Places that were a must see in Vietnam, like Sa Pa, a great valley wit lots or rice crops and villages of Mong. ethnic group. Similarly, Asimismo Ha Long Bay, in process ob being declared a natural world wonder. Nice towns like Ha Noi, with its crowd of people and motorcycles, Hue and Hoi An, with their landscapes and temples. Mekong Delta, the third largest river in the world, full of  vegetation and people living along the the thousand delta "waterways" and channels.

Of course, Cambodia and Angkor Temples, and World Heritage site. The largest religious temple in the world now days, inside kilometers and kilometers of exceptionally well preserved ancient buildings, some of them invaded by voluptuous vegetation.

 

Hue

Hoi An / Saigon /  Mekong Delta

CAMBODIA
Angkor Wat

Angkor Tom (Bayon)

Ta Prohm

After the observation finished, the result was the called Hubble Ultra Deep Field, the farthest portrait, and at the same time the oldest image of the known universe. On such sky region appeared thousands of galaxies, some of them (the most redded ones), were at about 13 billion light years. That is, they developed "only" 800 million years after the estimated date of universe creation. The light generated by those galaxies that we can see took 13 billion years to reach our planet.

To date, this is the oldest and farthest image of our universe, taking into account that the visible distance or "depth" depends on the time light takes to reach our planet, at a speed of 300.000 Km/second. It’s just imazing and unimaginable notice the vastity for our universe when using "human" scale. It is fascinating to see what hides beyond a small region of sky, such a cuantity and richness of objets.

May be that with the future space telescope James Webb, deep sky snapshots will reach nhigher distance and accuracy. allowing to improve the research and demonstration of the different hypothesis about how could our universe start.

 (More information and pictures on Hubblesite)

In addition, they are preventing the labeling of products containing genetically altered sources, in order to be able to distinguish these products from those not containing them. They do this, not only to avoid any impact on sales due to the (justified) concern about this products, but also to prevent any chance of trace the possible adverse effects of their products on people’s health, like alergies, indigestion, so nobody can connect any side effect with these transgenic products.

And what’s more, they are not putting and end to world hunger, but they are damaging subsistence farmers, because they are pushing transgenic seeds to make them even cheaper than those obtained on their own countries. This way they are depriving farmers of their milenary legacy of improvements and adaptations obtained after generations of crops, making them slaves of genetically altered varieties, that are showing less adaptation and resistance, and in some occasions are providing decreased crops compared to native seeds.

This is a worrying reality taking place in front of us, and in order to change it, it is necessary to demand that international companies as well as economic force cannot be over consumers and farmers rights. People’s health cannot face any risk for this reason. Goverments are becoming accomplice ofo this situation as they do not legislate properly to protect citizens. So to face this  reality, we should promote consuming non-altered products and enforce the labeling of transgenic ones. Biological grown products, not genetically altered are those obtained after generations of evolution and improvements, which has shown over centuries that are safe and healthy, and they do not pose moral issues.

The Future Of Food Trailer in Quicktime format.

Full Movie in Google Video (Spanish): El Futuro de la comida

Read more about Food Sovereignty here.

After three eshausting days, we returned and transit in Jordan (Amman) to visit the city (nothing to see), and then the mandatory one day tour to Petra, and monument city built by nabateans  around year 300 B.C. The city was sculpted on the sandy rock, and it looks almost a miracle such result. A few hours are required to fully enjoy all the temples and relieves offered by Petra.

In hardly 5 days, 2 humanity world wonders, of those 7 "new" wonders now days.

NEW DELHI
Red Fort

 

 Delhi Tombs

 

Taj Majal

 

Agra Fort

 

JORDAN

Amman

 

PETRA

In my modest opinion, fascinating.

The whole sequence:

Full size image

Just a single daily click on The Animal Rescue Site provides funds to feed lost or abandoned animals in shelters, while they wait before someone can find a home for them. Every click gives 0.6 bowls of food for rescued animales. Such a quick and easy way to support helpless beings. You can add this website to your bookmarks, or set is as your home page, so you do not forget to click daily.

In Croatia accomodation is very cheap and the offer is almost infinite, it must be the place with the greates number of pensions and apartments available. Despite the great interest of people on Croatia’s beaches (that are not of sand but of stones / concrete with stairs) and sunny weather, it offers many other places to visit: coast villages and towns, national parks, etc.

Although being very common to take a Ferry to visit the islands, we did not miss them, as they are usually drier than  the continent. In addition, it is possible to visit one of the islands (Krk) aht north part through a toll bridge.

 

Slovenia: Postojna Caves / Predjama Castle

 

Skofja Loka / Bled / Begunje Castle

 

Lubjliana

 

  Kostanjevica na Kri / Zagreb (Croatia)

 

National Park of Plitvice Lakes / Zadar

 

National Park of Krka / Sibenik / Primosten

 

Split / Soliln / Trogir

 

Dubrovnik

 

Ston / Makarska

 
Omisalj / Krk island

 

 

 

Finally, coming back to Venice from Croatia, we continued to Padova, to visit famous Church of San Antonio.

What’s more, the vicious circle in which the Earth climate would enter would be dramatic: global warming caused by human CO2 emissions provokes abnormal and fast ice melting from the poles; methane catched hundreds thousands of years ago leaks from poles permafrost; the greenhouse effect provoked by human CO2 is speeded up by the more powerful methane, increasing the ice melting and the methane leaking.

Of course, life on Earth will survive despite the dramatic and sudden changes: many species will adapt (although most of the species we know will not resist and become extincted). However we seem to cointinue ignoring the dramatic consequences and the global crisis for human living that will come when the great increase of Earth temperature decreases Eart’s capacity to support life and provide food.

This is why I am so surprised, and at the same time outraged to find the Universal Declaration of Animal Rights, a text from 1978 that loudly proclaims that the rest of animals, all those non-human animals, have a set of minimum rights that we must respect and preserve, a rights that, since human beings acquired the concience and technical capacity to really be able to truly respect them, have been in return ridden roughshod over with such a lack of decency that have degraded our humanity so much. Instead of developing this rights, the level of exploitation and degradation over the animals that surround us has reached an infamous technical and moral perfection.

TEXT OF THE DECLARATION

Considering that Life is one, all living beings having a common origin and having diversified in the course of the evolution of the species, - Considering that all living beings possess natural rights, and that any animal with a nervous system has specific rights,

Considering that the contempt for, and even the simple ignorance of, these natural rights, cause serious damage to Nature and lead men to commit crimes against animals,

Considering that the coexistence of species implies a recognition by the human species of the right of other animal species to live,

Considering that the respect of animals by humans is inseparable from the respect of men for each other,

It is hereby proclaimed that:

Article 1

All animals have equal rights to exist within the context of biological equilibrium. This equality of rights does not overshadow the diversity of species and of individuals.

Article 2

All animal life has the right to be respected.

Article 3

1°- Animals must not be subjected to bad treatments or to cruel acts.

2°- If it is necessary to kill an animal, it must be instantaneous, painless and cause no apprehension.

3°- A dead animal must be treated with decency.

Article 4

1°- Wild animals have the right to live and to reproduce in freedom in their own natural environment.

2°- The prolonged deprivation of the freedom of wild animals, hunting and fishing practised as a pastime, as well as any use of wild animals for reasons that are not vital, are contrary to this fundamental right.

Article 5

1°- Any animal which is dependent on man has the right to proper sustenance and care.

2°- It must under no circumstances be abandoned or killed unjustifiably.

3°- All forms of breeding and uses of the animal must respect the physiology and behaviour specific to the species.

4°- Exhibitions, shows and films involving animals must also respect their dignity and must not include any violence whatsoever.

Article 6

1°- Experiments on animals entailing physical or psychological suffering violate the rights of animals.

2°-Replacement methods must be developed and systematically implemented.

Article 7

Any act unnecessary involving the death of an animal, and any decision leading to such an act, constitute a crime against life.

Article 8

1°- Any act compromising the survival of a wild species and any decision leading to such an act are tantamount to genocide, that is to say, a crime against the species.

2°- The massacre of wild animals, and the pollution and destruction of biotopes are acts of genocide.

Article 9

1°- The specific legal status of animals and their rights must be recognised by law.

2°- The protection and safety of animals must be represented at the level of Governmental organizations.

Article 10

Educational and schooling authorities must ensure that citizens learn from childhood to observe, understand and respect animals.

The Universal Declaration of Animal Rights was solemnly proclaimed in Paris on 15 October 1978 at the UNESCO headquarters.

The text, revised by the International League of Animal Rights in 1989, was submitted to the UNESCO Director General in 1990 and made public that same year.

¿How is it possible that this Declaration has been forgotten and buried on every political action, as well as from colective conscience and opinion? It is clear that the education we have received generation after generation, besides the anthropocentrism supported by greatest religions, together with terrific economic forces strongly established, all of them have been able to make us ignore or forget the consequences of a great part of many of our daily actions, preventing us from knowing there is an alternative for them.

We have been grown from traditions, customs more or less deeply-rooted. However, human beings are flexible not only to be able to change their environment, but to change and redefine ourselves, evolving to superior states of conscience and thinking. This permanent seach keeps us constantly changing (it is supposed that our quest flooks for an improvement, or at least exploring the unkown). Why can’t we change are current animal exploitation habits and eradicate them of our existence? If someone told us that another worls is possible, and more respectful one, and world with less suffering caused by us, what would we do? Wouldn’t we try to contribute, or at least stop supporting a harmful way of life? Would’t we try to reconsider our certaintites about our feeding, our education and the consequences of such habitual and normalized acts that nobody would ever think much about them?

What would we think if we were said that there are alternatives for feeding ourselves with animals, dress you up using animals, have fun on animals, experiment with animals? What if one day someone told us that it is possible to feed ourselves tastily and healthily with no animal products, if we were said that we can dress with siynthetic  fabrics without having to exploit other innocent animals, what it we were said that having fun  of a  caged animal, of a forced animal, is just have fun thanks to the humilliation of suffering of  sensitive beings that wish freedom over anything else? What if someone told us that we can supress animal experiments thanks to cell farming and computer models…and if we met people on our way that knew and practice all this truths for decades, would we honestly believe it, would we understand it and not prejudge it?

Since the first phases of our education, we are taught the necessary principles in order  to later on normalize animal massive exploitation and death feeling no conflict in our conscience. After  that process, the most horrifying and touching aspects and details of  our daily habits are hidden, snatched so we can not  be socked, or just think about them.

Knowledge is power, so if we are denied any aspect of reality, we are being deprived of the possibility to choose, we are becoming "slaves" of a partial reality that only favors specific interests based on exploitation and death of other that cannot defend themselves, preventing us from being aware of our acts’ consequences.

Lucky that many people and organizations are not willing to accept this situation and try to make us aware that  there are other truths and many things we don’t know about our feeding or dressing habits. I think that one cannot not feel free unless his is properly informed in order to make a decision:

EARTHLINGS, is a documentary movie narrated by actor Joaquin Phoenix, that exposes in a calm and accurate way many of the truths we are denied (or on which we perhaps close our eyes no to face them), about our  relation with non-human animals now days. Everybody has the right to choose his own values and principles, but to do it accurately, it is mandatory to have enough information about the world we live in. From that point on, we can choose between closing our eyes and continue as usual, or try to go into facts in depth.

Anyway, whatever our moral values we choose and wherever we decide to do on our relationship with the world, it is not a matter of opinion that:

Any moral position that, providing well-being for someone, at the same time respects as much as possible the rest of sensitive creatures, always choosing the alternatives that less harm other sensitive and aware creatures, that moral position will allways be superior to any other moral option: Showing no sensibility at the terrifying destiny of millions of creatures, with just no argument but our own pleasure, or just ignorance or laziness does not make humans deserve the power and inteligence they wave abusing of it.

Perhaps some of you also believe that our economic system is totally unsustainable, and it is just a question of time that it collapses and swallow itself, with so harmful consequences for all of us.

Actually our economic model is not sustainable, one does not need to be really clever to notice it, I think the only question left to raise is: When? When will the system reach a definitive crisis? Will we be able to see the great danger over us and will we act accordingly developing the necessary measures and using the resources we have to revert this unstoppable process that will bring us such only destruction, hunger, war, death?

This great video will help you understand how the economic system we live with works. As it is shown here, the end of such system seems to be nearer and nearer.