Thursday, December 30, 2010

Dare devil






The moment a kayaker plunged down a 128-foot waterfall and emerged with just a scratch

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 7:33 PM on 28th December 2010


This is the jaw-dropping moment a lone kayaker decided to really take the plunge plummeting down a 128-foot waterfall.

Kayak legend Rafa Ortiz was caught on camera tackling the enormous Big Banana Falls, in Mexico, by extreme sports photographer Lucas Gilman.

Lucas and Rafa trekked through five miles of steaming jungle and dangerous drug growing cartels to reach the breath-taking falls with Rafa's only intention being to jump off them.

Rafa Ortiz is the first known kayaker to drop the 128.6-foot tall Big Banana Waterfall on the Rio Alseseca in Veracruz, Mexico

Rafa Ortiz is the first known kayaker to drop the 128.6-foot tall Big Banana Waterfall on the Rio Alseseca in Veracruz, Mexico


Beside the swirling whirlpool at the bottom of the falls Lucas had the job of capturing the moment Rafa made his dizzying descent.
In just seconds Rafa's tiny kayak can be seen bursting out through the water before the heart-stopping dive to the water.
Miraculously he got through the whole stunt with just a scratch, for which he needed three stitches, and a black eye.
The waterfall is called Big Banana due to the numerous banana plantations in the region.

The waterfall is called Big Banana due to the numerous banana plantations in the region.

Ortiz did end up needed three stitches for the scratch on his left eye

Ortiz did end up needed three stitches for the scratch on his left eye


Photographer Lucas, from Colorado, Denver, has followed extreme sports all over the world, but he said this was one of the most challenging shoots ever.

Using two cameras, one horizontal and one vertical, he had just one chance to capture the perfect shot.

He said: 'It was not like I could say to Rafa, 'do you mind climbing up 128 foot again and doing that again'.

'It's not just a question of that, it's also obviously extremely dangerous, if he comes down any other way than the right way the chances are he will be seriously injured or even be killed.

'I just seconds to get the right shot and luckily I got it.'

Lucas was photographing Rafa, who is a Red Bull freestyle kayaker and one of only four people in the world to tackle a plus 100-foot waterfall, as part of an expedition to one of the remotest regions of Mexico.

He said: 'It took us five days to get to the falls and the jungle wasn't the only thing we had to worry about, the area is heavily used by drug dealers to grow marajuana.

'I have been all over the world following extreme sports from India to Africa and Australia, and I'm always planning my next adventure.'

Lucas captured the amazing action on his camera, a Nikon D3S.

PIC BY LUCAS GILMAN / CATERS NEWS - Pat Keller drops Upper Lewis falls in Washington State, USA

PIC BY LUCAS GILMAN / CATERS NEWS - Evan Garcia drops The 101 Foot tall Metlako in Oregon, USA

Lucas Gilman has also photographed other extreme kayakers, like Pat Keller dropping Upper Lewis falls in Washington State, left, and Evan Garcia drops the 101-foot tall Metlako in Oregon

Gilman took this photo showing a dozen frames of Rush Sturges' sgoing down the Runs 90+ foot tall Lower Tomata Falls ns in Veracruz, Mexico - and losing his paddle part way down

Gilman took this photo showing a dozen frames of Rush Sturges' sgoing down the Runs 90+ foot tall Lower Tomata Falls ns in Veracruz, Mexico - and losing his paddle part way down

 


Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Amazing Events In Pictures






A Chinese man has a rather unusual party trick - 'swallowing' poisonous creatures live. Li Peng happily puts snakes, scorpions, spiders and lizards into his mouth before pulling them back out again. The 21-year-old, from Tonghua in northeast China's Jilin Province, first learnt how to carry out the trick two years ago while was working in a bar

A Chinese man has a rather unusual party trick - 'swallowing' poisonous creatures live. Li Peng happily puts snakes, scorpions, spiders and lizards into his mouth before pulling them back out again. The 21-year-old, from Tonghua in northeast China's Jilin Province, first learnt how to carry out the trick two years ago while was working in a bar



A woman walks past an image of lips at a department store in Tokyo

A woman walks past an image of lips at a department store in Tokyo



An artist displays her makeup at the 2010 Taiwan International Tattoo Convention in Taipei

An artist displays her makeup at the 2010 Taiwan International Tattoo Convention in Taipei 





Performers dance during a military party in Beijing

Performers dance during a military party in Beijing



Students shout 'I love mother and father' in Korean as they lift logs during a two-week summer military camp for civilians at the Cheongryong Self-denial Training Camp in Ansan, South Korea

Students shout "I love mother and father" in Korean as they lift logs during a two-week summer military camp for civilians at the Cheongryong Self-denial Training Camp in Ansan, South Korea



Peruvian military officers participate in a military parade marking the 189th anniversary of Peru's independence in Lima

Peruvian military officers participate in a military parade marking the 189th anniversary of Peru's independence in Lima



A man stretches himself during a morning exercise session at the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing

A man stretches himself during a morning exercise session at the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing



Charlie Timmins of Australia performs an air at Mt Albert during the Freestyle Day of the World Heli Challlenge at Mount Aspiring National Park in Wanaka, New Zealand

Charlie Timmins of Australia performs an air at Mt Albert during the Freestyle Day of the World Heli Challlenge at Mount Aspiring National Park in Wanaka, New Zealand



Kent Couch (L) and John Freis (R) race over the plains of Oregon between their 70-mile journey from Bend to Paulina. Famed cluster balloonist Kent Couch is awaiting confirmation of a Guinness World Record hat trick. Fifty-year old Kent believes that he and his colleague John Freis, 59, may be the first men to compete in a cluster balloon race, as well as the first men to launch their cluster balloons simultaneously from the ground. In addition and most importantly, Kent believes that he may have broken the world altitude record of 18, 235 ft set by Englishman Mike Howard in 2001

Kent Couch (L) and John Freis (R) race over the plains of Oregon between their 70-mile journey from Bend to Paulina. Famed cluster balloonist Kent Couch is awaiting confirmation of a Guinness World Record hat trick. Fifty-year old Kent believes that he and his colleague John Freis, 59, may be the first men to compete in a cluster balloon race, as well as the first men to launch their cluster balloons simultaneously from the ground. In addition and most importantly, Kent believes that he may have broken the world altitude record of 18, 235 ft set by Englishman Mike Howard in 2001





दुनिया के 5 सबसे बड़े सच .......................



व्हेज मान्चुरिअन




व्हेज मान्चुरिअन

चायनीज फूडला आपण व ते आपल्याकडे आता चांगलेच रूळलेत. गाडीवरचे असो किंवा चांगल्या हॉटेल मधले असो, प्रत्येकाची स्वत:ची खासियत आहे. इथे जागोजागी चायनीज जॉइंट्स आहेत. पण इथले-अमेरिकेत मिळणारे  चायनीज एकतर गोडाकडे झुकणारे किंवा तिखट करा म्हटले की हमखास आंबटढोक लागणारे. सुरवातीला तर आपल्याकडच्या गाडीवरच्या चायनिजच्या आठवणी काढून काढून खायचो…..    आता हळूहळू इतक्या वर्षात हेही आनंदाने खाऊ लागलोत पण मनात मात्र अजूनही ती चव रेंगाळतेच. कधीकधी फारच इच्छा झाली की मग मात्र खटाटोप करतेच. चायनीज मग ते मान्चुरिअन असो, पनीर चिली वा चायनीज राईस- न्यूडल्स काहीही करा आधीच्या तयारीलाच वेळ जास्त. प्रत्यक्ष पदार्थ पंधरा मिनिटात तयार आणि पुढच्या पंधरा मिनिटात चट्टामट्टा….. 

एक मध्यम गाजर किसून, किसलेला कोबी दोन वाट्या, किसलेला फ्लॉवर एक वाटी
प्रत्येकी अर्धी वाटी मटार व मका दाणे
अर्धी वाटी चिरलेली कांद्याची पात व पातीचे कांदे
एक मोठी सिमला मिरची व एक मध्यम कांदा चौकोनी तुकडे करून
चार-पाच लाल सुक्या मिरच्या, तीन चार हिरव्या मिरच्या
दहा-बारा लसूण पाकळ्या व बोटभर आले बारीक चिरून
मशरूम्स, बेबी कॉर्न, वॉटर चेसनटस, बांबूच्या पातळ पट्ट्या ( ऐच्छिक )
एक मोठा चमचा व्हिनीगर, दोन मोठे चमचे सोया सॉस, चार मोठे चमचे तेल व तळण्याकरीता तेल
चार मोठे चमचे कॉर्न स्टार्च , तीन कप पाणी व चवीनुसार मीठ

कृती:

फ्लॉवर, कोबी, गाजर किसून घ्यावे. मटार व मक्याचे दाणे फार टचटचीत असतील तर मिनिटभर मायक्रोव्हेव मध्ये ठेवून वाफवून घ्यावेत किंवा उकळते पाणी त्यावर ओतून संपूर्ण निथळून घ्यावेत. कांद्याची पात बारीक चिरून घ्यावी. एका भांड्यात हे सगळे घालून हाताने कुस्करून घ्यावे. मग चवीपुरते मीठ घालू पुन्हा कुस्करावे. मिठामुळे पाणी सुटेल. आता त्यात दोन चमचे लाल तिखट व दोन चमचे मैदा, एक चमचा तांदुळाचे पीठ घालून एकत्र करावे. नंतर त्यात दोन मोठे चमचे कॉर्न स्टार्च घालावे, जेणेकरून मिश्रण बांधले जाईल. मग छोटे छोटे गोळे वळून मध्यम आचेवर लालसर रंगावर तळून घ्यावेत.
भोपळी मिरची व कांद्याचे चौकोनी तुकडे करावेत. हिरव्या मिरचीचे पोट फोडून घ्यावे. बेबी कॉर्न, वॉटर चेसनटस, बांबू पट्ट्या, मशरूम्स यातले जे उपलब्ध असेल व आवडत असेल ते प्रत्येकी अर्धी वाटी चकत्या करून घ्यावे. पातीचा कांदा मुळे काढून संपूर्णच ठेवावा. लसूण व आले अगदी बारीक चिरावे. किसून अथवा मिक्सरला वाटून घेऊ नये. एका पसरट कढईत चार चमचे तेल घालून मोठ्या आचेवर ठेवावी. तेल तापले की त्यात आले लसूण टाकून मिनिटभर परतावे. त्यावर हिरव्या मिरच्या व लाल मिरच्या टाकून पुन्हा मिनिटभर परतावे. घेतलेल्या सगळ्या भाज्या आता त्यावर टाकाव्यात व पाच ते सात मिनिटे परतत राहावे. आच कमी करू नये. भाज्या अर्धवट शिजतील की मग व्हिनीगर व सोया सॉस घालावे. चवीनुसार मीठ व दोन भांडी पाणी घालून आच मध्यम करावी. झाकण ठेवू नये. साधारण पाच-सहा मिनिटात उकळी फुटली की तळून ठेवलेले गोळे घालावेत. लगेचच अर्धी वाटी गार पाण्यात कॉर्न स्टार्च विरघळवून घेऊन या मिश्रणाला लावावे व हालवत राहावे. कॉर्न स्टार्चमुळे मिश्रण थोडेसे घट्ट होऊ लागले की नीट ढवळून तीनचार मिनिटात बंद करावे. साध्या गरम भाताबरोबर, चायनीज फ्राईड राईसबरोबर किंवा नुसतेच……, आवडेल तसे परंतु गरम गरम खावे.

टीपा
मान्चुरिअन चे गोळे करताना तिखट आपल्या अंदाजानुसार कमी जास्त करावे. मिठामुळे पाणी सुटतेच तेव्हा वरून आणखी पाणी चुकूनही घालू नये. ग्रेव्हीत मीठ घालताना, गोळ्यात मीठ घातलेले आहेच व सोया सॉसमध्येही मीठ असते हे लक्षात घेऊन घालावे. नाहीतर हमखास खारट होण्याची शक्यता असते. ग्रेव्ही कोरडी हवी असल्यास कॉर्न स्टार्च लावून झाल्यावर जरा जास्त वेळ आचेवर ठेवावे. आणि जास्त पातळ हवी असल्यास त्यानुसार पाणी वाढवावे. ग्रेव्हीला जास्त तिखटपणा हवा असेल तर लाल व हिरवी मिरची जरा जास्त वेळ तेलात परतावी. अती तिखट हवे असेल तर ओली लाल मिरची दोन चमचे पाण्यात किंचितसे मीठ घालून वाटून घेऊन आले-लसणाबरोबर परतावी. ग्रेव्ही अगदी खडखडीत कोरडी हवी असेल तर अर्धा चमचा कॉर्न स्टार्च पाव वाटी पाण्यात कालवून मिश्रणाला लावून मोठ्या आचेवर परतून लागलीच वेगळ्या भांड्यात काढून घ्यावे. मान्चुरिअन उरल्यास पुन्हा खाताना अर्धी वाटी पाणी घालून उकळी आणून खावे. कॉर्न स्टार्चमुळे खूपच घट्ट झालेले असते.



AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHY






 


2
A supercell thunderstorm rolls across the Montana prairie at sunset. (Photo and caption by Sean Heavey) #

 

 

3
Salvation. Appreciate life to save the world. (Photo and caption by Hongsik Kim) #

 

4
The Great Pyramids. The people of Ancient Egypt believed that death on Earth was the start of a journey to the next world. The embalmed body of the King was entombed underneath or within the pyramid to protect it and allow his transformation and ascension to the afterlife. (Photo and caption by Jesus Oranday) #

 

5
The Music Of Love. This picture was taken in Tenganan Village, Bali (2010). Tenganan is the most famous Bali Aga (original Balinese) village and is located close to Candi Dasa in East Bali. A man was playing bamboo music to entertain a disabled child which is not his son, but he loves this child likes he loves his own son. (Photo and caption by Ario Wibisono) #

 

6
Liquid Planet. Another picture from the Liquid Vision Series, which shows a different point of view of waves. An angle that people are not used to seeing. (Photo and caption by Freddy Cerdeira) #
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7
Brown bear, Buskin River, Kodiak Alaska. This bear had been fishing in the river on this morning. It climbed onto the bank and laid down in the grass. This photo was taken about an hour after sunrise just as the sun was starting to clear the trees. The temperature was near the dew point and steam was rising off its body. It didn�t seem at all concerned by the fishermen in the river or the photographer on the bank. (Photo and caption by James Haskins) #

 

8
Praying Mantis - Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii. This beautiful whalbergii evolved through two of its nymph-stages on the Barberton Daisy at left, surviving because of its bright color which blended so well with the flower. Towards the end of its growth into an adult, it became a little more adventurous (but not much more) as pictured here. Once it had shed the layer in this picture, it became a fully-fledged adult, and departed after about two weeks. Total stay in this tiny ecosystem was approximately six weeks. (Photo and caption by Fred Turck) #

 

9
A Wrinkle in Time. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. (Photo and caption by Nikki Krecicki) #

 

 

11
The archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil is considered a wildlife sanctuary, but today, even in this isolated archipelago dolphins are victims of the bad habits of consumption. (Photo and caption by João Vianna) #

 

12
Cosmic. Mother nature doing what she does best. (Photo and caption by Patrick John O'Doherty) #

 

 

14
The baboon in front was harassing one of the babies in the troop. This male facing the camera attacked him. The whole fight was over in a few seconds but it was loud and seemingly vicious. The rest of the troop was scrambling around trying to get out of their way. There is, needless to say, always a lot of drama going on in a baboon troop. (Photo and caption by Sharon Raoli) #




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