Inter-Coastal Water Way /Fort Lauderdale

Originally built to avoid the dangers of ocean sailings and for the new country of the United States to protect their vessels with precious cargo, (as it was within their boundaries) the Inter Coastal Waterway is one of those projects that leaves you in awe. Since the 1800's the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have had the responsibility to maintain and improve this fantastic feat of mankind and today its 4,800kms (3,000 miles) that runs from New Jersey to Texas with many side routes branching off it....consisting of natural inlets, rivers, bays and artificial watercourses.

Even today its used for commercial activity  (barges carrying petroleum, manufactured goods, food etc) but also recreational boaters, some who travel from the north to escape the winter. So I'm exploring a small portion of this highway system in Fort Lauderdale area with its intricate canal system

where (KeyTip) for about $25.00 you can do the water taxi and take advantage of the all day "hop on/ hop off" and tour this great city plus during the water ride see the spectacular mansions and large boats. (there is 42,000 resident yachts & 100 marinas located within the city boundaries) So in closing its a great inexpensive way to view what they call the "Venice of America"

Hot Air Ballooning over the Australian Outback

#Hot_Air_Balloon_Australia

The Chinese invented the first Hot Air Balloons thousands of years ago but on a much smaller scale to send messages to their troops if surrounded by the enemy
Then the first recorded pioneers of manned flights were actually a sheep, rooster & duck who flew 3.2kms (2 miles) in an experimental test from the Montgolfier brothers in the 18th century with their ultimate idea of balloon flights for humans

The tradition of the balloonists prayer before flight (which is a glass of champagne) comes from a not so exciting history.
When the Montgolfier brothers were performing test flights, the local farmers were very suspicious as they thought they were dragons descending from the skies & bringing a danger to them

So nothing like alcohol to ease the tensions 😅 as the Montgolfiers would then give champagne to the farmers & thus continue to land on the fields with their balloons

Watching some of my fellow adventure seekers take off

We arrive early in our buses & get ready to soar with the birds in one of mankind's first way to fly.

 At first you don't realize how huge these balloon airships are, but once the propane is fired up to fill the bag or envelope (made of nylon fabric with the material closest to the flame is a fire resistant composite, plus Australian rules require that they meet the criteria of the Civic Aviation & Safety Code) you get a sense what it was like to be a pioneer back in the first days of flight.

 

 Our pilot must of  read the air currents better than our "sister ships," because within minutes we were up around 5000 feet & above them as we flew around this valley for some great views as you can see below 

So as we get ready to land our Captain asked if

   some of us guys would jump out of the gondola & guild it along as the flatbed truck could not access  the marshy grounds, which then would transport the wicker basket back to our original starting point

  After the pilot asked in typical Aussie humor if anything poisonous grabbed us while in the tall grass? So i asked what kind of animal or plant that could that be? 

 Mate!! everything toxic in Australia.... even the women 😂 (as he told me later he was going through a divorce)

Some cool history of Hot Air Balloons;  they were used during the US Civil War as reconnaissance viewing aircraft to report crucial information from their high perch.
 They would then either telegraph data or use special flags to signal what they could see

One interesting fact is Hot Air Balloons are restricted to fly during wet conditions as it becomes much harder to control for the pilot.
 Why you ask; the rain would accumulate on the top which makes the balloon heavier, burns more fuel thus added up to perilous situation

Looking down at one of my sister airships at approximately 5000 feet up

 To be above the other Hot Air Balloons my pilot would of researched the local conditions from nearby airports, weather stations & service forecasters to get to a proper air current update then by controlling the temperature & volume of the heat to inside the envelope to reach that level

Meanwhile to start the decent the pilot would open a large vent at the top of the balloon plus valve off excess heat, which all makes it heavier as gravity takes over

Rome Colosseum

#Rome_Colosseum

The Rome Colosseum is a structure made of limestone, volcanic rock (tuff), timber & concrete which stands four stories tall & took 60,000 to 100,000 Jewish slaves (after their defeat during the Jewish-Roman War) eight years to complete its construction
 It is still the largest amphitheater (Greek word amphi...both sides or all around) on earth

During those times of neglect & abandonment the Roman Catholic Church used the Colosseum like a quarry for its stone & built the Basilicas of St Peter, St John & Palazzo Venezia
Times have changed as now the arena welcomes millions of tourists per year

KeyTip: Tickets will range from $100 up to $400 depending on if its a private tour, to where you visit inside the Colosseum from the underground or arena floor

There were eighty entrances to the amphitheater as the arches were numbered with Roman Numerals to serve as guides for sitting
 There were seventy-six entry points for the audience, two for the participants of the events which one was called The Gate of Life for the gladiators who entered & The Gate of Death (located on the western side) for the gladiators who did not fair so well in the contest & were carried out 
 Finally two archways was used exclusively by the Emperor

When the Colosseum first opened the Emperor Titus celebrated with a hundred days of gladiatorial games.
Beside the contests the venue was used to host dramas, reenactments & even public executions

After the fall of the Roman Empire the Colosseum began to deteriorate
Add in earthquakes, passage of time & human neglect......which meant by the 20th century nearly two-thirds of the original building had been destroyed

A restoration project began in the 1990s to repair the Colosseum & so today it plays host to millions of visitors each year plus has musical concerts & events inside the arena 

We think of the Colosseum as old (1952 years) but compared to the Pyramids of Giza (4000 years) & Stonehenge which dates back 5000 years, it is young in historical terms

Fun fact; the original name of the Colosseum was the Flavian Amphitheater which was the name of the dynasty that ruled the empire at this time
Historians believe the current name came from The Colossus of Nero statue that stood outside the amphitheater

Being a huge follower of history, i couldn't wait to visit the Colosseum located in the middle of Rome. It was awe inspiring to see this amphitheatre  

  Now once inside the arena you can envision when it could hold around 50,000 spectators who would view gladiatorial contests, executions                                                                                                           & even mock sea battles, how you ask? 

      Through a series of underground tunnels the Romans would flood the arena floor for Emperor Titus. Then they used special flat bottomed boats (because of the shallow water) to replicate naval battles &                              even built an artificial island so sailors could land to fight 

The floor was around 83 by 48 meters (272 x 157 feet) but since it was made from wood & covered with sand its long gone So because of this the top is open to view & you can now see how the hypogeum (underground) worked with its two level subterranean network of tunnels, hidden maze of rooms & cages 

 There were also 80 vertical shafts to access the hypogeum plus an extensive network of trap doors through which scenery elements could be deployed during the spectacles.

 

        If you were Roman your entry fee was free as Emperors used the arena to promote their political                 policies, if a foreigner you were of no use to the agenda being spoken so had to pay to watch.

          Speaking of no more use 😄 the site that the Colosseum sits on was once the location of an              artificial lake from the Golden House of Nero. Following his demise, much of his luxurious palace                               was destroyed or put to public use including his private lake

Fun Facts;
 A) The movie Gladiator was not filmed inside the Colosseum even though the director had permission. He decided it needed to look newer so built a stand-in Colosseum in Malta plus many of the location shots were computer generated
B) You think of the Roman Empire & the name of Julius Caesar comes into your thoughts
 But he was never inside the Colosseum as the two never existed simultaneously where he was assassinated 125 years before the gladiator games even started 

. 

The Colosseum was built with approximately 100,000 cubic meters / 3.5 million cubic feet of travertine limestone that was used for the main pillars, ground floor, external walls, the seats (they no longer exists) plus slabs of travertine were paved into the area to support the outer realm of the building
The remaining areas were constructed with a mixture of concrete & held together by 300 tons of iron clamps

The Romans built a special road designed to transport the limestone from the quarries of Tivoli ( 32 kms / 20 miles away) to the arena 

                                              

Running Diamond Head Volcano

#Running_Diamond_Head_Hawaii

Hours are 6.00am to 6.00pm with a $10.00 per vehicle or $5.00 per person if you walk in or arrive via bus, taxi, trolley or in my case.......running 😅

Thank You Google Maps in explaining my trek for this latest adventure

Diamond Head was a site of reverence & worship for the early Native Hawaiians with religious ceremonies plus sometimes (unfortunately) animal or human sacrifices,
 which was the norm for those times
Moving forward; thanks to many local activists who stopped the development of this area into residential buildings, hotels & even a tramway to the top of the crater with the preservation & establishment of Diamond Head as a historic site 

In 1904 Diamond Head was bought by the US Government (for $3,300) then turned into a military base (Fort Ruger) with areas of the volcano being carved out for bunkers & batteries
Then the trail & tunnels were built to allow the soldiers to reach the various lookouts & outposts which was all part of the islands coastal defense system
Finally the US Military transferred control to (then territory) Hawaii in 1955 which became a US State four years later 

Some of the 560 vertical feet to the top but certainly feels like a whole lot more, so do i need to say this
Proper Footwear & Hydrate

As you can see there is not a lot of natural cover from the sun, so wear a hat plus lather up on the sunscreen as they say its a 90 minute roundtrip journey, but with crowds that timeline maybe optimistic

As i sit on Waikiki Beach relaxing, you cannot help but notice Diamond Head
Volcano (named after British Sailors in the 1800s who thought the calcite crystals in the lava rocks were diamonds) overlooking the island of Oahu & on the Pacific Ocean

Now I've been told by the locals that the trail (1.1km /0.6 miles) to the rim is manageable for the average person, but when i said  i was going to run it they rolled their eyes

Being me, upped the ante to say i was tacking on the 4kms (2.4 miles) from the hotel to the trail just to make things a bit more interesting 😃

As i do not consider myself the average person jajajaja

I leave the next morning early to avoid the heat & tourists with the run to the trail as a non-event.

But then as you start on the trek to the top your footing consists on everything from volcanic dust, some concrete steps (70+ & 90+) few tunnels then finally a spiral staircase to an old military bunker at the summit (with great views of Waikiki and Pearl Harbor......yes i brought my camera 😁)

 I must admit it was tough & i wouldn't recommend it to anyone who isn't fit, but the next day back at my favorite watering hole i raised my glass towards one of natures marvels & gave her a toast 👍 in presenting me with a another challenge to overcome.

Good to go early to avoid the crowds as its the most popular hiking trail in Hawaii plus you get to do a slow walk into history & get a glimpse from its geological & military past

The route starts in the parking lot (crater floor) which most of the walkway is paved concrete, but sections of the trail do include uneven & steep areas plus as you seen long stairways

Some of the trail to the summit from Fort Ruger was through these underground passages nicknamed the Mule Tunnel
 It was because of those animals which provided the transportation of some of the materials while other heavier goods where hoisted by winch & cable

One of the many fortifications you will encounter plus amazing views along your hike plus please note;

A) No mountain bikes are allowed
 B) Stay on the marked trails
 C) No dogs allowed in Diamond Head Park
D) No open fires 
E) Over 25 people in a group a hiking permit is required 

Scaling Franz Joseph Glacier

#Franz_Joseph_Glacier

The Franz Joseph Glacier is approximately 7000 years ago & is a massive 12kms/7.4 miles long
 It meets the river valley below onto an ecosystem of a rainforest & is located in Westland Tai Poutini National Park.
In 1865 German explorer & geologist Julius von Haast named the ice flow & area after (at the time) the Austrian Emperor 
 
 KeyTip:  The village of Franz Joseph is small (population 450) so book accommodations early as the area will swell up to 2500+ (adventure seeking) travelers like myself  per day.

Now depending on your budget or fitness level you have a few options to explore the glacier;
A) Aerial Sightseeing by helicopter of around 20 minutes with a snow landing for photos 
 B) A two hour walk to the terminal face of the ice sheet
C) Heli-Hike  that gives you the return helicopter ride plus a 2.5 hour hike on the upper parts of the glacier 
 D) Guided Ice Walk with a full briefing & equipment that is needed for ice climbing

As you can see i opt for the Guided Ice Hike;

First there is the full briefing on safety at the Glacier Base Building plus then the guide will equip you with all the gear needed
But i noticed some of the folks here we not certainly dressed for the elements but for an amusement ride as in; dress shoes, shirt/tie & even baby strollers 😏 
One of the guides came over & told me that the walk out to the glacier tells us who is going on
 Franz Joseph.......phew! 

The history of crampons goes back to 1929 when Laurent Grivel made the brilliant invention of two front points allowing climbers to stand face up when scaling the steep ice & snow

To the top & as far as safety will allows us to go 😀✌

    At first your cautious;  but because Franz Joseph sits amidst a rainforest (the ice is considered soft) 

             then after awhile your thinking like Spiderman 😄 so scaling with confidence.

 

Unfortunately due to climate change in the past ten years Franz Joseph has lost almost 1.6kms or 1 mile of ice
 Estimates say by the year 2100 there will be probably no ice left in the head of the valley where the glacier sits now.

 Other options then to eliminate the carbon footprint if in the area;
A) The Franz Joseph Glacier Walk is a 30 minute return plus it is without any steep climbs & has a viewing area
 B) Fox Glacier South Side Walk is a two hour return hike without difficulty plus also has great viewing areas
 C) Roberts Point Track is a five hour return trek with an adventurous element to it.
 It has swing bridges, side streams & open areas of rock plus the viewing area platform that sits at 2000 feet above.
This  gives you a view of the glacier, mountain peaks & valley below
D) Alex Knob is a eight hour return hike so for only experienced walkers, but well worth it for the views of the glacier, Sothern Alps & surrounding landscape
 E) Mount Fox Route is for only the most advanced in hiking as its a tough climb to the summit during this eight hour return trek 

As i make my way through this crevasse you understand the meaning of the word (a long narrow opening in a glacier made by cracking) as i am living it 😅

There were two brothers from Australia who were crushed to death when hundreds of tonnes of ice fell on them because they walked beyond the warning signs
So again people; NATURE CAN KILL YOU, so respect the surroundings & the guides who are here to show you how to enjoy the area safely

As i finish my latest adventure;
 I remind my readers that although Franz Joseph landscape changes daily because of its fast flow & with some of the hikes through ice tunnels or crevasses...... the area is considered very safe