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Asia Minor Exploration Fund: Funding

One of the constant refrains of the BSA Managing Committee in the early years concerned finance. Yet this is hardly surprising given the demands from other archaeological projects in the eastern Mediterranean. George Macmillan was Honorary Treasurer of the Asia Minor Exploration Fund (AMEF) and made constant appeals:
  • 1882: £520 raised
  • 1883: £300 spent on travels in Anatolia; further appeal for £500.
  • 1890: appeal for £500 to cover the 1890 season
  • 1891: appeal for £400 to cover the 1891 season
  • 1893: £150 raised (of which £100 from the Royal Geographical Society)
  • 1893: appeal for £2000 to excavate at Derbe or Lystra
The BSA students were often involved with the work of AMEF from its earliest years, notably David Hogarth, John A.R. Munro, and Vincent W. Yorke.

The appeal for funds took a nationalistic tone:
It would be little to the credit of England if want of funds should oblige Professor Ramsay to leave the completion of his task to foreign hands. (1890)

One might wish that a foreign nation had not stepped in to a field which, with more liberality on the part of Englishmen, could have been covered completely by our own explorers, but the work is so vast that in the interests of knowledge the application of foreign zeal and money is not altogether to be regretted. (1891)

Very much yet remains to be done, and if the work so well begun by a small band of Englishmen is not to be left unfinished or transferred to foreign hands, English liberality must supply the funds necessary for its continuance. (1893)
It is little wonder that the BSA was only raising some £500 a year when there were such competing demands on the same subscribers.

What Is Sports Nutrition?

Today is the day that you begin to enhance your game. As an athlete, you already know that you need to work hard at insuring that your skills on the court, field or track are the best they can be.

You want to insure that your body is doing everything in the correct manner from start to finish.

You may spend hours perfecting your movements. You may work to build your muscle to enhance how well you can throw that ball.

Or, you may spend countless hours pushing your body to just get past that race line by a fraction of a second better.

All of these things are essential parts to being a successful athlete. There is no doubt about that. But, that is not all that you need to handle either.

Off The Court Work Outs

Besides planning your next routine, your next set of reps and your next game, you should be concentrating on your nutrition. Think about it.

What your body eats is what makes it move.

What you put into your body is the fuel it will use to do the things that you want it to do.

What you do not put into your body can not help you to succeed either.

While it may sound hard to determine what the right products are, it does not have to be.

As an athlete, you need to focus your time on sports nutrition as much as you focus it on your workout.

You should take the time to learn about what your body needs, how it reacts to the foods you put into it and how well it will perform based on the fuels you provide it.

For more information, check out this best ebook on sports/fitness and nutrition.

Türkçe OKS ve ÖSS soruları nasıl çözülür

Sevgili öğrenciler,

Amacınız İster Anadolu ve Fen Liselerine İster Üniversiteye girip, güzel bir eğitim alarak yarınlara en iyi şekilde hazırlanmak ve idealinizdeki mesleğe ulaşıp onu en iyi şekilde yapmak olsun. Bu amaca ulaşmak için gireceğiniz OKS sınavında sorulan 100 sorunun 25'i Türkçe dersinden ÖSS de ise sorulan soruların 60 tanesi Türkçe dersinden gelmektedir. OKS ve ÖSS Sınavlarını analiz ettiğinizde ve katsayılar dikkatle incelendiğinde Türkçe'nin önemini daha iyi anlayabilirsiniz.Türkçe’yi bütün kurallarıyla bilmek, sizin başarınız açısından oldukça önemlidir. Türkçe’yi iyi bilmek sadece Türkçe sorularını çözmekte değil, diğer derslere ait soruları çözmekte de işe yarayacaktır.

Sevgili öğrenciler, OKS ’de çıkan Türkçe soruları

1-Sözcükte,Cümlede Anlam Bilgisi,

2-Dil Bilgisi,

3-Anlatım Bozuklukları

4-Yazım Bilgisi

5-Edebiyat Bilgileri olmak üzere 5 temel başlıkta karşınıza çıkmaktadır.

Anlam bilgisi, her şeyden önce hızlı ve doğru okumanızı; okuduğunuzu anlamanızı ve anladığınızı yorumlamanızı gerektirir. Soruların büyük çoğunluğunun anlam bilgisi olması ve ezbere dayalı bir bilgi istememesi bunun kanıtıdır. Anlam bilgisi soruları kelime, cümle ve paragraf düzeyinde karşımıza çıkar. Sözcük anlamında, sözcüğün cümle içinde kazandığı değişik anlamları bulma, yorumlama ve deyimlerin anlamlarını kavramaya yönelik sorular sorulur. Cümle anlamında cümlede verilen yargıyı kavrama, yargının oluşmasında etkili olan yardımcı yargıları bulma, yargıyı aktaran kişinin yansıttığı duyguyu, düşünceyi anlama ile ilgili sorular gelmektedir. Cümle anlamında sizlerin anlama yeteneğiniz ölçülür. Ayrıca birbirine benzer yargılar arasından farklı olanı bulabilme üzerinde durulur.

Paragrafta sizden istenen, değişik yargılardan oluşan bir bütünü kavramanızdır. Bunu kavrarken aynı zamanda onun parçalarla olan ilgisini de anlamanız istenir. Paragraf soruları uzun olmasından dolayı zor soru olarak algılanır. Oysa bu soruların cevabı soruda verilen parçanın içinde gizlidir. Bu yönüyle belki de en kolay sorular paragraf sorularıdır. . Paragraf sorularını kolay çözmenin yolu bol paragraf sorusu çözmekten geçer.Paragrafı okumadan önce soru kökünü mutlaka okuyun ve ne sorulduğunu anlamaya çalışın. Ayrıca Anlam Bilgisi konusundan gelen soruları çözebilmek için az da olsa kitap okumaya çalışmalısınız. Ayda bir iki kitap bitirmeniz size fayda sağlayacaktır. Okuduğunuz metni özetlemeye, eleştirmeye çalışırsanız yaptığınız işin verimliliği daha da artacaktır. Burada değinmek istediğimiz önemli bir husus da sözlük kullanımıdır. Okuduğunuz metinde karşılaştığınız kelimelerden anlamlarını bilmediklerinizi öğrenmek, deyimlerin tam karşılığını bilmek, atasözlerini kavramak istiyorsanız bir Türkçe sözlük ve bir de atasözleri sözlüğü edinmelisiniz. Böylece sınavlarda çıkacak muhtemel deyim, atasözü ve kelime anlamı sorularını çok rahat çözebilme yeteneğine kavuşmuş olacaksınız.

Anlam bilgisi soruları nasıl çözülür?

Anlam bilgisi konusu Türkçe dersinin en önemli konusu olup, sınavlarda soruların % 85'inin de geldiği bölümdür. Dolayısıyla bu konuyu öğrenmek, başarıya ulaşmak için çok önemlidir. Türkçe dersinin en önemli konusu olan anlam bilgisin gelebilecek soruları çözmek için şunlara dikkat edilmelidir:

Günde bir sayfa da olsa kitap okunmalıdır. Kitap okuma alışkanlığı olmayanlar ilk başlarda gazetelerden ilgilerini çeken köşe yazılarını, daha sonra Dünya Klasikleri'nden olan hikâye ve romanları daha sonra ise düşünsel içerikli deneme kitaplarını okumalıdırlar.

Televizyon seyrederken, birilerini dinlerken, okurken veya herhangi bir nedenle duyulan ve anlamı bilinmeyen kelime ve kelime gruplarının anlamları sözlüklerden araştırılıp hemen öğrenilmeliler. Bunu için de her öğrencinin kütüphanesinde bir Türkçe sözlük, bir deyimler sözlüğü,bir atasözleri sözlüğü bir de imla kılavuzu bulunmalıdır. Okul Türkçe kitaplarının konularının işleniş bölümünde yer alan "Kelime çalışmaları" ve "Okuma, anlama, Anlatma" çalışmaları bölümleri mutlaka incelenmeli, çalışılmalıdır.

Okunan metinler üzerinde çalışma yapılarak konuları, asıl anlatılmak istenen düşünceleri, metinden çıkarılabilecek düşünceleri ve metnin yazarının veya şairinin konuyu ortaya koyarken içinde bulunduğu ruh hâlini belirleyerek not etmek gerekir.

Bu metinler başkalarına da anlatılabilir. Okunan hikâye veya bir romansa özetleme yapılabilir veya benzer kısa hikâyeler de yazılabilir. Veya hikâye belli bir noktada bırakılarak okuyucu tarafında tamamlanabilir.

Bu çalışmalar kişinin okuduğunu anlama ve anladığını sözlü veya yazılı şekilde ifade edebilme yeteneğini geliştirir. Bu kabiliyetleri gelişen kişilerin soruları daha kolay ve hızlı, ayrıca da doğru olarak çözebilecekleri görülecektir.

Soruları çözerken kalem kullanmak gerekir. Kelimelerin, cümlelerin anlamları belirlenip yanlarına yazılmalıdır. Bu belirlemeler yorumlanmalı ve kıyaslanmalı, sonra da istenen bilgiye ulaşılmalıdır.

Özellikle paragraf sorularında kalem kullanmak çok önemlidir. Sözel bir metindir, okumayla yapılır düşüncesi eksiktir. Okunan ve parçadan çıkarılan düşünceler, konu, ana fikir ve yazarın içinde bulunduğu durum not edilmelidir. Bu veriler sorunun çözümünde bizden istenen bilgiler olacaktır. Türkçe konuları birbirinin devamı olduğu için konuları sırayla ve anlayarak çalışın. Bir konuyu çok iyi anlamadan diğerine geçmeyin.

How To Stay Motivated During Your Exercise Journey

I think we can all agree that the hard part with exercising is staying motivated. I totally understand and I go through this every so often. I try to remind myself by following a few simple rules that allow me to keep on track of my goals so I can continue to be encouraged with my exercising. Some of them start with short term goals or taking baby steps. As you begin to approach these smaller goals or accomplish them, you will build confidence. You will then become motivated since accomplishing anything is very rewarding. By knowing how much time and effort you've invested feels great when you begin to see results. So, let me discuss the rest of the points on how you can stay motivated.

1. Write down your short and long term goals. Next, acknowledge it by saying it to yourself or someone close to you such as a friend or spouse. By admitting it, you have taken action in implementing these goals. We tend to think about our goals in our mind but it was just a thought that passed by us so saying it aloud is a commitment we just made to ourselves.

2. Reflect back on previous attempts that have made you to stop exercising. Do you see the same pattern that you are heading or what are ways you can do things differently this time? Were you exercising too much the first few weeks and you decided it was just too much work? Start off with the basics and work out a schedule that you can handle and slowly progress from that stage. Lets face it, these days everyone has a busy lifestyle with their career, family and friends. Try to find a routine that is simple, quick, and consistent that works for you!

3. Be patient with your exercising. Most of us exercise so we can lose weight, tone up, stay healthy, etc. Seeing results isn't anything that is overnight or the first week. There are no short cuts in life and that goes for exercising as well. If you want to see results you have to be patient with yourself. If you are burning more calories than you eat, your body is continuing to change. Even if its slower than you expected, results are still present but at a slower process than you want. As they say good things come to those who wait!

4. Be around people who have similar interest as yourself. Get a training partner whether you are training at home, gym, etc. Having someone who can motivate you when you are down or tired helps a lot! I've gone through that road many times and having that training partner helped me immensely. Of course, some of us may not have a training partner and that is when your determination powers through to finish that work out. Also, talk to fitness professionals in the health industry and they can assist you or hire a qualified personal trainer.

5. Constantly monitoring your weight does not help at all. By getting on that dreaded scale, it can definitely discourage your progress if you haven't lost any weight. There are so many things that can play a factor such as attaining more lean muscle, water retention, etc. Muscle does weigh more than fat and I like to think things out from a logical point of view. If you feel and look better in your clothes then you are making great progress. Focus more attention about losing fat loss rather than weight loss.

6. Always educate yourself. Go to a book store, library, or surf the internet and read as much material on health and fitness. As they say knowledge is power!

7. Rewarding yourself is another bonus. Go to that much need massage after exercising hard since you've done a good job the past few weeks. Other ways to reward yourself can be going away for a day with a friend or spouse, check out a movie, buy yourself a small gift such as running shoes or workout clothes. We all need to feel self appreciated and this can definitely jump start yourself by knowing you deserve it!

8. Try to stay positive. I know each day is different and you may not feel the same way as you did the previous work out. Find ways to stay positive by remembering that you always feel great after exercising, finishing this workout will allow me to do my other things such as watching TV, you ate some junk food today so need this workout to balance the calories, etc. Sometimes being competitive can be good as well and the days you don't want to exercise, you can think to yourself that you don't want your training partner to being one step ahead of you!

9. Keep track of your progress. A simple way to keep motivated is to see how far you've come when you first started or what areas do you still need to improve. Keep a diary and log your exercise routine and training regimen. Set up your own progression chart on a set schedule by taking measurements of your body, weighing yourself, evaluating your body fat percentage. This can be done every 3-4 weeks to evaluate your progress.

10. Your determination and perseverance is the key to success. There are no gimmicks or tricks on this last point as success only come from within. It is up to you to succeed in life whatever your short or long term goals are.

So, here you have it and I just mentioned a few points on staying motivated. Really, there aren't any excuses for you to discontinue exercising besides it benefiting your overall health, reduced stress, and disease prevention to name a few!

Richard Chan is a Health and Fitness Life Coach, promoting good health internally and externally. For more information you can visit Richard Chan at http://www.flex-fitness.com regarding exercising, training or nutrition.

Physical Fitness Assessment Questionnaire

Brad King and Dr. Michael Schmidt in “Bio Age, Ten Steps to a Younger You” (Macmillan, Canada, 2001) have devised a questionnaire for assessing physical damage to a body as a result of no exercise. We will borrow some of their guidelines, which we will summarize here:

Start with the question, “How do I look?” Do any of these answers apply to you?
  • Am I overweight, looking like an apple or pear?
  • Do I have a spare tire around my waist?
  • Has my skin become excessively dry, almost paper-thin?

Next, ask: “How do I feel?”
  • Do my joints hurt before or after any physical exertion?
  • Am I constantly worried and anxious?
  • Do I feel tired and sluggish most of the time?

Do I suffer from mood swings?
  • Last question, “How am I doing?”
  • Are simple walking and climbing stairs difficult?
  • Do I have problems concentrating?
  • Is running impossible for me now?
  • Am I unable to sit straight, preferring to slouch or stoop my shoulders?

You’ve completed your basic assessment. Note, however, that other exercise or fitness gurus will have their own parameters or indices for assessing your body’s overall state and one isn’t better than the other.

As long as they include all dimensions of the self – physical, psychological and mental – they are as valid as the next person’s assessment charts.

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BSA Students and Archaeological Work in the Mediterranean Before the First World War

In the period up to the outbreak of the First World War BSA students were involved in archaeological work ranging from Sicily to Syria, from Tripolitania and Egypt to Macedonia (and beyond). Their focus was well beyond mainland Greece, the Aegean islands, and Crete.

Is there a major difference between official BSA archaeological projects and other work supported by students? For example, the excavations of the Cyprus Exploration Fund were directed by Ernest Gardner; and even when archaeological work on the island was taken over by the British Museum, BSA Students took part in the excavations and sometimes even directed (Francis B. Welch). The Asia Minor Exploration Fund, established before the BSA, accommodated BSA students from David Hogarth to the work on Roman colonies by G.L. Cheesman.

The BSA was associated with formal excavations at Megalopolis, Phylakopi on Melos, and at Sparta, as well as less ambitious work at Kynosarges. At the same time exploratory work was conducted at Cyzicus, and it had been hoped to open a site in Lycia, at Datcha or Colophon.

The archaeological impact of the BSA went far beyond the Aegean. It covered the Bronze Age but also firmly embraced Roman remains in Anatolia, Byzantine architecture, and even medieval castles in the Levant.

Asia Minor Exploration Fund

The Asia Minor Exploration Fund was an initiative of the Hellenic Society. It was established during 1882, and by 1883 the Fund had raised £500.

The committee consisted of:
Fergusson had links with Heinrich Schliemann, and published on Halicarnassus and Ephesus.

Rain, Rain Go Away!

We were camping in Uruguay and it rained SO hard. I thought the tent was going to get swept away. By the way, we named all of our accessories.

Backpack = Vicky (Queen Victoria)

Chris' Pack = Elvis (the King)

Tent = Selma

Sleeping Pad = Matt (and Chris' is Maxi)

So, Selma was SOAKED! And Vicky and Elvis were getting wet, so we had to bring them into Selma with us...it was a bit cramped. Then Chris had to go out into the rain and dig a trench around Selma so we would not get carried away or wet. Pictures below:


Cyprus Exploration Fund: Equipment at Kouklia

Work at the temple of Aphrodite at Old Paphos (Kouklia) started on 1 February 1888. Hogarth (in Gardner et al. 1888: 159) recorded immediate delays:
We had been unable to bring more than the few picks, spades, and baskets which had been in use at Leontari, the Nicosia blacksmiths being incapable of turning out our further order very quickly, and accordingly batches of tools kept arriving about once a week, and our full stock was not on the spot until March 9th. This will explain why we began upon the temple with a small staff only, and why we were compelled to restrict ourselves to trenching for nearly three weeks—in the absence of wheelbarrows or baskets the earth could not be removed.
Bibliography
Gardner, E. A., D. G. Hogarth, M. R. James, and R. Elsey Smith. 1888. "Excavations in Cyprus, 1887-8. Paphos, Leontari, Amargetti." Journal of Hellenic Studies 9: 147-271. [JSTOR]

Khor Shinab

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Khor Shinab, Sudan
25 Feet Great Holding - In the Middle of the Desert with A 20 Knot Blast Furnace Blowing Over Us. The spec in the photo is Billabong. Awesome Hiking with Amazing views and 1000's of Fossils


Overlooking the Anchorage

Enroute

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Enroute to Khor Shinab, two pilot whales played like dolphins off our bow


Two Pilot Whales playing

Cyprus Exploration Fund

The Cyprus Exploration Fund (CEF) was formed in the summer of 1887. The circular explained:
It has long been felt by students that systematic archæological researches ought to be undertaken in Cyprus and it has often been made a subject of reproach against this country that no such researches have been attempted since the island came under English government. Private and casual excavations at various sites have already yielded results of the greatest importance for the study both of Greek art itself and of the foreign influences which surrounded its cradle. Such excavations have lately been prohibited by authority, but not until their fruits had convinced those interested in the subject that regular and scientifically-conducted researches should, if possible, be set on foot under official sanction without delay.
The CEF committee consisted of:
The CEF was supported by the BSA, the Hellenic Society, the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge - each gave £150 to the Fund - as well as private subscribers.

The initial permit was given to excavate at the temple of Aphrodite at Paphos. The second season included work at Poli and Limniti, and the third at Salamis. The balance of the Fund was given to the BSA to support work on Cyprus; J.L. Myres was awarded a grant for excavations on the island in 1894.

Finds from the excavations were shared between:
  • The British Museum
  • The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
  • The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
  • Eton
  • Harrow
  • Winchester
  • Rugby
  • Charterhouse
  • Westminster
  • Marlborough
  • Clifton
Excavation Reports
Gardner, E. A., D. G. Hogarth, M. R. James, and R. Elsey Smith. 1888. "Excavations in Cyprus, 1887-8. Paphos, Leontari, Amargetti." Journal of Hellenic Studies 9: 147-271. [JSTOR]
Munro, J. A. R., and H. A. Tubbs. 1890. "Excavations in Cyprus, 1889. Second season's work. Polis tes Chrysochou. Limniti." Journal of Hellenic Studies 11: 1-99. [JSTOR]
Munro, J. A. R., H. A. Tubbs, and W. W. Wroth. 1891. "Excavations in Cyprus, 1890. Third season's work. Salamis." Journal of Hellenic Studies 12: 59-198. [JSTOR]
Munro, J. A. R. 1891. "Excavations in Cyprus. Third season's work - Polis tes Chrysochou." Journal of Hellenic Studies 12: 298-333. [JSTOR]
Myres, J. L. 1897. "Excavations in Cyprus in 1894." Journal of Hellenic Studies 17: 134-73. [JSTOR]
Ohnefalsch-Richter, M. H., and J. L. Myres. 1899. A catalogue of the Cyprus museum: with a chronicle of excavations undertaken since the British occupation, and introductory notes on Cypriote archaeology. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Accounts of travels
Hogarth, D. G. 1889. Devia Cypria: notes of an archaeological journey in Cyprus in 1888. London: Henry Frowde.
Smith, R. Elsey. 1890. "Report of a tour in Greece and Cyprus." Transactions of the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Top Ways To Get In Shape

When it gets down to getting in shape there are paths to go down and paths to avoid...

If you need to lose weight fast and want to know the top ways to get in shape then you have hard work ahead. There is no easy path and no golden pill that magically loses you fat. EVERY SINGLE METHOD to lose weight will involve the evolution of your diet and the integration of workouts into your routine.

There are some things that you can do however that will make the process as speedy as possible.

1. Turbo charge Your Metabolism

The right type of high intensity exercise will do exactly this in 20 minutes per day. An ramped up metabolism means your body uses far more calories every minute than if you lead a non active life. This element is the most important in answering the question of how to get in shape.

2. Cleanse and detoxify your body of waste.

All people on western style diets who does not do this regularly are carrying around pounds and pounds of waste in their colons. A cleansing detoxification will purge this waste. There are techniques you can use to do this.

3. Nutrition

Learn what food makes your body perform and lose weight - therefore getting you in great shape. There are certain foods you can eat that will supercharge your metabolism and strip weight off you quickly.

4. Visualize

This sounds a little cheesy, but it really works and will help you stay on track with your goal. Mentally imagine yourself to be the size or shape that you want. If you are having a hard day, practice this exercise and it will help you maintain focus. If you have a bad day, don't beat yourself up over it! Start again fresh the next day and you'll be better prepared to deal with any cravings you may get again down the line.

Good luck to all!

If You Liked These Basic Tips Then You Can Find Out A Lot More Here.

The author is an ultra-trail runner and personal trainer in the central California area. He is the father of 2 boys and is training to run a 100 mile race during 2009. You can check out my blog here.

Jazarit Margarsam

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Reef N of Jazarit Margarsam, Sudan
30 Feet In patch between Coral
Good Snorkling and water clarity


Mid mast view of the Reef

Marsa Inkeifal

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Marsa Inkeifal, Sudan, Africa
20 Feet Good Holding in Small Marsa with Mountains near the Coast


Mountains meet the Red Sea

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Haha, just when you think you are organized....

We had a very interesting Sunday last weekend. First, let me explain a little something. I want to go to a futbol (soccer) game. So, I asked about the schedule while we were at the Sheraton and the concierge told me that River and Boca both played on Sunday, River at 5, Boca at 7. In Buenos Aires. Both stadiums are easy to get to, and he had said that to get tickets we needed to go to the stadium. On Sunday, we were at Mar del Plata, which is about 5 hours from the city, so we planned on leaving early to give us enough time to settle in and then get to the stadium. On Saturday, we bought 7 am tickets for the next day.

On Sunday, we missed our alarm and woke up at 730. I was so pissed off, as I knew that if you missed your bus, you had to re-pay for your ticket. There was no such thing as a refund. So, we hustled to the bus station, becuase we still wanted to get an early bus. We arrived at the station at about 2 mintues until 8. The counter we had bought our ticket from was not open, but one of their partner companies had an open counter. We went and asked the guy what we could do and he said he thought we could get onto a later bus but we would have to enquire at the counter we had bought the tickets at. I asked what time it opened and he said 8. I looked down at my watch; it was 8:02. The counter was still not open. We sat down at a coffeeshop for a quick breakfast, while still continuing to check on the counter, which was still not opening.

Finally at 9, the counter opened. By now I was cursing the Argentines and thinking how the hell could they be an HOUR late in getting open!! We went to the counter and the man said he could get us on the 9 o'clock bus. I looked at my watch; it was 9:15. I said, ahora? (now?) and he said, no, in 45 minutes. I showed him my watch, ÿou mean at 10?" I asked. "No," he said, "in 45 minutes! We set our clocks back last night". Oh MY god! I was suprised. They had JUST set their clocks FORWARD about 2 and a half months ago! So I guess they observe "summer forward" AND "summer back"!

So, we bought another ticket and made it back to Buenos Aires. Next stop, the Boca Jr Stadium to hopefully catch that futbol game. We caught the bus to the stadium about 2 hours before the game and there was nobody there!! I went to ask a guard what time the game started and he said that there was no game today, that is was NEXT Sunday! So, we went to the local bar, which was empty, and sat down to have a beer and figure out what we were going to do. The owner of the bar, Luis, sat down with us and we ended up hanging out with him for the next three hours, just shooting the breeze and learning about Boca and slabs of meat and swords and all kinds of things! He was great! We promised to come back when we got back into town to sample his Sunday Asado (barbeque); he even said he would cook some fish for me!

So, we messed up twice in one day but got to meet Luis, which made it all worth it!

Regular Cardio Exercise Can Help Reduce Stress

In general, regular exercise such as cardio or resistance training can help ease your stress. However, further study need to be done to look at the intensity and duration needed for strength training to achieve the similar results as cardio.

Researchers in the University of Missouri-Columbia conducted a study by measuring the stress levels of a group of women who either didn't exercise or exercised at moderate or high-intensity levels for 33 minutes. The results shown that high-intensity aerobic exercise can significantly alleviate stress.

People can get addicted to cardio exercise more easily because it's a lot easier to get start with cardio. For example, people don't have to learn how to run. On the other hand, strength training needs supervision on how to get started.

Also, cardio exercise requires less focus and your mind can wander and unwind when you're running or jogging. But for weight training, you need to concentrate on the techniques.

Marsa Fijab

Marsa Fijab, Sudan, Africa

45 Feet Good Holding
Nice Marsa with Camels, Flamingos and Ospreys


Billabong and the Camels


Treadmill With TV - What To Know Before You Buy

Looking for a treadmill with TV? If you’ve been to a health club lately, you’ve probably seen the latest rage in treadmills - built-in TVs.

The demand for treadmills with TVs is skyrocketing and the good news is that you don’t have to pay a commercial treadmill price just to get a built in TV.

However, there are some things you should be aware of before you go looking for a treadmill with built in TV.

There are 2 main types of TV treadmills. The first has a television built directly into the console. The second has a TV attached separately to the console that sits above it (more in line with your eyes).

The first version of treadmills usually have smaller screens (around 7-12 inches) and are the more affordable options (these treadmills can range from $1000 - $1500).

The second version comes with larger screens (around 15 inches) and are similar to the design you see in health club treadmills. They are usually more expensive ($2500+) and harder to find in a home treadmill - but they’re still out there and will probably become more affordable in time.

There are advantages and disadvantages to each.

Built into the console TV treadmills are much more affordable. You can choose to watch your program and track your workout statistics (Time, MPH, Incline, etc.) at the same time, or you can just choose to watch TV. However the downside is that on some machines - if the TV breaks it can sometimes render the treadmill useless - not always, but sometimes. Another downside is that if you’re doing heavy running - especially on the cheaper units - the screens may shake or wobble a bit.

Separate TV treadmills are more expensive however the screens are larger and usually the TV can be removed easily for repair without disrupting the treadmills operation. Also, because of the subframe design, even if you’re doing heavy running, the screen will not shake or wobble.

Almost all TV treadmills come with some type of built in speaker system and many of them also allow you to listen to your iPod of mp3 player as well. They come cable and DVD ready. Regardless of which type of treadmill with TV you choose, one thing you do want to consider is the warranty coverage on the TV (i.e. the electronics warranty). Obviously the longer the better. If you’re concerned about it, you can also usually buy extra warranty coverage on checkout.

Also, a TV is a great feature to have - but it’s not essential. Make sure your treadmill has the essentials of a high quality machine first like a strong motor power, excellent cushioning, high stability, lengthy warranty, etc. Then the other features are icing on the cake. Another alternative to a TV treadmill is to just buy a well-built treadmill and then set it up in front of your TV - it may not look as cool but it’s what people have been doing for years.

So those are a few things to know before you buy a treadmill with TV. Hopefully it will save you some time and help you to find your best treadmill option.

Vienna Miller writes for Treadmill Comparison - offering easy treadmill comparison charts & treadmill reviews. For an easy way to compare TV treadmills visit the Treadmill with TV page.

Easter at the BSA

Easter Sunday had a special significance for Ellen S. Bosanquet, wife of the School's Director, Robert. On April 17 1903, Orthodox Easter, she gave birth to their first child, Charles.

She describes the day in Late harvest: memories, letters and poems (London: Chameleon Press). The court physician, Dr Louros, attended her:
It was rather a shock when the crucial moment arrived ... and I found at the bedside, not an accoucher in nice white drill jacket, but a Court official clad in blue cloth and gold braid, with orders jingling in a row on his chest. I have no doubt he had come to me straight from some court function ... The pangs of childbirth were punctuated throughout that day by the continual popping of firearms, for the Greeks celebrate Easter by "shooting Judas" at intervals. Finally, when it was seen that I had given birth to a son on Easter Day, there was universal rejoicing for a variety of reasons.
Charles later became the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Sand Storms and the Land of the Silver Sun

Current Location: Suakin , Sudan (Northern Africa, Red Sea)
Current Position: 19 06.55 N 37 20.35 E
Next Destination: Going North up the Red Sea, towards Egypt


From Thailand to Sudan we've traveled over 4100 nautical miles. In two months we've crossed another ocean, been hammered by rough seas, been completely covered in dirt by "brown out" sand storms, and have passed through "Pirate Alley". We've avoided more large ships, taken on more green water, and have had more damage to Billabong and gear than in all of our previous four years of cruising. We've been astonished and intrigued beyond our imaginations by exotic locations. The people are some of the friendliest (and poorest) we've met on our trip, and once again we are amazed by the wonders of the world!!

Since leaving Thailand, including our time at anchorage, we have sustained an average speed of 3.0 knots -- in essence we have not stopped moving!!! We've covered so much in such a little amount of time that we've been struggling to keep up (as you may have noticed by the lack of BLOGs). To help us catch up, we bring you six journal pieces and three photo albums (instead of a BLOG):

JOURNALS

January 17 - 29 2008: Northern Indian Ocean Crapola Begins
Thailand to Uligan, Maldives was not the pleasant trip we were hoping for, but at least there were fish! (repeat of BLOG posted 01/25/08, with added photographs)
Uligan, Maldives was a fantastic break from the Indian Ocean passages. The atoll anchorage was like many others, but the culture, people, and living arrangements were unique to those we'd seen in the South Pacific.
So much for the advertised excellent passages of the Northern Indian Ocean. With exception of the fish catching, this was one of Billabong's worst passages to date.
We didn't have much time for fun in Salalah, Oman as we were too busy trying to clean-up the mess created from the passage getting there.
The passage from Oman to Aden (Yemen) included sandstorms and some rough seas, but at least it was pirate free!
Aden, Yemen was an unexpected delight. We enjoyed the culture, the scenery, and the rest.

PHOTO ALBUMS

Now that we are farther north in the Red Sea we suspect we will have more time in anchorages waiting for weather, and during this time we hope to write more BLOGs and to keep you better posted on our travels! By the way, we've also added some new photos under My Favorite Photos left.

Suakin

View Map of Location

Suakin, Sudan, Africa
18 Feet Ok Holding
Just off ruins of Old Suakin


Ruins of Old Suakin

Long Island

View Map of Location

Long Island, Sudan, Africa
50 Feet Good Holding
Lagoon has Flamingos and Nesting Osprey


African Flamingos in Flight

Sparta: a visit in 1914

In the spring of 1914 Agnes Ethel Conway (1885-1950) and Evelyn Radford (1887-1969) visited Sparta as part of a wider tour of the Peloponnese. Both had studied at Newnham College, Cambridge.
We found the remains of a barely recognizable theatre almost hidden in cornfields, and a bit of a Roman wall. As for the excavations of the precinct of Artemis Orthia, which have yielded the British archæologists objects of great importance in an unbroken succession from the tenth century B.C. downward, we could scarcely believe that the rubbishy foundation walls had not been built the other day by peasants. Had we come upon such things ourselves, we should have shamefacedly covered them up again and said nothing about them! A shepherd’s hut on the edge of the enclosure was infinitely better built.
The excavations had been completed under Richard Dawkins.

Easter Island

I love this picture...I just had to put it up.
It reminds me of the Lucy Kissing A Cow photo.

Knor Nawarat

View Map of Location

Knor Nawarat, Sudan, Africa
25 Feet Great holding
160 Miles Ave 5.7 Knots
Another Low Island Anchorage where we met a local Bedouin who gave KT a ride on his camel


Kt gets her Camel Ride

Megalopolis: 'A quarrel is a capital thing'

The interpretation of the theatre at Megalopolis caused a major disagreement between the British excavators and Wilhelm Dörpfeld. Eugénie Sellers wrote a letter in support of Dörpfeld (and critical of Ernest Gardner, the Director of the BSA) to the Athenaeum ('The Theatres of Megalopolis', July 4, 1891). In addition, a short note from her, dated March 29 [1891], was published by the Classical Review (5, 5, May 1891) along with a summary of Dörpfeld's comments summarised by Louis Dyer.

Sellers' letter, and the wider dispute, was noted in the weekly theatrical newspaper The Era ('Theatrical Gossip', July 11, 1891).
A quarrel is a capital thing in a family, but, like all other good things, it should come to an end some time or other. There was a theatre built several hundred years B.C., of which a good deal still remains to be quarrelled over; but we must say that we think it would show better taste if people just dropped the subject now. The theatre (or its ruins) is at Megalopolis; but it is quite a long time since there were any performances there—a thousand years, very likely. Probably the Megalopolitan Lord Chamberlain would insist on its being relicensed if they wanted to play the Agamemnon or the Seven Against Thebes there now; and, anyhow, we think Mr Gardner and Dr. Dörpfeld might leave off squabbling about it in the highly respectable page of the Athenaeum. No doubt the point they are fighting over is one of supreme importance. Dr. Dörpfeld says that the lower steps could not possibly, any more than the wall at the back, belong to the original structure, and Mr Gardner says contrariwise. But, after a thousand years or so, even a subject like this palls, unless, indeed, it is treated by Mr Rider Haggard; and Mr Gardner's obstinacy has actually brought a pretty girl into the controversy. Miss (or Mrs) Eugénie Sellers—we do not know her, but she must be pretty with that name—has only last week written a letter to say that Mr G. is a bold, bad man and has no right to chaff Dr. D. about the scænæ frons when he makes such gross errors himself about the logeion. Eugénie even goes so far as to say some very cross things about certain Skenengebäude mentioned by Mr G.
Image
© David Gill

Me Gusta El Mar!

Since my last post, CK and I spent some time in Mendoza, drinking more wine, enjoying the Mendocino life. We went on a wine tour, which is not what I was used to. We only got to taste two types of wine at each place, however, the tour was interesting. It was all in Spanish, so I only understood half of it, but I still feel like I learned something. We stayed in perhaps the worst hostel ever while there. It was so dirty and nasty; I didnt even take a shower for a couple of days because I was so disgusted by the shower. Also, they were supposed to have breakfast included, and there was none. They were supposed to have internet access and there was none. They totally falsly advertised and were so dirty to boot! The worst thing is, it was the wine festival and so we ended up having to stay there regardless. However, in spite of this, our stay was very nice.

After Mendoza, we went to Buenos Aires to apply for our visa to Brazil. S had done this earlier in the year and had had a really bad time of it. He had to stand in line for 6 hours or something. We went early on Monday, thinking we would have the same experience. However, we were in and out in about 15 minutes, leaving us a whole extra day to hang out in the city. We had even brought lunch, thinking we would be stranded in line and not able to leave to get food! It was a welcome surprise.

From Buenos Aires we came to Mar Del Plata, where we are now. It is a beach town about 5 hours south of the city, where all the city dwellers come for the summer months of January and February. However, since we are here in March, it is still warm, but not very busy, which is perfect. So, we are back at the beach again. In Argentina this time though. Yeah, I know, we just cant get enough of Argentina, really. We actually like it so much, we decided to find an apartment in Buenos Aries again. I will take a Spanish class, and we will sit at the cafes and watch all the beautiful people go by.

Night 1

View Map of Location

Southerly Winds North of Massawa


Those teeth

Melos: the churches

In April 1896 Robert Carr Bosanquet, who had been left in charge of the excavations while Cecil Harcourt-Smith was in Athens, was joined on Melos by two contemporaries from Trinity College, Cambridge: Henry Martineau Fletcher (1870-1953) and Sydney Decimus Kitson (1871-1937). Fletcher and Kitson had both matriculated at Trinity in 1889 (the year above Bosanquet) and were on an extended trip through Italy and Greece. While on Melos they made a study of the Byzantine churches. Neither was admitted as a student of the BSA.

Fletcher had been educated at Marlborough, and had been awarded a first in Part 1 of the Cambridge Classical Tripos (1892). He was articled to Mervyn Macartney. He later worked as an architect (FRIBA 1908) and served as Vice-President (1929-31) Honorary Secretary (1934-39) of RIBA. He helped to design the War Memorial at St John's College, Cambridge.

Kitson had been educated at Charterhouse. Kitson's father, James, was a locomotive engineer; his half-brother was the First Baron Airedale. Kitson was articled to E.J. May in London. He practised as an architect in Leeds as the senior partner of Kitson, Parish, Ledgard and Pyman. Among his designs was the Leeds School of Art. Kitson was an authority of John Sell Cotman and the Norwich School of painting. His collection of Cotman drawings and watercolours were bequeathed to RIBA; a former BSA student, Adolph Paul Oppé, prepared the catalogue.

Reference
Fletcher, H. M., and S. D. Kitson. 1895/6. "The churches of Melos." Annual of the British School at Athens 2: 155-68.

Sheikh El Abu

View Map of Location

Sheikh El Abu, Eritrea
25 Feet Hard Bottom Reef Anchorage


Sand Haze Sunrise

Why Cardio Doesn't Work for Fat Loss

Why Cardio Doesn't Work for Fat Loss

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

For some people, cardio doesn't work, and in fact can make them gain weight. Find out why here...

Cardio exercise is such a strange thing. In theory, it should work so perfectly well for all men and women, but as anyone who has tried it knows, the practicality of it just doesn't add up.

After all, some men and women do cardio 6 hours, 9 hours, or more per week, and still have belly fat to burn. On the other hand, it works just fine for others.

British researchers wanted to get more insight into this paradox, and studied 35 overweight men and women, who weren't previously exercising.

(Reference: International Journal of Obesity 32: 177-184, 2008).

Subjects exercised 5 times per week for 12 weeks. That's a lot of exercise, but it helped the subjects lose an average of 8.2 pounds, which is great - I was positively surprised by the results.

So cardio will work for some people, however, in my experience, it works best in young men, who need the help the least!

Back to the study, the variance in fat loss between individuals was huge. Check this out...

The best subject lost a staggering 32.3 pounds in 12 weeks, while the worst subject actually GAINED 3.74 pounds.

The scientists think they know where things went sour. They classified the subjects into 2 groups, called the "Compensators" and the "Non-compensators".

The Compensators were hungrier, and as a result consumed an extra 268 calories per day, all but wiping out their cardio efforts.

Therefore, the Compensators lost the least amount of weight, and scientists believe that was due to the huge "compensatory" increase in appetite experienced by this group.

Does your appetite increase when you do slow cardio? If it does, research shows it will ruin your cardio efforts.

So if your cardio program is not working for you, check your appetite and calorie intake to see if you are "compensating" for your efforts. If you are, you might be better off using a program of high-intensity resistance and interval training (i.e. Turbulence Training) for your weight loss efforts.

As Australian Professor Steve Boucher has shown in research, interval training increases hormones called catecholamines. And increased catecholamines can reduce appetite, among other fat-burning benefits.

In the real world, few people lose 33 pounds after 12 weeks of cardio. Heck, few even achieve an average weight loss of 8 pounds with aerobic exercise.

So again, check your appetite, and consider giving high-intensity exercise a go for your next workout program.

Beat the curse of cardio with high-intensity Turbulence Training.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

Cyzicus and Robert De Rustafjaell

Robert De Rustafjaell --- changed from Robert Fawcus-Smith in October 1894 --- first visited the site of Cyzicus on the south coast of the sea of Marmara in 1900. He quickly obtained a firman for excavating and initiated work in the summer of 1901. However he needed additional archaeological expertise and approached the British School at Athens.

In December 1901 Robert Carr Bosanquet, director of the BSA, and Frederick W. Hasluck visited the site of Cyzicus with De Rustafjaell. They made a preliminary report on the site, making particular note of the inscriptions:
Dost remember the Poseidon monument, a pedestal or altar with tridents and fish and galleys thereon, which was represented on several of De R.'s photographs? We went this morning and dug it out and made paper impressions of the inscriptions.
Bosanquet continued with a description of his visit to the amphitheatre:
And Hasluck and I took the village watchman, a Tcherkess from the Caucasus, who patrols the fields armed with an old musket, and went to the amphitheatre, a most beautiful spot outside the walls. A stream has burst through the mighty fence and careers through the arena; a great part of the walls has fallen; but great piles of masonry still tower to heaven, and the hillsides are full of overgrown vaults; the whole hollow is a mass of luxuriant thickets, bay, arbutus, ivy and honeysuckle; sprays of unripe blackberries hang over the water.
In the end Bosanquet decided to excavate at Palaikastro on Crete, but Hasluck and the school architect, Arthur Henderson, continued to plan the site and record inscriptions.

References
Hasluck, F. W. 1901/02. "Sculptures from Cyzicus." Annual of the British School at Athens 8: 190-96.
—. 1902. "An inscribed basis from Cyzicus." Journal of Hellenic Studies 22: 126-34. [JSTOR]
—. 1903. "Inscriptions from Cyzicus." Journal of Hellenic Studies 23: 75-91. [JSTOR]
—. 1904. "Unpublished inscriptions from the Cyzicus neighbourhood." Journal of Hellenic Studies 24: 20-40. [JSTOR]
—. 1904/05. "Notes on the Lion group from Cyzicus." Annual of the British School at Athens 11: 151-52.
—. 1907. "Inscriptions from the Cyzicus district, 1906." Journal of Hellenic Studies 27: 61-67. [JSTOR]
—. 1910. Cyzicus: being some account of the history and antiquities of that city, and of the district adjacent to it: with the towns of Apollonia ad Rhyndoveum, Miletupolis, Hadrianutherae, Priapus, Zeleia, etc. Cambridge archaeological and ethnological series. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [WorldCat]
Hasluck, F. W., and A. E. Henderson. 1904. "On the topography of Cyzicus." Journal of Hellenic Studies 24: 135-43.
Rustafjaell, R. de 1902. "Cyzicus." Journal of Hellenic Studies 22: 174-89. [JSTOR]
Smith, C., and R. de Rustafjaell. 1902. "Inscriptions from Cyzicus." Journal of Hellenic Studies 22: 190-207. [JSTOR]

Inscription
Hasluck's image of the statue base of Antonia Tryphaena, excavated by De Rustafjaell at Cyzicus in 1901.

Massawa, Eritrea Journal

Massawa, Eritrea, Africa

March 8 - 11, 2008
by KT



Busy War Torn Port Town


Battle Scars and Fishing Boats

March 8, 2008

Port Smythe to Massawa was an easy motor.  Although the winds were predicted to be southerly they came from the NE, luckily quite light and therefore not effecting our progress.  We entered through a narrow channel, first passing by a large port area for large ships, then past the local fishing fleet.  There was not a soul to be seen, ashore or on the water.  The entire area felt desolate and deserted.  Most the buildings we could see were either run down or bombed out.



 Eritrea and Ethiopia had been at war off and on for many years (starting as far back as 1961), the latest activity having just ended with a tense peace agreement in 2000.  Sadly, Massawa was left barely standing when in 1990 the Ethiopians almost leveled the city with bomb raids after losing the port to the Eritrean People’s Liberation Forces.  This was our first look at the destruction a war on one’s homeland causes, and it was devastating.

As we had arrived a bit late in the afternoon we decided to wait till the following morning before venturing ashore.  That evening was a most amazing sunset.  The sun glowed silver as hit the dusty horizon and the reflections on the water of both the sun and other yachts was magnificent.

March 9, 2008

Since Indonesia we have become more and more accustomed to hearing the early morning prayer of the Muslims.  This morning Chris (as I was still sleeping in bed) was treated to a mix of cultures and religions as he heard Catholic church bells ringing, African music playing with harmonized voices singing along, and of course the song-like prayer emitted from the mosque loud speakers.  All while the red morning sun rose above the dusty African town.  He thought it was extremely cool.

The first order of business, of course, was checking in.  It was easier for just the boys from the four yachts to go into customs and immigration.  Since it was Sunday customs was closed, but we were able to at least get our shore passes.

 As with the previous day, the town felt deserted – we saw hardly a single person walking the streets, and since it was Sunday no shops were open.  Back in the early 1930s Massawa was the busiest port on the East African coast, but you would never guess that now.  Beneath the rubble and ruins a discernible Italian influence exits.  In the second half of the 19th century, Italy invested heavily in the colonization of Eritrea, and it shows in the remaining architecture.  But not a single building dating from that period stands without some type of battle scar.

Amazingly, for a town barely standing due to years of war, and for a country known as one of the poorest in the world, the people of Massawa are extremely friendly and no one hassled or attempted to hustle us.

Walking along the dusty streets and alleys was an experience.  Although the town is destroyed it still exudes tremendous ambience.  It is unique with buildings made of coral rock with wooden screened windows.  Down many of the alleyways we could hear festive music or see people gathered for Sunday lunch, chattering away and laughing loudly.  Massawa is primarily Muslim, however instead drab black burkas the women wear colorful dresses with brightly patterned scarves.

We were mostly approached by children … always the most outgoing.  You know that your in a poor area when kids ask for pencils and pens rather than candy and clothes.  A couple of older boys (around 12) walked with us a for a bit, and eventually got up the courage to ask some questions.  Surprisingly the thing they were most interested in was our political views on the upcoming US presidential election.  Who did we prefer?  Who did we think would win?  And so on.  They even offered their opinions on who they liked and why.  And of course they had to give us the usual “we don’t like Bush” comment that we now expected whenever we said we were from America.  It wasn’t until recently that I really began to understand what it means to be from one of the world leading countries.  In my prior life I was never one interested in politics or policy.  I never really thought what I or America did (in most matters) had that much of an influence on the world as a whole.  But here I was in a country that most people don’t probably even know exists and these 12 year old boys could tell me more about the upcoming election than probably most American college students!  So much for my theory on being inconspicuous!

March 10, 2008

It was a mixture of tasks for us today.  In the morning Chris went back ashore to try and clear-in with customs, but nothing was accomplished as the official didn’t like that we weren’t using an agent (which cost money) and so told him (and the others) to come back later.  We weren’t too concerned as he hadn’t taken any of our paperwork, so worst case was that we’d just leave, still having our clearance papers from Aden.  During his jaunt ashore he passed out pencils to the mobs of children … once word gets out the rumor spreads like wildfire and soon you are surrounded!

A large part of our day was spent with various chores around the boat, Chris fixed our VHF antenna and added more fuel to the tanks while I cleaned up the boat and worked on our website and photograph organization.

 Later in the afternoon I joined the other women for a trip to the market just outside of town.  It is hard to blend in when (a) you are white and (b) you are with three other white women and one white man.  From the moment we stepped out of the taxi all eyes were on us.  The local markets are always a fantastic place.  It is there that you get a true feel for the people, watching them shop and mingle amongst themselves.  Many time Chris and I go to the markets just for exploring and don’t end up even buying anything.  You never know what to expect and they are so different from any place back home.  This market was small, but still interesting … men hand weaving beds, donkey carts bringing in supplies, women selling colorful fabrics and vegetables.  (Photo above/left by Stardust)

The one thing about the Arab countries that you’ll read over and over again in all the guide books (besides covering every inch of your body if you’re a women) is that most of the locals do not like having their photograph taken, and that you should always ask before taking the photo, especially if it is of a women.  Because of this Chris and I tend to be extremely consciousness and hesitant about pulling the camera out.  I can’t stand the thought of further embellishing the stereotype of rude white tourists ignorant of their surroundings.  It’s too bad really because these same countries have some great photograph opportunities.  It seems amongst our cruising friends that we are the most sensitive and conservative in this regard.  Just about everyone we know just clicks away, sometimes asking, sometimes not.  Although I’ve seen some harsh looks here and there none of the locals have gotten overly cranky from this, so who knows maybe they don’t care as much as the guide books say.  Anyway I only point this out because it might be noticed that in our PDF photo albums many of the photos are not taken by us, and some might wonder why.

After the market our taxi driver (now our hired guide) took us to another small shopping area that consisted of four small shopping stalls.  There was nothing much of interest, although we did try and buy bread rolls until we discovered that there were only four left (as this is the only bread we’d seen in Massawa we figured we ought to leave it for the locals).

March 11, 2008

In Massawa you get a 48-hour visa for free, after that it is $40 per person.  Originally we had planned on staying longer and taking the inland trip up to the capital, Asmara.  The city is supposed to be equivalent to a 1960’s southern Italian town, and was not as touched by the bombings of the war.  And the bus ride travels through some scenic mountain areas.  In the end we opted not to go.  Unfortunately two yachts who had visited Massawa just a week before us were both boarded at night, one was robbed (the other woke up and scared away the would-be thief).  Because of this we didn’t feel comfortable leaving the boat overnight without someone watching it.  And since we weren’t going to Asmara it didn’t seem worth the extra visa money just to stay in Massawa.  So, our 48 hours were up and we were once again off.

In order to check out we had to re-anchor Billabong in the main port area and pick up immigration to come aboard to check for stowaways.  I found this a little ironic as it seems to me that most countries are worried about people illegally entering their country not leaving it.  It’s not a big deal though, and they were pretty quick about – the only real hassle is that we couldn’t depart early because we had to wait for them to open and then do all the paperwork and boat checks the morning of our departure.  This limited our options for our next destination.  But the one thing we’ve learned cruising is to go with the flow and adjust to make it work!

Leaving Massawa I couldn’t help but think about how lucky I am to never have been through a war on my homeland.  It is good to see (and know from various readings) that Massawa is finally starting to rebuild and more and more business is starting to come back into the port.

Life with GOD is Good! :-)

Often times, Life is good because GOD is good. I dare say in my life that GOD is so good, not because I have been good. But rather, He is good because that is who He is.

So, here' s just a short post to signal the reality of Life is Good when Life is in GOD.. :-)

Life is Good in GOD!

21This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 

Lamentations 3:21-23

Passage Blurbs: Mersa Dudu to Shumma Is

Shumma Is, Eritrea, Africa

152 nM, 28.5 hours, Ave 5.3 Knots





Reef Anchorage - Shumma Is

Night 1 - March 6, 2008

20-30 Knots Steep Seas. Good fishing, also caught a GIANT Trevelli- 75+ Lbs


Nice Spanish Mackerel

Passage Journal: Mersa Dudu to Shumma Is

March 6 - 7 , 2008



What we soon began to learn about the Red Sea as that there is either no wind or a lot of wind.  We departed Dudu on the 6th for an overnight trip to Port Smythe.  Throughout the day and night we’d either be motoring in about 5 kts or sailing reefed down in about 25 kts.  There was rarely anything in-between.  The good news is that since we were still in the Southern section of the Red Sea we still had southerly winds, so everything came from behind.

We caught two more fish, a gigantic Trevally and a good-sized Spanish Mackerel.  After our fishing draught of Indonesia we were in heaven!

The anchorage at Port Smythe pretty much sucked.  It was a reef anchorage which didn’t allow for much protection in higher winds (which we had by the time we arrived).  It was safe and mostly comfortable, but too rough to really do anything.  Supposedly there is good snorkeling to be had there, but we didn’t get the chance.

Macedonian Exploration Fund

The Macedonian Exploration Fund was announced in March 1911:
Preliminary journeys in Macedonia have shown that local conditions are exceptionally favourable to more systematic work; and it has been decided to form a committee of Oxford and Cambridge scholars to conduct research in the history, archaeology, and anthropology of these Balkan lands.
The initial support had come, in part, from Liverpool where Myres had held a chair (until 1910 when he moved back to Oxford). As money did not seem to be forthcoming a further announcement was made. The Times (July 31, 1911) reported:
Macedonia, as well as Thrace, has hitherto has been a terra incognita, though afford a most promising field for research in prehistoric, classical, Byzantine, and medieval archaeology.
Alan J.B. Wace and Maurice S. Thompson had just completed their research in Thessaly and were engaged for the work in Macedonia.

The outbreak of the First Balkan War in October 1912 (and the capture of Salonica in November) disrupted further work. As war broke out throughout Europe Wace explored the possibility of excavating at Olynthos (though this was in fact conducted by the American D.M. Robinson after the First World War). The trench warfare in Macedonia brought to light numerous archaeologial sites and the British School conducted further excavations during the 1920s.

The Committee
Donors to the Macedonian Exploration Fund
References
Casson, S., and E. A. Gardner. 1918/19. "Macedonia. II. Antiquities found in the British Zone, 1915-1919." Annual of the British School at Athens 23: 10-43, pls. i-xiii.
Heurtley, W. A. 1939. Prehistoric Macedonia: an archaeological reconnaissance of Greek Macedonia (west of the Struma) in the Neolithic, Bronze, and early Iron ages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wace, A. J. B. 1914/16. "The site of Olynthus." Annual of the British School at Athens 21: 11-15.
Wace, A. J. B., and M. S. Thompson. 1911. "The Distribution of Early Civilization in Northern Greece." Geographical Journal 37: 631-36.
Wace, A. J. B., and A. M. Woodward. 1911/12. "Inscriptions from Upper Macedonia." Annual of the British School at Athens 18: 166-88.
Woodward, A. M. 1911/12. "Inscriptions from Beroea in Macedonia." Annual of the British School at Athens 18: 133-65.

Avoid Weight Training Injuries

Although there are many sites that claim that they will show you weight training exercises online, in reality this is not the way to go. If you want to start a weight training exercise program, you really need to be working with someone else. There are many options available. You can go to the gym, use free weights at home with a buddy, or get one of those machines, but if you do not do your weight training exercise with proper safety precautions, it is quite possible for you to get seriously injured.

I recommend doing your weight training exercise at the gym. There are several good reasons for this, and I will go ahead and tell you some of the very best ones. First of all, you can get a spot at the gym. Of all of the weight training exercise injuries, most of them could have been avoided with a proper spotter. This is especially true with free weights which can injure or even kill you if you are forced to drop them because of muscle fatigue. This is the most important reason to go to the gym, but it is really far from the only one.

The fact is that it is easier to psyche yourself up for your weight training exercise when you do go to the gym. With all of those people around you dedicating their time to getting in shape, there is just no way you will feel like slacking off in your weight training program while you are at the gym.

Many gyms even have personal trainers available, who will help you to meet your personal best, by working you harder than you will yourself, and helping to chart your goals. They can even suggest which weight training exercises you should use and how many, to strengthen the muscle groups which interest you.

Before you start doing weight training exercise, however, you should do some cardiovascular stuff. While you can get by quite well without weight training exercise, cardio is absolutely essential to your health. You will live longer, be healthier, and happier, and even have more energy if you do some aerobic activities every day to keep you active.

We do not stay young forever, but those of us who get adequate aerobic exercises do stay young for longer than those who do not. Once you start doing that, then you can add your weight training exercise program.

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Back In The Land of Earplugs

I have been spoiled for the last couple of weeks. Mr. L came to visit and he splurged on a few places that were a lot nicer than the ones I have been staying in. Also, I finally used up some of my Sheraton points and splurged for a five star treat in Santiago for a few nights.

In a nutshell, the past few weeks...

1. Valdivia, CH - College town, near a river, famous for its fish market....we only spent a day here before going back to the lake district.

2. Pucon, CH - Lake town, with many National parks, Lakes and Volcanos. We hiked Vocan Villarica, which is about 3000 Meters of steep climb, complete with dust and smoke. It was not a very difficult climb, but it was hot and I did not have enough water and it felt like I was smoking a few packs of cigarettes while hiking up a dusty mountain. We also spent some time at the lake, which was packed with Chileños and their niños and people trying to rent you quitasoles (umbrellas) but was still a refreshing treat.

3. Mendoza, AR - A little unexpected side trip - a sample of the outdoor cafe life, a little bit of wine and lots of relaxing days spent drinking coffee and chilling in the shade. Mendoza is the main wine region of Argentina, known in the US mostly for its Malbec, I believe. There are many others, of course, and try as we may, we did not have time to sample them all.

4. Viña del Mar - Beach town on the W Coast of Chile, this is actually part of the outskirts of Valparaiso, CH. It was nice, very much like Santa Cruz, a little bit foggy in the AM and then around 3, the fog blows off, leaving a very nice day behind. The beaches were packed, the seafood here was delicious, the houses on the hill were very quaint and precariously perched.

5. Easter Island, CH - Oh the heads!! I am so glad that I went here. It is very far out of the way; it was a 5 hour flight each way, but it was totally worth it. The history here is so interesting and captivating. Maybe I can summarize a little. There were two tribes, the long ears and the short ears. Both of them made these statues of the heads, called Moai. They went to war, and many of the heads were tipped over (and still are). However, some have been put back upright, so we can enjoy them. They were huge! Some of them have hats and the hats alone are as tall as me. It was great! This is a beatiful polynesian island which would be great all on its own, but with the history included it was a ten!

6. Santiago, CH - A couple relaxing days spent by the pool at the Sheraton was exactly what we needed after so much moving around. Here I met back up with Chris and we got back on the move again.

So, now I am back in the land of earplugs, cheap hostels, noise and PB&J sandwiches!!! More news later and pictures to boot!