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Water SA
On-line version ISSN 1816-7950
Print version ISSN 0378-4738
Water SA vol.35 n.1 Pretoria Jan. 2009
Performance of a water defluoridation plant in a rural area in South Africa
JJ Schoeman*
University of Pretoria, Department of Chemical Engineering, Water Utilisation Division, Pretoria, South Africa
The fluoride concentration of a borehole water supply in a rural area (Madibeng Local Municipality, North West Province, South Africa) varies between 5 and 6 mg/ℓ. This water is therefore not suitable for potable purposes because the high fluoride concentration may cause mottling of tooth enamel in children and fluorosis in adults. Therefore, the fluoride concentration should be reduced to less than 1.5 mg/ℓ to make the water suitable for potable purposes. The activated alumina and reverse osmosis processes are both processes that can be very effectively applied for water defluoridation. The activated alumina process, however, is considered to be a more simple and robust process for water defluoridation, especially in a rural area. Therefore, the activated alumina process was selected for water defluoridation. An activated alumina plant was designed, constructed and commissioned in the rural area. Fluoride in the feed water is removed from 6 to 8 mg/ℓ to less than 1.5 mg/ℓ. No reduction in plant output was experienced over 6 service cycles. Therefore, it appears that fouling of the activated alumina should not be a problem. Plant output varied between 940 and 1 296 m3 to a fluoride breakthrough of approximately 2.0 mg/ℓ. No significant operational problems were experienced during commissioning and the plant is performing satisfactorily. Spent regenerant is disposed of into evaporation ponds. It was demonstrated that a 1st world technology could be effectively applied in a rural area with proper training and supervision of the operators. The capital and operational costs of the 200 m3/d defluoridation plant are estimated at approximately R1.2m. and R0.7/m3 treated water.
Keywords: water defluoridation, activated alumina, plant performance, costs
The fluoride concentration of borehole water in a rural area (Madibeng Local Municipality, North West Province, South Africa) varies between 5 and 6 mg/ℓ. This water is therefore not suitable for potable purposes because its high fluoride concentration will cause mottling of the tooth enamel in children and fluorosis in adults (Holden, 1970; Bishop and Sancoucy, 1978). The fluoride concentration should be reduced to <1.5 mg/ℓ to make the water suitable for potable purposes (South African Water Quality Guidelines, 1996). The required demand for defluoridated water is 200 m3/d over an 8 h-period or 1 400 m3/d per week.
A number of methods are reported for the removal of fluoride from water. These can be divided into three categories: those based on the addition of chemicals to cause precipitation or coprecipitation during coagulation (Beneberu, 2006; Mekonen, 2001; Turner et al., 2005), those based upon ion-exchange or adsorption (Coetzee et al, 2003; Agarwal et al., 2003; Jamode et al., 2004 ) and those based upon membrane separation technologies ( Schoeman and Steyn, 2000; Sordo et al., 1998; Tahaikt et al., 2006; Menkouchi et al., 2007). Of these methods, the activated alumina process appears to be the most suitable because alumina has a relatively high fluoride-exchange capacity. Activated alumina is not very friable and is not seriously affected by chlorides and sulphates in concentrations usually encountered. Regeneration which can be performed with caustic soda is fairly straightforward and the process seems to be reliable, safe and relatively simple to use. The process can remove fluoride in the feed-water concentration range from 4 to 20 mg/ℓ to <1 mg/ℓ. The activated alumina process was therefore selected for water defluoridation in the study area.
The objectives of this paper are to report on the performance of the defluoridation plant during commissioning and on the economics of the process.
Fluoride quality requirements
The US Environmental Protection Agency has made the maximum allowable fluoride concentration for drinking purposes dependent on climatic conditions (Drinking Water Standards, 1962) because the amount of water consumed and, consequently, the amount of fluoride ingested, is temperature-related.
The maximum allowable concentrations are shown in Table 1 (National Interim Primary Drinking Water Regulations, 1975) as are the recommended fluoride concentrations established by the US Public Health Service (Drinking Water Standards, 1962).
The SA Bureau of Standards (1971) has recommended a limit of 1 mg/ℓ for fluoride in drinking water supplies and has set the maximum allowable concentration at 1.5 mg/ℓ.
The activated alumina process
Activated alumina (Al2O3) functions as an anion exchanger and the common anions are selected in the following order by acid treated activated alumina (Clifford et al., 1978).
OH- > PO43- > F- > SO32-; > SO42- > > NO22- > Br- > Cl- > NO3-
The high selectivity of activated alumina for fluoride compared to synthetic anion exchangers makes it extremely suitable for fluoride removal from water containing ions such as sulphates, chlorides and bicarbonates, which may compete for the limited adsorption sites.
A typical adsorption-regeneration cycle for the removal of fluoride may be presented as follows (Clifford et al., 1978).
Acidification. When neutral (water washed) alumina, which is represented as alumina. H2O, is treated with sulphuric acid, acidic alumina is formed following the reaction:
alumina.H2O + H2SO4 → alumina.H2SO4 + H2O
Ion exchange (loading). Once this acidic form is brought into contact with fluoride ions, they displace the sulphate anions.
alumina.H2SO4 + 2NaF → alumina.H2F2 + Na2SO4
Backwashing. This is carried out after loading to remove suspended solids, to redistribute the alumina particles and break up any tendency towards wall effects and channelling.
Regeneration. This is usually carried out with a dilute solution of hydroxide as the most preferred anion.
alumina.H2F2 + 3NaOH → alumina.NaOH + 2NaF + 2H2O
Rinsing. This is necessary to remove excess regenerant from the alumina bed before neutralisation.
Neutralisation. To restore the fluoride removal capacity, the basic alumina is contacted with dilute sulphuric acid.
2 alumina.NaOH + 3 H2SO4 → 2 alumina.H2SO4 + Na2SO4
The acidic alumina (alumina.H2SO4) is now ready for another adsorption cycle.
Design criteria
Design criteria for the full-scale plant are shown in Table 2 (Schoeman et al., 1985).
A simplified flow diagram of the defluoridation plant is shown in Fig. 1. Borehole water is pumped through the defluoridation plant and the treated water is stored in a reservoir for distribution to the community. Spent regenerant and backwash water is stored in a lined evaporation pond.
A number of runs were conducted and breakthrough curves established. The experimental conditions for the runs are summarised in Table 3. The breakpoint for fluoride was taken as 2.0 mg/ℓ and the number of bed volumes (BVs, 1 BV = volume of alumina in vessel) produced at breakthrough were determined from these curves. All fluoride analyses were carried out with a fluoride-specific electrode and the other ions were analysed with ICP-OES.
Results and discussion
Plant performance
Six loading-regeneration runs were conducted during the commissioning phase of the plant. Plant performance data for the six runs are summarised in Table 4.
The fluoride concentration in the feed water (5.3 to 10.8 mg/ℓ) could be easily reduced to ~2 mg/ℓ in the treated water. The average concentration of fluoride in the treated water was approximately 1 mg/ℓ. Therefore, an excellent quality water could be produced with the activated alumina defluoridation process.
The loading time to reach a breakthrough of approximately 2 mg/ℓ in the treated water varied from 67.5 to 79.5 h for the 6 runs (Table 4). The throughput varied between 940 and 1 296 m3 and the bed volumes produced between 566 and 781. The differences in throughput and bed volumes of defluoridated water produced could be ascribed to intermittent runs and slight changes in regeneration conditions. It was found that a run achieving a 2 mg/ℓ fluoride breakthrough could be significantly increased by an intermittent run which gives the fluoride more time to adsorb onto the alumina.
Breakthrough curves
A typical breakthrough curves for Run 5 is shown in Fig. 2.
The fluoride concentration in the feed water could be reduced from 5 to 6 mg/ℓ to less than 1.5 mg/ℓ in the treated water. The running time to approximately 1.5 mg/ℓ fluoride breakthrough was 75 h (1 208 m3 throughput and 728 BVs)
Composition of spent regenerant
The fluoride and silicon concentration and pH of the spent regenerant (regeneration after Run 4) is shown in Table 5.
The fluoride concentration in the spent regenerant showed a peak after 70 min regeneration time (Table 5). The fluoride concentration then dropped and was 370 mg/ℓ when the caustic soda regeneration was completed after 100 min. The regeneration time was long as a result of the low viscosity of the caustic lye during winter. Very little fluoride was removed during the subsequent rinsing and neutralisation steps.
The silicon started to desorb from the alumina at high pH when most of the fluoride had been removed from the alumina. Silicon was also desorbed from the alumina during the neutralisation step when the pH became lower.
pH of the feed, acidified feed and caustic soda adjusted product water
The pH of the feed and treated water (product) is shown in Table 6 (next page).
The pH of the feed was lowered from 7.6 to 7.8 to 6.1 to 6.6 in the acidified feed. The pH of the product water varied between 6.3 and 6.5. The pH is on the low side and should be raised to approximately 7. It is also interesting to note that the initial pH of the product water was low (pH 3.8). This is due to acid leaching from the alumina bed after neutralisation of the alumina with acid. Care should be taken not to put too much acid through the bed during neutralisation.
Electrical conductivity of the feed and product water
After 19 h and 282 m3 throughput the electrical conductivity was 1 292 µS/cm for the feed, 1 318 µS/cm for the acid feed and 1 358 µS/cm for the (caustic) product. The electrical conductivity of feed and product water increased somewhat after the addition of chemicals (acid and caustic soda) for pH control.
Chemical composition of the feed and product water
The chemical composition of the feed and product water is shown in Table 7.
Alkalinity is reduced through the addition of acid and by adsorption on the activated alumina. However, a significant amount of alkalinity is still entering the alumina bed in this case and this alkalinity reduces the capacity of the alumina for fluoride removal because if competes with fluoride for adsorption sites. It is further interesting to note that aluminium is released into the product water (0.1 mg/ℓ) (Table 7). However, the aluminium concentration in the treated water is less than 0.3 mg/ℓ which shows that the water is of acceptable quality according to the South African specifications for drinking water ((Schutte, 2006). Care should be taken, however, that the pH of the treated water should not drop too low (< 6) during neutralisation because the aluminium ion could dissolve in the water at a too low pH. The sodium concentration of the product water increases somewhat as a result of caustic soda addition while the sulphate concentration increases as a result of acid addition and displacement of sulphate ions from the alumina by fluoride adsorption.
The capital costs of a 200 m3/d defluoridation plant are estimated at R1.3 m. Operational costs are estimated as follows:
Caustic soda regeneration:
Sulphuric acid neutralisation:
Sulphuric acid for pH control:
Caustic soda for pH control:
Electrical energy cost for pumping:
R0.35 / m3
R0.07 / m3
R0.16 / m3
R0.14 / m3
R0.06 / m3
R0.68 / m3
Note: Acid cost R0.82/kg
Caustic soda cost R2.98/kg
Electrical energy cost R0.25/kWh (2003)
- The water defluoridation plant was commissioned successfully and the plant is performing satisfactorily. Fluoride in the feed water present in the 6 to 10 mg/ℓ range is reduced to <1.5 mg/ℓ, the recommended maximum concentration.
- No reduction in plant output was experienced over 6 loading-regeneration cycles. Therefore, it appears that fouling of the activated alumina should not be a problem. This matter, however, should be monitored over a more extended period
- Plant output varied between 940 and 1 296 m3 to a fluoride breakthrough of approximately 2.0 mg/ℓ. It is recommended that the plant be regenerated after at least 940 m3 of defluoridated water has been produced.
- Care should be taken that the pH of the treated water should not drop too low after neutralisation of the alumina bed with acid to ensure that the aluminium ion does not go into solution.
- The capital cost of a 200 m3/d activated alumina defluoridation plant is estimated at R1.3m. Operational costs are estimated at R0.68/m3.
- It was demonstrated that a 1st world technology could be effectively operated and maintained in a rural area with proper training and constant supervision of the operators.
AGARWAL M, RAI K, SHRIVASTAV R and DASS S (2003) Defluoridation of water using amended clay. J. Clean. Prod. 11 439-444. [ Links ]
BENEBERU S, FELEKA Z and SING CB (2006) Removal of excess fluoride from water by aluminium hydroxide. Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiopia 20 (1) 17-34. [ Links ]
BISHOP PL and SANCOUCY G (1978) Fluoride removal from drinking water by fluidized activated alumina adsorption. J. Am. Water Works Assoc. 70 554. [ Links ]
COETZEE PP, COETZEE LL, PUKA R and MUBENGA S (2003) Characterisation of selected South African clays for defluoridation of natural waters. Water SA 29 (3) 331-337. http://www.wrc.org.za/archives/watersa%20archive/2003/july/13.pdf [ Links ]
CLIFFORD D, MATSON J and KENNEDY R (1978) Activated alumina: Rediscovered "adsorbent" for fluoride, humic acids and silica. Ind. Water Eng. 15 (6). [ Links ]
DRINKING WWATER STANDARDS (1962) US Public Service, Washington, DC. [ Links ]
FRIK SCHUTTE (ed.) (2006) Handbook for the Operation of Water Treatment Works. WRC Report No. TT 265/06. Water Research Commission, Pretoria, South Africa. ISBN 1-77005-428-6 [ Links ]
HOLDEN WS (ed.) (1970) Fluoridation of Water Supplies. In: Water Treatment and Examination. J and A Churchill, London. [ Links ]
JAMODE AVJ, APKAL VSS and AMODE VSJ (2004) Defluoridation of water using inexpensive adsorbents. J. Indian Inst. Sci. 84 163- 171. [ Links ]
MEKONEN A, KUMAR P and KUMAR A (2001) Integrated biological and physiochemical treatment process for nitrate and fluoride removal. Water Res. 35 (13) 3127-3136. [ Links ]
MENKOUCHI SAHLI MA, ANNOUAR S, TAHAIKT M, MOUNTADAR M, SOUFIANE A and ELMIDAOUI A (2007) Fluoride removal for underground brackish water by adsorption on the natural chitosan and by electrodialysis. Desalination 212 37-45. [ Links ]
NATIONAL INTERIM PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS (1975) EPA Federal Register. 40 51. [ Links ]
SA BUREAU OF STANDARDS, SPECIFICATION FOR WATER FOR DOMESTIC SUPPLIES (Metric Units) (1971) SABS Specification No. 241 (supersedes SABS 241 1951). Pretoria, South Africa. [ Links ]
SCHOEMAN JJ and BOTHA GR (1985) An evaluation of the activated alumina process for fluoride removal from drinking water and some factors influencing its performance. Water SA 11 (1) 25-32. [ Links ]
SCHOEMAN JJ and STEYN A (2000) Defluoridation, denitrification and desalination of water using ion-exchange and reverse osmosis technology. Water Research Commission, PO Box 824, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa. ISBN 1 86845 597 1. [ Links ]
SORDO JA, VANDERBEMDEN P, COHEN D and CONRAD HM (1998) 65 000 GPD fluoride removal membrane system in Lakeland, California, USA. Desalination 117(1) 19-35. [ Links ]
SOUTH AFRICAN WATER QUALITY GUIDELINES (1996) Volume 1: Domestic Water Use (2nd edn.). Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Private Bag X313, Pretoria 0001. [ Links ]
TAHAIKT M, ACHARY I, MENKOUCHI SAKLI MA, AMOR Z, TAKY M, ALAMI A, BOUGHRIBA A, HAFSI M and ELMIDAOUI A (2006) Defluoridation of Moroccan groundwater by electrodialysis: Continuous operation. Desalination 189 215-220. [ Links ]
TURNER BD, BINNING P and STIPP SLS (2005) Fluoride removal by calcite: Evidence for fluorite precipitation and surface adsorption. Environ. Sci. Technol. 39 (24) 9561-9568. [ Links ]
Received 12 December 2007; accepted in revised form 20 November 2008.
* To whom all correspondence should be addressed
+2712 420-3569; fax: +2712 362-5089;
e-mail: email@example.com


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Blog Archives
The Trade
One year ago today, the St. Louis Cardinals made a trade that would have an enormous impact on the history of the franchise. General Manager John Mozeliak remade the bullpen and fortified the rotation and bench by acquiring relievers Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzepczynski, starter Edwin Jackson, and outfielder Corey Patterson from the Toronto Blue Jays. Shipped up to Canada were pitchers PJ Walters, Brian Tallet, and Trever Miller along with centerfielder and former organizational "untouchable" Colby Rasmus.
Personality and hustle issues aside, Rasmus was a young and talented cost-controlled player and three of the four players the Cards received from Toronto would be free agents at the end of 2011. This was a win-now move by Mozeliak, and win the Cardinals did. But both franchises involved in this deal felt immediate impact. In case you need reminding, this trade largely led directly to the following for the Cardinals:
And, not to be outdone, this trade led directly to the following for the Blue Jays:
Well played, Mo…well played.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The first part of an investigation into how to represent numbers
using geometric transformations that ultimately leads us to
discover numbers not on the number line.
Introduces the idea of a twizzle to represent number and asks how
one can use this representation to add and subtract geometrically.
How can you use twizzles to multiply and divide?


text:
Herbert Yu, MD, PhD
Departments & Organizations
Dr. Yu is adjunct professor at Yale School of Public Health, Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, and a molecular epidemiologist with training in medicine, epidemiology, and clinical biochemistry. Dr. Yu has been involved in cancer research for over 20 years, and has had extensive experience in population-based epidemiologic investigation and patient-based clinical studies. Dr. Yu has conducted numerous epidemiologic and clinical research projects, addressing various issues in cancer research, from etiology to detection, and prognosis to treatment. Dr. Yu is especially experienced in laboratory-based molecular epidemiologic studies, and his research interests include gene-environment interaction in cancer development and progression and lifestyle's impact on epigenetic regulation. Dr. Yu has served on numerous national and international grant review committees, and has been involved in the design, execution and analysis of many epidemiological and clinical studies.
Education & Training
|University of Toronto (1996)
|University of Toronto (1990)
|Shanghai Medical University (1983)
Honors & Recognition
Wang Fellowship for International Study of Public Health, American Health Foundation
Young Investigator Award, American Association for Clinical Chemistry
Mitchell Scholarship in Cancer Research, University of Toronto Young Investigator Award, Louisiana State University Medical Center
International Scholar Award Host in Breast Cancer Research, Avon Foundation and American Association for Cancer Research
Case-control Study of Pancreas Cancer Shanghai, China (2006 - 2011)
Research Collaboration
Clinical Study of Lung Cancer Tianjin, China (2005 - 2010)
Research Collaboration and Guest Lectures
Clinical Studies of Ovarian and Breast Cancers Turin, Italy (2001 - 2015)
Research Collaboration


text:
As the great battle of Wisconsin has raged – the newly minted budget-cutting Republican governor vs. public-employee unions – President Obama has appeared to be in a no-win situation.
Mr. Obama needs the manpower and money of Big Labor to help him mount a vigorous reelection campaign in 2012, and it is vital to his political interests that the unions remain strong. That the battle is centered in the political swing state of Wisconsin – with side skirmishes going on in two more swing states, Ohio and Indiana – only raises the stakes.
At the same time, Obama needs to show that he's serious about fiscal responsibility, amid dire predictions about the nation's unsustainable deficits. He and the Democrats are heading for their own showdown with Republicans in Congress over federal budget-cutting and a possible government shutdown.
Had Obama faced such a vexing predicament last year, he may not have been able to resist the temptation to appease his political base and address head on an issue touching core Democratic principles.
But Obama has, for the most part, stayed out of the Wisconsin imbroglio, and in fact, political analysts say, in not carving out an intricate "middle way," Obama has played it right.
"The biggest danger in some ways was for him to be consumed by this issue," says Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. "That hasn't happened."
Staying on message
Instead, Obama has remained focused on his jobs message. As things stand now, getting the unemployment rate down from its current 9 percent to closer to 8 percent by Election Day is his most important reelection task.
The president did weigh in on Wisconsin late last week, saying that "some of what I've heard ... seems like more of an assault on unions." He referenced in particular Gov. Scott Walker's effort to curtail public employees' collective bargaining rights.
The group Organizing for America – Obama's old political network that is now part of the Democratic National Committee – had encouraged volunteers to support the protests, but party officials say the White House was not involved.
During his first two years in office, Obama at times derailed his main message by commenting on a side issue – such as the mistaken arrest in 2009 of a black Harvard scholar by a white police officer in Cambridge, Mass., which ignited a week of public discussion about race relations, rather than health-care reform.
Obama's new message discipline can be attributed partly to his staff shakeup – a new chief of staff, William Daley, and new top political adviser, David Plouffe, both of whom are seen as more organized than their predecessors. Obama has also learned from experience.
"There's a maturity to the situation," says Democratic strategist Peter Fenn. "When you're president of the United States, you don't just go running around saying whatever comes into your mind."
Mr. Fenn agrees that Obama has handled Wisconsin correctly. He's made it clear where he stands, but has not jumped in with both feet.
"Obama's approach from the State of the Union on has been, 'Hey, we have to grow this economy, we have to compete in the international marketplace, we have to invest in education and science and technology, and we have to get businesses going and get the money off the sidelines and into hiring, and I'm going to be focused on that,'" says Fenn.
Disappointment on the left
Though some on the left have expressed disappointment that Obama hasn't done more in support of the unions, such as visiting Madison, the capital of Wisconsin, the president is following his pattern of keeping his liberal base at arm's length, on the theory that it has nowhere else to go come election time. Still, there is some risk in Obama's approach. In the 2008 elections, unions spent some $400 million to help Obama and other Democrats get elected, not to mention the countless man-hours union members spent on get-out-the-vote.
And of course, a serious threat to collective bargaining rights, a fundamental function of unions, can't be taken lightly. Analysts have likened Governor Walker's effort to break his state's public-sector unions to President Reagan's success in breaking the air traffic controllers' union, or PATCO, in 1981.
"It could be even bigger than PATCO," says Mr. Zelizer. "You could see the ripples throughout the states, because of the economic situation. Even though polls are on the side of the unions, you could see that turning quite easily, if the governor said, 'Would you rather we shut your school or get rid of the union?' "
But for now, most states are not following Walker's lead. Other new Republican governors anxious to eliminate budget deficits have refrained from going after collective bargaining, even as they ask for other concessions from unions. Govs. Chris Christie (R) of New Jersey and Rick Scott (R) of Florida have both said they can live with collective bargaining.
A story in Politico notes that Walker's fellow Republican governors have praised his approach, but few are following his lead, opting for a more conciliatory demeanor. Of the nation's 29 Republican governors, only four have written blurbs for a website created by the Republican Governors Association called "Stand with Scott," Politico writes. Two are possible presidential candidates (Rick Perry of Texas and Haley Barbour of Mississippi) and one has expressed interest in being vice president (Bob McDonnell of Virginia).


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The two Australian DJs behind the Kate Middleton hospital prank that may have led to the suicide of a nurse have decided to REMOVE themselves from the airwaves.
Southern Cross Austereo, the company that owns the station, has released a statement ... saying, "SCA and 2Day FM are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha from King Edward VII's Hospital."
SCA says the CEO has spoken with both of the DJs ... who are both "deeply shocked" over the tragedy.
The company adds, "SCA and the hosts have decided that they will not return to their radio show until further notice out of respect for what can only be described as a tragedy."
Interesting that SCA did NOT pull the DJs off the air immediately following the prank ... but instead waited until the backlash after Saldanha's suicide.


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20,000 Divers Under the Sea : a History of the Mediterranean and Western Atlantic Sponge Trades with an Account of Early Deep Diving. / by Torrance R. Parker. Published by Sub-Sea Archives, 2013.
The Library's collections cover the history of deep diving and some of its technical aspects. The recently-published book on sponge diving was added to our collections.
Other histories of diving focus on deep diving, ocean engineering, underwater exploration, diving in the navy, and offshore oil well drilling. Our collection contains a variety of resources such as books by well-known authors and practitioners Torrance Parker, Jacques Cousteau, and translations from French authors, symposium proceedings, and technical manuals. The Library also holds a complete series of The Journal of Diving History. Please call the Library for more information at 310-548-7618.
Deep Diving History: See our online catalog for books on the subject of deep diving.


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If you're going to come all this way to grab hold of Brazilian and Argentine culture, do it the right way with this 22-day trip. It's a once-in-a-lifetime cultural, beach, and natural adventure. Trek through the stunning Chapada Diamantina National Park, stay for two nights in the inner Amazon, stand in front of the thundering Iguassu Falls, and explore the exhilarating cities of Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador. Go big.
What's Included
Your Discover Moment: Paraty
Your Discover Moment: Ilha Grande. Iguassu Falls visit (Brazil and Argentina). Beach time in Paraty. Beach time in Ilha Grande. Rio de Janeiro stay. Amazon Jungle stay (3 days). Beach time in Jericoacoara. Guided exploration of Chapada Diamantina NP. Local flights. All transport between destinations and to/from included activities.
Experience the bustle of Buenos Aires, hear the roar of Iguassu Falls, marvel at Rio's cityscape, spot wildlife in the northern Amazon Jungle, swim in the teal waters at Jericoacoara, hike around Chapada Diamantina NP
Itinerary Disclaimer
While it is our intention to adhere to the route described below, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion it may be necessary, or desirable to make alterations. The itinerary is brief, as we never know exactly where our journey will take us. Due to our style of travel and the regions we visit, travel can be unpredictable. The Trip Details document is a general guide to the tour and region and any mention of specific destinations or wildlife is by no means a guarantee that they will be visited or encountered. Aboard expedition trips visits to research stations depend on final permission.
Additionally, any travel times listed are approximations only and subject to vary due to local circumstances.
Important Notes
A good size daypack or overnight bag is required for this trip. The luggage allowance for the motorized canoe from Manaus is 7 kg. Your remaining luggage can be safely stored in Manaus – the CEO will help to arrange this locally.
Please note that this tour combines with other G Adventures tours. As such, the staff and some travel companions on your tour may have previously been traveling together with G Adventures, prior to Day 1 of your tour. Likewise, some staff and travel companions may be continuing together on another G Adventures tour, after your trip concludes.
Group Leader Description
All G Adventures group trips are accompanied by one of our group leaders, a G Adventures representative, or an expedition team. The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. They will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting- we think it's the best of both worlds.
Group Size Notes
Max 16, avg 12
Meals Included
21 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
Plane, private van, bus, ferry, boat, canoe, hiking
Local Flights
All local flights are included in the cost of your tour unless otherwise noted. It is important that we have your passport information at the time of booking in order to process these tickets. Internal flight tickets are issued locally and will be given to you prior to the flight departure.
Solo Travellers
We believe solo travellers should not have to pay more to travel so our group trips are designed for shared accommodation and do not involve a single supplement. Single travellers joining group trips are paired in twin or multi-share accommodation with someone of the same sex for the duration of the trip. Some of our Independent trips are designed differently and solo travellers on these itineraries must pay the single trip price.
Hotels (13 nts), jungle lodge (2 nts), guesthouse (6 nts).
My Own Room Exceptions
Nights 10-11: Amazon lodge, Nights 18-20 Chapada Diamantina National Park.
About Accommodation
Please note that hot water shortages and power outages can be fairly common in Latin America (even in upgraded hotels and private homes). We appreciate your patience and understanding that these occurrences are outside of our control.
Joining Hotel
For details of your joining hotel please refer to your tour voucher, G Account, the G Adventures App or contact your travel agent.
Joining Instructions
Officially the airport is called Ministro Pistarini International Airport, but it is commonly referred to as Ezeiza. It is situated 35 km (22 miles) from the city, about 40 minutes in a taxi. A taxi to the centre costs approximately $45 USD and can be arranged from the official counter inside the Arrivals area.
If you have paid in advance for an arrival transfer, a G Adventures representative will be at the airport to meet you. If for any reason you are not met at the airport, please call our local support line. If you are unable to make contact for whatever reason, please make your way to the joining point hotel via taxi.
Please note that Day 1 is an arrival day and no activities have been planned for that day other then your welcome meeting in the evening, so you can arrive at any time. Similarly the last day is a departure day during which no activities have been planned.
A G Adventures Representative will organize a short meeting soon after arrival, during which you will meet other tour participants and receive information about general and specific aspects of the trip. A welcome note will be left for you in the hotel so you have all the necessary information regarding the meeting time. If you arrive late, s/he will leave you a message detailing what time and where you should meet the next morning.
Arrival Complications
We don't expect any problems, and nor should you, but if for any reason you are unable to commence your trip as scheduled, please refer to the emergency contact details provided in this dossier and contact us as soon as possible. If you have a pre-booked transfer, and you have not made contact with our representative within 30 minutes of clearing customs and immigration, we recommend that you make your own way to the Starting Point hotel, following the Joining Instructions. Please apply to your travel agent on your return for a refund of the transfer cost if this occurs.
Emergency Contact
Should you need to contact us during a situation of dire need, it is best to first call either the G Adventures Local Representative (if one is listed below) or our G Adventures Local Office. If for any reason you do not receive an immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and contact information, so they may return your call and assist you as soon as possible.
If you have purchased an arrival through G Adventures or if an arrival transfer is included in the cost of your tour, please note that:
Your arrival transfer has been arranged based on flight information provided to us. If you are advised of a flight schedule change within 48 hours of your scheduled arrival time, we will do our best to rearrange your arrival transfer however we cannot guarantee this. If your arrival transfer does not arrive within 30 minutes after you have exited the arrivals area please take a taxi to your start point hotel.
G Adventures Office Buenos Aires, Argentina
During office hours (Weekdays 9am-6pm Local Time)
From outside Argentina: +54 11 2150 2581
From within Argentina, but outside of Buenos Aires: 011 2150 2581
After hours Emergency number
From outside Argentina: +54 9 11 3425 0380
From within Argentina, but outside of Buenos Aires: 011 15 3425 0380
G Adventures Local Representative (Rio)
From Outside of Brazil: (0054) 9 11 3 425 0380
If using Brazilian SIM card purchased outside or Rio: 031 9 11 3 425 0380
If using Brazilian SIM card purchased in Rio: 9 11 3 425 0380
If you are unable for any reason to contact our local office, please call the numbers listed below, which will connect you directly with our 24 hour Sales team, who will happily assist you.
Toll-free, North America only: 1 888 800 4100
Calls from UK: 0344 272 0000
Calls from Germany: 0800 365 1000
Calls from Australia: 1 300 796 618
Calls from New Zealand: 0800 333 307
Outside North America, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the UK: +1 416 260 0999
What to Take
Most people automatically assume that the weather is hot in South America, however this is not always the case, and you may need warm clothes depending on the time of year you travel. We recommend the use of a duffel bag or backpack, whichever is easiest for you to carry.
A good size daypack or overnight bag is required for this trip. The luggage allowance for the motorized canoe from Manaus is 7 kg. Your remaining luggage can be safely stored in Manaus – the CEO will help to arrange this locally.
Packing List
• Flight info (required) (Printouts of e-tickets may be required at the border)
• Insurance info (required) (With photocopies)
• Passport (required) (With photocopies)
• Required visas or vaccination certificates (required) (With photocopies)
• Vouchers and pre-departure information (required)
• Binoculars (optional)
• Camera (With extra memory cards and batteries)
• Cash, credit and debit cards
• Day pack (Used for daily excursions or short overnights)
• Ear plugs
• First-aid kit (should contain lip balm with sunscreen, sunscreen, whistle, Aspirin, Ibuprofen, bandaids/plasters, tape, anti-histamines, antibacterial gel/wipes, antiseptic cream, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, rehydration powder, water purification tablets or drops, insect repellent, sewing kit, extra prescription drugs you may be taking)
• Flashlight/torch (Headlamps are ideal)
• Fleece top/sweater
• Footwear
• Hat
• Locks for bags
• Long pants/jeans
• Moneybelt
• Outlet adapter
• Personal entertainment (Reading and writing materials, cards, music player, etc.)
• Reusable water bottle
• Shirts/t-shirts
• Sleepwear
• Small travel towel
• Sunglasses
• Toiletries (Preferably biodegradable)
• Watch and alarm clock
• Waterproof backpack cover
• Windproof rain jacket
Warm Weather:
• Sandals/flip-flops
• Shorts/skirts (Longer shorts/skirts are recommended)
• Sun hat/bandana
• Swimwear
Laundry facilities are offered by some of our hotels for a charge. There will be times when you may want to or have to do your own laundry so we suggest you bring non-polluting/biodegradable soap.
Visas and Entry Requirements
Americans, Canadians, Australians and some other nationalities need a tourist visa in order to enter Brazil. Please contact your local Brazilian Embassy to find out if you need to apply for one and for further details. If you are required to have a visa you will need to get one before entering Brazil, otherwise you will be refused entry. Processing fees and time frames depend on each country, but can take 2 weeks or longer, so we advise you to apply for it as early as possible.
US citizens: 160 USD
Australian Citizens: 35 USD
Canadian Citizens: 65 USD
This trip crosses the border between Argentina and Brazil on Day 2 of this tour. The border name is Paso Iguazu and borders the cities of Puerto Iguazu and Foz do Iguazu.
Spending Money
Every traveller is different and therefore spending money requirements will vary. Some travellers may drink more than others while other travellers like to purchase more souvenirs than most. Please consider your own spending habits when it comes to allowing for drinks, shopping and tipping. Please also remember the following specific recommendations when planning your trip.
Money Exchange
Credit cards and debit cards are very useful for cash advances. Visa cards are the most widely accepted cards. While ATMs are widely available, there are no guarantees that your credit or debit cards will actually work in Latin America. Check with your bank.
You should be aware that to purchase products or services on a credit card a fee of 5%-10% usually applies.
Do not rely on credit or debit cards as your only source of money, a combination of US dollar cash and cards is best. Please bear in mind that cost of living in the southern cone countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile) is much higher than the rest of South America, and more comparable with Europe. Always take more rather than less, as you don't want to spoil the trip by constantly feeling short of funds.
We do not recommend bringing travellers cheques as they are very difficult to change in country.
CURRENCY EXCHANGE TIP: Please be advised that slightly torn notes, notes that have been heavily marked or are faded may be difficult to exchange. It is best to bring notes in fairly good condition, in denominations lower than 100USD (or equivalent).
As currency exchange rates can fluctuate often we ask that you refer to the following website for daily exchange rates: www.xe.com
Emergency Fund
Please also make sure you have access to at least an additional USD $200 (or equivalent) as an 'emergency' fund, to be used when circumstances outside our control (ex. a natural disaster) require a change to our planned route. This is a rare occurrence!
It is customary in Latin America to tip service providers such as waiters, at approximately 10%, depending on the service. Tipping is an expected – though not compulsory – component of your tour program and an expression of satisfaction with the persons who have assisted you on your tour. Although it may not be customary to you, it is of considerable significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels. There are several times during the trip where there is opportunity to tip the local guides or drivers we use. Recommendations for tipping drivers and local guides would range from $5-10 USD per day depending on the quality and length of the service; ask your CEO for specific recommendations based on the circumstances and culture.
Also at the end of each trip if you felt your G Adventures CEO did an outstanding job, tipping is appreciated. The amount is entirely a personal preference, however as a guideline $20-25 USD per person, per week can be used.
Optional Activities
Puerto Iguazú
- Iguassu Falls Boat Tour (70USD per person)
- 4×4 Tour (100BRL per person)
- Paraty Bay Boat Tour
- Paraty Boat Tour (100BRL per person)
- Kayaking (90BRL per person)
- Horseback Riding Paraty (120-150BRL per person)
- Cachaça Distillery Visit (90BRL per person)
Ilha Grande
- Hike to Pico do Papagaio (130BRL per person)
- Lopez Mendez Hike
- Ilha Grande Boat Excursion (120BRL per person)
- Snorkelling Ilha Grande
Rio de Janeiro
- Rio de Janeiro City Tour (240BRL per person)
- Optional Welcome Meeting for Travellers on Combos
- Por do Sol Sunset (Free)
- Sandboarding
- Dune Buggy Ride (400BRL per group)
- Kite Surfing Lesson (550BRL per person)
- Surfing
- Olodum House (Free)
- Salvador City Tour (45BRL per person)
- Capoeira Performance (80BRL per person)
You should consult your doctor for up-to-date medical travel information well before departure. We recommend that you carry a First Aid kit and hand sanitizers / antibacterial wipes as well as any personal medical requirements. Please be aware that quite often we are in remote areas and away from medical facilities, and for legal reasons our leaders are prohibited from administering any type of drug including headache tablets, antibiotics, etc. When selecting your trip please carefully read the brochure and itinerary and assess your ability to cope with our style of travel. Please refer to the Physical ratings for trip specific information. G Adventures reserves the right to exclude any traveller from all or part of a trip without refund if in the reasonable opinion of our CEO they are unable to complete the itinerary without undue risk to themselves and/or the rest of the group.
Safety and Security
Many national governments provide a regularly updated advice service on safety issues involved with international travel. We recommend that you check your government's advice for their latest travel information before departure. We strongly recommend the use of a neck wallet or money belt while travelling, for the safe keeping of your passport, air tickets, travellers' cheques, cash and other valuable items. Leave your valuable jewelery at home – you won't need it while travelling. Many of the hotels we use have safety deposit boxes, which is the most secure way of storing your valuables. A lock is recommended for securing your luggage. When travelling on a group trip, please note that your group leader has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the trip itinerary if it deemed necessary, due to safety concerns. Your Chief Experience Officer (CEO) will accompany you on all included activities. During your trip you will have some free time to pursue your own interests, relax and take it easy and explore at your leisure. While your CEO will assist you with options available in a given location, please note that any optional activities you undertake are not part of your itinerary, and we offer no representations about the safety of the activity or the standard of the operators running them. Please use your own good judgement when selecting an activity in your free time. Although the cities visited on tour are generally safe during the day, there can be risks to wandering throughout any major city at night. It is our recommendation to stay in small groups and to take taxis to and from restaurants, or during night time excursions.
Water based activities have an element of danger and excitement built into them. We recommend only participating in water based activities when accompanied by a guide(s). We make every reasonable effort to ensure the fun and adventurous element of any water based activities (in countries with varying degrees of operating standards), have a balanced approach to safety. It is our policy not to allow our CEOs to make arrangements on your behalf for water based activities that are not accompanied by guide(s).
Swimming, including snorkeling, is always at your own risk. Read more about travel safety for ways to further enhance your personal safety while traveling.
Trip Specific Safety
Please note: You should be especially careful when wandering about Buenos Aires on your own, particularly at night. Tourists are easy prey for individual pickpockets or groups of two or more people working as a team on the streets. Pay particular attention to anyone who 'accidentally' spills anything on your clothes or belongings (mustard, etc.) and then apologizes and offers to help clean up. They will clean you out instead! Be safe and leave your passport, credit cards, travellers cheques and cash funds you won't be using immediately in the hotel's safety deposit box. Most locals are honest and genuinely helpful and friendly, but be safe and enjoy the city!
A Couple of Rules
Illegal drugs will not be tolerated on any trips. Possessing or using drugs not only contravenes the laws of the land but also puts the rest of the group at risk. Smoking marijuana and opium is a part of local culture in some parts of the world but is not acceptable for our travellers. Our philosophy of travel is one of respect towards everyone we encounter, and in particular the local people who make the world the special place it is. The exploitation of prostitutes is completely contrary to this philosophy. Our group leader has the right to expel any member of the group if drugs are found in their possession or if they use prostitutes.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is compulsory in order to participate on any of our trips. When travelling on a group trip, you will not be permitted to join the group until evidence of travel insurance has been sighted by your leader, who will take note of your insurance details. When selecting a travel insurance policy we require that at a minimum you are covered for medical expenses including emergency evacuation and repatriation. A minimum coverage of USD200,000 is required. G Adventures can provide you with the appropriate coverage. We strongly recommend that the policy also covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects. Some tours include adventure activities that require extra coverage (e.g. crampon use); please review your itinerary and make sure that you are covered for all included activities. If you have credit card insurance we require proof of purchase of the trip (a receipt of credit card statement) with a credit card in your name. Contact your bank for details of their participating insurer, the level of coverage and emergency contact telephone number.
Planeterra-The G Adventures Foundation
The Planeterra Foundation planeterra.org is a Canadian non-profit organization that helps empower local people to develop their communities, conserve their cultures, and create humane and supportive systems for their endeavours. Planeterra provides capacity building and catalyst grants to get community social enterprises off the ground. These businesses address local challenges by providing benefits for indigenous people, empowering marginalized women, and granting disadvantaged youth access to education, employment, and brighter futures. Planeterra also works to ensure these businesses have a thriving customer base by integrating programs into G Adventures' itineraries globally.
G Adventures is Planeterra's largest corporate donor, covering all operating costs so 100% of your donation will bring opportunity to people in need.
Dollar-a-Day Program
G Adventures' Dollar-a-Day Program provides travellers with the opportunity to give back to the people and places visited on our tours by donating one dollar for every day you are on trip. 100% of these donations go directly to support community development projects worldwide that are implemented by Planeterra.
After your travels, we want to hear from you! Your feedback information is so important to us that we'll give you 5% off the price of your next G Adventures trip if your feedback is completed on-line within 30 days of finishing your trip. Your tour evaluation will be e-mailed to you 24 hours after the conclusion of your trip. If you do not receive the tour evaluation link in the days after your tour has finished, please drop us a line at firstname.lastname@example.com and we will send it on to you.
Our adventure travel e-newsletter is full of travel news, trip information, interesting stories and contests. To avoid missing out on special offers and updates from G Adventures, subscribe at www.gadventures.com/newsletters/
Stay current on how our company invests in our global community through our foundation – Planeterra. Sign up for Planeterra's monthly news to learn more about how to give back and support the people and places we love to visit.
Minimum Age
You must be 18 to travel unaccompanied on a G Adventures tour. For minors travelling with a guardian over 21 years old, the minimum age is 12.
International Flights
Check-in times and baggage allowances/restrictions vary by airline and can change at any time. For the most up-to-date information for your flight, please contact your airline. We recommend checking in online in advance to avoid potential delays at the airport.
Max Pax
Group Leader
Chief Experience Officer (CEO) throughout, local guides.
Day 1: Buenos Aires
If you arrive early, start exploring! Later, grab a seat and enjoy a drink at one of the city's many sidewalk cafés and restaurants.
Additional Notes:
Pre nights are recommended to fully enjoy this vibrant city and take part in the optional activities available.
Included Activities:
Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting
Day 2: Buenos Aires/Foz do Iguaçu (1B)
Fly to Iguassu Falls for two full days of exploration from both the Argentine and Brazilian sides.
Additional Notes:
The luggage restrictions for all Aerolineas Argentinas flights are 15kg for checked baggage and 5kg for carry-ons.
Included Activities:
Border Crossing (Argentina – Brazil)
Iguassu Falls (Brazil Side) Guided Tour
Head to the airport and fly north to the Argentine side of Iguassu Falls. Continue on to the border from there.
Plane (1.50 hour(s), 1640km)
Climb aboard and drive to the Brazilian side of Iguassu Falls for a little exploration.
Private Vehicle (1.00-1.50 hours)
Day 3: Foz do Iguaçu (1B)
Explore trails that will bring you directly over the falls of the Devil's Throat—the highest and deepest of the falls. Other trails allow access to the stretch of falls across the forest on the Argentine side. Opt to take an inflatable boat to the base of the thundering falls.
Included Activities:
Border Crossing (Brazil – Argentina)
Iguassu Falls Visit
Border Crossing (Argentina – Brazil)
Day 4: Foz do Iguaçu/Paraty (1B)
On arrival in São Paulo, continue on by bus to the gorgeous coastal town of Paraty. Wander the cobblestoned streets, take a boat trip to the nearby islands in the bay, or visit one of the many white-sand beaches that make Brazil famous.
An early morning flight gets you Paraty with plenty of time to explore.
Plane (1.50 hour(s))
Enjoy the drive to São Paulo, stopping for lunch along the way.
Shared Van (5.00-6.00 hours)
Day 5: Paraty (1B)
Paraty is a quaint colonial town renowned for its architecture—the pace might be slow but there's a lot to choose from. Considered one of the world's most important examples of Portuguese colonial architecture by UNESCO, the historic centre is a well-preserved national historic monument, and today has been closed to vehicles to preserve its laid-back colonial ambiance. Opt to take a boat trip in the bay, kayak, go horseback riding, or take a jeep tour.
Day 6: Paraty/Ilha Grande (1B)
A short, scenic drive along the coast takes us to Angra dos Reis. Board the ferry to Ilha Grande—home to some of Brazil's most beautiful beaches.
Enjoy free time to soak up the sun, snorkel, hike and cruise to various beaches, not to mention feast on fresh seafood and sip caipirinhas in the plaza in the evenings.
Shared Van (1.50-2.00 hours, 100km)
Ferry (1.50 hour(s))
Day 7: Ilha Grande (1B)
Enjoy a free day in Ilha Grande. Optional activities include hiking Pico Do Papagalo or Lopez Mendez, snorkelling or relaxing on the beach.
Day 8: Ilha Grande/Rio de Janeiro (1B)
Travel back to the mainland by ferry before continuing north along the coast. Enjoy the incredible scenery before rounding the cliffs at Vidigal. Get your first look at one of the most memorable cities in the world—Río de Janeiro.
Ferry (1.50 hour(s))
Enjoy the incredible scenery before rounding the cliffs at Vidigal. Get your first look at one of the most memorable cities in the world—Río de Janeiro.
Shared Van (3.00-3.50 hours, 87km)
Day 9: Rio de Janeiro (1B)
Enjoy a free day to soak up the vibrant energy of Rio de Janeiro.
Day 10: Rio de Janeiro/Amazon Jungle Lodge (1B)
Transfer one hour from Manaus to the village of Rio Preto da Eva, visit a local market before heading up river by motorized canoe to the jungle lodge.
The wet season, from March to August known as igapó, floods the surrounding forests enriching the soil and plants. Gliding over the submerged forest by canoe is an experience that is unique to the Amazon.
The dry season from September to February also has its draws, when the level of the river reaches its lowest, fish crowd together making them easy targets for catfish and dolphins. Lower water levels also make it harder for caimans to hide and easier to spot.
Included Activities:
Night Boat Excursion
Plane (4.00 hour(s))
Private Vehicle (1.00 hour(s))
Motorized canoe (1.50 hour(s))
Day 11: Amazon Jungle Lodge (1B, 1L, 1D)
The lodge is located within the jungle and just off the river making a great base for Amazon exploration. During free time relax in the hammocks or go for a swim.
Listen to the local guides explain what life is like in the Amazon and learn about the legends, traditions and culture of the region.
Included Activities:
Jungle Hike
Day 12: Amazon Jungle Lodge/Fortaleza (1B)
Wake up early for a morning excursion by canoe and enjoy the silence before the jungle awakens. Take in the sights and sounds of the Amazon while travelling along the river back to Manaus before flying to Fortaleza.
Included Activities:
Sunrise Canoe Excursion
Motorized canoe (1.50 hour(s))
Private Vehicle (1.00 hour(s))
Plane (5.00 hour(s))
Day 13: Fortaleza/Jericoacoara (1B)
Today is a long travel day to get to the calm teal waters of "Jeri". Travel up the coast away from Fortaleza and arrive in the evening in time to watch the sunset over the ocean.
Local bus (8.00 hour(s))
Day 14: Jericoacoara (1B)
Affectionately known as 'Jeri' to locals, Jericoacoara is a small fishing village where the streets are made of sand. Surrounded by sand dunes, and stunning coastline there are plenty of activities to choose from during the day. At night, the town lights up with its many restaurants and fun nightlife.
Day 15: Jericoacoara (1B)
Visit the Holed Stone, a famous rock formation located a 30 min walk down the beach, grab your camera, it makes for a scenic view with the ocean as its backdrop.
Jeri is an ideal spot to try some of the many water sports on offer. Named one of the best places in the world for windsurfing, it is a mecca for water sports of all kinds, give surfing, windsurfing or kitesurfing a try.
Day 16: Jericoacoara/Fortaleza (1B)
Travel from Jeri back to Fortaleza, enjoy the vibrant city and nightlife.
Local bus (8.00 hour(s))
Day 17: Fortaleza/Salvador (1B)
Salvador is famous for it's Afro-Brazilian culture, if you haven't had a chance to see the famous Capoeira, check out a performance. Wander the cobblestone streets of Pelourinho, the old city, and sit outside and enjoy dinner while people watching.
Find a spot on the umbrella crowded beach and do some shopping from the vendors passing by, they sell almost everything. The bay has calm waters which makes it ideal to go for a dip in the ocean.
Included Activities:
Orientation Walk
Day 18: Days 18-19 Salvador/Chapada Diamantina National Park
Head away from the coast for some hiking, mountains and breathtaking landscapes. Catch a bus to Chapada Diamantina NP and look forward to a few active days. Enjoy the evening in the small town of Lençóis, the base for exploring the park.
Local bus (7.00 hour(s))
Day 19: Chapada Diamantina National Park (1B)
Over the next few days, enjoy guided exploration through Chapada Diamantina NP. Journey down into the caves at Gruta Lapa Doce and Pratinha, where the glowing blue water is so transparent that it's hard to tell where the roof ends and the water begins.
Hike through the park to Poco do Diablo waterfall for a swim en route to Morro do Pai Inácio for an incredible view over the beautiful park.
Day 20: Day 21 Chapada Diamantina National Park/Salvador (1B)
Take a scenic ride through the countryside on the way back to Salvador. Enjoy the evening in this vibrant city.
Local bus (7.00 hour(s))
Day 21: Day 22 Salvador (1B)
Depart at any time.


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Winter can be fairly slow regarding soil and crops issues, so Noble Foundation soil and crops specialist Eddie Funderburg suggests producers take time to reflect on the previous year and plan for the coming one.
"You've probably noticed that fertilizer prices are up a bit — well, maybe more than a bit," Funderburg says. "They aren't coming down until natural gas prices come down."
What can you do to make sure your fertilizer money is well spent? The first thing is to take good soil samples.
"If you've been fertilizing heavily in the past, you may have built up a pool of nitrogen in the soil you can exploit now. On the other hand, if you're very low in P or K, you will need to apply those, or the nitrogen you apply will not be used efficiently," he says. "The only way you will know either of these things is to take good soil samples."
To determine if you have residual nitrogen in the soil, you will need to collect both 0- to 6-inch and 6-inch to 12-inch soil samples.
Prioritize where to spend fertilizer money. Should a small amount be applied over the entire place, or should more be put in some fields while others are neglected? Should the best ground be fertilized heavily, or should the less productive land be fertilized to make it produce more like the best land?
"Our feeling is that you're better off fertilizing the most productive ground you have first," Funderburg says.
It's more productive for a reason, such as soil depth, water holding capacity, soil chemistry, etc. Such land has a greater probability of converting the fertilizer to grass or crops than less-productive land, which is not productive for a similar reason in reverse.
"If you have equally productive land and a very limited budget for fertilizer, look at your soil test results and fertilize the fields that do not require as much P and K. This will allow you to buy more nitrogen with the same money," he says.
Another consideration is where to apply herbicides if money is tight. Assuming fairly equal weed pressure, use herbicide on fertilized fields before using it on unfertilized fields.
"If you don't control the weeds, they will respond to fertilizer like desirable plants and use a lot of the nutrients," Funderburg says. "We usually recommend spraying introduced pastures before native grass pastures if weed pressure is similar. Another thing you can do is identify the weeds in each field and use the least-expensive herbicide option to control those weeds."
Taking time now to plan where to concentrate fertilizer and herbicide inputs can save time and money in the spring.


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Atlassian Valued at $3.3 Billion Selling Business Software Sans Salespeople
Atlassian, an Australian maker of online collaboration tools for businesses, is gunning for the same market as fast-growing startup Box Inc. And like Box, Atlassian is also now one of the world's most valuable venture-backed companies with a new investment valuing the company at $3.3 billion.
The similarities stop there.
Atlassian, founded in 2002 by co-chief executive officers Scott Farquhar and Mike Cannon-Brookes, builds software to help IT departments, computer programmers and other professionals work together online. It's one of several young technology companies, including Box and Workday, to move business applications to the Web, lowering the cost of licenses and freeing workers to store and access files from anywhere.
But Atlassian is breaking from the mold of most enterprise software companies, which invest heavily to employ armies of salespeople to push products to new customers.
Atlassian doesn't employ a single salesperson. With the money it saves, the company invests heavily on research and development, building products with the aim that they are good enough to spread by word of mouth (helped along by a modest marketing budget for billboards and online ads).
"Fifteen years ago, as long as you had the best distribution you would win," Mr. Farquhar said in an interview. "It didn't matter whether Oracle was worse than SAP. These days, people are making decisions based on how good the products are."
Mr. Farquhar said Atlassian is profitable as a result, and it has been cash-flow positive each quarter for the past 12 years. Its sales have risen an average of 40% annually over the last five years, and its revenue run-rate, or the amount the company would generate by extrapolating current revenue over the next 12 months, is over $200 million.
Atlassian's profitability stands in stark contrast to Box, the online-storage company founded just three years later that last month filed its public IPO prospectus. Last year, Box doubled its revenue to $124 million but it racked up a loss of nearly $169 million. Box spent more than 100% of its revenue -- or $171 million -- on costs like sales commissions, advertising and stock compensation. Box also had negative operating cash flow of $91.8 million.
Atlassian says it spends just 15% to 20% of its annual revenue on sales and marketing and a much greater share, 35% to 40% of sales, on research and development. Box spent about 37% of its sales last year on R&D.
A spokeswoman for Box declined to comment, citing quiet-period restrictions for companies going public.
Atlassian's sales costs could grow over time, however. The company initially served small teams of developers, who often seek out the highest-quality software on their own. But as the company expands and aims to sell tools to larger businesses, it may need to bring in salespeople who can help manage those relationships, said Thomas Murphy, a research director at Gartner Inc. About 35,000 organizations use Atlassian products, up from nearly 12,000 in July 2010.
"Eventually, it's not just the developer making the decision any more," Murphy said. "Now Atlassian is trying to figure out, where and how do we service really big accounts? Often they want a sales guy."
Atlassian also differs from Box and most other private technology companies of its size by never taking a direct injection of outside funding. Like the company's previous funding from Accel Partners in 2010, Atlassian's employees will cash out of some shares at a valuation of $3.3 billion, according to a person familiar with the transaction. In the tender offer, T. Rowe Price and Dragoneer Investment Capital will purchase up to $150 million from existing shareholders.
Because Atlassian is generating cash every year that it then reinvests, the company is in no hurry to raise money in the public markets, Mr. Cannon-Brookes said. "We don't have the pressure other companies have to get through a public offering," he said.
Still, Atlassian has more than 800 employees – some who have worked there for more than 10 years – and the company needed to give them liquidity as it puts off an IPO. Employees will be able to sell a portion of their shares in the secondary financing. Accel, the only previous outside backer, will also sell a portion of its shares, said Rich Wong, a partner at Accel and member of Atlassian's board. Mssrs. Farquhar and Cannon-Brookes, who cashed in some of their shares in the 2010 financing, are not selling in this funding round.
Atlassian's valuation of $3.3 billion is roughly eight times the valuation from 2010, when Accel purchased shares valuing the company at $400 million, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Atlassian chose T. Rowe Price and Dragoneer because their expertise in the public markets may eventually be needed when it comes time to do an IPO, Mr. Cannon-Brookes said.
Atlassian's most popular product is Jira, a system for creating and tracking service-desk tickets across an organization. Over the years, it's added Confluence, a tool for team collaboration and document-sharing; Stash, an application for sharing code; and HipChat, a chat program the company acquired in 2012.
While Atlassian has added new types of services, its founders say it has no intention of competing directly with Box and larger players like Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. in the crowded market for online storage. "We may have a feature around storing files but it's not the hanger we're going to hang our hat on," Mr. Farquhar said.
Atlassian more directly competes with companies including Rally Software, which went public last year, and GitHub, a San Francisco-based startup that raised funding in 2012 in a round of funding valuing it at about $750 million.
--Evelyn M. Rusli contributed to this article.
(Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly reported that GitHub raised a funding round last year. The investment came in 2012.)


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Putting Things In Perspective
We swept the Giants this year, with a very solid game against the Giants yesterday, following up on a very good performance in a shootout against one of the best teams/offenses in the league in New England. That was following a decent performance through 50 minutes against the Jets with Rex having a very off day. And that's following a very good win against a young Seahawks team who just seems to give everyone fits.
Rex Grossman's play has been up and down, as expected, and he still makes way too many mistakes, and some of them crucial. But under Rex Grossman, this offense seems to take a little flight. It's true that receivers like the ability to go deep and not have to get smacked around in the middle after a 5-yard slant. It's also true it opens up those 5-yard slants to keep defenses honest to the threat. Rex Grossman gives us a chance to be a lethal offense… but that's it… a chance. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Barry Cofield, Brian Orakpo, Chris Chester, chris cooley, DeAngelo Hall, Donte Stallworth, fred davis, Jabar Gaffney, Jammal Brown, Jarvis Jenkins, Kyle Shanahan, Leonard Hankerson, london fletcher, Mike Shanahan, O.J. Atogwe, Perry Riley, Rex Grossman, Roy Helu, Ryan Kerrigan, santana moss, Trent Williams


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Post-game breakdown, video: Cincinnati
UConn scored a big resume-building win by beating No. 11 Cincinnati, 51-45, Saturday at the XL Center in Hartford.
"It was a great statement victory for us," coach Kevin Ollie said.
The Huskies improved to 4-2 against ranked teams. They have regular season games remaining against Rutgers Wednesday and atLouisville on Saturday.
At 23-6 overall, they've already done enough to earn an NCAA tournament bid. Now it's a matter of improving their seeding position.
Here's a post-game breakdown and video:
-- Check out the attached video of Ollie's post-game press conference. His voice is still hoarse from Wednesday's win at South Florida.
-- In the battle between two American Athletic Conference player-of-the-year candidates, UConn senior Shabazz Napier out-played Sean Kilpatrick.
Napier had a game-high 18 points and a team-best 11 rebounds. He also had two assists, two turnovers and two steals in 36 minutes.
Kilpatrick had 16 points on 4-for-16 from the field and added five rebounds and three assists. But he also had seven ofCincinnati's 20 turnovers.
Lasan Kromah, Niels Giffey and Terrence Samuel all took turns guarding Kilpatrick, who came in leading the AAC in scoring at 20.5 points per game.
"We were trying to limit his touches on the ball and make it uncomfortable for him," Kromah said.
-- The Huskies made a season-low 15 field goals and shot 31.3 percent. The Bearcats hit just 27.1 percent and had 13 field goals.
UConn also was out-rebounded, 44-30.
"We've got to make more shots," Ollie said. "We've got to rebound better, but at the end of the day we got a win."
-- Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin was in no mood to talk about UConn's stingy defense. He criticized his team's play.
"Cincinnati played terrible," Cronin said. "Kevin is a great coach. UConn's got a good team, but Cincinnati played terrible. Zero excuses in the world to turn the ball over 20 times against a team that doesn't press."
-- Ollie's faith in freshman Terrence Samuel is growing. Samuel played important minutes for the second straight game.
Samuel exhibited poise during crucial stretches, joining Napier and Boatright in a three-guard set. He had three points, one steal, one assist and no turnovers in 16 minutes.
"Last year I was home watching games like this on TV," Samuel said. "It feels great to be a part of it, especially to get the `W' and play quality minutes."
-- Junior Ryan Boatright didn't attempt a free throw for the first time this season. He had seven points.
-- For the first time this season, junior DeAndre Daniels has gone three straight games without scoring in double figures. He had just four points and played a season-low 15 minutes, only four in the second half.
-- Growing increasingly upset with the officiating, Cronin boiled over in the second half. He screamed at the officials and came close to earning a technical foul.
At one point, official Ted Valentine stood face-to-face jawing with Cronin, who had to be restrained one of his players.
"I don't appreciate people getting in my face," Cronin said. "Where I come from, you don't jump in someone's face. He apologized. He thought I was coming at him. I wasn't. I've got nothing but respect for Ted."
Valentine, who has a history of thrusting himself into the spotlight during games, had no business challenging Cronin.
He once ejected UConn coach Jim Calhoun from a Big East game.
-- UConn had its lowest point total in a victory since beating Villanova, 46-40, in February 2002.
-- The Huskies improved to 3-4 against the top four teams in the AAC.
-- It was a day of upsets in the AAC, as No. 21 Memphis knocked off No. 7 Louisville, 72-66.
Louisville and Cincinnati are tied for first place at 13-3. SMU is second at 12-4 while UConn and Memphisare tied for fourth at 11-5.
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eql) a list
Major Section: PROGRAMMING
Remove-duplicates returns the result of deleting duplicate
elements from the beginning of the given string or true list, i.e.,
leaving the last element in place. For example,
(remove-duplicates '(1 2 3 2 4))is equal to
'(1 3 2 4).
The guard for
Remove-duplicates requires that its argument is a
string or a true-list of
eqlablep objects. It uses the function
eql to test for equality between elements of its argument.
Remove-duplicates is a Common Lisp function. See any Common Lisp
documentation for more information. Note that we do not allow
keyword arguments (such as
test) in ACL2 functions, in
particular, in
remove-duplicates. But
see remove-duplicates-equal, which is similar but uses the
equal to test for duplicate elements.


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Until recently, I've never really considered how much of what you need to start and maintain a garden can be acquired for free or nearly free. But a few years back I challenged myself to see if I could create an organic garden from scratch on a total budget of $25 or less.
Until recently, I've never really considered how much of what you need to start and maintain a garden can be acquired for free or nearly free. But a few years back I challenged myself to see if I could create an organic garden from scratch on a total budget of $25 or less.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover just how far you can stretch that almighty dollar when you put your mind to it. Take starting seeds, for example. Rather than buying expensive commercial products, I learned to improvise using common household items, like reusing pizza boxes as seed-starting trays.
So in celebration of another fast-approaching season of playing in the dirt, here is a partial list of ideas to get you started and keep you on track to your most frugal garden yet.
Repurpose or recycle: When you start thinking creatively, you'll be amazed at the amount of things you discover that can be used in place of store-bought items. For example, I just returned from two grocery stores. Both donated large clear plastic cake domes with a base. These make perfect mini-greenhouses (to fit over those pizza-box seed-starting trays), and they'll last for years. If I purchased the real thing, I'd spend about $5 each.
Social media: Facebook and, especially, Twitter have been a gold mine for me in sourcing goods for my $25 garden. I've tapped into a vast network of talented, giving people who want to help you succeed (or seed, in my case). I've had an outpouring of offers from seeds to supplies. One new Twitter friend even provided free hand-painted plant markers! I treasure them still.
Craigslist.org and Freecycle.org: These are the coolest online ways to find exactly what you need. Craigslist is like a giant virtual garage sale, where you can find just about anything you need, right near where you live. Some things are free, but most are for sale at good prices.
Freecycle, on the other hand, is all free. It's all based on the idea of keeping things out of the landfill. You post online to give things away and look there for what you need that others are giving away. I have friends who have equipped their entire garden via Freecycle, from hoses and soil to bricks, seeds and plants.
Garage sales: Just in case you're not a fan of the online world, consider neighborhood garage sales. As much as you need a grow light or nice shovel, someone in your neighborhood is ready to make a deal.
Local government: Many city, county or other municipalities offer free compost for the taking. Some offer rain barrels and helpful seminars on gardening. These services are almost always free or well within even a cheapskate's budget.
Organize your own swap: Local events provide the ideal opportunity to swap seeds, tools, plants and supplies. Schools, churches and civic groups are great places to organize these events. Not only are you able to trade for free, you'll meet some wonderful people and recycle many of those items you're ready to part with.
Online seed swaps: There are many organizations and groups across the country that facilitate seed-swapping. The National Gardening Association (garden.org) has a free online service for this, and hyperlocavore.com is a worthy grass-roots effort that exemplifies the spirit of giving and sharing as it continues to build a network of members. Search online for "seed swaps" for more options.
Joe Lamp'l is host of "Growing a Greener World" on PBS. Visit joegardener.com.


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The Contoured Memory Foam Leg Pillow is specifically designed for the side sleeper who is looking to drastically reduce lower back pain. This special design properly aligns legs, hips, and spine to help relieve pain and pressure on your lower back. Made of 100% visco elastic memory foam, with a soft velour cover that is removable and washable.
The cushion is composed of dense, high quality memory foam to provide you with luxurious comfort and firm support. Revolutionary space-aged viscoelastic memory foam responds to body heat and pressure conforming to the body s contours, and then returns to its original shape.
Features Include:
- Contoured leg support to ease lower back pain
- Made of molded, highly resilient Viscoelastic memory foam Orthopedic design relieves tension
- Helps to keep the spine in proper alignment
- Soft velour-like case easily unzips for machine washing
- Measures 6 x 10 x 8 inches
Remedy Contoured Memory Foam Leg Pillow
Condition: NEW
+ Free Shipping
+ Free Shipping
Savings: 63%
Holy Stone F181 RC Quadcopter Drone with HD Camera RTF 4 Channel 2.4GHz 6-Gyro Headless System Black


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Lady Bug (Intellivision)
Published by
Developed by
Also For
Critic Score
100 point score based on reviews from various critics.
User Score
5 point score based on user ratings.
Not an American user?
DescriptionAn action game in the same style as Pac-Man but very very different. Players control a ladybug who must venture around different mazes collecting all of the food pellet "x"'s. In addition to there being regular lines of wall in the maze, there are also several rotating doors that can be used to trap enemies and escape. In fact these rotating doors are the key to survival in this game. In the center of each maze is a different enemy insect hive that will spawn out enemy creatures. An new enemy creature is spawned every time the border around the screen makes a complete "lap". Timers for the border vary upon the level, so later levels will generate new enemies faster, thus progression through the game brings smarter, faster and more quickly spawning enemies.
In addition to the collection of X's, each maze also contains a variety of powerups that come in three types: Poison, Letters and Hearts. Poison is deadly both to the player and the enemy. If the player is able to lure and enemy creature into a poison powerup, it will die and be removed from gameplay. Letters and hearts are powerups with multiple conditions: Collected at the right time they will add letters that will eventually spell words providing bonuses. However collected during the the improper time will only earn the player a few points. For most of the gameplay the colour of all powerups (except skulls which are unaffected) will be blue. But every few seconds it will cycle through yellow and then red colours. Grabbing a letter when flashing the colour will add it to that colour's word. The red word is "SPECIAL" and the yellow word is "EXTRA". Spelling the word, EXTRA gains the player an extra life, and spelling the word, SPECIAL brings the player to a special bonus round.
Hearts are best used as blue powerups as they will act as multipliers for the X's being picked up, first as 2x, then as 3x and finally as 5x. Multipliers are lost when the player dies, but letter powerups are not.
Promo Images
There are no promo images for this game
Alternate Titles
- "Papa Tudo" -- Brazilian Title
Part of the Following Groups
User Reviews
There are no reviews for this game.
Critic Reviews
|Jul 27, 2012
|7.7 out of 10
|Electronic Fun with Computers & Games
|Nov, 1983
|2.5 out of 4
|Jan, 1984
|3 out of 6
|All Game Guide
There are currently no topics for this game.
Atari 2600 versionAn Atari 2600 version of Lady Bug was featured in Coleco's 1982 catalogue, but was never released, neither has a prototype has surfaced since then. However, the game was independently ported by John W. Champeau in 2006 as a so-called "homebrew" cartridge.
Related Web Sites
- LadyBug 2k6 (A Windows remake made for the 2006 Retro Remakes Competition.)
Servo (57415) added Lady Bug (Intellivision) on Sep 06, 2003
Other platforms contributed by WildKard-Shoddyan (13030), Kabushi (227180) and Игги Друге (46403)
There are no game credits on file for this release of the game. Everything in MobyGames is contributable by users.


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Cinematic trailers are everywhere in games marketing these days, so much so it's rare to see a title shown off for the first time any other way. As we become more familiar with them, though, we start to take them for granted.
Which is a bit of a shame, considering how much work actually goes into making one.
French visual effects studio Unit Image has made this great video showing how they put ZombiU's E3 trailer together.
It's...a hell of a lot of work.
Oh, and if you were wondering about the music, and thinking if you'd heard it before, yeah, you probably have.
Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game artists, showcasing the best of both their professional and personal portfolios. If you're in the business and have some concept, environment or character art you'd like to share, drop us a line!


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The fan
The only air conditioning we had growing up was a roaring electric fan in the window with the curtains carefully tucked in so not to be caught in the blades. I remember my younger brother and I talking and laughing into it to hear the funny echoes of our voices. We would also take naps on a quilt thrown on the floor in front of the fan that not only cooled us on many summer afternoons, but the sound of it and the blowing air in my face would put me right to sleep.
I have air conditioning in my home, but on the nights when I find myself restless and unable to sleep, I plug in my fan at the foot of my bed, and minutes later the stresses of my day are fanned away and I am napping like a baby once again.
Jean Burger, Kittrell, Wake Electric


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The adoption of master data management (MDM) promises many benefits ranging from business agility and improved business performance to increased revenue and lower IT and business costs. However, according to Gartner, Inc., achieving these benefits often entails overcoming formidable technical, organizational and political hurdles.
Gartner defines MDM as a technology-enabled discipline that ensures the uniformity, accuracy, stewardship and semantic consistency of an enterprise's official, shared master data assets. Organizations use master data for consistency, simplification, uniformity of process, analysis and communication across the business.
"MDM is the latest attempt to solve the old problem of inconsistent versions of important data at the center of an organization," said Andrew White, research vice president at Gartner. "As with any new initiative, there is a lot of hype and confusion, and with hype and confusion comes misunderstanding. Executive sponsors of MDM and MDM program managers must avoid several common mistakes that have been known to derail MDM initiatives in the past."
To clarify some of the confusing and conflicting points of view on MDM, Gartner has highlighted the prevalent myths surrounding MDM alongside an explanation of the realities.
11 Digital Trends to Watch in 2011 Gain insights on trends shaping digital media in 2011.
SMB Disaster Preparedness: A Recipe for Disaster SMBs are not making disaster preparedness a priority until after they experience a disaster or data loss.
Top 10 Tech Jobs for 2011 With the right tech skills, it's a job candidate's market.
Related Topics : GPS, GSM, Master Data Management
We see time and time again, with things like shadow IT, that users don't always have the same level of appreciation for or understanding of why we need device management tools. ... More >>
Knowing that enterprise mobility users are overwhelmingly dissatisfied, let's examine the myths that might deter organizations from trying VMI. ... More >>
Mobile has revolutionized business and now wearables and intelligent automation are furthering a redesign of interactivity among employees, assets, tools and customers. ... More >>


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June 2, 2011 - Today, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) biologists along with Louisiana Sea Grant scientists, deployed more than 100 million oyster larvae and 500,000 oyster spat (or immature oysters approximately one-quarter inch in size.) This joint effort between LDWF and Louisiana State University (LSU), is part of a $500,000 grant provided to LSU to help rehabilitate vital oyster grounds impacted by hurricanes in the last six years.
The oyster larvae and spat were released in the Hackberry Bay Public Oyster Seed Reservation, located in north Barataria Bay. The specimens were deployed on test plots of reef to enable biologists to track progress.
This effort is the first of many ventures to help rehabilitate Louisiana's oyster grounds. The state plans to institute similar deployments of larvae and spat on other public grounds and private leases.
Figures prior to the Deepwater Horizon incident in 2010 indicate that Louisiana produces approximately one-third of all oysters harvested in the U.S. and 50 percent of oysters harvested in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov [4], on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb [5], or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.
For more information contact Laura Wooderson with LDWF at email@example.com [6] or 225.610.2363.
Since its establishment in 1968, Louisiana Sea Grant (www.laseagrant.org [7]) has worked to promote stewardship of the state's coastal resources through a combination of research, education and outreach programs. Louisiana Sea Grant, based at Louisiana State University, is part of the National Sea Grant Program.
For more information about Louisiana Sea Grant contact Roy Kron at (225)578-6451 or firstname.lastname@example.com [8].


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Explorers Fight Spain over $500 Million Sunken Treasure
Florida deep sea explorers found the sunken treasure but, unfortunately for them, that wasn't the hardest part.
The explorers asked the court Tuesday to overturn an earlier ruling that 17 tons of treasure recovered from a sunken Spanish galleon belongs to Spain, deepening a long-running battle over a trove worth at least $500 million that has unfolded not on the high seas but in federal courtrooms.
Attorneys for Odyssey Marine Exploration asked the three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the "finders keepers" rule that would give the treasure hunters the rights to silver coins, copper ingots, gold cufflinks and other artifacts salvaged about four years ago from the galleon off the coast of Portugal. Spain's lawyers countered that U.S. courts are obligated by international treaty and maritime law to uphold Spain's claim to the haul.
The ship, called the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes, was sunk by British warships in the Atlantic in 1804 while sailing back from South America with more than 200 people on board. Odyssey created an international splash in May 2007 when it announced that it raised more than 500,000 silver coins and other artifacts from the wreck and flew the treasure back to Tampa.
Spain went to the U.S. District Court in Tampa, where the company is based, claiming ownership while Odyssey disputed the Spanish government's ownership of the valuable cargo.
A federal judge sided with Spain in the first round of the tug-of-war in June 2009, accepting the Spanish government's argument that it never surrendered ownership of the ship and its contents. But the two sides -- along with a horde of other lawyers representing outside parties -- were back in court Tuesday to argue a case that could spill over to treasure hunts for years to come.
Much of Tuesday's arguments centered on whether the Mercedes was classified as a warship or merchant ship. That's an important distinction because Odyssey's attorneys argued that if the vessel was destroyed during commercial activity, Spain would have no firm claim to the property. International treaties generally hold that warships sunk in battle are protected from treasure seekers.
"There is no vessel. There is no ship. There is no graveyard," said Odyssey attorney Melinda MacConnel, who added that the company never raised any remnants of the actual ship. "The commercial activity of this ship could not be more clear."
Judges from the three-judge panel pressed MacConnel on why explorers also recovered ammunition, firearm remnants and about 18 cannons from the wreckage if the ship wasn't designed for war. But she said the Spanish government wouldn't have allowed the ship to make the trans-Atlantic journey if it was during a time of war.
"It set sail during a time of neutrality," she said. "Her gun decks were clogged with private merchants' cargo. She would not have even been able to fight."
Spain's attorney, James Goold, argued that U.S. courts have no right to intervene in the argument in the first place. He urged the court to dismiss Odyssey's appeal and allow Spain's judges to settle the arguments. He said a warship and its crew resting at the bottom of the ocean form "a sacred site" that is protected from treasure hunters by international law.
"These are matters in which the U.S. court has no business," Goold added.
Odyssey's relations with Spain have been testy since the tussle. Some in the Spanish government have called the publicly traded company's employees 21st century pirates, and twice in the months after the 2007 announcement, ships from Spain's Civil Guard seized Odyssey ships off the Spanish coast. Both ships and their crews were released within a week.
An official with the Spanish Culture Ministry declined to comment until a ruling is issued. The three-judge panel did not immediately issue its decision, which could take months.
But any decision the court makes is complicated by several outside interests that have also petitioned the court.
About two dozen descendants of merchants who were transporting cargo on the ship want a stake. Peru also filed a claim for a piece of the fortune, arguing that nation was part of the Spanish empire when the ship sunk and the recovered coins were likely minted in Lima. Ships often treaded the dangerous waters between Europe and New World colonies trading money for crops and other valuables.
Justice Department attorneys, who also weighed in, said the court can and must direct that the loot be returned to Spain. Attorney Sharon Swingle said any decision the court makes could come back to haunt the U.S., which has more than 3,000 sunken warships and hundreds more downed fighter planes scattered across the bottom of the world's oceans.
"If we don't afford to Spain the protections of sunken warships, then we can't ask them for the same protections," Swingle said.
But Circuit Judge Frank Hull cautioned that the case shouldn't be made overly complicated.
"The reality is," Hull said, "this case is about money."
For more stories from WTVT in Tampa Bay, Florida go to myfoxtampabay.com.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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SANTA BARBARA, Calif.— The UC Santa Barbara women's tennis team (1-6) returned home to host University of Pacific (4-2) earlier today. On the road for the past three weeks, Santa Barbara looked to add its second win of the dual match campaign against the Tigers. Despite the well played and tight matches, the Gauchos could not come on top as Pacific recorded a 6-1 win.
The Tigers got on the board first; sweeping the doubles matches in order to get the important doubles point. Earning the doubles point is a point of emphasis for the Gauchos as the team is constantly pushing hard to win the majority of the early matches.
"We have to do better in the doubles matches in order to give us a better chance," Coach Thibodeau said.
Even after facing the early 1-0 deficit, the Gauchos were still in prime position to take the win heading into the singles matches. For the day, four of the six singles contests concluded on the third set tie break. Freshmen Kaiulani Boyer, Jaimee Gilbertson and Melissa Baker all finished their matches on the tough third set. Senior Kiersten Meehan went down the wire in her singles match as she also suffered a close loss in the third set.
"We battled hard on each and every court today. On some days, we wind up winning 6-1, but with the format of the tiebreaker, we can also lose 6-1," Thibodeau stated. "Credit to Pacific as they played well on some big points; it all came down to several crucial points on each court" Thibodeau said.
The lone victory for the Gauchos came from junior Stacy Yam as she played an exceptional match; earning a 6-4, 6-3 victory. Senior leader, Kiersten Meehan returned to the court today as she missed the past couple of weeks due to an upper body injury. Her return to the court and her high energy is crucial as she is one of the top players on the squad. Not only was the team excited, but Coach Thibodeau also displayed a lot of high praise for the senior.
"Kiersten being back on the court brings a lot of positive spirit to the team. It was good that she got another match under her belt as she has not been able to play for the past three weeks."
Despite the tough loss to Pacific, UCSB will look for a fresh start as the team will begin Big West Conference Play next weekend.
"It is a new start for us and we will continue to look to build momentum for conference play and the conference championship," Thibodeau explained.
The Gauchos will begin conference action on the road next weekend against UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton. The Gauchos will play the Anteater on Saturday, Feb. 22nd at 11 a.m. and then face off against Fullerton the very next day at 11 a.m.
Pacific 6, UCSB 1
Feb. 16, 2014
Santa Barbara, Calif.
1. Hana Ritterova/ Regina Suarez (PAC) def. April Scatliffe/Priscilla Garcia (UCSB) 6-4
2. Cristina Saenz de Buruaga Ruiz/Iveta Masarova (PAC) def. Melissa Baker/Kaiulani Boyer (UCSB) 6-2
3. Luisa Ortiz Candio/Kirsten Meeham (UCSB) def. Francis Dean/Gergana Boncheva (PAC) 6-2
1. Iveta Masarova (PAC) def. Kaiulani Boyer (UCSB) 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4), 10-8
2. Hana Ritterova (PAC) def. April Scatliffe (UCSB) 6-3, 7-5
3. Cristina Saenz de Buruaga Ruiz (PAC) def. Kiersten Meehan (UCSB) 4-6, 6-4, 10-8
4. Christiana Ferrari (PAC) def. Jaimee Gilbertson (UCSB) 6-3, 4-6, 10-7
5. Stacy Yam (UCSB) def. Francis Dean (PAC) 6-4, 6-3
6. Gergana Boncheva (PAC) def. Melissa Baker (UCSB) 1-6, 6-2, 10-5
UCSB Season Record: (1-6)
Gauchos Drop Tough Decision to Pacific
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.— The UC Santa Barbara women's tennis team (1-6) returned home to host University of Pacific (4-2) earlier today. On the road for the past three weeks, Santa Barbara looked to add its second win of the dual match campaign against the Tigers. Despite the well played and tight matches, the Gauchos could not come on top as Pacific recorded a 6-1 win.


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Welcome to the Nova Scotia Dual Sport Club web site.
We are a not-for-profit dual sport web site catering to off road enthusiasts from Nova Scotia and beyond.
Our forum is a vehicle for our members to organize rides together. It also aids riders in need of help with a technical question, share riding experiences and to keep other riders abreast of pending land use issues close to home and far away that affect Dual Sport motorcycle riding. So come aboard, you're always welcome!
Our membership is growing. If you would like to be a member, please signup to our forum by clicking here.
Our web site allows all members to contribute articles and photos to benefit others. So, if you are a club member and would like to contribute to the club's website, please contact us via the Contact page.


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Lab DisplayIdea by Eslon Wafihwaieh | added on Jan 19, 2011 01:08AM Suggestion
LinksEslon Wafihwaieh
Laboratory Activities must be done in an open area so any body can come to see how it is done
We can really do that, We'll the environment, we organize activities and we can make everyone love chemistry, and the events should be continued every year after this year...remember we can make everyone love Chemistry, just by revealing to them whats interesting in chemistry, experiments like flame color test and synthesis of oil and soaps are crowd pleasing ones, and the lab coats and glass and boots and every instruments in the lab that makes you feel like a chemist, we must show it to the public. This are activities that will show others who don't know what Chemistry chemistry is_all they think about is Chemicals...
So I believe what I have said was just the tip of an ice bag, please help organize and we'll celebrate this year together
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