A small slice of Europe

I was lucky enough to have my parents fly out to Nebraska to visit me a few months ago, but it's an awfully long way to come just to see the sights of the mid-west. I know they both enjoy lounging around on the beach so a flight to a coastal city was a must, but I wanted them to go somewhere other than the usual California or Florida.

After a little help from "Google" I stumbled upon Charleston, a city in the South Eastern state of South Carolina. It seemed to have everything I thought they'd like, sun, sea and sand. Purely for scientific reasons I needed to fly down there myself, just to make sure I'd made the right recommendation. 

Charleston didn't disappoint from the outset, miles of sandy beaches, great seafood restaurants, copious quantities of sun, and a relaxed atmosphere. It's always nice to have some seafood in a sea side city, especially after spending the best part of twelve months in land locked Nebraska, where I assume fish must travel for days before it gets to the restaurants of downtown Omaha.

One of the places I wanted to visit during my trip to Charleston was the French Quarter. As you travel around the U.S you read about many "French Quarters" in many cities, unfortunately when you actually get there and look around you soon realise they're about as french as spag bol!  

Walking around the cobbled streets of Charleston's French Quarter you could easily be forgiven for thinking you're in Europe. Some of the buildings in this part of the city date from as far back as 1712, which by American standards is when the dinosaurs were still roaming the Earth.

Having these quaint old structures surround you is very refreshing. Americans have a tendency to knock buildings down and replace them with monotonous prefabricated monstrosities, before they can develop any real heritage. I'm not against all forms of redevelopment but some things are worth holding onto, and new isn't always better.

Several things really stood out to me during my stay in South Carolina. I'd never seen skies so blue anywhere, I don't know wether it had anything to do with it's geographical location, but as you can see on the pictures above it has a vibrancy all to itself.

The seafood was some of the best I'd ever eaten, maybe even better than the seafood I'd had in Seattle, and that was pretty damn amazing.

But I'd have to say the most memorable thing about my visit was the quality of the sunsets. The red, pink, and blues in the sky were simply breathtaking. The two twilight shots were taken down by the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, a magnificent structure which always seemed to have people running or walking across it, or even people just gawping at it.

Looking for a beach holiday in America with a bit more of a European feel? Something far removed from chain restaurants and soulless out of town shopping malls? A city who's history started a little earlier than the 1950's and still has the buildings to prove it?

Then look no further: Charleston is the place for you. 

On another note, I do believe that's one of the few times I've given out actual consumer advice, and not a rant in sight?



Don't worry normal service will resume in the next few weeks...

I'm not sorry!

This is part two of my blogs from Belize, but first I believe I owe you an apology....well sort of.

Reading back over my last few blog posts I realised that they are quite negative, the usual tales of doom and gloom that we all see whenever we watch the news, and for this I'm sorry, or maybe not.

My aim is to present the fantastically beautiful real world images that I've seen, and then contrast these with some sobering truths about the world we actually live in. 

Now some may say that "ignorance is bliss", but is it? 

In the military right from basic training you're taught that ignorance is no excuse, and further more how can we hope to change anything by burying our heads in the sand. 

So with this in mind I retract my apology, and introduce to this weeks blog subject: Nurdles. 

During my stay at the Crooked Tree Lodge I found myself sat at the dinner table with a marine biologist, and a bird watcher who'd been visiting Belize for the past 30 years and published two books on the subject.

The marine biologist was working in Belize City and carrying out some sort of marine survey for the Belizean government. The bird watcher, I think, was there for recreation but had carried out surveys on migratory birds for the government in the past.

The bird watcher painted a grim picture of how the country had changed over the past 30 years. As the towns and cities expanded more jungle had been slashed and burnt, natural habitat was declining and so were bird numbers. 

Yada, yada, yada....we've all heard this before.

It was something that the marine biologist said that really got my attention. 

She started to talk about something called "Nurdles", and she made repeated references to a book called "Plastic Ocean".

Needless to say she was pretty negative about the future prospects for the environment just like my bird watching friend, but what she said about these Nurdles sparked my curiosity.

The definition of Nurdles is small resin pellets used in plastic manufacturing processes. It's also the term used for plastic discarded into the oceans which doesn't biodegrade, instead it photo-degrades with sunlight, breaking into smaller and smaller pieces, but they never really disappear. 

So what's the problem with these small plastic pellets floating around in the ocean miles from civilisation I hear you ask?

Well allow me to explain. 

Once these nurdles are out into the environment they stay there for hundreds, even thousands of years. As they pool together into what are called "gyres", they form a rubbish soup. Most toxins in the ocean are hydrophobic and gravitate towards floating debris, in this case this is our Nurdles which tend to float a few feet beneath the surface.

Chemicals like, polychlorinated biphenyls, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, and biphenyl A, are churned up with our nurdles which act like minute sponges. 

The chemicals above may all have long and convoluted names but I'm sure you can tell straight away they're not good for you, and you'd be right. They are all linked to changes in behavioural patters, disruption of reproductive cycles, autism, thyroid dysfunction and some forms of cancer. 

Fish and sea birds ingest these nurdles sometimes mistaking them for food. There are reports of fish caught with stomachs full of plastic particles, from the fishes stomachs the toxins held on the Nurdles are readily adsorbed into their blood streams, and served on a plate in your own home who knows what the next stop for these chemicals is. 

During my research for this blog I've found some truly heartbreaking stories of the damage these Nurdles can do. Sea bird mothers mistake Nurdles for food, they feed them to their chicks only to have them die of starvation, their stomachs were full but there is no calorific value in a plastic bead. 

Another thing I've found whilst researching these Nurdles is a host of staggering facts;

There are 6 huge rubbish dumps or gyres in the oceans, and the largest one contains in between 3.5 million to 100 million tonnes of rubbish. 

There are more particles of plastic in the ocean than phytoplankton, for every pound of phytoplankton you could trawl, you'd end up with 6 pounds of plastic.

2 million plastic bottle are used every 5 minutes in the US alone.

A single 1 litre bottle could breakdown into enough small fragments to put one on every mile of every beach in the whole world.

There is no question that plastic pollution is a bad thing, so the only question is what do we do about it?

To me it seems pretty obvious that a problem so huge needs a huge solution, and I'd also say it's about time that the people who made the most money from plastics technologies started to foot the bill.

Western petrochemicals companies have made billions upon billions since the "plastic revolution" of the 1960's, isn't it time that they took some responsibility for the monster they've created? 

What's needed is globally synchronised political pressure from governments on multinationals to effect a change, but since this is after all a global problem then this should be common sense?

"Be the change you wish to see in the world".  M. Ghandi

I believe it's too late for piecemeal gestures, and about time we up'd the ante.

How about this instead?

"Those most accountable must be held to account".  

Un-Belizable!

A few months ago I was lucky enough to travel down to the central American country of Belize. Now I don't know about you but I didn't know much about Belize, I knew that a lot of it was covered in dense jungle, but to be honest that was about it.

My Belizean adventure started in the small village of Crooked Tree. This Creole village lies on the Crooked Tree Lagoon, and I stayed in a beautiful lodge on the edge of this lagoon. It's owned by an ex-British Army winch man, who by the looks of him could tell some tall tales.

Staying at the Crooked Tree Lodge I learnt that Belize is well known to ornithologists due to the vast diversity of migratory birds here. As you can probably tell from the above picture my visit coincided with the end of the dry season, which happens to be the ideal time for bird watching. 

Not really my bag but each to their own.

The next day I took a boat down one of the many rivers that snake through the dense jungles of this country. My destination: Lamanai. Translated Lamanai means "submerged crocodile", it's a Mesoamerican archeological site, and was once a considerably sized city of the Maya civilisation, located in the Orange Walk District. 

The temples in this area are in very good condition, it's hard to believe that they've stood there for around 3000 years. Nestled in the jungle between the dense foliage of the trees, the temples seem to have been abandoned by time itself. It's hard to imagine how these vast complexes hidden away here were constructed by hand all those years ago. 

Listening to the guide explain Mayan culture and traditions I heard something completely unexpected. The guide stated that climate change was responsible for the decimation of one of the greatest and most advanced ancient civilisations the world has ever seen.

This statement from my guide left me quite puzzled, the first combustion engine to be powered by petrol wasn't developed until 1859, the term "electricity" wasn't coined until the 1600's, and I doubt there were any coal fired power stations before this date, so what brought about this climate change.

When we think about climate change we instantly think about burning fossil fuels, but this isn't the only means of planetary temperature fluctuations. Rises in global temperature can happen naturally and in cycles, we've all heard of "El Nino", which is actually a rise in sea temperature but this has an effect on global weather systems. 

So was it a natural phenomenon that ended the Mayan reign?

At around 800 A.D the Mayan civilisation was at it's peak, they had spread from Mexico's Yucatan peninsula to Honduras. Then in an instant a society of some 15 million was wiped out almost over night. Cities were deserted, trade routes abandoned and pyramids were left to the ravages of time.

The cause, drought.

Due to a global cycle of increased temperatures and less annual rainfall over a couple of centuries, war became more frequent, and people left population centres. The magnificent cities built by the triumphant Mayans strained resources, and agriculture production became crucial to feed the growing numbers. So as the rains failed to materialise, harvests shrank, and the Mayans were brought to their knees. 

But the story isn't quite that simple.

Were the Mayans a victim of their own success, and are there any lessons to be learnt from the demise of this great society?

Looking deeper into the story of Mayan rise and fall, you stumble across a contributing factor which simply can't be ignored. Research suggests the Mayans may well have exacerbated the natural drought cycle they were caught in through deforestation. In order to feed the growing populations of their opulent cities, jungle canopy was felled to make room for crops. 

Switching from jungle to corn accounted for 60% of the drying as corn reduces the amount of water transferred to the atmosphere for rain. This reconfiguration of the landscape may have also lead to soil degradation. 

City states which were now dealing with immense environmental challenges were left weakened, the ruling elite which made up a very small proportion of the population were no longer capable of delivering what was expected of them, and so conflict increased. 

Anyone getting that feeling of deja vu?

All of these things I've described happened thousands of years ago, yet climate change, deforestation, competition for natural resources, desertification, and conflict are all very prevalent today. 

Since the 1970's droughts have become longer and more extreme worldwide, especially in the tropics and subtropics. We've all seen the hose pipe bans back home which seem to be an annual event of late. We've all seen the food riots on TV from China to Latin America, and these are set to become the norm.

Is it possible that like the ancient Mayans we are caught up in a cycle of naturally occurring global temperature fluctauations?

Yes I'm sure it's possible.

Is it also possible that like the ancient Mayans, we are simple stoking the fires of climate change by increasing our dependance on fossil fuels, and in turn increasing the generation of the green house gas carbon dioxide?

Yes I'm sure it's possible.

Would it be better to stop spending money on trying to combat global warming, and start spending money on trying to be better prepared for what is to come?


The last question I don't have the answer for, but someone wiser and more powerful than me had better decide, and decide soon!

Yet more mid-western stills

Truck park just north of downtown.

Grain silos shot at sunset. 

Markers at the side of the trails in the Loess hills.

One of the many, many corn fields in Nebraska.

The Bob bridge in Omaha.

An Orwellian nightmare.

For all those who've quickly scanned the images in this blog and are now hoping for a lecture on botany, you're about to be sorely disappointed. The images below are just some macro shots I've been messing about with over the past few months, they've nothing to do with the content of this blog but I hope you enjoy them none the less.

In any of the topical blogs I've posted I hope I've been relatively balanced, and of course the opinions I've aired are strictly that, opinions. 

I recently read the George Orwell classic, 1984, which was actually published in 1949. Now, I know I'm miles behind the drag curve, but I didn't read it at school, and to be honest if I had, I probably wouldn't have payed attention anyway.

What blew me away in this novel was the foresight Orwell demonstrated in his writing, and also how relevant it is today.

How does 1984 find relevance today I here you ask? 

Well, specifically in the case of the NSA whistle blower Edward Snowden.

In the novel Orwell describes a "Telescreen". The "Telescreen" is a device that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week and cannot be turned off. It's a two way device, so it can receive as well as transmit. These devices are in all public and private spaces, so it's almost impossible to be out of it's range.

The internet?

Big brother in the book uses these devices to make sure you're not doing anything that would be in disagreement with his policies. Even the mere thought of dissent could result in arrest by the "Thought Police" (thinkpol in newspeak), which would lead to imprisonment or worse being sent to Room 101.

In the UK there is approximately 32 CCTV cameras for every person, we are one of the most watched nations on earth. Recent revelations about Britain's GCHQ and their use of the Tempora Project to monitor it's citizens, seem to be what George Orwell predicted over 60 years ago.

Now I don't know about you, but I can't remember voting in a referendum on whether to allow the government to follow my digital footprints, and all of my electronic communications. In the West we pride ourselves on our liberties, freedoms, and above all else on our democratic principles.

So with this in mind, are Edward Snowdens actions wrong, or worse an act of treason?

A few things surprise me about western governments alleged snooping. First of all it surprises me that people are surprised. During the war on terror a whole raft of legislation was introduced to make us all "safer". These polices could well have been introduced with the best of intentions, but who police's it. The very fact that there is no transparency to any of it immediately sets alarm bells ringing.

The second thing that surprises me about these allegations is when people say, "if you've nothing to hide then you've nothing to worry about". I think this attitude misses the point. 

If we assume for a minute that fanatics and radicals are all hell bent on ending our western way of life. This means taking away all of the liberties that we take for granted, freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and freedom to practice any religion you feel. 

Then the irony of our own governments actions which impinge upon these fragile yet fundamental principles, feels to me like a victory for the jihadists. 

Lastly, there is one more factor that we must consider when debating this Orwellian nightmare that we find ourselves in, and that is the role of the intelligence services.

The intelligence services have foiled many terrorist plots and saved hundreds of lives on the UK mainland and overseas since their creation in the 1940's. According to them the interception of internet data carried on fibre optic cables coming into and leaving the UK, has lead to the dismantling of many terrorist networks. 

Unfortunately due to the clandestine nature of the work they do we will never know for sure whether this is true. The last time we relied upon information from the intelligence services as a country, we went to war with Iraq to deprive Saddam Hussein of his weapons of mass destruction.

No weapons were ever found during Telic II, the intelligence information was later discredited, but not before in between 100,000 and 1 million people lost there lives. Again, as a country we could be forgiven for taking their information with a giant pinch of salt.

My opinion on all of this is simple, if you are going to project an image to the rest of the world that you're shining light at the very cradle of democracy, then you need to be whiter than white, anything else is just hypocrisy. As for Edward Snowden, maybe he's done us all a favour and opened our eyes.

"Big brother is watching you".

Sleepless in .....

Seattle Space Needle

Garbage Pail kids, what a blast from the past


Searching on the internet for the top 10 cities to visit in the U.S I came across Seattle. Seattle lies between the saltwater Puget Sound to the west and Lake Washington to the east. Ranked number 4 by Forbes for America's safest cities, and nicknamed the "Emerald City" in reference to the lush green forests that surround the area.

For me Seattle represented an opportunity to leave the land locked mid-west, and get to the coast which is no mean feet in such a huge country. Fresh seafood is one of the many things this city is famed for, king crab, snow crab, and oysters were at the top of my list to try. 

This van drove past me on the street, sums up the laid back attitude of this city.

 A restored church from 1906, very old by American standards.


Seattle is surrounded by several National and State Parks, Olympic, North Cascades, and Blind Island to name just a few, but the one I wanted to see was Mount Rainier. The volcano in Mount Rainier National Park is widely regarded as one of the worlds most dangerous because of it's large quantities of glacial ice.

A waterfall in Mount Rainier National park.

One of the things it might surprise you to learn about Seattle, is it's influence on modern music. It was the birth place of the legendary Jimmy Hendrix, and the city which created "grunge" music. Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden all Seattleites, and maybe even more amazing is that Bruce and Brandon Lee are buried here. 

Jimmy Hendrix grave site.

Bruce and Brandon Lee grave site.


The city has an extensive nightlife scene which seems to cater for pretty much all tastes, but sadly the views from the bay and parks above the city drew me like a magnet with camera and tripod in tow.

From Kerry Park above the city the Space Needle appears to dwarf the city it stands in, however this is all a play on perspective. The Space Needle was erected in 1962 for the Worlds Fair, it stands at a height of 184m which by todays standard of tower is really quite small. 

Viewed with the sky scrapers of the city cast as a backdrop, the tower seems to dominate the downtown area. As I said, appearances can be deceptive, but the trick it plays on the eye is well worth the hike up to the park perched above the bay. 

Ferris wheel on the bay at twilight. 

Space Needle at night from Kerry park.

Noah's Ark

Henry Doorly Zoo Omaha

I've been lucky enough to have some friends fly out to Nebraska to visit me in the last few months, as Omaha isn't really the first place that springs to mind when planning a trip to the United States, they've all sifted through various travel web-sites looking for things to do once here.

One of the top rated things to do is to visit the Henry Doorly Zoo, which happens to be well recognised as one of the best zoos in America. Looking at some of the photos my friends took it was obvious that this zoo would be well worth a visit. 

Now it's been many years since I visited a zoo, it was very good, but one of the things one of my friends said to me really stuck in my mind. He said, "the zoo is awesome but it's still sad to see these magnificent animals behind bars".

And he was right.

Seeing beautifully elegant big cats pacing around their enclosures and curious monkeys looking bored with their very familiar surroundings really does strike a chord with your conscience. 

The gorillas with all their giant crushing power are still unable to break their boundaries, and the tigers with all their majesty must still obey their human captors. You can't help but pity these animals, and also feel that their true potential will never be realised in this place.

But yet it's not all in vain.

Looking round at all the children visiting the zoo and seeing the amazement, wonder and intrigue on their faces gives call for hope. It's this generation that must be educated to respect the natural world and all the plant and animal life it contains. 

The zoo isn't just about looking at the various animals, it also provides information on their struggle for survival in a world where man is destroying their natural habitat at an alarming rate. 

The statistics make for stark reading.

In 1998 there were 1102 endangered species, over a decade later that number has jumped to 3079, so unfortunately the situation is getting worse. In 2006 784 species had become extinct, today the number has jumped to 905.


Belize Zoo at night

Zoos can save endangered species from extinction by bringing them into a safe environment, where they are protected from poachers, habitat loss, and starvation. They also take part in captive breeding programmes, in the wild individuals might have trouble meeting and breeding, a bit like match.com for animals.

Zoos help rehabilitate and care for injured animals, they take in exotic pets that people don't want or can no longer take care of.

Some of the largest animal welfare charities rely on monies raised by zoo's to fund projects all around the world. Sanctuaries and park boundaries are sometimes subsidised by charitable donations provided by zoos.



Community Baboon Sanctuary Belize

In the book of Genesis God gives Noah detailed instructions for building the ark: it is to be made of gopher wood, smeared inside and out with pitch, with three decks and internal compartments. Noah saves himself, his family and a remnant of all the worlds animals when God decides to destroy the world because of man kinds evil deeds. 

Zoo's are just like modern day ark's, saving the animals from all of man's poaching, deforestation and excessive hunting. I've never been a religious man but these stories no matter how old can still have relevance today, and for me the analogy works to make sense of keeping some animals in captivity.