Private bliss at Panambungan Island

Trinissa is the 5-year-old daughter of Erwin Aksa, the chairman of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association and the president director of eastern Indonesia's well-known Bosowa Group of companies, owned by his father, Aksa Mahmud. Erwin's aunt is the wife of Vice President Jusuf Kalla.

This intimate knowledge of the wealthy and well-connected is conveyed to me by Captain Nurdi Cahyo, head of the berthing section of the harbor master department at the Sixth Naval Base, Makassar.

Trinissa is also the name of Erwin's Rp 8 billion Bertram yacht, which he uses to entertain his VIP guests, and transport passengers from Hotel Imperial Aryaduta Makassar, a property owned by the Aksa Mahmud family, to Panambungan, a private island owned by the family.

Departing from the mainland at about 9 am and returning at 4 p.m., it is a 45-minute trip to the island on Trinissa. The trip costs Rp 400,000 per passenger and includes a lunch of fried rice, and if you are quick enough, some snorkeling gear. "We used to have 20 of them," the captain said, unable to explain why the rest had disappeared. I managed to get one after hours of waiting.

Panambungan is a small island about the size of two soccer fields and is one of the 18,110 islands that make up the Indonesian archipelago.

"If you really want, you can dive into the waters off the island, which is now the gravesite of many used cars *former Bosowa taxis*. There are no great diving sites," Nurdi said adding, "For diving, many people from Jakarta go further north to the Kapoposang National Marine Park. The trip from Makassar to Kapoposang is three times as long as the trip to Panambungan."

The water around the island is clean and it was delightful to spend a Saturday there swimming in the afternoon sun, snorkeling, treading on white sand, and admiring casuarinas and other types of pine trees. Big trees with cherry-like fruit that scattered autumnal colored leaves on the ground, and the sweet-smelling jasmine plants, added to the beauty.

Inter-tidal-like pools had formed along some parts of the island. Sprinkled with reefs and some debris, the clear light-blue water is too shallow for swimming. Snorkeling though, you are likely to spot small simple-colored fish, some silvery, swimming here and there around dull-looking coral and equally lackluster anemones.

However, lurking in the clear clean water, are tiny translucent jelly fish locally called "ice jelly fish", which cause severe itchiness if they make contact with the skin. There is also a sort of oval-shaped flat fish camouflaging itself to resemble a thin mound of sand. Perhaps it was a Sting Ray. It seemingly felt my presence and slithered away. Later, after exploring some other parts of the shallow water, I went back to that spot, but this unidentified underwater object had gone.

The structures built on the island are still very rudimentary, including the toilets and the bathrooms. That's why I decided to take a bath when I returned to my hotel in Makassar. Some people decided to stay at the rudimentary bungalows on the island, paying Rp 500,000 per night not including breakfast, according to Mery, the secretary of the hotel's sales department. Nurdi and Mery told me there is a two-year plan to turn the island into a properly built and managed resort with amenities similar to the cluster of resort islands just off Jakarta.

On the way back to Makassar I sat on the second story of the Trinissa in front of the steering wheel. The triangular transparent plastic window in front of me had been rolled up and the open sea before me was like a rhapsody in blue.

Holding the right and the left hand steel bars that make up the triangular window, I stood up. The strong wind and the pace of the yacht made me feel like I was flying. The flying sensation faded away when the contours of Makassar emerged on the horizon. Memories of the island suddenly flashed in my mind, prompting me to turn back.

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The History of St George Island State Park

One of the most interesting places in Florida to visit is St. George Island State Park. The history of this island is a long one, although it is relatively new when it comes to a place for the public. Since 1980, when a causeway was constructed to get to the island, it has been a place for those who are seeking to take advantage of the Florida weather but not endure the crowds that converge on much of Florida will find that the peaceful island of St. George Island ideal.

St. George has been around for thousands of yeas. It was once the inhabitants of the Creek Indians who made this island their home. When Europeans settled onto the area in the late 1700s, the Creek Indians gave a large part of the island to John Forbes. It was soon after when the history of lighthouses began to emerge on the island as well as the smaller islands that surrounded the area. Storms took their tolls on the lighthouses and many were destroyed in storms. Despite numerous attempts to rebuild lighthouses, especially the Cape St. George Lighthouse, the lighthouse was destroyed permanently in 2005.

In addition to lighthouses that were manned to warn off ships from the coast, the island also held a significant place in history when it came to the war. During WWII, St. George Island was a military base. It was used for military purposes until 1965. In 1980, the area was designated as a state park because it is so environmentally friendly. As the public began its way to the park, residential housing was built on the island as well as a motel for those who wanted to stay and enjoy the beauty. The island does not allow any high rise buildings and is a wildlife sanctuary.

There are only about 1000 residents on the island that encompasses nearly 1700 acres. People who visit the island. There are restrictions in place to make sure that the natural beauty of the island remains preserved. People can enjoy the white sand beaches on this island as well as the fishing and wildlife sanctuary. Even during the summer months, this island is not crowded and is idea for those who want to enjoy a simple way of living. Today, St. George Island is an out of the way vacation place where people go to swim, fish, look for seashells and enjoy the wildlife, including the bird life that flocks to the island. St. George Island has come a long way in the past years, although it still remains an unspoiled part of Florida.

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Survival in the Wilderness

If you are planning on a life in the woods hiding out from civilization, then survival in the wilderness is something that requires a lot of training. But survival for those lost backpacking or hunting or in a plane crash is something else. Here is a look at the basics of getting out alive.

To begin with, food is not a big priority when you are lost and awaiting rescue. In fact, it is very rare that anyone dies from starvation when lost in the wilderness. There are too many other ways to die long before hunger gets you, and in any case most rescues happen long before the passing of the month or so that you could live without food.

If you have any injuries or immediate threats (like aggressive bears) you have to deal with those. As soon as the immediate threats are gone, shelter will normally be your top priority. If you have never build a wilderness survival shelter, you might want to try it sometime for practice. Just remember that your goal is to keep out wind and rain, as well as to provide a space small enough for your body to heat if you are facing cold nights.

The most common survival shelter is the basic lean-to. A pole or stick is attached horizontally between two trees, and then others are laid against it, sloping down to the ground. More sticks are piled against this "roof" and then it is covered with evergreen boughs, leaves or tree bark, starting from the bottom so the last layer of roofing acts like shingles to shed the rain.

In an emergency you can also just pile up dry leaves or grass and crawl into the center of the pile. This provides a quick and warm shelter. It can even keep you dry if the rain or snow is light. The "dead air" space that is created is what insulates you and keeps you warm. Keep this in mind. You might also use dry vegetation as a mattress and blanket inside any other type of shelter.

Water is the next important survival priority. Streams and lakes are the obvious sources, but in dry areas you might have to work a little harder at locating water. Look for low shaded spots where it may have pooled during the last rain, and not yet evaporated. You might also be able to collect dew in the mornings by running a piece of cloth through the wet grass and wringing the moisture out into a container or directly into your mouth.

If you do not have a means to purify water, and more than a day has gone by without a drink, use whatever you find unless it is clearly poisoned (indications include a lack of any plant life around the water). Generally you are more likely to die from dehydration than from contaminated water. In fact, many organisms, like giardia, can take a week or more before you have symptoms, and hopefully you will be rescued by then.

Finally, you need to be able to help the searchers find you. A fire is a good idea for this. have green leafy branches or something else that will create a lot of smoke ready in case you hear a plane or helicopter coming. If you can't make a fire, find an open place and lay out whatever you have that is colorful and/or large, so it can be spotted from the air. If you have a whistle, blow it in sets of three occasionally.

At least in emergencies, survival in the wilderness is not about how to build a cabin or make bread from cattail roots. It's usually about protecting your core body temperature and keeping hydrated while you wait for help to arrive. Food can help, and is a comfort, but it is last on this list of priorities.

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The Great Outdoors

Being outdoors is good for everyone. The belief that everyone needs fresh air is very true. Indoors can be fun and entertaining, but people aren't made to spend all day inside! We didn't even have computers until the eighties, so obviously it isn't natural to be on one all day long. Everyone needs to spend a little time outside. You don't need to take a run, or a day-long trip to the mountains, but just getting outdoors is very important. If you are an adventurous person, doing things like Little Miami River Canoeing and kayaking is a lot of fun. Little Miami River Kayaking can be a great way to mix up a humdrum routine of office work during the week and gardening on the weekends. It can be a fun, and somewhat nerve racking experience if it is your first time. It is an awesome way to bring families together in an exiting environment as well.

If you are going to spend a day on the water, you have to be prepared however. If you don't prepare yourself in the right way, you may be stuck in the middle of a stream hungry, wet, and sun burnt. Always bring a lunch or snacks. Water activities burn a good amount of calories and you will be hungry come lunch time. Don't over estimate the fact that you are sitting down either. Your face and arms and part of your legs will all be exposed to the sun. If you don't apply and reapply sunscreen, you will be very pink.

Also, you will want to pack all of your things in a water proof container. A gallon sized plastic bag would work or you could go the extra mile and buy a water-proof bag.

If you don't feel like you would be comfortable in the water, there are other fun outdoor sports to get involved in. Hiking may sound extreme, but in reality everyone can do it. All you need is a place to hike, and some minor equipment. I suggest getting hiking shoes but sneakers would also work fine, Depending on what type of hiking you are planning on doing and how serious you are about it, you may want to invest in a hiking pack. If you are going to be hiking all day long, you will want a place to store plenty of water, snack and sunscreen. Also, always take a cell phone and back up phone with you on major hiking excursions. Some people may also advise you to take a GPS or compass, but that is only relevant if you aren't taking a preset trail.

Everyone can find a niche outside. Whether it is walking, running, hiking, or being in the water; there is an activity for everyone. You may enjoy the exercise aspect of it, or the peacefulness of being in nature. Birdwatchers and extreme mountain climbers are all alike in the sense that they love the outdoors.

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Waterfalls - Outstanding Natural Beauty

The basics behind a waterfall are the river comes to a point at the end of the high elevation of land and there is no where else for the water to go other than over the edge of the high point. At the base of the waterfall is layer of very hard rock and beneath that layer is a softer rock, with the pressure of the water coming down over the fall onto the rock it pushes the hard layer down and creates the pool where the water flows into. Over time the waterfall will recede back on itself and this creates what is known as a canyon or a gorge and as time goes by this canyon will get deeper into the underside of the waterfall. There are 10 different classes of waterfall which range from the Class 10 with waterfalls such as Niagara Falls and Khone Falls, Class 9 such as Victoria Falls and down, this classification of the waterfalls is done by the volume of water present on the falls and is a grading system to size the falls.

For many people they assume that the Niagara Falls is the largest of all the waterfalls, however this is not the case, the tallest of all the waterfalls is Angel Falls and this is a whopping 979 metres in height and the Niagara Falls is the worlds most powerful waterfall. Waterfalls have fascinated man for centuries and there has been a great deal of study and research gone into finding out more about them and how they came about. For many people though it is enough to marvel at their beauty and a visit to Niagara Falls is the only way you can truly appreciate exactly how powerful and awe inspiring these waterfalls are.

A fine example of this is the Victoria Falls which has a width of over 1.7km in length and is at a height of 108 metres and this forms the longest single stretch of waterfall anywhere in the world. The Victoria Falls also can be seen from over 25 miles away and is a huge spectacle within this region. The waterfalls are always so different and no one is the same as the other and this is what makes them so special. When the falls are accompanied by some of the most spectacular natural forest as well you will find they are a haven for wildlife and inspire peace, quiet and tranquility.

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