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Sister on a KLR
Joined: Mar 2012
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Oddometer: 74
Welcome to Ecuador
Gasoline in Ecuador is a fraction of the price it is in Colombia. If everywhere sold gasoline for $1.48 US a gallon, we'd be able to travel for a lot longer! It was strange going back to spending US dollars, but it does make stock piling them for our time in Argentina much easier.
The road to the Colombian border was fun. Especially after the cold wet ride to Pasto.
The border crossing from Colombia to Ecuador was straightforward. I rode past the very long line of trucks waiting to leave Colombia, parked and gave my bike documents to the customs man (who rather worryingly didn't give me anything back, but assured me everything was as it should be).
My passport was stamped out at the window with even less fuss. I then entered the fray of money changers to get rid of the fistful of Colombian pesos I had left. A guy near the customs place had said he'd give me $48 but he was no where to be seen when I was ready to make the deal.
A lady said she'd give me the same rate, and typed it into her calculator, but her calculator worked it out at $38! I was furious and started yelling at her for trying to rip me off. She disappeared pretty quickly. Not sure how she'd rigged her calculator but it was a scam that I could see people falling for. Be forewarned!
I found an honest money changer, and then hopped back on my bike and drove into Ecuador.
The queue for getting my passport stamped into Ecuador was pretty long, without Phil to watch my bike, I parked it in the "taxi only" parking where I could see it from the line, and waited my turn. The Colombians in the line near me were very impressed that I was riding a motorcycle so far.
The customs man was very nice, he explained that I needed to have some photocopies, and to buy insurance, before he could process my temporary importation papers. I headed over to the insurance office (a corner shop across the road) and soon I had my copies and a month's worth of insurance for Cricket. I met a Belgian guy in the insurance office who had bought a car in Canada and he and his girlfriend were driving it down the Americas.
When I returned to the customs office there were two vehicles in front of me. I got chatting with the Colombian family who were on their way back to Colombia and we passed the time taking endless pictures of me with each member of the family, and then with the bike as well. They were really nice, and gave me a map of Ecuador, pointing out their favourite destinations.
Once I was free to enter Ecuador, I rode to the nearest town for some lunch and to buy a SIM card for my phone. The kind man making my lunch was also Colombian, but had decided he'd rather live in Ecuador.
The rest of my ride to the small town of Otavalo was breathtakingly beautiful. Everything was so green and lush.
Once in Otavalo I consulted my hardly used Footprints travel guide and decided to head to the only hostel listed as having parking. El Viajero del Rincon is a great hostel, with private rooms including breakfast. It is owned by a friendly American guy, who also has a campsite just outside of town.
The main attraction in Otavalo is an excellent market. I spent hours the next morning bartering with little old ladies dressed in traditional dress, selling me alpaca socks, wooly hats, silver jewelry and scarves.
My whole shopping spree came to less than $30.
Later that afternoon I left the sweet little town, headed for the big city Quito!
Arctic Circle to Patagonia - on the road - started July 25, 2012
2007 Yamaha YBR125 with L plates! (UK)
2006 KLR650 (Canada)
Sister on a KLR
Joined: Mar 2012
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Oddometer: 74
The Ultimate Ride Reunited: Quito, Ecuador
I crossed the equator on the 17th of October, 2013, nearly 15 months after we left Vancouver. I don't have a picture of this momentous occasion, because there wasn't even a sign. Apparently if one wants to take a picture of the monument on the equator, one needs to take a different route. Sigh.
Every so often I email a community via the Horizons Unlimited website. You never know who will reply, or even how many people are on the list you are emailing. In Quito a man called Ernesto replied to my email asking about where to stay, and invited me to stay at his house where he lives with his daughter. (I don't have pictures of Ernesto or his daughter either, because I took them on my phone, which has since been lost.)
Ernesto rides a BMW and owns a company that provides security guards to companies and private individuals. He was very welcoming. His house was a lovely apartment, with underground parking, and maids who cooked me meals and washed my clothes. I was truly spoilt!
His 17 year old daughter was there with her newborn daughter, because she had had a fight with her 18 year old husband, who had gone out with his friends and lied about it. His other daughter, the one who normally lived there, was away for the night.
That first night I was in Quito, Ernesto took me out for dinner and we fell foul of the 2 for 1 cocktail special. Too many cocktails later we stumbled home and I found myself having to explain to Ernesto that I was not interested in a relationship with a grandfather who had a daughter nearly the same age as me. He suggested that I should stay for a month and then we could travel around together, I explained that that wasn't going to happen.
Oh the perils of being a single motorcyling gal traveling solo - of course I must be in need of a man to look after me! I took it all with a grain of salt (and some headache pills in the morning when the mojitos came back to bite me). At least I could sleep as late as I wanted in a comfortable bed and I had the lovely ladies to make me coffee and breakfast.
Phil and Kelly were on their way to meet me, and unfortunately, with the teenage drama, there wasn't room for all of us in the luxury apartment, so I put in some Quito couchsurfing requests. Phil and Kelly were planning to ride all the way from Colombia to Quito that day. Having just made that trip, I suggested they may want to stop for the night in Otavalo.
Back in Quito, Lenin, a university professor, came to our rescue. He accepted our couchrequest, and that afternoon I packed up my freshly laundered clothes and rode to Lenin's house. Lenin lectures about cinema, and spent some time in Paris. We spoke a crazy mix of French and Spanish, which most other people would not have understood!
Lenin's apartment overlooks a beautiful valley, and yet is still walking distance from the trendy La Mariscal area. As I had predicted, Phil and Kelly decided to stop in Otavalo for the night and so Lenin and I made dinner then went out to his favourite bar.
Quito has an exciting night life, with a good mix of locals and foriegners.
The next day I set out on the bus to explore the historical centre of Quito.
As I was on my way home, Phil called to say they were also close. We got to the apartment at about the same time. We had to move some wood to park Jugs beside Cricket and then we settled into Casa Lenin. It was good to be back together after nearly two weeks apart.
I enjoyed traveling solo a lot. There's a lot to be said for being able to make your own schedule and choose your own route without having to take into consideration other people's desires. I made a lot of great friends, and felt a lot more adventurous when exploring places by myself. However there were moments when I felt lonely, and I was always worried about Phil and Kelly, hoping that they were okay. I love my brother, and it felt right to be back together.
That evening Phil and I met up with Fernando, another motorcyclist whom I had been in touch with through the Horizons Unlimited community. He took us to another trendy bar, where we met two of his friends, who were also motorcyclists. They introduced us to "canelazo" a hot, cinnamon and orange drink, and they gave us loads of tips about what to see and where to go in Ecuador. It was this trio that encouraged us to visit the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle, a thought that had not occured to us previously.
The next day we went and played Ultimate Frisbee with the Quito Ultimate team. They were incredibly welcoming as Ultimate people always are, and several of them invited us to come and stay at their houses.
Our stay in Quito was extremely pleasant. Lenin was an incredible host who gave us the keys to his apartment, and took us for typical Ecuadorian food down in the valley.
We managed to regroup and relax in Quito, however soon it was time to say goodbye, get out of the big city and head towards volcanos and jungle.
Arctic Circle to Patagonia - on the road - started July 25, 2012
2007 Yamaha YBR125 with L plates! (UK)
2006 KLR650 (Canada)
Joined: Jun 2013
Location: Montana
Oddometer: 5,588
:) good to see ya back together.
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Jul 2009
Location: Quito, Ecuador
Oddometer: 224
sorry we missed you - great ride report! We are looking forward to the volcanoes and jungle!!!
Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental
Motorcycle Rentals, Guided and Self-Guided GPS Tours of Ecuador
Quito, Pichincha - Ecuador
+593(0)98-176-2340 http://FreedomBikeRental.com
aka Mister Wisker
Joined: Jun 2013
Location: Back in Canada
Oddometer: 84
Well you already know that we reunite. Here´s some pics from the time apart.
Sometimes part of spending time together, is spending time apart. After 14 months together, it appeared time to part ways. I wanted to head to Bogota to visit friends of my buddy Pacho and play some ultimate, and Jayne did not. Bogota is known to be cold, and Jayne wasn't interested.
Kelly goes where I go, so interested or not she was stuck with me. Mwhahaha!
Bogota and beyond.
After our night in Honda, it was a little tough to get going the next morning. Not because of any bike problems (there weren't yet) or because I was hungover (I was), but because so many people kept coming to talk about the bike, and ask the standard questions (how much? How fast? How far? How much further?). This delay proved fruitful however, as that lost time allowed me to later pull out of a gas stop just as Vladamir rode past on his Africa Twin! I pulled along side, made the wanna pull over and talk bikes? sign language, then pulled over and talked bikes. Turned out Vladamir lived in Bogota and was just returning from a short trip. He invited us to follow him and come stay at his house. We had nothing lined up in Bogota yet, so gratefully accepted his invitation. That's when the troubles started.
Jugs began hesitating. I had felt it before, but not since I changed my petcock in Medellin. Must be bad gas I figured. I mentioned the problem to Vladimir when we stopped to wait for construction. He said no problem, I have a garage where you can work on it. Sadly there was a problem, as five minutes after we were cleared to leave the construction stoppage, Vladimir passed a quintuplet of slow semi-trailers, and Jugs just wouldn't go. I limped up the hill until I found a place to pull off, but not having exchanged phone numbers, we would never see Vladimir again. Farewell Vladimir! Hello Rusty?
Rusty was heading to Bogota to ship Black Betty and himself back to the states. He noticed us looking miserable and pulled off to say hi. Jugs back running again after draining the carb, we set off in a mini-gang once more. An hour of great mountaing riding later, just as Rusty passed some cars, Jugs would act up again. And again we lost our companion!
I had hoped to play a lot of frisbee while in Bogota, bad timing only allowed me one practice. The national Championships were coming up back in Medellin, so all the players were leaving town.
After Bogota, Kelly and I took the fantastic ride to Villa de Leyva. Read about that here. Then it was time to start closing the gap on Jayne, heading towards Armenia.
Not enough to even need an oil top-up, but my valve cover was leaking from the front of the gasket and from around two of the bolts. Not great. Had several more stops to drain the Carb, seemed to work pretty well before, but now I was only getting an extra 20 km before having to stop again. Some terrible gas indeed.
The pass is known to be quite dangerous given all the crazy semi-trailer traffic. It is the main supply route to Bogota from the coast. Sometimes not all "supplies" fit inside the truck...
Next up was a stop in Armenia, where our couchsurfing host Luis and his girlfriend Adriana awaited. At that time, Jayne was in Cali, ready to make a run for the border.
Top to the bottom with a frisbee: Ultimateride.ca
aka Mister Wisker
Joined: Jun 2013
Location: Back in Canada
Oddometer: 84
Hunting Jayne: Armenia to the end of Colombia, and the most amazing swingset in the w
In trying to catch up on the blog during this downtime while I heal, I find much must be omitted for space. I guess you will have to just go see it all for yourself!
The hunt to catch up with Jayne continues, but not before we encounter wheelies, thefts, many escorts and of course: the most amazing swingset in the world.
On our arrival to Armenia, we met our CS host Luis, settled in quickly, then went out to join every other person in Colombia to watch their world cup qualifier against Chile.
The celebration for a tie game was incredible. Throwing flour on everyone is what the kids do here, and while we were able to dodge them for most of the evening, a drunken gang of hooligans brought brought us into their celebration just as we were headed home for the night. Nothing like a breaded beard.
The next day was a party at the University where Luis worked. Drunken students dancing and lining up to take photos with me like my no-longer-breaded-beard was a porn star.
Right by the university, the Jeep Willys parade was passing by. Jeep Willys have been used for years in coffee country, known for their low-gearing, durable everything and incredible payload capacity. The parade showcased all these fine attributes and more.
The wheelie Willys wheely were wonderful! Check the clip below to see them in action!
If the imbed still isn´t working: click here
Luis and Ariana took us out in the evening to nearby Circasia for some coffee, snacks and then Tejo! Tejo is the national sport of Colombia, and Jayne played a couple rounds too in Salento.
For some time afterwards I took a lot of grief from Kelly for not causing any explosions, even more grief after we met up with Jayne again. Fair enough. I was a lesser player at Tejo... but then I read Jayne´s post and see the photos. We weren´t on even close to a level playing field!!
Not that I´m bitter or anything... stupid Tejo.
It was a blast anyways, as is any sport where you MUST be drinking to be allowed to play.
We had a really great time with Luis and his family.
Luis even came to join Kelly and I when I met up with my Pen-pal Kerry. I had been emailing since virtually introduced by Roger and Sasha. Both having motorcycles, we were of course fast friends.
Post Armenia, we debated a day in Salento since everyone loved it so, but with Jayne still well ahead of us, and long days on the bike causing Kelly knee pain, we skipped Salento and head straight for Cali. Luis escorted us out of town through some nice back roads before saying goodbye.
Easy road to Cali. We followed Jayne´s footsteps and stayed at the same El Viajero hostel, looking forward to the highly touted Yoga and Salsa lessons. Sadly when we arrived we found that both were canceled for the next day. Ugh.
We were able to meet up with Fernando, a fellow KLR rider who came to meet us and guided us on a short ride through Cali at night. He told us his story of escaping death after a robbery of the pharmacy he works in left him filled with 5 bullets. I suppose some of the warnings of danger in Colombia do get substantiated at times, as in every country. Fernando offered for us to stay at his place the next night. We sadly had to turn down his offer in our bid to try to catch up to Jayne while avoiding long days on the road.
From Cali down to Popayan, aka Papa John´s, a town that Kelly talks more about in her post. Leaving Cali I asked some moto police for directions out of town.
Once in Popayan, there was no parking at the hostel, so I dropped of Kelly and found a parking lot. There I took advantage of the space to drain the last of my gas (see motorcycle minute below). I checked-in with our spot tracker and set it down beside me out from the overhang covering the bikes so it could see satelites better.
After some help from the lot owner to dump the last dregs of my gas (which he happily put in his bike regardless), I looked back to see a motorbike in the place where my Spot had been. I had seen the bike pull in. I did not see him when he pocketed my Spot. I asked the lot owner if he had moved it. He had not. We checked that his son hadn´t started playing with it. Nope.
Alright then. Now my bad temper exploded.
As calmly as I could (not very), I explained exactly what the spot tracker is, looks like, why it is useless to anyone else, and how I will uh, well, murder the guy when I see him... I miiiight have lost my mind.
Fortunately for all involved, before I even had the chance to start dismantling the thiefs bike piece by piece (for ransom/murder parts), the lot owner ran down the street and minutes later came running back. Spot in hand. He knew where the thief worked apparently. Homicide averted. I didn´t even have to cut off his finger.
Otherwise Popayan was a calm place, with friendly people, where again kind folks led us out of town rather than just giving directions!
Pasto. Oh Pasto. Pasto is as dreary as Jayne says. We spent our night in a cheap sex hotel for just 15000 for the night!
After heading to watch a movie to escape the cold miserable night, I left Colombia with a bang... Unfortunately that bang was from the explosion of vomit and diarrhea coming from my body. I guess restaurant Mister Pollo isn't such a gentleman after all. Regardless, I will miss Colombia and look forward to my return visit!
Entering Ecuador was about as easy as Jayne describes it. I did have some problems getting gas.
As recomended by Jayne, Kelly and I stopped for a night in Otavalo.
From Otavalo it´s a short ride through much contruction to Quito. Not long into the ride I spotted "The most amazing swingset in the world". It is. No lie. Being so magical, it took a moment to register that what I had seen was indeed real. But then it sunk in and I pulled a U-turn so Kelly and I could go play.
Kelly and I had a couple swings to ourselves before a gaggle of kids swarmed to take advantage of my pushing-them-back-up abilities. I left exhausted. It was awesome! (In Ecuador and want to play? Map link!)
Once in Quito, still buzzing from the great swing session, it was time for a catch up, now reunited with my sister!
Motorcycle Minute:
With all the sputtering since starting the ride up to Bogota, and with it resolving each time I draing my carb, I was of the mind I must be dealing with bad gas. Fortunatley, I also was starting to notice a light oil leak, so I pulled the tank off at Luis place to investigate.
Pulling the spark lead, the plug wobbled!! It was very loose, I´m surprised the bike even ran at all. Plug tightened, I also checked the valve cover bolts for tightness since that was where the oil leak stemmed. Without a torque wrench I was hesitant to tighten too much. The valve cover bolts are pretty specific. Regardless, glad to have found the loose spark plug! Bad gas? Now doubtfull.
Regardless I dumped the remnants of the tank in Popayan just to be sure. Had made it 400km on a tank even with the extra load of Kelly and her gear, well impressed!
Footpeg: Leaving Cali I found a moto shop with a new passenger footpeg for Kelly. The right peg was slanted and we figured that may be contribuiting to her knee pain. It was. One 6000 peso (3$) footpeg later her knee pain was gone!
and I´ll leave you with this:
Top to the bottom with a frisbee: Ultimateride.ca
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Long Beach, CA
Oddometer: 66
Thanks for posting your epic trip. Great attitudes, writing and photos. I'm looking forward to your next story.
aka Mister Wisker
Joined: Jun 2013
Location: Back in Canada
Oddometer: 84
Baños: It´s not a bathroom, but we sure vomited in it. Bonus: Volcano erruptions!
The mountain roads through Ecuador proved excellent. Quality tarmac with lots of bends and great scenery. Baños had been recommended by a few folks, and didn´t dissapoint. For starters, the nearby Tungurahua volcano was having a fit while we were in town! We stayed with Mary, who had ridden a similar trip to ours on the back of a BMW, only back in the 60´s! After an eventful stay, we head to an incredible jungle botanical garden called Omare.
Late October.
To start: Hey same bikes!
We did encounter a fair bit of construction. A recent push by the government to upgrade roads is welcomed by many locals I spoke to.
Welcome to Baños!
Aside from being heartless, I was also a little cranky after my interaction with miss crutchy. This was not improved when the lunch spot chosen by Kelly was a "gringo friendly" cafe. Unfortunately, Kelly and I are simply on different budgets and in different worlds when it comes to priorities on restaurants. Jayne is somewhat in the middle. I can eat cheap and plentiful rice, beans, plantains and meat every meal of the day. The girls cannot, or at least prefer not to.
I ate my small, over-priced sandwich while staring at a bunch of cute stuff on the walls, picked a fight and then left to fill my stomach. Kelly was upset at feeling guilty everytime she wants to eat somewhere "nice". On the other hand, I eat a substantial amount to fill my skinny frame, and when I have a choice of what to spend my limited budget on: "nice" restaurants simply don´t qualify. We discussed and agreed that we will often just have to eat in different places. I left to fill my giant stomach with a full meal "comida corriente" for 2.50$, eating where the locals ate. My tiny sandwich had been 3.75$. Yes, that may sounds like a small difference, but it would take 4 sandwiches to match my "comida corriente". And even if it didn´t, that extra dollar would pay to patch my pants.
While separated, Kelly tried to recharge her phone. She put 5$ on the wrong number, and the unhelpful girl at the tienda was unwilling/ unable to try to recover it. Free credit for someone!
Once reunited, we set off to find Mary, our CouchSurfing host.
Mary has lived in Baños a couple years, and lives basically ON the Volcano, albeit near the bottom.
When she was younger, her boyfriend and her had a debate. He wanted to buy a motorbike; she wanted to go to Argentina. They agreed to do both. Thier trip took place in the 60´s, and took four years. She told many great stories, my favorite being of him drunkenly burning her jacket one night. Her Jacket which had all their money in it. It´s not like they could just go to a bank or an ATM back then and get more. They had to find jobs and lie about where they were living, since they wouldn´t be hired if it was known they lived in a tent!
They also weren´t privy to the happenings in the world, news didn´t flow as freely and easily those days, and they ended up in Jail in Argentina for a little while during an uprising. I just love meeting other moto travelers and hearing their stories!
We had all been having some stiomach discomfort of late, and were due for some anti-parasite meds.
Mary makes handmade soaps and lotions. Great stuff!
Took a ride up to the local hot springs. Only a short ride but it seemed almost everytime you looked the volcano was errupting!
From there we walked back through town before the girls had to get back to the house for massages. Spa, massages... tough life for the ladies here in Baños.
In the evening we would reunite with our amigo Tom who came over for burgers. We put him right to work.
Post dinner we took a taxi ride up to the lookout over the town. From there we got our first view of REAL LAVA coming from the volcano! There had been debate over riding the bikes up, but the taxi would turn out to have been the best option. Let me rap at you why:
Jayne and I were hit almost the same time while up at the look out. We required several stops on the way home. Kelly was the last hit. Thankfully Mary (and Tom) were spared the wrath of the homemade burgers.
Sadly there was one other casualty of the night: my leatherman multi-tool escaped. I don´t know where, but I would spend the following weeks constantly borrowing Jayne or Toms. Tough loss, tough to replace.
In the morning, all recovered, we met in the square and took Mary´s suggestion to head off towards the Jungle via Puyo.
Mary had recomended a stop at a unique botanical garden. A touch of resistance was felt since it was getting late in the day and i didn´t quite know how to get there, but in the end concensus was: fantastic stop!
Chris also told us of the wife selection process, starting when the girl is 6! The man moves in with the family, and essentially helps to raise his future wife. Since he raised her, they have fewer disagreements. When she is of age, they move out together, and if he is a good providing husband, he may marry all her sisters too!
Our tour lasted a couple hours, eating a touch into our daylight, but so very well worth it. More than just a garden tour, we learned all about the cultures as well. Really got us excited for a trek into the Jungle!
Now off to the Amazon!
Top to the bottom with a frisbee: Ultimateride.ca
Sister on a KLR
Joined: Mar 2012
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Oddometer: 74
An Amazon Adventure: Puerto Misahualli, EcuadorAn Amazon Adventure: Puerto Misahualli
There was a twisty stick in the middle of my lane. It was after sunset and I couldn't see well, but as I passed the stick I realised it was alive! Tom was riding behind me, and the stick, not happy with my passing so close, reared up and went for Tom's leg.
Luckily it missed, and Phil saw the whole thing so could report Tom's near brush with death.
We never like to be riding after dark, but we'd had so much fun at the botanical garden that we ended up on the road to Puerto Misahualli at dusk. By the time we made it to the Banana Lodge, it was very dark.
We hadn't booked, but the Banana Lodge had a whole cabin with 4 beds just waiting for us.
That evening we hung out in hammocks around a campfire. Then the storm started! Rain bucketing down and lightning so bright it became like day for a second or two.
The next day the rain had stopped and we prepared for our two day trek into the Amazon jungle.
The lodge provided us with rubber boots (they even had giant ones that fit Phil) and our guides, Enrique and Ermundo were there when we woke up.
After breakfast we jumped into the back of a pick up truck for the ride to the starting place. Then we all jumped out again and got in the cab of the truck. Apparently it's okay for the locals to ride in the back, but gringos have to ride inside.
Wading through the river was an exciting start to our six hour jungle trek. The first part was through secondary jungle, meaning that the original jungle had been cleared for agriculture at one point, and then allowed to regrow.
Enrique told us (while hacking away with his machete) that in the secondary forest a path could completely grow over in less than a month. In the primary forest, paths would stay forever, because the trees had grown big enough to stop the sunlight from coming through.
The jungle is a truly fascinating place. Every tree, plant and animal has surprises in store. Enrique was excellent at showing us the jungle's secrets.
One of my favourites, which we had learnt the previous day at the botanical garden, was about the cinnamon tree. What we are all used to eating is the bark of the tree, but the leaves also taste amazing.
Enrique was extremely willing to share his experience. Several times he stopped made animal calls to see if he could attract some wildlife. Unfortunately the area we were in was too close to civilisation, and most of the wildlife had been hunted.
This is Enrique imitating a toucan.
Eventually we came upon a house in the jungle. This was our new home for the evening.
The house is home to a family with approximately six children, one of whom was away that afternoon having a baby. She and the baby came home later that evening.
The house has one open air room (where we slept), with a small kitchen area around the corner, and two enclosed bedrooms. No bathroom or running water of any kind.
There were, however, a lot of chickens. One of the daughters decided that it was her job to entertain us with them and proceeded to do so for at least an hour.
First she brought us some chicks to play with.
When we tired of the chicks, she upgraded to the bigger birds.
Her grand finale was when I asked for one of the cockerel's tail feathers. He was hard to catch because he kept running away, but the clever girl lured him in with corn and then jumped on him. Feathers flew everywhere!!
Unfortunately she didn't get one of my coveted tail feathers, but I didn't have the heart to ask her to jump on him again.
Her brothers picked fruit from the trees for us with a handy fruit picking stick.
At about this time, the father, who is also a shaman, appeared out of the jungle with a big leaf in his hand, which he gave to his daughter.
Apparently it was now time for a snack. Fire roasted grubs. The girl was really sweet showing us how to bite a hole in the side so it wouldn't explode while cooking. She roasted one for Kelly, which Kelly gallantly ate, but I simply couldn't bring myself to eat one.
One of the benefits of being hosted by a shaman was that he offered to perform an ayahuasca ceremony for us that evening. Ayahuasca is a medicine made from trees and leaves from the jungle. It is known to have hallucinogenic effects, and is reputed to help cleanse one of any problems or worries one may be having.
We accepted his kind offer, and so while all of this other fun and grubs was going on, he spent the rest of the day preparing the ayahuasca.
We didn't eat any dinner that evening because you are not meant to eat before an ayahuasca ceremony. It is almost guaranteed that you will vomit (part of the cleansing process) during the ceremony and it is best to not have too much in your stomach.
As the sun was going down, we were called outside to the fire, which they had built surrounded by benches. We sat and chatted for a while. It was under a clear, star filled sky that the shaman decided it was time to take our medicine.
The wood and leaves that had been boiling all day had been reduced down to an inch or two of concentrated brown liquid in the bottom of the pot.
It was served to us in half a carved coconut shell, with beads tied around the edge. We drank the strong, unpleasant tasting liquid, some of it dripping through the holes onto our shirts, and then quickly rinsed our mouths out with perfumed water that we were instructed not to swallow.
An amount of time later (Phil thinks it was only half an hour, I feel like it was at least an hour) the shaman asked if we'd like some more. There had been almost no talking in this time and Kelly was shocked that Tom, Phil and I said yes. Apparently she had been seeing pictures in the sky since almost immediately after she drank the medicine. Kelly was also the only one of us who vomited after the first dose.
Almost immediately after I had put the coconut shell down after the second, foul-tasting dose I started to feel high. It was so soon afterwards that I immediately thought perhaps I shouldn't have taken the second dose. It wasn't much longer before I had to visit some nearby trees and was glad that we hadn't eaten much all day.
Walking was difficult, a lot like being drunk. At one point I went into the house to put on a sweater and it felt like an enormous challenge to get up the few steps and figure out how to open the door.
Enrique asked if I would like to take a shower to clean myself. I though this was a strange request, but Phil jumped at the chance. He told Phil to sit on a piece of wood on the ground. It turned out to be trouble with translation, he was asking if we wanted to be spiritually cleansed by the shaman, not to physically take a shower.
The shaman had a bundle of leaves that he shook relentlessly over Phil's head for a while, and then he started whistling.
The sound that is like a train, that's the leaves shaking. After the whistling he started singing a song to the same tune. This continued for a very long time, that song is welded into my soul. I found out much later in Peru that every shaman has his own song, which he creates as part of his shamanic training.
Next the shaman started smoking some sort of tobacco and variously blowing it onto Phil's head and sucking the bad spirits out. (This is my interpretation, the shaman did not explain to us what he was doing.) This cleansing ceremony took a very long time, and when the shaman was finished with Phil, he repeated the whole process with each of the four of us, and also his daughter who had just had a baby earlier that day.
It was an incredible experience, one that I am struggling to put into words. I found myself extremely drawn in by the fire, I couldn't stop staring into it, and I saw many figures, shapes and images in it. At one point there was a mask with a burning eye that seemed to speak to me.
His messages? To love everyone, to live in the moment , to stop worrying about what's going to happen next and to be less selfish, to take pleasure in helping and supporting others. These are reoccurring themes in my life over the many months that we've been on the road, and I was very open to hearing them again.
It was late at night when we each individually decided to go to bed. Phil stayed up much later than the rest of us, he didn't really start to feel the effects of the medicine until after everyone else had gone to bed.
An ayahuasca ceremony is a very individual experience, each of us had a very different journey that night, and there was very little communication between us during the ceremony.
The next morning we awoke to the crowing of the roosters.
After breakfast it rained, I don't mean a tiny sprinkling either.
Once the rain had stopped, Enrique took us on another jungle adventure.
We returned to the house for lunch and to treat our bug bites.
After lunch we headed to the river.
Enrique swam across to get a canoe. Phil made his own:
Enrique's canoe was very unstable, so he took us across two at a time.
On the other side of the river our guide showed us how to pan for gold. We only found a couple of tiny flecks!
On the way back to the house to gather our belongings, Enrique used the jungle to transform Kelly and I into jungle queens. Palm leaves for crowns, flowers for noses, and natural facepaint from the pod of a tree (the same that Chris painted us with in the botanical garden in Tena).
Our last hike through the jungle took us to another river, further away from the one we'd been living beside.
We enjoyed the ride down the river. There were several fancy looking lodges along the shore, obviously catering to the tourist market who wanted a luxury jungle experience. We were all too soon out of the jungle and back in civilisation. This time we got to ride in the back of the truck, we'd obviously proven ourselves to be tough enough!
The rest of our family are keen geocachers. We got an email from our dad saying that there was one nearby us that had never been found before. He sent us the coordinates and asked us to go find it.
On our way out of the jungle, finding the cache was our final challenge.
In the end it was Tom who found it hidden in a tree stump in a field of corn.
Having had an unforgettable Amazonian adventure, it was time to climb out of the jungle and up to the top of a volcano.
Arctic Circle to Patagonia - on the road - started July 25, 2012
2007 Yamaha YBR125 with L plates! (UK)
2006 KLR650 (Canada)
aka Mister Wisker
Joined: Jun 2013
Location: Back in Canada
Oddometer: 84
Fiesta and fights at 3900 metres: Laguna de Quilotoa, Ecuador
There was much debate about which way to go leaving the Amazon. Completing the loop and returning to Quito via some hot springs was the initial plan. However, we´re riding with a bit of a schedule as Kelly would really like to make it to Macchu Picchu before she has to fly home, and would like to get some beach time in before she returns to the grey skies of a Vancouver winter. Eventually we decided to gain ourselves a couple days, skip the return to Quito and head up. Waaaay up. From 400 metres in the Amazon to almost 4000 metres at Quilotoa lake, an old, cold volcano crater. But first we had to stop for a late lunch.
Discussion again within our helmet intercoms about where to eat, with a request to go back into Baños for something "nice". Time was a concern with our late start, so highway shack it was. Tom, without an intercom, has little say. Mwhahaha.
Full of energy post lunch, we were really moving along the great road out of Baños. At one point Jayne said I should "slow down a bit" as I was getting away from them. So I did slow down... when the nice officers asked me to. The speed limit was 60km/h, absurdly too low as it seems to be throughout latin America. After the policw waved me in, I heard our descriptions coming in over the radio from the man with the radar gun back up the road. Yep. That´s us! We had all been well over the limit, but got let off without a ticket "because we are tourists". Didn´t have the girls try to flirt, no bribe, no discussion even, the Police just said please slow down a little. Like an echo of Jayne moments earlier translated into Spanish. I would hear about that for awhile too.
More bikers! At the turn-off for Quilotoa, we met these kind folks on their Suzuki. Had a quick chat, got a heads up on the cold that awaited us, then rode onwards. They were excited by our trip and exchanged numbers. They might call us to come join in the ride for a ways south...
Fantastic roads curve higher and higher. The views were so stunning I only mildly noticed the dropping power.
On arrival we split up and each scoped out a hostel, then came back to report our findings. They were all the same price, not unexpected. For 12.50$ they included dinner AND breakfast though. More importantly, both meals were satisfactory in size and quality.
3900 meters doesn´t contain a lot of oxygen, especially for those coming straight up from the lowlands. For the first time this trip I was feeling the effects of oxygen deprivation. Tom and I bought some TERRIBLE aguadiente moonshine, but drank it anyways while we all went exploring. One discovered benefit of low oxygen: everything is more funny!
Turns out there was a big bull fight and fiesta this weekend, so it was a good call to ride straight here.
Twas a great fiesta, with a huge band playing, cheap beer, terrible moonshine, dancing and six year olds fighting for five rounds.
It started with some gentle goading from the older kids, pushing them together and telling them how much stronger they were than that other jerk. Next thing you know the kids were flying at each other, a big flurry of dust, then get pulled apart and taken to their "corner". then it got hilarious. Kids were giving them water, which they spat out, others were fanning them or massaging their shoulders. Time up, the 6 year olds would littlerally roll up their sleeves, one even did a bull hoof-the-dirt bluff charge. I couldn´t look away. None of the 40 people watching could. And since neither of the kids were really throwing damaging blows, everybody wins right?
The next, morning Kelly and I got up early and went for a walk around the lake.
I was so quickly out of breath, a 1 km out-and-back became the much preferred hiking route. Certainly not in the shape I once was.
None of us really had much interest in the bullfights, especially after the children entertainment the night previous. So we decided to head off. The lake was quite incredible. The ride to and from equally so.
The cloud was quite thick at times, and with a general latin dislike for the use of headlights, some surprises along the way.
There´s a moment, when you drop so much altitude in one day (in this case 4 kilometers!), that you suddenly realize you once again have power! It is a great moment.
"How long to ride the road from Quilotoa to the coast?" we had asked our hostel lady. "1-3 hours", she replied.
Try 7 or 8.
The last hour was getting dim and we were battling the worst kind of rain: light mist. You just cant keep your visor clear!
We battled through slowly and found a hotel in Peurto Cayo.
Motorcycle Minute:
Once again the bolts holding down my rear rack had sheared. Speedbumps, combined with having Kellys bag strapped on top of my top box, eventually proved too much for the undersized bolts. This had happened before in Costa Rica, anouncing itself with the telltale clunk and smack in Kellys back.
To lessen the stress on the poor little bolts, I removed the "happy-trails" extension plate and moved the top box forward 3 inches. # inches is quite a lot it turns out, and made things quite cozy. May have to re-evaluate this plan again later. But for now, we´re on the coast!
Top to the bottom with a frisbee: Ultimateride.ca
Sister on a KLR
Joined: Mar 2012
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Oddometer: 74
Grey Skies and Skeletons: Montañita down to Peru
Ever since she arrived in Cartagena, Kelly had been desperate to get to the beach. Phil and I had just spent weeks in Panama and before on beautiful beaches, but Kelly was coming directly from Canada and she wanted some hot beachy goodness. When we finally made it to the beach on the 28th of October, 2013 it was a bit of a disappointment.
Aside from our time in the Amazon, Ecuador proved not to be nearly as warm as its name suggests. Kelly said several times that she thought the country's being on the equator guaranteed hot weather. How wrong that proved to be.
After our freezing fiesta in the mountains at Laguna Quilotoa we rode down 4000m in elevation and when the sun set, we made an overnight stop in a beach town that time forgot, Puerto Cayo. We were the only guests in the hotel, and the owners were extremely helpful, even walking us down the street to help find a restaurant that was open.
The next morning we wandered down the deserted beach and ate breakfast in the only place that was open, then headed further south down the coast to a beach town that had been recommended to us several times.
The Ecuadorian beach party town, Montañita has a selection of restaurants and tourist shops catering to, and priced for, gringos. (Here in South America the term gringo has evolved from meaning Americans, to meaning foreigners in general.)
It was low season, and the hostels were competing for business, all that was, except for the one we first stopped at. The lady at the front desk was one of the least welcoming and most unhelpful people we had run across in a long time.
While we were parked outside, a skinny, dodgy looking character called Mike came over to chat. He soon revealed himself as one of the local drug dealers. We told him that we weren't interested in what he had to offer, we were just looking for a cheap hostel. He told us he knew just the place.
While Phil and Tom investigated a couple of the other places along the street, Kelly and I went with drug-dealer Mike to check out the place he was recommending. Phil was slightly unsure that he would ever see us two ladies again.
Following Mike, we soon came to this road:
I flat-out told him that there was no way that I was going to attempt to take Cricket through all that mud! He assured me that the hostel was just a little further, and that there was a different, better road to get to it.
Drug dealer Mike might have been dodgy, but he came through. The Paradise South hostel was $7.50 each per night for a room with two bunk beds and a private bathroom with hot water. There was wifi and a really nice courtyard to park the bikes in. And there WAS another road, that whilst still muddy, was nowhere near as bad as the original one he walked us down.
We spent two nights in Montañita, and we really tried to enjoy it as much as the people who had recommended it to us. It didn't help that the constant grey skies were not good beach weather.
Overall we found Montañita very disappointing. We did have a couple of nights out. One where we spent a long time being talked at by an older lady who talked extensively of her days as a paid escort.
The next night we met an Aussie guy who'd been in town for quite a while. He showed us the best cocktail stands, and where to buy burgers on the street for the best price. Even with this inside knowledge, we just didn't feel the vibe, and we left the next day.
We decided that our time in Ecuador had come to an end, and to make a beeline for Peru. We'd heard the Huaquillas/Tumbes crossing was terrible, busy and corrupt, but that was the one closest to us so we decided to chance it.
We stopped for the night in Naranjal, for no other reason than that it was where we happened to be when it seemed the right time to stop. When we woke up the next morning, it was the 31st of October, 2013. Halloween.
In Latin America the Day of the Dead (Nov 4th) is much more celebrated than Halloween is, but we decided to paint our faces as skeletons and cross the border that way. Surely that would make the busy, corrupt border crossing much better?? It's not like anyone would be comparing our faces to the pictures in our passports or anything...
The ride to the border was hilarious. Almost everyone who looked closely enough at our faces did a double take and then burst out laughing.
At one traffic light I slowly looked around at two schoolgirls in the back of a rickshaw, and one of them screamed with fright. We all melted in hysterics.
When we neared Huaquillas Phil decided that he wanted to find a bank machine and take out some more US dollars to save for Argentina. We stopped at the only place we saw that had a bank sign, but it was some kind of customs checkpoint, and there was no ATM. We rode another 4km or so until it was clear we were about to get to the border which is when Phil and Kelly left Jugs' paperwork with me, and went back towards town in search of a bank machine.
Tom and I rode to the border, or what we thought was the border, and asked where the customs office was to clear our bikes out of Ecuador. They told us we had already passed it, it was back down the road on the right hand side. Remember the customs checkpoint with no bank machine? Yep that was where we had to clear the bikes out. Luckily they didn't notice that I had paperwork for three bikes, but we only actually had two bikes there.
Tom and I rode back to the border which turned out not to be the border at all. The same guys who had sent us back to the customs place, told us to keep riding down the road to get to the border.
We rode for a few minutes and then saw this sign:
Wait. We haven't had our passports stamped out of Ecuador yet. Have we missed yet another checkpoint? There was no way to turn around, so we just kept going into Peru. Soon we pulled up to a group of buildings with a big Peru sign on the grass in front of them. Tom and I pulled up to the first building, looking for Phil and Kelly, who surely must be there by now?
I asked the guy standing in front of building number one if he'd seen a tall hairy man with a face painted like mine. He hadn't. He did however want to take a picture of us and our scary faces. Soon all of the customs officers had come out and they all wanted pictures. With me, with Tom, with us both, in groups, individually, the photo shoot went on for at least 15 minutes, but there was still no sign of Phil and Kelly.
When there were no more pictures to be taken, we asked if we were in the right place. They told us to pull up in one of the many empty parking spaces, and pointed in the general direction of the other buildings. Just after Tom and I had parked, Phil and Kelly pulled up to the customs guys, who, of course, took one look at their faces and knew they belonged with us.
Kelly and I gathered all our passports and headed across the road to the building pointed out to us by a bored security guard, who also told us off for not using the crosswalk. I found this very surprising as no one anywhere since Mexico has paid any attention to crosswalks, and especially not in a traffic free place like that was!
In a wonderful display of cooperation, we had our passports stamped out of Ecuador at one desk, and in to Peru at the desk right beside it. Far from our painted faces causing trouble, the immigration agents loved them, and spent the whole process laughing and joking with us. They did insist on seeing the boys though before they would stamp their passports too.
We then had to return to our friends the customs agents in building number one. They were thrilled to welcome us back, and clamoured to help us. We were the only customers they had and so we had them all helping out.
There was a bored lady at an insurance stand who sold us a month's insurance for $35. Pretty expensive we thought (It was only $5 in Ecuador), but we wouldn't be allowed into Peru with the bikes without it.
Paperwork complete, a few more pictures with our new friends, and we were free to enter country number 13. Far from being the terrible, difficult, corrupt border we'd been warned about, the border into Peru was one of the nicest, quietest, friendliest borders we've crossed.
Arctic Circle to Patagonia - on the road - started July 25, 2012
2007 Yamaha YBR125 with L plates! (UK)
2006 KLR650 (Canada)
Studly Adventurer
Joined: Jul 2011
Location: Greenville, Tx
Oddometer: 539
I have been lurking on your RR for a little while now, this last update from you I found myself laughing at y'all painting up your faces, it must have been alot of fun. I can only imagine the border staff seeing this group riding up. Have a Merry Christmas.
The Sandsman cometh and so he goeth too.......
Dont pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, hell just shoot you.
I got a real good feeling something bad is about to happen,
Joined: Nov 2001
Location: Bradford, Pa
Oddometer: 4,431
2013 Yamaha TW200 2k
99-RT- Graphite 50k Gone
01-GS- Mandarin 42k Gone
05-GS- Rock Red 92k
06-GS- Dakar-40k Sold
aka Mister Wisker
Joined: Jun 2013
Location: Back in Canada
Oddometer: 84
Top to the bottom with a frisbee: Ultimateride.ca
aka Mister Wisker
Joined: Jun 2013
Location: Back in Canada
Oddometer: 84
The Hungry Bank Machine, and less hungry turtle: Zorritos, Peru
After our face-paint-fun border crossing, we ran out of light before our intended destination of Mancora, so stopped in Zorritos. Due to a hungry bank machine, this stop would last longer than intended. And involve meeting a turtle and lots of crabs. To start with, money: we had none.
After settling in to the "hotel" that we chose purely due to its existance at the side of the road at the exact moment the sun set, we caught a ride in the owners moto-taxi to this bank machine. The only bank machine in town. It promptly went "out of service" mid transaction on Jayne and ate her card. When it re-booted minutes later, her card did not re-appear.
After a local took a chance and succeeded in gaining cash, I also took the plunge and lucked out. I figured we had to come back anyways for Jayne´s card, so might as well try mine. With some luck, I won at the ATM game and we could buy dinner. That is where our luck ended however. When our hotel owner phoned the bank for us (we still struggle with spanish over-the-phone), he found out since the bank was closed the next day for a holiday, we would have to wait an extra day to get Jaynes card back. Looks like we´re staying in Zorritos awhile!
After drinking adult beverages and chasing kids into oncoming traffic with our ghoulish selves, we bailed on the idea of a halloween pub night at an overpriced empty club. Went home, played card, and went to bed. We´re getting old.
Post breakfast, the girls and boys split. Tom and I head down the deserted beach, while the girls walked in town. It was overcast, but still quite nice. On our adventure, we spoted an odd lump floating in the ocean. We thought it was garbage at first, but as we walked closer... "Hang on, is that a turtle?!".
Toby the turtle washed ashore before our eyes. Unfortunately he was quite bloated and didn´t look very happy.
Not easy being a dead turtle. Fortunately by nightfall toby was happier and more at peace.
On to the live ones. Our night walk to check on Toby led us to catch crabs!
Zorritos is a nice, relaxed beach town. Which is a nice way to say there isn´t much going on there. We played cards, drank beer, ate nice mangoes and played with dead turtles to kill the time while we waited to get Jayne´s bank card back. It was a nice break. When the bank re-opened, Jayne regained her card and we set off towards Mancora.
Our stay at the unfinished hotel "Hospedaje El Encanto" was remarkable, likely will be even more remarkable when it´s complete. Friendly folks who bent over backwards for us. If you are looking for beach without the crowds and party, Zorritos is a nice alternative to Mancora.
You might even find yourself a pet dead turtle.
Next up: Saving lives and partying in Mancora!
Top to the bottom with a frisbee: Ultimateride.ca
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17th April 2009
Bruno fails to seduce US Congressman 7
2:50 PM — Sacha Baron Cohen's latest film about his alter-ego Bruno, an outlandish Austrian gay fashion reporter, has already caused controversy despite not being released until July.
Dutch homophobia ghetto could host gay pride event 10
1:06 PM — The chairman of Amsterdam borough Slotervaart, which has made headlines in recent years for its residents' homophobia, is to introduce a raft of controversial new measures to ease tensions between the Islamic and gay communities.
'Second mothers' to get mandatory 'paternity' leave 7
12:46 PM — MEPs are to vote next month on pioneering legislation that will secure mandatory paternity leave for heterosexual fathers and the partners of gay mothers for the first time.
Gay penguins book tops list of titles Americans want banned 33
11:49 AM — A children's book about two male penguins who adopt a baby chick is the book most Americans want banned, according to the American Library Association (ALA). And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell has been slammed as anti-family, anti-religion and pro-gay.
Olympics winner: 'Being gay cost me sponsorships' 18
10:29 AM — Matthew Mitcham, the Australian diver who won the ten-metre platform gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, has said he believes he lost sponsorship deals due to being openly gay.
16th April 2009
Christian association bites back after gay marriage video faces widespread ridicule 10
4:21 PM — The National Organization for Marriage (NOM), which released an ominous video last week detailing its fears over gay marriage, has insisted on its widely-mocked audition tapes being removed from YouTube.
New York governor confirms introduction of gay marriage bill 1
2:42 PM — David Paterson, the governor of New York, has confirmed he will introduce legislation to make gay marriage legal in the state. If passed, the bill will make it the fifth state to legalise gay marriage, after Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and Iowa.
Military gay ban supporter warns of mass resignations 21
2:26 PM — A retired army general who is leading the campaign against allowing gays to serve openly in the US military has warned of "mass resignations" if Section 654 of US Code Title 10 is repealed.
Civil liberties group challenges US school boards to remove internet ban on gay sites
12:10 PM — The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has asked school board officials in Tennessee to stop censoring gay websites. Schools in the area use a web filtering system that censors out unsuitable material such as websites which have sexual content but this also excludes educational gay sites.
Spanish gay murder reveals issues with domestic violence laws 5
11:01 AM — The case of a man who killed his ex-partner before committing suicide last week in Almeria, Spain, has revealed that domestic violence legislation in the country does not apply to gay men.
15th April 2009
Moroccan man kills Spanish ex-husband before committing suicide
4:41 PM — A Spanish man has been stabbed to death by his ex husband who later killed himself, it has been revealed. The Moroccan man, who has not been named, stabbed his 34 year old ex husband on Tuesday on the doorstep of his home in the village of Adra, Almeria. The couple had separated two months ago.
Man goes on trial over murder of trans woman 7
2:25 PM — A man who allegedly battered a trans woman to death when he discovered she had been born physically male has gone on trial in Colorado, US.
Congress could partially repeal Defence of Marriage Act
1:31 PM — Some Congressional leaders are discussing partially repealing the Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA) to allow the federal government to recognise gay marriages.
Alberta agrees to fund final 50 genital reassignment surgeries 2
11:30 AM — The Canadian province of Alberta has said it will pay for almost 50 final genital reassignment surgeries before ceasing funding for the operations.
California allows trans people living in other states to amend birth certificates
10:42 AM — Trans people with California birth certificates who live in other states can now change their birth certificates to reflect their real gender, a Court of Appeal ruling has decided.
14th April 2009
New York governor to introduce gay marriage bill
5:21 PM — New York governor David Paterson is planning to introduce a gay marriage bill this week, according to reports. Various reports suggest that sources close to the governor say he will unveil the legislation this week.
Gay Iowa senator receives death threat 6
4:28 PM — Openly gay Iowa senator Matt McCoy has been the target of a death threat. Public safety officials in the state confirmed that he received the threatening telephone call yesterday.
Gay rights activists clash over tackling Jamaican homophobia 6
2:08 PM — US gay rights activists have launched a campaign encouraging the boycotting of Jamaican products and services as a protest against the island's treatment of gays and lesbians. However, an LGB group has criticised the campaign.
Boy, 11, commits suicide after gay taunts 8
1:40 PM — An 11-year-old boy from Massachusetts, US, killed himself after he was repeatedly bullied by classmates who bombarded him with anti-gay taunts. Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover was found dead at his Springfield home last Monday night. He had hanged himself with an extension cable.
Amnesty International attacks Iraqi president over gay murders 2
11:28 AM — Amnesty International has taken the unusual step of writing to Iraqi president Nouri al-Maliki to demand "urgent and concerted action" by his government to stop the killings of gay men in the country.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
ESA > For Media
Latest Press Releases
ESA mourns the loss of Director Antonio Fabrizi18 May 2015 On Saturday 16 May, after a long illness, ESA Director of launchers Antonio Fabrizi passed away in Rome at the age of 67.
Call for Media: ESA Hosts IAA Planetary Defence Conference 201510 April 2015 ESA will host the International Academy of Astronautic's 4th Planetary Defence Conference (PDC 2015), entitled 'Assessing Impact Risk & Managing Response', at the Agency's ESRIN establishment, near Rome, 13–17 April 2015. A media briefing will be held on 16 April 2015.
Two new satellites join the Galileo constellation28 March 2015
Two new satellites join the Galileo constellation28 March 2015 The EU's Galileo satellite navigation system now has eight satellites in orbit following the launch of the latest pair.
Latest News
100 days to Andreas Mogensen's mission22 May 2015
100 days to Andreas Mogensen's mission22 May 2015 The 100-day countdown begins today for ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen's visit to the International Space Station. Following launch on 1 September, he will test new technologies and deliver a fresh spacecraft for the long-stay crew already aboard the o...
CryoSat detects sudden ice loss in Southern Antarctic Peninsula22 May 2015 A recent acceleration in ice loss in a previously stable region of Antarctica has been detected by ESA's ice mission.
Samantha's longer stay on Space Station12 May 2015
Samantha's longer stay on Space Station12 May 2015 ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti's mission on the International Space Station has been extended until the beginning of June. It was planned to end this week with a return to Earth together with NASA astronaut Terry Virts and cosmonaut Anton Shkapl...
Preparing to launch 'colour vision' satellite 23 April 2015
Preparing to launch 'colour vision' satellite 23 April 2015 The latest satellite for the European Commission's environmental Copernicus programme has arrived safe and sound in French Guiana for launch on 12 June. Carrying a multispectral imager, Sentinel-2A is set to give us a new perspective of our land and v...
Perseverance paves way for wind laser 22 April 2015
Perseverance paves way for wind laser 22 April 2015 Developing new satellite instruments is always challenging, but at times more head-scratching is needed to create something truly cutting-edge. ESA's Aeolus mission may have caused a few headaches along the way, but its wind lasers are now ready and t...
Fast access to CryoSat's Arctic ice measurements now available17 April 2015 ESA's ice mission has become the first satellite to provide information on Arctic sea-ice thickness in near-real time to aid maritime activities in the polar region.


text:
Brain Powered - Family Feuds (DVD 3-4 of 6)
Title: Brain Powered - Family Feuds
Volume: DVD 3-4 / 6
Running time: 225
Distributor: Bandai Entertainment
Release date: 2002-07-23
Suggested retail price: $44.98
Age rating: MA15
The organization known as Orphan is using organic mecha called Grand Chers to gather organic plates. Its purpose is uncertain, but Orphan's plans do not go without opposition. There are those who believe that Orphan's activities are harming the Earth. The struggle between Orphan and the rebel group Novis Noah has only just begun. Hime soon learns that the line between loyalty and betrayal is very thin...
(added on 2010-02-03)
- Encyclopedia information about Brain Powered (TV)


text:
Breastfeeding may improve nocturnal sleep and reduce infantile colic: Potential role of breast milk melatonin
- Anat Cohen Engler,
- Amir Hadash,
- Naim Shehadeh,
- Giora Pillar
- … show all 4 hide
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Melatonin is secreted during the night in adults but not in infants. It has a hypnotic effect as well as a relaxing effect on the smooth muscle of the gastrointestinal tract. It is plausible that breast milk, which consists of melatonin, may have an effect on improving infants' sleep and reducing infantile colic. Our first goal was to assess the differences in the prevalence and severity of infantile colic and nocturnal sleep between breast-fed infants and supplement-fed infants. The second was to characterize the profile of melatonin secretion in human breast milk compared to artificial formulas. Ninety-four mothers of healthy 2 to 4-month-old infants filled a questionnaire regarding irritability/potential infantile colic and sleep characteristics. For the second part, we measured melatonin levels in breast milk of five women every 2 h during 24 h and in three samples of commonly used artificial formulas. Exclusively breast-fed infants had a significantly lower incidence of colic attacks (p = 0.04), lower severity of irritability attacks (p = 0.03), and a trend for longer nocturnal sleep duration (p = 0.06). Melatonin in human milk showed a clear circadian curve and was unmeasurable in all artificial milks. Conclusions. Exclusive breastfeeding is associated with reduced irritability/colic and a tendency toward longer nocturnal sleep. Breast milk (nocturnal) consists of substantial melatonin levels, whereas artificial formulas do not. We speculate that melatonin which is supplied to the infant via breast milk plays a role in improving sleep and reducing colic in breast-fed infants compared to formula-fed ones.
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- Aparicio, S, Garau, C, Esteban, S, Nicolau, MC, Rivero, M, Rial, RV (2007) Chrononutrition: use of dissociated day/night infant milk formulas to improve the development of the wake–sleep rhythms. Effects of tryptophan. Nutr Neurosci 10: pp. 137-143 CrossRef
- Arendt, J (1998) Melatonin and the pineal gland: influence on mammalian seasonal and circadian physiology. Rev Reprod 3: pp. 13-22 CrossRef
- Cajochen, C, Kräuchi, K, Wirz-Justice, A (2003) Role of melatonin in the regulation of human circadian rhythms and sleep. J Neuroendocrinol 15: pp. 432-437 CrossRef
- Chen, CQ, Fichna, J, Bashashati, M, Li, YY, Storr, M (2011) Distribution, function and physiological role of melatonin in the lower gut. World J Gastroenterol 17: pp. 3888-3898 CrossRef
- Crowcroft, NS, Strachan, DP (1997) The social origins of infantile colic: questionnaire study covering 76,747 infants. BMJ 314: pp. 1325-1328 CrossRef
- Cubero, J, Valero, V, Sanches, J, Rivero, M, Parvez, H, Rodriguez, AB, Barriga, C (2005) The circadian rhythm of tryptophan in breast milk affects the rhythm of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin and sleep in newborn. Neuro Endocrinol Lett 26: pp. 657-661
- Kennaway, DJ, Goble, FC, Stamp, GE (1996) Factors influencing the development of melatonin rhythmicity in humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 81: pp. 1525-1532 CrossRef
- Rosen, LA (2008) Infant sleep and feeding. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 37: pp. 706-714 CrossRef
- Rzehak, P, Sausenthaler, S, Koletzko, S, Bauer, CP, Schaaf, B, Berg, A, Berdel, D, Borte, M, Herbarth, O, Kramer, U, Fenske, N, Wichmann, HE, Heinrich, J (2009) Period-specific growth, overweight and modification by breastfeeding in the GINI and LISA birth cohorts up to age 6 years. Eur J Epidemiol 24: pp. 449-467 CrossRef
- Saavedra, MA, Costa, JS, Garcias, G, Horta, BL, Tomasi, E, Mendonça, R (2003) Infantile colic incidence and associated risk factors: a cohort study. J Pediatr (Rio J) 79: pp. 115-122
- Savino, F (2007) Focus on infantile colic. Acta Paediatr 96: pp. 1259-1264 CrossRef
- Tikotzky, L, Marcas, G, Har-Toov, J, Dollberg, S, Bar-Haim, Y, Sadeh, A (2010) Sleep and physical growth in infants during the first 6 months. J Sleep Res 19: pp. 103-110 CrossRef
- Title
- Breastfeeding may improve nocturnal sleep and reduce infantile colic: Potential role of breast milk melatonin
- Journal
European Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 171, Issue 4 , pp 729-732
- Cover Date
- 2012-04-01
- 10.1007/s00431-011-1659-3
- Print ISSN
- 0340-6199
- Online ISSN
- 1432-1076
- Publisher
- Springer-Verlag
- Additional Links
- Topics
- Keywords
- Infants
- Sleepm
- Melatonin
- Infantile colic
- Industry Sectors
- Authors
- Anat Cohen Engler (1)
- Amir Hadash (2)
- Naim Shehadeh (2) (4)
- Giora Pillar (1) (3) (4)
- Author Affiliations
- 1. Sleep Lab, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
- 2. Pediatrics Department A, Meyer Children's Hospital, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
- 4. Technion Faculty of Medicine, Haifa, Israel
- 3. Pediatrics Department, Carmel Hospital, Haifa, Israel


text:
Privacy and Cookies
By: Chew Choon Seng
"Through it all, airlines collectively were walking wounded, lurching from one crisis to another"
The silver anniversary of Airline Business is an appropriate occasion for some thoughts on how the airline industry has evolved in the past 25 years.
The deregulation of pricing, which had taken root in the USA in the late 1970s, spread to Europe, and in the past decade also to Asia and the rest of the world. But liberalisation, in terms of freedom of entry and access to markets, is still bound tightly by constraints on foreign ownership and control. Practically no progress has been made in that regard in the past quarter of a century. Consequently, consolidation, which is badly needed for the industry to start earning its cost of capital, has happened only within national boundaries or within economic blocs.
Basic aircraft technology did not make the quantum leap that the move from turbo props to jets represented, although glass cockpits and fly-by-wire controls have become mainstream. Advances in airframes and engines have not been revolutionary but incremental; for example, in the use of new materials and in refinement of turbine design and engine management. The combination of high fuel prices and concerns about the environment has stymied interest in commercial supersonic transport, post-Concorde.
Progress has been more tangible in the application of technology to facilitate interaction with customers. The internet has enabled customers to communicate and transact directly with airlines, and airline websites have proved to be effective for direct marketing and promotions. Paper tickets have gone the way of dinosaurs. Applications for hand-held devices are in the take-off stage. Similarly, the period has seen financial and operating leases grow to be a significant component of airline business. Redefinition of what constitutes core airline activities has led to a rise in the outsourcing of business processes.
Through it all, airlines collectively were walking wounded, lurching from one crisis to another. Cumulatively, billions of dollars have been lost. Yet the industry is desirable and essential for the global village, providing connectivity for commerce and for political, social and cultural exchange, not only now but also in the future. However, it will not be self-sustaining until state protection and government intervention cease. Political will is needed to make decisions in the best interests of consumers and taxpayers, and treat airlines like any other commercial enterprise. Hopefully, it will not take another 25 years.
Chew steps down as Chief executive of Singapore Airlines this year and will become singapore exchange chairman in 2011. He has featured on the Airline Business cover twice, in 2004 and 2010.
"When Singapore Airlines was established in 1972, and at the time the population base must have been 2.5 million, few pundits would have bet on our growing to be among the 10 largest passenger airlines in the world. The day that we stop having visions or objectives to work to, then that is the day we atrophy.
"I can assure you that we have no intention of doing that."
Against a backdrop of mounting competition in Asia: When Singapore Airlines was established in 1972, and the population base must was 2.5 million, few pundits would have bet on our growing to be among the largest passenger airlines in the world.
Chew Choon Seng steps down as Chief executive of Singapore Airlines this year and will become Singapore exchange chairman in 2011. He has featured on our cover twice - in 2004 and 2010.
"Just as we competed with the established players, we must expect that others will compete with us and try to better us."
"That will keep us on our toes and keep our organisation vibrant and teach us never to rest on our oars. We must continue to grow against the tide."
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text:
Cudicini leaves Spurs for Galaxy
Updated: January 1, 2013, 11:33 AM ETAssociated Press
LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Galaxy has signed Italian goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini from English Premier League club Tottenham.
The former Chelsea goalkeeper ends a three-year stay with Tottenham, where he appeared in 37 matches after struggling to establish himself as a first-team regular.
The Galaxy says the 39-year-old Cudicini's move to Major League Soccer has been secured "pending the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and work visa as well as Cudicini passing his ...
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text:
New storm threatens Philippines
More News from Frances Mangosing
More News from INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – The weather disturbance looming to enter the Philippine area of responsibility Thursday afternoon has intensified into a storm from tropical depression, the state weather bureau said.
It was seen 1,480 kilometers off the Pacific Ocean, and could enter through the eastern borders of the PAR, said Dick Manalo of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
It had maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour and was moving at an average of 15 to 20 kph, Manalo said.
It will be named Butchoy, he said, once it enters the PAR.
Pagasa's gale warning advised fishing boats and other small seacrafts not to venture out into the sea while larger vessels are alerted against big waves.
Meanwhile, a shallow low pressure area in Mindanao and a southwest monsoon in Luzon were also expected bring rains in parts of the country, the state weather bureau said.
At 2:00 a.m., the shallow low pressure area was seen 210 kilometers east of Northern Mindanao.
Northern and Western Luzon will experience monsoon rains while Mindanao will have cloudy skies with scattered to widespread rainshowers and thunderstorms which may trigger flashfloods and landslides, Pagasa said.
Western Visayas will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms. The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms, it added.
Moderate to strong winds blowing from the Southwest will prevail over Luzon and Western Visayas and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the Southwest with slight to moderate seas.
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text:
On Friday May 14th, Golden Boy Promotions and Star Boxing, present Punchin at the Paradise 10 at the historical Paradise Theater in the Bronx. Headlining the TeleFutura "Sólo Boxeo Tecate" card is undefeated lightweight prospect, Adrien "The Problem" Broner (14-0, 11KO's) as he squares off against "The Dominican Man" Rafael Lora (11-2, 5KO's) over ten rounds. In the co-feature bout of the evening, two undefeated lightweight prospects collide when Newark New Jersey's own, Mike "The Artist" Perez (7-0, 3KO's) squares off against Francisco Reyes (5-0, 2KO's) over six scheduled rounds..
Fighting for the first time in his adopted home of the Bronx, hot up and coming prospect Yathomas Riley (8-0, 6KO's) looks to keep his unbeaten streak alive, and continue his climb up the ranks of the light heavyweight division, when he takes on Angel David Gonzalez (6-7-1, 3KO's) in a six round light heavyweight match-up.
Popular Albanian super middleweight, Shqiprim "White Tiger" Muriqi (3-0, 2KO's) looks to make it a perfect 4-0 when he meets Rondu Campbell (2-4) in a four round contest. Muriqi, who hails from nearby Yonkers, NY, is looking to follow in the footsteps of his cousin, former world title challenger, Elvir Muriqi, as he makes his debut at the Paradise Theater.
Also making his Bronx debut, will be Bronx native and two-time New York Golden Gloves Champion, Raul Lopez (3-0-1, 3KO's) when he takes on fellow unbeaten Daniel Aquino (3-0). The bout is scheduled for four rounds in the super bantamweight division.
Also seeing action on the card is former world title challenger, "The Real Million Dollar Baby" Maureen Shea (13-2, 7KO's) as she squares off against Puerto Rico's Norma Faris (3-2) in a six round female super featherweight match-up. Like Lopez, the fan-favorite Shea was born and raised in the Bronx and will certainly have a strong contingent of fans on hand to show their support as she looks to get herself back into title contention.
Rounding out the card will be undefeated cruiserweight, Ahmed "The Prince of Egypt" Samir (8-0, 2KO's) taking on "Big" John Douglas (7-13-3, 3KO's) in a six round cruiserweight match-up.
The Paradise Theater is located at 2403 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY. Doors open at 7:00PM with the first bout scheduled for 7:30PM. Tickets are priced and available at $100, $50 and $30 and are on sale now.
Tickets may be purchased by calling the Star Boxing office at (718) 823-2000. To find out more information about exclusive tickets please call Star Boxing at (718) 823-2000 or visit www.starboxing.com. Tickets may also be purchased through Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com or purchase tickets by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the Paradise Theater Box Office, or by calling (718) 220-1015.
On Friday May 14th, the newest member of the Star Boxing stable, undefeated cruiserweight prospect, Ahmed "The Prince of Egypt" Samir (8-0, 2KO's) will fight for the first time since signing with the Bronx-based promotional company, when he squares off against "Big" John Douglas at the historical Paradise Theater in the Bronx. Samir-Douglas is scheduled for six rounds, and will be one of the feature undercard bouts of the evening. The show is the tenth installment of the popular "Punchin at the Paradise" fight series, and is co-promoted with Golden Boy Promotions and being shown live as part of TeleFutura's "Sólo Boxeo Tecate".
Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Samir first began boxing at just ten years of age. Samir had a prolific amateur career, that including over 200 bouts, and saw him win gold at the 2007 All- African Games in Algeria, gold at the Zone 5 African Championships in 2007 in Egypt, gold at the 2007 Arab Championships in Tunisia, as well as gold at the 2006 Jordan International Championships.
In 2007, looking to fulfill his dream of becoming a world champion, Samir left his home country of Egypt and moved to New York to train at the world renowned Gleason's Gym, in Brooklyn. Not long after moving, Samir made his professional debut at the famous Blue Horizon in Philadelphia, PA, scoring a four round unanimous decision over Kamarah Pasley.
"We had Ahmed on one of our cards in New York in 2009, and we were impressed with his boxing ability," stated Joe DeGuardia, CEO of Star Boxing. "Ahmed is talented inside the ring, and he is a very charismatic individual outside. We believe he will become a huge draw here in New York as he continues to climb the ranks of the cruiserweight division." Samir hopes to start his quest with an impressive performance against the veteran Douglas (7-13-3, 4KO's) on Friday night.
The Paradise Theater is located at 2403 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY. Doors open at 7:00PM with the first bout scheduled for 7:30PM. Tickets are priced and available at $100, $50 and $30 and are on sale now.
Tickets may be purchased by calling the Star Boxing office at (718) 823-2000. To find out more information about exclusive tickets please call Star Boxing at (718) 823-2000 or visit www.starboxing.com. Tickets may also be purchased through Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com or purchase tickets by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the Paradise Theater Box Office, or by calling (718) 220-1015.
Last week at the Grand Hotel and Casino in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Star Boxing's USBA welterweight champion, and IBF #3 rated, Delvin Rodriguez (25-4-2, 14KO's) was honored as the Dominican Republic's boxer of the year at the annual Athlete of the Year awards ceremony. The awards ceremony included the top government officials from the Dominican Republic, as well as famous Dominican merengue singer Fernando Villalona.
"It was a beautiful experience, and a dream come true to receive such an award in front of my entire country," stated Rodriguez, who celebrated his 30th birthday on May 4th. "Being awarded the Best Boxer of the Year, was such an honor to me, and something I will cherish for a life-time. My goal now is to win the world championship and bring the belt back to the Dominican Republic."
"We are very proud that Delvin was elected to receive the Dominican Republic's Best Boxer of the Year award," stated Joe DeGuardia, CEO of Star Boxing. "Delvin is a class act and gentleman both in and out of the ring, and we are happy that his efforts have been recognized by his country."
Rodriguez last fought on April 2nd, defending his USBA championship by winning a unanimous decision over former world-title challenger Mike Arnaoutis at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in Uncasville, CT.
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text:
The Naked Truth
Streaks are generally a good thing, unless we're talking about those people in England who run around naked at tennis and soccer matches. Or the Florida Marlins. The Fish had a pretty cool streak a few weeks ago when they went 15 straight games with ten or more hits something that hasn't been done since the 1937 St. Louis Browns. Yet Florida still dropped must-win games. When the Marlins faced the Atlanta Braves two weeks ago, they were supposed to use those multiple hits to beat their NL East rival and get a foothold on the Wild Card race. Instead, the pitching imploded and, with it, their postseason dreams. The Wild Card is now a long shot, but there's still time for revenge as the Marlins host the Braves this Thursday at LandShark Stadium. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m.
Thu., Sept. 3, 7:10 p.m., 2009
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text:
I just stumbled upon a lovely new design blog, All the Best, out of the UK. This lady has a great eye for style, and has posted lots of beautiful images of Muriel Brandolini's work. I love coming across gems online like these… Nice job, All The Best!
If you click on over to the 2007 Bloggie Awards you can rock your vote! The deadline is TOMORROW – Wednesday, January 10th! You are able to nominate up to three blogs per category, so put on your thinking caps and vote for all of your favorite blogs!
A huge thank you to those who wrote in that you've nominated decor8. I really appreciate it because these little things make a big difference to us bloggers! But please, don't nominate me unless you really want to – there are so many other amazing blogs out there that I hope you'll nominate only your favorites, as long as you V-O-T-E!
Here are some that I selected when I voted, just to give you a few suggestions: Shelterrific, Oh Joy!, Delicious Days, decor8 (he he), Wee Wonderfuls, Dooce, Curious Bird, Little Birds, Cute Overload, MocoLoco, Lena Corwin, Apartment Therapy, Hi My Name Is Heather, Atelier 455, Skinny LaMinx, My Marrakesh, Print + Pattern, Happy Mundane, Perez Hilton, Bloesom, Chubby Hubby, Imedagoze, Style Files, Whip Up, SF Girl By Bay, Scrappy Girl, and about 10 others that are totally slipping my mind right now. Pretty much my entire blogroll. :) I love all of you guys!
I've been watching Catherine over at the Scrappy Girl blog pull together some concepts for a tree mural she'd like to have on her bedroom wall, extending onto the ceiling. After giving it much thought, I think Catherine should select a blue that is about 2-3 shades darker than her current wall color and free hand a tree silhouette that way. It would take a lot of the 'pain' out of the execution, given that Catherine isn't a fine art painter (neither are most of us for that matter) and I'm sure she's nervous about applying brush to wall. I'd suggest using a template on an overhead projector and penciling it on the wall, then filling it with paint. Here's a few visuals for you if you're not following me here.
Of course, this template was designed with a baby in mind, but you could find one that is more grown up, minus the birds, of course. I love the idea, especially extending over the window. Looks a bit like the same corner Catherine is looking to place the mural. Cathy, what do you think?
What do you think?
(images from bhg.com)
I just came across a beautiful new read from North Carolina blogger, Amy Leonard (she just started blogging last week!) called Design DNA. I spotted an image that I just had to share with all of you, it's this beautiful dressing area with shutters made using antique Indian screens. There is very little I wouldn't do to have these in my home. I may even turn tricks. (kidding!) Imagine returning from a long day, stepping through doors like these into your dressing area or bedroom? Or, better yet, having these on the front of your house. These are positively grand. I need to seriously stop gazing at this image because it's driving me nuts that they don't belong to me! :)
(image via design dna)


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Spring Bird
Friends, yesterday while looking for the Snowy Owl, I found a small flock of these Horned Larks, the birdies think spring is on the way, do you?? til Tomorrow MJ
Posted on February 9, 2014, in Birds, Crex Meadows, Nature, photography and tagged birds, Crex Meadows, Horned Lark, lark, mjspringett, nature, photography, postaday. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.


text:
- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
From the Publisher
"An excellent, readable, nontechnical summary of the history, social implications and likely future of Internet business."--Publishers Weekly
"Absorbing history.... Castells observes that while the Internet has the potential to strengthen democracy through broadening the sources of information and enabling greater citizenship participation, it has at the same time contributed greatly to the politics of scandal.... In his sobering final chapter, the author studies the divide between peoples and regions that operate in the digital world and those that cannot."--Kirkus Reviews
Reviews of other books by Castells:
"The most compelling attempt yet made to map the contours of the global information age."--Anthony Giddens, New Statesman
"So far, the person who has straddled the world of social theory and Silicon Valley most successfully is Manuel Castells. Mr Castells enjoys a growing reputation as the first significant philosopher of cyberspace."--The Economist
"Manuel Castells is today the most insightful theoretician of the information society."--Frederico Rampini, La Revista dei Libri
"A magnus opus if ever there was one, these three books together constitute, in my view, the finest piece of contemporary social analysis for at least a generation."--Frank Webster, British Journal of Sociology


text:
MOVIEmeterSEE RANK
Down 43,179 this week
La vache et le président (2000)
Romain, the widowed father of eight-year-old Lucas, is a farmer in Brittany. He owns a herd of about twenty cows,one of which is called Maeva and is his son's favorite. The small Scottish ... See full summary »
Director:Philippe Muyl
Writers:Philippe Muyl (screenplay), Philippe Muyl (adaptation), 1 more credit »


text: "For an English kid growing up in Liverpool, the White House - that's pretty special." Sir Paul McCartney is more than a little excited about his Wednesday night (02Jun10) performance for the U.S. President and specially invited guests. The music legend will become only the third star to claim the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song at the gala in his honour.


text:
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With 7 manufacturing plants in 4 countries and a worldwide agent network, we serve our markets around the world.
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Throughout the 40's, Miller's machines powered war efforts in the shipyards and defense plants. In the 50's, Miller played a key role in the construction of most major planes, jets, fighters and missiles. Companies like Boeing, Cessna, Lockheed, Douglas all used Miller machines in their factories. The 1970's brought the introduction of the Millermatic machines; the first power source with a built-in wire feeder.
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Other Peoples Music Sydney, Australia
Other Peoples Music is an Australian lo-fi funky-punk , chill electro and experimental act, founded in 2014 by Boris Grey
in Newtown, NSW after the breakdown of The AGP.
As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Other Peoples Music straddles a wide range of genres, including funk, soundscapes, electronica and whatever. ... more
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Twitter's early birds are chirping the tunes of the much awaited 15th Lok Sabha elections. #Elections2014, #Verdict2014 are trending on twitter. Here's what some of them have been tweeting.
The world's largest Math exercise...happening in India now. Vote counting for #Elections2014
— Parul Bhagat - Shah (@ParulBh) May 16, 2014
Is it me or do u also sing this ,the English song -its the countdown , countdown song.??.#Elections2014
— Arun Unnikrishnan (@smirkerarun) May 16, 2014
Goodmorning India.Wishing sensibility as effective opposition to losers,humility to serve to winners & less divisive politics! #Verdict2014
— Smita Sharma (@Smita_Sharma) May 15, 2014
However most of the Twitter users are already singing victory songs for Narendra Modi while some are already congratulating him for his possible victory.
#Elections2014 Not only India, it would be a Nail-biting moment for US,PAK,CHINA,SL & UK.. Modi Readi !!
— @kamaljii (@kamaljii) May 16, 2014
Cant wait , fingers crossed for my Nations future and for #PMNaMo , We cant afford another accident PM at this juncture #Verdict2014
— Aruntweets (@arunnarath) May 16, 2014
If NDA wins 272 or more,suddenly Narendra Modi will becum the most inclusive leader to many secular politicians. #Results2014 #PMNaMo
— $@(#!n (@tweetysachin) May 16, 2014
#Results2014 Excited as hell! #NaMo4PM
— Rushiket Joshi Jr. (@RushiketJoshi) May 16, 2014
#Results2014 r here Finally after so many days or rather months of Sarcasm,Indirect Tauntings & all…Ache din aane wale hain ^_^ #PMNaMo
— Ronak Gupta (@ronakgupta2306) May 16, 2014
Congratulations @narendramodi #PMNaMo it feels like we are going to get our independence from corruption dynasty rule and Congress.
— Rohit Singh BJP (@rss09) May 16, 2014
If NDA wins 272 or more,suddenly Narendra Modi will becum the most inclusive leader to many secular politicians. #Results2014 #PMNaMo
— $@(#!n (@tweetysachin) May 16, 2014


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