Ayers Rock in Kata Tjuta National Park 2017

[mzawf]

Send your comments on this post to postbox@mzawf.org

Ayers Rock in The Kata Tjuta National Park - The Long Climb and an Even Longer Descent
By Marina Broglia

M.B.png (48.26 KiB) Viewed 7132 times

Submitted On October 01, 2017
Article Source:EzineArticles.com

I admit that sometimes I act without thinking too much about the consequences. This caused me already several problems in my life.
As you know I spent already a few days in Uluru. One morning, after considering the pros and cons I decided to climb the Rock.
I suggest that you seriously think about it before doing it.
Ayers Rock is massive, majestic. It commands respect. It's 348 metres high; like a 95 story building. The track to the top is more or less 1.6 km long. It's perilous and treacherous. If you are in top physical conditions it will take more or less 3 hours to complete the "expedition". The first part has got a chain. You can hang on to it and this will help you immensely. It is a tiresome climb and you need to be prepared. If you do not feel 100% you should give up and be happy with your decision: people died here.
About 34 people lost their lives, mainly because of heart attacks. A few people got hurt.
Do not forget the heat.
Another hazardous factor is caused by the wind.
I got there early in the morning. I did not want to accomplish my mission in the middle of the day because of the rising temperatures. I had a pair of good trainers, and a bottle of water and a wind-breaker in my little backpack, just in case.There were not too many people around.
I looked at the sky. It was blue, not too windy either. I started climbing. It was not as easy as I thought. I used the chain all the time trying not to look down.
Sometimes I had to stop to catch my breath.
I remembered clearly that I had to avoid grabbing something in case it fell. It could be fatal.
The ascent is hard, steep and, at times, scary. I used also my hands to climb when the help of the chain was not available anymore. Sometimes I stopped to look around. In the distance I could see the Olgas or Kata Tjua, which means literally 'many heads' in Aboriginal.
It is a group of large, domed rock formations not too far from The Rock.
I was nearly there. I could see some little pools of waters all around. Obviously it had rained recently. I noticed a few clouds in the sky. The temperature dropped a little bit.
I finally reached the top. The scenery was amazing. Awesome! I walked around, there was a huge distance of red soil all around me. I could see the round shape of planet earth. I had the feeling that I was alone in the world. It was a very intense. The immensity and the loneliness of the environment made my heart sink.
I spent half an hour on the top. It was time to descend. There were very few people around me. The weather suddenly changed. The sky was grey and it became colder.
I thought: "I hope that it is not going to rain because in this case I could be in trouble."
I started to move downwards. It was not too difficult but sometimes I had to sit and go down like that... on my bum...
I managed to reach the chain, finally. At that stage it started to rain. The rock underneath my feet became slippery. I got scared. I had good trainers but not good enough with such a weather. I looked down. Fear: that was what I experienced. It kept on raining. Now my feet could no longer hold on to the ground. I stopped. I looked down again. There very few people.
I saw a man waiving at me. He started to climb. He must have noticed that I was facing some difficulties. After a while he reached me. Yes, he saw that I was having serious problems. He told me that he belongs to a rescue group in his hometown, he was just on holiday at the moment and he came up to help me. Lucky!
He had very good climbing and tracking boots. He was very strong and very tall. He was behind me. He told me to put my feet in front of his, because he could hold on to the ground without slipping.
We both hold on to the chain. Being robust my weight did not create him problems.
At that time it was seriously raining. What a tragedy to be there by myself I thought...
I do not remember how long it took us to reach the ground underneath us, but finally we got there. I was very happy that it was all over... He told me that I should have considered the ascent seriously before starting the climb, that I should have been more careful.
I learned a lesson I am afraid... and I was very lucky... I was very grateful to him.
There is another reason why people should not go up Ayers Rock and not only because it is dangerous. Uluro is a sacred site and the Aboriginal owners ask to respect their law and not to climb it.
The climbing route is a sacred path of spiritual significance that is only taken by few Aboriginal men on special occasions. At that time I was not aware of it. I should have been more informed and more respectful.
Marina Broglia.
What's next? You will see...
Article Source: EzineArticles.com/expert/Marina_Broglia/1680273

[Nevis]

By Marina Broglia

Author Marina Broglia

Marina-Broglia_1.jpg (9.72 KiB) Viewed 6504 times

Facts about the country: Israel is a very small Asian country located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, bordered by Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt. Its total area is approximately 25.000 square kilometres.

The official languages are Hebrew and Arabic even if most Israelis speak good English as well. The road signs are in Hebrew, Arabic and English and you drive on the right hand side of the road.

I find that Israel has got very long hot beautiful summers. Longer and hotter than Italy, where I come from. I decided to visit this amazing country in June and when I got off the plane I was in for a big surprise.
I was overwhelmed by the heat surrounding me... it took a bit of time to get used to it. The sensation was so intense that I still remember it clearly.

Something else that hit me is the lust for life and the cordiality of the people. Despite all the problems they have I could see them in coffee shops, bars and restaurants smiling, chatting away, giggling and having fun. The sound of their buoyant and lively voices followed me everywhere. Cities are dynamic and sparkling. The atmosphere is great and even though I am a foreigner I felt part of it... also because I had a really good tan and I looked very much like them... They thought I was an Israeli until I spoke...

I stayed in Israel long enough to get used to the "smiles" of its inhabitants. A smile which is open, friendly, warm-hearted and beautiful.

You will be able to recognize an Israeli by his/her smile wherever you are in the world...

As far as natural features go, first of all I must name the Jordan River, which importance is vital in such a dry land. It originates from Mount Hermon and runs through Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. The Sea of Galilee is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth (I have been there... ) and Mount Hermon hosts the only ski resort in the country.

Regardless of its small size Israel features an incredible variety of landscapes and climates. It boasts the Negev, a desert and semi-desert region in the south of the nation. I spent six months in that area... but that's another story...

It is hard to believe it but vines have been planted in the Negev since ancient times. Nowadays vineyards have been established in its northern hills using state-of-the-art irrigation systems.

Another extraordinary place I visited is the Dead Sea, a salty lake; to be precise one of the saltiest in the world. It lies at 423 meters below the sea level, the lowest point on the planet. It's stinking hot in there... believe me... you can hardly breathe...

Unique to Israel and the Sinai Peninsula are also makhteshim, or erosion cirques, a unique type of crater. The largest in the world is Ramon Crater in the Negev which is 40 by 8 kilometres.

In the Negev, at Tirat Zvi Kibbutz, was recorded the highest temperature in Asia. The year was 1942 and the temperature was 53.7 degrees Celsius.

If you love the sea, if you enjoy to suntan, Eilat city, right in the south of Israel, offers remarkable beaches. In summer you can get the "perfect bronze" colour you desire... The heat is sizzling... so if I wanted to cool down I just jumped in the energizing waters of the Red Sea. Or, even better, I sunbathed on the sea-shore.
In the evening, far away, I could see the lights of Aqaba, Jordan's only coastal city. Very exotic.

Israeli cuisine is a mixture of Jewish, Arab and Mediterranean cuisine: flavoursome and diverse. I never got bored with the food, there was always something new to tempt my taste buds... Fruit is juicy and succulent... perfect to quench your thirst.

"Street food" is very popular. It is a kind of fast food that is sometimes eaten while standing in the street. Mind you, there are also places where you can sit down comfortably. The famous Felafel is often eaten in this way but certainly I prefer to sit at ease to get the best out of it, while observing the passing crowds.

Falafel are fried balls of spiced, mashed chickpeas served in pita bread with pickles, hummus, mixed salad and a hot tasty sauce.

In Israel, in a hot summer day there is nothing better, for me, than a delicious falafel with a cool Maccabee beer, good company is a bonus.

Well, life is made of little things like that.

If you want to know more about Marina, please visit eastcape.weebly.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/expert/Marina_Broglia/1680273