In the summer of 2011, Austrian photographer and cinematographer Klara Harden hiked solo through Iceland. During the expedition she worked on a film project, documenting the entire journey and acting as her own film crew. The images are breathtaking as she shows varied scenery of mountains, brooks, terrain, valleys, glaciers, volcanoes, homes, and more during her 25-day expedition.
MADE IN ICELAND from Klara Harden on Vimeo.
For more than 35 years, the official national animal of Canada has been the beaver. The creature earned that lofty honor due to its industrious behavior and the importance that the trade in beaver pelts played in the country’s history. But now, if one Canadian Senator gets her way, the beaver may be replaced as a national symbol with another animal – one that is also closely associated with Canada.
Last week, Senator Nicole Eaton made an impassioned plea to her colleagues asking them to consider changing Canada’s official animal to the polar bear. Calling the beaver “a dentally defective rat,” Eaton said the creatures are a nuisance, citing her own issues with the beasts gnawing on the dock at her lakeside cottage. She went on to argue that the polar bear has “strength, courage, resourcefulness and dignity,” qualities which would make it the perfect symbol for Canada.
Environmentalists have been quick to criticize the suggestion, saying that Eaton’s Conservative party supports environmental policies that could spell the end of polar bears before the 21st century is over. Eaton countered by saying that Canada has an excellent track record for managing its polar bear population, demonstrating its commitment to the endangered creatures.
It’s too early yet to know if the rodent will be replaced with the ferocious predator, but this is essentially akin to the U.S. dumping the eagle in favor of another animal. There is sure to be all kinds of discussion, both for and against.
In 1981, the first scientific observation of coral spawning took place. Coral spawning can be thought of as a coral orgy or sex on the Great Barrier Reef, with the process beginning six months prior when eggs and sperm begin to form in the coral. Certain factors must be present for the coral spawning to take place, such as water temperatures being 27 degrees Celsius and a full moon (the spawning with occur from the 2nd to 6th night following).
If you want to see coral spawning for yourself first-hand, visit Queensland, Australia, from November 15-17th, 2011 and signup for a night dive. While the dates are not 100% guaranteed, it is predicted that this is when the coral spawning will occur this year. Want to check it out from the comfort of your computer chair? Watch this video:
One of the bigger challenges for adventure travelers, long distance hikers, and backpackers is finding good, clean drinking water while on the trail. This is a problem that is particularly exacerbated when visiting remote regions of the world where waterborne viruses and bacteria are more common. Many travelers carry water purification tablets to help remedy the situation, but they aren’t always as effective as we’d like and can sometimes leave the water tasting odd. Fortunately, there is another alternative.
SteriPen is a company that specializes in making water purification systems that use ultraviolet light to kill 99.9% of all the harmful stuff that can inhabit our drinking water. Last year, while traveling through Nepal, I used their Journey device and had zero issues with the drinking water, despite the fact that many of my companions suffered mightily. The Journey was definitely an excellent addition to my pack, although I found that it ate batteries fairly quickly and was a bit on the larger size. SteriPen has addressed both of those issues in their new Freedom model however, making it the perfect companion for a trip to the local trail or to the far side of the globe.
The Freedom has done away with the unusual CR123 battery, which powered the Journey but was very difficult to find while traveling through many countries. Instead, the new device uses a built-in rechargeable pack which can be juiced up using the included AC power supply, via a USB port on your computer, or a portable solar charger. When fully charged, the Freedom is good for 40 uses, which results in approximately 20 liters of clean drinking water.The diminutive device weighs in at just 2.6 ounces and measures about five inches in length. While that makes it considerably smaller than the Journey, it also means that you’ll only be able purify a half-liter of water at a time. It takes 48 seconds for the Freedom to remove the bacteria and other harmful items from the water, and a full liter requires a second treatment to ensure that the device has done its job.
As usual with SteriPen purification systems, the Freedom is easy to use. Simply remove the protective cover over the UV lamp, and dip it into the water. The built-in sensors will detect the liquid and activated the light, at which point you simply start stirring. A green light on the top blinks to let you know that you’re stirring at the proper speed, and when the light stops blinking and remains solid green, you’ve completed the process and your water is safe for drinking.
Charging the Freedom from a wall outlet takes just a couple of hours to complete, but charging via USB is a bit less predictable. On full-power USB ports, it didn’t take much longer than the wall outlet, but many laptops use low powered USB in order to conserve battery life. Plugging the device into one of those ports doubles the amount of time it takes to charge. I haven’t had a chance to test it with a solar charger yet, but I imagine it will take even longer using only the suns rays.
SteriPen also included the ability to use the Freedom as an emergency flashlight. It isn’t a particularly powerful light, and obviously it puts a hit on the battery life, but it is a nice touch none the less. Just don’t forget to pack your regular headlamp, as the Freedom won’t be replacing it any time soon.
With an MSRP of $120, the Freedom is obviously a lot more expensive than simple water purification tablets, but it is also faster and more reliable. My experience has made me a big believer of using UV light to make clean drinking water while traveling, and with its rechargeable battery and small size, the Freedom seems like the perfect solution. If you’re like me, you’re not willing to risk the consequences that come along with drinking tainted water, and thanks to SteriPen, we don’t have to.
While some train routes can seem long and boring, there are many that allow for great views of unique landscape or luxury service. Still, there are some train rides that go above and beyond your wildest imagination. Check out these five train trips that everyone should experience in their lifetime.
The Blue Train
South Africa
The Blue Train travels approximately 1,000 miles between Pretoria and Cape Town and is one of the most luxurious train journeys in the world. Some of the amenities include butler service, two lounge cars (one smoking, one non-smoking), an observation car, and sound-proofed carriages with gold-tinted picture windows, full-carpeting, an en-suite bathrooms (many of which include a full bathtub). Both kings and presidents have made this journey, as the train is marketed as a “magnificent, moving 5-star hotel”. Along with luxury, the Blue Train also takes passengers through unique countryside scenery. Rolling vineyards, pristine coastline, and jagged mountain faces are all right outside your luxurious, gold-tinted view.The West Highland Line
Britain
The West Highland Line links the ports of Mallaig and Oban and is thought to be one of the most scenic train routes in Britain. In fact, in 2009 the West Highland Line was voted the Top Rail Journey in the World by Wanderlust Magazine, just beating out the Trans-Siberian and Cuzco to Machu-Picchu lines. The West Highline Line not only accesses the remote west coast of Scotland, but also views of numerous sea loches including Gareloch, Loch Long, Loch Lomond, and Glen Falloch. See Rannoch Moore, a National Heritage site, Loch Treig, a steep, freshwater lake, and the narrow Monessie Gorge.
The Glacier Express
The Swiss Alps
This express train links the two major mountain resorts of St. Moritz and Zermatt in the Swiss Alps. For the main portion of the journey, the Glacier Express passes through the Rhaetian Railway, a World Heritage Site in the Albula/Bernina regions. Passengers will also get to see untouched mountain landscapes, lush meadows, seductive vineyards, deep gorges, refreshing lakes, quaint hamlets, and impressive valleys while traveling through 91 tunnels and across 291 beautiful bridges. Some specific Swiss Alps mounains travelers will encounter include the Matterhorn, one of the highest peaks in the Swiss Alps, and the Dom, the tallest mountain to sit entirely on Switerland soil.
PeruRail
Peru
The scenic PeruRail lines make trips from Cuzco to Machu Picchu with three choices of train for passengers to choose from. If you’re looking for a sensory experience there is the Vistadome, surrounded entirely by glass and giant panaramic windows for a closer connection with nature as well as opportunities for amazing photographs. For the luxury traveler there is the Hiram Bingham, with cozy intertiors, elegant upholstry, two dining cars, an observation wagon, a bar, and a kitchen. The service includes brunch, dinner, entrance to Machu Picchu, afternoon tea at Machu Picchu, and a guided tour in the citadel. For adventure travelers, there is the Expedition, with backpack racks, seating designed for interaction and mingling, and Andean music to fill the car with cheer. For travelers wanting to visit Lake Titicana from Cuzco, there is the Andean Explorer, a luxurious train ride featuring an observatory car to see mountainous and rolling plain landscapes and Andean entertainment on board as musicians and dancers create a lively atmosphere.
The Southwest Chief
The United States
Ever wonder what it must have felt like to live in the Old West? The Southwest Chief can give you a taste of what you’ve seen in classic films. Running daily between Chicago and Los Angeles, passengers will traverse through the mighty Mississippi, take in the Grand Canyon, pass by wheat fields and ranches, ride over dessert landscape, photograph mountains, and see pueblos right outside the train window. Lounges, sleeper cars, and sightseeing decks enhance the journey just that much more.