Adrian's Field Trip Report : Rimba Ilmu, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur

We joined a guided tour of University Malaya's Rimba Ilmu on the 16 February 2011. The guides from the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) took us through the botanical gardens and we ended up visiting the exhibition hall.

Here's Adrian's report on the field trip:

Walking in Rimba Ilmu
By Adrian Ghani

Today we went to a botanical garden. It was a bit like a forest. The guides explained about different plants to us. There was one with flowers from the tree trunk.

We were allowed to touch some seeds and fruits like the til seed and the forest mangosteen

There was also a tree with a red tree trunk and the bark was peeling off like paper

After walking in the garden, we went into the exhibition hall.

Walking up Vesuvio, Italy

Mount Vesuvius is best known for its eruption in AD 79 that led to the destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. They were never rebuilt, although surviving townspeople and probably looters did undertake extensive salvage work after the destructions. The towns' locations were eventually forgotten until their accidental rediscovery in the 18th century. The eruption also changed the course of the Sarno River and raised the sea beach, so that Pompeii was now neither on the river nor adjacent to the coast. Vesuvius itself underwent major changes – its slopes were denuded of vegetation and its summit changed considerably due to the force of the eruption. Vesuvius has erupted many times since and is today regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of the population of 3,000,000 people living nearby and its tendency towards explosive eruptions. It is the most densely populated volcanic region in the world

The summit of Vesuvius is open to visitors and there is a small network of paths around the mountain that are maintained by the park authorities. There is access by road to within 200 metres (660 ft) of the summit (measured vertically), but thereafter access is on foot only. There is a spiral walkway around the mountain from the road to the crater.The walk would take a healthy person 25 minutes. Ghani insisted on completing the walk to the crater and huffed and puffed his way up in 45 minutes.

We were given a lift down by the keepers and Adrian was given a volcanic rock from the crater as a souvenir.

Volcano Vesuvio, covered by clouds
Napoli, Italy
20 Nov 08

Adrian runs up the volcanic slopes
Vesuvio, Napoli
20 Nov 08

Ghani huffs and puffs behind
Vesuvio, Napoli
20 Nov

The crater of the Vesuvio, Europe's only active volcano, last erupted in 1944 and thankfully, not today!
Napoli
20 Nov 08

Smoking crater
Vesuvio, Napoli
20 Nov 08

Ghani and Tuah with Guides at Vesuvio
Antonio, Camio and Stefano
Napoli
20 Nov 08

Adrian checks out some volcanic rocks
Vesuvio, Napoli
20 Nov 08

Bedouin Experience in Wadi Rum, Jordan

A Bedouin is any member of a community of Arabic-speaking desert nomads of the Middle East. Ethnically, the Bedouin are identical to other Arabs. Bedouin traditionally have made their living by animal husbandry, and social rank among them is determined by the animals that they herd: camel nomads enjoy the greatest status, followed by sheep and goat herders and, finally, cattle nomads. Traditionally, Bedouin would migrate into the desert during the rainy season and return to cultivated areas during the dry season, but since World War II (1939 – 45) the governments of many countries have nationalized their range lands, and conflicts over land use have arisen. Many Bedouin have since adopted sedentary ways of life; most, however, retain pride in their nomadic heritage.

Wadi Rum also known as The Valley of the Moon is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in south Jordan at 60 Km to the east of Aqaba. It is the largest wadi in Jordan. The name Rum most likely comes from an Aramaic root meaning 'high' or 'elevated'. To reflect its proper Arabic pronunciation, archaeologists transcribe it as Wadi Ramm.

Wadi Rum has been inhabited by many human cultures since prehistoric times, with many cultures — including the Nabateans — leaving their mark in the form of rock paintings, graffiti, and temples. As of 2007, several Bedouin tribes inhabit Rum and the surrounding area. In the West, Wadi Rum may be best known for its connection with British officer T. E. Lawrence aka Lawrence of Arabia, who based his operations here during the Arab Revolt of 1917–18. In the 1980s one of the impressive rock formations in Wadi Rum was named "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom" in memory of Lawrence's book penned in the aftermath of the war, though the 'Seven Pillars' referred to in the book actually have no connection with Wadi Rum.

When we arrived in Wadi Rum, we were pleasantly surprised to meet Hanim Benziane, a Malaysian living in Doha, with her Husband Karim, and kids, Ryan and Louisa. We had a great night camping in the desert and were visited by wild dogs overnight. The next morning however, we got bogged down in the sand and as were were digging our way out, met some Bedouin, in a 4WD who offered to let us attach our winch to their truck, for a fee.

Desert dining
Wadi Rum, Jordan
21 Dec 08

The desert is one big sandpit
Wadi Rum, Jordan
22 Dec 08

Tuah gets bogged down
Wadi Rum, Jordan
22 Dec 08

We need to dig Tuah out of the dunes
Wadi Rum, Jordan
22 Dec 08

Adrian and his Bedouin friend
Wadi Rum, Jordan
22 Dec 08

What's left of what was supposed to be Lawrence of Adrabia's house
Wadi Rum
Jordan

Plants growing in the middle of the desert
Wadi Rum
Jordan

Running wild in the desert
God's idea of a giant sand pit
Wadi Run
Jordan

Nabatean Stone Drawings
Wadi Rum
Jordan

With Hanim, Karim, Louisa and Ryan
Wadi Rum, Jordan

Sleding on the White Sands, NM, USA

Rising from the heart of the Tularosa Basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening White Sands National Monument of New Mexico. Here, great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert and created the world's largest gypsum dune field. White Sands National Monument preserves a major portion of this unique dune field, along with the plants and animals that have successfully adapted to this constantly changing environment.

Unlike dunes made of quartz-based sand crystals, the gypsum does not readily convert the sun's energy into heat and thus can be walked upon safely with bare feet, even in the hottest summer months. In areas accessible by car, children frequently use the dunes for downhill sledding. Sliding downhill is an exhilarating sport. The proper position for sledding is to sit or lay on your back on the top of the sled, with your feet pointing downhill. Sledding head first increases the risk of head injury and should be avoided.

The white sands dune field is an active dune field. The dunes move from west to east as much as thirty feet per year. Many species of plants and animals have developed very specialized means of surviving in this area of cold winters, hot summers, with very little surface water and highly mineralized ground water. Most desert animals are nocturnal, coming out to feed only at night when temperatures are cooler. Every animal in the white sands makes tracks on the dunes as it moves, leaving clues to its nocturnal activities.

Tuah in the White Sands
Alamogardo, NM
11 August 2009

Adrian seeks shelter
White Sands
Alamogardo, NM
11 August 2009

Adrian in the White Sands
Alamogardo, NM
11 August 2009

Adrian in the White Sands
Alamogardo, NM
11 August 2009

Ghani makes his way up the dunes....slowly
White Sands
Alamogardo, NM
11 August 2009

...and he's up...
White Sands
Alamogardo, NM
11 August 2009

....and he's on his way down!
White Sands
Alamogardo, NM
11 August 2009

Ghani, Adriani and Tuah in the White Sands
Alamogardo, NM
11 August 2009

Adrian in a Junior ranger vest and a Park Ranger
White Sands
Alamogardo, NM
11 August 2009

The Niagra Falls, USA and Canada

The Niagara Falls are voluminous waterfalls on the Niagara River, straddling the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. The falls are 27 km north-northwest of Buffalo, New York and 120 km south-southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.

Niagara Falls is composed of two major sections separated by Goat Island: Horseshoe Falls, the majority of which--two-thirds according to the US Geological Survey--lies on the Canadian side of the border, and American Falls on the American side.The smaller Bridal Veil Falls are also located on the American side, separated from the main falls by Luna Island.

Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age), and water from the newly formed Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean. While not exceptionally high, the Niagara Falls are very wide and is the most powerful waterfall in North America

We took a ride on The Maid In The Mist, a boat tour of Niagara Falls. (The actual boats used are each named Maid of the Mist, followed by a different Roman numeral in each case.) The boat starts off at a calm part of the Niagara River, near the Rainbow Bridge, and takes its passengers past the American and Bridal Veil Falls, then into the dense mist of spray inside the curve of the Horseshoe Falls. We were give ponchos to wear, and it didn't matter that is was raining the day we visited anyway, as naturally, everyone ends up getting wet!

Somehow, after the Victoria Falls on the Zim/Zam border, with lush jungle surrounding it, The Niagara Falls with all the large buildings surrounding it, seemed so wrong.

Ghani and Adrian at
Niagara Falls
NY
28 June 2009

Me at Niagara Falls
NY
28 June 2009

Niagara Falls
NY
28 June 2009

The American Falls
Niagara Falls
NY
28 June 2009

The American falls and The Bridal Veil Falls
Niagara Falls
NY
28 June 2009

The Horse Shoe Falls
Niagara Falls
NY
28 June 2009

In deep thought on board the Maid in the Mist
Niagara Falls
NY
28 June 2009

Alligators and the Everglades, Florida, USA

Everglades National Park protects the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi River. The wilderness area is named for Marjory Stoneman Douglas who was instrumental in creating the park, and who coined the phrase "River of Grass." It has been designated a World Heritage Site

Although primarily freshwater animals, alligators will occasionally venture into brackish water.Alligators live in wetlands and this is the vital habitat that holds the key to their continued long-term survival. Alligators depend on the wetlands, and in some ways the wetlands depend on them. As apex predators, they help control the population of rodents and other animals that might overtax the marshland vegetation.

American alligators are less susceptible to cold than American Crocodiles. Unlike the American Crocodile, which would quickly succumb to the cold and drown in water of 45 °F (7.2 °C), an alligator can survive in such temperatures for some time without apparent discomfort.[10] It is thought that this adaptiveness is the reason why American alligators spread farther north than the American Crocodile. In fact, the American alligator is found farther from the equator and is more equipped to deal with cooler conditions than any other crocodilian

We were kindly hosted and given a wonderful tour of the Everglades by Susie Goh, A Malaysian living in Miami, whom we bumped into a few days before in Orlando, where she had been on holiday.

** Due to the massive oil spill in the Gulf Of Mexico, The Everglades was pronounced an Endangered Area on 30 July 2010

Alison at Everglades National Park
Miami. FL
11 July 2009

Alligator
Everglades
Miami, FL
11 July 2009

Adrian at the Everglades
Miami, FL
11 July 2009

Alligator
Everglades
Miami, FL
11 July 2009

Susie and Adrian
11 July 2009


A slide show on our trip to the Everglades and The Florida Keys
can be found on the blog entry titled
Way Down South : Key West, USA

Chilling Out At The Ice Hotel in Summer, Kiruna, Sweden

Ok, we were there in the height of summer, so we missed out on the frosty reception, but we still managed to have a warm welcome and a tour of the big freezer next door, where the huge blocks of ice harvested from the River Torne are stored for the coming winter.Whatever it was, Ghani was determined that we should visit the site, and we were not disappointed.

The Ice hotel is a temporary hotel made up of snow, sculpted blocks of ice, and some steel framing. They are promoted by their sponsors and have special features for travelers who are interested in novelties and unusual environments, and thus are in the class of destination hotels. Their lobbies are often filled with ice sculptures, and food and beverages are specially chosen for the circumstances.
All of the ice hotels are reconstructed every year, and are dependent upon constant sub-freezing temperatures during construction and operation. The walls, fixtures, and fittings are made entirely of ice, and are held together using a substance known as snice, which takes the place of mortar in a traditional brick-built hotel.

Existing each year between December and April, the Icehotel in the village of Jukkasjärvi, about 17 km from Kiruna, Sweden was the world's first ice hotel.

The entire hotel is made out of snow and ice blocks taken from the Torne River - even the glasses in the bar are made of ice. Each spring, around March, Icehotel harvests tons of ice from the frozen Torne River and stores it in a nearby production hall with room for over 10,000 tons of ice and 30,000 tons of snow. The ice is used for creating Icebar designs and ice glasses, for ice sculpting classes, events and product launches all over the world while the snow is used for building a strong structure for the building. About 1,000 tons of what is left is used in the construction of the next Icehotel.

Ghani drinks from and Ice Hotel ice glass
Ice Hotel, Jukkasjärvi near Kiruna
28 July 2008

Space like capes before we enter the storage freezer at the Ice Hotel
Jukkasjärvi near Kiruna
28 July 2008