Laura Branigan Gloria |
Beautiful Ghanaian song |
Bob SegerAgainst the wind |
2. - Chinese wisdom
AFRICA and ASIA, and EUROPE : AFRICASIAEURO
VIETNAM
WASHING DETERGENT CHOICE; IT'S FOR YOU TO DECIDE
THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE
Dangerous roads, Northern Guinea - a no man to go land
journey to Niani
An adventurous journey
-r_A.webp)
IMAGINE THIS ...
1. - STRANGE
Boat launching ceremony
On Isle de Los, Africa
CHECK THE VIDEO
THE ISLAND
T-SHIRTS AND JEANS
HOW ARE THEY MADE - JEANS AND MORE
ABBA'S beginnings :
ABBA Ring Ring was our favorite. It carries lots of memories from a time that I thought stood still - or rather I wanted..ABBA with RING RING
RING RINGABBA - SO LONG
Africasiaeuro's NFT art
( click Images for more )
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China magic
CHINA is different. If you have never been - do not comment; it simply does not give credit to an incredible country. The worst thing one can do is to assume wrongly.
Salzburg, Austria
This city of art and beauty unfortunately has turned a grim reality by now. Due to Europe's uncontrolled migration, SALZBURG is not like it's former glory.
One notices in the old town graffitis which have been put indiscriminately on old buildings, some dating back to the Middle Ages.
The city has lost it's lustre. Local politicians are to blame. The conservatives OVP have had the majority together with Social Democrats for decades.
It is sad to see the decline of this otherwise wonderful city. No wonder other parties like the Freedom party and Communist party are pressing for change.
Ilan, Taiwan
On a day trip with An to ILAN
River cruise in Thailand Laos China
High speed yacht cruising on the Mekong river with rapids and currents galore. Not the usual Tourist boat cruise
Beauty of Africa
The scenery here showing the coast on Accra - Tema beach road. The picture dates back to 1994. The ocean was cleaner then, Tema beach road was flooded on many oaccasions before.
Tibetan journeys
TIBET AND KHAM hold a special part in my life's journey. TIBETAN people are warm, welcoming. Tibet is a land of magic
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Tibet hike
The hike has taken all my strength. Overcome by exhaustion - I relax while in the kitchen the grandfather is preparing dinner. An old man of nearly 80 years, his leather tanned face radiates much warmth and kindness.He is genuinely proud to have a foreigner as guest at his home. His wife herds YAKS still further up the mountain, a 3 hours walk from where his house stands, barely noticeable from here.
I notice in spite of the warm jacket I am wearing my body starts to shiver, and decide to draw the warm blanket up to my chin. I sense the deep exhaustion now overcoming me. With every minute the shadows are getting longer now , my friends calling me to watch the spectacle that follows.
Sparrows give their last concert, the Eagles have long disappeared; the whole area is shrouded in twilight, a breath taking scenery. My companions have tended to the horse, and other animals on the farm. We stand on the porch overlooking the whole mountain range , truly a majestic view. One forgets time here, a soul searching contest with oneself has begun. And here time has stood still, no materialistic goals, no work related stress, no human misdemeanor, no misunderstanding, no crime, just pure, basic human values. One can not but feel comfort in such environment.
Dinner is ready, Chinese cabbage, Xiaobaicai, steamed round rice, chicken with vegetables. An excellent meal, the old man proofs his cooking skills. After dinner we converse, many questions are asked about my home and what it was like. Mountain folks retire early and for a good reason: they must be fit in early morning. We take a stroll in the now dark surroundings and shoot some photos in the dark. Everyone senses the tranquility that has engulfed the mountains by now. A real heaven under the sky. Then the house falls silent, no sound is heard.
How I wish I could have shown this heaven to those who needed it most. Yet, it is not for everyone to reach such divine places. As one friend put it : "You are blessed to be able to discover this Tibetan secret". One may believe it or not, reality speaks for itself.
Next : The day break - and descent ...
Train crossing in Kanpur, U.P.
06.00 AM, Airport Mumbai. I made it in time, driving from the Hotel in Worli. Continued here ..MORE LINKS BELOW |
Alarm on Pyla plateau
Ever Ready on the Pyla Plateau, Larnaca District, Cyprus
Pyla, Plateau, CyprusThe shift starts 12 midnight exactly, our comrades woke us up at 11.45 p.m., and we struggle to our feet, sleep drunk, exhausted. Outside our 'Nissen hut' (Alu built structure, half-round shaped, used for accommodation and command), the wind is howling over the plains, it makes me shudder to think to be on patrol after midnight. In January the icy winds blow from the Anatolian highlands across the Cyprus strait, and covers the island with a blanket of chilled cold....
The following nights, days, we keep to our routines, 6 hours duty 6 hours readiness and sleep. If there is no problem we can rest within the six hours, though community service is still asked of everyone, and that includes scrubbing floors, kitchen, bathrooms, etc. Although not much physical activity is required, one begins to feel exhausted, mentally, the close space living together with others creates tensions.
Pyla, Plateau, Cyprus, cont...
Radio communication is set at every full hour, just as my colleague takes his seat the control call comes in 'Nicosia to all report'. I grab my FAL NATO rifle, full gear, recounting what I wear, for the exterior is chilly , at winds reaching strength 10 at some point, the cold creeps up fast. 1 Cotton undershirt, 2 warm long sleeves undershirt, 3 Cotton over shirt, Army issue, 4 pullover 1, 5 Alpine pullover, 6 wind jacket, 6 PCs of clothes protecting me from the freezing cold wind.
I relieve my colleague from his post, and the sub-zero temperature gust hits me straight in the face. This must be the coldest night experienced on the plains.
I am fully awake by now, and climb up the ladder that leads to the look-out sentry. Trying to get accustomed to the darkness I grab the binoculars to survey the area under our scrutiny. Nothing unusual I gather, the wind is pulling on the trusses and supporting steel cables, making it squeak and moan. I can not remember when such a storm has blown here before.
In my six months of duty I find the cold has gone worse day after day, and in the H.Q. as here we use Kerosene pressure heaters in our sleeping wards to keep warm. The resulting fumes are still in my nostrils, and I can't help thinking that the fumes are a health hazard. No one cares, as we have no choice, if you don't want to wake up frozen stiff..
All my life I remember this to be of a unique, moist cold that cuts to the bone and marrow of one's body. I think of my life ending up in these remote parts of Cyprus, what made me enlist to the service. And the wind rattling goes on and its howling is eerie at some stage. It is 12.30 AM past midnight, a loud voice cuts through the storm, the shadow below I recognize to be that of the Sub-Lieutenant.
He asks me to come from the observation post at once. I follow his order, take up position and salute 'report no incidents, Sir'. The unbelievable happens, here, at 12.30 AM, in the middle of nowhere, he asks me to quote the 'duty paragraph's, including specific rules. Thinking to myself the man has tilted over, I nevertheless stumble all the points he refers to, leaving out some. He lectures me for 30 minutes giving me the focus of his career, how he intends to bring sanity in this platoon.
A moron I think to myself, what a moron.
trong>Talk about mental issues Man of Steel - Walter Lukesch, Hptm
April 10th, Kaisersteinbruch Garrison, Austria 0600 a.m.; A sharp call : Tagwache ! Everyone's up in a second. 15 min later, the last sleepers are thrown out of their beds.
Morning toilet, fetching breakfast by the corporals of day, 07.30 we are ready. Standing in formation, the Captain appears. He has returned from his daily 1 hour jog in the woods of the Blue quarry, the Emperors quarry, where granite was broken for the famous Vienna Ringstrasse in Imperial Austria.
When he appears, the company stands still. He displays a No-nonsense expression, as expected from a man of steel. He won't demand more than he can deliver himself. Problem - it's a lot. No one i have ever seen with more a will of iron, a massive amount of stamina.
One shout, plain and clear, comes out from 140 recruits : "Good morning, Herr Hauptmann !" When the jogging begins, we all sigh. The more we pant, the more he gets agile. Never ending strength, a bear, almost animalic, a real soldier. After 1 hour, we are near exhaustion, the daily astronautic exercises start.
12 x 12 standard exercises, NASA style according to him. With maximum effort we make it through this morning.
With every day passing, our stamina improves, our bodies get harder and more durable. Each muscle hurting, we have been turned into physical powerhouses. He leads the company to the 'Pannonian plains', marching through the night, through forests, trancelike we follow, he is right ahead of us, and seems to knows each stone in his territory.
Explaining from History, Huns, Mongols and other armies invaded these plains in the past. He shows remarkable historic knowledge. Trained by Walter Lukesch, a statement that carries weight in our Army's chronicles. Hauptmann Walter Lukesch, the longest march Man of steel- Walter LukeschMann aus Stahl – Walter Lukesch, Hptm
10. April 1975, Garnison Kaisersteinbruch, Österreich 06:00 Uhr,
Ein scharfer Ruf: Tagwache! Jeder ist in einer Sekunde auf. 15 Minuten später werden die letzten Schläfer aus ihren Betten geworfen.
Morgentoilette, Frühstück holen durch die Korporale des Tages, 07.30 Uhr sind wir bereit. Während die Kompanie in Formation steht, erscheint der Hauptmann.
Er ist von seinem täglichen einstündigen Joggen in den Wäldern des Blauen Steinbruchs, des Kaisersteinbruchs, zurückgekehrt, dort wo im kaiserlichen Österreich Granit für die berühmte Wiener Ringstraße gebrochen wurde.
Als er erscheint, herrscht Stille im Unternehmen. Geradliniger Gesichtsausdruck, ein Mann aus Stahl, er wird nicht mehr verlangen, als er selbst liefern kann. Problem – es ist eine Menge. Ich habe noch nie jemanden mit einem stärkeren Willen und einer größeren Ausdauer gesehen. Ein Ruf, klar und deutlich, ertönt aus 140 Rekruten: „Guten Morgen, Herr Hauptmann!“. Als das Joggen beginnt, seufzen wir alle. Je mehr wir hecheln, desto beweglicher wird er. Unendliche Stärke, ein Bär, fast animalisch, ein echter Soldat. Nach einer Stunde, wir sind der Erschöpfung nahe, beginnen die täglichen Raumfahrtübungen. 12 x 12 Standardübungen. Erschöpft schaffen wir es heute Morgen. Mit jedem Tag verbessert sich unsere Ausdauer, unser Körper wird härter und belastbarer. Jeder Muskel schmerzt, wir werden zu physischen Kraftpaketen.
Er führt die Truppe in die „pannonische Tiefebene“, marschiert durch die Nacht, durch Wälder, tranceartig folgen wir, er ist uns voraus und kennt jeden Stein in seinem Revier.
Erklären Sie anhand der Geschichte, wie Hunnen, Mongolen und andere Feinde in der Vergangenheit in diese Ebene eindrangen. In seinem Bestreben, uns zu besseren Soldaten zu machen, beweist er bemerkenswertes historisches Wissen. Ausgebildet von Walter Lukesch, eine Aussage, die in den Chroniken unserer Armee Gewicht hat. Hauptmann Walter Lukesch, der längste Marsch - Mann aus Stahl – Walter Lukesch | Ich : Dreißig Jahre Asien, Afrika. Leidenschaft für das Leben, Abenteuer, Schönheit, Laos, Thailand, China.
Junshandao-Island of lost souls
Green are the lawns, overhanging shadows of a 1000 years gone by - the Island covered in thick, impenetrable fog, so deep and mystic - hiding the deep secrets of the lost souls of the two empresses. Perhaps one should leave them to rest. Venturing out on the Island is not for the faint hearted. Except a few villagers gathering around their usual Temple place, engulfed deeply into their daily Da-Mahjong games, no other soul in sight.An eerie feeling overcomes me ; in solitude I wander down the path in the sunken jungle of thick, dense Bamboo forest, no sound but the cracking of undergrowth, and branches above the rain saturated soil.
At an instance I pause, was there not a faint sound, almost a whisper I hear ? I stand in silence, listening to the distant whispers. Spoken in an unfamiliar Mandarin, I cannot make out.
I am in the middle of the Bamboo thicket that stretches from one side of the island to the other. The rain is drizzling down on me, leaves scratching, as I move towards the sounds, slowly, trying to avoid to create any unnecessary noise.
Meanwhile I realize that I have lost track of my direction, with all the lush green forest around me.
Flashes of images from a time gone by come to my mind, sedans and people, dressed in ancient attire, with guards marking in front an back. Tiny, yet immaculate, faces of the past, could they be Ehuang and Nvying ? Suddenly, as it came, the whispers have stopped.
Shivering, the cold, wet surrounding, some miles away from all human dwellings, stumbling across the thicket, lost in thoughts – lost in time.
For a second – a faint shimmer of light filtering through the foliage. No trail, no footpath, still hearing the faint sounds, far away in the hills that surround the Bamboo, junshandao the Island of the lost souls.
I return to the spot where Emperors landed thousands of years ago, Dongtinghu, its waters come into view, its shores stretching 100 s of square miles, far away the Imperial Fleet guarding the oncoming vessel carrying Emperor Shun and his entourage.
Faint the silhouettes of Ehuang and Nvying, in vain attempt to make out their husbands, who were left on the island. Almost visible sadness, heartache overcoming the imperial concubines, giving in to fate.
Dongtinghu, tales of the lost souls Junshandao Green are the lawns, overhanging shadows of a 1000 years gone by - the Island covered in thick, impenetrable fog, so deep, almost mystical - hiding the deep secrets of the lost souls of the two empresses.
Laos - Kingdom past and present
Mist shrouded mountains surround the village in the morning, a slight chill is in the air... CONT. HERE ..
Lychees, Longans and Pagodas
June 08, Travel to Southern Guangdong, China - When the Southern China Airliner descends for landing in Guangzhou's International, we see myriads of glittering lights below us. CONT. HEREA room with a view - Freetown, Sierra Leone
Wetouch down at Lunghi International Airport 5.00 PM late afternoon. MORE CONT. ...HEREMilitary coup
December 31st., lest we forget
First a distant, dull explosion. it seems from another world, I try to shrug it off.The same Flight Lieutenant who has handed over to a Civilian government before, is the Coup plotter.
The fighting raging between the various factions keeps on. People are cheering the return of the Flight Lieutenant, he still is the hero of the people, the defender of truth, the protector of the poor. CONTINUE READING ...
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Chateaux De St Sabine, Pouilly-En-Auxoise, France ( Castle of St. Sabine )
It was late, close to midnight when I felt overwhelmed by tiredness. We had been on the road from Lille in northern France en route to southern France's Cote d' Azur. CONTINUED HERECustoms scam in the savannah
Once dawn breaks I am up again, trying to locate the facilities of this shabby place I spent the night. The couple with the motorcycle episode still on my mind, I find my way to the washroom, and what a washing room it is.CONTINUED HERE ...
Continued : Night in the Mali savannah
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Encounter at dusk, Odienne, Ivory Coast
Encounter at dusk, Odienne forest, border Guinea with Ivory CoastThe Renault truck was loaded to the top with no room left to spare. 30 tons of merchandise consisting of packaging materials and other goods had crossed from Gonokrom, Ghana. Towards Ivory Coast, Agnibilekrou ( Agnibilekrou ). CONTINUE HERE ..
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