More summer fun in Aurora

post from Ivan About Town on 18 April 2007 11:24:00 PM. © Ivan About Town

The waves were strong yesterday morning when we woke up. It was perfect for surfing! For breakfast, I ordered the Big Surf Special at the restaurant which was a choice of sausage, ham or hotdogs with hashbrowns and scrambled eggs. It came with coffee and juice as well. But I was expecting a bigger serving of meat though. Anyway, we left the hotel at 9 a.m. to go around Baler.Our first stop was the Church of Baler, a national historical landmark,[...]

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Baler, Aurora

post from Ivan About Town on 18 April 2007 11:24:00 PM. © Ivan About Town

I just came from stunning Baler, Aurora. Posts to follow. In the meantime, enjoy my photos in Multiply.[...]

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Togo Teak Mahogany

post from Andy HoboTraveler.Com Travel Blog on 18 April 2007 10:55:00 PM. © Andy HoboTraveler.Com Travel Blog

Togo Teak Mahogany
Kametonou Togo West Africa
April 2007

What is this wood, there is no way to be sure, except to ask an expert, and then try to hope the expert is an expert.

This is a photo of wood along side the road that leads up the small village at the Togo - Ghana Border. I am on the Togo side in the small village of Kametonou Togo West Africa

There were regular, maybe 2 x 14 inch rough-cut planks, and then this rectangular block cut style wood chunks. Michael offered a couple of names for them, I semi-refused the answers as I had already said the word Mahogany before he used the word.

Learning is so incredibly frustrating; it takes the 99 percent frustration and the one-person inspiration to learn accurately. I get a hint on something, and then I need to follow up on the hints.

I can give many examples of data or information that is inherently troublesome and fraught with problems.

Example:
The ethnic groups is maybe Ewe and the language is Mina, however if you ask a person what group they are part of, I have never hear them say Ewe, I hear them say Mina. Therefore if most or the extreme majority of people say they are Mina, can we call them Ewe.

Large amounts of Teak, Mahogany and other valuable woods were harvested and taken out of Africa; therefore, there is the perception that these forests have these trees. However, if they did a very good job, then what are left may be other varieties of trees. I made the mistake of asking Michael,
- Are these mahogany trees? -

He then says later, when he fully understood my question and said,
- Mahogany.-

His first answer was something in Mina, and like Oawa. The truth is, Michaels sells clothing to women, and he may know some information about the clothing industry. I need to find the proverbial horse?s mouth to find the truth and everyone knows the answers, however I am 99 percent sure, and they do not.

I read, maybe that Teak and Mahogany grow here, my map, the one I purchased in Kpalime has small symbols that indicated that teak is grown in those areas.

Everyone is an expert on everything on the planet, and I am positive there are very few experts on issues.

In this village, I counted 8 large piles of wood, about 5 x 5 x 20 Foot in size, this is a large amount of wood in a village where all the home are made of clay adobe or concrete. It does appear they was harvesting the wood. The lumber people of Africa seem to have came and took what was easy to find and cut.

Togo Teak Mahogany

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Lost whale dies in Brooklyn waterway after
beaching

post from NewYorkology: A Free New York Travel Guide on 18 April 2007 10:36:06 PM. © NewYorkology: A Free New York Travel Guide

Sad news for Sludgie, the baby baleen whale that showed up at the edge of Brooklyn's long-polluted Gowanus Canal just after Sunday's record-breaking Nor'easter. The whale beached itself near Clinton Street at 5 p.m. this evening, NY1 is reporting. The...

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Restaurant roundup: sliders and ballfields

post from NewYorkology: A Free New York Travel Guide on 18 April 2007 10:25:58 PM. © NewYorkology: A Free New York Travel Guide

Bouchon Bakery to add wagyu sliders 3-star Esca, home of the fish whisperer Landmarc opens at Time Warner April 28: opening day for Red Hook ballfield vendors Shuttered 66 to reopen as MATSU GEN, soba noodle house PDT door: "telephone...

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Time Out Tube Special

post from Going Underground's Blog on 18 April 2007 08:30:00 PM. © Going Underground's Blog

This week's Time Out has a gloriously psychedelic and slightly Ann Summers-like front cover heralding its 11 page celebration of the London Underground.

From the lead editorial "As you struggle grim-faced up yet another broken escalator, indulge not the old gripes about the grime and crime. Succumb instead to Underground love....Think too of the men in stovepipe hats who died so that you could make it to work without mounting a Penny Farthing bike". They kindly acknowledge this blog, Geoff's mashed-up Tube maps and Hywel Williams' classic ghost station site amongst Tube websites to bookmark.

Highlights for me, from this "celebration" are an interview with Tim O'Toole LU's managing director who claims to have "the best job in London by far", despite his stomach clenching "every time we have a signal failure or a train is down". He must take a lot of Rennies then.

Diamond Geezer tackling the Tube's shortest journey - Leicester Square to Covent Garden - 50 per cent longer by Tube than at ground level. "But it had been the down and up which had devoured my time and not the 45 second Tube ride".

I was disappointed to learn that Bumper Harris the one legged escalator tester at Earl's Court was a myth ("The London Transport Museuem has no evidence to back this up") - although I'm still not convinced by this.

There's a look at how the Tube measures up to subways in Tokyo, Paris, New York, Moscow, Berlin and er Glasgow. Sadly of the five, Glasgow's has never featured in a film, although it is part of a pub crawl in Iain Banks' novel Espedair Street, where characters have a whisky and half of Heavy at every stop.

The "Old Tube trains never die" feature is fun. I knew old carriages put out to rest had made it over to the Isle of Wight and even as office space in Shoreditch. But didn't know that a Jubilee carriage would become Great Ormond Street Hospital's new radio studio.

There's a 150 old history of the Tube, a photographic flavour of the ends of Tube Lines and and of course a homage to Harry Beck creator of the iconic London Underground Map.

Not included in the "Tube Love" fest (but a good antidote) was Micheal Hodges' Slice of Life feature on drinking to get through a Tube journey. He believes that not only do we stop acting like British people "when we sink down below the city streets, we stop smelling like British people... We have to get drun, it's the only part of our humanity left to us, the one thing that cows and rats can't do and we can".

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Japan News for April 19, 2007

post from Japan Probe on 18 April 2007 06:11:49 PM. © Japan Probe

This morning’s Japan-related news links:A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.5 jolted northern Japan early Thursday, but there was no danger of tsunami, Japan’s Meteorological Agency said. [Link]When Nagasaki’s mayor was fatally shot in southern Japan, it wasn’t much of a surprise that a gangster was arrested for the attack. In a [...]

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Jemez Adobe

An adobe building in the Jemez. I recently read that New Mexico's median income is $53,000, yet this is a common type of scene in the state's rural areas. There must be some very, very rich people in New Mexico.
~ purchase a print ~

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HAVANA: Cafe y Mojitos in Havana

havana%20cafes.jpg Since we just discussed Cuban highlights of Miami, why not do the same for Havana? Though Cubans love their coffee at any hour of the day, you'll see Havana bars and cafes crowded with locals downing mojitos and daiquiris in equal measure to the redoubtable cafe con leche. Cuban rum is another major national export, and it's consumed in-country with equal gusto. The best time for a plunge into Havana cafe culture is the early evening, as the city cools and residents come out to stroll and stop for a beverage. Get over your touristic self-loathing and indulge in a cube libre, or do as the Cubans do and sip at a canchanchara (lime, honey, and white rum). After the jump, a few suggestions for Havana cafe cruising.

Bar Galería: The bar at the Hotel Nacional is one of the more rewarding places to relax, mojito in hand, and watch the sun set. There are six bars in the hotel's compound; we're referring here to the open-air rooftop bar, but there's also a lovely bar in the hotel's back garden that's perfect for cigar smoking.

Café O'Reilly: On the second floor of Café O'Reilly, you'll find a true Cuban scene. The energetic crowd and delicious drinks on the small open veranda make it a perfect afternoon or early-evening stop. The food isn't bueno, so stick with the drinks and coffee.

Café del Oriente: This five-star restaurant serves excellent cocktails in a classic 1950s setting, complete with old paintings and luxurious drapery. The bar sits on Plaza de San Francisco in the heart of colonial Havana. Their mojitos and pina coladas are especially good.

Castillo de Farnes: One of the older bar-restaurants in Havana, Castillo de Farnes puts on a Spanish theme with Iberian dishes. Needless to say, the place has a colonial air; though it's often crowded, it's a great place to stop for a drink and a snack.

El Floridita: Set on the busy Obispo, El Floridita is a popular bar specializing in daiquiris. It was one of Hemingway's favorite spots during his Cuba days, and in the 1950s, it was named one of the world's best bars by Esquire. Though long past its prime, El Floridita's still a favorite for a cold drink on a hot afternoon.

La Mina: Here the locals sit outside on the sidewalk terrace to enjoy cool drinks, hot coffee, and the skillful street musicians. Also on the Obispo, it's a prime roost for people-watching.

Mirador de la Bahia: The cocktails and coffees are decent, but the real draw is the great Havana vantage. Located on a rooftop in Plaza de Armas, the Mirador hosts sweeping views of all of the old city and La Fuerza.

Pasteleria Francesa: If it's strictly coffee you're after, Pasteleria Francesa makes an excellent café con leche. They also have homemade cakes and delicious gelato.

La Rampa: Strangely enough, this cute café located in the lobby of La Rampa movie theater makes some of the city's best coffee. They serve in a variety of ways, from classic café cubano and café con leche to Irish or Jamaican coffee mixed with various rums or liquors.

La Torre: Another great rooftop bar, La Torre sits perched atop the Fosca Building. The bar area commands great views and is the perfect place for a classy drink. It's where locals bring visitors they want to impress.

-- Amanda Kludt

[Photo: marcomarella]