Thousands of toads in an area of northern Germany are exploding. Seriously, this is not a late April Fool’s joke. Scientists do not yet know why the toads are exploding, but they are contracting some type of disease that causes their body to expand to three and a half times their normal body size – to bursting point. The BBC news report that the toads’ entrails are being propelled up to a metre (3.2ft), in scenes that have been likened to science fiction.
Tag Archives: April 2005
Meeting News from London by Padmassana
This months meeting took place to the organ music from the wedding taking place in the Church of Scotland upstairs. Our first speaker was Tricia Hayne who gave us an interesting talk on the Cayman Islands, which were first discovered by Columbus' son and in 2003 celebrated their 300th anniversary. The island's main income is due to its offshore financial companies, but also tourism and it was obviously this area Tricia spoke about. She showed us the local wildlife including the blue Iguana and the Butterfly Farm. For the more energetic traveller there is diving on the Cayman Trench and some rock climbing. Not to mention the beautiful beaches.
After the break Pamela Goodall told us about her cycle adventure around the world with a tent! Her journey took her through Europe, she made it to Germany before her first puncture, where another cyclist helped her out. She had quite an adventure, being propositioned by a dodgy hotel manager in Rawalpindi and “kidnapped” by a shopkeeper for 4 days in India. After a crash on her bike she went on “Good Morning India” with two black eyes that the presenters didn't even bother to ask her about! Her trip continued through Asia where she visited Vietnam and China where strangers kept appearing to take care of her. She came home via Mexico and the USA. Pamela's talk finished to the accompaniment of Bach’s Toccata & Fugue (thanks to Globie Sarah D for identifying that) as the wedding upstairs ended.
Forthcoming London meetings:
Saturday 4th June – 2.30 pm – usual Crown Court location
John Gimlette will talk about his travels in Labrador and Newfoundland, called a “Theatre of Fish” and Tim Mackintosh-Smith will discuss his travels in India in a talk entitled “The Hall of a Thousand Columns”.
Saturday 2nd July – 3.00 pm NB – change of meeting place and time
Concert Artistes Association, 20 Bedford Street, Covent Garden, London WC2
This is the last meeting before the August break, when we'll be back in September. There will be an examination of Members Slides comprising eight mini-presentations from Globetrotters members.
London meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden at 2.30pm the first Saturday of each month. There is no London meeting in August, but we will be back in September. For more information, you can contact the Globetrotters Info line on +44 (0) 20 8674 6229, or visit the website: www.globetrotters.co.uk
Nepal Rhinos
Did you know that Nepal is home to a quarter of South Asia’s rhino population. The latest count of the population has shown that rhino numbers have dropped to less than 400 from nearly 600 animals in three parks in 2000 due mainly to poaching blamed largely on inadequate security caused by the long-running Maoist insurgency. Trading in the horn of the rhino is internationally banned, but experts say that poachers are encouraged by the big profit margin.
The Maldives Tourist Info by Muaz Adnan
Scattered across the equator across the Indian Ocean, the pearl like islands of the Maldives depicts the rare vision of a tropical paradise. Palm fringed islands with sparkling white beaches. Turquoise lagoons, clear warm waters and corals reefs teeming with abundant varieties of marine fauna and flora, continue to fascinate visitors as it has fascinated other in past, for thousand of years. Marco Polo referred to the Maldives as the flower of the Indies and Ibn Batuta referred to the Maldives as one of the wonders of the world.
Truly a natural wonder, the height of the islands rarely reach above two metres. The 1,192 islands consist of 27 atoll formations, spread over 90,000 square kilometres. The Maldive atolls are a classic discovery in their own right: the word atoll is derived from Dhivehi, the Maldivian language, from the word atholhu.
The islands are surrounded by shallow crystal clear lagoon enclosed by coral reefs. The unique islands provide visitors with one of the most breath taking views of underwater life in the world. Formed above peaks emerging from the depths of the ocean, upon layers of both living and dead coral, and remnant of other marine life, the islands are generally covered with dense tropical vegetation. Coconut palms towering above dense shrubs and hardly plants protecting the shores from erosion are natural features in most islands. These islands together embody living entities in various stage of formation. As interdependent elements in ecology, in a food chain where birds, fish and other marine life co-exist, with humans at its apex as caretakers for centuries.
Measuring 820 kilometres north to south and 120 kilometres east to west at its greatest width, the closest neighbours are India and Sri Lanka. With a population 270,110 ( 2000 official estimate), only 199 islands are inhabited 87 islands are set aside exclusively for tourist resort development.
There are plenty of things to do in the Maldives. You can take a diving safari where you can visit inhabited islands (fishing villages), resorts and uninhabited islands. Even if you are not a diver, or a honeymooner, there are cultural shows, excursions to Malé, night fishing, barbecues (subject to weather and length of stay) to keep you entertained. It is possible to visit a local inhabited island and see their simple life style in harmony with nature also you will get the opportunity to see some of the typical daily chores carried by the simple island forks while other maybe involved in building a wooden local dhoni boat or weaving rope etc.
Sultan Mosque
A typical resort, this one is the Laguna Beach Resort
Some people like the big game fishing and night fishing where you can usually go to an uninhabited island to have a barbecue after the fishing.
If you are interested in visiting the Maldives, Mr Muaz Adnan would be only too happy to advise you and make any travel arrangements and bookings for you. He can be contacted by e-mail on: muazadnan2002@yahoo.com
Cockroach Trivia
The Beetle has bad memories about sharing a room with what seemed like a thousand cockroaches in Gilgit in Pakistan a few years ago and was afraid that they would fly on to her bed. (Before you ask, no, Beetles are not friends with cockroaches, they are sworn enemies, but we try and live and let live.)
Did you know that most cockroaches have wings, but they can only fly when temperatures are quite high. And what’s more, cockroaches are omnivorous, i.e. they will eat anything, including each other if there is nothing else available.
One internet source, maybe urban myth, states that a cockroach can live up to nine days without its head before it starves to death. They have amazing scuttling abilities: one US study showed that cockroaches are capable of running at 50 body lengths per second on a treadmill – the equivalent of Carl Lewis doing the 100-meter in 1.09 seconds!
Great Wall of China
Last year China’s first person in space disappointed the nation when he said he could not see the Great Wall of China from space. However, photographs taken from space appear to confirm that China’s Great Wall can be spotted by the naked eye after all. So China’s schoolchildren who are taught that the Great Wall is one of the only man-made structures you can see can breathe easy again.