Wildlife | life-in-germany.info

Explore Some of the Beautiful German Towns

Where to start? This is a question you will probably want an answer for when you want to start your tour of German towns. There are so many to choose from that you will have to allow a very lengthy period of time in order to see what all of them have to offer. There is no one town that is better than the others, so it really depends on your interests and the kinds of attractions you want to visit. Germany is a country that exudes both scenery and history and you will combine both wherever you decide to go in this country.

If you want to visit historical sites, there are many World Heritage Sites in Germany. TH town of Gosler has thousands of years of history for you to explore. The Rammelsburg mines were in continuous operation for 1000 years and now houses a museum in the silver-ore mine. In the historic old section of the town you can visit the Imperial Palace with its medieval landscape. The imperial cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in the town of Bamburg is an impressive sight as is the Alte Hafhaltung Palace.

The charming little town of Altotting on the banks of the Inn River in Bavaria is the site of the Gothic statue of the Madonna in the Pilgrim’s Chapel. This is one of the stops made by many pilgrimages throughout Germany as well as Oberammergau, located in the Ammergau Alps. This little town is famous for its Passion Plays that have been performed every ten years since 1634.

Visit Aach, located in the state of Baden-Wurttemburg, to see the biggest natural spring in the country – Aachtopf. This area is very popular with cave divers and as a weekend destination. The town of Babehaussen is only 25 km from Frankfurt. Here you will find a medieval village complete with a castle and a large part of the city wall still remains. The spa town of Bad Worishofen is sure to attract your attention. There are many hotels and boarding houses here where you can receive the famous methods of Kneipp, who specialized in water cure.

The town of Calwis located in the northern Black Forest. It is heavily pedestrianized and as such it is very easy to find your way around. This would be the ultimate shopping destination with the numerous shops and sidewalk cafes where you can have a cool drink or snack as you watch the people go by. Many of the buildings in the town of Celle date back to the 16th century. In this town you can visit Schloss Castle and hear the trumpeter blowing the fanfare from the tower of Stadkirche (the parish church) twice a day. Th3e concentration camp where Anne Frank passed away is also close by.

Located on the German-Dutch Holiday Road, you won’t have any difficulty reaching the town of Dillenburg in the Hesse Region of Germany. There is a wildlife park in the town, four museums and a number of historic buildings. Several of the walking trails in the country either begin here or pass through the town.

The list of towns in Germany spans every letter of the alphabet so you do have many to choose from for your vacation.

Nutria – Biberratte

Nutria in Offenburg, Germany, summer 2007

Waldorf Education on Beautiful Vancouver Island

Subtitle: Waldorf Language Immersion in a Culturally Rich Environment

For students wishing an English language immersion experience, Island Oak Waldorf School on Vancouver Island in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, offers a unique opportunity. Island Oak, one hour north of the historic capital city of Victoria, is located in the resplendent Cowichan Valley. The word Cowichan, derived from the Quw’utsun First Nations word “Khowutzun,” means “warm lands” or “land warmed by the sun” in recognition of the area’s mild climate. The valley is a peaceful, culturally rich community in which exchange and boarding students can further their Waldorf education, immersed in the English language.

Axel (last name), a boarding student, and Yakob (last name), an exchange student, are both attending Island Oak from Germany during one-half of the 2008/2009 school year. Both students have found the experience to be valuable. “It is a great opportunity to improve one’s skills in the English language,” says Yakob. “Everyone helps you learn English and they don’t make a big deal around it.” Axel adds that he found his classmates happy to help when asked. “If they know you want them to help you, then everyone helps,” he says. Both found the Island Oak students to be welcoming and friendly.

The two students also lauded the faculty for making learning enjoyable. “You learn, but the lessons are fun,” says Axel. “You can enter into the class more.” They note that the small class sizes at Island Oak make the educational experience a more personal one, giving each student the opportunity to receive individual attention. This intimacy provides space to work out problems and offers opportunities for the students and faculty to make decisions together. “There is a respect for the students’ ability to make decisions about life,” says Yakob, appreciatively.

Another consideration for foreign study is the opportunity to try out a different environment to help one make a decision about where to attend university. Axel is a self-described “city man” but wanted to try a change from city life and has enjoyed seeing deer and raccoon up close. “The nature is amazing,” he says. The Island enjoys an abundance of wildlife, including black bears, Roosevelt elk, bald eagles and, in the surrounding oceans, killer whales (orca), sea lions, sea otters and porpoises. Interestingly, there are no skunks, grizzly bears or poisonous snakes on Vancouver Island.

Both young men praised the trips they’ve taken with Island Oak, including ocean kayaking and a skip trip. “It was a new experience to be able to go skiing with your school,” Yakob said. Vancouver Island offers a wealth of opportunities for outdoor activities, including ocean kayaking, river rafting, hiking, camping, fishing, snorkeling, diving, caving, storm watching on the rugged west coast of the Island, and snow activities in the nearby mountains.

Both Axel and Yakob have found the host family experience to be well organized and would recommend that students select host families who live in or near town to make getting around easier. They also suggested that German students come in the 10th grade given the timeframe of German exams. Despite this advice, the two 11th graders agreed that although they will have a lot of preparation for their exams when they return to Germany, they would come again during 11th grade in a heartbeat.

Waldorf education is now it its 28th year in the Cowichan Valley, surrounded by a strong anthroposophical community, including a Camp Hill, Christian Community, anthroposopical based naturopaths and nurses, a Steiner-based biography counselor, and more. The nearby Sunrise Waldorf School provides preschool and K-8 Waldorf education, with many Sunrise students continuing their high school education at Island Oak.

Island Oak has developed strong exchange and boarding programs. In the exchange program, a student from Germany lives with a current Island Oak student’s family for half of a school year. During the other half, the Island Oak student attends school in Germany and lives with the exchange student’s host family. In the boarding program, the student from Germany lives with a host family from the Waldorf community. There is a charge for boarding, whereas in the exchange program, each family agrees to reciprocally provide for the living expenses of the hosted student.

Local students enjoy the regular opportunity to have foreign students enter the high school for a semester, which helps create a seamless experience for the foreign student. As Axel and Yakob pointed out, the local students are happy to offer language assistance to the extent desired by the visiting student. The entire community appreciates the richness brought by German and other foreign students and welcomes exchange and boarding students with open hearts and open homes.

Visit the Island Oak website at www.islandoak.org.

Munnar-Mind refreshing hill stationa

MUNNAR

Munnar – breathtakingly beautiful – a haven of peace and tranquility – the idyllic tourist destination in God’s own country.
Set at an altitude of 6000 ft in Idukki district, Munnar was the favored summer resort of the erstwhile British rulers in the colonial days. Unending expanse of tea plantations – pristine valleys and mountains- exotic species of flora and fauna in its wild sanctuaries and forests – aroma of spice scented cool air – yes! Munnar has all these and more. It’s the place you would love to visit – it’s the place you would wish never to leave- so welcome – log on to munnar.com for all information on Munnar anytime, every time.

MUNNAR – Fact File

Altitude : 1600 Mts to 1800 Mts above sea level
Temperature : Min. 0 c – Max. 25 c
Clothing : Warm Clothes and Rain Gear
Tourist Season : August to March .

Tea or Chai is the most widely drunk beverage in the whole world. The tea plant, Camellia Sansis, is a cultivated variety of a Tea planttree that has its origins in an area between India and China. There are three main varieties of the tea plant – China, Assam, and Cambodia – and a number of hybrids between the varieties. The China variety grows as high as nine feet (2.75 metres). It is a hardy plant able to withstand cold winters and has an economic life of at least 100 years.

The Assam variety, a single-stem tree ranging from 20 to 60 feet (6 to 18 metres) in height. Regular pruning keeps its height to a more manageable 4 to 5 feet tall. It has an economic life of 40 years with regular pruning and plucking. When grown at an altitude near that of Darjeeling (Assam) or Munnar (Kerala), it produces tea with fascinating flavours , sought after around the globe.

MAIN SUB VARIETIES OF TEA
The tender light-leaved Assam
The less tender dark-leaved Assam
The hardy Manipuri and Burma types
The very large-leaved Lushai
The dark-leaved Assam plant from Upper Assam.

The Cambodia variety, a single-stem tree growing to about 16 feet (five metres) in height, is not cultivated but has been naturally crossed with other varieties.

History of Tea

Behind this everyday brew lies a colorful and fascinating story that meanders its way through the social and cultural history of many nations. According to ancient legend, tea was discovered by chance by a Chinese Emperor in third millenium B.C. as some tea leaves floated into his boiling pot of water from somewhere.

Whether this is fact or fiction, we will never know. In fact, there was no written reference to tea until the third century B.C., until a famous Chinese doctor recommended it for increasing one’s alertness. Most historians however agree that tea was used in China long before this date.

Tea entered its ‘golden age’ during the Tang Dynasty in the 7th century AD. Tea entered the age of rituals and traditions. No longer drunk simply as a medicinal tonic, tea was taken as much for pleasure as for its restorative powers. The preparation and service of the liquor developed into an elaborate ceremony, while the cultivation and processing of the leaf were tightly controlled.

Tea became important enough during this period for a group of merchants to commission the writer, Lu Yu, to compile the first ever book on the subject – Classic of Tea. All tea produced in China was originally green.

However, with an increase in trade during the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368 – 1644), the Chinese growers were challenged to preserve tea’s delicate qualities during its long journeys, as far afield as Europe. The solution was the invention of new processing methods to make black and flower-scented teas. Ming producers found that fermentation was able to preserve tea leaves, making them suitable for the long overseas journey. And though Europe’s first taste of tea was green, the fashion gradually changed to black as Chinese growers altered tea production methods to suit the logistics of distant trade.

Top
When one looks at Europe, one is not sure who was responsible for introducing tea there – the Dutch or the Portuguese in the early seventeenth century, for both nations were then actively trading in the China Seas. The Portuguese shipped China teas to Lisbon, and from there the Dutch East India Company carried goods on to Holland, France and Germany.

Tea’s fate in Britain took a lucky turn in 1662 when King Charles II married a Portuguese princess. Britain’s new queen was addicted to tea and carried with her some tea as part of her dowry. As word of the new beverage spread, more and more people wished to try it. Soon tea became Britain’s most popular drink, replacing ale at break-fast and gin at any other time of day. Tea also became an essential part of people’s entertainment outside the home.

Luxurious tea gardens appeared all over the country, where people from all walks of life, including royalty, could take fresh air, drink tea, and enjoy a variety of entertainment. The British tradition of ‘after-noon tea’ is normally ascribed to Anna, the Dutchess of Bedford. She conceived the idea of having tea around four or five in the afternoon to ward off the hunger pangs between lunch and dinner. Soon all of fashionable London was indulging in these after-noon gatherings to drink tea, eat sandwiches, and exchange gossip and general conversation.

As tea consumption in Britain grew, the balance of payment turned in favour of the Chinese. Britain came up with an answer to correct the imbalance and trade in opium, which the Chinese wanted. But soon trade in opium became a serious international issue, and to secure monopoly, Britain declared war. China retaliated by placing an embargo on all export of tea. The Opium Wars had begun.

Its trade with China cut off, Britain began to seek other locations for the production of tea. Northern India was particularly promising due to its climate and altitudes. It is here that in 1823 the British East India Company’s first crop was planted. Its first shipment of Assam tea reached London fifteen years later, and the Company soon expanded into other areas, most notably Darjeeling and the hills of Munnar in Kerala. The Kannan Devan Tea was thus born.

It was inevitable that tea would find its way to North America along with the settlers from Europe. All over the New World, tea was drunk in the same elegant fashion as in Europe. In colonial America, tea and the complimentary silver and porcelain were symbols of wealth and social status. Even the less affluent families viewed the taking of tea as a display of their good manners. The Boston Tea Party ended America’s liking for both the British and their tea. The origins of the trouble lay in the passing of an Act of Parliament in 1767, which attempted to tax the American colonies.

Within two years of its passing, most American ports were refusing to allow any dutiable goods ashore, and when the British sent seven shiploads of tea from London, feelings ran high. In New York and Philadelphia, demonstrations forced the ships to turn back. In Boston, general unrest over several weeks was followed by the boarding of the Dartmouth by a band of men disguised as Indians, to cries of “Boston harbour – a teapot tonight.”

In the course of the next three hours, they threw 340 chests of tea overboard. The British government’s closure of Boston harbor and the arrival of British troops on American soil marked the beginning of the War of Independence and America’s coffee-drinking tradition. World War II marked a final blow to America’s affinity for fine teas. Prior to the war, Americans were well versed in the many varieties of tea. Imported exclusively in the Orient, however, these teas became scarce during the war, and were replaced with lower quality black tea from Argentina and other open markets. Sadly, to this day, almost all tea consumed in the United States is low-grade black.

Growing Tea

Tea bushes are planted 1 metre to 1.5 metres apart to follow the natural contours of the landscape. Sometimes they are grown on specially prepared terraces to help irrigation and to prevent erosion. Fifty years ago tea plants were raised from tea seeds and they Tea estatewere known as seedlings. Each plantation grew its own seed bearers in tea trees which grew to a height of approximately 25 metres. These young plants are raised from the cuttings obtained from a strong and rich bush. They are carefully tendered in special nursery beds until they are 12-15 months old and then planted in the tea gardens.

Trees are often planted in between the tea plants to protect them against intense heat and light, particularly on the plains of Assam and Kenya, where sunshine is most intense. The trees also provide microclimatic and soil improvements. Geometric spacing are used, often in quite wide spacing. This, again, ensures uniform treatment (shade) and ease in mechanized operations. Common shade trees are Erythrina, Gliricidia, and Silver Oak.

When the tea plant is allowed to grow wild and unfettered it becomes 10 mts high. To simplify cultivation and stimulate the production of leaf buds, they are regularly pruned and shaped into flat-topped bushes of about one metre in height. When the plant develops to a height of about half a metre above ground, it is cut back – pruned to within a few inches off the ground – to set it on course to develop into a flat-topped bush. Generally, a tea bush is 1 to 1.5 metres in height. Regular 2 to 3 year pruning cycles encourage the supply of shoots, the flush which is plucked every week to ten days, depending on where it is cultivated.

The tea leaves are mostly hand plucked. The tea plant is plucked every 5- 10 days, depending on where it grows. The length of Tea workerstime needed for the plucked shoot to redevelop a new shoot ready for plucking varies according to the plucking system and the climatic conditions. Intervals of between seventy and ninety days are common.

When the tea plant is plucked two leaves and a bud are cut. An experienced plucker can pluck up to 30 kg tealeaves per day. To make one kg black tea, approx. 4 kg tea leaves are needed. One tea plant produces about 70 kg black tea a year. In a warm climate the plant is plucked for the first time after four years and it will produce tea for at least 50 years. A suitable climate for cultivation must have a minimum annual rainfall of 1,140 to 1,270 millimetres. Tea soils must be acidic and tea cannot be grown in alkaline soils.

A crop of 11,650 kilograms per hectare requires 3.7 to 4.9 workers per hectare to pluck the tea shoots and maintain the fields. Mechanical plucking has been tried, but because of its lack of selectivity, it cannot replace hand plucking. Since 1900, advancements in tea cultivation have increased the average yield per acre in India from 180 to 450 kilograms, with many estates producing over 680 kilograms.

PLACES TO VISIT

Mattupetty (13 km from Munnar)

Situated at a height of 1700 Mts ,Mattupetty Mattupetty is famous for its highly specialised dairy farm, the Indo-swiss live stock project. Over 100 varietes of high yielding cattle are reared here.Visitors are allowed into three of the eleven cattle sheds at the farm

Visit Time : 0900 – 1100 hrs and 1400 – 1530 hrs.
Rate : Rs. 5/- per head. ( liable to change)

The Mattupetty lake and dam , just a short distance from the farm, is a very beautiful picnic spot. The sprawling Kundala tea plantations and the Kundala lake are other attractions in the vicinity. DTPC Idukki provides boating facilities on the Mattupetty Dam. Speed Launch and slow speed motor boats are available on hire.

Pothamedu (6 km from Munnar)

Pothamedu offers an excellent view of the tea, coffee and cardamom plantations in Munnar. The rolling hills, the lush mountain and the breathtaking scenery here is ideal for trekking and long mountain walks.

Devikulam (7 km from Munnar)
Devikulam

This idyllic hill station with its velvet lawns, exotic flora and fauna and the cool mountain air is a rare experience. The Sita Devi Lake with its mineral waters and picturesque surroundings is a good picnic spot. The lake is also ideal for trout fishing.

Pallivasal (8 km from Munnar)

This is the venue of the first Hydro Electric Project in Kerala and a place of immence scenic beauty.

Attukal (9 km from Munnar)

A panorama of waterfalls and rolling hills, Attukal, located between Munnar and Pallivasal, is a feast for the eyes. The place is also ideal for long treks.

Nyayamakad (10 km from Munnar)

Located between Munnar and Rajamala, Nyayamakad is a land of breathtaking waterfalls. The waters cascade down a hill from a height of about 1600 meters. The enchanting surroundings makes an excellent picnic spot and trekking point.

Chithirapuram (10 km from Munnar)

With its sleepy little cottages, bungalows, old playgrounds and courts, Chithirapuram still exudes an old world charm. Home of the Pallivasal Hydel Power Project, this hill town is also famous for its picturesque tea plantations.

Lock Heart Gap (13 km from Munnar)

This is an ideal place for adventure tourism and trekking. The fresh mountain air, the mist-clad hills and panoramic view make it worthy of a visit.

Rajamala (15 km from Munnar)

The natural habitat of the Niligiri tahr ,Rajamala Rajamala is 2695 Mts above sea level. Half the world’s population of the rare mountain goat or tahr which is fast becoming extinct, is now found here.The Niligiri tahr in Rajamala are now to be found in small herds found in Eravikulam-Rajamala region. The total number of Niligiri Tahrs in Rajamala is estimated to be over 1300.

Visiting Time : 0700 – 1800 hrs.
Visitors are not allowed during the monsoon.
Entry Pass : Rs. 10 for adults, Rs. 5 for children below 12 years, Rs. 50 for foreigners.( liable to change)
Permitting Authority : Wild Life DFO, Munnar.

Eravikulam National Park (15 km from Munnar)

The 97 sq. km. park is situated in the Devikulam Eravikulam National ParkTaluk and is home to the Nilgiri Tahr. The Anamudi peak (2695 Mts) is located in the Southern region of the park.

Originally established to protect the Nilgiri tahr (Nilgiri Ibex), the Eravikulam National Park is situated in the Devikulam Taluk of the Idukki District. It was declared as a sanctuary in 1975. Considering the ecological, faunal, floral, geo-morphological and zoological significance, it was declared as a National park in 1978. It covers an area of 97 sq kms of rolling grasslands and high level sholas (evergreen forests). The park is breathtakingly beautiful and is easily comparable to the best mountain ranges found anywhere in the world.

Sanctuary Visit :

Nilgiri Tahr The park is divided into 3 regions – the core area, the buffer area and the tourism area. Visitors are allowed only to the tourism area which is in the Rajamala region. The Nilgiri Tahr can be observed at close quarters here.

Trekking facilities are available here. Tourists are allowed to go on foot up to Anamudi. This is also a place for adventure tourism.

Trekking Areas : Anamudi, Rajamala.

Power House Waterfalls (18 km from Munnar)

The waterfall on the way to Thekkady from Munnar cascades down a steep rock 2000 Mts above sea level. The spot is enriched with the scenic Western mountain ranges, and is an ideal place for a break on the way to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Thekkady.

Kundala (20 km from Munnar)

Kundala is a picturesque town on the way to Top Station. The Golf Course which belongs to Tata Tea Ltd. is located here. The Kundala artificial dam is another attraction. Aruvikkad Waterfall is also near Kundala.
CSI Christ Church
CSI Christ ChurchThe British built the Christ Church in 1910 AD. Built of stone, the church is known for its stained glass windows. There are several brass plaques in the church placed in the memory of the tea planters.
IN AND AROUND MUNNAR

AnayirankalAnayirangal (22 kms from Munnar):

It’s a lush green carpet of tea plants. A trip on the splendid reservoir is an unforgettable experience. The Anayirangal dam is surrounded by Tata Tea plantations and evergreen forests. It is an ideal picnic spot.

Devikulam (7 kms from Munnar)

This idyllic hill station with its velvet lawns , exotic flora and fauna and the cool mountain air offers a rare experience to visitors. The Sita Devi lake with its mineral waters and picturesque surroundings is a good picnic spot. The lake is also ideal trout fishing.

Valara Waterfalls
Valara (10 kms from Adimali on the Kochi-Madurai highway)

Valara has a chain of waterfalls surrounded by thick green forests.

Marayoor (40 kms from Munnar)

This is the only place in Kerala that has a natural growth of sandalwood trees. The sandalwood factory of the forest department, the caves(muniyaras) with the murals and relics from the New stone age civilization and the children’s park spread across a hectare of land under the canopy of a single banyan tree, are of great interest to tourists. Thoovanam waterfalls and Rajiv Gandhi National Park are also nearby. +more

Cheeyappara

The Cheeyappara and Valara waterfalls are located between Neriamangalam and Adimali on the Kochi – Madurai highway.

TopstationTop Station (32 kms from Munnar)

1700 Mts above sea level , this is the highest point on the Munnar-Kodiakanal road. The rare Neelakurunji (strobilanthus) belongs to this region. Top Station (a viewing point) also offers a panoramic view of neighbouring state of Tamil nadu.

Echo Point (15 km from Munnar)

This scenic place gets its name from the natural echo phenomenon here. Echo point is on the way to Top Station from Munnar.

Meenuli

It is noted for 2 acres of evergreen forests upon a huge rock. The rock is more than 500 acres in area and an ideal spot for mountaineering.

Malankara Reservoir (6 kms from Thodupuzha)

Located on the Thodupuzha – Moolamattam road, this artificial lake isMalankara Reservoir accessible by road. The reservoir is ideal for boating and fishing.

Thommankuthu waterfalls (17 kms from Thodupuzha)
The seven step waterfall here is a much loved picnic spot . At each step there is a cascade and a pool beneath . Thommankuthu is an ideal place for adventure tourism. (This is also a tricky spot and visitors are advised to exercise caution !)

Nadukani (25 kms from Idukki)
Moolamattam town , Malankara lake etc. can be viewed from the high pavilion situated here.

Kalvari MountKalvari mount

This is a famous pilgrim centre on the way to Kattapana.

Palkulamedu (12 kms from Idukki)

Kochi, Allapuzha and other nearby towns can be seen from this peak at 3125 mts above sea level.

Chithirapuram (10 kms from Munnar)

With its sleepy little cottages, bungalows, old play grounds and courts, Chithirapuram still exudes an old world charm. Home of the Pallivasal Hydel power project, this hill town is also famous for its picturesque tea plantation.

RamakalmeduRamakalmedu (16 kms from Nedumkandam)

Rolling green hills and fresh mountain air make Ramakalmedu an enchanting retreat. The hilltop also offers a panoramic view of the picturesque villages of Bodi and Kambam on the Eastern slope of the Western ghats. One can enjoy the splendid beauty of nature. This is an ideal place for trekkers and mountain climbers.

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary (60 km from Munnar)

Situated on the Tamil Nadu border, the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is spread across 90.44 sq km.

Giant Squirrel
Animals

Most of the Southern Indian wild animals can be found in this forest. These include the grizzled giant squirrel, champal squirrel, elephant, sambar deer, gaur etc.

Rare BirdBirds

Jungle fowl, myna, laughing thrush, black bulbul, peafowl etc.

Access
Munnar – Udumalpetta Road    60 km
Coimbatore – Udumalpetta – Chinnar Road    100 km
Cochin – Chinnar    190 km
Parambikulam via Pollachi – Chinnar via Udumalpetta    60 km
Kottayam – Chinnar    250 km

Visiting Time

0700 – 1800 hrs. Entry passes are available at the office of the Assistant Conservator of Forests or the Check Post Information Counter.

Permitting Authority
Wildlife Warden, Idukki Wild Division, Painav/Wildlife DFO, Munnar.

Trekking Routes
Palapetty, Champakad
Karimuty – Inchapetty
Karimuty – Alampetty

High Range Club

Charmingly colonial in style, this clubhouse built of wicker and teak still serves as a social centre for the far – flung farmers of the region around Munnar. The club houses an elegant lounge and a dining room, the obligatory gentleman’s bar, a billiards room, a library etc. Entry is limited to members only.

Trekking Points in Munnar
Anamudi, Rajamala, Meesapulimala, Top Station, Kundala, Devikulam.

Sightseeing Tours

Sightseeing tours are arranged from the District Tourist Infornation Office, Thekkady Jn., Kumili. Tours cover spice plantations, herbal gardens, tribal settlements, other places in and around Munnar etc.

Tourist Circuits in Munnar
Munnar – Mattupetty Dam – Indo Swiss Livestock Project – Echo Point – Kundala Dam – Top Station (34 km).
Munnar – Pothamedu – Chitirapuram – Pallivasal – Cheyappara – Adimali – Valara (40 km).
Munnar – Rajamala – Marayoor – Chinnar (70 km).
Munnar – Devikulam – Lock Heart Gap – Power House Waterfalls – Anayirankal (32 km).

Accomodation options

Luxury
1    Tea County     Munnar    4 Star    Rs.3,500 – 6,000
2    Club Mahindra    Chinnakannal    4 Star    Rs.5,000 – 15,000
3    Cloud 9    Naduparai    3 Star    Rs.2,400 – 3,400
4    Sienna Village    Chinnakannal    3 Star    Rs.1,800 – 2,500
5    Oak Fields    Pothamedu    3 Star    Rs.2,200 – 2,400
6    Eastend    Munnar    3 Star    Rs.1950 – 2,300
7    Issacs Residency    Munnar    3 Star    Rs.1,250 – 2,500
8    Chancellor Resorts    Chinnakannal    3 Star    Rs.1,500 – 3,500
9    West Wood    Munnar    3 Star    Rs.1,350 – 2,350
10    Sterling Resorts    Chinnakannal    3 Star    Rs.1,700 – 2,400
11    B Six Holliday Resorts    Latchmi Est.    3 Star    Rs.1,500 – 2,000
12    Fort Munnar    Chinnakannal    3 Star    Rs.5,000 – 11,000
13    Deshadan Mountain Resort    Potemedu    Luxury    Rs.2,750 – 4,000

SN.    Resorts/Hotels    Location    Rating    Tariff
Deluxe
14    Las Palmas    Devikulam    Classic    Rs.900-1,650
15    Spring Dale Resorts    Devikulam    Budget    Rs.650 – 5,300
16    Lonely Planet    Devikulam    Budget    Rs.750 – 5,000
17    Munnar Inn    Munnar    Classic    Rs.1,200 – 1,500
18    Hill View    Munnar    Classic    Rs.750 – 2,500
19    Elysium Garden    Munnar    Classic    Rs.600 – 2,500
20    S.N.Annex    Munnar    Classic    Rs.950 – 2,000
21    S.N.Tourist Home    Munnar    Budget    Rs.850 – 2,000
22    Munnar Tourist Home    Munnar    Budget    Rs.900 – 3,000
23    Misha Tourist Home    Munnar    Budget & Classic    Rs.480 – 1,300
24    Sun Mount View Resorts    Pullivasal    Budget    Rs.950 – 2,000

SN.    Resorts/Hotels    Location    Rating    Tariff
Economy
25    Tea Garden Resorts    Munnar    Cheap    Rs.450 – 1,200
26    Dhanyasree    Munnar    Cheap    Rs.550 – 1,500

courtesy

www.myhappyjourney.com

Germany bans chemicals linked to honeybee deaths

Germany bans chemicals linked to honeybee devastation Germany has banned a family of pesticides that are blamed for the deaths of millions of honeybees www.echoroukonline.com

Dian Fossey’s Forgotten Gorilla Orphans

Older readers may recall seeing a photo of Dian with two young gorillas on the cover of the January 1970 issue of the National Geographic magazine. Few know what became of the youngsters. This is their story.

It is February 1969. Dian Fossey has just rescued a young male gorilla from a corrupt park conservator in the Virungas who paid the notorious poacher Munyarukiko to acquire a young mountain gorilla for the Cologne Zoo. Dian learns that the cost of filling the “order” involved the slaughter of ten adults as they made one last stand in defense of the infant on the mist-shrouded slopes of Rwanda’s Mount Karisimbi. Dian strikes a bargain with the conservator. The infant has been horribly mutilated by the wire snares utilized to bind his hands and feet. Gangrene is a real possibility, and malnutrition and dehydration have already taken their toll. Dian agrees to nurse the infant back to health, at which time she will return the baby to the conservator for shipment to the Cologne Zoo, since the zoo has paid upfront and is still demanding its “cargo.” Her hope is that she will have time to convince authorities to return the infant to the wild.

Dian’s hopes were not destined to become reality. No sooner had Dian converted her storeroom to a gorilla rehabilitation facility, when there was a knock at her cabin door. The conservator had dispatched another baby, this one a female, of about three years of age, who had also been poached for the zoo. Dian (who had already been studying mountain gorillas for two years) immediately noticed that both gorillas had webbed toes on their right feet, which indicated that they might be from the same family. The orphans were named Coco and Pucker, and Dian Fossey embarked upon yet another episode in her life at Karisoke that started ripe with promise, but would end in tragedy. Dian’s plans to convince park authorities to allow her to release the babies back into the wild would never be realized.

On May 3, she was forced to watch as Coco and Pucker were nailed into a crate and loaded aboard an airplane for the trip to Germany. The young gorillas arrived in excellent condition, due to the care Dian had lavished upon them, but died within a month of each other after eight years of exhibition for the delight of human primates. Dian later wrote that she was certain that Coco and Pucker died of broken hearts.

Exactly twenty years after Dian’s death at the hands of unnamed assailants in 1985, a listing on an obscure gorilla list serve was noticed by a friend of IPPL who lives in the UK. A man had some photos of Coco and Pucker that were taken at the Cologne Zoo in 1974! His former girlfriend happened to see them playing in a grassy area and snapped a few shots of Coco and Pucker, all the while having no idea of the significance of the two young gorillas. Shirley McGreal wrote an email to the photographer, explaining that McGreal was a former friend of Dian’s, and that Dian’s own heart was broken by the shipment of the gorillas to the zoo and their subsequent deaths. After several aborted attempts to send the scanned photos by e-mail, the grainy, scratched, digital images arrived at IPPL. The photographer, Ria Bakker, graciously gave permission for IPPL to use the historic photos as Shirley saw fit. The photos offer a brief glimpse through a window in time. One in particular is rather chilling, showing a young gorilla standing upright and looking directly into the camera lens. Whether it is Coco or Pucker is impossible to tell, but it is almost as if the gorilla is reaching through the years, with eyes reminding the viewer of the consequences of humans’ bungled attempts to manage other species. Ria Bakker did not work at the Cologne Zoo, but was visiting in either 1973 or 1974, according to information she supplied to IPPL. Bakker was a zookeeper at the Wassenaar Zoo in the Netherlands. This zoo was forced to close down in 1986, due to financial problems.

“At that time I did not have a clue that Coco and Pucker were very special. I only noticed that they were different than the Western lowland gorillas in our zoo,” Bakker said.

“Coco and Pucker had two cages in the very old ape house, and the zookeepers took them out once a day to the playground in the grass, which was in the front of the building. They would play there with them for half an hour or so. Because the keepers knew that we were visiting from another zoo, we were allowed to be there and watch them,” Bakker explained.

More than thirty years after Ria Bakker first saw Coco and Pucker, the incident remains fresh in her memory. Her bittersweet reflection includes the memory that “the longer I worked as a zookeeper, the more aware (I became) of the situation of the gorillas in the wild. When I found out what happened with these two poor creatures, it just broke my heart,” Bakker wrote to IPPL.

An interesting footnote to this story is that the poacher of Coco and Pucker, Munyarukiko, was allegedly instrumental in the death of Dian’s beloved silverback Digit and remained an adversary of the gorillas for many years. Digit’s severed hands, feet, and head were buried outside of the poacher’s hut, but were removed before Dian and other officials could retrieve them. Only Digit’s torso is buried in the gorilla cemetery adjacent to Dian’s grave.

Georgianne Nienaber is an investigative writer and the author of Gorilla
Dreams: The Legacy of Dian Fossey, an account of the life and death of the
famed gorilla researcher, Dian Fossey. For more information visit www.thelegacyofdianfossey.com.

Does anybody know a good qoute of Kermit?

Germany Wildlife

Image taken on 2009-05-24 20:28:30 by rajue.

Where the Nature Sings

The Alps is the name of one of the biggest and gorgeous mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east, through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west. They are divided into the Western Alps and the Eastern Alps.

Mont Blanс is the highest mountain in the Alps chain – 4,808 meters (15,774 ft).

As we rise from sea level into the upper regions of the atmosphere the temperature decreases. What is ineteresting, on the top of alps there are eternal glaciers, the temperature is low, more down it begins to increase, that`s why the lowest regions of the Alps are full of rich flora. Furthermore the weather forecast in the Alps is really unpredictable.

The Alps are considered to be attractive for tourists and especially Alpinists. Clean snow and at the same time wonderful forests, wide meadows, which you can feel amazing fragrance from, the cleanest air. What a place for chilling out and calming down your soul. So, people are needed in such things for their health to be stronger and for getting some good positive emotions, which people usually have a lack of. And the air is so clean, that some people lose their mind, because people don`t get used to such air.

What`s the most wonderful about The Alps is its nature, which is very rich and various. Vast meadows, forests, lakes…

Great deal of herbaceous vegetation is very common in the Alps. There is a great variety of meadowy flowers: rusty-leaved Alpenrose, Edelweiss, stemless gentian, Alpine pasque-flower, glacier buttercup etc. Wildlife still amazes us: Alpine Ibex, Chamois, Alpine Marmot, Mountain Hare. Birds: Golden Eagle, Alpine Chough, Alpine Accentor.

Ptarmigan, Tengmalm’s Owl, Capercaillie, Alpine Salamander. These species are found in 15% of the Alps protected in parks and reserves.

See The Alps location on the map.

The author:

Clean Planet – ecology, problems of the environment and lots of other green stuff.

Travel Nepal

Enchantment is everywhere in Nepal; be it in the cool and invigorating shade of the high mountains, or on terraced farmlands carved like stairways out of hill ridges, or still across waterfalls, creeks, rushing mountain rivers amidst gorges, valleys and forests teeming with a cornucopia of flora and fauna. There are lakes amidst breathtaking settings, strong-current rivers for rafting, Wildlife Safaris, the tallest mountains to climb, trekking across vales and dales, and, above all, warm, friendly, welcoming people. In this respect, Nepal becomes a perfect holiday destination for tourists, trekkers, mountaineers, writers, honeymooners, lovers, retired people and people interested in research.

Nepal Geography

As Nepal is sandwiched between two economic and geographical Leviathans, it is rightfully regarded as “ A Yam between Two Boulders” as While Nepal abuts on Indian border in the east, the west and the South, Tibetan Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China shares the vast Himalayan frontier with Nepal. The length of the county is 885 kilometers from east to west, and its breath varies from 145 kilometers to 241 kilometers from north to south. The total area is 147,181 sq. kilometers.

Climate

Nepal isn’t only the home of mysterious Yeti and elusive Snow Leopard, but also a constant cause of wonder for meteorologists for her simply amazing variations in climatic conditions. Divided into three different geographical regions, Nepal houses the snow-capped Himalayas in the north, a vast stretch of plains in the south and two chains of hills, known as Mahabharata and Churiya range, acting as a geological bridge between the northern and southern region.

The most astonishing thing about the geography of Nepal is that the distance between the tropical lowlands and the snow-capped mountainous region is very less. While the distance between the tropical and alpine regions in most of the countries around the globe is more than 1000 km, it is just less than 100 km in some places in Nepal.. The temperature varies between zero in the mountains to over 30 degrees Celsius in the valleys, and to mercury plummeting up to 38 degrees during summer in the lowlands.

Population

‘Unity in diversity’ is really the mot just for a multi-ethnic, multicultural and multilingual country like Nepal. It had a population of 18,462,081 at the time of the 1991 census. The average population density at the time was 125 persons per sq km (329 per sq mi), although nearly half the people were concentrated in the narrow Terai region. In contrast, the 2003 population estimate was 26,469,569. The population has grown rapidly since 1950 when there were only 9 million people. In 2003 the population was increasing at an annual rate of 2.3 percent. Only 12 percent of the population lived in urban areas. The rate of population in the urban areas, however, has grown significantly thanks to a number of social, political and economic reasons.

Get in

You may need a tourist Visa to enter the country. A propspective visitor can apply for the visa from several embassies and consulates in most countries in the world. Nepal has diplomatic missions in

Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Burma, Canada, China, Denmark, Finaland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Myanmar, The Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Phillipines, Spain , Sweeden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tibet, the United Kingdom and the United States of America that issue visas to the propective visitors.

Entrance/Egress

The following entery/exit points have been set by the government of Nepal for the foreign visitors:

1. Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu

2. Kodari, Sindhupalchowk (North)

3. Karkarvitta, Jhapa (East)

4. Belahia,Bhairhawa (West)

5. Birgunj, Parsa (Central Nepal)

6. Jamunaha, Nepalgunj (Mid-East)

7. Mohana, Dhangadi (Far-West)

8. Gadda Chauki, Mahendranagar (Far-West)

Via Air

Since there is only one international airport, Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, in Nepal, it is the Hobson’s choice for vistors to start their Himalayan voyage from the capital city itself. The following airlines company operate their services from/to Kathmandu:

1. Nepal Airlines (Run by the Nepalese government, it operates its service to/from Bangkok, Banglore, Calcutta, Delhi, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Osaka, Paris, London, Shanghai, Singapore)

2. Korean Air (Seoul)

3. Biman Bangladesh Airlines (Dhaka)

4. Air China (Lhasa)

5. Condor (Munich)

6. Druk Air (Paro)

7. Gulf Air (Abu Dhabi)

8. Indian Airlines (Delhi, Calcutta, Varanasi)

9. Qatar Airways ( Doha)

10. Thai International (Bangkok)

11. Martin Air (Amsterdam via Sharjah)

Via Land

Although Indo/Nepal border is a porous one, you must enter the country by road from India through one of the border crossing points ( as described under the heading Entrance/Egress). If you are coming from Tibet, the route is Kodari, Sindhupalchowk. There is no national passenger rail service in Nepal, but there is a rail service operating from Calcutta, India. A train by the name Mithila Express plies regularly between Howrah Station, Calcutta, to Birgunj, one of the chief entry points to Nepal.

Contact

Although the comminication infrastructure of Nepal is not to the world’s standard, still the pincipal cities across the countries entertain almost all forms of sophisticated communication systems. These include:

1. Telephone: The international country code for Nepal is 977. There are two to three digit area code and six-digit local phone numbers. The communication system, operated by Nepal Telecom, a quasi-governmental organization, caters its service in almost all the seventy-five district of the country. But some off-the-map villages don’t have telephone facilities. However, the East-West optical fibre project, which is on the verge of its completion, is expected to cover all the villages and hamlets of the country within two to three years time. Besides Nepal Telecom, United Tele Communication Limited (UTL), a privately owned company, is providing its services in Kathmandu Valley.

2. Cell Phones

Mobiles are widely used, but due to the geoprphical constraints , some rural areas have only analog service, or no service at all. Nepal Telecom and UTL operate operate CDMA networks; Mero Mobile, a private mobile company, operates the only GPRS network. Travellers planning to bring their GPRS phones with them might do well to check that their handset supports the appropriate frequencies.

3. Internet

There are cyber cafes in almost most of the tourist areas all over the country. A trekker can surf the net in Solokhumbu, the entry point of Mount Everest Region. Nomal rate is Rs 20 to 30 per hours in the main cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara. New Pokhara Lodge Lakeside Pokhara offer free internet to hotel’s customers.

4. Mail

The snail mail system is there but, as a rule, it is not always speedy. Also, international parcel postal services can be costly. Furthermore, internationally acclaimed courier service providers like DHL and Fedex also have their branches in most parts of the country.

http://www.visit-nepal.com

Princess…?

Germany Wildlife

Image taken on 2009-05-24 21:14:31 by rajue.

life-in-germany.info

Categories

Site Sponsor

Blogroll