The Lure of Penticton - An Interior Town in Beautiful British Columbia

Penticton grabs your attention, and your heart, as you descend the winding hill above the lake into this vacation town. The sun has shone each time I've visited and this was no exception.

The hills surrounding the lakes of Skaha and Okanagan, appearing to be devoid of life with their only apparent purpose that of sheltering the lakes, in fact actually hides the famous wine country of the Okanagan.

Shortly after our arrival we headed toward these wineries high above the lakes for a wine tasting tour. There are many estates of varying sizes, each with their own tasting rooms. Most will charge for sampling unless you purchase a bottle of their vino, which is what we did in three of the wineries. I chose a Riesling, a Rose and a champagne.

Besides the opportunity of visiting the wine country for a tasting tour is the chance to go down Penticton's famed river channel. Tubes can be rented, which we have done in the past, and a bus will pick you up at the end and bring you and the tubes back to your car. Or you can bring your own floating devices which is what we did this time. As a group of eight, we had a car at each end. We tied our floaters together so we could float down in unison adding further to the experience. Some people had huge floating devices holding as many as eight or so people, however, ours were individual except for one double. Having done it every year for the past fifteen years, it is easy to see that the channel is one of my favourite things to do while in Penticton. From beginning to end, the float down takes about three hours but will depend on how fast the water is running. It is nice that the channel isn't deep and although it is safe for children with lifejackets, on our recent trip, we saw very few. Important to remember though, is to bring plenty of sunscreen and reapply often. The river channel flows into Skaha Lake and some adventurers down the channel continue to float into the lake itself. This isn't advised however because of the currents in this area.

Staying at a motel less than half a block from Skaha Lake, we spent a whole day sitting on its sandy beaches, fortunate to be beneath one of the few trees as the sun shone down upon us. During the summer the beaches are crowded and like any popular resort, the mushroom effect of numerous umbrellas produce a kaleidoscope of colour on the sand for as far as the eye can see. At this lake there is a park with room for tossing a frisbee and there are volley ball nets. It seems to be more of a family beach with children paddling in the water and digging in the sand. Earlier in the year there are fire pits on the beach that people can use in the evenings but with fire conditions being at an all-time high, there was a ban when we were there.

Okanagan Lake is the larger of the two lakes and, because the busy waterfront strip with restaurants, ice cream stores and tourist shops are all located there, so are the young people. Runners and dog walkers also abound. There is a walking path beside the lake, part of it done in a cushioned cork which makes walking very comfortable. Eventually the whole path will be done in this way. As the sun goes down, people are still swimming in the shallow waters. At both lakes, there is a fairly large area where the water is relatively shallow before it drops off into deeper water. In both places, the drop-off areas are well marked.

A visit to Penticton is great for families as well as those travelling without children as there are many things to do. One can bike along the Kettle Valley Railway Trail, hike on the many other trails as well as do some climbing at Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park, go to an Adventure Park, a museum, Apex Mountain, go golfing, take a paddle wheeler cruise on Okanagan Lake, rent pedal cars that will seat four to six people, go on a paddle boat as well as canoes and kayaks and of course, tour the wine country.

Of the many things to do on a visit to Penticton, my favourite is the tranquility of floating down the slow moving river channel with family and/or friends. For many it is a time to relax on the pink sands of the beaches of this town's two beautiful lakes where there is usually a slight breeze to temper the heat. But whatever a person's interests, there is much to do in this southern interior town of Penticton.

Enjoying the Camels of Australia

The camels in Australia are mostly dromedaries (those with one hump), imported mainly from India during the 19th century for use as transportation in the Outback. About ten thousand camels were imported between 1860 and 1907, primarily for transporting goods. But as vehicles made their appearance in the 20th century, many were released into the wild.

As of 2009, camels numbered about one million. In the entire world, Australia has the largest camel herd in the wild. There is controversy over whether they should be culled as they are having a negative effect on the environment. Camels, when they find a waterhole, can drink it dry. These waterholes are often what the Aboriginal people depend on for their survival. These camels destroy trees and eat grasses and other vegetation which means there are no kangaroos, emus, reptiles or small birds. When these animals disappear from the desert, survival for the Aboriginal people becomes even more difficult as these animals are their main diet. But in the days when they were required for transportation, they were ideal as they were able to go for long periods of time without water and they could carry weights almost equal to their own.

On our trip to the Outback, we took a sunrise camel ride to view Ayers Rock. Weighing up to 1,325 pounds and being six and a half feet at their shoulders, getting onto the saddle was quite an experience. Although the camel kneels on all fours on the ground, he is still high, especially if you're short as I am. Once you have reached the height of his back, you put your feet in the stirrups, hold on to the metal frame in front of you and lean w-a-y back. When the camel begins to stand, he will straighten his hind legs first and then his front which will abruptly throw you forward. But once he is standing up, your world will right itself again. While riding the camel, you are about two meters above the ground which initially is somewhat nerve-wracking but when you get used to the rocking gait, the ride is very restful as the camels move at a leisurely pace.

There were two trains of camels when we went and being on the second last camel of the second train, I had an excellent view. When I became comfortable with the rocking motion, I felt able to remove my hands from the metal frame in order to take pictures.

The sunrise view was breathtaking and at one point the camel train ahead of us was on a ridge silhouetted against the early morning sun as it slowly came up over the edge of the horizon. It was a beautiful sight.

Enjoying the beauty of the scene before us, we watched the sun creep over Ayers Rock, with the clouds in the sky reflecting the sunrise colours of peaches and pinks. Walking through the desert at that time of the morning when it was relatively cool, atop our camels, it is easy to see why those who live in the Outback love it so much. And those who care for the camels also love these huge, lumbering, gentle animals. (As an aside, we had heard before we went that camels were very smelly. Not only did they not smell but they were also really very friendly).

I would highly recommend when visiting the Outback of Australia, that you take a sunrise or sunset camel ride for an enjoyable camel experience. It was one of the highlights of my trip to the Outback.

Life in the Outback of Australia

The Australian Outback is a contrast in weather extremes. When we were there, it was extremely hot and we were inundated with swarms of tiny black flies that hovered around our eyes, nose and mouth. Butit is also a land of raw beauty with its powdered red earth and amazing rock formations, the most popular being Ayers Rock.

Other than agriculture and tourism, mining is the main economic activity. It is rich in iron, uranium, ore, gold, nickel and zinc as well as beauitiful opals. Seventeen percent of the total poulation o the Outback is Indigenous. The Outback, although it covers 2.5 million square miles, contains only ten percent of Australia's population.

Too sparselyu populated for conventional schools, the children are educated at home by the school of the Air using wireless internet technology. each student has direct contact with a teacher for about one hour each day. The rest of the day assigned material is worked on with either a trained parent or a hired tutor. There are three or four annual gatherings where children travel to the school to meet teachers and other students. Those in secondary education attend boarding schools elsewhere. The first School of the Air was broadcast from Alice Springs in 1951. When we visited the Outback, we visited this school where one of the gatherings was being held.

Because of the vastness of the Outback and the sparse population, the Royal Flying Doctor Service was established to provide emergency and primary health care services for those living in the remote areas of the Outback. These services include emergencu aide, air ambulance services, medical consultation services, health care clinics and support for rural and remote doctors. They have twenty-one bases and five health facilities.

Hot, dry, sparsely populated and with extreme weather conditions, the Outback is an extremely injospitable area. But those living there, usually in small villages, weathered byu the harsh climate, say they love it. They wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

Part of the historical folklore of he Outback includes the swagman, squatters and bush rangers. Waltzing Matilda, a popular Australian song, was written about these people. Besides the colourful characters this song was written about, there are red kangaroos, emus, dingos, wild horses, camels, geckos and snakes, many poisonous. Some of the Indigenous people living in the bush areas eat kangaroos and some of the other animals. When we visited, they cooked a kangaroo tail over an open fire for us to try; it was greasy and grisly and I found it quite unappetizing. When a group of Aboriginal children came to dance and play drums for us, they said many of them drank warm kangaroo blood as part of their rituals.

But the Outback is also home to beautiful natural sights, one being Ayers Rock. Listed as a World Heritage Site, the sandstone formation rises to 348 meters in height. It is sacred to two Aboriginal tribes in the area. Much of its base is decorated with ancient cave paintings, however, many are becoming obliterated with weather conditions and time.

At a dinner we attended deep in the bush of the Outback, after darkness had descended and the lights from the camp were extinguished, we saw a truly amazing sight. Looking up we saw that the sky had become a masterpiece of unparalleled beauty. Stars blazed brightly overhead and the Milky Way paraded its way across the black velvet of the sky. It was an astronomical showing like I had never seen before.

Although the Outback is not a place I would want to permanently hang my hat, I can appreciate the beauty of its vast expanse and admire the people who endure its hardships and love it just the same.

Excavations of Rome, Italy

On our visit to Rome we saw many areas, albeit many fenced off, of open excavations. It was exciting to see these remnants of an ancient civilization making one aware of how old the city of Rome is. But what we saw was a small fraction of the excavations that have been done.

There are many well-known ancient structures such as the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Pantheon but some of the recent excavations are:

- One of the particularly interesting excavations is the Tomb of Saint Peter and the Necropolis under the Vatican Basilica. Special permission is required to visit it. Only 120 visitors per day are allowed in groups of about twelve people. This is done in order to preserve the historical archaeological site and for this reason also, no one under fifteen years of age is allowed. Each group has a guide as further protection of the site.

- A quite new site that archaeologists have completed excavating is Hadrian's Hall and Roman art centre discovered under one of Rome's busiest roundabouts near a baroque church and the Vittoriano. It is believed to have been built in AD 123 with seating for nine hundred people. It is the biggest find since the Forum was discovered in the 1920's.

- Escavations have been ongoing for decades in the Roman Forum and on Palatine Hill. Halls and imperial residences with frescoes and stucco reliefs have been found. Palatine Hill is in one of the most ancient areas of the city. Excavations show that people lived there as long ago as 1,000 BC. Many buildings have been excavated on the Hill, each with their own history. Entrance to it is not far from the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine. The Palatine House is believed to be the birthplace of Rome's first emperor, Augustus.

- Some of the other excavations are: the House of Livia; the House of Gryphons, a residence of Republic Rome; the Temple of Romulus in the Roman Forum and, the Loggia Mattei, dating from the Renaissance. Excavations are continuing also in Piazza Santa Maria to reveal more of the Roman and medieval structures.

- Excavations are also taking place at the site of Prato Felici of a Roman Republic cistern structure.

- In 2009, a mini-colosseum was discovered beneath Rome's Fuimicino Airport. With the help of a ground penetrating radar, they uncovered luxuriously decorated rooms, a carved marble head believed to be that of Ulysses, a garden and a toilet.

Unfortunately, most of these excavations are not open to the public on a regular basis because of a shortage of guards. This is a result of significant cut-backs because of the financial difficulties much of Europe is having at this time. Those that are open do so only on certain days and with restricted hours.

It is a shame that these findings are not open to the public as some excavations are known only in academic circles. The importance of archaeological finds is the discovery of pre-modern day cultures, civilizations, ancient topography and how our world has changed over the centuries. And even more than from a purely historical reason, excavations emphasize the fact that we are not a new civilization - we go back thousands of years. Would we have known that were it not for archaeological excavations?