Oh, wow.  Oh, wow.  I’m sorry for the repeat, but I had to say it twice, because it’s all that I’m really thinking.  50610 is my magic number, hmm?  Hmm?  I had to say that twice, too.  I’m really not doing much more than gloating right now.

But now…

I’m thinking that, despite my complete lack of a plot, and no plan beforehand, my novel somehow grew out of some twisted part of me that loves dialogue and adverbs and now, I have even more ideas, this time good ones, that I’m dying to turn into short stories.

My novel contained dragons, telemarketers, telekinesis, mad scientists, lesbians, head-voices, absent parents, dentists, accountants, jungles, and a blue receptionist.  And more.  But mostly those.

And so, I retreat, back into the place in which adverbs are no longer acceptable, and I’m allowed to deliberate for several minutes over a single sentence.

India, the land and her people, a mere mention of the word India takes one to heights of delight and compels people from other countries to pay a visit at least once. However, the fauna is something, which is unique to this land. The source of these exotic varieties is the jungles of India, which are scattered over the geographic landscape. Then there is a wide array of about 80 national parks and countless reserved forest areas. For the people from other countries, who want to savor the very best of the jungle life and yet can’t do without the luxuries, wildlife tour India is the answer. The package provides a unique, though refreshing experience for the people from other countries. Through this package, you can get the accommodation at the wildlife resorts which have been furnished with the modern gadgets.

India is a wildlife paradise for the nature seekers and can offer anybody a chance to take a peep at its fauna. For wildlife lovers, a number of wildlife tour India packages are there to be selected from. These wildlife tours take you to many wildlife parks and sanctuaries in India. Many wildlife safari options are available which include jeep safari in the Indian jungles and elephant safari. Tiger viewing on the back of an elephant is one of the favorite activities for the adventure seekers. During the wildlife tour India, you can experience the flavors of India while putting up at various accommodations in the resorts in the jungles. One of the famous places is the Corbett National Park, which is home to the Indian tiger. Others include Bandhavgarh National park, Kaziranga National Park, Gir wildlife sanctuary and others. For centuries, India has been famous for her flora too and the Indian jungles are a sight to see. It is a treat to see so much greenery which is missing in the concrete jungles of India.

Many wildlife resorts in India have been fitted with the modern gadgets. For the tourists, this type of experience proves to be very exciting as they can now savor the luxuries of life in the midst of a jungle. The resorts have been constructed right in the middle of the reserved sanctuaries, which at times, prove to be very distracting to the animals. Though you can watch them from your window, it amounts to disturbing their space which at times, proves to be fatal. A number of incidents in recent years prove that the conflict between the beast and the man is increasing. Yet everybody knows who is to be blamed for this sorry state of affairs. Provisions should be made to re-locate these luxurious resorts far from the jungle. Wildlife tour India will then serve its purpose if the people visit these resorts and leave the animals in peace.

Wildlife tour India includes much more. Some of the packages include the viewing of tribal dances and their culture. The tribes, which have been living since ages outside these forests possess a lot of local knowledge. This includes the knowledge about the unique medicinal value of the jungle plants. You can enrich yourself with their age-old wisdom in case you want to. One more thing here. Take a good pair of boots with yourself to withstand the rough terrain of the jungle and also the mosquito repellants. At night, these will protect you from the insect bites and the infection, which you might acquire form them.

It all started with the plans of going somewhere to spend the long weekend holiday (2nd Oct-3rd Oct),  we had been planning to go out on a vacation for a long time now.

I was hunting for an holiday destination which does not require me to drive more than 5-6 hours from Bangalore. To my badluck (now I feel lucky) all accomdations were full at  regular holiday places. Managed to get a accomdation at Northern Hay (I recommend) located in the jungles of Madumalai. (All of this was done on the 1st Oct)

So finally, my wife was happy that atleast we were going for a vacation out of Bangalore.

2nd Oct, 2009

So as per plan, we started @ 7:00 AM, by 8:30 had breakfast at Kamath lokaruchi(after ramnagar), after filling ourselves, we started by 9, and reached mysore by 11:00.

For those of you who know about mysore, the shortest route would be is to cut through the city and reach Ooty/Nanjangud road.(it starts near the palace and exhibition grounds,Zoo etc.). Finally reached Bandipur road and then started towards my destination. the route is Bangalore->Mysore->Nanjangud->Gundlupet->Bandipur->Masinagudi town->Singara. From mysore, this place is around 100 kms, and passes through the scenic Bandipur forests(the best part of my trip). I would say, the best time to visit masinagudi and near by places are in this season.

Roads are very bad(5-10 km strech after gundlupet->bandipur), they are laying a new road now, which meant we could drive only on a small patch of the road, somehow struggled to reach Bandipur. I slowed down inside Bandipur forest to enjoy nature and i could see deers and peacocks every now and then. not to mention those monkeys. i even spotted few elephants. so slowly i reached karnataka border. After you reach tamilnadu checkpost, you have to proceed about 10 kms further to reach Singara.

From Singara town, hardly 4-5 kms, we reached a central government run Neutrion project (INO – Neutrion Observatory Project), from there we had to drive down (5-6 kms) inside the jungle to reach our resort. Never imagined my Swift can drive in these jungle roads too (Bangalore roads are no better these days), I must really appreciate Swift for its ground clearance. it felt like driving a Gypsy.

So i reached my destination by around 1:30.

I really liked this place, this resort is located right in the middle of the forest.

6 hours of driving had to relax for some time, so i didnt venture out into the jungle much till evening. Plans of a jungle safari in the evening got cancelled as rains started pouring heavily by the evening. Settled down for a mini safari in the evening spotted some wild Bison’s, Elephant’s and deers all-through.

Came back to the resort, they arranged for a bunglow inside the forest. Ideally you should visit such places in bigger groups as the choice of food was very limited in the place i went.(but food was really tasty). They only have the concept of buffet. so if you are the person who likes to order what you want, this is not the place for you.

Since the resort was running packed (thanks to the long weekend holiday) we couldn’t get any rooms inside the resort, we had to settle down for a bunglow right in middle of the forest 3 kms away from the resort. We were living a dream, 2 of us right in the middle of the forest - no TV, you can’t run back to the resort, heavy breeze, rains. It was an EXPEREINCE.

The weather over there was really chilly(alot of breeze) and the view of  forests from our window was breath taking. We spotted Elephants, Bisons and Deer’s around our bunglow. i would say this bunglow provides the best experience of staying inside a forest.

3rd Oct, 2009

Since i didnt have much time, i didnt want to travel much. Initially we did have plans to go to Ooty next day morning and reach Bangalore by night. but then, we decided to relax and enjoy nature. we had our breakfast and checked out by 11 AM, and dropped the plan of going towards Ooty and decide to return to Bangalore.

Because of heavy rains in the previous night, rains had washed out the mud around the rocks and the roads inside the forest was too slippery, my Swift got stuck to one of those rocks had to struggle for 30 mins to get it out. 

I have to mention this, on the way back to Singara on one of the road we had to take a steep turn, I was driving @ a speed of 40 kms/hr, applied the brake to take the turn, brakes could just lock the wheels, the locked wheels just kept pulling us to the edge of the forest, luckily for us, one of the wheels got stuck to a stone just when we thought our car would drop into the jungle (total filmy style, huh), now I know why we need ABS in the car.

On the way back visited this elephant care center in Madumalai-Bandipur, vastly laid area with green grass all around.  My wife tried feeding some elephants, finally succeded.

Again, we could spot deers and peacocks every now and then till Bandipur and then reached Nanjangud at 1:45. Visited the famous Nanjundeshwara temple in Nanjangud, reached Mysore at 3:00 pm had lunch shopped for couple of hours around the city (Mysore is not the same any more, it has changed a lot, don’t know if it’s for the good).  Finally, we started at 6:00 from Mysore and reached Bangalore by 9.

All in all a  great experience. and i have no regrets for planning late

Snaps of the trip @ http://picasaweb.google.com/vijaythesagi/MasinagudiDrive

LOS ANGELES, CA — “The idea behind Animals on the Edge is not to shock people into action, which is why there are no images of decapitated gorillas, or de-horned rhinos,” said Chris Weston, one of the world’s leading wildlife photojournalists. “Such tactics, I have found, are limited in their effectiveness.  The purpose of the book is to educate people about the real problem facing our wildlife — poverty.  Animals and people don’t need pity, they need solutions and action.”

And so began a riveting conversation with Weston, a man of action who dangled 100 feet above ground in the canopy of ferocious jungles and endured for hours on end the effects of a suffocating heat index just to confirm one cold, hard fact — the planet is in an extinction crisis. “Animals on the Edge” is a visually-captivating story that is told through the expressive souls of those whose existence sits on a ticking time bomb.

Reporter: At age 40, you decided to leave your family behind and see the world like none other. How did they take the danger you faced?

Weston: It’s not so much the hazards of my job that my family finds hard to cope with but more the time I spend away from home.  My wife, I guess, has grown accustomed to it now and accepts that this is what I do. It’s harder on my [six-year-old] son, Josh.

The driving force behind the gorilla's path to extinction is man.

Reporter : What was going on in the Congo when you froze that moment-in-time tableau of a gorilla mom with her toddler?

Weston: Their attention was attracted by an unnerving sound in the forest. Looking at their response through the viewfinder, I imagined how, living in a forest so close to man, they must live their lives in constant anxiety of what is round the corner.

Reporter: What has this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity taught you about the value of life?

Weston: I’ve spent a lot of time in Zimbabwe, a country that has suffered harrowing hardship. At times, supermarket shelves were literally empty, there was no food, no petrol, oil or gas…nothing. However, Zimbabweans have a saying, “We’ll make a plan.” If something can’t be done one way they simply find another means…those things we take for granted.

Reporter: How has this assignment changed you as a human being?

Weston: When I was in Nepal, I interviewed a convicted poacher. He told me how the first thing he did when he woke each morning was check to see which of his children had survived through the night and how he turned to poaching the day his 18-month old son [died]. Every evening I read [Josh] a story before kissing him goodnight and when I wake, I go into his room to kiss him good morning. Not once in those six years have I ever wondered, when I enter [Josh's] room, whether he’s alive or dead.

Reporter: Many of the images of the endangered animals you captured appear to mirror human faces, human hands. Human emotion.  Did you see that, too, prior to triggering the shutter?

Weston: When photographing mammals, my main aim is to try and capture the personality and character of an individual subject. Researching and learning about animal behaviour and spending time with animals in the field, I have discovered that we are not so different, that we share many characteristics with animals. I seek out these common mannerisms and attempt to include them in my work.

Some villagers thought Weston was out of his mind during his mission to capture images of mammals living on the brink of extinction. Weston is hailed by many as being one of the best and more daring photojournalists in the world.

Reporter: What was the most difficult image to document?

Weston: Surprisingly, the hardest image to capture was of the wild Asiatic buffalo in Nepal. They are intensely shy and nervous creatures and wouldn’t let me within 300 yards before running into the far distance. In the end, I had to employ several local villagers to help herd the buffalo into an area where I had set up a hidden hide. It was dangerous work and several of the villagers quit partway through the assignment, citing me as “a mad Englishman.”

Reporter: Prior to this assignment, did you ever consider conservation a luxury like many of those you’ve interviewed?

Weston: A few years back, I went through a period where I didn’t earn much money and living was tight. I stopped eating out so often and didn’t have a holiday for a couple of years. I drove less, walked more and turned the heating on later than I normally would. To save money, I also gave less to the charities I supported. Although I didn’t think of it as such at the time, yes, back then conservation was a luxury. During the financial crisis and great recession of 2008, worldwide charitable contributions dropped by over half-a-billion dollars. At times of financial hardship, many things we take for granted in better times become luxuries.

"Leo Grillo helped bring ANIMALS ON THE EDGE to life," said acclaimed photojournalist Chris Weston.

Reporter: How has animal welfare activist Leo Grillo helped your efforts?

Weston: About three years ago, I got an e-mail from Leo inviting me to travel to California to photograph the animals at his DELTA Rescue sanctuary, after he had discovered a book I’d written about wildlife photography. During the two weeks I was there, we spent many evening hours talking about our two shared passions – photography and animals.

Grillo: When I saw Chris’ work, I saw something I had never seen in wildlife photography – short lenses and closeup field work. Mostly, guys use super long lenses and stay way back. But Chris gets right in there so you get the animals’ environment as well as their place in it.

Weston: For many reasons, Animals on the Edge would have remained a notion without Leo. When we first talked about the project, it was no more than an idea. Leo helped bring it to life. Not only did he facilitate the book’s production, he provided encouragement along the way and was a constant inspiration to make the book the best it could be. Although it is my name that appears on the cover, we did it together.

Reporter: Who actually came up with the title, Animals on the Edge?

Grillo: Chris did that. We spoke about actually doing something to save individual animals, not just whining about losing a species. I proposed the project as a program for our non-profit educational organization, LIVING EARTH PRODUCTIONS. As ANIMALS ON THE EDGE grew, it took on its own life. Chris’ photos will be given as gifts to our non-profit through its Web site.

Weston: Between Leo and me, we have created Animals on the Edge as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the U.S. and as a registered charity in the UK. Through these organizations, we plan to help realize the dreams for conservation that are brought to life in the book.

Reporter: Since Rwanda was your favorite place to visit, do you plan to go back?

Weston: I do plan to return to Rwanda both to support the amazing work they are doing there in protecting their population of mountain gorillas and also because I would love to document the Kwita Izina – Giving of Names – ceremony that is held each year, where the entire country comes together in a week-long festival culminating in the naming of that year’s new gorillas.

Reporter: That ambush by AK-47-wielding policemen in the Congo must have made your hair stand on end.

Weston: It all happened so quickly, I’m not sure I gave it that much thought. However, there is no doubt it was one of the scariest moments of my time in the field. The problem with people is, unlike animals, they can be very unpredictable and often act on irrational emotion, things an animal never does.

Reporter: At what point did you fear for your life?

Weston: I have never once, during this assignment or any other, felt that my life was in danger from an animal. Sure I can tell a few stories and ham them up for an audience but the reality is that few animals other than a polar bear see human beings as natural prey.  Most attacks on people are what are termed defensive attacks, where our actions – intentional or not – have caused an animal to respond in a certain way. If you never put a wild animal in a position where its only recourse is attack , then you’re unlikely to put yourself at risk.

Reporter: The ruthless killing of the dominate male orangutan in Sumatra blasted a powerful message. What was your feeling after this peaceful animal fell victim to 26 air gun pellets?

Weston: When a dying man kills an animal to survive, you can at least understand his actions. In this instance, there was no rhyme or reason to the orangutan’s death. When I returned home, it took me a few weeks to recover. It was the lowest moment of the whole assignment, my whole career, and the only point at which I felt like giving up. But then I made it my mission that the orangutan’s death wouldn’t be in vain; that the book and what resulted from it would be his epitaph.

Reporter: Which incident set the momentum for your personal moment of awakening?

Weston: I guess the true moment of enlightenment came several years ago when I met the Kenyan farmer Matunde, who opened my eyes to the problems poverty causes and how historical attitudes and approaches to conservation were unsuccessful and unsustainable. It was this meeting that set in motion the thoughts that underlie the book. Over the course of my travels for “Animals on the Edge,” there have been a number of encounters that have backed up those thoughts.

Reporter: Which single image has made an indelible impression on your psyche?

Weston: For me, the most iconic image in the book is of the [newborn] gorilla being cradled in its mother’s huge and powerful arm. More than any other, this image tells the story of what “Animals on the Edge” is all about…the protection of vulnerable wildlife. That I was the first human to see this gorilla baby was a particularly poignant moment and the way its mother revealed it to me was representative of a connection between man and animal that makes my job so fulfilling.

Reporter: This book has been so successful worldwide.  Is another one planned?

Photojournalist Chris Weston teamed with animal rescue expert Leo Grillo to bring ANIMALS ON THE EDGE to life.

Weston: Leo and I are currently talking about the next book from “Animals on the Edge.” I would like to do something that focuses on the concept that all animals have an individual character and personality – something that will underline our belief that animals are people, too.

Weston is currently in Mexico attending a conference of the International League of Conservation Photographers, a group which believes that awe-inspiring photography is a powerful force for the environment, especially when used in conjunction with advice provided by scientists, politicians, religious leaders, policy makers and top animal welfare advocates, like Grillo. The group’s plan is to hopefully replace environmental indifference with a new culture of stewardship and passion.

Following the conference, Weston expects to squeeze in some time to sit down with an equally-busy Grillo in Los Angeles to discuss additional conservation solutions and plans of action. Grillo is a 30-year animal rescue expert and founder of D.E.L.T.A. Rescue, the largest care-for-life animal sanctuary in the world.

“It’s about prevention rather than cure,” said Weston.

For further reading:

www.animalsontheedge.org

www.deltarescue.org

Editor’s Note: Chris Weston and Leo Grillo were interviewed by journalist Sharon Raiford Bush.

INDONESIA TRAVEL EXPERIENCE (since i traveled so much in Indonesia, i just give a broad overview)

Main Islands: Java, Sumatera, Borneo, Sulawesi

Provinces: Aceh, Sumatera Utara, Sumatera Barat, Jambi, Pekan Baru, Bengkulu, Lampung, Palembang, Jakarta, Banten, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur, DI Jogjakarta, Bali, Kalimantan Barat, Kalimantan Selatan, Sulawesi Utara, Sulawesi Selatan,

Cities: Jakarta, Banda Aceh, Calang, Meulaboh, Tapak Tuan, Takengon, Lhokseumawe, Bireun, Langsa, Blang Pidie, Sigli, Medan, Parapat, Pematang Siantar, Brastagi, Tarutung, Jambi, Bengkulu, Padang, Palembang, Lampung, Batam, Riau, Jakarta, Bandung, Jogja, Surabaya, Tangerang, Depok, Denpasar, Semarang, Magelang, Salatiga, Malang, Jombang, Balikpapan, Berau, Samarinda, Manado, Ujung Pandang, Makassar, Tomohon, Kema,

Major attractions:  Sikuai Island, Bali Island, Derawan Island, Karimun Jawa Island, Sabang, Weh Island, Iboih Beach, Gapang Beach, Pulo Aceh Island, Orang Utan at Bukit Lawang, Tangkahan, Toba Lake, Samosir, Mt. Bromo, Mt. Merapi, Dieng Plateu, Lake Maninjau, Lake Singkarak, Ngarai Sianuk, Bukit Tinggi, Tarutung, Nusa Dua Beach, Kuta Beach, Legian Beach, Sanur Beach, Lake Batur, Bedugul, Kintamani, Batu

WORLD TRAVEL EXPERIENCE:

Country: Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Australia, Philippine,

Cities/Major Attractions: Langkawi Island, Penang Island, Butterworth, Kuala Lumpur, Port Dickson, Bangkok, Phuket, Hong Kong, Sydney, Blue Mountains, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Canberra, Snowy Mountains, Tagaytay City, Manilla,

By Columnist Harry Trunckles

It is the drive of every scientist to explore, in one’s mind abstractly and sometime physically. From Alexander Humbolt to Alfred Russell Wallace, there are always intrepid explorers willing to brave the deepest darkest jungles. I say this to you, scientists:  STOP IT!

Seriously, if I wake up in the morning and this is staring me in the face, we got some serious problems.

My capybara cannot hide his inferiority.

Apparently this magic crater has rats that make my pet capybara look like a smaller disease-ridden rodent.  And frogs…with goddamn fangs!  It’s even been reported that the fish get sick of you loitering around and start grunting at you.

It seems obvious to me that God doesn’t want us going to these places. Maybe it’s where angels fornicate or something, but we should heed God’s warning. After all, who in their right mind would go to a place infested with these monsters:

It will kill you, your family and everyone you've ever met.

Aint this cool news *giggle*!  Variety have reported that Stallone will return after the wonderfully violent last Rambo movie with a new sequel!  Yes – RAMBO 5!!!

I’m hoping to see more glaring, throat tearing and disintergration through minigun fire.  I better not be disapointed…

Variety’s full report here:

John Rambo’s officially readying for a fifth mission.

Nu Image/Millennium Films has greenlit the franchise’s fifth installment, withSylvester Stallone starring and directing, repeating his duties from 2008’s“Rambo.”

The upcoming project’s storyline revolves around Rambo fighting his way through human traffickers and drug lords to rescue a young girl abducted near the U.S.-Mexico border. Production will start in the spring.

The film will be produced by Avi Lerner, Kevin King Templeton and John Thompson. Danny Dimbort, Trevor Short and Boaz Davidson will exec produce.

Stallone had indicated in interviews that a fifth Rambo was in the works. He teamed with Nu Image/Millennium on the 2008 project, which grossed $42 million domestically and $113 million overseas.

Nu Image/Millennium is in post-production on “Expendables,” starring Stallone,Jason Statham, Jet Li and Mickey Rourke. The actioner’s set for release on April23 through Lionsgate.

Rambo first appeared in the 1982 pic “First Blood,” followed in 1985 by “First Blood II” and in 1988 by “Rambo III.”

By Rachael Kinley, Researcher, Jungles/Oceans team

Before filming begins, it’s important to spend time with the contributors without big cameras in their faces. It helps to strike up a friendly rapport and make the future weeks more productive and enjoyable for all. So, our first day in Papua with the Korowai is spent in their home, a tree house.

Making friends in the treehouse

Korowai houses are communal and split into male and female sides, to avoid furtive touching in the evenings. So, as the rest of the crew, including the translator are men, I sit down with the women, while the crew all head outside to take in the view from the male balcony.

Friendship forming begins inside the house. In the UK, we’d receive cups of tea and cake, here it’s fire-charred lumps of sago palm, fresh from the flames. We start making net bags together, rolling lengths of rattan along our thighs, entwining the fibres to form a string which is then plaited together to create a bag that is strong enough to hold up to 70kg.

Whilst we are winding, I try to spark up a conversation. But with Jim, our translator, out of sight this gets to be a bit tricky.  I only know one word in their language, and they know none in mine. I begin by pointing at items around us and learning the words for their shell necklaces, pet pig and net bags.  After we’ve exhausted everything on their person, the tables are turned and they start pointing and teaching me words for parts of my body – hair is  ‘habianto’ and breast, ‘am’.  They seem to be extremely intrigued by my breasts.

A couple of children reach over and prod them.  The older women giggle, encouraging the girls on.  The next thing I know, they start to unbutton my shirt.  The Korowai are both amazed at the lifting properties of my Gossard Superboost bra.  They begin to imitate its effect by cupping their own breasts in their hands with curious looks.  It feels slightly surreal to be sitting, metres up in a jungle tree house, being communally undressed by several women and children.  I help them to unfasten the clasp and the women stroke my breasts, smiling, giggling, repeating am am am.

It’s lovely, it’s touching, we laugh together and are definitely bonding. But amidst all this, my mind is thinking why couldn’t this be at the end of the four weeks in the jungle when I’d definitely be much thinner…. I guess that you can take your clothes off in the jungle, but it’s harder to get your head out of the UK.

Gujarat is one of the growing industrialized states in the country located in the western part of the nation. They have several attractions to offer one of the major and unique attractions is the Gir National Park and Wildlife sanctuary. It comprises of 1412 sq km of deciduous forests, semi- evergreen and evergreen flora, scrubs, jungles etc. there are large water bodies which contains large crocodiles. Sasan Gir forest is the only place in the world where Lions live in their natural habitat after Africa. Apart from Lions, the other predators include panther and hyena.

The best time to visit the Gir forest is, from mid October to mid June, when the sanctuary is opened for public. The nearest airport is in Ahmedabad and a seven to eight hour journey by road can take you to Gir National park. Various rail options are, Veraval, 40 km, Junagadh, 60 km from Gir in both cases a one hour cab ride is ideal. There are a couple of resorts to stay near Gir which offers jungle safari.

by Tom Hugh-Jones, Producer/Director – Oceans and Jungles team

I know that working on Human Planet is supposed to be a dream job and don’t get me wrong, I love what I do, but it doesn’t half try your nerves sometimes.  This is definitely not the right career path for those who suffer from stress and nothing proves my point better than my recent experiences of filming in Jungles.   I’m sure some people will disagree, but for me this has to be the most challenging environment to work in.

For a start the weather is just too unpredictable.  Ok, so you know it is going to rain, but you don’t know when or for how long.  Every day we seem to be in a never ending cycle of setting up kit ready to shoot, only to have to pack it up again as the next rain storm passes by.  Rain is an ever-present menace, but it’s the 100 % humidity that causes the serious problems.  Not only does it make for unbearably sticky working conditions, it also has the habit of rendering our equipment totally unusable. Our extremely expensive camera lenses constantly fog up, making it look as if everything’s being shot in a misty 70s dream style.  No big deal, an hour of clenching the lens in the warmth of your groin area solves that issue.  The light is better now anyway and god knows what the tribe is doing, but it looks amazing…..OK, let’s shoot! But wait, not so fast!  what’s that flashing red light on top of the camera? Oh yeah, that’s the humidity warning and now our only option is to pack the camera body away in a hot-box for a day to drive out the condensation.  Well, never mind, there’s always tomorrow.

Drying the camera in the sunshine

After a wet night we get up ready for action,  only to find that now there’s an even more serious technical issue that’s beyond the cameraman’s fixing abilities. This is when the next jungle challenge presents itself.  Jungle locations are invariably very difficult to access, making communication with the outside world close to impossible.  When things break, trying to get replacements sent in usually means sending some poor local person off on a three day hike to the nearest village to meet an aeroplane we’ve had to charter at great expense.

Everyone waiting

It isn’t just kit that falls apart in the forest; it’s the crew as well.  Rain and sweat combine to ensure your clothes and shoes are never truly dry and pretty soon the rot sets in.  Any minor cuts from the myriad of spikes and spines you inevitably encounter soon becoming gaping septic wounds.  And to top it all there’s the constant assault from leeches, ticks, mosquitoes and all sorts of other unidentified parasites that are after your blood.  With every daily wash I seem to discover a new colony of animals that have chosen to make their home on my body.

Insects attack

Each time I go on a trip in the rainforest, I swear I’ll never do it again, but somehow I keep on finding myself coming back for more.  After I’ve got back home, slept in a proper bed, had about ten baths, been to the doctor to get my various tropical infections treated and then put in my insurance claims for all of our broken cameras; I begin to realise it is all these trials that make for my most cherished memories of filming for Human Planet.

My latest trip to film with the Korowai tribe of West Papua was a perfect case in point. We had all the usual battles with the elements, technical glitches and medical mishaps but having the opportunity to spend time with this tribe was perhaps my most amazing filming experience ever.  Although their culture is about as far as you can get from our western world, the Korowai welcomed us into their lives with amazing warmth and it was just incredible to see how they managed to live such rich lives with nothing but what they found in the forest.   What’s more I think we got a pretty stunning sequence but you’ll have to judge for yourselves when Human Planet comes out next year.

Korowai Children

Dale Templar – Series producer, Human Planet

I have no real idea what Tom is moaning on about!  He’s clearly not been in the UK enough this summer.  Based here in Bristol most of the time I am beginning to wonder if we’ve been secretly transported to the tropics.  I’m finding it impossible to plan anything outdoors; lots of crazy unpredictable rain, some of it torrential; lots of bugs  (swine flu is  rampant).  The only big difference is that it’s so cold and I hate the cold.  Summertime in the British urban jungle is not without its frustrations!

A test pilot is missing and a search party is sent out in the jungles of Mexico; however, while searching they uncover a monster in the jungle who became this way due to a dose of radioactivity.

Starring: James Craig, Gloria Talbott, Lon Chaney Jr., Tom Drake, and Duncan ‘Dean’ Parkin as The Cyclops (Bruce Barton)

Tagline: SEE ONE-EYED CYCLOPS — BEASTS HUGE AS DINOSAURS — PYTHONS 75 FT. LONG

….is you!

In our short time on this planet week seek many things. Many seek the   accumulation of wealth in the form of lots of money in the bank, appreciating investment accounts, a secure job, a stable family, a good education, real estate, businesses… you know the drill. I have the privilege of teaching people age 55 to 92 and I can tell you that your greatest asset is not in your bank account, it is the health of your body, soul and the love in your heart.

With the recent deaths of such pop icons as Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and David Carradine, we must contemplate that fame and riches do not necessarily make one happy and healthy.  I can also tell you that overweight, negative people do not live past 75 (correct me if I’m wrong).  The happiest, fittest people I have seen live active lives of service, discipline, humor and humility.  It’s not that money is a bad thing, but the pursuit of it and then the having of it can result in a life and lifestyle that neglected taking care of oneself and then afforded the ability to indulge.

This is the pitfall of what most would call wealth these days: the pursuit and possession of it is most often toxic.  Stuffing yourself in a suit and sitting in front of a computer under florescent lights is one example. We have a saying at Zen Wellness: have you ever considered putting you in your portfolio?  What we mean is, how much time, energy and money are you investing in the cultivation of your body and soul?

So many of us toil our days in sedentary jobs, stuffed into our professional clothes – getting up at 6, taking the kids to school, getting to work at 9 getting off at 5, picking up the kids, taking them to activity, getting home, making dinner, watching tv and starting over again.  Where in this schedule is time for YOU? When do you sit with yourself and look within to check out how you are inside and if anything needs tending to?  When do you light an incense, turn on some cool music and train for an hour in your favorite physical movement?  When do you light a candle in a quite room of your house, close the door, take a few breaths and talk to your universal, holographic soul?  If you answered, “never”,  or “wouldn’t that be nice!”, then you are burning your life force energy out!

In Chinese Medicine, we call this vital life force energy your “Jing”.  Jing is translated as “essence”; the body reserves or constitutional makeup, replenished by food and rest, that supports life and is associated with developmental changes in the organism. Jing is like the bright golden energy of a healthy, empowered, nourished being.  We get our jing from the food we eat, the conscious exercise we do and the restfulness of meditation and sleep. Are these present in your life?

At our Zen Wellness center, we guide groups in 1/2 hour to 1 hour chi gong, yoga and tai chi sets that have been used for thousands of years to restore and rejuvenate the body.  Chi gong works on the body’s energy meridians and reservoirs clearing blockages and building bright, strong life force energy within the auric field.  We have seen people regain their ability to walk without a cane, gain 3 inches in height and get off of blood pressure medications after only a few months of this kind of movement. It is very rewarding to be doing this.

I also use herbs to boost the body’s bio energetic field. I play around with various herbs myself and have settled on the herbs from the Amazon Rainforests as being the most alive, vibrant and jing-producing herbs on the planet.  That is why I am a distributor of them as well.

There are more reasons I am involved with the Amazon Herb Company and that is this company is saving hundreds of thousands of acres of Rainforest land along with all the inhabitants of them. This means saving countless animals, plant species and the indigenous tribes people namely the Shipibo-Conibo and Ashaninka Indians.  These tribes are dear to my heart as I began studying shamanism over 20 years ago through the Foundation for Shamanic Studies founded by Michael Harner.  Michael spent many years in the Amazon studying with the Shipibo-Conibo and thus, the form of shamanism I studied was largely theirs. The beautiful synchronicity of Life has brought me in direct contact with these shamanic peoples as I have been to the Amazon to meet the Shhipibo-Conibo Indians who wild-craft the herbs for our company.  I since have spent time in the jungles studying with traditional Ashaninka and Shipibo shamans.

What I have distilled so far is that it is your internal and external environment, your food,  movement and peacefulness that contribute most to the quality and quantity of life. Without these, all the worldly wealth will not make you rich. We have a 92 year old named Marge Pain who is a tiny, lucid, happy woman. She is still willing to make new friends and cracking jokes. And she is grateful for every day the good lord gives her.  Most of the 90 year old’s I know are like this. And they come in to our center and train. One of them, Mr. Gump is going for his black belt in Tai Chi!! Can you imagine starting the path to black belt at that age? And here lies another key to health and longevity….. inspiration and curiosity…

many blessings,

Beth Leone

the Zen Wellness Center

For more information on the Zen Wellness Center, go to www.zenwellnes.com and on Herbs from the Amazon, www.theforestkeepers.com

Our visitor from the neighbour jungle. There is much to explore the jungle surrounding the resort. Come back for more up date photos

Vallarta is surrounded by mountains, rivers, forest and jungles! So much for a great adventure. Have you imagined yourself  glidding over rivers, tree tops, forest, jungles and waterfalls???  Well, be prepared when you spend holidays in Vallarta, you have many options you wont be able to resist. This ecological adventure must no be missed.The flora and fauna of these places is simply enormous. The experience to be able to glide, the views you can enjoy…second to none! Vallarta is full of places to discover in order to make your holidays more versatile.

I personally think this is awesome. Yes, the beach is nice but one might get tired of it therefore having many options is great! The good thing about this tour is also meeting new people, enoying experiences with others is good specially if it is your first time in Vallarta, You can exchange stories, party with them, make friends, go dancing together, sharing!

Located just 40 minutes away from Vallarta, this enchanting town which enjoys 345 days of sunshine, subtropical climate just like Hawaii and many activities to enjoy, is a real Pacific jewel that you must not miss visiting! There are a vast assortment of activities for all ages. Any of you who enjoy the Pacific Ocean will be able to experience surfing, fishing, snorkeling and of course, swimming in hidden and not so hidden beautiful beaches. Other activity around the area could be mountain biking in the jungle or hiking! Shopping here is a must, there are many cute shops that sell handycrafts from all over Mexico. Art galleries, golf courses, a tennis center, a yatch pier, and a variety of dinning options. You can also take a trip to the Marietas Islands full of underwater caves and friendly villages. It is a great option for a day trip while you are in Vallarta. It is a luxurious holiday destination that must be enjoyed!

Vallarta is not only sun and beaches, there is an extensive array of activities one can enjoy specially when you decide to have a 2 week  holiday;  you have all the time in the world to enjoy Vallartas wonders. There are many tours one can enjoy, these tours make discovery so much better as you enjoy the experience with many people, the more the merrier! Vallarta is full of natural resources, magnificent scenary and ecological attractions, exploring the jungles and mountains of the Sierra Madre can be very enjoyable; the flora and fauna of the place are simply fascinating. Taking a jungle tour is the best as we would need guidance, locals are very familiar with these places. For the real adventurous souls you can easily rent a jeep and make your own tour, sounds awesome right? Dont forget your mosquito spray, well needed! This tour takes several hours, make sure you take plenty of water and tan lotion!