Komodo Dragon

About the Komodo Dragon
The Komodo Dragon is referred to by the residents of Indonesia as the ora. Although only two islands of Indonesia house these mighty reptiles, they used to be present in Australia not too long ago. The Australian version of the ora was much larger and more dangerous that the modern dragon, but is extinct now. Even so, these smaller versions that exist today are pretty big. The largest ever measured was 10 feet, 2.5 inches. He, or rather she (a male who was unfortunately named "Minnie") was put on display in St. Louis during the 30's. Some villagers in Komodo Village insist that a dragon 30 feet long comes through their town, and more believable reports by the villagers of 3.5 meter dragons (about 11 feet) have been heard of. Not regarding these claims of bigger beasts, "Minnie" (or "Mickey", as he should have been called) is the largest ora found to date. Now, as an endangered species, few dragons live in zoos or are put on display (with the exception of foreign countries. The Indonesian island of Bali has a captured dragon on display for all to see). However, there was a time when the ora was in serious danger of extinction.
The Komodo Dragon was discovered in the age of the first world war, when a pilot crashed his plane in the Indonesian waters. He was able to swim to the shore of a nearby island, which we found was inhabited by giant monsters. Luckily, he was able to radio home and was rescued. When he first told his stories of the "giant reptiles" that lived on the island, no one believed him (of course). Later, his reports were confirmed by another expedition by a man interested in the stories of the dragons told by the pilot.
The Indonesians always new about the oras on the island, however. They exiled all of their public outcasts to this island, knowing of the dangers they would face (and, their ultimate demise) on the island. However, the people set up a small settlement which is still around today. Known fondly as "Komodo Village", this Muslim town derives most of its money from tourists and fishing (for fish, Mother of Pearl, etc.).

There isn't a lot to see at the island; there is a mosque, the streets are dirt, and a small school gives the 400-500 local children a decent education. The best way to describe the town is pretty much as a small village, which coincidentally lies on the edge of an extraordinary island, which is about as poor as poor is; but nobody is starving or hungry.

posted by www.indonesianmusic.com/komodo.htm

The Wondrous Borobudur Made From Toothpicks

The Wondrous Borobudur Made From Toothpicks

When one thinks of toothpicks, dental cleaning comes to mind. But Stan Munro of Syracuse, New York, toothpicks mean famous buildings. In his second exhibition entitled "Toothpick City II" more than 40 famous religious buildings and tall towers from around the world standing by side on a 24’x28’ oval platform. As its name suggests, those buildings and towers are made by toothpicks and reinforced by glue.

In this regard, Stan Munro chose The Great Temple of Borobudur to represent Indonesia. To recreate this ancient temple, Stan took almost a month and a half and used up about 32.000 round square-centered toothpicks and 2 liters of glue.

The original Borobudur, the monumental Buddhist temple, was founded around 800 AD. This corresponds to the period of 760 - 830 AD, the peak of the Sailendra dynasty in Central Java. The construction was estimated to have taken 70 years and achieved completion during the reign of Samaratungga in 825 AD. The temple's overall height was 42 meters; staggering over 55.000 square meters of lava rocks. Borobudur was built without using any kind of cement or mortar at all. The structure is like a massive interlocking Lego blocks without any glue. Nevertheless, it has stood for over a millenium.

Borobudur is indeed a remarkable world heritage. Prepare yourself; never visit Indonesia without visiting Borobudur temple.

posted by /www.indonesia.travel

5 Reasons Why You Should Stop Smoking

1.Heart Disease

Why stop smoking? Smoking leads to reduced blood flow in the arteries. Eventually this can lead to a heart attack. After 1 year of not smoking, your risk of developing heart disease is reduced by more than half.

2. High Blood Pressure

The nicotine and other chemicals in cigarette smoke increase your blood pressure. Over time this can damage the large arteries and tiny blood vessels. Eventually this can lead to one of the other reasons to stop smoking…

3. Stroke

Uncontrolled high blood pressure is the number one risk factor for having a stroke. Number four is cigarette smoking. Number two is heart disease, which can be caused by cigarette smoking. Why stop smoking? After only a few days of not smoking, your blood pressure will be lower, reducing your risk of having a sudden stroke that can end your life or cause permanent brain damage.

4. Blindness

This is probably one of the reasons to stop smoking that you have never heard of. You don’t see this warning on a cigarette pack, but three separate studies all came to the same conclusion. Smokers are four times more likely to become blind because of age related macular degeneration than non-smokers.

Macular degeneration is a severe and progressive condition in which the central vision is lost. It is one of the most common causes of blindness in the elderly. Why stop smoking? Former smokers, those who have quit, have only a slightly greater risk than those who never smoked.

5. Alzheimer’s disease

The rate of mental decline is five times faster in smokers than in non-smokers. If you have any family history of Alzheimer’s or other neurological conditions, this should be one of your top reasons to stop smoking now, unless, you want to be a burden to your family or simply forget them.