citric acid, maleic acid, and tartaric acid. It also contains acidic polysaccharides and flavonoid glycosides, such as cyanidin and delphinidin, that give it its characteristic deep red colour.

The Tokoloshe says

This is how is Kubb played : There are two phases for each team's turn: Team A throws the six sticks (called Kastpinnar or just pinnar), from their baseline, at their opponent's lined-up kubbs (called Baseline kubbs). Throws must be under-handed, and the sticks must spin end over end. Throwing sticks overhand, sideways or spinning them side-to-side (helicopter) is not allowed. Kubbs that are successfully knocked down by Team A are then thrown by Team B onto Team A's half of the pitch, and stood on end. These newly thrown kubbs are called field kubbs. Deciding where in the opponent's half to throw the field kubbs is a very important part of the strategy - as a rule of thumb, the more one has to return, the further back one should throw them. However, the key objective is to keep them close to each other (as to be able to hit more than one with a single throw of the pinnar). If a kubb is thrown out of play, i.e. outside the boundary markers or not beyond the middle line (Note: all the kubb must be out to count as being out of play), then one more attempt is given. If this also goes out, the kubb can be placed anywhere in the target half by the opposing team as long as it is at least one pinnar length from a corner marker or the King. If a thrown kubb knocks over an existing baseline or field kubb, or hits a field kubb that was also just thrown, then the kubbs are stacked upright at the location of where they hit. Play then changes hands, and Team B throws the sticks at Team A's kubbs, but must first knock down any standing field kubbs. If a baseline kubb is knocked down before the remaining field kubbs, the baseline kubb is returned to its upright position. (Field kubbs that right themselves due to the momentum of the impact are considered knocked down. Also kubbs are considered knocked down if they end up tilting and relying on a thrown pinnar for support). Again, baseline kubbs that are knocked down are thrown back over onto the opposite half of the field and then stood. Some players prefer to remove field kubbs that have been knocked down, while others leave them lying in the field of play. At this point markers (e.g. coins) can be placed on the remaining baseline kubbs so they are not confused with nearby field kubbs. In New Zealand, knocking down a baseline kubb before all field kubbs are down would result in the throwing team forfeiting the rest of their turn. If either team does not knock down all field kubbs before their turn is over, the kubb closest to the centerline now represents the opposite team's baseline, and throwers may step up to that line to throw at their opponent's kubbs. This rule applies only to throwing the pinnar at the opposite team's field and baseline kubbs; fallen kubbs are thrown from the original baseline, as are attempts to knock over the king. Play continues in this fashion until a team is able to knock down all kubbs on one side, from both the field and the baseline. If that team still has sticks left to throw, they now attempt to knock over the king. If a thrower successfully topples the king, they have won the game. If at any time during the game the king is knocked down by accident, even by a newly thrown kubb, the offending team immediately loses the game. Victors are typically determined by playing best out of three. For informal play between players of widely differing abilities, such as an adult and a child it is permissible to shorten the width of the arena on the child's opponent's side, making it easier for the child to hit the kubbs, and it is also permissible to move the king closer to, but not behind, the child's line. Also, one team may get more sticks than the other.

The Tokoloshe says

Geladas are isolated, oddball monkeys that science has largely overlooked. They live in large herds in the towering Simien Mountains of northern Ethiopia. If you don't mind heights—geladas (Theropithecus gelada) make intriguing research subjects. With their falsetto cries, explosive barks and soft grunts, geladas have one of the most varied vocal repertoires of all the primates. The noisy herds are relatively easy to follow. Unlike most monkeys, geladas graze primarily on grass. They are usually observable—except at night, when they disappear over the edges of cliffs to sleep on tiny ledges, safe from leopards and hyenas. Geladas are visually striking, with burning eyes and leathery complexions. Males have vampiric canines, which they frequently bare at each other, and their golden manes are the stuff of shampoo commercials. Male geladas are the size of large dogs, weighing 50 to 60 pounds. Females are about half as big. Both sexes have a bald, hourglass-shaped patch of skin on their chests that telegraphs a male's social status and a female's reproductive stage. Depending on hormone levels, the color ranges from meek eraser pink to fiery red. Males' patches are brightest during their sexual prime.

The Tokolshe says

Area: 2.5 million sq. km. (967,500 sq. mi.);Before the seperation between Sudan and South Sudan in November this year - 2011, it was the largest country in Africa Cities: Capital--Khartoum (pop. 1.4 million). Other cities--Omdurman (2.1 million), Port Sudan (pop. 450,000), Kassala, Kosti, Juba (capital of southern region). Land boundaries: Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, and Uganda. Terrain: Generally flat with mountains in east and west. Khartoum is situated at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile Rivers. The southern regions are inundated during the annual floods of the Nile River system (the Suud or swamps). Climate: Desert and savanna in the north and central regions and tropical in the south (info before the division)

The Tokoloshe says

Ethiopia is in east-central Africa, bordered on the west by the Sudan, the east by Somalia and Djibouti, the south by Kenya, and the northeast by Eritrea. It has several high mountains, the highest of which is Ras Dashan at 15,158 ft (4,620 m). The Blue Nile, or Abbai, rises in the northwest and flows in a great semicircle before entering the Sudan. Its chief reservoir, Lake Tana, lies in the northwest.Land area: 432,310 sq mi (1,119,683 sq km); total area: 435,186 sq mi (1,127,127 sq km) Population (2010 est.): 88,013,491 (growth rate: 3.2%); birth rate: 43.3/1000; infant mortality rate: 78.9/1000; life expectancy: 55.8; density per sq km: 69 Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Addis Ababa, 2,716,200 Monetary unit: Birr

The Tokoloshe says

Tej - 'Tej' is pronounced as in T'édge, and is the generic name for Ethiopian traditional Honey Wine or Mead. Tej = Ethiopian Honey Wine. Tej is one of the special elixirs only available in Ethiopia. Be careful though - this sweet wine packs a punch. Tej is served in tej bet (Téj House, similar to Coffee House), or special bars set up strictly to sell tej either by the glass(glass is called Berele Be-re-lé) or by the bottle to take home. Several restaurants serving traditional Ethiopian fare also offer tej on the menus. The distilling ritual, with glass beakers reminiscent of high school chemistry lessons, is fun to watch. Ethiopians purchase gallons of honey at a time to produce the mead and the taste can be as individual as the imagination of the person making it. The same recipe can vary from mother to daughter, for the mead is made from instinct as much as from a recipe. The extract of a native Ethiopian tree, the Gesho (similar to Hazel) imparts a bitter quality to the T'ej making it the ideal drink to complement the spicy food of the Ethiopians. The honey- sweet, bitter, dry tone of T'ej is enhanced by the food.

The Tokoloshe says

Injera: How it is made: The most valued grain used to make injera is from the tiny, iron-rich teff. However, its production is limited to certain middle elevations and regions with adequate rainfall, so it is relatively expensive for the average household. Because the overwhelming majority of highland Ethiopians are poor farming households that grow their own subsistence grain, wheat,barley, corn, and/or rice flour are sometimes used to replace some or all of the teff content. There are also different varieties of injera in Ethiopia, such as nech (white), kay (red) and tikur (black). In making injera, teff flour is mixed with water and allowed to ferment for several days, as with sourdough starter. As a result of this process, injera has a mildly sour taste. The injera is then ready to bake into large flat pancakes, done either on a specialized electric stove or, more commonly, on a clay plate (Amharic mittad, Tigrinya mogogo) placed over a fire. Unusual for a yeast bread, the dough has sufficient liquidity to be poured onto the baking surface, rather than rolled out. In terms of shape, injera compares to the French crêpe and the South Indian dosai as a flatbread cooked in a circle and used as a base for other foods. The taste and texture, however, are unique and unlike the crêpe and dosai. The bottom surface of the injera, which touches the heating surface, will have a relatively smooth texture, while the top will become porous. This porous structure allows the injera to be a good bread to scoop up sauces and dishes.

The Tokoloshe says

Eid Mubarak (Arabic: عيد مبارك‎, Persian/Urdu: عید مُبارک, Malayalam: ഈദ്‌ മുബാറക്‌, Bengali: ঈদ মোবারক) is a traditional Muslim greeting reserved for use on the festivals of Eid ul-Adha and Eid ul-Fitr. The phrase translates into English as "blessed festival", and can be paraphrased as "may you enjoy a blessed festival" (Eid refers to the occasion itself, and Mubarak means "Blessed") Muslims wish each other Eid Mubarak after performing the Eid prayer. This celebration continues until the end of the day for Eid ul-Fitr (or al-Fitr) and continues a further three days for Eid ul-Adha (or Al-Adha). However, in the social sense people usually celebrate Eid ul-Fitr at the same time as Eid ul-Adha, visiting family and exchanging greetings such as "Eid Mubarak".

The Tokoloshe says

Can one give 'Africa' human characteristics? Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics (or characteristics assumed to belong only to humans) to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s. Examples include animals and plants and forces of nature such as winds, rain or the sun depicted as creatures with human motivations, and/or the abilities to reason and converse. The term derives from the combination of the Greek ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos), "human" and μορφή (morphē), "shape" or "form". As a literary device, anthropomorphism is strongly associated with art and storytelling where it has ancient roots. Most cultures possess a long-standing fable tradition with anthropomorphised animals as characters that can stand as commonly recognised types of human behavior.

The Tokoloshe says

The hyrax's (Cape dassie) closest relative is the elephant! It is believed that 50-60 million years ago, mammals approximately the size of current day pigs, were the roots from which the proboscideans evolved from. Interestingly, based on both morphological and biochemical evidence, it is agreed that the manatees, dugongs, and hyraxes are the closest living relatives of the today's elephants. The order under which Elephants are classified is the Proboscidea. This is for one of the elephant's most interesting physical features. It is something that attracts curiosity from around the world for elephants along with many other aspects in the past only ascribed to the human, such as, rudimentary tool use, complex social behaviours, and reverence for a dead family member or friend. It is their trunk or proboscis; the meaning of Proboscidea species is simply animals with trunks/proboscis. Interestingly, based on both morphological and biochemical evidence, it is agreed that the manatees, dugongs, and hyraxes are the closest living relatives of the today's elephants. It is incredible to believe given the vastly different sizes, external appearance and the fact that they occupy completely different habitats.

The Tokoloshe says

Kakuma Refugee Camp is located in Turkana District of the northwestern region of Kenya, 120 kilometers from Lodwar District Headquarters and 95 kilometers from the Lokichoggio Kenya-Sudan border. (Indicated by a black dot on the map.) Population Kakuma Refugee Camp serves refugees who have been forcibly displaced from their home countries due to war or persecution. It was established in 1992 to serve Sudanese refugees, and has since expanded to serve refugees from Somalia, Ethiopia, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Uganda, and Rwanda. According to current UNHCR statistics, the camp population stands at just under 50,000 refugees. In 2007, Kakuma Refugee Camp hosted 21% of the total refugee population in Kenya (UNHCR Fact Sheet, September 2008). Life in the semi-arid desert environment of Kakuma is rather challenging. The area has always been full of problems: dust storms, high temperatures, poisonous spiders, snakes, and scorpions, outbreaks of malaria, cholera, and other hardships. The average daytime temperature is 40 degrees Celsius, or 104 degrees Fahrenheit. The camp is a “small city” of thatched roof huts, tents, and mud abodes. Living inside the camp is equally prison and exile. Once admitted, refugees do not have freedom to move about the country but are required to obtain Movement Passes from the UNHCR and Kenyan Government. “Essentially, the refugees are confined to the Kakuma camp area: they are not allowed to move freely outside of it, and they may not seek education or employment outside of it” . Inside this small city at the edge of the desert, children age into adulthood and hope fades to resignation. To be quite frank, it’s more or less a kind of hostage life for many refugees.

The Tokoloshe says

Tsetse Flies There are 22 different species of tsetse fly, and they live only in Africa. These flies are slightly larger than a horsefly. They breed along rivers and streams. They are active during the day and feed exclusively on blood. Unlike most biting flies where only the female feeds on blood, both male and female tsetse flies are blood suckers. Tsetse flies are an enormous health risk in parts of Africa. They can transmit a disease called trypanosomiasis, an infection of the central nervous system. There are 2 forms of trypanosomiasis: Rodesian (sometimes called East African trypanosomiasis) and Gambian (sometimes called West African trypanosomiasis). Rhodesian trypanosomiasis, also known as nagana, is transmitted from animal to animal and mostly affects cattle, horses, and wild animals like antelope--although humans can also be infected. The Gambian form is much more prevalent and only affects humans. It is commonly called sleeping sickness. Tsetse flies transmit nagana and sleeping sickness through their saliva. They first bite an animal or person that is already infected with a tiny microorganism called a trypanosome. This parasite lives inside the tsetse fly's stomach for several days and then travels to its salivary glands. After that, anyone or anything bitten by the fly becomes infected. Tsetse flies are hard to control, and tsetse fly infestation is becoming more and more serious in Africa. The clearing of large forest tracks sometimes causes the fly to spread to more populated areas. The political unrest in many parts of Africa hampers pesticide control of this pest, as well.

The Tokoloshe says

Lake Turkana, known as the Jade Sea, area 1,614 sq kms, exists in a barren landscape in the semi-desert environment of northern Kenya. The three National Parks (Sibiloi, Central and Southern Islands) are a stopover for migrant waterfowl and are major breeding grounds for the Nile crocodile and provide an outstanding laboratory for the study of plant and animal communities. Sibiloi National park protects the Koobi Fora fossil deposits which are rich in pre-human, mammalian, molluscan and other fossil remains and have contributed more to the understanding of Quaternary Palaeo-environments than any other site on the continent.

The Tokoloshe says

The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa. It is located in north Tanzania and extends to south-western Kenya between latitudes 1 and 3 S and longitudes 34 and 36 E. It spans some 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi). The Serengeti hosts the largest mammal migration in the world, which is one of the ten natural travel wonders of the world. The region contains several national parks and game reserves. Serengeti is derived from the Maasai language, Maa; specifically, "Serengit" meaning "Endless Plains". Approximately 70 larger mammal and some 500 avifauna species are found there. This high diversity in terms of species is a function of diverse habitats ranging from riverine forests, swamps, kopjes, grasslands and woodlands. Blue Wildebeests, gazelles, zebras and buffalos are some of the commonly found large mammals in the region. Currently there is controversy surrounding a proposed road that is to be built through the Serengeti in Tanzania.

The Tokoloshe says

What is the the sardine run: The "run" or migration of sardines begins off the cool waters south of the African continent where they form into hundreds of large swirling shoals. The sardines then run north east into the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and mass into what wild-life film producer Peter Lamberti has dubbed "The Greatest Shoal on Earth". What makes this such a spectacular show is not simply the gigantic waves of silvery sardines but the legions of predators that congregate en masse just off the east coast of South Africa in anticipation of the year's greatest feast. As a result the waters of the Wild Coast boil with sharks, dolphins, Cape Gannets, cormorants, seals, and even, on occasion, Orcas, albatross and penguins that have followed the Sardines thousands of kilometres from the southern ocean. The Sardine Run also coincides with the annual migration of Humpback Whales that move north for the season into warmer water to mate and calve. The spectacular breaches of these leviathan's are a daily phenomenon and it just adds to an already dazzling wildlife extravaganza.

The Tokoloshe says

Port Alfred boasts not only the climate, the water, the beaches and the historical connections, but we have stepped into the modern world with top-class shopping malls, sophisticated healthcare, a Royal golf course, intimate small-boat harbour, light industry, international hospitality university, adventure training campus and 43 Air School - a world-class training facility for pilots and air traffic controllers. Unique in geographical situation, we are surrounded by the most exciting array of game reserves including Shamwari, Oceana, Lalibela - and parks, yet to be equalled in Southern Africa. In a totally Malaria-free area, not only do we boast of conservation and animals for display and enjoyment but a proactive, world-class hunting industry. There are international artists who live and work here. Each year in July nearby Grahamstown hosts the world-renowned National Arts Festival and Port Alfred also welcomes many of the visitors who come to enjoy the music, plays, art, comedy and crafts that attract thousands.

The Tokoloshe says

If you need accommodation in Port Alfred, Eastern Cape, make sure you book into the Dockside Guest House. It is situated directly across from the picturesque small boat harbour on the East Bank of Port Alfred, in the Eastern Cape. Each of our rooms have magnificent views overlooking the small boat harbour, the Kowie River and the unique arched Kowie Bridge which displays multicoloured lights each evening. Dockside Guest House is managed by owners Des and Pat Riggien, and you will experience warm and friendly hospitality throughout your stay. They measure our success over the past nine years by the high return rate of our guests.

The Tokoloshe says

what's in a name? The Democratic Republic of the Congo (although neither democratic, nor a republic!) has identity problems in more ways than one; this country was formerly, in chronological order, the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo-Léopoldville, Congo-Kinshasa, and Zaire (Zaïre in French). Now it is known as the DRC in English and the RDC in French. But ask the locals, and it is simply and purely "Le Congo". It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world. With a population of nearly 71 million, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the eighteenth most populous nation in the world, and the fourth most populous nation in Africa, as well as the most populous officially Francophone country.

The Tokoloshe says

The Okapi, Okapia johnstoni, is a giraffid artiodactyl mammal native to the Ituri Rainforest, located in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Central Africa. Although the okapi bears striped markings reminiscent of the zebra, it is most closely related to the giraffe. The name "okapi" is a portmanteau of two Lese words, oka a verb meaning to cut and kpi which is a noun referring to the design made on Efé arrows by wrapping the arrow with bark so as to leave stripes when scorched by fire. The stripes on the legs of the okapi resemble these stripes on the arrow shafts. Lese legend says the okapi decorates itself with these stripes, adding to the okapi's great camouflage

The Tokoloshe says

Kin la Belle - Kinshasha the Beautiful (also known as Kin La Poubelle - Kin the Trash Can) and formerly Léopoldville when the DRC was still a Belgian colony, is the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and lies on the Congo River, directly opposite the capital of the Republic of Congo, Brazzaville. It currently has 12 million inhabitants and holds the status of the second largest city in sub-Saharan Africa and the third largest in the whole continent after Lagos and Cairo. Although it has no significant native French speaking population, it is often considered the second largest officially francophone city in the world after Paris, inasmuch as French is the language of government and commerce, and is used as a lingua franca, along with the main DRC language, Lingala. Residents of Kinshasa are known as Kinois (French) or Kinshasans (English).

The Tokoloshe says

The word Matadi means stone in the local Kikongo language. The town is built on steep hills and there is local saying that to live in Matadi, you must know the verbs "to go up", "to go down" and "to sweat". The mouth of the Congo forms one of Africa's largest harbours. In addition to Matadi which is the furthest upriver, three ports are located within it, the others being Boma and Banana in DR Congo and Soyo in Angola. Matadi serves as a major import and export point for the whole nation. Chief exports are coffee and timber. Matadi Bridge, a suspension bridge 722 m long with a main span of 520 m, built in 1983, crosses the river just south of Matadi, carrying the main road linking Kinshasa to the coast.

The Tokoloshe says

Randy and I both happened to be looking at the top of the same hill when we saw these giant russet-red monkeys running along the crest. I googled a description and the only monkey that looks like the ones we saw, are the Preuss's red colobus. These are purported to be very rare and so, if this is in fact what we saw it would have been an amazing stroke of luck. They are also the monkeys that woke me the following morning! (Procolobus preussi) is a red colobus primate species endemic to the Cross-Sanaga Rivers ecoregion. An important population occurs in Korup National Park, Southwest Province, Cameroon, but the species' distribution is localized (groups are frequently encountered near the main tourist camps).Pic credit Wikipedia

The Tokoloshe says

The Nigerian 419's : Everyone who has an email address will have received an email from a widow whose husband has left her millions in his will and who now needs your help in getting these funds out of the European bank – in return for a large reward. Nigeria is the birthplace of the internet scam and even have a name for this 'advance fee fraud': a 419 (its classification in the Nigerian criminal code). In Nigeria the successful scammers are called 'yahoo yahoo's and they make fortunes off the 419. If you have been caught in this scam, there is a name for you too: a magha – Yaruba for 'fool' and no one has sympathy for you for having been caught and lost your money as you are considered to have been a victim of your own gullibility and greed and a typical foreigner who was hoping to make money off Africa and Africans. Another scam – which we have seen not only in Nigeria, but also in Ghana, Togo and Benin, is to break into an empty property and then sell it to unsuspecting buyers. One sees notices painted in huge letters on the walls of empty properties warning that 'This property is NOT for sale! Beware 419!” and often the newspaper headlines decry this scam as well.

The Tokoloshe says

Kakum National Park has a long series of hanging bridges at the forest canopy level known as the "Canopy Walkway." At 60 m (200 ft) height, the visitor can approach the plants and animals from a vantage point that would otherwise be inaccessible to people. The Canopy Walkway passes over 7 bridges and runs over a length of 330 m (1,080 ft). It is secured by a series of nets and wires for safety purposes. An additional viewing platform that will allow visitors to climb into the canopy without braving the Canopy Walkway is currently under construction. The park is located 30km to the North of Cape Coast. (borrowed pic)

The Tokoloshe says

A few answers to the questions arising as we watch the moon e very night: The revolution of the Moon around the Earth makes the Moon appear as if it is changing shape in the sky. This is caused by the different angles from which we see the bright part of the Moon's surface. These are called "phases" of the Moon. Of course, the Moon doesn't generate any light itself; it just reflects the light of the Sun. The Moon passes through four major shapes during a cycle that repeats itself every 29.5 days. The phases always follow one another in the same order. What you see when you look at the moon depends on its location in relationship to the sun and Earth. We see a different fraction of sunlight being reflected from the moon to Earth Moon Phase Misconception... "The most common incorrect reason given for the cause of the Moon's phases is that we are seeing the shadow of the Earth on the Moon! But this cannot be correct: when the Moon passes through the shadow of the Earth, we get a lunar eclipse. Anyone who has seen a lunar eclipse, though, might remember that the Moon actually passes through the Earth's shadow only rarely, so that can't be why the Moon has phases. The real reason for the Moon's phases depends on two things: the Moon is round, and the angle it makes with the Earth and Sun changes over its orbit." Moon Phase Comparison The moon's cycle is a continuous process that is in constant change. The moon never stays at any one phase for more than an instance in time. Starting with a new moon on day one and ending with a waning crescent moon on day 29, the moon's light shape and intensity in always changing. These phases of the Moon, in the sequence of their occurrence (starting from New Moon) is listed to the left. As noted the moon reaches a major phase every seven days after the new moon. The first of which is the first quarter moon occuring after 7.4 days. Between the new and first quarter is the time of the waxing crescent moon. 14.8 days into trip around the earth we see a full moon, but not before the waxing gibbous make an appearance. After the full moon a state of waning begins on the 15th day. Along with a last quarter moon both a waning gibbous and crescent moon is visible before a new moon cycle starts a new on the 29th day. The moon's visibility comes in six-hourly phases ahead or behind the sun, depending on the position in the 29.5-daily cycle. See link below for table.-

The Tokoloshe says

Another very scary creature that has been visiting us, creeping out from under our tents, crawling over our feet, were the Camel Spiders. So what are these huge and ugly and creepy creatures? Solifugae is a group of 900 species of arachnids, commonly known as camel spiders, wind scorpions, and sun spiders. The name derives from Latin, and means those that flee from the sun. Most Solifugae live in tropical or semitropical regions where they inhabit warm and arid habitats, but some species have been known to live in grassland or forest habitats. The most distinctive feature of Solifugae is their large chelicerae. Each of the two chelicerae are composed of two articles forming a powerful pincer; each article bears a variable number of teeth. Males in all families but Eremobatidae possess a flagellum on the basal article of the chelicera. Solifugae also have long pedipalps, which function as sense organs similar to insects' antennae and give the appearance of the two extra legs. Pedipalps terminate in reversible adhesive organs. Solifugae are carnivorous or omnivorous, with most species feeding on termites, darkling beetles, and other small arthropods; however, solifugae have been videotaped consuming larger prey such as lizards. Prey is located with the pedipalps and killed and cut into pieces by the chelicerae. The prey is then liquefied and the liquid ingested through the pharynx.

The Tokoloshe says

Only the Anopheles genus of mosquitoes—and only females of those species—can transmit malaria. (Mosquitoes belong to a group of insects that requires blood to develop fertile eggs. Males do not lay eggs, thus, male mosquitoes do not bite. The females are the egg producers and "host-seek" for a blood meal. Female mosquitoes lay multiple batches of eggs and require a blood meal for every batch they lay. Few people realize that mosquitoes rely on sugar as their main source of energy. Both male and female mosquitoes feed on plant nectar, fruit juices, and liquids that ooze from plants. The sugar is burned as fuel for flight and is replenished on a daily basis. Blood is reserved for egg production and is imbibed less frequently.) Malaria is caused by a one-celled parasite called a Plasmodium. FemaleAnopheles mosquitoes pick up the parasite from infected people when they bite to obtain blood needed to nurture their eggs. Inside the mosquito the parasites develop and reproduce. When the mosquito bites again, the parasites mix with its saliva and pass into the blood of the person being bitten. Malaria parasites multiply rapidly in the liver and then in red blood cells of the infected person. One to two weeks after a person is infected the first symptoms of malaria appear: usually fever, headache, chills and vomiting. If not treated promptly with effective medicines, malaria can kill by infecting and destroying red blood cells and by clogging the capillaries that carry blood to the brain or other vital organs. There are four types of human malaria: Plasmodium vivax, P. malariae, P. ovaleand P. falciparum. P. vivax and P. falciparum are the most common forms. Falciparum malaria—the most deadly type—is most common in sub-Saharan Africa, where it causes nearly a million deaths a year. When a female mosquito pierces the skin with her mouthparts, she injects a small amount of saliva into the wound before drawing blood. The saliva makes penetration easier and prevents the blood from clotting in the narrow channel of her food canal. The welt that appears after the mosquito leaves is not a reaction to the wound, but an allergic reaction to the saliva injected to prevent clotting. In most cases, the itching sensation and swellings subside within several hours. Some people are highly sensitive, and symptoms persist for several days. Others can be covered in bites but are not even aware of it as they have no reaction to the saliva. Scratching the bites can result in infection and subsequent tropical ulcers if bacteria from the fingernails are introduced to the wounds.

The Tokoloshe says

Bamako, population 1,809,106 (2009 Census, provisional), is the capital and largest city of Mali, and currently estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa (sixth fastest in the world). It is located on the Niger River, near the rapids that divide the Upper and Middle Niger Valleys, in the southwestern part of the country. Bamako is the nation's administrative center, with a river port located in nearby Koulikoro, and a major regional trade and conference center. Bamako is the seventh largest West African urban center after Lagos, Abidjan, Kano, Ibadan, Dakar and Accra. Manufactures include textiles, processed meat, and metal goods. There is commercial fishing on the Niger River. The name Bamako comes from the Bambara word meaning "crocodile river".

The Tokoloshe says

Animism, animist : Animism (from Latin anima "soul, life") refers to the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, or at least embody some kind of life-principle. an·i·mism (n-mzm) n. 1. The belief in the existence of individual spirits that inhabit natural objects and phenomena. 2. The belief in the existence of spiritual beings that are separable or separate from bodies. 3. The hypothesis holding that an immaterial force animates the universe. [From Latin anima, soul; see an- in Indo-European roots.] ani·mist n. ani·mistic adj.

The Tokoloshe says

A kora is a musical instrument built from a large calabash cut in half and covered with cow skin to make a resonator, and has a notched bridge like a lute or guitar. It does not fit well into any one category of western instruments and would have to be described as a double bridge harp lute. The sound of a kora resembles that of a harp, though when played in the traditional style, it bears a closer resemblance to flamenco and delta blues guitar techniques. The player uses only the thumb and index finger of both hands to pluck the strings in polyrhythmic patterns (using the remaining fingers to secure the instrument by holding the hand posts on either side of the strings). Ostinato riffs ("Kumbengo") and improvised solo runs ("Birimintingo") are played at the same time by skilled players. Kora players have traditionally come from griot families (also from the Mandinka nationalities) who are traditional historians, genealogists and storytellers who pass their skills on to their descendants. The instrument is played in Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso and The Gambia. A traditional kora player is called a Jali, similar to a 'bard' or oral historian. Most West African musicians prefer the term 'jali' to 'griot', which is the French word. Traditional koras feature 21 strings, eleven played by the left hand and ten by the right. Modern koras made in the Casamance region of southern Senegal sometimes feature additional bass strings, adding up to four strings to the traditional 21. Strings were traditionally made from thin strips of hide, for example antelope skin - now most strings are made from harp strings or nylon fishing line, sometimes plaited together to create thicker strings.

The Tokoloshe says

Facts and figures of Mali: National name: République de Mali, Languages: French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages, Ethnicity/race: Mande 50% (Bambara, Malinke, Sarakole), Peul 17%, Voltaic 12%, Tuareg and Moor 10%, Songhai 6%, other 5%, Religions: Islam 90%, indigenous beliefs 9%, Christian 1%, National Holiday: Independence Day, September 22, Literacy rate: 46% (2003 est.), Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2009 est.): $15.52 billion; per capita $1,200. Real growth rate: 4%. Inflation: 2.5%. Unemployment: 30% (2004 est.). Arable land: 4%. Agriculture: cotton, millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats. Labor force: 3.93 million (2001 est.); agriculture and fishing 80%, industry and services 20% (2001 est.). Industries: food processing; construction; phosphate and gold mining. Natural resources: gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, hydropower; note: bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited. Exports: $294 million (2006 est.): cotton, gold, livestock. Imports: $2.358 billion (2006 est.): petroleum, machinery and equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs, textiles. Major trading partners: China, Pakistan, Thailand, Italy, Germany, India, Bangladesh, France, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire (2004). Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 45,000 (2000); mobile cellular: 40,000 (2001). Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 28, shortwave 1 note: the shortwave station in Bamako has seven frequencies and five transmitters and relays broadcasts for China Radio International (2001). Radios: 570,000 (1997). Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus repeaters) (2001). Televisions: 45,000 (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 13 (2001). Internet users: 30,000 (2002). Transportation: Railways: total: 729 km (2002). Highways: total: 15,100 km; paved: 1,827 km; unpaved: 13,273 km (1999 est.). Waterways: 1,815 km. Ports and harbors: Koulikoro. Airports: 26 (2002. International disputes: armed bandits based in Mali attack southern Algerian towns. Read more: Mali: History, Geography, Government, and Culture — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107759.html?pageno=3#ixzz1KGgo0GiH

The Tokoloshe says

An agama is any one of the various small, long-tailed, insect-eating lizards. Agamas are active during the day and are often found scampering around to snatch up their favorite foods. They can tolerate greater temperatures than most reptiles, but in the afternoon when temperatures reach around 38°C (100°F) they will settle into the shade and wait for it to cool. Frequent fighting breaks out between males; such fighting involves a lot of bobbing and weaving in an attempt to scare the opponents. Agamas are mainly insectivores. As we can attest to, most agamas are polygamous. Males may hold six or more females in their territory for breeding. During courtship, the male bobs his head to impress the female. Occasionally, females initiate courtship by offering their hindquarters to the male and then running until he is able to catch up.

The Tokoloshe says

What exactly is 'The Sahel' that we talk about? The Sahel forms a belt up to 1000 km wide, spanning Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. It is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition between the Sahara desert in the North and the Sudanian Savannas in the south. It stretches across the North African continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea. The Arabic word sāḥil ساحل‎ literally means "shore, coast", describing the appearance of the vegetation of the Sahel as a coastline delimiting the sand of the Sahara. The Sahel covers parts of the territory of (from west to east) Senegal, southern Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, southern Algeria, Niger, northern Nigeria, Chad, Sudan (i.e. Darfur and the southern part of North Sudan), northern Ethiopia and Eritrea.

The Tokoloshe says

Ref: Mauritania-1989: A brief background to the reference: From the 3rd to 7th centuries, the migration of Berber tribes from North Africa displaced the Bafours, the original inhabitants of present-day Mauritania and the ancestors of the Soninke. Continued Arab-Berber migration drove indigenous black Africans south to the Senegal River or enslaved them. By 1076, Islamic warrior monks (Almoravid or Al Murabitun) completed the conquest of southern Mauritania, defeating the ancient Ghana empire. Over the next 500 years, Arabs overcame fierce Berber resistance to dominate Mauritania.Within Moorish society, aristocratic and servant classes developed, yielding "white" (aristocracy) and "black" Moors (the enslaved indigenous class). As the country gained independence in 1960, the capital city of Nouakchott was founded at the site of a small colonial village. Ninety percent of the population was still nomadic. With independence, larger numbers of ethnic Sub-Saharan Africans (Haalpulaar, Soninke, and Wolof) entered Mauritania, moving into the area north of the Senegal River. Educated in French, many of these recent arrivals became clerks, soldiers, and administrators in the new state. Moors reacted to this change by trying to Arabicize much of Mauritanian life, such as law and language. A schism developed between those who considered Mauritania to be an Arab country (mainly Moors) and those who sought a dominant role for the Sub-Saharan peoples. The discord between these two conflicting visions of Mauritanian society was evident during inter-communal violence that broke out in April 1989 (the "1989 Events").

The Tokoloshe says

The Hand of Fatima -- Fatima being the daughter of the Prophet, or the kamsa or hamsa, is the ubiquitous sign seen all over the Middle East, used extensively by the Berbers and has also become a recognised sign in Morocco. It is used as amulet to ward off the evil eye and can be found in jewelery, wall hangings and trinkets. The hamsa hand appears both in a two-thumbed, bilaterally symmetrical form, as shown, and in a more natural form in which there is only one thumb, the five digits representing the five books of the Torah or the five pillars of Islam.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Gorges and mountains, hairpin bends and mind-blowing scenery

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