From America to New Zealand gardens are always a major attraction for locals and visitors. The appeal of flowers is a complex phenomenon rooted in evolution and the reproductive strategies of plants and the sensory responses of animals, including humans. For pollinators, colorful flowers are a signal indicating food, while for us, their appeal combines aesthetic beauty, psychological attraction, and deeply rooted cultural symbolism.
This articles featured photo is from a historic village in Romania.Most of the roses were in New Zealand, considered a nation of gardeners. The flowers and butterflies were in Georgia’s Callaway Gardens. The orchids are mostly ours and don’t overlook the lizard inside the orchid. The incredible red flowering bush is from Bavariaand the tulips were in Holland’s Keukenhof…
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On a cruise around the South China Sea one port of call on Borneo was Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. While walking around the city I was bitten by something on my calf. It stung a bit but I didn’t think much about it. A few days later I started to get sick – stomach problems and a headache and the bite had swollen up with a tiny hole in the center.
MarketKota Kinabalu, Borneo
At the time our older son was a reptile specialist who worked with imports from around the world. In telling him what happened he immediately knew what I was dealing with. He said that the insects come in with the crates and he’s been bitten a number of times and thought it was a botfly. The botfly when it bites actually implants an egg that soon turns into a larvae that is particularly notable for burrowing just beneath the skin and creates a breathing hole.
His recommendation was to get clear nail polish and put a drop right over the hole and let it dry. The ladies in the ships spa thought it was funny what I needed the nail polish for. It did work and within a couple of hours the swelling went down and the next days I was doing much better.
When we travel we carry a first aid kit that holds medications, bandages, anti-bacterial cream, anti-itch creams, malaria pills, mosquito repellent and even super glue but now we’ve added clear nail polish.
There are actually a number of botfly species that mostly inhabit tropical regions. For a link that shows just how really bazaar this creature can be click HERE.
The Intentional Travelers Guide to over 150 cruise ports of call
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What To Expect When Cruising Into Tropical Weather?
As I write this hurricane Erin is churning its way past the Caribbean islands on its way up the east coast of America as a category 4 storm. A number of cruises have announced they’re skipping stops at the various private islands in in the Bahamas in favor of safer waters in the Gulf or western Caribbean.
Keep in mind that cruise alterations may be an inconvenience but they usually involve forces of nature beyond anyones control. Cruise companies will work to make the impact as easy on you as is possible.
Hurricane season is June through September and that means that cruise ships may have to make adjustments in itineraries to avoid bad weather. Caribbean cruises and Pacific coast cruises to Mexico and Central America are particularly vulnerable to encounters with tropical storms. The responsibility for making changes because of weather rests first with the ships Captan but there are a number of other people involved in those decisions. The collaborative decision-making process involves meteorologists estimating potential weather conditions the ship could encounter along with company management looking at risk to the actual ship, safety of passengers and crew and the financial impact of any decision. Adjustments to an itinerary can include finding safe harbors or changing the ship’s course to avoid heavy rain or high winds, out running a storm to even cancelling the cruise.
While often press releases emphasize that the safety of the passengers is of primary concern, management also has to take into account the enormous investment that a cruise ship represents along with balancing the major financial impact of changes or the loss of canceling a cruise.
If you’ve booked a cruise and upon sailing your ship is threatened by a tropical storm or hurricane you may encounter a number of situations. In avoiding the storm the cruise might get one or more extra days at sea, or the captain could swap out a scheduled port for a different port, if one is available. Sometimes, the entire order of ports is rearranged so that all are still visited but at times when the weather will be less disruptive. Also cruise ships may sometimes be forced to switch entire destinations like, your Eastern Caribbean cruise itinerary could be changed to a Western or Southern Caribbean itinerary, or your entire Caribbean cruise could be replaced by a Bermuda port call.
For those concerned about rough seas caused by a tropical weather system while cruising. Ships are designed to handle rough conditions and newer ships can withstand waves up to 50 feet in height and rolls to nearly 60 degrees, both of which would still actually cause serious problems onboard. In less dramatic conditions passengers will usually experience some motion in waves above 15 to twenty feet. Most modern cruise ship’s deep draft, reinforced hull, and advanced stabilizing systems enable them to provide a comfortable, stable condition with minimum motion in most seas as well as endure extreme weather.
If you’re interested in looking into tropical weather forecasts or where cruise ships are, here are a few really good websites to visit:
We’ve been doing this for over a decade and have over two thousand pages online. Take a moment or two to explore what we have to offer…
Good Information To Help Plan Your Cruise Port Visits
The Intentional Traveler provides valuable information on over 150 ports that include docking locations, public transportation, currency, tipping, major points of interest and historic highlights. You’ll also find useful information on visiting major cities, historic sites, wilderness areas and parks and more.Click the photograph below to visit a directory.
A Collection Of Great World Hikes
If you love to hike, The Intentional Travelers offers some great suggestions. Here you’ll discover several dozen amazing hiking locations located all around the world.Descriptions, maps and photographs.Click the photograph below to visit a directory.
A Few Of Our Stories And Maybe A Tall Tale
Over more than two decades we’ve visited more than one hundred countries and The Intentional Travelers have had some interesting experiences. Here you’ll discover dozens of interesting, odd and surprising accounts from the roads we’ve traveled.Click the photograph below to visit a directory.
A Collection Of Our Map Creations
From the Roman Forum to the Singapore MetroThe Intentional Travelers has created a collection of original and modified maps to help us navigate as we travel. Here you can take advantage of our creations and download a map or two for your next trip.Click the photograph below to visit the directory.
Planning A Cruise? Start With The Intentional Travelers Port Guides
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A lot of America featured at a highway rest stop in Thailand
Pulling into a rest stop on a highway south of Bangkok it was difficult to believe we were actually in Thailand. The rest stop was almost a quarter mile long and offered eleven places to eat if you didn’t count 7-11. The selection only included two Thai restaurants.
Planning A Cruise? Start With The Intentional Travelers Port Guides
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Traveling the world all these years has brought us to realize there is much more that connects us than divides us. There are universal emotions regarding family, friends and faith, along with common experiences that play a crucial role in uniting people everywhere. Bonds that transcend geographical location, fostering a sense of being part of a global community and belonging, regardless of race, nationality or geographic location to the family of man…
Planning A Cruise? Start With The Intentional Travelers Port Guides
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The Intentional Travelers 