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The Buddhist gesture abhaya mudra is a gesture of fearlessness or reassurance. I wasn't actually seeking to illustrate Buddhist symbols when I made this photo. I was really trying out two new 32" optical white umbrellas matched up with twin LumoPro LP 180 manual flashes. This was probably an appropriate subject, as I was needing some reassurance about weaning myself off E-TTL flash.
"Who’s afraid of red, yellow and blue ?" exhibition.
"La maison rouge" - Fondation Antoine De Galbert - Paris.
Yesterday, I finally saw my father. He's a bit worse for the wear, I'm afraid - missing teeth that make viewing his smile somewhat unsettling; a paunch the size of a titanic steamer protruding from his belly; and an obstinate, disheveled quality, as though his physical woes will never revert themselves to former health again. His walk, hobbled like that of an octogenarian penguin, has improved with a steady cane, however; and his smile, despite my initial discomfort, proved genuine and comforting; his personality still shines and radiates, lending his warm glow to the people around him. That's why I love him.
Peter, too, liked my dad. He joined me on the Harrison PATH platform and together we ventured uptown from the WTC - the site still suffers from a tedious, democratic malady, unfortunately; perhaps it would be better to surrender power to one property developer so that something, anything, will be in place for the tenth anniversary of the tragedy, which looms in the near distance - to the McDonald's on Bowery Street in Chinatown. From there, after meeting my father who had come from the Confucius Plaza across the street, we ascended the steps into the Golden Bridge, a 1,000-seat restaurant that has withstood the fastidious scrutiny of both Chinese gourmands and health inspectors for the past twenty years. We shared a table with another party of three, and while sipping delicious New York City tap water, discussed some of the small staples of our discourse - Chinese culture; airfare and transportation; the Olympics; and the respective conditions of other family members. Peter, who had eaten at the restaurant previously, munched on vegetarian dim sum and chimed in when applicable. It was a good meal supplemented with familiar conversation by family, and friend.
After finishing lunch, my father turned right; and Peter and I turned left - and walked briskly to the former Tea and Tea on Mott Street; whose current name escapes me and in which we washed down our Chinese breakfast with the tastiest green tea smoothies on the planet (It's the water)! The drink at once quenched my thirst and later provided me with such a chill that I indeed began to shiver slightly; Peter's drink, which took on a life of its own as it insidiously oozed down the side of his glass onto the table below, and consequently created a hazardous lake of green, also went down well, I suspect. The levity from our first meal had vanished somewhat with the dismissal of my father, but I guess that's what happens when the interpersonal guru takes his social mojo back to Brooklyn. The talk and the food nonetheless were satisfying.
Peter then left, I took the bus via the subway, and 45 minutes later, I was back home, going on a fast interval run. In the evening, Mark, Tim, his roommate Peter and I went to Rahway with the original intent to visit a singles ministry being run by a BLD organization, whose Catholic, yet charismatic character intrigued me (the prospect of meeting single Christian girls also aroused my interest). Their service, however, had been canceled at St. Mary's church for this particular, ill-fated Friday so, the flexible blokes that we were, we instead discovered delightful diversions at a nearby Chili's and its neighbor, a monstrously large Barnes and Noble where I bought a present - a collection of Ibsen's plays - for Clare; and within whose bowels we found dozens of nubile, middle school girls sprawled around as though they were held captive in a refugee camp, one housing thousands upon thousands of books - apparently, a book release party was in progress, a disgruntled salesgirl told me.
Ahhhhw *-* finally arrived new wig and eyes! I'm so happy, now she is almost perfect...
Shoes, wig and eyes from LeekeWorld <3
HORNOFAFRICADROUGHT
Gaalo Adan Ali, 45, still struggles with nightmares. On the long 15 day journey here, begging rides on any vehicles heading north, 2 of her children died of hunger-- 2 and 4 years old. Another almost died in a car crash. Now she is cradling her 6 year-old son, Khaleed, praying he won't die too. He is vomiting and so weak he can't sit up on his own. The decision to leave and look for food elsewhere came slowly. But when her mother died and 2 of her sister's children, she and her husband knew it was time to leave. But he was bitten by a snake and unable to travel, so Gaalo had to take the children on her own. Note: World Vision used to work in their town until Al Shabaab forced most aid agencies to leave. See story by: Amanda Koech. Garowe, capital city of Puntland, Somalia.
Africa digital color
Credit: World Vision International
Dear Helena,
It’s been a long time, too long in fact. I’m afraid I was too caught up to reply to you sooner, hope you’ll forgive me for that… Has the weather settled down now? Last I heard, you had a hurricane pass through so I was a little concerned. There’s nothing but slush and snow here, it’s been awfully cold the last couple of days but it’s beginning to warm up. I don’t think this will last long, though. From what I’ve been told, this country is like that. *Sigh* I want to go back home… Oh well, no use dwelling on that. I changed my hair for a lighter color this time. Since we last spoke, I had gone from my black/gold hair to a dark brown for Christmas and after that, the color I have now. It’s just so boring having the same color all the time!
As for Halloween? What did I do that day… I remember taking a photo with a Halloween touch to it. It should be around here somewhere. Other than that, I watched a few “horror” movies. They have a strange idea of what’s scary over here… Oh, so you went out with your family? Must have been… Fun with little ones around. Your sister likes to complain, doesn’t she? Is there anything she doesn’t bother you about? Reminds me of a certain person… Mm, the trees make such interesting shapes when they’re bare. There’s one just outside that’s incredibly tall, long skinny branches like bony fingers pointing to the sky… I want to climb it, but everyone makes such a fuss when I suggest it. How am I supposed to have any quiet time to myself this way? I’ll build my own home up there if I must.
It sounds to me like they’re jealous of your necklace, haha. You don’t have to tell them anything, I don’t like others knowing my business either, but -clearly- some people don’t understand that around here. Glad to know that it stands out, just remind them that they can’t always be as lucky as you are. Speaking of which, this is a bit late but I have something else that I’ll be sending you soon. It’s a little… Christmas present, I suppose. It’s a surprise so I won’t say more, but I know you’ll like it. I know I do.
So, those inflated heads made their way here from your home? That’s why one of them seems to know about you more than I thought… As long as they’re not in my way, I don’t care much but they are still very strange to look at. As for trusting them, that won’t be a problem. I don’t trust people that don’t have launch able bodies. Fortunately, there’s been two new members of our family that are decently proportioned. Unfortunately, I’ve been sharing my clothes with one. Just because he’s about my height doesn’t mean he can wear what I own. I keep getting these pity talks about how it’s only temporary until he’s got things of his own. Is it my fault he came here unprepared? Ugh. The other one is about the height of all those other… People. Except her head is actually normal sized. I’m beyond words as to where they all keep coming from, I’m told there will eventually be more and I can only continue hoping there won’t be anymore strangely shaped ones.
Enough about that, did you enjoy your holidays? I received quite a bundle of outfits, but it wasn’t perfect. The clothes were nice but some were just too wide or the sleeves were too big. This is what measurement taking is for, isn’t it? Oh well, better than nothing new to wear. Thankfully I don’t have to hear or see those annoying songs and lights now, that awful tree is finally gone. What logic is there putting a tree in your home and decorating it? I just don’t understand this place… If only we could replace it with a better holiday, I wouldn’t mind Halloween twice a year. I appreciate the dark and beautiful things in this world, too… Of course, there’s only one I appreciate most of all.
Until next time, my dark angel.
Masaru
Hi Guys !
Guess What ?
Chickenpox Is Almost Gone =P ! lol !
Offf, I'm Afraid It'll Scar Though @@ !
It Was A HELL Of A Week !
4 Days Of Staying @ My Stupid Room, Just Staying There =P
Doing Absolutely NOTHING !
But It Was OK .. Since I Didn't Go To That Stupid School xP !
AND Everyone Kept Comin' 2 My Room, Cheering Me Up n' Sayin' Nice Stuff About Me xP .. Hehehehe !
ANYWAY !
So, This Weekend We Went To Toronto ..
And Oh Em Gee .. OH MY GOD ! Was One Hell Of A Trip !
We Saw The Niagara Falls, And We Went Right Next To It By A Boat .. It Was RAINING Waterfalls ..
And I Was Like " Should I Get My Camera Out ? No I Shouldn't, YEAH I Should ! " And I Got It Out And Took One Or Two Photos ..
And It Went WET .. Then I Was Afraid That It Won't Operate So I Put It Back In The Bag xP !
And My God, Toronto Is AMAZING !
Lots And LOTS Of People, It's Like .. A CITY You Know ? An ACTUAL City ..
Unlike Ottawa .. So Quiet And BOARING @@ !
We Had A Blast xP !
So, About The Photo ..
On The Left, You've Got Yours Truly =P !
And On The Right Is My Roomie xP !
He's A GREAT Guy .. I Mean Seriously Guys .. Can't Even Describe Him ..
When I Had Chickenpox And I Was In Bed All Day Every Day .. I Kept Going " Bring Me This, Bring Me That, Put On My Cream " And He Was Like .. Doing Everything I Say xP ! And Not Even Complaining !
Great Dude =D !
ANYWAY .. Enough About Him ..
How About YOU Guys ? Any Of You Having A Blast Like I Am Over Here ?
,
,
Cheers
Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng (Vietnamese: Vườn quốc gia Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng) is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Bố Trạch and Minh Hóa districts of central Quảng Bình Province in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam, about 500 km south of Hanoi. The park borders the Hin Namno Nature Reserve in Khammouane Province, Laos to the west and 42 km east of the South China Sea from its borderline point. Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park is situated in a limestone zone of 2,000 km2 in Vietnamese territory and borders another limestone zone of 2,000 km2 of Hin Namno in Laotian territory. The core zone of this national park covers 857.54 km2 and a buffer zone of 1,954 km2.
The park was created to protect one of the world's two largest karst regions with 300 caves and grottoes and also protects the ecosystem of limestone forest of the Annamite Range region in North Central Coast of Vietnam.
Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng is noted for its cave and grotto systems as it is composed of 300 caves and grottos. A 2009 survey brought the total discovered length of the cave system to about 126 km, with many areas still not well explored. The Sơn Đoòng Cave, which was discovered in the 2009 survey by British and Vietnamese explorers, is considered the largest cave in the world. Even before this discovery, Phong Nha held several world cave records, including the longest river as well as the largest combined caverns and passageways.
The park derives its name from Phong Nha Cave, containing many fascinating rock formations, and Kẻ Bàng forest. The plateau on which the park is situated is probably one of the finest and most distinctive examples of a complex karst landform in Southeast Asia. This national park was listed in UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in 2003 for its geological values as defined in its criteria viii. In April 2009, the world's largest cave, was re-discovered by a team of British cave explorers of the British Caving Association led by a local farmer named Ho Khanh.
HISTORY OF EXPLORATION
Champa inscriptions carved on steles and altars in the cave demonstrate that people had inhabited the cave long before the area was annexed by Vietnam in the Nam tiến or southward expansion. In 1550, Dương Văn An was the first Vietnamese man to write about Phong Nha cave. This cave was depicted in 9 urns in the Citadel of the Nguyễn Dynasty in Huế. In 1824, The cave was conferred the title "Diệu ứng chi thần" (妙應之神) by King Minh Mạng. It was also conferred by Nguyen kings as "Thần Hiển Linh" (神顯靈).
In the late 19th century, Léopold Michel Cadière, a French Roman Catholic priest, conducted an expedition to explore Phong Nha cave, where he discovered Champa scripts. He proclaimed Phong Nha cave "The number one cave of Indochina". In July 1924, an English expeditionist (surnamed Barton) stated that Phong Nha cave is second to none of famous caves of Padirac (France), Cuevas del Drach (Spain). In 1935, a local inhabitant accidentally discovered a beautiful cave 1 km from the mouth of Phong Nha cave, at an elevation of 200 meters. It was called Tien Son cave (lit.: Fairy-tale cave), or Dry cave because its inside landscape is similar to fairy-tales and it has no underground river.
In 1937, the Bureau of Tourism of French Resident Superior (in Huế) issued a brochure to introduce tourism in Quảng Bình and Phong Nha Cave was included in this introduction. This tour site is ranked second in French Indochina. Before 1990, several explorations were conducted by Vietnamese and foreign groups but the mystery of this area still remained. From 1990 on, there marked a turning point in discovering activities, from exploration to research, thus full documents for submission to UNESCO for World Natural Heritage nomination were made available.
N 1990, for the first time, Hanoi University accepted the cooperation proposal of the British Cave Research Association. They combined efforts in exploring and researching caves and grottoes in the area comprehensively. The first exploration was conducted in 1990 by a group from the British Cave Research Association and Faculty for Geology and Geography of Hanoi University, led by Howard Limbert. They completed research of a large part of Vom Cave. In 1992, the second exploration was conducted by a group of 12 British scientists, six professors from Hanoi University. This time, this group completed their exploration of 7,729 m of Phong Nha Cave and 13,690 m of Vom Cave and adjacent caves and grottos. In 1994, a third exploration was carried out by a group of 11 British scientists and five Vietnamese professors of Hanoi University. In 1999 scientists from the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre also conducted zoological and botanical surveys in the Kẻ Bàng area. Based on the results of these three explorations, more information about the caves and grottoes made available to the Vietnamese and local government for the protection, planning, and tourism development of this park.
In 2005, scientists from the British Cave Research Association discovered a new cave and named it Paradise Cave (động Thiên Đường). The newly discovered cave was acclaimed by the British scientists as "the largest and the most beautiful cave in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng area".
On June 1, 2006, the Ministry of Culture and Information of Vietnam issued a stamp collection of depicting various landscapes found in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng.
In April 2009, a group of cave explorers from British Caving Association conducted survey in this park and adjacent areas. The biggest chamber of Sơn Đoòng is more than five kilometers in length, 200 meters high and 150 meters wide. With these dimensions, Sơn Đoòng overtakes Deer Cave in Malaysia to take the title of the world's largest cave. At the same time they found new caves and grottoes in the park and adjacent area. In this survey, the cave British explorers discovered 20 new caves with total length of 56 km, including world's largest cave, Sơn Đoòng.
GEOGRAPHY
LOCATION
Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng National Park is located in the territories of communes (Vietnamese: xã): Tan Trach, Thuong Trach, Phuc Trach, Xuan Trach and Son Trach of Bố Trạch District and a small part of Minh Hóa District in the center of Quảng Bình Province, around 40 km north-west of the provincial capital city of Đồng Hới. The park is bordered by the Hin Namno karst area of Khammouane Province of Laos in the west. Road distances are about 500 km south of the capital Hanoi and 260 km north of the port city of Đà Nẵng. The geographical coordinates are 17°32′14″N 106°9′4.5″E.
The park is situated around 30 km west of the South China Sea and National Route 1A, near Hồ Chí Minh Highway and 28 km west of the Hanoi–Saigon Railway, and is accessible by road or waterway through an estuary in the South China Sea. There is a small airport near the park accessible by helicopter or small aircraft (Khe Gat Airbase), an airbase used by the North Vietnamese Air Force during the Vietnam War, notably in the Battle of Đồng Hới.
PARK LAYOUT
Before becoming a national park, this area had been a nature reserve. The Phong Nha Nature Reserve with an area of 50 km2 was officially declared by the Vietnamese government on 9 August 1986 and was extended to 411.32 km2 by 1991. On 12 December 2001, the Vietnamese Prime Minister by Decision 189/2001 189/2001/QĐ-TTG turning then a nature reserve into a national park. The purpose of this protected area is to protect forest resources, biodiversity within the boundary of this national park and to preserve scientific values of fauna and flora in Bắc Trung Bộ region, especially rare species native to this region. The park covers a total area of 857.54 km2 which are divided into three zones, a "strictly protected zone" (648.94 km2), an "ecological recovery zone" (174.49 km2), and an "administrative service zone" (34.11 km2).
CLIMATE
Like North Central Coast in general, and Quảng Bình Province in particular, the climate in Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng national park is tropically hot and humid. The annual mean temperature is 23-25 °C, with a maximum of 41 °C in the summer and a minimum of 6 °C in the winter. The hottest months in this region fall from June to August, with an average temperature of 28 °C, and the coldest months from December to February with an average temperature of 18 °C. Annual rainfall is about 2,000 mm to 2,500 mm. 88% of the rainfall falls during the monsoon, from July to December, however, there is more than 160 rainy days per year, and some rain still falls throughout the dry season. Mean annual relative humidity is 84%.
GEOLOGY
HISTORY OF FORMATION
The Phong Nha–Kẻ Bàng karst has evolved since the Paleozoic (some 400 million years ago), making it the oldest major karst area in Asia. It has been subject to massive tectonic changes, and comprises a multitude of rock types that are interbedded in complex ways. As many as seven different major levels of karst development have occurred as a result of tectonic uplift and changing sea levels, thus the karst landscape of PNKB is extremely complex with high geodiversity and many geomorphic features of considerable significance. There is also strong evidence that sulphurous solution and hydrothermal action have played an important role in shaping the broad-scale landscape and the caves, though this has not yet been properly assessed. The Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng area today is the result of five stages of Earth's crust development and movement:
Late Ordovician - Early Silurian Stage (about 450 Ma)
Middle-late Devonian Stage (about 340 Ma)
Carboniferous-Permian (about 300 Ma)
Mesozoic Orogenic stage
Cenozoic stage.
GEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park is one of the world's two largest limestone regions. In comparison with 41 other world heritage sites which have karsts, Phong Nha has dissimilar geomorphic, geologic and biotic conditions. The karsts of Phong Nha can be traced back to Palaeozoic era, 400 million years ago. This makes Phong Nha the oldest major karst in Asia. If the Hin Namno, bordering Phong Nha on the west (in Laotian territory) was to be combined with the national park in a continuous reserve, the combined reserve would be the largest surviving karst forest in southeastern Asia (317,754 ha).
In general, there are two groups of landforms in the Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng area, namely non-karstic and karstic landforms. Non-karstic landforms includes three types: The middle and low dome-block mountains developed in intrusive magmatic massifs; The middle denudation-structural mountain belts developed in terrigenous rocks of Cretaceous age; and The low block-denudational mountain belts developed in other terrigenous rocks. Karstic landforms in this area are of typical tropical karst which are divided into two groups of forms: The karstic forms on the surface including cone and tower karst, karrens, valleys and dolines, border polje, etc.; The underground karst consisting of caves.
In comparison with three other national parks listed in UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in Southeast Asia, namely Gunung Mulu National Park in Malaysia, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Palawan of the Philippines and Lorentz National Park in West Irian of Indonesia and some other karst regions in Thailand, China, Papua New Guinea, karst in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng is older, has more complicated geological structure; diverse and complex underground rivers.
MOUNTS AND SUMMITS
Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng contains two dozens of mountain peaks with over 1,000 metres in height. Noteworthy peaks are the Peak Co Rilata with a height of 1,128 m and the Peak Co Preu with a height of 1,213 m. Mounts in karstic area of the park rise at typical height of above 800 m constitute a continuous range along Laotian-Vietnamese borderline, of which notable summits above 1000 m are: Phu Tạo (1174 m), Co Unet (1150 m), Phu Canh (1095 m), Phu Mun (1078 m), Phu Tu En (1078 m), Phu On Chinh (1068 m), Phu Dung (1064 m), Phu Tu Ôc (1053 m), Phu Long (1015 m), Phu Ôc (1015 m), Phu Dong (1002 m). Inserting into these summits are 800–1000 m high summits of Phu Sinh (965 m), Phu Co Tri (949 m), Phu On Boi (933 m), Phu Tu (956 m), Phu Toan (905 m), Phu Phong (902 m) and núi Ma Ma (835 m).
Non-karstic topographical area accounts for a low percentage, distributing mainly in outer circle of limestone in the north, northeast and southeast of this national park. The height of these summits varies from 500-1000 m with the deep divisions and high sloping level from 25-30°. There are some narrow valleys along streams such as Am creek, Cha Lo creek, Chua Ngút creek and a valley along Rao Thuong river in the southernmost edge. In the north-south direction, there exists notable summits: Phu Toc Vu (1000 m), Mã Tác (1068 m), Cổ Khu (886 m), U Bò (1009 m), Co Rilata (1128 m); The highest summit in the non-karstic area and also the highest summit of this national park is Co Preu (1213 m), a summit in the southernmost edge of the park.
RIVERS AND STREAMS
Besides the grotto and cave systems, Phong Nha has the longest underground river. The Sơn and Chay are the main rivers in this national park. Most of caves here have been shaped by Son and Chay Rivers. The Son River flows into the mouth of the Phong Nha cave and keeps on underground, where it is called the Nam Aki River. It emerges 20 km to the south near Pu-Pha-Dam Mountain.[18] There are spectacular streams, springs and waterfalls in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng, namely: Gió waterfall, Madame Loan waterfall, Mọc stream erupting from a limestone mount range, and Trạ Ang stream.
CAVE AND GROTTOS
Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng is home to the largest cave in the world and covers 300 different grottoes and caves. Before Sơn Đoòng Cave was found, Phong Nha Cave was regarded by British Caving Association as the top cave in the world due to its top four records: the longest underground river, the highest and longest cave, broadest and most beautiful fine sand beaches inside the caves, and the most spectacular stalagmites and stalactites. In the survey conducted in April 2009, the British cave explorers discovered 20 new caves with total length of 56 km, including world's largest cave Son Doong. According to the assessment of UNESCO, "The karst formation of Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park has evolved since the Palaeozoic (some 400 million years ago) and so is the oldest major karst area in Asia" and "Phong Nha displays an impressive amount of evidence of earth's history. It is a site of very great importance for increasing our understanding of the geologic, geomorphic and geo-chronological history of the region."
ETYMOLOGY
The name Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng is composed of Phong Nha (cave) and Kẻ Bàng (limestone forest). Phong Nha is widely explained as originating from Hán Nôm 风 牙, which means wind-tooth (wind flowing from the cave and stalactites and stalagmites inside the cave looking like teeth).
Another possibility is that Phong Nha, unrelated to the meanings wind and teeth, was the former name of a nearby village.
A third hypothesis suggests that Phong Nha derived its name from the imagination that mounts in this region standing in line looks similar to the scene of mandarins in front of the king in royal courts, therefore, it was named Phong Nha. Phong (峰) means "summit" and nha (衙) means "mandarin".
Other names for the Phong Nha cave include: Thầy Tiên cave, Thầy Mount, and Troóc cave.
THE PHONG NHA CAVE
This cave, from which the name to the whole system and the park is derived, is famous for its rock formations which have been given names such as the "Lion", the "Fairy Caves", the "Royal Court", and the "Buddha". This cave is 7729 m long, contains 14 grottos, with a 13,969 m-long underground river. The scientists have surveyed 44.5 km of grottos in this cave so far, but tourists can only penetrate to a distance of 1500 m.
Phong Nha Cave, like most of the caves in this area, has been continuously shaped by the Chay River. As one gets farther into the cave, the more illusory the stalactites and stalagmites look as they glitter when bright light is shone on them. The Son River flows into the mouth of the cave and keeps flowing underground, where it is referred to as the Nam Aki River, then this river emerges at a site 20 km to the south near Pu Pha Dam Mountain. The main Phong Nha cave includes 14 chambers, connected by an underwater river that runs for 1.5 km. Secondary corridors branch off in all directions. The Outer Cave and some of the Inner Caves have roofs that tower between 25 and 40 meters above the water level. From the 14th chamber there may be other corridors leading to similarly large chambers, but this area proves more dangerous for explorers because of the ongoing erosion of the limestone of the cavern. The Shallow Cave is located 800 meters from the cave mouth, where there is a spectacular landscape of sand and rock. Stalactites and stalagmites jut out like strange trees, exciting visitor's imaginations.
Notable caves and grottoes in the Phong Nha Cave system include:
Dark Grotto (Hang Tối): located upstream of Son River running to the branch of Chay River on the left. This cave is 5,258 m long and with a height of 83 m. The entry is high and wide with heavy forest around the cave mouth
E Grotto (Hang E): a 736 m-long grotto accessible by the Hồ Chí Minh trail
Cha An Grotto (Hang Chà An): a 667 m-long grotto, with the width of 15 meters
Thung Grotto (Hang Thung): This grotto has an underground river of 3351 m, with the height in some part exceed 133 . This river receives water resources from Rao Thuong
En Grotto (Hang Én): a 1645 m long, 78.6 m high grotto
Khe Tien Grotto (Hang Khe Tiên): located south of Phong Nha, this grotto is 520 m long.
Khe Ry Grotto (Hang Khe Ry): located south of Phong Nha. The grotto is where the long Khe Ry stream (13.817 km or 8.585 miles) runs out
Khe Thi Grotto (Hang Khe Thi): a stream originating from the mountain, running underground the grotto
VOM CAVE SYSTEMS
Vom Grotto (Hang Vòm): a 15.05 km long, 145 m high grotto with several underground rivers, pools. This grotto features several spectacular stalagmite and stalactites. In the recent exploring of British Cave Research Association, the scientists have found an abyss in Vom Grotto named Tang hole with the deep of over 255m. This hole is the deepest hole in Vietnam.
Dai Cao Grotto (Hang Đai Cao): this grotto is a connection of Vom Grotto. This grotto is 1645 m long, 28 m high..
Duot Grotto (Hang Duột): This is a connection of Dai Cao Grotto with the length of 3.927 km and height of 45 m. There are some fine sand fields inside.
Ca Grotto (Hang Cá): a 1,500 m long, 62 m high grotto.
Ho Grotto (Hang Hổ): A connection of Ca Grotto with the length of 1,616 m and the height of 46 m
Over Grotto (Hang Over): a 3,244 m long, 103 m high grotto, with the width from 30–50 m.
Pygmy Grotto (Hang Pygmy): This 845 m long grotto has several streams falling from mounts.
Ruc Caroong Grotto (Hang Rục Caroòng): This the habitat of Arem ethnic group. They live in the caves, grottos and on hunting, harvesting natural products.
TIEN SON CAVE
Tiên Sơn cave is located in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park. The cave was discovered by a local inhabitant by accident in 1935. It is located in Sơn Trach Commune in Bố Trạch. The entry mouth of Tiên Sơn is 1 km from Phong Nha cave, at an altitude of 200 m. This cave is 980 m in length. A 10 m deep hole is situated 400 m from the entry mouth, then a 500 m long cave, dangerous for tourists and open to professional expeditionists only. Like Phong Nha cave, this cave features spectacular stalactites and stalagmites shaped like several fairy-tales. Stalactite and stalagmite columns and walls here create strange sounds like that of gong and drum if they are knocked with the hand. According to British cave scientists, Tiên Sơn cave was created tens of million years ago when a water current holed this limestone mount in Kẻ Bàng. Following a series of landforms and movement of rocks, this mass was levered or lowered, blocking the current and creating what is now Tiên Sơn cave while the underground river redirected its current to Phong Nha cave. Although Phong Nha and Tiên Sơn caves are located next to each other, there are no linking grottos between them.
THIEN DUONG CAVE
Thiên Đường "Paradise" Cave is a newly found cave in this area. Prior to the discovery of Sơn Đoòng cave, it was regarded as the largest and longest cave in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng. Some of the most beautiful and spectacular stalactites and stalagmites in the park are found within Thiên Đường. The cave was discovered by a local man in 2005. The first 5 km of this cave was explored by explorers from the British Cave Research Association in 2005; later they in 2010 the whole 31 km was explored and announced by the association.
At 31 km long, Thiên Đường cave is longer than Phong Nha cave, previously considered the longest cave in this national park. The height can reach to 100 m and 150 wide. The limestone formation is also more spectacular than that of Phong Nha Cave. The British cave explorers was impressed by the beauty of the rock formation inside the cave, they named it "Paradise Cave" (Thiên Đường in Vietnamese). Access road and tourist facilities was built by Truong Thinh Group, it was opened up to tourists on 3 September 2010 with a 1.1 km path to see the formations.
SON DOONG CAVE
Sơn Đoòng Cave (in Vietnamese: Hang Sơn Đoòng, meaning Mountain River Cave) is a relatively recently discovered cave in the national park. Found by a local man and explored and publicly announced by the British cave scientists of the British Cave Research Association, it is regarded as the largest cave in the world. The biggest chamber of Sơn Đoòng is over five kilometers in length, 200 meters high and 150 meters wide. With these tremendous dimensions, Sơn Đoòng overtakes Deer Cave of Malaysia to take the title of world's largest cave. Because the fast flowing underground river in the cave deterred the explorers from going farther, they were only able to estimate the length of the cave using a flashlight.
The cave was found by a man named Hồ Khanh in 1991. The local jungle men were afraid of the cave for the whistling sound it makes from the underground river. However, not until 2009 was it made known to the public when a group of British scientists from the British Cave Research Association, led by Howard and Deb Limbert, conducted a survey in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng from 10–14 April 2009. Their progress was stopped by a large calcite wall.
According to the Limberts, this cave is five times larger than the Phong Nha Cave, previously considered the biggest cave in Vietnam. The biggest chamber of Sơn Đoòng is over five kilometers in length, 200 meters high and 150 meters wide. With these dimensions, Sơn Đoòng overtook Deer Cave in Malaysia to take the title of the world's largest cave.
RUC MON CAVE
Ruc Mon Cave, named after the indigenous people who made a home at the entrance until the 80s, was discovered in 2016 by a local man. The cave is 17km in length, with one entrance in Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park and the other at the border of Laos. This cave has the potential to be the second biggest cave in the world, following the first biggest cave also located in a Phong Nha. In 2017, the first tourists explored the cave, guided by the man who found it. One of over 300 caves in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, this cave is probably the least-explored of the many caves open to tourists. Greenland Tour company is the only company that offers access to the cave. The tours are led by the man who discovered the cave.
WIKIPEDIA
model: julia c. she actually was afraid to cross the street on a journey to dunkin donuts and i don't think she even knows i took this...hahaha.
With my friend Paul, I spend five days in Osaka, Japan. The trip provided much refreshment, and excitement, not to mention many challenges. It was my first visit to the country, and, I feel, it certainly won't be my last, as there are still many places left to see, and so many new things to learn.
We had several destinations highlighted on our itinerary, the foremost of which was Universal Studios. We spend an entire day there, going on rides and more often than not, queuing for them. The excruciating wait times were worth it, however, for such exhilarating fun, especially on the Hollywood Roller Coaster, my personal favorite. The next morning we followed up that successful endeavor with a trip to the Himeji Castle, a place which came highly recommended by my colleague, whose succinct description of the heritage site was, "awesome." Indeed, as a history buff, I enjoyed walking the storied grounds and climbing through the maze-like interior of the keep which was designed not so much to comfortably house the royal family as to confound the invading enemy. The castle is a must-visit. Other attractions of note include the Osaka Aquarium, and the Tennoji Zoo; both teemed with animals of every shape and size. We also at length ventured into several shopping districts inside of which were myriad stores, selling all sorts of fashion and gadgetry, countless restaurants and several gambling parlors - the Japanese, it seems, love their slot machines as much as the Hong Kong Chinese love their horse racing. Lest I forget, we frequented several video arcades to play the latest and greatest games; Paul played well, while I more often than not got 0wn3d. There is a lot to do in Japan.
Japanese culture, of which I've heard so much, really is distinct and separate from other Asian cultures. Their patterns of action and their peculiar artifacts certainly aren't the same as those which feature prominently in Hong Kong. For one thing, the MTR culture was more civilized and less stressful: people queued up for trains and let passengers alight first before permitting themselves to board; cellphones never rang and cabin cars were as quiet as bedrooms at midnight; and to imagine all of these people enforce their norms without public service announcements, without any coddling, conspicuous signs - that's amazing. What proved difficult was trying to find a garbage can. It was easier to find a vending machine, from which one could purchase a variety of drinks or cigarettes, than a bin in which to dispose of these delectable, perishable goods.
As for the general citizenry, they were most accommodating and hospitable, with several individuals going out of their way to help Paul and I find our way around the dense sprawl of the city. Language wasn't a concern despite our limited Japanese; amazingly enough, our comfort was their concern! I won't forget their selfless service, as one day, I hope, I'll be able to return the favor. That the girls were quite attractive and that I demonstrated a propensity to ask attractive girls for directions go without saying; however, I understand now that their sexiness and sophistication stem not from comely faces but coherent attire. Rather than adorn themselves like a typical Mong Kok girl in a ridiculous neon rainbow palette, with jeans or unseemly spandex underneath dresses, skirts or other tops better left to stand alone, Japanese girls opt for more somber, sensible colors - black and cream-colored - and what's more, they aren't afraid to whip out the tasteful pantyhose or to show some skin, even. We had plenty of time to ogle the ladies, and to their credit, freezing temperatures weren't enough to dissuade many of them from forsaking, icing their shorts, as we saw countless pairs being worn on the street. That's what I call fashion professionalism!
Overall, Japan is a marvelous little land full of the eccentric, as well as the endearing. It was a fascinating place to explore, and I'm thankful that it was done in the company of my friend , with whom candor was not at a premium. We both learned a lot and look forward to the next trip!
Sunset overlooking the Isle of Rhum (for those that have been watching Autumn Watch) today's music is from Marillion www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFi_BMYgaPQ&feature=g-vrec
He grabbed me... his hand around my mouth... his arm around my waist.. pulling me straight of the ground.. i kicked and struggled trying to force him away. he wouldn't let go. He forced me down, holding my arms down even while i kicked and struggled.. even when i cryed and begged. It only lasted about an hour or so.... but it felt like longer. After he'd left i crawled into a ball.. sat and cryed...i feel so dirty. I feel so used.
Film. sooc.
And if you wanted me to stay you know the answer would be yes but you are too afraid to ask. You dont want to show your hand incase the dealer outplays you once again. So you let me walk away and you embrace the cold. I'm tired of waiting. You've used all your chances. But the ties that bind my heart to yours arent easy to break. And as hard as I try to stay away the pull is constant, like the tides, and I cannot deny it. I cannot deny you. And so we whisper our secrets to each other as we hide underneath the sheets. I breathe out, you breathe in. Skin to skin. And with every moment the ties become tighter, stronger. The grip overwhelms me. The hooks make their way across my body and through my soul. I see in your eyes that you feel it to. We shed the same tears. We sleep in the same bed. And when you press your hand against mine we share the same soul. But once again the morning comes and I walk out the door, waiting to hear the words that will make me stay. You hesitate and I try to unravel myself once more. This is not the way I wanted it to be.
Cathedral, Ely, Cambridgeshire
I used to be afraid of going back to Ely. So many of the memories from the first twenty years of my life are bound up with this place. I still want to step off the bus or train and find that it is still the early 1970s, to wander around the market with my granny, or go to my other grandparents' house in Chiefs Street for dinner before wandering off into the shops to spend my pocket money. But they are all dead now, and although many of my aunts, uncles and cousins still live in and around the city, I have no direct connection with Ely any more.
I was born here, and I still feel a sense of ownership. It is still the touchstone for our family - my children still think of Ely, in a strange way, as where their story started.
And in fact, Ely hasn't changed that much. There are still plenty of independent shops in High Street, Fore Hill and Market Street, there are still lots of the old pubs, the Thursday market is still busy with people who have come in from the Fens on buses, and talk exactly like my grandparents. I was shocked to see that they have pulled down Cutlacks the ironmongers, and I mourn the passing of the cattle market, although that, of course, could be said for many small country towns.
Is there another Cathedral city in England where the cathedral is so utterly entwined with the streets which huddle around it? There are no other tall buildings, apart from the spire of St Mary's church. The Cathedral west tower is always there, peeping above the rooftops, wherever you look towards it.
Ely is a city, and the Isle of Ely was a proud, independent county, but neither of these mean anything now, and neither of them have any political purpose any more. Today, Ely is merely the largest place served by East Cambridgeshire District Council, a completely meaningless division of the overgrown county of Cambridgeshire. I was born in the Grange Maternity Home, some 200 yards from the Cathedral's west tower; today, it is the headquarters of East Cambridgeshire District Council.
The biggest difference from twenty years ago is how quiet the streets are - they used to be so traffic-choked, but today Ely is bypassed.
And another thing which has changed is the Lamb Hotel. This is one of those grand coaching inns you often find in small country towns. When I was little, it was dead posh - we would never have gone in there. I always associate it with wedding receptions and commercial travellers. But today, we found it was a very pleasant place to stop for lunch.
Anyone coming back to Ely after half a century away might find the gentrification of the waterside area remarkable. This was where my father was born in the 1930s, in a cheerful slum of barefoot children. Today, the houses are sought after by young professionals - the walk to the station is a couple of minutes, and we are only twenty mimutes by train from the city of Cambridge.
Ely Cathedral is architecturally one of the most magnificent buildings in England. The view from the south-east is world famous, as is the lantern tower. But the interior is rather dull, despite the wonderful unbroken vista down what is England's longest cathedral. Apart from the architecture, very little of medieval origin survives - there is a small cluster of stained glass in one chapel, and the stone carvings of the beautiful lady chapel, but that is about all. The narrow Norman aisles, with their grey, oppressive vaulting, are not really a pleasure to walk, and there are no cloisters. And while the lady chapel is breathtaking, is it any more magnificent than a dozen or more East Anglian churches - Salle, Walpole St Peter or Blythburgh, for example? Ironically, Ely is one of the few English cathedrals which charges an entrance fee, a whacking £5.50 (Lincoln, a much more important and beautiful interior, charges £4, while Norwich and Peterborough, the other two great medieval Cathedrals in this corner of England, are completely free).
I remember how the great west doorway and the north transept doorway would stand open during the day. As a child, I would leave my grandparents house in Chiefs Street, and walk the length of the nave and out through the transept to get to the market place. Everybody used the Cathedral to get from one part of this tiny, beautiful city to another, just as their ancestors and predecessors had for hundreds and hundreds of years. But no longer.
I'm afraid there's no excuse for this group of photos! Unless I've missed a way to get a shot into an album without posting it into my photostream, then this is the only way to include some early 'livery shots'. I haven't included them in any groups. Apologies, but then I hope some will find them interesting!
This friendly spider was having a good time on the other side (fortunately) of one of the windows of my apartment, so I didn't hesitate to mount my macro lens and take this picture!
Just an extreme crop experiment: 300mm eq. crop from 85mm lens. While it doesn't have all the sharpness, to my eyes it still retains the "3D look" afforded by larger sensors. Even so, the 85mm lens delivers well on the AA filter equipped D750 and DxO PhotoLab does its usual magic with detail recovery.
More and more, I'm convinced that it's not low light photography where big cameras have their differentiation, it's the low ISO (bright light) situations. This is an ISO 100 shot.