Bus travels, Tour and transport

7 Cancer Symptoms Men Tend to Ignore

Posted by david - Tuesday, June 29, 2010

One should also listen to people close to you, such as your close friends or wife. Sometimes others notice things about us that we're unaware of or don't want to admit.

Below are some symptoms that are commonly overlooked and could be signs of cancer

1. Inexplicable Weight Loss
If you observe sharp decline in your body weight, even when there are no major changes to your diet or exercise regime, it's essential to find out why. Most of the times, unexplained weight loss
could be an early sign of colon and other digestive cancers.

2. Shortness of Breath
Often, lung cancer patients, when they look back remember noticing their inability to catch their breath. They couldn’t even walk short distances without wheezing. Chest pain shortness of breath, spitting blood can be signs of testicular cancer that spreads to the lungs.

3. Chronic Stomach Problems
Unexplained stomach aches, or feeling completely full even after a small serving of food are common early symptom of stomach cancer. Liver cancer patients have been known to frequently visit their doctors complaining of upset stomachs or stomach pains. Get an ultrasound done after consulting your doctor if you have a stomach ache that doesn’t go away.

4. Difficulty in Swallowing
Men identified with esophageal cancer, looking back remember a feeling of pressure and soreness when swallowing that just didn't go away. This is a sign of tightening of the esophagus which could mean the existence of a tumor. Sometimes it is one of the first signs of lung cancer too.

5. Frequent Infections
Catching infections easily or having fever often with body aches can indicate leukemia, a cancer of the blood cells. Here, the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells which drain the body's infection-fighting capabilities. See your doctor if you show these symptoms for over an extended period of time.

6. Swelling of Facial Features
Some patients later diagnosed with lung cancer reported noticing swelling, puffiness, or redness in the face. The explanation behind this is that lung tumors obstruct the blood vessels in the chest, thus checking blood from running freely from the head and face. Don’t ignore any puffiness on your face if it doesn’t go away.

7. Persistent heartburn
If you have frequent incidents of heartburn or a constant feeling of pain in the chest after eating anything, see your doctor and get screened for esophageal cancer. When the stomach acid ascends into the esophagus, it causes heartburn and a sour taste in the throat. It can set off a condition called Barrett's esophagus, which can lead to esophageal cancer.

Going through this brief guide on cancer in men will help you to learn about the diseases at early stages.

For assessing your risk factors for certain kinds of cancer, it is very important to study your family records of cancer properly.

Let your doctor know and together you can keep these cancers at bay.

source:http://www.themedguru.com/20100421/feature/7-cancer-symptoms-men-tend-ignore-86134338.html

Cartoon characters attract kids to junk food

Posted by david - Monday, June 21, 2010

Shrek, Dora the Explorer, and other lively TV and movie stars beloved by children have been moonlighting as junk-food pitchmen in recent years. And they're good at it.

Fifty percent of children say that food from a package bedecked with a cartoon celebrity such as Shrek tastes better than the same exact food from a plain package, according to a new study.

And when given a choice, the vast mass of kids pick the food from the cartoon-adorned package as a snack, the study found.

The use of TV and movie characters on food packaging is "premeditated to access certain feelings, memories, and associations," says Dr. Thomas Robinson, M.D., a professor of child health at the Stanford University School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study. "If you associate certain products with things that are otherwise considered fun, it's going to make those products seem more desirable."

Cartoon characters tend to appear on junk food, which makes health experts even more concerned about the magnetic effect they have on kids. Although characters such as Dora and SpongeBob SquarePants have been used to market fruits and vegetables, they are most often used on chips, candy, and other unhealthy snacks. SpongeBob has even hawked Kentucky Fried Chicken.

"Parents may not set out to buy unhealthy products," says the lead author of the study, Christina Roberto, M.S., a doctoral student at Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, in New Haven, Connecticut. "But kids can be really, really persuasive. They see them and they want them, and it gets difficult to have that battle in the grocery store."

In the study, which is in print this week in the journal Pediatrics, Roberto and her colleagues presented 40 children ages 4 to 6 with paired samples of graham crackers, gummy fruit snacks, and baby carrots. Each pair of sample foods was identical down to the clear packaging, except that one of the packages had a sticker of Shrek, Dora the Explorer, or Scooby Doo on it.

Between 50 percent and 55 percent of the children said that the food with the sticker on it tasted better than the same food in the plain package. (The percentage varied with each food.) And between 73 percent and 85 percent selected the food in the character packaging as the one they'd prefer to eat as a snack.

"Marketers know that cartoon characters sell food products; that's why they use them," says Marion Nestle, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University. "This study really nails it down. Now we have evidence for asking--no, requiring--food marketers to stop using cartoons to market junk foods to kids."

The American Psychological Association and other organizations have likewise called for the abolition of all marketing of food products to children, a stance that Robinson says is reasonable.

"Young children, particularly under the age of 7 or 8, really don't understand the persuasive intent of marketing," he says. "That seems inherently unfair, and something we should protect children from, just like we protect them from other things we think are beyond their cognitive ability, like pornography."

new ways to deal with picky eaters

Using the power of cartoon characters for good--to market healthy foods--may be less effective than restrictions on junk-food marketing, Roberto says. The cartoon characters had the least influence on children's preferences when they were on the package of baby carrots, she notes.

"It might be that they're not used to seeing [the characters] on vegetables," Roberto says. Or it might be that kids already know that "a carrot is a carrot is a carrot," she adds, whereas they're not sure how a specific brand of graham cracker or gummy snack will taste.

Is it Baby Fat or Obesity?

Food and beverage companies in the U.S. spend more than $1.6 billion each year to attract children's attention, and 13 percent of that is spent on character licensing and similar cross-promotion efforts, according to Federal Trade Commission data cited in the study.

But the calls for reform have had some impact. The use of licensed characters on food products declined between 2006 and 2008, according to research conducted by the Rudd Center.

"It's good to see the voluntary work on this," says Roberto. "But we'd like to see more."

Schoolgirl, 12, with body of 96-year-old refuses to be beaten by aging disease by living life to the full

Posted by david - Monday, June 14, 2010

When Hayley Okines arrives home after a serious day at school she would have more reason to complain than most. The 12-year-old suffers from the quick aging disease progeria, an extremely rare condition that affects one in eight million people.

But despite suffering from arthritis, having little hunger and intriguing a cocktail of pills morning and night, the youth refuses to be beaten.

Her mother Kerry, told the Mail Online: 'I'm so proud of Hayley. No matter what life throws at her she just gets on with it. She doesn't let her arthritis stop her and runs around with her friends and she is very good at taking her medication.'

Hayley's life story is the subject of a documentary to be broadcast on Five tonight. When she last featured in the channel's 'Extraordinary People' series in 2007 she was about to take part in a pioneering medical trial in America.

Her parents from Bexhill, East Sussex, were hideously aware that the average lifespan for a child with progeria is only 13 years old and Hayley was devastated when she lost her best friend to the disease in 2006.

Hayley was well enough to attend her local secondary school and astonished her family by how well she adapted to her new surroundings.

Kerry said: 'We were worried because of the sheer size of the school and of rough and tumble because Hayley is quite fragile. But she settled in quickly and has made a couple of new friends as well. She is particularly good at science and maths.

'She also had her first sleepovers this year and the girls enjoyed chatting and playing on the Nintendo Wii and doing all the usual girly things.'

Kerry who has two other children - Louis, 8 and Ruby, 5 - is now hoping to organise a UK reunion for children with progeria, after the annual U.S event was cancelled due to a lack of funding.

Although they have managed to raise £4,000 to host the event they are still £14,000 short of their target.

'We're desperate not to cancel the event and have even looked at getting a bank loan,' Kerry said.

'We've already had families of 18 children with progeria say they would like to attend and we're hoping that a sponsor might come forward to help.

'It means so much to the children to meet others with the same condition.'

Kerry and her husband Mark will be taking Hayley back to Boston in July for another check-up and are confident Hayley will continue to deal with whatever life throws at her.

'Hayley just gets on with her life,' Kerry said.

'She is a fighter and has achieved a great deal in a short time.'

Bay Area sees increase in whooping cough cases

Posted by david - Sunday, June 06, 2010

The Bay Area is in the middle of a whooping cough outbreak, with six times as many cases so far this year as last year, and public health officials are encouraging new parents to get vaccinated and avoid large crowds to protect their infants.

The entire state is seeing large increases in whooping cough, which is the familiar name for pertussis. So far five infants - all of them under 4 months old - have died in California, and all of them caught the disease from their mother or another caregiver.

None of the deaths have been in Northern California, but the Bay Area had 173 cases of whooping cough between January and the end of May, compared with 29 cases in the same period last year, according to the state public health department. Kaiser Permanente, the largest health care provider in the Bay Area, has seen 17 times more cases of pertussis in Northern California so far this year than last year.

"We would like to see everybody get immunized against pertussis - adolescents, adults, everyone. It's especially important for those around newborn infants," said Dr. John Talarico, chief of the immunization branch for the state public health department.

Whooping cough, which gets its name from the noise children make when they gasp for breath between violent coughs, is a respiratory infection that can be deadly in babies. It is usually just an annoying illness in older children and adults, although it can turn into bronchitis or other lung infections.

Natural cycle

The recent rise in whooping cough is probably due to the cyclical nature of an infectious disease: A large group of people gets sick and experiences a short period of immunity, and five or so years later, enough people have lost their immunity that the disease is able to spread freely again.

Pertussis was once thought to be on its way toward disappearing, like many once-widespread diseases that are now prevented with vaccines. But the whooping cough vaccine doesn't provide lifelong protection.

Babies start getting vaccinated at age 2 months and are considered fully protected by the time they enter kindergarten, but children probably lose their immunization by high school. Almost all adults are susceptible to the disease - and in fact, unprotected adults are "the reservoir" of infection that can spread to vulnerable babies, said Dr. Stephen Parodi, chief of infectious disease for Kaiser Permanente Northern California.

"We traditionally thought of pertussis as a children's disease, and that's who's been vaccinated in the past," Parodi said. "By the time we're young adults, we basically don't have immunity. That puts our young children at risk for getting exposed to it."

A vaccine for adults and older children became available in 2005 - it's known as the Tdap, and combines a pertussis vaccine with the tetanus booster shot adults should get every 10 years.

California public health officials are pushing programs to vaccinate all parents who have a baby. Vaccinations typically cost $67 in San Francisco. However, a coupon offering a discounted pertussis vaccination is given to anyone who picks up a birth certificate for a new baby.

Avoid crowds

Parents with newborns also might want to avoid large crowds for at least the first few months during the whooping cough outbreak, said Kathy Harriman, an epidemiologist with the state's public health immunization branch.

"It's probably not the greatest idea to take a new infant out amongst crowds, where you can't control who's around your infant, and people like to come up and take a look," Harriman said.

Doctors also stressed that parents of newborns check in with a pediatrician if a baby shows even mild symptoms of whooping cough, which resemble cold symptoms. The disease is easily treated with antibiotics, but by the time babies develop the obvious "whooping" noise in their cough, they are often very ill already.

"Infants who are infected initially don't look really sick," Harriman said. "They don't have a fever, they might have a runny nose, their cough might not be that noticeable. With a really young infant, I would err on the side of caution."

Symptoms of whooping cough

-- Initially, symptoms are similar to the common cold, and include runny nose, sneezing, red and watery eyes, and a dry cough.

-- After a week or two, severe coughing attacks may occur. Some individuals may develop a persistent hacking cough. For others, the coughing may be serious enough that patients bring up thick phlegm, vomit, turn red or blue in the face and become extremely fatigued. This is when the high-pitched "whoop" sound that defines the disease may become apparent.

-- Parents with infants should consult their pediatrician if their baby develops even mild cold symptoms in the middle of a whooping cough outbreak.

Whooping cough outbreak

California, and the Bay Area in particular, has seen a dramatic increase in whooping cough cases this year. Here are the statistics through May 31 compared with the same period in 2009:

California: 190 cases, no deaths in 2009; 584 cases, five deaths in 2010

Bay Area: 29 cases in 2009; 173 cases in 2010 (no deaths)

San Francisco had 20 confirmed or suspected cases of pertussis in all of 2009; it had 15 cases by May 27 this year. Alameda County had 33 cases in all of 2009 and 26 cases through May of this year.

source: http://topnews.co.uk/26001-number-patients-infected-whooping-cough-comparatively-more-year, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/04/BALJ1DPMRJ.DTL

10 Types of Food That Can Make You Sick

Posted by david - Friday, May 21, 2010

The riskiest foods

Food poisoning is a horrible, even potentially life-threatening experience. But it’s hard to determine if food is safe to eat, partly because problems are relatively rare.

But knowing which foods are potentially risky can help.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest has issued a list of the top 10 FDA-regulated foods linked to outbreaks since 1990. (That includes produce, seafood, egg, and dairy products, but not meat.)

Be aware of the risk, but don’t avoid these types of food. “They are everywhere and are part of a healthy diet,” says CSPI staff attorney, Sarah Klein.

Leafy greens

Yes, they’re you’re favorite go-to salad greens—lettuce, escarole, endive, spinach, cabbage, kale, arugula, and chard.

But they also caused 363 outbreaks involving 13,568 reported cases of illness since 1990. (Remember bagged spinach in 2006?)

Greens can be contaminated by manure, dirty water rinses, or unwashed hands before you even purchase them.

To avoid getting sick, wash produce and prevent cross-contamination (improper handling of meat in the kitchen can spread bacteria to other types of food, including greens) by washing hands and using separate cutting boards.

Eggs

This breakfast favorite has been linked to 352 outbreaks since 1990, most often due to Salmonella bacteria.

The bacteria can lurk inside the egg, so proper cooking is key (which kills the germs). Avoid eating any products containing raw eggs, including cookie dough.

“Our food supply is safe,” says Craig Hedberg, PhD, of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis. “There is roughly one illness for every three to four thousand meals served,” he says.

Still, “raw food items like eggs may have contamination and need to be handled properly.”

Tuna

This type of fish can be contaminated by scombrotoxin, which causes flushing, headaches, and cramps.

If it is stored above 60 degrees after being caught, fresh fish can release the toxin, which cannot be destroyed by cooking (and is unrelated to mercury contamination or other problems related to tuna and other fish).

Tuna has been linked to 268 scombroid poisoning outbreaks since 1990.

“You just can’t cook out all the things wrong with food supply right now,” CSPI's Klein says.

Oysters

Before being transformed into a pricey delicacy, oysters lurk on the ocean floor doing what they do best—filter feeding.

And if the water they are filtering is contaminated, so are the oysters. (Or they can be contaminated during handling.)

If served raw or undercooked, oysters can contain germs—mostly a gut-churner called norovirus and a bacterium known as Vibrio vulnificus—that can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Potatoes

A freshly scrubbed spud that’s properly cooked is unlikely to cause illness. But watch out for potato salad.

Cross contamination—the transfer of germs from one type of food, usually meat, to another—can be the source of the problem.

Potato-related outbreaks of illness have been traced to germs like Listeria (which can live on deli counters ), Shigella, E. coli, and Salmonella.

Cheese

While restaurants are a key source of other food-related outbreaks, most people who get sick from cheese do so from products consumed at home.

Cheese can be contaminated with bacteria like Salmonella or Listeria, which can cause miscarriages.

Ice Cream

I scream, you scream. We all scream from ice cream? Ice cream has been linked to 75 outbreaks caused by bacteria like Salmonella and Staphylococcus since 1990, according to the CSPI.

The largest outbreak occurred in 1994, when a batch of pasteurized ice cream premix was transported in a Salmonella-contaminated truck, and then used to make ice cream without re-pasteurizing.

“People are making ice cream at home and using raw eggs in the household,” explains Hedberg.

Tomatoes

Although tomatoes were found “not guilty” in a 2008 outbreak that sickened thousands (the culprits were jalapeno and Serrano peppers), this summer favorite has been linked to at least 31 outbreaks.

“Lettuce or tomatoes may be contaminated, but once they enter a household, you can make sure that you don’t allow the bacteria to grow and multiply,” says Hedberg.

To do this: wash hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap before and after preparing fresh produce; wash fruits and vegetables under running water just before eating, cutting, or cooking, even if you plan to peel it before eating; and keep fruits and vegetables that will be eaten raw separate from other foods.

Sprouts

While sprouts are practically the poster child for healthy food, they can also be vulnerable to bacterial contamination.

The seeds used to produce the sprouts can be contaminated in the field, and water and warm growing conditions that encourage germination can also boost bacterial growth.

The FDA and CDC recommend that the elderly, young children, and those with weakened immune systems avoid eating raw sprouts.

Berries

Another common source of food poisoning is berries, including strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries.

A 1997 outbreak that sickened thousands of children via school lunches was traced to hepatitis A-contaminated frozen strawberries (possibly from a farm worker in Baja California, Mexico).

Other cases—linked to imported raspberries from Chile and Guatemala—have been caused by a germ called Cyclospora, which causes severe diarrhea, dehydrations, and cramps.

source: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/thumbnails/0,,20310810,00.html

Obesity campaign controversy

Posted by david - Sunday, May 16, 2010

Recommendations being considered for Michelle Obama's Let's Move Campaign has some wondering if the government is trying to control what America eats.

Iguazu Falls National Park, Argentina

Posted by david - Friday, May 07, 2010

Enormous, tropical green leaves, clear rushing water, mist sprinkling over your face and altogether one of the most picturesque nature scenes you will ever see in your life. This peaceful and beautiful place called Iguazu Falls is one of the most exquisite natural wonders of the world. Therefore, it must be on your list of places to see in South America. In addition, I felt so much more at peace in Iguazu National Park than I have during my entire stay in Argentina. The town, the people, the waterfalls, the nature and the vibe I received from everywhere and everyone were wonderful and refreshing. Even though Iguazu Fallss is a hot spot for tourists, it is still very easy to feel one with nature.

To start off, it is important to talk about iguazu falls from the Brazilian side separately from the falls from the Argentine side. I can only describe the falls from the Argentine side, as that was the only side I was allowed to go to. Without a Brazilian Visa, U.S. citizens are not allowed to cross their border. However, while asking people whether or not we were allowed to enter Brazil, we did receive several offers to have random taxis drive us across the border. While some people take advantage of these offers, I was not in the mood to take the risk. If you do get caught, you will have to pay the $100 U.S. dollar fee for the Visa. I do not know what else happens, so we decided to play it safe and stay on the Argentine side of Iguazu Falls. Fortunately, it was incredible and offers every angle imaginable of the falls.

Another factor to consider is how much time you want to stay in Iguazu. While I would recommend taking your time and enjoying its beauty, you can pretty much cover all of the falls on Argentina’s side in one day if you want. However, this means getting an early start and maybe walking at a decent pace. We didn’t get there until 10, ate a pleasant and slow lunch at La Selva Buffet, and saw everything but one individual waterfall. However, I recommend taking your time and not rushing through to see everything. In addition, the park tickets are $30 pesos a person, but you can get your second day’s tickets for half price if you turn your ticket in at the end of your first day. This is a bargain well worth taking the time to exchange your tickets for.

As for Iguazu National Park and the falls themselves, you are in for an unimaginable treat. The falls were much larger, more fantastic and more mind-blowing than I had expected. I knew the falls were gorgeous, but all descriptions heard and pictures seen do not do them justice. There is no way something so beautiful and enormous could be captured in a photo. It would be a sin to visit South America and not take a trip to the falls!

I would also recommend that you try to see all of the falls. Each lookout point had a different view, and many more hidden pools or waterfalls came into view once seen from a different spot. The Circuito Inferior can be a little crowded, but I found the paths to be less crowded when stairs were involved…just a little hint for those of you who like to hike or walk at a good pace. However, do not walk so fast that you miss a Toucan flying over your head or a monkey in a tree! Iguazu Falls is all about the scenery and the experience of being surrounded by nature’s magnificent creations. I imagine it would be impossible to not find peace and relaxation at Iguazu. Do not commit the sin of leaving South America before seeing it!

source: http://argentinastravel.com/113/iguazu-falls-argentina-my-paradise/

Dry Tortugas - Fort Jefferson

Posted by david - Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Seventy miles off of Key West the Dry Tortugas is the site of Fort Jefferson built with 16 million bricks in the 1840’s and surrounded by breathtaking coral reefs just off the beach.

You can get to the Dry Tortugas on a 2 hour cruise aboard the Yankee Freedoom II.

Dry Tortugas National Park

PO Box 6208
Key West, Florida 33041
Phone: 305-242-7700

Directions: Located 70 miles west of Key West, it can only be reached by boat or seaplane. Our favorite is the Yankee Freedom II ferry which takes 2 hours.

The Inside Florida Scoop:

A comfortable 2 hour cruise gets you to Dry Tortugas
Breakfast, lunch, and snorkeling gear are provided on the Yankee Freedom II
Fort Jefferson is impressive, very photogenic, and huge
Snorkel right off the beach in a few feet of water
The water is crystal clear turquoise
You will see many types of tropical fish, live coral, and other sea life
Bring sun protection - sunscreen and a sun shirt work well

Dry Tortugas Name and History

The name for the cluster of islands comes from Ponce de Leon who visited in 1513 and was in awe over the abundance of sea turtles. He named this area “Tortugas” which means turtles in Spanish. The most common is the loggerhead sea turtle but you can also see green, hawksbill, and leatherback sea turtles nesting and swimming in the area.

In the 1600’s and 1700’s many pirates made this area home base while waiting to attack ships as they sailed pass.

The Entrance to Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas

Dry Tortugas Weather

The park is open year round with it subtropical climate the weather can change quickly. The winter season of December through March tends to be the windiest and have the roughest seas. April and May are very pleasant. June through November is considered hurricane season but you’ll also find the calmest seas while intense storms can come up at any time. During the summer months, it can get extremely humid and hot (drink lots of water, wear plenty of suntan lotion, and cool off in the turquoise waters.)

A tropical fish on the reef at Dry Tortugas

Mini Cruise

The Inside Florida team signed up for a full day excursion on the Yankee Freedom II to the Dry Tortugas. It was a fantastic trip aboard the Yankee Freedom with friendly and informative staff, air conditioned sections with table seating, breakfast and lunch buffets, and Captain Rick with his loyal yellow labrador, Salty.

The ferry has a 250 person capacity but Yankee Freedom limits it to 100 people so you don’t feel crowded at all. You can walk around the vessel’s decks, sit on on the upper deck with wide ocean views, and even hang out with Captain Rick during the 2 hour trip.

The naturalist also named Rick answered every question we had about the Dry Tortugas National Park and pointed out interesting facts along the journey. You’ll pass the treasure hunters as they continue to excavate treasure from the Spanish galleons’ Atocha and Santa Margarita that sunk during a hurricane in 1622. The galleons were filled with millions of dollars worth of gold, silver, jewels, and artifacts.

Fort Jefferson

As you approach Fort Jefferson on the Yankee Freedom II, you’ll see how massive it is a few miles out. It’s architecture is impressive for a fort its size. The US Military started building Fort Jefferson in 1846 with the goal of protecting the waterways and ships headed for ports to the Gulf coast region.

After 16 million red bricks were laid into this 3 story, 6 sided fort, it was never completed. The development of more modern weapons made the fort obsolete. You’ll can take a 40 minute guided tour when you first arrive to Garden Key, home of Fort Jefferson.

Snorkeling in the Dry Tortugas

After a tour of Fort Jefferson, grab your snorkeling gear (Yankee Freedom provides it if you don’t have your own) and head to the beach. Make sure to also review one of Yankee Freedom’s snorkeling maps of the area.

Living coral reefs are typically 2 to 3 miles offshore from the Keys but at the Dry Tortugas you walk right into the white sandy beach and head to the wall around the moat to see beautiful brain coral, sea fans, schools of tropical fish, queen conchs, and huge sea urchins. It’s one of the most easy and beautiful places to snorkel. The depth is just a few feet to about 15 feet deep along the fort’s outer walls.

More experienced snorkelers can also enjoy the South Coaling Dock Ruins which are old metal pilings from the coal docks.

After snorkeling, head back to the Yankee Freedom for a fresh water shower. It is so refreshing!

The arches of Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas Florida

Dry Tortugas Camping

Our friends loved camping at the Dry Tortugas on the island of Garden Key with Fort Jefferson. One of the most amazing experiences is sitting on top of the 3rd floor of Fort Jefferson during sunset (bring a camera!).

It is a primitive campsite so you must bring everything including water. Yankee Freedom provides ferry transport for campers and allows you to bring 60 pounds of gear. You can also bring a kayak or small canoe for an additional charge. There’s only 11 campsites so you need to make reservations early. The ferries head out around 3:00 pm so the island becomes pretty empty which give the campers lots of peace and quiet while exploring and snorkeling.

Fishing is allowed but spearfishing and lobstering is prohibited. The mosquitoes are minimal because there is no still water for them to breed in.

Bird Watching on Dry Tortugas
During the months of February through September, a close by island called Bush Key is closed for nesting Sooty and Noddy Terns. Between March and September more than 100,000 sotty terns nest in the area along with brown pelicans, brown noddies, roseate terns, and double crested cormorants.

Dry Tortugas National Park
The park is open year round. Fort Jefferson is open from sunrise to sunset during daylight hours. Campers and private boaters are able to enjoy the quiet, pristine surroundings early in the mornings and the early evenings at sunset.

source:http://www.insideflorida.com/detail/dry-tortugas/, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fort-Jefferson_Dry-Tortugas.jpg

Simple Tips to prevent common cold

Posted by david - Tuesday, April 27, 2010

There are several ways you can keep yourself from getting a cold or passing one on to others.

* Because cold germs on your hands can easily enter through your eyes and nose, keep your hands away from those areas of your body
* If possible, avoid being close to people who have colds
* If you have a cold, avoid being close to people
* If you sneeze or cough, cover your nose or mouth, and sneeze or cough into your elbow rather than your hand.

Handwashing

Handwashing with soap and water is the simplest and one of the most effective ways to keep from getting colds or giving them to others. During cold season, you should wash your hands often and teach your children to do the same. When water isn’t available, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) recommends using alcohol-based products made for disinfecting your hands.

Disinfecting

Rhinoviruses can live up to 3 hours on your skin. They also can survive up to 3 hours on objects such as telephones and stair railings. Cleaning environmental surfaces with a virus-killing disinfectant might help prevent spread of infection.

Vaccine

Because so many different viruses can cause the common cold, the outlook for developing a vaccine that will prevent transmission of all of them is dim. Scientists, however, continue to search for a solution to this problem.

Unproven prevention methods

Echinacea

Echinacea is a dietary herbal supplement that some people use to treat their colds. Researchers, however, have found that while the herb may help treat your colds if taken in the early stages, it will not help prevent them.

One research study funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a part of the National Institutes of Health, found that echinacea is not effective at all in treating children aged 2 to 11.

Vitamin C

Many people are convinced that taking large quantities of vitamin C will prevent colds or relieve symptoms. To test this theory, several large-scale, controlled studies involving children and adults have been conducted. To date, no conclusive data has shown that large doses of vitamin C prevent colds. The vitamin may reduce the severity or duration of symptoms, but there is no clear evidence of this effect.

Taking vitamin C over long periods of time in large amounts may be harmful. Too much vitamin C can cause severe diarrhea, a particular danger for elderly people and small children.

Honey

Honey has been considered to be a treatment for coughs and to soothe a sore throat. A recent study conducted at the Penn State College of Medicine compared the effectiveness of a little bit of buckwheat honey before bedtime versus either no treatment or dextromethorphan (DM), the cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cold medicines. The results of this study suggest that honey may be useful to relieve coughing, but researchers need to do additional studies.

You should never give honey to children under the age of one because of the risk of infantile botulism, a serious disease.

Zinc

Zinc lozenges and zinc lollipops are available over the counter as a treatment for the common cold; however, results from studies designed to test the efficacy of zinc are inconclusive. Although several studies have shown zinc to be effective for reducing the symptoms of the common cold, an equal number of studies have shown zinc is not effective. This may be due to flaws in the way these studies were conducted, or the particular form of zinc used in each case. Therefore, additional studies are needed.

Swine Flu Virus Not So New, Study Finds

Posted by david - Thursday, March 25, 2010

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The H1N1 swine flu virus may have been new to humanity in many ways but in one key feature its closest relative was the 1918 pandemic virus, researchers reported on Wednesday.

Their findings could point to better ways to design vaccines and help explain why the swine flu pandemic largely spared the elderly.

"This study defines an unexpected similarity between two pandemic-causing strains of influenza," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a statement.

Two studies show an important structure called hemagglutinin is very similar in both the swine flu H1N1 and its distant cousin, the H1N1 virus that caused the 1918 pandemic. Hemagglutinin is used by viruses to infect cells and gives influenza viruses the "H" in their designations.

For one study, published in Science Translational Medicine, Chih-Jen Wei, Gary Nabel and colleagues at NIAID injected mice with a vaccine made using the 1918 influenza virus -- which killed an estimated 40 million to 100 million people.

When they infected the mice with H1N1 swine flu, the vaccinated mice survived, while many unprotected mice died.

The reverse also worked -- when they immunized mice using the 2009 H1N1 virus, and then infected them with the 1918 strain, the mice were protected.

"This is a surprising result," Nabel said. "We wouldn't have expected that cross-reactive antibodies would be generated against viruses separated by so many years."

The team also showed that as flu viruses circulate, they develop a kind of shield called a glycan that protects them from the body's immune system. That may allow them to become regular, seasonal visitors.

"It gives us a new understanding of how pandemic viruses evolve into seasonal strains, and, importantly, provides direction for developing vaccines to slow or prevent that transformation," Fauci said.

Women Outdo Men in Memory Test

Posted by david - Monday, March 15, 2010

A recent study conducted by the University of London has concluded that women possess stronger memory than men. The study examined 9,600 people, each around the age of 50 years. The researchers observed that all the women in middle age had a better memory level than the men.

The first stage of the memory test saw the participants first listening to 10 words then recalling them in next 2 minutes. In the second round the participants were asked to recall the same 10 words, 5 minutes after round 1.

The score of the female participants in the first round was 5% greater than the male ones and 8% greater in the second round.

The research team led by Matthew Brown and Brian Dodgeon took up another test, wherein the participants were asked to name as many animals as they could think of, within one minute. Here, both the male and female participants scored neck to neck. The average number of animal names as listed by them was 22.

"Men performed significantly more poorly in the verbal memory tests: particularly on the delayed memory test", said the lead researchers.

The researchers also observed the affect of health conditions of the participants on their respective memories, concluding that those with better physical fitness yielded better scores.

All these participants were from the National Child Development Study. The researchers kept a track of them since these people were at the age of 16 years and they were observed again when they turned 50.

source: http://topnews.us/content/213259-women-outdo-men-memory-test

H1N1 vaccine: Phases II, III human trials begin today

Posted by david - Sunday, March 07, 2010

The Serum Institute of India will begin phase II and III human clinical trials of the nasal spray vaccine against the H1N1 virus at two sites in Pune and three other centres on Monday. The virus has claimed 201 lives in Pune itself.

Dr Prasad Kulkarni, director of clinical trials at the institute, told Newsline on Sunday that they had received the required approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). A total of 330 people in three age groups — paediatric, adult and elderly — will be enrolled for the trial. “Initially, the trial will begin at four centres; We will include two more later.”

The trial sites have been identified at Pune, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Indore, Bangalore and Chennai. A private hospital and a medical college are taking part in the trial in Pune.

The Serum Institute will enroll 300 people for the trial.

Explaining the procedure, an institute official said the vaccine, in the form of an inhalation mix, would be administered in each nostril in doses of 2.5 ml. “Here, the virus is live but weakened (attenuated). It produces immunity but does not cause disease. As it is given intra nasal, it mimics the natural route of infection. It grows in the nasopharynx and produces local immunity followed by systemic immunity.”

Once the intra nasal spray vaccine has been administered, the results will be tested in laboratories at the Serum Institute and National Institute of Virology.

The officials hope to submit the trial data to the DCGI by the second or third week of April.

Kulkarni said the results of the Phase I clinical trial of the injectable vaccine against the HINI virus would be submitted to the DCGI soon.

The Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila has also embarked upon the multi-centric Phase II and III clinical trials of the vaccine.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/h1n1-vaccine-phases-ii-iii-human-trials-begin-today/587951/2

DALIAN Travel Guide Information

Posted by david - Sunday, February 28, 2010

Geography

Dalian is located west of the Yellow Sea (Korea Bay) and east of Bohai Sea. With a coastline of 1,906 km, it governs the southernmost Liaodong Peninsula and about 260 surrounding islands and reefs.

History

Part of the State of Yan in the Spring and Autumn Period, Dalian became a small town in the 1880s, when the Qing Empire established bridges, cannon platforms and camps there. Named after the Dalianwan Bay (大连? of the Yellow Sea northeast of the peninsula, it was officially called Dalian in 1899, and the term was first used in October 1879 by Li Hongzhang in a document.

Dalian of south Pulandian was occupied by the British in 1858, returned to the Chinese in the 1880s, and then occupied by Japan in 1895 during the first Sino-Japanese War. From 1898-1905, it was occupied by the Russians and renamed Dalny (Qingniwaqiao 青泥洼桥 of Zhongshan District, Dalian) and Port Arthur (Lvshunkou). After the Russo-Japanese war Port Arthur was conceded to Japan (Treaty of Portsmouth), who set up the Kwantung Leased Territory or Guandongzhou. Since the foundation of Manchukuo in 1932, the sovereignty of the territory moved from China to Manchukuo. Japan still leased it from Manchukuo. In 1937, the modern Dalian City was enlarged and modernized by the Japanese as two cities: the northern Dairen (Dalian) and the southern Ryojun (Lushun).

After World War II, Dalian was not returned to China, but taken over by Soviets with theoretical Chinese overlordship (see Yalta Conference), and was returned to full Chinese control in 1955, although the first communist Chinese mayor of the new Lvda Administrative Office was elected in 1945. The name Lvda was formed from the initial letters of Lvshunkou and Dalian. Because of the sudden closure of many Japanese businesses, many Dalian residents were out of work for a while.

On December 1, 1950, Lvda was made into a city again. From March 12, 1953 to August 1, 1954, it became a municipality of China|municipality. The city's name was changed from Lvda to Dalian on March 5, 1981, after the State Council approved it on February 9. It was upgraded from a prefecture-level city to a sub-provincial city in 1994, with no change in its administrative subdivisions.

source:http://www.china-holiday.com/english/chinatravel/city/DALIAN.asp

Health and Wellness by Bethany Burks Green Tea Health Benefits Could Include Glaucoma Prevention

Posted by david - Sunday, February 21, 2010

Green Tea Health Benefits Could Include Glaucoma Prevention. Green tea has been in the center of a study done by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The research indicated that antioxidants found in green tea could help protect against eye diseases such as glaucoma.

Green tea contains catechins which are absorbed by the eye. These catechins could have protective qualities against the oxidation that causes various eye ailments.

If the results of the study prove to be true over time, then the health benefits of green tea will be numerous. It’s currently known that green tea helps with weight loss, cancer prevention, and depression.

Green tea has its roots in ancient China. For over 4,000 years, Asian countries have drank green tea as part of their diet. Green tea is typically available at gourmet food stores and even in certain grocery stores.

Traditional green tea is served warm, similar to the tea you are used to drinking. Some companies such as Nestea have iced tea drinks that include this healthy version of the drink.

Even though the beverage has been linked to various health benefits, drinking green tea alone isn’t enough to keep yourself healthy. You still need to visit your doctor regularly and speak with them about any supplements or regimens you use for your health.

source: http://cnmnewsnetwork.com/1817/green-tea-health-benefits-could-include-glaucoma-prevention/

HIV illness 'delayed by' herpes drug aciclovir

Posted by david - Monday, February 15, 2010

A common treatment for herpes can delay the need for HIV drugs in people with both infections, say US researchers.

A study of 3,300 patients in Africa found aciclovir reduced the risk of HIV progression by 16%, The Lancet reports.

Although a "modest" effect, the researchers said the cheap treatment was a simple way of keeping people with HIV healthy for longer.

One expert said it was important to note that aciclovir did not seem to make HIV patients less infectious.

The researchers from the University of Washington, Seattle, concentrated on people infected with HIV-1 - the most common type of infection.

It is known that most people who are infected with HIV-1 are also infected with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2), or genital herpes.

Previous studies have shown that keeping the herpes virus suppressed reduces HIV levels but it was unclear whether this would slow down the disease.

Those in the trial were either given a twice daily dose of aciclovir or a dummy pill and then they were monitored for two years.

At the end of the study, 284 people on aciclovir had either started taking HIV medication, had a drop in CD4 count suggesting they should be on medication or had died. The comparable figure for patients taking the placebo was 324.

The HSV2 virus causes genital herpes

Use of aciclovir treatment did not reduce HIV transmission to their heterosexual partners.

More options

The researchers pointed out that HIV treatment with antiretroviral drugs would probably have a greater effect on reducing HIV disease progression than was seen with aciclovir.

But the herpes treatment may provide an additional option for individuals who have not reached medical thresholds for initiating antiretroviral therapy.

"Further investigation is needed to establish if suppression of this herpes virus has a role in HIV-1 treatment for people not eligible for antiretroviral therapy."

Study leader, Dr Jairam Lingappa, said: "While the HIV disease ameliorating effect we have observed is modest, it could add one more tool to help people with HIV infection stay healthy for longer."

Gus Cairns, editor of HIV Treatment Update, said: "It's nice to see a positive result in this field.

"There are biological reasons to believe that treating people's herpes could make them less likely to acquire HIV, or less likely to transmit it if they already have it, but results of trials testing the idea have been disappointing.

"Now at least we find that aciclovir, a very cheap, non-toxic and widely-available drug, can prolong the time some patients may be able to stay off the more expensive, and sometimes toxic, HIV drugs."

He added that the delay in HIV progression seen in the study may translate into a year or two off HIV medications.

"The only reservation I have is that aciclovir doesn't appear to make people less infectious, whereas the HIV drugs certainly do."

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8512412.stm

Beer boosts bones and fends off osteoporosis

Posted by david - Monday, February 08, 2010

Drinking beer especially pale ale strengthens your bones and could stop them becoming brittle, a study suggests.

Researchers found that the drink contained a substance that boosts bones and could mean they are less likely to suffer from osteoporosis.

They discovered that beer, especially pale ales, contains high levels of silicon known to slow down the bone thinning that leads to fractures and boosting the formation of new bone.

The finding, published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, backs up previous research which also showed that the drink was good at fending off brittle bones – especially in women.

"The factors in brewing that influence silicon levels in beer have not been extensively studied", said Dr Charles Bamforth, lead author at the University of California.

They found that lighter beers with a greater use of hops had the most silicon.

Silicon is present in beer in the soluble form of orthosilicic acid (OSA), up to half of which can be absorbed by the body making beer a major contributor to silicon intake in the Western diet.

Based on these findings, some studies suggest moderate beer consumption may help fight osteoporosis, a disease of the skeletal system characterised by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue.

The researchers found that the extra heat used in malting darker beers tended to destroy some of the silicon. Beers with more hops naturally had more silicon they found.

Osteoporosis or low bone density is often described as a silent epidemic of the 21st century. In the UK alone it results in more than 200,000 fractures annually and costs the NHS more than £1 billion a year.

Three million Britons are affected by osteoporosis.

The actual biological role of silicon in bone health and formation is not known though it is thought to help manufacture collagen, one of its major components.

"Beers containing high levels of malted barley and hops are richest in silicon," concludes Dr. Bamforth.

Beer, especially pale ales, contains high levels of silicon known to slow down the bone thinning that leads to fractures Photo: CORBIS

"Wheat contains less silicon than barley because it is the husk of the barley that is rich in this element. While most of the silicon remains in the husk during brewing, significant quantities of silicon nonetheless are extracted into wort and much of this survives into beer."

Dr Claire Bowring, National Osteoporosis Society, said the research did not mean that people head for the pub.

“These findings mirror results from previous studies which concluded that moderate alcohol consumption could be beneficial to bones," she said.

However, while the National Osteoporosis Society welcomes measures to improve bone health we do not recommend anyone increases their alcohol consumption on the basis of these studies. While low quantities of alcohol may appear to have bone density benefits, higher intakes have been show to decrease bone strength, with an alcohol intake of more than two units per day actually increasing the risk of breaking a bone.

"There are also many other health concerns linked with alcohol which cannot be ignored.”

For more information visit http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7168666/Beer-boosts-bones-and-fends-off-osteoporosis.html

Scientific breakthrough could lead to better AIDS drugs

Posted by david - Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Scientists have succeeded in growing a crystal that reveals the structure of the enzyme, integrase, and this could improve the design of the integrase inhibiting drugs commonly used for AIDS treatment.

Integrase – an enzyme found in retroviruses like HIV – plays a key role in HIV infection.

“When HIV infects someone, it uses integrase to paste a copy of its genetic information into their DNA,” the researchers from Imperial College in London stated.

“Availability of the integrase structure means that researchers can begin to fully understand how existing drugs that inhibit integrase are working, how they might be improved, and how to stop HIV developing resistance to them.”

Many researchers had tried and failed for more than 20 years “to work out the three-dimensional structure of integrase bound to viral DNA”, prior to this study, they stated.

Cracking the integrase crystal mystery after 20 years

To grow a crystal of “sufficient quality to allow determination of the three-dimensional structure”, the scientists from Imperial College in London and Harvard University in Boston conducted more than 40 000 trials.

These results in seven kinds of crystals, only one of which was of high enough quality for their study.

Lead author Dr Peter Cherepanov said: “We went back to square one and started by looking for a better model of HIV integrase, which could be more amenable for crystallization.

“Despite initially painstakingly slow progress and very many failed attempts, we did not give up and our effort was finally rewarded.”

Their findings are published this week in the journal Nature.

Source: http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/hiv/2010/02/02/scientific-breakthrough-could-lead-to-better-aids-drugs/comment-page-1/

Dubrovnik in south of Croatia

Posted by david - Sunday, January 24, 2010

Dubrovnik is rich in culture and history. Dubrovnik is located on the extreme south of Croatia , the city enjoyed immense growth in trade and naval power in the Middle Ages. The city of Dubrovnik has since relinquished its position as a Mediterranean power player.

Today the city of Dubrovnik is a peaceful and children-friendly haven for tourists and locals. Zagreb , its capital, offers a glimpse of the glory days of the old city of Dubrovnik ; it boasts of well-preserved medieval architectural marvels. As a testament to its ability to masterfully blend the old with the new, the city's capital has established itself as the hub of modern life and is considered the economic, political and scientific center of Croatia .

The city of Dubrovnik takes hospitality on a higher level by offering a wide range of “private accommodations.” Private accommodations are apartments or villas privately owned by locals that have been specially prepared for tourist occupation. These accommodations may be adjacent or separate from the owner's own residence. They are furnished and are most often strategically located to take full advantage of the city's majestic seascapes.

The cuisine of the city of Dubrovnik takes full advantage of the sea's abundance; fresh seafood that is either boiled or grilled and seasoned with herbs and olive oil.

There is a lot to experience in city of Dubrovnik ; charming medieval architecture, spectacular views, fresh food and a host of other activities that will make anyone want to stay.

source: http://www.holidays-in-croatia.info/destinations/dubrovnik
Vacation Rentals

Sigiriya in Sri Lanka

Posted by david - Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Nothing in Sri Lanka captures the imagination more than a 200 meter lump of granite that rises starkly above the flat central plains about three and a half hours' drive from Colombo. Sigiriya has it all -- a blood-stained history full of intrigue, astonishing frescos of bare-breasted maidens painted 15 centuries ago, a wall covered in graffiti that is more than 1,000 years old and, to top it all, Asia's oldest surviving landscape garden.

All but impregnable to surprise attack and even sustained siege, there are indications that aboriginal hunters first inhabited the great rock more than two millennia ago. It was not until the fifth century AD, however, that Sigiriya entered briefly into a golden age as the seat of Sinhalese power in mediaeval Sri Lanka. The garden city and the palace was built by Kasyapa 477 - 495 AD. Then after Kasyapa's death it was a monastery complex up to about the 14th century. Sigiriya is also the location for Arthur C Clarks novel The Fountains of Paradise. (Jim was avidly re-reading this novel during our long plane ride to Sri Lanka.)

The traditional telling of Sigiriya's rise and the King Kasyapa who built the city was described by our guide. Dark deeds led to the establishment of Sigiriya as the center of the ancient Sinhalese Kingdom for a period of 18 years. The reign of King Dhatusena came to an abrupt end in 477 A.D. when his throne was seized by Kasyapa, his son by a wife of unequal birth. Kasyapa's action was prompted by the fear that his younger half-brother Mogallan, who was born of the anointed queen, would take over the throne. Kasyapa was convinced that his father was hiding a cache of treasure from him, and demanded that the King reveal where this wealth was hidden. Dhatusena took the young usurper to the bund of the Kalawewa, the greatest of his irrigation works, below which lived a venerable monk who had been his teacher and companion of many years. There, the old King pointed, was the sum of all his wealth. In a fit of pique, Kasyapa ordered the old man to be walled up alive and naked in his own tomb. Meanwhile, Mogallan survived an assassination attempt by his brother and fled to India to raise an army. Paranoia, arrogance and delusions of divinity drove Kasyapa to leave the traditional Sinhalese capital of Anuradhapura and construct his palace on the peak of Sigiriya Rock, a perfect lookout which could be easily defended; a huge lion was carved out of the rock. Seven years after ascending the throne, he moved into his new home.

According to research after our return from Sri Lanka, some historians have recently found evidence of a slightly different version of King Kasyapa and how he came to the throne. Though not quite as fraught with intrigue it still has all the markings of family murder and mayhem. You can read a brief version of this online by Nadhira Lawrence via Sri Lanka Library site. Also, there is one archaeologist who offers a completely different (some say radical) theory of Sigiriya. Read a summary of the theory of Dr. Raja de Silva in a newspaper article in 2001.

Sigiriya is approached from the west over a moat that encloses an elaborate water garden that runs up to the foot of the rock. The picture here is of the second moat. There was evidently a moat previous to this one but it is no longer available. It is said that the King kept alligators or crocodiles in the moat to make it very difficult to cross.

Directly after the moat is the beginnings of the excavated water gardens, or pleasure gardens, that lead up to the foot of the fortress. Only the southern side of the garden has been excavated, leaving the identical northern half for the archaeologist of the future.

The water gardens of the western precinct are symmetrically planned, while the boulder garden at a higher level is asymmetrically planned. The water garden displays one of the worlds most sophisticated hydraulic technologies, dating from the Early Historic Period.

The pleasure gardens are studded with ponds, islets, promenades and pavilions. Some underground and surface drainage systems have been discovered during excavations. We were visiting during the dry season, so very little water remained in these pools. However, our guide assured us (and we have seen pictures) that during the normal part of the year, this pools are filled with water and the fountains still bubble.

This shows an interconnection of macro- and micro-hydraulics to provide for domestic horticultural and agricultural needs, surface drainage and erosion control, ornamental and recreational water courses and retaining structures and also cooling systems.

The Macro system consisted of the Sigiri Maha weva, the manmade lake with a 12 km dam, running south from the base of the rock, a series of moats, two on the west and one on the east fed from the lake. At micro level are, the water control and the water retaining systems at the summit of the rock and at various levels with horizontal and vertical drains cut in to the rock and underground conduits made of cylindrical terracotta pipes.

It amazing to realize that all of this was built and engineered over 1,600 years ago!

The fountain garden is a narrow precinct on two levels. Western half has two long and deep pools, with shallow serpentine streams draining into the pools. These had been paved with marble slabs. These streams display the fountains, which have been made from circular limestone plates with symmetrical perforations, which are fed by underground water conduits and operate by gravity and pressure. There are two shallow limestone cisterns which would have served as storage and pressure chambers for the fountains.

The fountains were not bubbling when we visited as it was the dry season. However, this picture shows the fountain location. These fountains are evidently still active during the rainy season from November to January.

This overhead view of the gardens seen from about half-way up the rock, shows the extent of the development and planning. The moat is the dark line you see in the upper 1/3 of the picture.

The miniature water garden just inside the inner wall of the western precinct, consists of water pavilions, pools, cisterns, courtyards, conduits and water courses. The pebbled or marbled water-surrounds covered by shallow slowly moving water would have served as cooling devices with an aesthetic appeal with visual and sound effects, which could be visualised by a visitor who could spend a little time.

The water is in four L-shaped pools, connected by underground water conduits at varying depths, to provide different water levels. The pool on the south-west, is divided into a large bathing pool, with a corbelled tunnel and steps leading down into it. The other pool is smaller with a central boulder on which was a brick-built pavilion.

On either side of the fountains are four large moated islands , oriented north-south, cutting across the central axis of the water garden. This too shows the symmetrical repetition. The flattened surfaces of the islands were meant for the Summer Palaces or ‘water pavilions’. Access to the pavilions were across bridges cut into the surface rock.

The climb to the top of the rock is made via 1200 stairs. The first 800-900 are on steep stone stairs like those in this picture. It is a very steep climb that should be taken without hurry. The stairway takes visitors past caves and hollows, places where guards watched for intruders, a number of carved symbols, and remnants of places where early Buddhist monks (coming after the reign of the King) lived and worshipped.

Maggie did not make it to the top as she was suffering from a little sun-poisoning from the previous days snorkeling in Hikkaduwa. However, Jim made it to the Lion's mouth entrance (see later), so we are fortunate to have his pictures of that portion of the trip.

Carving directly into the stone rock was the means of creating stairs, justice chambers, sleeping chambers, baths, and art work. A fine examples of granite sculpture from the rock is this cobra head, known as Cobra Hood Cave. Its painted ceiling is dated back to the period of King Kasyapa (5th Century AD). It is however believed, that Buddhist monks from as early as the 3rd Century BC used this cave.

It is believed that the cave below the hood of a cobra had the paintings of Kasyapa's biography which were eventually erased by his brother Moggallana

About one third of the way up the stairs, just beyond the cobra hood is a raised granite platform where a long bench has been carved out of the rock. It is believed that this may have been the council chambers. A place where the King, or his appointee, would sit at certain timse of the day or week and settle disputes among the subjects. People would likely bring their issues to this spot and await the pronouncement of the King.

Our guide indicated that the King did not have to deal with the long climbs up or down from the top of the rock. Rather he was always carried on a bed from one location to another

Just below the council chamber raised platform, was a seat carved out of the rock and aligned with the footpath and stairs. This is thought to be a soldiers seat, where the soldier would watch for intruders or manage the line of people awaiting an audience at the council.

Directly above this seat (about 20 feet up) we could see four square holes carved out of the rock, two on each side. It is likely that some sort of wooden posts and material covered this section to shade the soldier from the sun as he performed his duties.

Also, near this same area was the King's resting chamber. When the heat was particularly difficult at the top of Sigiriya, he would be carried down to this chamber on his bed or platform then laid on this stone bed. This chamber would have been nice and cool and we could see evidence of water being fed into this chamber for washing or cooling.

The primary reason most tourists visit Sigiriya is to see the "Sigiriya Maidens. These paintings are found up a spiral staircase about 14 meters above the Mirror Wall gallery in a natural pocket in the rock which has been protected for centuries from the rain by an overhang. Epigraphic evidence refers to the existence of 500 such portraits, but only 12 remain today. John Still in 1907 had observed that; "The whole face of the hill appears to have been a gigantic picture gallery... the largest picture in the world perhaps". The paintings would have covered most of the western face of the rock, covering an area 140 meters long and 40 meters high.

Just before the frescoes and past them are what used to be a wall of mirrors. It is said that the King wanted it this way, so when visitors came to see him they would be surrounded by these paintings. Large sections of the so-called Mirror Wall are still intact, and it is here that graffiti artists have inscribed their neat messages, many of them more than ten centuries old.

Most of the ancient graffiti are notse or poems referring to the Sigiriya Maidens. Nobody knows who painted these amazing frescoes, but the Maidens testify to a highly advanced Sinhalese civilization at a time when Europe was in the Dark Ages.

The frescoes are generally considered to be representations of the beauties in Kasyapa's court. An inscription on the nearby Mirror Wall speaks of "Five Hundred Golden Ones", but at the time of their rediscovery in 1889 only 22 survived. Some, loosely designated viju-lata or "lightning princesses", are light-skinned, whilst others, known as megha-lata or "cloud maidens", are of darker hue. The sensuous nature of these paints has evidently aroused conflicting emotions in visitors to Sigiriya down the years. Thus, a male admirer incising his thoughts on the Mirror Wall a thousand years ago was moved to write:

"The ladies who wear golden chains on their breasts beckon to me. Now I have seen these resplendent ladies, heaven has lost its appeal for me."

A contemporary female, clearly less enamoured with the frescoes, records different, if equally passionate emotions:

"A deer-eyed maiden of the mountain side arouses anger in my mind. In her hand she holds a string or pearls, and in her eyes she assumes rivalry with me."

This worldly sensuality may explain early damage to the Sigiriya nymphs, for it is speculated that disapproving Buddhist monks may have destroyed those frescoes within reach long centuries before their rediscovery. Certainly misplaced puritanism seems the most likely explanation of a vicious night attack during October, 1967, when all but one of the surviving frescoes were daubed and disfigured with paint by persons unknown. So serious was the damage that specialists had to be called in from Italy to restore the frescoes, which are now officially recognised as a national treasure and protected as a part of an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unfortunately during the attack three of the maidens were damaged beyond repair, so security at the Lion Rock is pretty tight today. Flash photography is forbidden, and people are permanently on hand to keep an eye on visitors.

Beyond the frescoes, a second ascent continues to the Lions Paw entry. Here is Jim standing at the stairs that begin the final ascent to the top of the rock and the King's palace. Visitors to the palace entered via a stone stairway that took them into the lion's mouth and through its throat -- hence Sigiriya's alternative name, "Lion Rock." Only the lion's massive paws remain today, but they indicate how gigantic the rest of the carving must have been.

Due to the lateness in the day and the exhausting climb, Jim did not continue to the top of the rock -- another 300-400 steps (see picture below). .

A stairway has been attached to the side of the rock to allow access to the summit, enabling visitors to stroll around the ruins of the palace and gasp at the panoramic views. These are the final stairs to the top. After three hours already of climbing, and with me waiting several stairs below even the Lion's Paw, Jim decided to turn back and let us all get down the rock before dark.

However, I have placed two pictures below that show the ruins that are found at the top. The first picture is a close up of the the Lions Paw entrance at the bottom of the picture and the climb remaining to get to the top (courtesy of Lonely Planet publications). The second one is an aerial view of the entire complex on the top. Archaeologists say that two water tanks, used for bathing and drinking, still fill with rain water in the top ruins, but in Kasyapa's day a sophisticated pumping system was used to fill the tanks from a lake at the foot of the rock.

The summit of the rock is nearly three acres in extent. The outer wall of the palace, which is the main building, was constructed on the very brink of the precipice. There were gardens; cisterns and ponds layed out attractively.

After all this work and building, this palace only served the King for 14 years. He came to a sticky end, perhaps deservedly. In 495, his brother Mogallan at last returned from India with an army of combined Chola and Sinhalese troops behind him and Kasyapa descended from his impregnable stronghold to meet him in battle. At a crucial stage in the battle, the King's elephant balked at a hidden swamp before him and momentarily turned aside, making his troops believe he was retreating. His army broke in confusion, leaving Kasyapa defenseless. Flamboyant to the last, he drew his dagger, slashed his own throat, raised the blade high in the air and sheathed it again before falling down dead.

Sigiriya's halcyon days ended with Kasyapa's death. But the grandeur of this astonishing rock lives on. Sigiriya dates back from over 7,000 years ago, through Pre-Historic to Proto-Historic to Early Historic times, then as a rock-shelter mountain monastery from about the 3rd century BC, with caves prepared and donated by devotees to the sangha.

Source: http://web.pdx.edu/~mmlynch/srilanka/trip2002/sigiriya.htm