Amazing Nature

[traveller2]

I drove highway 1 (west coast highway) from San Francisco down to San Diego one summer. Fantastic scenery, nice people (mostly) and great food.
I will have to try and find some photos out (possibly make HHF homesick?).

I have lots of photos of scenery from the UK mainly, if anyone wants to see them? I do a lot of hiking/mountaineering and sometimes take a camera.

t2

[traveller2]

Sorry, highway 1 is the 'Pacific Coast Highway'. Its getting late in the evening (thats my excuse anyway ).

t2

[sandman67]

I drove highway 1 (west coast highway) from San Francisco down to San Diego one summer.

Tried that myself on one of my bike jaunts....from LA I intended riding up to Frisco. Nobody warned me about the June Gloom...the constant fog and cold all along that coast during June. Got to the first big town north of LA and packed it in....got sick of being cold and damp....should have remembered what Mark Twain said about summers in Frisco...so I headed back down for a swing through Pasadena (lovely city & great museums) and then out to Palm Springs/Joshua Tree. Much better, warmer and more biker friendly (ie empty of LA nutball) roads,

but heres a tip from Sandy.

When you are riding along a stretch of highway notorious for its strong crosswinds and blusters, DONT choose to ride a motorbike with solid rim wheels. Palm Springs desert crosswinds turn a Harley Fatboy into a 1300CC shopping trolley with one dodgy castor doing 75mph....even more "interesting" when theres a speeding big rig behind you.

Sandy's US biking tip No2......whilst local law enforcement can be cajoled and joked with after stopping you for speeding, particularly when you produce an old style paper UK drivng license, and a potential nick turned into an amusing return home anecdote, State Troopers are universally no sense of humor charisma bypass asshats. Dont try the chirpy bemused tourist act...it wont work. State Troopers all think they should act like the bad guy in Terminator 2.

Sandy's US biking tip No3.....when you walk into a diner in a small town in backwoods Utah or Arizona dressed head to foot in black leather, asking the man behind the counter where the fag machine is can cause some misunderstandings. Similarly, rolling around the isle of a supermarket laughing yourself silly at the big sign that says Fanny Sacks 30% Off may result in your being asked to leave.

[pharvey]

Small chap...........

[pharvey]

Scientists capture 'super prawn'

Scientists have captured a "super prawn" in waters more than four miles deep off New Zealand.

The "supergiant amphipod", which resembles a monster prawn, measures 10 times the normal size of related species.

It was found during an expedition to the Kermadec Trench north of New Zealand by scientists from the University of Aberdeen and Wellington's NIWA marine research institute.

Amphipods are normally around an inch long.

The University of Aberdeen's Alan Jamieson said he was stunned to find the 11-inch giant when emptying traps on his research vessel's deck.

"I stopped and thought 'what on earth is that?' whilst catching a glimpse of an amphipod far bigger than I ever thought possible," he said.

"It's a bit like finding a foot-long cockroach."

Another amphipod, which was filmed by the expedition but not captured, was an estimated 13 inches long.

"It just goes to show that the more you look, the more you find," NIWA principal scientist Ashley Rowden said.

"For such a large and conspicuous animal to go unnoticed for so long is just testament to how little we know about life in New Zealand's most deep and unique habitat."

Supergiant amphipods have been found only once before, in the 1980s.

But that was off Hawaii, about 4,500 miles to the north, and NIWA said it was yet to determine if the latest catch was a new species.

Scientists said they did not know why the deep-sea creatures evolved to such a huge size.

[pharvey]

On the subject of the larger than life....... a few more "monsters of the deep"

The Japanese spider crab can be found skulking around the bottom of the deep, dark sea floor. It can weigh up to 44 pounds, possess a leg span of almost four metres and boast a body size of 15 inches. It's also incredibly long-lived, with a lifespan of up to 100 years.

SpiderCrab.JPG (38.43 KiB) Viewed 2356 times

At up to 11 metres, the king of herrings is cited in the Guinness Book of World Records as being the longest fish alive. But even though it can grow to be quite large, it is very elusive; it wasn't until 2001 that it was filmed alive.

Herring.JPG (50.18 KiB) Viewed 2356 times

The largest invertebrate in the world - the colossal squid. It's estimated that this animal can grow up to an impressive 14 metres long, and has a body that's both wider and heavier than the giant squid.

Squid.JPG (39.82 KiB) Viewed 2356 times

[PeteC]

That middle picture may be nonsense concerning a herring. That photo is of American Vietnam era GI's taken at either Ubon or NKP airbase in the early 70's. Other websites say that the creature shown is the illusive Naga of Thai legend. Whatever it is, it came out of the Mekong River up there and I don't think Herring are a freshwater species, or at least that far up river from the sea. Pete

[STEVE G]

That middle picture may be nonsense concerning a herring.

Pete, a couple of years ago I saw a copy of that picture on a wall in a bar in Bangkok and out of curiosity I decided to try and find out what it was all about.
Eventually I tracked it down and it was actually taken at the SEAL training centre at Coronado Island, San Diego on September 9, 1996 and featured in the Coronado Eagle in April 1997, it shows an Oarfish, also known as King of the Herrings that was found washed up on the beach.
Somehow a version of it ended up in Thailand with the caption, "Queen of Nagas seized by American army at Mekhong River, Laos Military Base June 27, 1973 with the length of 7.80 meters."

[richard]

I drove highway 1 (west coast highway) from San Francisco down to San Diego one summer. Fantastic scenery, nice people (mostly) and great food.
I will have to try and find some photos out (possibly make HHF homesick?).

I have lots of photos of scenery from the UK mainly, if anyone wants to see them? I do a lot of hiking/mountaineering and sometimes take a camera.

t2

Did Highway 1 a few years back in a 30 foot camper from Frisco to LA. Never again Lost my nerve now

[traveller2]

I drove highway 1 (west coast highway) from San Francisco down to San Diego one summer. Fantastic scenery, nice people (mostly) and great food.
I will have to try and find some photos out (possibly make HHF homesick?).

I have lots of photos of scenery from the UK mainly, if anyone wants to see them? I do a lot of hiking/mountaineering and sometimes take a camera.

t2

Did Highway 1 a few years back in a 30 foot camper from Frisco to LA. Never again Lost my nerve now

I did it in an SUV, so much easier to negotiate the tight bends than a camper. Lots of fun though, lots of beautiful scenery and photo opportunities.

[PeteC]

That middle picture may be nonsense concerning a herring.

Pete, a couple of years ago I saw a copy of that picture on a wall in a bar in Bangkok and out of curiosity I decided to try and find out what it was all about.
Eventually I tracked it down and it was actually taken at the SEAL training centre at Coronado Island, San Diego on September 9, 1996 and featured in the Coronado Eagle in April 1997, it shows an Oarfish, also known as King of the Herrings that was found washed up on the beach.
Somehow a version of it ended up in Thailand with the caption, "Queen of Nagas seized by American army at Mekhong River, Laos Military Base June 27, 1973 with the length of 7.80 meters."

I'll never trust the internet again. Thanks for the real story Steve. I did scratch my head about the colour of their T-shirts as the only issue here was olive green. Pete

[PeteC]

Another clue upon close examination of the photo. The only issued boots here were jungle boots with leather lowers and olive colored canvas uppers. The boots in that photo look like full leathers which would be impossible if taken here. The standard issued fatigue uniform was jungle camouflage as well, not the solid green they're wearing. Pete

[Big Boy]

Friends of ours have a very similar (if not the same) picture hanging in their hallway in Carmarthen. I'll be visiting next week or the week after, and I'll try to find out more. If it's not the same, I'll take a photo of the photo, and post it.

[PeteC]

Friends of ours have a very similar (if not the same) picture hanging in their hallway in Carmarthen. I'll be visiting next week or the week after, and I'll try to find out more. If it's not the same, I'll take a photo of the photo, and post it.

Some web sites, including that of the Thai guy who I think originally posted the Thai version of the story, have the photo in reverse with the head facing right. It's the same photo though. Pete

[richard]

Friends of ours have a very similar (if not the same) picture hanging in their hallway in Carmarthen. I'll be visiting next week or the week after, and I'll try to find out more. If it's not the same, I'll take a photo of the photo, and post it.

There's also one in Lins cafe. I'll capture that one too and paste it