Nature in the World

Sinharaja rainforest

2011-01-18T00:50:00.001-08:00

Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a national park and a biodiversity

hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and has

been designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by

UNESCO.

The hilly virgin rainforest, part of the Sri

Lanka lowland rain forests ecoregion, was saved from

the worst of commercial logging by its inaccessibility,

and was designated a World Biosphere Reserve in 1978 and a

World Heritage Site in 1988. The reserve's name translates as

Kingdom of the Lion.

The reserve is only 21 km (13 mi) from

east to west, and a maximum of 7 km (4.3 mi) from

north to south, but it is a treasure trove of endemic species,

including trees, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

Because of the dense vegetation,

wildlife is not as easily seen as at dry-zone

national parks such as Yala. There are about 3

elephants and the 15 or so leopards are rarely seen.

The commonest larger mammal is the endemic Purple-faced Langur.

An interesting phenomenon is

that birds tend to move in mixed feeding flocks,

invariably led by the fearless Greater Racket-tailed

Drongo and the noisy Orange-billed Babbler. Of Sri Lanka's

26 endemic birds, the 20 rainforest species all occur here,

including the elusive Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Coucal

and Sri Lanka Blue Magpie.

Reptiles include the endemic

Green pit viper and Hump-nosed vipers,

and there are a large variety of amphibians,

especially tree frogs. Invertebrates include the endemic

Common Birdwing butterfly and the inevitable leeches.

Peaks

1. Pinipitigala

2. Mulawella

Access ways

1. Kudawa entrance - Colombo --> Kalawana --> Kudawa

2. Pitadeniya Entrance - Galle or Matara --> Deniyaya --> Pitadeniya

3. Morning Side Entrance -- Galle or Matara --> Deniyaya --> Morning Side Estate

2012 WorldEnd

2011-01-17T05:44:00.001-08:00

ALL ABOUT 2012

AWAKEN AND BECOME

2012 IS ALREADY OVER.....

The Pyramid of the Moon

The ancient city of Teotihuacan is located 50 kilometers north-east of the

center of Mexico city and is well worth at least one or two days of exploration.

There are many restored buildings to explore,

as well as artwork and artifacts recovered from the site,

as well as the two enormous structures for which the city is best known,

the Pyramid of the Moon,

shown here, and the even larger Pyramid of the Sun. Unlike the pyramids of Egypt,

the pyramids at Teotihuacán aren't build of solid stone, instead they

consist of stone and brick rubble covered with layers of cut stone,

however they're still an extraordinary achievement,

especially since all this was done without the benefit of pack animals,

metal tools or the wheel This photo was taken from 2 miles away.

Pyramid of the Sun

The Pyramid of the Sun, with an estimated

weight of three million tons, is much larger

than the Pyramid of the Moon, and was also built earlier. Each side is 222 meters long and it's over 70 meters high, making it the third largest pyramid in the world by volume, after the Great Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt and the unrestored pyramid at the Mexican city of Cholula. Unfortunately because of the building method a lot of reconstruction was needed to get it to its current state, and there's considerable uncertainty

THE MAYAN CALENDAR DOES NOT END IN 2012

KEEP READING!!!

The date December 21st, 2012 A.D. (13.0.0.0.0 in the Long Count), represents an extremely close conjunction of the

Winter Solstice Sun with the crossing point of the Galactic Equator (Equator of the Milky Way) and the Ecliptic (path of the Sun), what that ancient Maya recognized as the Sacred Tree. This is an event that has been coming to

resonance very slowly over thousands and thousands of years. It will come to resolution at exactly 11:11 am GMT.

The Tzolkin is a 260-day calendar based around the period of human gestation. It is composed of 20 day-signs, each of which has 13 variations, and was (and still is) used to determine character traits and time harmonics, in a similar way to Western astrology. The Maya also used a 365-day calendar called the Haab, and a Venus calendar, plus others. They measured long time periods by means of a Long Count, in which one 360-day year (a "Tun"), consists of 18 x 20-day "months" ("Uinals"). Twenty of these Tuns is a Katun; 20 Katuns is a Baktun (nearly 400 years); and 13 Baktuns adds up to a "Great Cycle" of 1,872,000 days, ( 5200 Tuns, or about 5125 years).

Mayan scholars have been attempting to correlate the Long Count with our Western Gregorian calendar, since the beginning of this century. There has been massive variation in the suggested correlations, but as early as 1905, Goodman suggested a correlation only 3 days from the most popular one today. Known as the GMT correlation, or "correlation # 584283", this was finalized in 1950, and puts the start of the Great Cycle ( day 0.0.0.0.0) on 11th August 3114 BC, and the end-date (known as 13.0.0.0.0.) as 21st December 2012.

Jose Arguelles has pointed out that the Tzolkin is a harmonic of the Great Cycle, and can be used to map history, as if it is measuring not individual gestation but species gestation, since 5 Great Cycles add to exactly 26,000 Tuns; the "Grand Year" or precession of the equinoxes - a higher harmonic of 260.

## The astronomer Philip Plait has stated very clearly that the Mayan calendar does not end in 2012 at all, that it is like the odometer on your car, as each section of the odometer reaches 9 and then clicks over to 0, the next number to it starts a new cycle, so that when all the numbers again reach 0 all the way across the odometer - the last number will change from 1 to 2 and the new cycle starts all over again.

MAYAN CRYSTAL SKULLS CEREMONY

Mayan Database

Sunspot Cycles; Adrian Gilbert and Maurice Cotterell, in their book the Mayan Prophecies, say that the end of the Great Cycle is the culmination of a series of long-term sunspot cycles which will flip the sun’s magnetic field, causing earthquakes and flooding on earth. Moreover, the changing magnetic field will alter the endocrine production of the pineal gland. John Major Jenkins has pointed out that the detailed graphs of the cycles do not actually show significant termination points at the end of the Great Cycle; click here for Jenkins' full unabridged review of The Mayan Prophecies.

According to John Major Jenkins, it will take 36 years to precess through the Galactic equator. The Galactic Alignment "zone" is

1998 +/- 18 years = 1980 to 2016. This is "era 2012"

So why are we worried?

2007 = 2012 - proof?

Generally speaking, scientifically accepted records of sunspot activity do seem to be heading for a climax in the near future.

##: Real science is predicting the next/current sun cycle to be the worst in 50 years. The first two sunspot's of 2006 are moving in reverse direction.

August 15, 2006: On July 31st, a tiny sunspot was born. It popped up from the sun's interior, floated around a bit, and vanished again in a few hours. On the sun this sort of thing happens all the time and, ordinarily, it wouldn't be worth mentioning. But this sunspot was special: It was backward.

"We've been waiting for this," says David Hathaway, a solar physicist at the Marshall Space Flight in Huntsville, Alabama. "A backward sunspot is a sign that the next solar cycle is beginning."

Right: The tiny, backward sunspot of July 31, 2006. Credit: SOHO. [Larger image]

"Backward" means magnetically backward. Hathaway explains:

Sunspots are planet-sized magnets created by the sun's inner magnetic dynamo. Like all magnets in the Universe, sunspots have north (N) and south (S) magnetic poles. The sunspot of July 31st popped up at solar longitude 65o W, latitude 13o S. Sunspots in that area are normally oriented N-S. The newcomer, however, was S-N, opposite the norm. This tiny spot of backwardness matters because of what it might foretell: A really big solar cycle.

Solar activity rises and falls in 11-year cycles, swinging back and forth between times of quiet and storminess. Right now the sun is quiet. "We're near the end of Solar Cycle 23, which peaked way back in 2001," explains Hathaway. The next cycle, Solar Cycle 24, should begin "any time now," returning the sun to a stormy state.

Satellite operators and NASA mission planners are bracing for this next solar cycle because it is expected to be exceptionally stormy, perhaps the stormiest in decades. Sunspots and solar flares will return in abundance, producing bright auroras on Earth and dangerous proton storms in space: full story.

Solar Cycles: Past and Future But when will Solar Cycle 24 begin?

"Maybe it already did--on July 31st," says Hathaway. The first spot of a new solar cycle is always backwards. Solar physicists have long known that sunspot magnetic fields reverse polarity from cycle to cycle. N-S becomes S-N and vice versa. "The backward sunspot may be the first sunspot of Cycle 24."

It sounds exciting, but Hathaway is cautious on several fronts:

First, the sunspot lasted only three hours. Typically, sunspots last days, weeks or even months. Three hours is fleeting in the extreme. "It came and went so fast, it was not given an official sunspot number," says Hathaway. The astronomers who number sunspots didn't think it worthy!

Second, the latitude of the spot is suspicious. New-cycle sunspots almost always pop up at mid-latitudes, around 30o N or 30o S. The backward sunspot popped up at 13o S. "That's strange."

These odd-isms stop Hathaway short of declaring the onset of a new solar cycle. "But it looks promising," he says.

Even if Cycle 24 has truly begun, "don't expect any great storms right away." Solar cycles last 11 years and take time to build up to fever pitch. For a while, perhaps one or two years, Cycle 23 and Cycle 24 will actually share the sun, making it a hodgepodge of backward and forward spots. Eventually, Cycle 24 will take over completely; then the fireworks will really begin.

Meanwhile, Hathaway plans to keep an eye out for more backward sunspots.

Solar Cycles: Past and Future But when will Solar Cycle 24 begin?

It sounds exciting, but Hathaway is cautious on several fronts:

Second, the latitude of the spot is suspicious. New-cycle sunspots almost always pop up at mid-latitudes, around 30o N or 30o S. The backward sunspot popped up at 13o S. "That's strange."

These odd-isms stop Hathaway short of declaring the onset of a new solar cycle. "But it looks promising," he says.

Meanwhile, Hathaway plans to keep an eye out for more backward sunspots.

Astronomical updates of 2012 are pouring in. We are grateful for the Mayan Calendar for pointing the way. It is a good map but now, thru science, we are starting to see the actual landscape.

Have you ever looked out into the night sky and seen the Milky Way Galaxy? Did you notice the obvious tilt? It is at a steep angle to the straight line of the horizon. Why?

It turns out that our solar system appears to belong to another galaxy that is colliding with the Milky Way. This was recently discovered when scientists were trying to figure sources for "dark matter" that would account for forces we can measure but not see visibly. Using near-infrared (wavelengths of light outside human eye and optical telescopes) a huge sister galaxy circling the Milky Way was discovered. It's called the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy (SGR for short).

For those keen on the 2012 data, this is the reason our entry point to the Rift, center, heart (HunabKu) of the Milky Way is thru Sagittarius. The two collide at that point. This explains why our solar system is at an angle to the plane of the galaxy and also why we dip above and below that center line every 12,000 yrs or so.

But the trail gets hotter - literally. Moon shots from the 1960s revealed glass on the moon. Glass is made from intense bursts of heat on sand. The event happened within the last 30,000yrs ago. Ancient petrography of primitive people (archeological carvings) from that era (12,000+y.a.) show the sun causing extreme energy bursts changing earth atmosphere.

...

Next clue - the current 11 year Sun Spot Cycle has passed the minimum (sun spot activity should have begun over a year ago and has not for the first time ever). This appears to be caused by a gravitation field influencing the sun.

The only field large enough would be from - the center of the galaxy.

What does all this mean? Putting it all together, it implies the 2011-2012 event is a natural cycle of solar maximum bursts which could scorch all or parts of the earth. How is the world preparing?

Russia is building a huge underground city to hold 60,000 people, the YAMANTAU Mt Complex.

Norway has already built enough facility for their entire population to go under ground. Sweden. working with NATO has created an underground seed bank (a modern day Noah's Ark).

And here in the USA?

The Bush family has made one of the largest land purchases in history for their own personal private compound in Paraguay (the only inland nation of South America) and told the rest of us to fend for ourselves. Now that is Grand Old Party Republican Leadership for ya!

Dresden codex: On page 74, there is an + and X cross in the sky band as well

as the 8 pointed cross.

The zodiac cross rotates during the precession of the equinoxes against the backdrop of the Galactic Cross with one revolution in 26.000 years (length of a Great Year or Platonic Year). The Galactic Cross rotates with one revolution in 220 million years (time of the revolution of the Solar System around the Galactic Centre). That’s why the Galactic Cross is regarded as a fixated cross during a precession cycle, its rotation can be neglected.

The two crosses (Zodiac Cross and Galactic Cross) form an eight pointed cross and four times during a precession cycle they overlap. The moments of conjunction are called a Great Celestial Conjunction (for details see our paper ‘Crucifying the Earth on the Galactic Cross’ - Smeykavov, Wicherink 2006). It’s the cosmic event that is associated with John Major Jenkins Galactic Alignment. The next one is occurring right now during era-2012 on the winter and summer solstices

The eight pointed cross becoming a four pointed cross during aGreat Celestial Conjunction.

The blue cross represents the Earth Crosswhile the red cross represents the Galactic Cross. Qs(blue circle) represents plane of the Solar System and the ecliptic, Es( green circle) represents the plane of the Galaxy.

The points Z and Z’ in the picture above are the intersections of the ecliptic with the Galactic Plane and these crossings have been associated by Schele with the Maya Sacred Tree, they are the Gemini-Taurus (Z’) nexus and Sagittarius-Scorpio (Z) nexus. As we will demonstrate later in the Maya artefacts these points are often depicted as two separate crosses XX. We add to Schele’s observations that the Maya Sacred Tree is also identical to the red cross in the picture above, the intersection of the Galactic Plane with the Solar System’s plane and it’s perpendicular axis to this intersection. This cross is the cross that occurs in the Fejérváry-Mayer Codex with the Sacred Tree...

Waterfalls in Srilanka

2011-01-16T17:49:00.001-08:00

Waterfalls in Srilanka

The Waterfalls of Sri Lanka are breathtaking and rich in beauty. Waterfalls have been a magnificent gift of nature, which have attracted human beings since the beginning of time.
Sri Lanka has the largest number of waterfalls in comparison to its size of any given country. Waterfalls are most commonly found in the hill country, mainly closer to towns in the Central Province ; Kandy, Hatton, Nuwaraeliya, Ramboda, Thalawakele and Kegalle. Ratnapura, Yatiyantota, Pelmadulla, Belihuloya, Kitulgala, Maliboda and Bulathkohupitiya in Sabaragamuwa Province. Wellawaya and Badulla in Uva Province, and Kalutara in Western Province. The main three geographical factors which need to be formed of water are:
1. The sharp up thrust of the earth’s surface.
2. Water flow over a hard surface which can resist erosion for a longer time.
3. Plenty of rainfall.

Bambarakanda Ella Falls
The height is 241m. This is the tallest waterfall in the island. It flows from the Horton plains formed by the Uduweriya Haputale mountains’ Kuda Oya. Bambarakanda Falls is situated in Handumulla in the Badulla District. You can reach from A-4 road, the Colombo - Badulla highway, turn left for Weerakoon village and proceed 5km to the fall. The road is narrow and has to be driven carefully. Four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended.

Bambarakande is taller than the famous Diyaluma falls which is only 20 metres but thought to be the tallest waterfall in Sri Lanka. The Diyaluma or Diya Haluma collects its water from the Poonagala Oya in the vicinity of Koslanda and Wellawaya Located six miles from Koslanda and 13 miles from Wellawaya, its waters originate from the Mahakande Pass in Koslanda You can see this waterfall if you stop a while on your way to Haputale and detour

Bopath Ella Falls

The height is 40m. The Bopath Falls cascades in the shape of a leaf of a Bo tree. Bopath Falls is in Kuruwita in the Ratnapura District. You can reach here from Colombo to Ratnapura (A4 road) and turn left along Devipahala road. This is a famous place for local tourists. Bopath Ella Restaurant is just by the side of the fall.

Being within 3 hours drivingdistance from the capital, it thus claims the honour of having the highest turn-over of enthusiasts seekingrespite from the grimy and monotonous town life.

Nevertheless, it has the notorious reputation of devouring its visitors off and on who , attracted by the surroundings ,indulge in over-enjoyment .Here again, the falls take the shape of a "Bo" leave ( "Bo" tree is a sacred tree here ) from which the name has been derived.

Diyaluma Falls

The height is 171m, this is the third highest fall in Sri Lanka.
Located in the dry zone, fed from the Punagala oya, a tributary of Kirindi Ganga, which flows to the sea at Thissamaharamaya. This is very close to the A-4 road between Koslanda and Wellawaya (205 – 206 Km).

With an appearance and location which often make people believe that it is the highest waterfall in the isle, this lanky "Diyaluma" waterfall pours its way down and flows towards Kirindi Oya underneath a bridge on the highway from Beragala to Wellawaya. The extent of water spilt downwards is so great during the rainy season that it makes amends for the monotonously undisturbedwater trunk falling from head to foot with no intermediate cascade whatsoever. Its geographical location by one of the mostly used Highways spanning the Hill Country to the Plains speaks for its reputation not only here but in other parts of the world as well.

Dunhinda Falls

The height is 63m. This beautiful water fall of Badulu Oya, is situated close to Badulla, off Badulla – Mahiyanganaya road. You will have to walk about two Km to the waterfall.

"Dunhinda" is one of the mostly spoken-about waterfalls in Sri Lanka.

Although she couldn't come even close to the highest waterfalls of the planet in height she rivals many of them when it comes to the natural beauty that it bestows on the environment. Situated about 2 km distance from the main road which runs to Taldena from the remote city Badulla in the Uva Province this is easily accesible and frequently visited by local and foreign visitors.

On the way can be seen the "Kuda Dunhinda" ( "Kuda" means small in Sinhala) which is the prologue to its mighty brother .

In native tongue "Dun" means mist or vapour which is the ideal explanation for a waterfall creating wreathes of mist on its way down.

Lakshapana Falls

The height is 129m. “Lakshapana”- was the first hydroelectric project in this country, meaning “a 100,000 bulbs” You can reach here from A 7 Road between Kitulgala and Hatton. The most convenient route is the Hatton - Maskeliya road. Take this road for 18km from Hatton, off a footpath leads to Pathana village and from there to the fall. The other route is the Laksapana road from the Kaluganga River junction for 14km to the Lakshapana Temple, it is just 2.5km from here. The fall is 660m above sea level.
                               Rawana Ella Falls

The height is 40m, situated in the Nuwara Eliya District, off Welimada - Perawella road near the Uduwahara temple. Coming from Welimada to Udupussalwa, turn at the Ambagasdeva junction and take the Perawella road to the upper end of the Udunavara village.

Situated in the Dry zone off Welimada this beautiful water fall is a continuous stream of life to the villagers. It provides much needed water for the cultivation of vegetables, their main income.
The life-line role of this tiny, yet beautiful waterfall is seen when we first arrived the village. While the surrounding mountains were dirty and dry this particular mountain was greenish and cultivated. According to villages the water of this stream has to be protected from smugglers day and night and for that they have " a shift duty".

Wavulpane Falls

The height is 45m. This fall is in the Wavulpane Subterranean limestone cavern which had been formed 500 million years ago. This is one of nature’s unique creations. This cave has became a home for millions of bats.
The cave is 135m in length.
You can reach from Pelmadulla - Embilipitiya for 15km, from there to Wavulpane

Nature in the World

Sinharaja rainforest

**** 2012 WorldEnd ****

Waterfalls in Srilanka

2012 WorldEnd