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Archive for July, 2011

Gold Coast Travel: Experience Its Wonders

Gold Coast Travel: Experience Its Wonders

Gold Coast is undeniably a vibrant and strikingly unique city in Australia. One of its key draws that make tourists come back for more is its ability to present several options to keep everyone delighted. This is a paradise for travelers where you would be able to surf in the beach or lounge first in the sun before heading off to see the wildlife interesting museums and thrilling theme parks. The citys warm and friendly locals would really go out of their way just to make visitors feel right at home. Whether you are an adventureseeking individual or the kind that likes to absorb some culture the Gold Coast is perfect for you. Some of the places that you can visit are:

Beaches

This is home to some of the worlds wonderful beaches like Palm Beach Burleigh Heads Mermaid Beach and the celebrated Surfers Paradise. These spots would provide you with fine golden sand some gently rolling waves sparkling turquoise Pacific waters as well as the chance to take in the seemingly neverending Australian sunshine. If you are in the mood to have an early morning jog or take a relaxing stroll during sunset Gold Coast’s spotless and spacious beaches are just right for an unforgettable travel or getaway.

Cavill Avenue

For avid shoppers this is where you would find Cavill Mall. There are countless clothes as well as specialty shops that are within walking distance. There are plenty of restaurants cafes and bars that would cater to every budget and taste in Cavill Avenue. You would also find money exchange stores and souvenir shops here. This is also where Hard Rock Caf and Ripley’s Believe it or Not could be found.

Hinterland

This would offer you lush tropical rainforests some mountain villages as well as other unseen treasures. Majority of the hinterland area are national parks which would let you personally see the natural beauty of the area. Some of these parks are the Border Rangers Nightcap Witches Falls Mt. Warning Springbrook and Lamington National Parks. Each one of the national parks found in the hinterland site would provide you with maps so as to guide you on the walking tracks. Additionally plenty of day tour firms offer guided walks throughout the tropical rainforest as well as visits to the natural swimming areas.

Currumbin Sanctuary

This houses the biggest variety of native Australian animals found worldwide. You can feed the multicolored lorikeets stroll in the midst of the kangaroos take a picture together with an adorable koala or simply admire some wild animals such as Tasmanian devils wombats wallabies and of course freshwater crocodiles. You would get to see all of them in their natural habitats.

Theme Parks

Your visit to Gold Coast would not be the same if you would not drop by one of its numerous theme parks. Some of its wellknown parks are Dreamworld Warner Brothers Movie World Sea World Wet ‘n’ Wild and White Water World among others. These theme parks would surely enchant all the members of your holiday group regardless of age and personality.

Gold Coast Accommodation

Of course your travel would be complete without your Gold Coast accommodation. You might want to check out Gold Coast apartments if privacy is a big deal for you. You can choose from one bedroom two bedroom or three bedroom Gold Coast apartments that would suit your travel group. Some other Gold Coast accommodation options are bed and breakfasts motels hotels and resorts. No matter which option you pick you are sure to enjoy your travel in the beautiful city of Gold Coast.

About the writer:  The author is a travel writer who loves to offer her audience different tips on Gold Coast accommodation particularly Gold Coast apartments found in Queensland Australia.

Nterview With Shipibo Ayahuasca Shaman Enrique Lopeiz In The Amazon Rainforest Of Peru – Part 1

I was born in a Shipibo community called Roaboya which is on the River Ucayali about 10 hours downstream from Pucallpa. Roaboya means the place where the Koto monkey lives. In Shipibo this kind of monkey is call Ro but Mestizos tend to lengthen words so they called the place Roaboya. The first Mestizos to arrive in the area were loggers Boya Buoys in English refer to the logs which they floated down to their saw mills.

Actually there are two places; Roaboya Nativa and Roaboya Mestiza a bit further down river. When I was young Angel Sanchez Vargas was the local Curaca who is both a chief as well as shaman he was my grandfather and he knew all about plants for healing for giving visions and increasing human intelligence.

They later named the school after him there. Roaboya was the first indigenous community to be officially recognized 114 years ago. Later the river changed its course and the banks crumbled and many Shipibo people moved to form communities elsewhere on the Upper and Lower Ucayali.

When the earliest missionaries came in the 1940s at first the people didn’t want to know about their pharmaceutical medicines or clothes which they tried to give away. The Shipibo didn’t wear Western clothes at that time and even refused to meet with them. But the missionaries were clever and brought sweets and presents and impressed them with their waterplanes and eventually succeeded in introducing their evangelical religion. The effect was to threaten Shipibo customs and create divisions in the community.

Later in the 60s when I was in my infancy my grandfather put up resistance to Western things and warned that his people should not forget their customs and ancestral knowledge. He forbade the use of Western clothes and encouraged people to eat together from one central plate as a community. His four wives were also shamans and helped to revitalize their traditions.

Don Angel even learned Spanish through his plants such was his faith! Nevertheless today most of the Shipibo in Roaboya are nominally evangelicos.

After he died his cousin took over as shaman and he wanted me at the age of 10 to help at ayahuasca sessions by smoking mapacho for protection while he chanted. I told him I wanted to be a womanizer when I was grown up! And he made it happen by chanting a Huarmi Icaro. I also want to be a good fisherman and again he said yes I could be and so it was. By the time I was 14 it had come true and I had women coming after me! However I didn’t want to marry at that time.

At the age of 16 I started taking ayahuasca but my Mother didn’t want it a womanizer can’t be a good shaman she said. Only when you learn to follow a proper diet can a person serve. This is the test that the plants give us. It has happened to me twice a woman comes just when you are working and wants to make love. You can’t if you give in just once you will fall ill go mad fall into the water or die these are the tremendous problems of being a shaman. At the age of 16 I started my first diet for 3 months without ayahuasca only plants no drink women salt etc. After that the shaman called me and said I could go further and he chanted for me.

Then I did another 3 months’ diet again no ayahuasca but the plants made me dream of what I should eat how I should live to not to go out etc. It is important to avoid women who are menstruating or who have made love the previous night that is bad with the plants. It clashes like a mirror smashing; it makes you ill or goes against you

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Howard G. Charing is an international workshop leader on shamanism. He has worked some of the most respected and extraordinary shamans healers in the Andes the Amazon Rainforest and the Philippines. He organises specialist retreats to the Amazon Rainforest. He is the author of the best selling book Plant Spirit Shamanism.

Visit the website for info about our Andean Amazon Ayahuasca Retreats

Camping Beds To Help Keep Warm

Do you know how important camping beds are when you camp? The right choice is going to help you to stay warm all night long and help to make your camping trip more enjoyable overall.

There are different types of beds available. We’ve all seen the ones from WalMart that could double as a spare bed for when you have guests at you house. The other end of the scale of course is the sleeping bag.

For me those big bulky beds from WalMart just are not the way to go. Sure they’re probably very comfortable but to lug something that size around on any camping trip I would go on is just far too much work. I like to go smaller than that. They’re a good choice when you’re car camping and don’t have to be mobile but if you’re hiking or paddling then those ones are just too large.

Folding cots are a better choice than an actual folding bed but even they can be too large in my opinion. They’re certainly more comfortable than sleeping on the rocks but defintely at the cost of taking up space in your backpack and by adding weight to your load.

My bed of choice is the self inflating mattress and for a number of reasons. First of all they’re light and so they only add a marginal amount of weight to your pack. Secondly they can be lashed to the outside of your pack and will stay compressed until you are finally ready to open it up and inflate it. Last but certainly not least they offer excellent insulation value when you’re on the trail.

You obviously can choose whatever camping bed you like but here is the single most important thing to consider when buying one. That is the insulation factor. The big beds will offer insulation because their mattresses are made from some sort of foam but not all foams are created equal. Some foams insulate very well and other cheaper ones simply do not. You cannot rely on a sleeping bag to keep you warm all night when you’re sleeping on the ground. It simply won’t. Especially on cooler nights and early or late in the season. A sleeping bag needs to be used in conjunction with a good sleeping pad to keep you warm and that will allow you to be comfortable.

Some folks will choose to use an air mattress but they’re not really the best choice either. They do get you of the ground but often your heavier mid section will still touch the ground unless the mattress is overfilled in which case it’s no longer comfortable. Besides all of that they make a lot of noise while you toss and turn and you just don’t sleep as well as a result.

A good self inflating sleeping pad will be both warm and comfortable and is also very rugged so you’ll be able to use it on many trips to come. They can be somewhat expensive but you don’t need to buy the most expensive one. There’s always one available that is mid priced and excellent quality. I have bought several and know from experience that the best ones are made by Thermarest. There are others that are similar in construction and quality to the Thermarest mattresses but be sure to look for one where the foam core is physically attached to the out lining. This keeps the lining from spinning around on itself when you move around on it.

There are a few options for you here. It really depends on the type of camping your doing. RV camping or camping out of your car offers more room for bigger items like the WalMart camp bed where backpacking and paddling pretty much demand the self inflating air mattress. The important thing is that you get off the ground. That’s the best way to stay warm and comfortable.

You can get more info on camping beds and how to choose the right one by clicking here

About the writer:  Ian Kurz is an enthusiastic camper and is the owner of the website www.everythingaboutcamping.com where you can find all kinds of tips and help related to camping.