1000 Islands Fishing

Diving in Mauritius

Located in the Indian Ocean, around 500 miles to the east of Madagascar is the beautiful island of Mauritius. Formed by volcanic activity, the country is a beautiful spot that brings in thousands of visitors a year.

As well as a gorgeous landscape – including the 828 metre tall Piton de la Riviere, one of three peaks on the island – Mauritius offers crystal clear waters that contains a myriad of different fish and coral types which makes it one of the top diving locations in the world.

Those travelling to Mauritius for the diving aspect – it is estimated that the surrounding waters are home to around 430 different fish types and about 200 different species of coral – should note that the water temperature varies from 21 degrees Celsius in the cooler months to 28 degrees at the peak of summer. Because of the warmer temperature, most divers stick to the western side of the country, with the very northern and southern peaks being particularly popular.

Divers can expect to see an abundance of eagle rays and turtles, while sightings of tuna, Wahoo and marlin fish are not uncommon. For those who like investigating ship wrecks there are more than 200 wrecks that have been located near the island, which local diving companies are happy to take you to visit.

Mauritius’ climate is mainly subtropical with temperatures ranging from 25 – 30 degrees Celsius throughout the year meaning it is open to visitors all year round. The cheapest flights to Mauritius are between November and February as this encompasses the country’s rainy and stormy seasons. If you’re visiting during this time it’s good to know that the central area receives around twice as much rain as the coastal areas.

Although wetter, the central plateau also records the highest year round temperatures. For those looking for more comfortable heat the east coast is the cooler side because of trade winds. This was noticed by early settlers who preferred the warmer western side and it is there that much of the history of the island can be found.

Mauritius has been colonised several times since it was discovered by the Portuguese in the 16th century. First the Dutch took over, before the island became French and then, in 1810, it was under British control. One hundred years later Mauritius gained independence.

As Mauritius has developed into a thriving tourist attraction, its services – such as the diving schools – have improved their techniques, safety precautions and professionalism, meaning touring divers know they are in safe hands when they go into the sea.

Living (human) mind was the driving force of (politics and economy) all societies from ancient civilizations to the date of emergence of Christianit

Living (human) mind was the driving forces of (politics and economy) all societies from ancient civilizations to the date of emergence of Christianity in the world.

(7 of 10) How does both the Marxist and capitalist philosophical crisis get stimulus from the each other?

Many ancient human settlements have been emerged, existed, and taken its directions either on its own to exist for many centuries with its internal subjective developments basing upon its specialized principles in each and in every sphere against its external threats which were always tended to assimilate it into or to be mixed into it by its own ways under leading strategical movements besides bearing the natural disasters and calamities including internal conflicts but necessarily showed its form either in winning, or in merging into its another apposite units on the form for another new shape in the global world. And many were destroyed either by natural disasters or in aggressions of other societies in wars in many parts of the world.

Every one had its own cases and in each case the reasons were different and it is not possible to apply the common philosophy in its growth and in destructions.  In such a way many societies and settlements were emerged, existed and merged with one another is the case of generality of the issues in the history by finding the special qualities of its own in its particularity which could not be found to see it from far and distanced stand without showing any interest about its changes occurs bit by bit in its every sphere from time to time like the waves in ocean in the history of ancient civilizations .this article covers from the period such origins of settlements to the period emergence of Christianity only with usual indications about Indian history in which many blank periods I can say have to be patched up by many inventions in the lines of other historical time lines on the global scale.

It was the king Manes, whose name was known in uniting the two parts of the Egypt as he was belonged to the first in the pharaoh’s list and it had been associated in mythology and the real human’s lists under demigods in the Egyptian mythology and in archaeology. So that his role of this first king in the list of pharaoh’s of Egypt could not denied either in any way for the proof of his existence at that time or in the list of demigods in the minds of the Egyptian, and Ethiopian people even present now in uniting the two parts of the Egyptian kingdom. According to a traditional belief, he found the city Memphis in the island of Nile. He builds the first temple to the god Ptah there and made good relations with cannons and Byblos. He was buried in Saqqara in Memphis at the age of sixty three. His son was next to throne of his father after attaining his age according to his wife at that time.

There was a custom for building temples in the memory of the kings and royal dignitaries at that time too in the remote past of the Moses period in the area of African region. In the depth of finding the relations between the king and the god in such a remote area of time and at the nearest point of human origins were found the thin line between the two factors religion and the state was erased and leading un to the mix in the form of demigods and king gods in the semi human and half or in less human forms we could see there and the commonality about the existence of physical humans were available on the pallets, clays, and on the animal skins at that time. at the same time the kings identification was made available with the picture in drawing the wild animals such as bulls, lions, beasts, and some other such animals which indicated that the kings were identified with such wild animals by killing them or defeating them for their needs and demands in that civilizations.

The king was associated with such heroic and adventurism which enabled them to emerge as the kings in the pre-Egyptian era in the Ethiopian civilization, which was very nearest to the human origins and traces in the history of man king either in any way on the basis of faith or in the support of the archaeological claims on such historical happenings. Djer, the son of manes, ruled for fifty years and he constructed many buildings and temples in his kingdom from the same capital. He conducted many expeditions against Sinai. Djet, after him succeeded to his throne. Queen Merenith also ruled her Egypt and the stone inscriptions confirmed about their rule in Egypt. Her son, Den became the king during her life time and he ruled fifty years. He was conducted many expeditions against neighboring and some distant states for the plundering purposes at his time too.

All these were found on stone vassals and seals indicating that their physical existences were taken places around, 3503 b c e. he introduced a new cult Apis during his life time. He built his mortuary in Abydos. Anendjib next as a king came to throne and continued his rule for thirteen years from his capital Memphis. During his rule from south side tribal rebellions were happened against him. After his rule, Semerkhed became the king and ruled for just nine years because he was the main in disturbing the Anendjiob’s reign and he had been known as usurper. A German archaeologist in 1993 found some artifacts and jar sealing in the royal tombs and burials contained the name of Qa’ that was ruled the Egypt according to Manetho for twenty six years. There was appeared in their royal acts whose names in jar seals and some other artifacts, they wanted to associate their names to the divinity and immortality in Egyptians civilization under the first dynasty of pharaohs (3100-2890bce).

Hotepsekhemwy, the king of compromise having the meaning to his name, whose name was categorized to the second dynasty of Egyptian pharaohs from the year 2890-2686 b c e and ruled for thirty five years only due to the rebellion organized by his brother.

Raneb, who became the king of Egypt, and ruled for thirty nine years. He initiated the practice of goat of Mendes. Nynetjer, who became the king and ruled for forty seven years in one account as Palermo stone records, confirms that he had organized many events and festivals on the deities, Of them one was “running of the Apis bull”. Khasekemwy, who ascended to throne and controlled the northern areas’ rebellion and emerged as victor, as two statues confirmed about it and the casualties were more than forty six thousand. And the statue of him also available in Cairo museum, his marriage with Nemathep who was belonged to the royal origins from the northern area of the rebels, was documented as being the “king bearing the mother”.

All such signs in past history had shown some indications for further findings of the remote history of past in kush-ethiopians civilizations which are known in modern name of Sudan by setting aside the claims on the history of others. The king Huni was belonged to the third dynasty of Egyptian pharaohs history, and his son or son-in law, the king Snefru, was known as fourth dynastic pharaoh of the Egypt and in his life time he started building his tomb in ‘after life” feelings in a big way. In the history of pharaoh’s practices they married their sisters in consolidation of their empires and many times avoided the claims for the kingships.

In his life time at least three pyramids he built for such purposes during his life time. His son Khufu was known as great builder of pyramids in Egypt as an inspiration of his father snefru who ruled the Egypt. The renowned pyramid at Giza was built by Khufu, with other small pyramids at Seila and his last northern pyramid was one of the best pyramids in Egypt. The purpose of construction of the pyramids was to rest their bodies in a belief of the “next life” as they were in such beliefs they were engaged themselves and pulled their entire rule and the society at that towards the constructions of permanent structures in Egypt by bringing thousands of people from other different areas through army campaigns and expeditions beside other purposes of plundering of other territories at that time. Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis has expressed his opinion in his article” the common origins of Egypt and Ethiopia- Sudan, Oromo, Arabic speaking Sudanese, Nubians” as follows

 ”At the end, Pharaoh Snefru´ scribes present an account involving 7000 captives from the ´Land of the Bow´ (early name for Kush / Ethiopia, initially given to only A-Group territory) and no less than 200000 head of cattle. Similar results were achieved during Pharaoh Snefru´s Libyan campaign, when the pharaonic army brought to Egypt 11000 captives and 13000 head of cattle.

The early Hamitic state that was located in today’s Egypt’s southernmost confines did not have any historical continuity; it was incorporated in the Ancient Egypt, and its population progressively assimilated. The fact makes the Hamitic identity of Egypt undoubtedly stronger, and its connection with the Sahara.” It is evident that the captured men and cattle were used in such constructive works in the ancient Egypt in the similar way of the enslaving and forcing them into the construction works which were started in building city walls, boundaries for the cities and villages for the protection of the people and their kingdoms by forcibly engaging the people in their works within their empires. The Egyptian pharaohs were the first in the list of the construction works through mummifications of the bodies of the royal families and the kings was the main reason of constructing the high level tombs in their entire pharaoh’s period and the history of the slavery also introduced to the society of the other civilizations in the entire region. The forth pharaoh,

Snefru’s body is still not traced out and it is suspected that it may be in the northern pyramid in Egypt and all such pharaohs’ belief contributed to build the great pyramids in Egypt out of their spiritual ambitions after life. During nineteen fifties, a male corpse was found in red pyramid and nobody was able to identify the body. As discussed about the original origin of the Egyptian kings were not from the local inhabitants but they were come from central African region.

The Nubian civilization was come into light when the Egyptologist surveyed in the area of south of Aswan prior to the raising of the dam. The period of the settlements was stated to be of 3200BCE The Egyptian texts called it as Nubians who were existed in very early period of Egyptians and they were different from the Egyptians. The goods they were used known as “grave goods”. The people of lower Nubians known as A-group lived with a strong belief for ‘after life” and brought the goods from Egypt. In findings in Abydos an ancient place on Nile, some five hundred kilo meters in distance place carried out digging at royal Egyptian burials, on March 11, 2002, under the leadership of Fiona marshal, archaeologist found the skeletons of ten donkeys only despite human bodies or grave goods there.

There was a custom of the ancient Nubians to bury the cattle like the humans in the form of tombs and their culture was full of beliefs in gods and once was rich, potential and perfect in the wars. The ancient Nubians (Sudan) are believed to be the first of the human race in the world and it has been confirmed by many findings in this regard. The Nubian had their state and culture back to the dates of more than 5000bce. The Egyptian mark of slavery and constructions of the high level graves, customs and religious practices were based on the Nubians and their identity and their culture with their traditional practices were behind the developments of the Egyptian kingdoms. Their history like their traditional practices also buried by the Egyptologists and their kingdoms were existed till 1900 ad.

The continuation of the human history from the hunting gathering to the development of their living in large human settlements in the entire human history without any gaps in formulating the developments and development contributing elements could be patched up here through the identification of the Nubian culture and their civilization in the modern Sudan and in some part of the modern Egypt. These developments in the human history could coordinate between the gaps of the historical process in a complete form. It is also the an effort to present the evidences in this large parts of the human history which was one formed in a single content of living by dependence to the destroying the nature by the modern humans for their own in the way of competitions against each other for gathering the wealth and develop it in global level.

The Nubian civilization and their settlements were proved that they were the spirits and source of the Egyptian societies upon which the history of pharaohs were continued. The customs, faiths, practices, habits, making the tools with stoned in sharp pointers in their hunting and domesticating the animals proved that they were the rich in resources and potential in attacking the wild beasts and animals for their settlements. Their settlements and their progressive being a neglected black culture, made the humans to leg into the new age from ancient Stone Age(Paleolithic) to new stone age(neo Paleolithic)stone age in the history of the human progress and in civilizations in the world.

They were once flourished with rich integrity and integrity for causing further developments in the Egyptian history, in many was now the area had lost its original identity in finding the same human settlements due to change of the climate which never allow the humans to remain in the same settlements. Many rivers dried up in the history of the world and new dams on rivers had been built and many types of the massive deaths, catastrophes, the history had seen in building the new civilizations in its order of preferences in the world. In India Saraswati River once it was flown and known as the Vedic river now it had lost its origin.

The new surveys of bayuda desert, north of modern Khartoum, Sudan and Sahara desert, and west of the Nile at dongola, Sudan and Nubian desert, east of kerma, Sudan confirmed that these areas are the major ancient the settlements and a contribution the Nile to the history of progress of civilizations in the world. On excavation work along ancient Nile, at kherma, carried out by French Sudanese team they found the large quantity of grave goods at al most all the burial. The graves contained “the most important objects – elaborately decorated pottery, fine tools and weapons – especially mace heads – made with exotic stones, multiple armbands of ivory, grinding stones for eye cosmetics, and strange stone female figurines. Horns of domesticated cattle were sometimes laid on top of the bodies. These “chieftain’s graves” were surrounded by lesser graves, predominantly female. Such data reveals that Nubian society, from at least 5000 BC, had become highly stratified.” In a comparison with the history of the Indus valley in the light of latest and much publicized claim on the script which he was declared that he has already deciphered well in advance and now he again claimed that it has to be “yet deciphered” up on which I already have written, an article, 19th April 2010 under the caption of

“Dravidian Thesis in Deciphering the Indus Script Is Not Possible” and it is available in some commercial website, but, the result is in the similar line and the writer Dr. Asko parpola who claimed to decipher the Indus script and got received “Kalaignar Karunanidhi Classical Tamil Award”. And he turned out from his thesis in his address in the world classical Tamil conference yesterday, 1st July 2010, by declaring that “a Dravidian-Aryan continuum while demolishing the Aryan-Dravidian divide as a myth.” however he had made few comments on some other important issues such as the period of Indus valley and the composition of the rig Veda in India. He clarified that “the Indus script Indus Script was used to 2600-1900 BCE, he said the ‘Indus Civilization’ collapsed many centuries before hymns were composed in ‘Vedic Sanskrit’ around 1000 BCE”. This clarification about the time lime is just a shock to those who wanted to establish that the ancient Indus civilization was in continuation of the present history since the time was they wanted to claim infinitively and directly tried to own the complete history of the other global civilizations without considering scientific measures in calculating the time line through either archaeological or other cultural related time tines of the inventions in the history of entire civilizations. In any case the attachment of the mind to the nativity is inerasable fact but the nature of identifying the things with it’s dated of inventions I find no place for feeling extra zealous activity in the major issues of the world in general and in the historical issues in particular. The problem of mejoritarian thinking style against the small minorities in India was and is not justified in anyway in the representations in all the fields.

The Nubian society and their beliefs made it clear to the new and modern society and to its people that the production of the goods for purpose of the making it to the graves of the common people who dies in their society and also they were made to produce the goods for the lives for living at that time. It means the society and the labor of the Nubians society was full of work they were to undertake in their lives with a sense and belief that they had to produce the goods for the beliefs too at that time. The belief of the people also burdened with the labor on the society to engage in the production of the goods was and is proved that the beliefs about the deaths as well as for lives also needed to work in the society.

In its clear sense the beliefs and faiths also play an important role in the lives of the people from the periods of Nubians to the day of every modern society in the world. It is, if not considered as one of the important needs in the lives of the people, the performance of the rituals and much of the expenditure on the day of death and after in the weeks, months, and in the years still could never be memorized by those who are in lineage of the dead in the Indian society. In Indian society, it is seen in a great sense while and after performing the rituals of the dead by the sons and brothers either in jointly or in separation all have been in a custom to perform the rituals in their lives according to the customs, and all such functions are still performed with great importance in some way unlike like the practices of ancient Nubians in present Indian society.

The battle was occurred during the reign of ramesse2 who was traveled to the Nubian’s land in the south side of Egyptian kingdom and caused s sense of feeling to the pharaohs’ security and the land was rich with animals, gold and wood at the time when ramesse2 was a pharaoh. While in the battle with Nubians the pharaoh was used a chariot and the Nubians were defended themselves with bow and arrows. In the end of such war the Egyptian pharaoh was emerged as winner of the Nubians lands. The pharaoh had been offered animals, gold, food and special objects as a tribute by the Nubians and the procession was taken out as a mark of victory at the centre point of the village in the Nubian lands. There were certain signs of showing the weapons holding in hands by some Nubian soldiers to the pharaoh indicated that they had not been willing to fight against the ramesse2 at that time. At the same time the presents were the precious objects were among all other tributes they had to submit to the pharaohs at that time.

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Before coming back to the origins of Nubians and on their trading system along the Nile River with the people of Egypt, and finding the reasons for further reasons in producing ‘grave goods’, just have a look on the origin, growth, rise and decline of the roman state in which what were the principal players while turning from a small centre of the area in Rome to the rise of a large and unforgettable empire in the history of the world, so as to understand the developing and contradicting factors within and against out side elements for understand the real nature of the humans, from the state of opening the eyes to the stage of burying covering different stages in the lives in which how the habits, needs and thoughts plays its role in molding the humans in perfect form within the control of the society and in leading the society and in dismantling the society could be useful for the purpose of other societies in general and every society in its particular on the global scale of the commonality.

Here again the list of the roman kings starts from the mythical kings stories in general way but I start with the real king’s story whose role was to make raising  the roman kingdom to its highest place in the list of variety of happenings with contributory role of different factors in leading the society of progress and development through the wars and struggles with the conspiracies in addition to the religious affiliations to the minds of the kings who led their lives in such a certain way that would never be expected at that time of its initialization of the factors and their interests in their empires unlike a humans with a spirit and zeal based on the nature and thinking style about their rule in their lives for the course of running the affairs of the state from time to time according to the social, constitutional, political and economical laws time being in the force.

The Roman Empire’s period from 753 b c to 1453 a d would be discussed on incidents basis only. Roman ancient society was primarily based on agriculture only. Romulus and Remu’s story in roman mythology occupies a great part in believing and depending on the half-realities while going into depth for finding the little Rome to the Roman Empire. The roman empires capital was built in 753 b c in Rome and the king Romulus belonged to the Etruscans tribe of the roman society in ancient times. But beyond such myths and beliefs, the relative social realities could be needed to understand behind these facts and myths in every society including these roman stories. On the maturity they reinstated the original king nomitho in his place as king in same style of coup against the illegitimate king at that time.

They built their own city on the river Tiber where they had been found by shepherd and started their rule. First the king Romulus was the first ruled by killing his brother by depending on some faiths of lying six and twelve vultures over their heads in claiming the kingship. The king Romulus was believed the first king in Roman Empire and the history also about was started from the date of 24.o4.753BC. In roman tradition and in popular belief after Romulus there were six kings ruled the Rome. Of them last three, were belonged to the Etruscans tribe. In the mythical version of this kind of traditions and faiths about any important issue, the physical fact is remained evident by setting aside the stories about its origin and about its narration. The she-wolf image is become unofficial symbol of the Rome.

So belief is final in the mind of human nature and it would be replaced by his thoughts only. And if the thoughts are based on the existing things in the material world, it needs some more evidences to confirm it, and at the same time the willingness of the human mind in accepting the realities about the existing things is necessary to transform the ideas and facts through the realities of the exiting material realities only. That time too the willingness and readiness to accept all these realities under free option or under compulsory force for action is another different version to lead the mind from it by forcing his mind to think on the force and forcing conditions again. In essence any replacement of the ideas in the human mind, upon which the human nature is always depends and plays an important role in allowing the human mind to think about the thing and its related issues of both living and material facts behind such acts on the human mind in every time and in every society from ancient to the modern times.

Now it is a common question in the mind about the origins of Etruscans origin, and their growth in the land of Italy where the local people who could not built such a great history of Roman Empire which was taken origin and definite shape through the people whose history is not much known to the people and their contributions also not much written about their role in extending and forming a such great empire from mere status in the Italy at the bank of tiger river, where it is too added to the list of civilizations at the river banks in the global histories of the civilizations.

On the question about the origins of Etruscans there are different opinions but the Greek philosopher, Herodotus, had said in fifth century b c something about them is here under in his way that “Etruscans originated from Lydia, in Asia minor, and that due to a famine in the area, they invented a number of games to take their minds off the lack of food” the question of Etruscan’s origin, culture and their script with their contribution to the strong empire of Romans have stood unresolved still now by many research works carried out in finding them really whether they were local native or emigrated is not yet confirmed. But one thing is clear that they built strong walls, temples and buildings in and around their habituations along the river banks and hilly areas of the Rome and they have been known to the world that they were the first builders and the base of the Roman Empire undoubtedly.

Before moving further into the Roman Empire’s growth after the reign of Romulus, it is useful to compare with the role of the most advanced civilization in the Europe, Greece which was led by the Minoas who lived in the island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea from about 3000BC to 1450BC. The Minoan civilization in the island was a site of ninety independent states at that time during 1600BC.

At the capital of this state, at knoss, the king of minoas built the palace which could represent the real life style of the Greeks in such constructions with stone, plaster, and timber and coats of water color on the plasters at that time when the roman empire was not much popular in any such advancements at that time in entire Europe. During the reign of Romulus, there was no sign of slavery in ancient Roman Empire, but it had been brought from out side to the Rome on the needs of carrying out the construction works in the ancient roman kingdom by other kings. While speaking or in wring about the history of Greeks, it is not possible to neglect the writings of Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Demosthenes, Plato and Aristotle, in any way of formulating any claim in the subject of philosophy or in the history arts by anybody in the world. Moreover without referring the controversial subjects the great Olympics games (776BC) origin and its introductory years was known to the world that it had been associated so much so that no one could forget the history of the Greeks in the global context of the logics and on logical conclusions about the political philosophy, which is incomplete without reviewing the contribution of the Greeks in the world.

The trading relations between the Greeks and Etruscans through the boats are shown in the artistic way of Etruscan paintings and the constructions of buildings and tombs by the Etruscans are shown that they had some similarities in the faith of life after death. And the same confirms that the Etruscan cultural activities were understood through their arts like Greeks in their cities. But the Etruscans in the view of Greeks at that time was not good and they felt that they were mixed race and living like a pirates, because their trade and business relations were such that could some say about them on the behaviors of the Etruscans while dealing with each other. These people were the sea people and they were mainly known Greek people and their relation with the sea also could never be denied, and they were perfect in building merchant ships at that time.

The Romulus’s (753BC to 715BC) reign was ended and his mysterious death opened many more mythical stories basing upon certain beliefs by saying that the king had become immortal. After him another name was in the list of such gods, quirinus, was known that he had an association of the Jupiter and mars, who had been worshipped by sabines, after Romulus reign there were six kings,( numa pompilius (715-673BC, tullus hostilius (673-642BC),, ancus martilius, (642-617BC) tarquinius priscus (616-579BC), survius tullius, (579-535BC). turquinus superbus (535-509BC), and the next kings were remained to rule the roman empire with their contribution to its growth and for its prosperity with down fall.

There was evidence about the conflict between the two tribes in ancient Rome that the Romulus was Etruscans tribe and Numa Pompilius was belonged to Sabine tribe even in mythical way but it represent the fact that the conflict was occurred in Rome. The king Romulus was thought to invite the tribes of sabines to their city on the name of celebrating festival. On the arrival of men and women of Sabine tribe into the city, the Romulus and their people attacked and killed the men only for abduction and for raping the women of sabines so as to develop their population in the Rome, and they abducted their women, the remained survived men want back to their homes and returned back to retaliate the roman by taking back their women to their homes, under the command of Titus Tutius, who could sack the city, Rome, but they found that their wives were happy with the Romans in the city, and the women asked their men to not to sack the city for them. The Romulus and Titus agreed to end the conflict by making some understanding to share in the power in next coming days in Rome diplomatically. Sabines and Etruscans were active in their part to play in the roman growth in their ways at the time of incident occurred.

In this story one conflicting version could never make the fact the myth because the kings period of rule did not match to each other in a way what it had been known since ancient times but the facts is clear that the conflicts were in continuation between the two tribes in roman city at that time was real and basic foundation in contributing to the growth of roman empire. In essence here now two tribes were in the role of making the roman empire to develop from initial form to the level of empire in the history of long run of roman empire from it rise only. Moreover, the Greek colony in the Italian soils had made some sort of contribution in the conflicting classes in the Roman Empire.

In all the cases of human migrations due to different reason from the original homelands to the other potential areas are seen as common phenomena in the history of the human lives. At the same time the military expeditions, and invasions of the other territories from the rich and potential resources, plundering and receiving tributes from the weak also another common practice from the ancient civilizations to the present origin and growth of Roman Empire here.

It is important to note the role in building the cities or developing the rural habitations in a group or in the form of groups for dwelling in the cities was and is every one’s observation without considering the active role in such a great development is a matter of concern for a small bit of attention to pay on it by discussing about its active role of the principal players in developing such cities, in ancient civilizations.

First city and cities in the ancient civilizations, by identifying the role and the need of building the cities at the cost of few or for all on the basis have to be verified in detail. It is the name of the city-state called Uruk, which was built by Ubaid prior to the Sumerian civilization and whose culture was lasted from 5900 to 4000BC. The king Gilgamesh was belonged to uruk region and known to the world as “the king of summer and akkad”. The Akkadian language through which the Sumerian culture was come to light to the modern world. In November, 1872 a British archaeologist, George smith, who packed back to London from Nineveh and showed to the world about the Gilgamesh who was till that time known to the world as a mythical king of akkadian kingdom, in the akkadian language by breaking all the myth around the physical existence of the Gilgamesh who was described as he had one third of his body as human and the remained parts of the body was in animal form.

Till this findings, the king Gilgamesh was known to the world as the mythical king and did not exist in his empire. Such finding now supported by the global archaeologists as followers of the findings of the young enthusiastic British who were very eager about it to find something and should show to the world that he had found such great facts of the history and which were unknown to the world. Here the question remained stood unresolved as to how one should find the wish and persistency in the mind of young British archaeologist to prove the real physical reality from the conceptions of the myths, behind such findings in the history of the kings list in akkadian kingdom. Still how many in the world to believe such mythical issues which were ended in real physical realities about the past and the fastness in the present competitive world which makes everyone like a machine to work for themselves and leaves no room for to find such archeological inventions in the world.

In the history of the global world, India is very poor in such encourage to the young archaeologists to carryout such findings in the interest of Indian history which had not yet been found suitable to its legacy of its past by filling out the gaps and blank periods in continuity on its history in the lines of global historical time lines. Moreover, the Indian history has the starting point of rig Veda only and many rightist groups are very busy in the horse plays without sufficient grounds in enlarging its history from its nucleus to boundless and are claiming that they were once ruled all over the world as they have such reversing techniques from just from the drawing rooms.

Still they have time to carry a spade in one hand and carry a book of their interest like the most ancient book Rigveda and go to start such excavation work around the Madhya Bharath and at the dried river Saraswati, if they really want to see India on such a heights of spiritual realities, against the history of the promised land of the Moses in comparative way to write Indian history from the all the ages of human origins and their settlements on the lines of the ancient civilizations including their contributions while a flow of invasions from the time of Persian king to the period of meer Qasim, who was just sixteen years old when he had been assigned the duty of   invasion by his master through Afghanistan, Pakistan and to Kashmir for winning the territories of Indian sub-continent

The Gilgamesh, the akkadian empire, and known to the people from the history of his invasion into Indian soils, through Afghanistan, Pakistan and to Kashmiri empire as the builder of the city walls, whose declarations are here, confirming the building of the city states, was a part of only king’s duty but it was the collective need which made the people to work in the massive way and there they were lived in accordance with their individual need and on the principle of collective responsibility at that time. The slavery was not known to that society, as it was not made any indication about it i through any such writings at his time on the tablets and no clue was written about it on any of the twelve tablets, which are still available. In the city uruk, there they ancient people carried out a construction of walls and temples in the city first along with their settlements at that time. And the Sumerian’s as an advanced city-state construction works contributed a lot of things in their lives to the modern world. Tablet one says about himself in Akkadian language as

 ”The one who saw all [Sha nagba imuru] I will declare to the world,

The one who knew all I will tell about

[Line missing]

He saw the great Mystery, he knew the Hidden:

He recovered the knowledge of all the times before the Flood.

He journeyed beyond the distant; he journeyed beyond exhaustion,

And then carved his story on stone. [Naru: stone tablets]“

The last one of twelve tablets, he was in distress about himself written on the tablet as

“For whom have I labored? For whom have I journeyed?
For whom have I suffered?
I have gained absolutely nothing for myself;
I have only profited the snake, the ground lion!”

In his entire writings through twelve tablets, it is nowhere any clue and mention of the slavery and slave system in his kingdom. And he had been known to the people that he was the builder of the city-state and the king of Akkadian empire in the ancient history.

If it is in direct phrase by himself writing on his own, it could be in such a way, but it is understood that the writing on the tablet was carried out by somebody on his behalf, of and wrote on his name what it had been appeared about its validity question of that time and authority.

On the writings of the last tablet he was written in a deepest regret about all his achievements and successes in his life that he had nothing for himself as he claimed for himself shows that he was the real person having the heart on reviewing his works as the king and he had allowed himself to speak his heart on the tablet in a apologetic and regretful manner. If the king as such we see in the past the past and at present times was he as the crueler he could have told about the slavery and its slave system in the Akkadian empire. But it is not told about the existing social conditions of the Akkadian kingdom in his entire life time which was claimed to be more than a century. His period of reign and his life time was suspected to be around 2700BC.

It is further in a way of consolidation of the developments and origins of the ancient civilizations, I have put forward the five civilizations in a comparative way with a timelines to calculate the role of the active forces and elements in leading all such civilizations in a first hand so as to make the identifications of  the role of social elements, needs, requirements of the each societies both in social and individual spectrums beyond to the modern societies for considering the role of the state with its widened spheres in all the civilizations. In a list Nubians, Africans, Sumerians, akkadians, Israelis, antolios, Romans, Europeans, British, and other civilizations according to the list of inventions in the global scale on time lines.

While considering the archaeological support for the ancient roman territories, more than the two tribal settlements were existed in the eight century BC and it is not to mean to that they were only settlements in the ancient Rome. In 510BC, the Etruscans king was charged with the rape of a wife of noble man, in ancient Rome, that made the king to fly away to save his skin, in a rebellion by his own men and he was such unpopular in his policies. He was killed in rebellion. But the two tribes, and even more we could see there in Rome corresponding to the name of Rome by their existence. To name the ancient tribal settlements, as Latins and sabines who had their settlements at palatine hill and at Quirinal in 753BC with their identity they were directly related with the agricultural tribes besides Etruscans in ancient Rome.

While the setting up the process for the kingship it is evident that they were practiced the popular way of election as their king to see the subjects of the kings as it was an evidence at the time of marcius who had been made guardian to his children. After the rebellion against the seventh king, in the above king’s list, the senate was voted to lucius junius Brutus and lucius tarquinus collatinus as consuls of the new government and they never wanted again to go back to the kingships in the ancient Rome in 509BC.this kind of new system of governance, was really a great contribution of the ancient Roman’s to the modern world in the 509BC. The consuls on the name of new government, the Roman Empire did not see to its back path of monarchy to the end of their era in the history of the world.

In such ancient time, the Romans opened a new system of two power centers in the king’s affairs. A senate, and the consuls, was in the place of monarchs and in later developments they were made all their system of governance according to their needs and desires of the people on their own. A small rebellion had initiated for a great change in the whole system of governance means the people at that time mostly Etruscans, sabines, and latines were known for their contests against each others subjects in the affairs of the governance in ancient Roman Empire. The reasons behind the two important changes what I discussed here were related in the affairs of the monarchs and monarchy in ancient period. The major clash between Etruscans and sabines in the roman city and a sea change from the monarchy to popular form of government through the voting of senate in selection of the consuls were a women related issue in common behind such changes in the roman empire. These two incidents  could be a small in several reasons but the justification of their claim for several issues such as sharing in the power centers showed a definite attention about the roman’ life styles and their attachments with the women to the world. This kind of reactions from the side of people was a mark of their living style and their cultural affiliations for which they have been affiliated to the people of other civilizations in the world. However it was not new for any other civilizations but the reasons of such changes they were shown and how they were reacted against the violations shows a good example for the modern world. The Romans who were behind the replacement of the system by defeating the turquins and them demanded heavy tribute from them.

The Romans target was Etruscans and they wanted to drive them out by allying with Latins and Greeks, against the Etruscans who were at the power. And they continue to drive out from their territories to out of Italian peninsula in later years. The Etruscans both power and their territories were received dead end by the allied tribes against them. Finally the Romans won the Italy totally without leaving any of their territories to Etruscans after their defeat in the rebellion and replacements of the monarchy in the ancient empire. The gauls, who were known as Indo-European people attacked the Romans in Rome, burned down violently as they were arrived at only to plunder the wealth and to collect the tribute from the roman only. Not to settle in Rome and to rule the Romans there at that time.

These tribes were not introduced the slavery and slave system in the ancient Roman Empire, because, they were all depended either in agriculture or in trade with other territorial people of Greece, and Carthaginians only and the first written laws of twelve tables of roman empire, in the later period. But the ancient Rome did not have ever produced such system of sale of humans for the existence of the few to the world from their own system as a need for their survival.

It is also evident that the slave system was a direct product of external affairs of any kingdom only in the form of inimical treatment of out-side work force usable for internal affairs of the monarchs in all ancient societies in the world. And at the same time the Nubians were also seen the slavery from their own internal out come of its necessity of the systematic adjustments of the society in the world. The Egyptian pharaoh’s societies were seen who have been in force to get the men and women for their own purpose of life “after death”. 

The roman expedition in search of new territories and new resources, they got all kings of material, men and women for that they attacked Carthage, Macedonia, and Greece, in 2nd and in 3rd century BC only. Prior to that period they were not seen the slaves and slavery in their socials lives in ancient Roman Empire. At the same time, in the Sumerian civilization, the people were found the irrigation channels and developed their lands and busy in building their permanent settlements there. Actually the people of ubaidian culture during the period of 4500BC, they were in concentration themselves within their unit to settle there in the fertile lands of Mesopotamia. At that time too the origin and need of the slave system was not known to the people of the period. It is understood here that the ubaidian, Sumerian and Babylonian civilizations, the slavery and slave system from within their unit did not come out to the society as a need to fulfill the desires of the people of these civilizations during their periods. Now the ancient civilizations in the list of the world in which I can say that the only civilization in the Egypt under the reign of pharaohs period of expeditions who carried out against the Nubian settlements were and are the carriers of the slaves from out side in the most cruelest form for fulfilling their internal needs as well as hoping the good life after their deaths at that time only. In essence, the slave system and the slavery was and is the direct result of fulfilling the territorial needs in the domestic purposes as well as their next life presumptions, the slavery had been brought to the social system in the ancient Egyptian civilization. At the same time, the Indian history in which the Manu code of laws compared with the hammurabi code of laws and I made clarifications in my article under the name” The Great Indian Civilization Overtook The Total Slave System In Ancient Social Transitional Phases In The Indian Society By Jumping Out The Slave System” . I say that the slave system was and is not a system in the society but it is a “forced” system imposed by the humans only. In essence when the societies have no systems in past which would have no guarantee of any system in the society in present and in future just because on the ground that the human efforts only makes any systems for the time being for the convenience of the societies as they wanted to turn it for them was and is proved that it had only worked out in the needy basis only, but not in the form of machine to run automatically with the supportive system of any power.

Moreover it is not to form a firm ideology about the transitions of the societies in a planned manner with a fix of time on the scale of developments in the societies towards the capitalist nature from the feudal phase to capital phase and it prior phase of slavery to feudal system through which the transition to the capitalism. It has been seen in the case of Nubian societies were occupied only due to its advancement of trading along the river side states from that area to the roman seashores directly linking with each other in trading resources simultaneously accrued from the agricultural produces in the same time of the Etruscans and carthagians.

In the case of the Sumerian civilisatation at the time of existence of the king of uruk, Gilgamesh did not disclose of any such affairs that could correspond to the slave system and the subjects of the slaves in his life time in his writings. Moreover the Sumerian civilization in which the ‘surplus’ produce of the agriculture was made another contributory development of the “lending” the produce on the additional part of its repay to the lenders in the form of “interest” on the next season on such condition only the interest system was come into origin. The “interest” in additional form of repay of the agriculture produce to the, producers was contributed as advancements in the social system from its own need on which the society was based for a period of a season and the calculation of the moon days, rainfalls, seeding, collection of the crops in their lands. In other words it was in the form of agreements between the two parties to lend and receive on the most common and acceptable base only it was originated in that days.

On such basis of mutual consents and co-operation of each other were definitely contributed to the surplus produce in their fields. In such a way the surplus production was they produced at that time for the needy men of those who could not produce it was reduced to the stage of the need to lend for the feeding of the family and children was happened and at the same time, the lenders of those who could produce surplus by engaging the labor at their farms on the mutually acceptable terms was happened at that time. But the slavery was not introduced here in their societies by applying force on those who could not produce from their lands by working hard in their fields. It is further to confirm that the slave system itself in them was not a direct product of their out come of the conflicts or imbalances but it is an outside “product” directly brought to their societies from out- sides of their societies. In the ethruscanic, sabines, latines, and gauls and in native Romans there were not any such practices of the slaves in their societies in their ancient times in Roman Empire. When the Romans found to be able to carry out invasions to the Greek and on other territories they had brought thousands of men and women from out side to fulfill their domestic and labor purposes, then the slavery was in such a high and treated it as a mark privilege of engaging the slaves in their houses during the twelve table laws period of its introduction in roman empire. It is also necessary to have a focus on three Punic wars in the Roman Empire which had a lot of factors in it in molding the roman society into building strong foundations as a force in next coming years.

It had been emerged from its both internal and external influences played a strong role against each other in preparing the Romans to play their respective roles in their fields of the time through the written laws to enforce in the society according to the agreements they were made among themselves. In exact sense the code of laws were initiated into the roman society as a result of trust and mistrust between the two tribes which were involved against each other’s interests. The patricians and plebeians were active in protecting their interests in the written form so as to avoid the mistrust and conflicts against each other in the important issues of the power sharing basis in the society at that time. These two classes were in prohibited the inter marriage systems between their families. After the introduction through the mutual agreements the conflict of orders was the direct result of agreements between these two classes in 445BC.

The word”graecostadium” which was known in the history of Rome as “market place for Greek slaves”. The victor of war, named, amilius pallius, in pydna in Greece in 168BC, was known that he brought the slaves from Greece to Rome as a profit or as a sale which is not sure to confirm about but it is exact the victor had brought 150000 slaves back to Rome from Greece in 168BC. There are two conflicting versions on the winners in this war, because the Romans were claiming that they won this was and the Greeks were made the same claim over this war in their favors. But the said dates upon which these two claims are agreed on it. The two ancient Minoans and Mycenaean civilizations were separate in their very identity but in the process of time they had been unified as one at the Greeks state in the history of wars and its expeditions of the world, under the command of Mycenaean king, Minoavan civilization flourished as the most advanced in the entire Europe on the banks of Crete during 3000BC to 2100bc as the period is known as ancient and the middle of the ancient could be known from 2100BC to 1500bc and the late period is remained from 1500bc to 1100BC under the periodized form of civilization.

It is to know about solon (c. 638 B.C.-558 B.C.), the law giver of the Athens whose classification of the people on the basis of wealth in his rule after his election was well versed at hat time in the ancient history of Greece.. And he also knew that he set free the burden of the debts on poor. He allowed continuing the legal and magisterial affairs in the hands of the rich class only. He established the council of 400 members in the state affairs to avoid internal conflicts and seditions against state.

The patrician class was then allowed to be a part of such power centers which were once vested in the hands of monarchs only, on the side of roman ruling system which was the direct result of the rebellion against the last monarch. In his life time the ‘state’ had attained fullest maturity in all of its branches in their ancient society of Greece. While confirming about the origin of the societies of the humans in early civilizations, the migrations were an unavoidable development rendered by the nature to the human beings because of natural calamities, the human societies were definitely in the need to search safe and potential areas which could contain island areas, river banks, port areas, plane areas, and hilly forests as a places of safety with security with potentiality for their dependence up to the period of human developments through the inventions of fishing, and reading the other material for the other societies in the history of human developments, because no area is found isolated in isolation where I can say the human societies could not be existed without river beds and banks of oceans from the original origin of African forests.

The Greek philosopher Plato, who had noted about the existence of the island Atlantis in his timaeus, which is given below as the need for the human beings who were to have a different kinds of the societies were existed in the course of developments which would never be put in serialization but could be materialized according to the existence with dependence of the societies on the source available at that time. It means there were some other dependence of the human societies on the natural resources such as, oceans, rivers, hilly areas and the areas of complete forests upon which the human settlements were shifted according to the needs of the societies. For example the island people could be depended upon the sea and they could be directly got the contact with some other societies between which the trading relations were established among the people of islands.

“Now in this island of Atlantis there was a great and wonderful empire which had rule over the whole island and several others, and over parts of the continent . . . But, there occurred violent earthquakes and floods, and in a single day and night of misfortune. . . the island of Atlantis . . .disappeared in the depths of the sea.”

The relationship of Mycenaean-Greek in their separate habitations  prior to the formation of the state in their territories as a single and unified habitation under the Mycenaean kingdoms in Greece, the Egyptian presence and their impact had not been neglected even though considering the role of  Greeks’ spirituality in emerging to the complete form of the Greek state. And the home-state of the slavery was brought to the Greece and in later period, the content in the slave system they had slowly injected into its own society in their own and in needy way of the modern capitalist ideas of “debt trap” which was first in practical way very intelligently introduced in their own society from within society through their own people. Here the difference of the introduction of slavery in the Greece was not originally their idea of it to introduce firstly during the Macedonian kings at that time, but it had been brought the idea of slavery from out side to the Greece and they were implemented there from inside only through the debt tracks to the free and independents by the rich and privileged sections of the society.

The period of both Egyptian pharaohs’ and the invasion of the Greece was not much widely known in the Greek’s history, but in later times it is become now popular that the origin and invasion of the Egyptian system of slavery and the social laws were influenced the Greek’s society. But it is very hard now to establish the direct linking factors of the Egyptian Greek relations in the context of extension of the colony of the Egyptians at that time.

In 1971AD, Greek archaeologist, Theodore spyropoulos, found a grave at the Amphion hill, a burial place in Greece in which he found some ornaments like in the Egyptian practice and he observed as “”typically Egyptian tomb”. Further research showed that the tomb dated back to 2900-2400 BC, placing this Greek discovery as a veritable anomaly: there was no Greek civilization at this time… though there was already an Egyptian civilization.”

The Greek city Athens, around, 620BC, the written constitution was come into practice but it was not much of relief that could give to its people. And the society of the Greece was not in peace and frequent unrest was common at that time. In the year, 590BC, Solon, and the king at that time had written a written constitution for the citizen with strict punishments of death for a simple violation of his rules. And he made his observation about his state in his own writing which is followed here

“Never will our city be destroyed by the will of the gods, for we are guarded by the wise goddess Athena. But the Athenians themselves, seduced by money, seek mindlessly to corrupt this great city. Helped by the evil schemes of their leaders, whose arrogance shall make them suffer, for they do not know how to restrain their greed nor be discreet in their feasting.

Sparing neither sacred ground nor public property, greedily they steal from one place or another. Athena notes quietly and in time she exacts her retribution. Behold the destruction of our city as vile slavery awakens civil strife. War wipes out for many their cherished youth. Our much loved city is worn down by violence as the wicked stir them into confrontation. The poor are shackled and sold as slaves to foreign lands.

My soul commands me teach the Athenians that a bad constitution brings civic turmoil, but a good one brings order and strengthens community. It shackles wrongdoing and smoothes out the rough. It checks greed, tempers arrogance, and withers the fruits of reckless impulse. It takes crooked judgments and makes them straight, halts treasonable acts, and ends the poison of violent conflict. And so under it, everything for mankind becomes whole and wise”

The king salon, while writing about the constitution, he expressed a threat of rebellions and the system of the Athens upon which he had his opinions about the slavery as his Athenian people was greedy, and could cause the turmoil by colluding with the foreign invaders for their selfish interest. So as to avoid such conditions in the practices of the state and in society he introduced a democratic form of government by authorizing the youth of thousands as general assembly of the Athenians body of the state in which all powers were vested in it. The rich class of the lords was very inconvenient with the arrangement of awarding equal powers to the poor and the rich in same way as equals as they did not agree of it for allowing the serfs with same powers as the rich class had been given by the constitution in the Greece. The economy of the Greece was at this time including the value of the slaves was very rich and attractive for other invaders and full of the disturbances with internal conflicts among the classes in which the slave system was formed a part. And no body was against the system of slavery at that time when the Greek philosophy was developed in their society. The most of the people were found busy in discussion about the origin of many things of the world in the leisure of their timings at the streets and in the market places to find the solutions to change their lives. So that the “logic” was come into being in the Greece for the first time as a direct result of the workless and unemployed youth and in educated circles in the Greek society. The essentiality of the development of the logic between the two different arguments in physical form of discussion, the language they were already found and developed at that time. so that the language in which the different versions could be carried out during their discussions on the different subjects according to the knowledge what they got from their masters and from their education system at the time of the development of the logic in the Greek society. and the Punic wars of Romans were proved a lot for the winning and consolidating the own empire was the subject which was widened by the system of governance in the roman empire by adopting so many facts including aspirations as the humans from the seat of highest in such a roman empire continued, till the date of start of its decline due to its own weight after the emergence of the Christianity in the world. The comparative study of all societies within all nations with each other’s potentialities for survival and defeat of such societies due to weaknesses prior to the date of emergence of Christianity would be discussed in next article 8 of 10, in the series, with different captions.

Ayub Mohammed.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/political_analysts/

Snorkelling in Malaysia

Malaysia’s waters are so teeming with fish there’s no real need to go into the deep to see them. Here are my favourite snorkelling spots.

The Perhentian Islands
The best snorkelling on Perhentian Kecil is at the northern end of Coral Bay or the northern end of Long Beach. Both are similar in the regards of types of coral and fish, and you should see turtles and rays in both locations. On Besar, Teluk Dalam is the best bay for snorkelling. Sharks are said to frequent the formation of underwater rocks and coral at the westernmost tip of this bay.

Lankayan Island
The Lankayan atoll offers a reef with many beautiful diving spots and opportunities for snorkelling. Good snorkelling can be done in the vast lagoon around the beach, additional snorkelling is possible by boat along the external reef. The place is a paradise for macro photography, as there are lots of small and unique creatures.

Sipadan
Few things beat drifting with the currents on the more exposed sites. There are many turtles to be seen which is why the famous Jacques Cousteau documentary, Ghost of the Sea Turtles, was filmed here. You’ll probably also catch glimpses of barracuda, humphead parrotfish and thousands of friendly reef fish. Hammerheads are sometimes sighted at South Point.

Redang
Tg Mak Cantik located right in front of Redang Reef Resort on Pantai Pasir Panjang has been popular with snorkellers for years. The underwater wildlife on display isn’t as prolific as in the places listed above, but the spot is regarded as one of the most accessible snorkeling spot in Redang. Look out for moon wrasse, scissortail sergeant, redlip parrotfish, virgate rabbitfish, Bleeker’s damsel, eight-banded butterflyfish and maybe the odd turtle.

Tioman
The water around Tioman is absolutely crystal clear. Among the popular snorkelling spots are Renggis Island, Tulai Island, Monkey Bay and Marine Park. You will be mesmerised by the colorful tropical fish and the beauty of soft and hard corals. At most spots, the fish are tame and will approach the swimmers.

Scuba Diving in Puerto Rico: What Underwater Sights to Behold?

It is always necessary to go with a dive guide when you are diving in a region unfamiliar to you. Scuba diving in Puerto Rico is as easy as inquiring at the front desk of your motel. Many diving centers that cover the island as well as most of the motels in Puerto Rico offer scuba training and diving guides. From there, you can begin your adventure into the wonderful, blue ocean.

From the Condado District of San Juan, you can start your journey. You will encounter amazing lava reefs that protect and shelter an array of sea life. From arrow crabs to coral shrimp and sea horses, as well as batfish and snappers, these beautiful reefs shaped from ancient volcanic activity provide an incredible view of ocean life that cannot be witnessed from above. However, the most popular areas for scuba diving in Puerto Rico is on the western coastline where reefs are surrounded by beautiful, clear waters adding to its attraction.

An excellent destination for divers of all levels is Desecheo Island, also on the west coast of Puerto Rico. From snorkeling to diving, there is much to behold. Mona Island is also an ideal place for scuba diving in Puerto Rico. This beautiful island is only accessible by boat and the marine life concealed here is incredible which includes dolphins, sharks, manta rays, sea turtles, whales, and hundreds of tropical fish.

At Mona Island, it is guaranteed that divers will see wide variety of fishes and sea animals on every dive. There is also many other spectacular places to dive in Puerto Rico. For instance, on the southern most coast of the island is Fajardo. It lets you see the world of caverns and reefs with clear view beautiful coral of all types. You can also see beautiful parrotfish, as well as bantailed puffers and more on the amazing double-barrier reef surrounding Palomino Island.

Cayo Diablo, just a little further east, is where you can as well find amazing corals, as well as marine life, such as green moray eels, octopuses, even the occasional manatee. Further south from Fajardo is the Humacao Region. Here you will discover the Basslet Reef and its amazing caves, overhangs, and incredible tunnels stretching over a mile long. Visiting this reef in the spring will enable you to swim with dolphins.

Not far from Basslet Reef is the Cracks. This is an area known for its incredible caves and alleyways that seem like they could hide an underwater civilization. Here is offered the benefits of visiting a cleaning station where goby-fish take advantage of the opportunity to clean and feed off of the local marine life. You are also likely to encounter a lobster and get a good up-close look at some amazing corals. In an area called the Drift, you can swim along side nurse sharks, as well as beautiful angelfish, and enter a world of incredible swim-troughs and amazing ledges.

Scuba diving in Puerto Rico would not be complete if you fail to visit Red Hog drop off. This area is relatively new for divers and offers an amazing panoramic view of a drop off that goes from eighty feet to over one thousand feet. It is indeed a wonderful experience in taking a dive in Puerto Rico that will stay with you forever. There are so many different things to do and views to see which you will surely enjoy.

Want to find out more about scuba diving in Puerto Rico, then visit MyDiveBuddies site and start planning your scuba dive today.

Hello From Sicily – A Driving Tour Through Lipari And A Magical Evening In Vulcano

Our beautiful dinner in the old town of Lipari last night was another opportunity to get to know Sicilian cuisine. A light-hearted evening was followed by a night of deep sleep and by 8 am this morning I stuck my head out of the boat: another gorgeous day! Everyone was still sleeping and I had about an hour and half to walk into town and catch another glimpse of picturesque Lipari. I mailed my postcards and picked up some fresh locally grown oranges for the gang on the boat.

Once back at the boat, my co-travellers Herbert, Claudia and I were ready for another excursion: a driving tour of Lipari. Herbert is a German TV travel journalist and is planning to bring a television crew to Sicily next year to film the Italian language learning experience aboard a sailboat provided by Laboratorio Linguistico. Naturally he has to scout out the various locations to check into sights of interest, lighting, and facilities – all the factors that will have a bearing on the shoot.

He had asked our captain Francesco to arrange for a local guide who would drive him around the island and generously invited Claudia and me to come along. Our driver Pasquale Liberatore (what a great name), a Lipari resident, arrived punctually at 9:30 am to pick us up at the Lipari pleasure craft harbour to take us on a tour through this beautiful island.

Pasquale packed us into his vehicle and off we went. His personal story, incidentally, is also quite interesting: Pasquale was born and grew up in Lipari and then in the lat 1950s his family emigrated to Melbourne, Australia, where there is a large community of southern Italian émigrés. Southern Italy went through real economic hardship after World War II, and many hundreds of thousands of people emigrated from the mainland and the islands. Pasquale spent a few decades in Australia but as the only person from his immediate family, he returned to Lipari to live here. He has now been back for about 15 years and loves living here although he occasionally misses his brothers and sisters and their families who are still living in Australia. Of course he speaks excellent English, and that is how he markets himself – Pasquale, the English-speaking cab driver and tour guide.

The first place he took us to was a village north of Lipari called Canneto which has a beautiful waterfront location, draped around a horseshoe-shaped bay. We decided to catch a little late breakfast first, and I really enjoyed my refreshing lemon granita, a typical Sicilian specialty – crushed ice that comes in a variety of flavours, a great idea for starting off the day. Herbert enjoyed a fresh croissant and an espresso.

On our way out of the bar, parked by the lungomare, the waterfront promenade, a local fisherman was selling fresh fish he caught this morning out of a little three-wheeled cargo vehicle. He shouted out the names of the fish with a peculiar cadence that was sure to attract the attention of passers-by. This is one thing I noticed about Sicily: street selling, particularly of fish, produce and other edible products, is still a popular way of marketing one’s merchandise.

We continued our drive towards the white pumice quarries that Lipari is famous for. This volcanic stone is used for the production of cement, as an abrasive and a cosmetic exfoliant. Pumice is a highly porous, extremely light-weight, usually white stone that is formed during volcanic eruptions. Just a few dozen meters away from the pumice quarries we stopped to see another type of volcanic stone: obsidian, or volcanic glass, which is a dark-brown, dense, virtually opaque and heavy substance.

Pasquale explained that the chemical make-up of obsidian and pumice is essentially the same, but that they are ejected a different temperatures during volcanic eruptions. Obsidian has been used for eons; because of its flint-like quality it can easily be shaped into blades and spear tips and other cutting instruments. Today obsidian is even used as for surgical scalpels which produce less trauma than steel scalpels. Another less high-tech use of obsidian is as a gemstone, and many stores in the Eolian Islands sell jewelry crafted from this volcanic glass.

We came around the northern tip of Lipari where a beautiful view opened up toward the island of Salina. Pasquale took us up a mountain road to the Santuario di Chiesa Vecchia di Quattropani, a beautiful country church located on a hill with a phenomenal view over several of the Eolian Islands. As we were standing by the railing of the terrace, a jet fighter flew by at what seemed like supersonic speed, literally a few meters above the water. By the time we realized where the booming sound was coming from it was already disappearing into the horizon.

Another 15 minutes further on the west side of the island we stopped at an abandoned kaolin quarry. Kaolin is a silica-based mineral that is used in the production of ceramics, as a food additive and even as an ingredient in toothpaste. Everything was blooming around here, and yellow and purple flowers lit up the crags overlooking the sea.

At the southern tip of Lipari we stopped on a parking lot beside a private village and had a phenomenal view of the nearby island of Vulcano. We could even see the columns of sulphur fumes emanating from the fissures near the crater of this still active volcano. A flat stretch of land called Vulcanello is located in front of the main island of Vulcano. This part of the island appeared only about 2000 years ago in a volcanic eruption. Volcanism is still reshaping the earth all around here.

We had seen almost every corner of this small island and Pasquale dropped us off near downtown Lipari. This guided tour provided by a local expert was a great way of getting to know the island of Lipari. Claudia and I headed straight for an outdoor restaurant on the piazza by Marina Corta and had a well-deserved lunch and another nice stroll through town before we started to head back to our sailboat.

Around 3 pm we said goodbye to Lipari and set sail for our next destination: Vulcano. On our way our skipper Francesco took us past some very interesting rock formations at the southern end of Lipari. One protruding rock column was reminiscent of a praying pope while several tall isolated rocks grew right out of the sea in front of Lipari. We circled around to the eastern side of Vulcano and dropped anchor in the bay in front of Porto di Levante, the only landing place on the island. Several ferry boats were making their entries to and exits from the bay, and several other sailboats were anchored at a distance from the island.

Now it was time for our Italian lesson: for two hours in the late afternoon Claudia, Agnieszka and I were studying concepts such as the Italian Condizionale as well as the Congiuntivo under the guidance of our expert teacher Franco. You would definitely be hard-pressed to find a more stimulating environment to study Italian than a sailboat anchored in a beautiful bay in Southern Italy.

The wonderful thing about this sailing trip has been so far that it has been a nearly perfect immersion in Italian, where we are hearing the language all day and both our teachers communicate only in Italian with us. This concept is as close to full immersion as one can imagine, and the learning process is very intense and fast.

For the evening we stayed on the boat and watched a beautiful sunset which bathed the entire scene in hues of pink and purple. After our on-board dinner we retreated outside where Agnieszka, a gifted singer, and Franco, a great guitar player, teamed up and entertained us with many different soulfully delivered classics.

Sitting on a sailboat at night, by candlelight, in the beautiful bay of Vulcano, listening to the touching melodies of two gifted artists, was a magical, almost spiritual experience. I knew tomorrow was going to be our last day on this sailing trip, but I didn’t want this moment to end…..

Ripe, Red Coffee and Blood on the Deck

The not-so-nice scent of rotting fruit from the nearby Coopeatenas coffee processing plant, the Benificio Diamante, let me know that harvest had begun.  Not in a big time way yet, jut small amounts selectively picked as bushes with a little too much sun for this altitude ripened.  But it has to be picked; green to yellow to orangish to red and then brown and down on the ground and lost.  Don Ramon and young David had picked the little ripened fruit on Finca Zacatal, only two cajuelas – maybe forty pounds.  But like a Beaujolais Nouveau, the first fruit of the season carries a certain excitement.

I was just putting the half-full sack in the back of my Montero when a huge Ford pickup pulled into Casi el Cielo.  Capt. Jose of Angry Marlin Sport Fishing, www.angrymarlin.com stuck his head out the window and yelled “Come on, let’s go: it’s time to put the Montauk in the water”. He had added a costa rica charter boats to his adventure armada, a 17 foot, center console, walk around Boston Whaler. So the coffee moved from my car to his and then to the Beneficio San Isidro, where, after Capt. Jose and I shared lots of fishing stories with Rolando Rojas, it began the fermentation, cleaning, drying, husk removal, pre-roasting, roasting and packaging that puts in on our shelves.

Puntarenas and the Costa Rica Yacht Club are a little over an hour from Atenas, and soon we were putt-putting from the dock across to dry storage where Capt. Jose’s fishing boats are kept clean and dry on their trailers.  Radio, rods and reels and other gear came from another boat as the full black cover was pulled from the new baby.  White and cream and chrome it glistened in front of the huge 4 stroke outboard.  Dock crew backed it down the boat ramp and we were off.  Off very slowly at first, since the tide was out and there are places where there is less than two feet of water and even the Montauk needs a foot and a half.

Capt. Jose taught me the instruments and controls and the channels and obstructions as we high propped out to deeper water, but soon we were on plane and zipping toward the fishing grounds.  Working birds disclosed fish feeding at the surface and we slowed, stopped and cast metal jigs at the diminishing boil. As fast as the fish showed they departed. I was so excited being back on the water that I cannot tell you how long the run to the Negritas took, but it wasn’t long, and a few minutes after getting there we switched to white, red head, five inch Rapalas and were trolling around the island just off the rocks.  We were in the Pacific; the little chain of islands including Tortugero and the Negritas is where the blue ocean and the brownish green Gulf of Nicoya come together, where Los Suenos Fishing and Tambor Fishing are famed after.

Roosterfish, pargo, grouper, dorado, sierra mackerel, jurel or jack and even the occasional wahoo or sailfish were possibilities, this information was an outcome of a detailed statics from costa rica fishing report. Rod holders had not been installed so it was only possible to fish one rod at a time, so under the guise of wanting to test the boat and all components (but really more interested in my getting a fish) Capt. Jose steered the swifty costa rica charter boats clear of the rocks and slow trolled keeping an eye on the fish finder for water depth and for the small and larger blips on the screen indicating baitfish and under them – game fish. It was great experincing Fishing Costa Rica. Each time we passed over schools of baitfish Capt. Jose would then see larger fish images and command, “Two hands tight on that gear Martin, that’s a thousand dollars you are holding and there are fish down there capable of ripping it overboard”. White knuckled I waited while the end of the G. Loomis rod vibrated the Rapala dance.  Rainy season.  Too many previous moonlit nights.  Middle of the day.  Quien sabé?  But a couple of hours of trolling produced only one small Spanish Mackerel, a beautiful little fish, and the one which christened the deck with its bright red blood. The dock boys would enjoy this fish for dinner. It fought well but was no match for the gold anodized Calcutta 700 reel. This was one of ours adventurous experince in our entire Costa Rica SportFishing.

I had taken the helm after clearing port on the way out, but was tired from the constant movement of the boat and the toll that that takes on your legs as you stand bent kneed and bowlegged struggling for balance, so Capt. Jose “drove” back.  He loves this little Costa Rica charter boats and pushed it to the limits as we flew over the slight chop and in between the winter wood in the water.

In the center of the Gulf, Birds!  We stopped as the few birds of earlier had grown to hundreds and the surface was broken in bands thirty feet by thirty yards as some unknown predators slashed at baitfish driven to the surface.  Again metal was tossed to them and this time we were both hooked up to the hard fighting Jack known locally as Jurel.  Ten/twelve pounds each they were a good fight and there were thousand of them within casting distance.  We cast, hooked up, fought and landed or released as many as we had the arm and leg strength for.  The school would veer away, break up and then re-group as we fought the hooked ones.  A short run to where they resurfaced and we were hooked up again.  It was the largest school of feeding game fish I have ever seen and what fun. Four went into the ice chest and the rest swim to grow and wait for our return.

Over spicy lemon shrimp soup and beers at Restaurante Leda in Mata Limon Capt. Jose and I exchanged views of photos on our digital cameras and told stories of our great fishing costa rica experinces of past and future. (Capt. Jose and his Montauk went on the following September to take two first place prizes winning a major tarpon fishing tournament on the Rio San Juan!  But that’s another story of the great Costa Rica SportFishing!)

From coffee harvest to café con leche at sunset at the beach, with singing reels and pounding waves in between just another average day in Costa Rica.

Angry Marlin Sportfishing offers a variety of fishing, tours in great boats at reasonable prices here in Costa Rica. Check the website www.angrymarlin.com , or call Capt. Jose at 506.2237.2953 or from the US at 805.880.1270.

Mans Worst Environmental Destruction

The Environmental Protection Agency in the United States recently added a further 10 toxic waste sites to the 527 contaminated properties which endanger life. There are around 1,060 hazardous waste sites on their list, all created from man’s use of technology.

Toxic contamination however, is a world-wide issue and not restricted to any one country. Here are just a few of the worst man-made disasters, or improve man’s lot through technology.

The most toxic place in the U.S.A. Picher, Oklahoma, was once the world’s richest lead and zinc mining field, housing 20,000 people. Less than 25 people remain. Mountains of mining, lead contaminated waste, loom over the town.

The Aral Sea is nearly dry from Soviet irrigation projects. Fishing boats sit aground, rusting in a vast, contaminated desert wasteland.

Guiyu, China, is the world’s second-most polluted place on the planet. It is the largest e-waste village, where electronic trash is pulled apart by hand, to retrieve valuable parts and wires. Circuit boards are burned, cooked and soaked in acid to extract scraps of precious metals.

The Pacific Rubbish Vortex, twice the size of Texas, consists of 3.5 million tons of rubbish, 90% of which is plastic debris, swirls between California and Hawaii.

Following gas drilling on the Indonesian island of Java, a “mud volcano” killed 13 people. Hot sulfuric mud continuously gushes from the ground. The steaming pool of mud covers more than 25sq k and is growing at an estimated 50,000 cubic meters every day.

Scientists expect the mud volcano to continue erupting for another 30 years.
The Berkeley Pit Lake, a copper mine, is filled with more than 40 billion gallons of acidic water and heavy metals. It is a hazard to migrating birds.

The Chernobyl Nuclear Station exploded in 1986, releasing radioactive material into the air and contaminating millions of square miles. Two decades later, the area is a radioactive freeze frame of the old USSR.

In 1984, the Union Carbide pesticide manufacturing plant in Bhopal, India, leaked 32 tons of deadly methyl isocyanate. Thousands were blinded, deformed and disabled, while thousands died. More than 2,000 bodies were cremated in one day. The water and soil close to the factory are toxic from the still leaking plant. There has been no attempt made to clean-up the area.

Trying to clean up following nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands, in the late 1970s, the U.S. government dug up 111,000 cubic yards of radioactive soil and deposited it on Runit Island, in a 350-foot wide crater left by the nuclear tests. An enormous, foot-and-a-half-thick, 100,000-square-foot dome made up of 358 gigantic concrete panels, was built over the site. The area is still radioactive.

A Soviet drilling rig accidentally punched into a massive underground natural gas cavern, in 1971, causing the ground to collapse and the entire drilling rig to fall in. Poisonous fumes began leaking from the hole. The 328 ft. wide hole, in the Turkmenistan desert, has been continuously on fire, for 38 years, since the Russians set the hole aflame, in order to head off a potential deadly catastrophe.

Now a toxic ghost town, Australia’s Wittenoom, Pilbara, was once the area’s largest town in the asbestos mining area. In 1966 it was officially closed down due to health concerns.
Centralia, Pennsylvania’s underground coal fire, ignited sometime in 1962. In 1981 a 12-year-old boy fell into a 150-foot hole that suddenly appeared in his back yard. In 1992 the entire town was condemned.

Nauru has just a 150-meter-wide strip of fertile land left along one of its shores, after decades of strip mining for phosphorus. The mining has devastated over 80 % of Nauru’s land, leaving it a barren wasteland of jagged limestone pinnacles up to 49 ft. high.

Finally we have the Mexico Gulf oil spill which is as however unmeasurable. Yet man and his technology are having difficulty correcting the problemThe Environmental Protection Agency in the United States recently added a further 10 toxic waste sites to the 527 contaminated properties which endanger life. There are around 1,060 hazardous waste sites on their list, all created from man’s use of technology.

Toxic contamination however, is a world-wide issue and not restricted to any one country. Here are just a few of the worst man-made disasters, or improve man’s lot through technology.

The most toxic place in the U.S.A. Picher, Oklahoma, was once the world’s richest lead and zinc mining field, housing 20,000 people. Less than 25 people remain. Mountains of mining, lead contaminated waste, loom over the town.

The Aral Sea is nearly dry from Soviet irrigation projects. Fishing boats sit aground, rusting in a vast, contaminated desert wasteland.

Guiyu, China, is the world’s second-most polluted place on the planet. It is the largest e-waste village, where electronic trash is pulled apart by hand, to retrieve valuable parts and wires. Circuit boards are burned, cooked and soaked in acid to extract scraps of precious metals.

The Pacific Rubbish Vortex, twice the size of Texas, consists of 3.5 million tons of rubbish, 90% of which is plastic debris, swirls between California and Hawaii.

Following gas drilling on the Indonesian island of Java, a “mud volcano” killed 13 people. Hot sulfuric mud continuously gushes from the ground. The steaming pool of mud covers more than 25sq k and is growing at an estimated 50,000 cubic meters every day.

Scientists expect the mud volcano to continue erupting for another 30 years.
The Berkeley Pit Lake, a copper mine, is filled with more than 40 billion gallons of acidic water and heavy metals. It is a hazard to migrating birds.

The Chernobyl Nuclear Station exploded in 1986, releasing radioactive material into the air and contaminating millions of square miles. Two decades later, the area is a radioactive freeze frame of the old USSR.

In 1984, the Union Carbide pesticide manufacturing plant in Bhopal, India, leaked 32 tons of deadly methyl isocyanate. Thousands were blinded, deformed and disabled, while thousands died. More than 2,000 bodies were cremated in one day. The water and soil close to the factory are toxic from the still leaking plant. There has been no attempt made to clean-up the area.

Trying to clean up following nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands, in the late 1970s, the U.S. government dug up 111,000 cubic yards of radioactive soil and deposited it on Runit Island, in a 350-foot wide crater left by the nuclear tests. An enormous, foot-and-a-half-thick, 100,000-square-foot dome made up of 358 gigantic concrete panels, was built over the site. The area is still radioactive.

A Soviet drilling rig accidentally punched into a massive underground natural gas cavern, in 1971, causing the ground to collapse and the entire drilling rig to fall in. Poisonous fumes began leaking from the hole. The 328 ft. wide hole, in the Turkmenistan desert, has been continuously on fire, for 38 years, since the Russians set the hole aflame, in order to head off a potential deadly catastrophe.

Now a toxic ghost town, Australia’s Wittenoom, Pilbara, was once the area’s largest town in the asbestos mining area. In 1966 it was officially closed down due to health concerns.

Centralia, Pennsylvania’s underground coal fire, ignited sometime in 1962. In 1981 a 12-year-old boy fell into a 150-foot hole that suddenly appeared in his back yard. In 1992 the entire town was condemned.

Nauru has just a 150-meter-wide strip of fertile land left along one of its shores, after decades of strip mining for phosphorus. The mining has devastated over 80 % of Nauru’s land, leaving it a barren wasteland of jagged limestone pinnacles up to 49 ft. high.

Finally we have the Mexico Gulf oil spill which is as however unmeasurable. Yet man and his technology are having difficulty correcting the problem