Click for larger image size Large plate coral is not rare except you won’t find them where many fishing and dive boats anchor. A small anchor easily damages a formation like this one. Some years ago a famous Australian underwater model posed on a plate coral (similar to the pose shown here) and was widely criticized for [...]
Archive for December 2009
PLATE CORAL (AUSTRALIAN EXAMPLE OF GOOD FORMATION) Leave a comment
A HERO FOR DEMOCRACY Cheng Nan-jung Leave a comment
My apology for not knowing the full details. Here is my interpretation of this part of the modern history and struggle for democracy in Taiwan. During the martial law era, or near the end, this young journalist was publishing a magazine not entirely approved of by the then government. After being jailed and released, he [...]
A SEARCH FOR BEST CHOCOLATE Leave a comment
Interesting effect when you move the camera while picture is being taken. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-HVy168o-8 Fireworks show at Bo-An Temple (terrific) This is excellent Japanese chocolate but hard to find. Watsons used to have it.
JAPANESE COPPER MINE – KINKASEKI WWII POW CAMP Leave a comment
Locations of 13 POW camps are all over the island. The prisoners would have known they were ‘somewhere in Japan’ but I wonder if any knew it was Formosa? Nearby was the copper mine where very weak and sick men slaved their lives away under worse than horrific conditions described at this web site: http://www.powtaiwan.org/The%20Camps/camps_detail.php?Kinkaseki-POW-Camp-1&name=Kinkaseki [...]
KEELUNG FISH MARKET – AN EYE OPENER Leave a comment
The rule with eating shark is – only eat small one’s, the smaller the better – less mercury. How many people realize that fake crab sticks and fake lobster meat (surimi) probably is shark. Surimi has been highly washed and pulped before flavor and color is added to resemble expensive seafood. I avoid shark meat. [...]
MAORI WRASSE: KEELUNG FISH MARKET
Maori wrasse (above) I thought this brute might have been a rare Patagonian Tooth fish, but no. It’s called a Rudder fish. The big eye and dark color suggests deep water, which is true. Instead of a gas filled ‘air’ bladder, this predator has a bladder filled with oil which enables the fish to change [...]
WHALE SHARK WITH SNORKEL SWIMMERS Leave a comment
Whale sharks are, I believe, protected in Taiwan waters. In 2002 I attended a Shark Conference in Taipei that was a forerunner to new internationally agreed to laws preventing certain use and waste of sharks. The value of underwater tourism with whale shark diving was also presented at the conference. Years ago whale shark (known [...]
TAIWANESE SAY AUSTRALIA IS A PARADISE Leave a comment
WEST OF THE ROCK – THESE FORMATIONS Leave a comment
A far more spiritual formation that most tourists don’t bother about – due to minimal publicity are The Olgas. Beautiful to see something nature has formed without man’s influence. The surrounding bush
ROCK IN THE CENTRE OF AUSTRALIA Leave a comment
Admission prices to Australian national parks are far over-priced. It’s worse if you’re parking a car. Parking fines are severe within the parks. Often parking meters are seen smashed as a form of protest. Park rangers can have a ”Nazi” style attitude. I wonder is this because the more they discourage visitors then the less [...]
