Only a decade ago some of the most beautiful places in Bulgaria were hard to reach. Trigrad with the Yagodinska and Devil’s Throat Caves, our southern Black sea coast further down from Sinemoretz, the Osogovo Mountain at the border with Macedonia, etc. - all of them were closed for tourists.
Without having been confined within the boundaries of a national park or natural reserve, today the Osogovo Mountain is just like one - an unspoiled piece of Bulgarian nature. Mysterious and enigmatic, it displays its beauties to curious tourists seeking new adventures. Encouraged by such tourist interest, the “Osogovo” firm together with the Bulgarian Tourist Union, Kjustendil Municipality and “Cartography” - Sofia initiated the tracing of mountain routes and issuing a map. The Osogovo Mountain and its lay are suitable mostly for pedestrian tourism; hence the producing of a route map is a key activity in the common efforts. It is expected that already in 2006 tourists shall be able to use 6 marked pedestrian routes, mapped out in the Osogovo Mountain tourist map. Names in the map shall also be written in Latin, as well as the information boards and route pointers. In March 2006 the idea came up to make a thorough map of the Osogovo Mountain since its larger part lies in fact in the Republic of Macedonia. The “Osogovo” firm has good relations with the “Ruen” mountain company in Kriva Palanka. They organize joint annual tourist meetings on the Ruen mountain top. At one such meeting it has been decided to continue with the mapping out of routes over to the territory of Macedonia.
The Osogovo Mountain has not been well-studied or cultivated. It has neither chalets and hotels, nor excavated historic or cultural findings. Its lay is suitable for pedestrian tourism mainly. The only popular place nearby is the town of Kjustendil, known in Bulgaria as the “cherry paradise”.
In order to reach Osogovo from Sofia you first head south-west, direction Pernik, and then continue on route E 871 towards Kjustendil. The town is at the foot of the mountain and some of its residential quarters are literally creeping up the mountain slopes. Apart from its cherries, Kjustendil can also be proud of its cultural and historic sites. The “Pirgova” Tower is in the town center and the St. George church - in the “Kolusha” quarter. Nearby is the Zemenski Monastery, named after the Zemen village, as well as the Skakavitza waterfall. The place also boasts with its mineral springs, gushing out with a capacity of 32 l/s. People here are aware that the town’s development depends primarily on tourism and balneology. There are ideas to consolidate the fruit-growing lands, namely the cherry, apple and peaches ones, and start up an eco fruit production business. In the region one can also find the “Osogovo” state game-breeding station where deer, wild boars and small game is bred. The tourist prices here are much lower compared to those in other regions in the country.
It takes only 15-20 minutes to reach one of the best hotels in the region of Kjustendil. The grass growing by the meandering road going up the mountain is interspersed with wild poppies, primroses and daisies that make the hidden glades particularly charming.
Almost forgotten and hardly visited until recently, the Osogovo Mountain now makes the visitor feel like a true discoverer. Here you won’t find board signs on trees, directing you to the nearest chalet or natural landmarks; neither will you meet people, nor will you have a final travel destination - only pure relaxation and long strolls out in the wild and beautiful nature. You can also choose to head for the “Osogovo” chalet, one of the two chalets in the whole region, and then from it continue on deep into the heart of the mountain. The Ruen mountain top is only 15 km away, so is the border with Macedonia. From the chalet the path turns right and then gets lost amid a green sea of beeches and oaks where the forest is thickly overgrown with flowers and grass, sun rays play over lush meadows, lily-of-the-valleys hide in cool fresh shadows and the path itself threads through the forest like a needle on an old tapestry. If you take this path it will take you down and soon you’ll find yourself out of the tree tunnel into the open space. Far away ahead over the Macedonian border lie the undulating outlines of violet hills. The ridge is flecked with pine trees and low alders. From this point on the path splits in three and starts descending. There is complete silence and the loneliness is more than one could bear…You would hardly meet anybody around on your way to and back from the chalet.
Once you know the path, on your way back you can fully enjoy the charm of a forgotten mountain which has preserved everything the way it used to be - unspoiled by construction works, rough and massive human activity - a pure ecosystem. Back in the Osogovo chalet, you can also take a final look at the St. Peter and Paul chapel, built with the help of the local tourist association. The chapel offers peace for one’s thoughts and prayers. One such prayer could be that this land remains pure and unspoiled the way it is.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Osogovo Region
Tourist offer
The natural rarities, the cultural heritage and the folklore culture are significant fundament for development of the alternative forms of tourism in Osogovo. The region disposes with rich archeological deposits, churches, monasteries, rural places with specific ethnology, folklore customs and recognizable rich national kitchen.
This region is suitable for development of the following types of tourism: winter-sports, mountainous, spa and monastery, with a special accent of the conditions for development of the rural tourism.
SRC Ponikva
One of the 34 winter tourist centers designed in the spatial plan of Republic of Macedonia, on 1670 meters above sea level. It is placed in an area with dense beech wood, rich vegetation and takes especially important place in the development of tourism and the general development of the Osogovo region.
Besides a weekend settlement it also offers an accommodation in several motels and child’s resort with 220 beds.
As separate tourist attraction is the reservation for game which offers an opportunity for hunting deers, fawns, boars, mouflons and there are also private capacities for accommodation.
Mountain’s lanes
The Osogovo region offers extraordinary conditions for tracing skiing and mountainous lanes. To the highest parts of Osogovo (Ruen 2252m), can be reached from several directions.
The one is through Kriva Palanka-Toranica, the second one is Ponikva-Carev Peak (2085m).
There are also a lot of other mountainous lanes as the lane from Kriva Palanka to Ponikva.
One of the most attractive and vivid lanes is the lane M4. This mountainous lane is an integral part of the international network of mountainous lanes.
Kuklica Locality
This locality is one of the most attractive of this kind in Europe. The geological forms and the forming of the dolls were created millions years before. Besides the stone dolls in this area a fossil relics of dendron flora were found, similar as the ones at the Geo Park on the Lezbos Island (R. Greece) known in the whole world.
Lesnovski Crater
The stormy volcanic activity in this part of Osogovo region had left many relics of craters, among which the most impressive is the Lesnovski Crater. It is one of the most kept and characteristic craters on the Balkan Peninsula.
With its extraordinary natural rarity, it has been proclaimed as monument of nature and it is set on the list of geological rarities in Republic of Macedonia.
Cocev Stone locality
One of the most monumental archeological localities in the region, where the paleolith deposit is placed from before 20.000 years
In the time of the neolith a settlement was developed on this locality. Characteristic discovered object on this locality is the neolith spoon and more fragments of goddesses.
In the time of the bronze period there was a sanctuary dedicated to the wine and the God Dionis. On the west side of the rock for the first time in Republic of Macedonia had been discovered rock art, painting with red colour from before 25.000 years.
Rock art
The rock art is a base of the ethnological, artistic, historical, paleographical and also religious and philosophical heritage of Republic of Macedonia, and the world civilization as whole. In Osogovo we see rock gravures of all stylistic natures. There isn’t a form of rock gravure made in any point on the planet which hasn’t got an analogy in the rock gravures from Osogovo. For the first time in Macedonia and the Balkan a picture of rock art has been discovered in the place Cocev Stone.
The richness of rock art in Osogovo was the reason that the Institute for sustainable communities from USA has financed the construction of the first reservation of rock art built in the Kratovo region.
Osogovo where the first rock gravure on the Balkan has been discovered is proud also for the fact that UNESCO has supported the initiative for construction of monumental museum of rock art.
St. Gavril Lesnovski Monastery
One of the most important cultural-historical monuments in Macedonia the monastery St. Gavril Lesnovski is placed in Lesnovo village (Probistip Municipality). The end of
X th and XI th century is the time when the anchoret Gavril Lesnovski lived in memory of whom the monastery was built.
The monastery was restored in 1341 on the foundations of the church from XIth century.
One of the biggest values of Lesnovo monastery is the fresco painting.
This monastery is one of the highest valued literature centers.
St. Joakim Osogovski monastery
Placed at 3km from Kriva Palanka; it’s on 825 km above sea level. It was built on relics of ancient church which dates from XI th century. The monastery captures you with its spiritual, architectural and art value. Beside the hospices there are also two churches in the monastery complex dedicated to St. Joakim Osogovski and St. Mother of God, bell tower with common cemetery in the foundations, building for cross passing, tourist building, summer garden and kitchen, new guest house and residence of the Macedonian Orthodox Church.
In the several monastery complexes there are also around 120 beds for accommodation.
St. Pantelejmon monastery
A significant monument of culture (which values are under the protection of the state)
It is placed 12km from the town of Kocani. In the frames of the monastery complex according to the building, the icons and the rest values, the most ancient is the monastery church St. Mother of God. From the kept inscriptions above the back entrance door it can be seen that it was built in 1872. Right next to the church St. Mother of God the big church was built in 1875 dedicated to St. Pantelejmon.
Other localities
Especially characteristic are the landscape junctures in the mountainous part with areas of dense beech wood, many sources of clean water, wood fruits and salubrious plants.
Several many-century trees are evidenced in the region: the ancient pines in Kratovo (around the year of 330). Six-century mulberry in the circle of Lesnovo monastery, chestnut old around 700 years in Kratovo, ancient oak in the area of Kocani (Beli village) and the ancient gaber on Ponikva.
Characteristic volcanic balls can also be seen on several locations.
The natural rarities, the cultural heritage and the folklore culture are significant fundament for development of the alternative forms of tourism in Osogovo. The region disposes with rich archeological deposits, churches, monasteries, rural places with specific ethnology, folklore customs and recognizable rich national kitchen.
This region is suitable for development of the following types of tourism: winter-sports, mountainous, spa and monastery, with a special accent of the conditions for development of the rural tourism.
SRC Ponikva
One of the 34 winter tourist centers designed in the spatial plan of Republic of Macedonia, on 1670 meters above sea level. It is placed in an area with dense beech wood, rich vegetation and takes especially important place in the development of tourism and the general development of the Osogovo region.
Besides a weekend settlement it also offers an accommodation in several motels and child’s resort with 220 beds.
As separate tourist attraction is the reservation for game which offers an opportunity for hunting deers, fawns, boars, mouflons and there are also private capacities for accommodation.
Mountain’s lanes
The Osogovo region offers extraordinary conditions for tracing skiing and mountainous lanes. To the highest parts of Osogovo (Ruen 2252m), can be reached from several directions.
The one is through Kriva Palanka-Toranica, the second one is Ponikva-Carev Peak (2085m).
There are also a lot of other mountainous lanes as the lane from Kriva Palanka to Ponikva.
One of the most attractive and vivid lanes is the lane M4. This mountainous lane is an integral part of the international network of mountainous lanes.
Kuklica Locality
This locality is one of the most attractive of this kind in Europe. The geological forms and the forming of the dolls were created millions years before. Besides the stone dolls in this area a fossil relics of dendron flora were found, similar as the ones at the Geo Park on the Lezbos Island (R. Greece) known in the whole world.
Lesnovski Crater
The stormy volcanic activity in this part of Osogovo region had left many relics of craters, among which the most impressive is the Lesnovski Crater. It is one of the most kept and characteristic craters on the Balkan Peninsula.
With its extraordinary natural rarity, it has been proclaimed as monument of nature and it is set on the list of geological rarities in Republic of Macedonia.
Cocev Stone locality
One of the most monumental archeological localities in the region, where the paleolith deposit is placed from before 20.000 years
In the time of the neolith a settlement was developed on this locality. Characteristic discovered object on this locality is the neolith spoon and more fragments of goddesses.
In the time of the bronze period there was a sanctuary dedicated to the wine and the God Dionis. On the west side of the rock for the first time in Republic of Macedonia had been discovered rock art, painting with red colour from before 25.000 years.
Rock art
The rock art is a base of the ethnological, artistic, historical, paleographical and also religious and philosophical heritage of Republic of Macedonia, and the world civilization as whole. In Osogovo we see rock gravures of all stylistic natures. There isn’t a form of rock gravure made in any point on the planet which hasn’t got an analogy in the rock gravures from Osogovo. For the first time in Macedonia and the Balkan a picture of rock art has been discovered in the place Cocev Stone.
The richness of rock art in Osogovo was the reason that the Institute for sustainable communities from USA has financed the construction of the first reservation of rock art built in the Kratovo region.
Osogovo where the first rock gravure on the Balkan has been discovered is proud also for the fact that UNESCO has supported the initiative for construction of monumental museum of rock art.
St. Gavril Lesnovski Monastery
One of the most important cultural-historical monuments in Macedonia the monastery St. Gavril Lesnovski is placed in Lesnovo village (Probistip Municipality). The end of
X th and XI th century is the time when the anchoret Gavril Lesnovski lived in memory of whom the monastery was built.
The monastery was restored in 1341 on the foundations of the church from XIth century.
One of the biggest values of Lesnovo monastery is the fresco painting.
This monastery is one of the highest valued literature centers.
St. Joakim Osogovski monastery
Placed at 3km from Kriva Palanka; it’s on 825 km above sea level. It was built on relics of ancient church which dates from XI th century. The monastery captures you with its spiritual, architectural and art value. Beside the hospices there are also two churches in the monastery complex dedicated to St. Joakim Osogovski and St. Mother of God, bell tower with common cemetery in the foundations, building for cross passing, tourist building, summer garden and kitchen, new guest house and residence of the Macedonian Orthodox Church.
In the several monastery complexes there are also around 120 beds for accommodation.
St. Pantelejmon monastery
A significant monument of culture (which values are under the protection of the state)
It is placed 12km from the town of Kocani. In the frames of the monastery complex according to the building, the icons and the rest values, the most ancient is the monastery church St. Mother of God. From the kept inscriptions above the back entrance door it can be seen that it was built in 1872. Right next to the church St. Mother of God the big church was built in 1875 dedicated to St. Pantelejmon.
Other localities
Especially characteristic are the landscape junctures in the mountainous part with areas of dense beech wood, many sources of clean water, wood fruits and salubrious plants.
Several many-century trees are evidenced in the region: the ancient pines in Kratovo (around the year of 330). Six-century mulberry in the circle of Lesnovo monastery, chestnut old around 700 years in Kratovo, ancient oak in the area of Kocani (Beli village) and the ancient gaber on Ponikva.
Characteristic volcanic balls can also be seen on several locations.
Nice villa-house
Nice villa-house located at the foot of Osogovo mountain in the nice and calm village.This is two storey villa-house situated at the foot of Osogovo mountain in the nice and calm village. It is close to the town of Kyustendil – only 10 km. There are several food shops, nice traditional restaurant and regular bus line to the nearby town. The property has got access from 2 streets. It briefly comprises of 110 sq.m. of living area, distributed in the following manner: First floor contains two rooms, bathroom-WC and a storage room. On the second floor there are two bedrooms with living room, kitchen and a terrace . 2 000 sq m planted garden. The walls are plastered and window woodwork. There is electricity and running water in the house. The property is in very good condition and is perfect for holiday house. This property is based in Region of Kyustendil in south- western Bulgaria part of Bulgaria. Situated at the foot of the Ossogovska Mountain, Kyustendil (ancient Pautalia) is one of Bulgaria's best known spa resorts. The climate is temperate continental with a Mediterranean influence. Mountains, and pine-tree forests surround the area and create excellent conditions for tourism and sports. 10 kilometers from Kyustendil in Osogovo mountains there is ski sloop with exelent conditios. At the moment second ski sloop has been developing with expectation Kyustendil to become one of the major ski resorts in the country with high investment potential. The town is close to the capital Sofia and enjoys the convenience of fast communications. The Kyustendil area is close to other ski resorts- only an hour drive from Sofia( Vitosha mountain), an hour drive from Borovets, and hour and a half drive from Bansko.
(Щракнете върху снимката за голям размер)
(Щракнете върху снимката за голям размер)
Borovets
The oldest Bulgarian winter resort is Borovets with a history from 1896! Today Borovets is the biggest and most modern resort in Bulgaria. It is situated on the conterminous Borovets col and on the northern slopes of the Mousala ridge in the eastern part of Rila Huddled in venerable pine woods 1390 meters above the sea level (with highest pistes at 2600 m)makes it a perfect place for relax and recreation.
The climate is also considered to be healthy. The winter in the resort is mild and of course with loads of snow! The average temperature during the coldest month January is 4.8ºC. Usually the slopes of Borovets have snow cover from mid December till April. The air in Borovets is clear, free of any pollutants.
Borovets is also easy accessible- 12 kilometers long first class road connects it with Samokov; Sofia (the capital of Bulgaria) is just 72 kilometers away. There is a regular bus transport as for Samokov every 30 minutes.
The real charm of Borovets can be felt during the winter. It is then when the harmony with the nature is complete.
The excellent equipment for ski sports attracts thousands of mountain lovers from Bulgaria and from foreign countries. They can use the 45 kilometers various in difficulty and length ski pistes grouped in three regions: Sitnqkovo – Martinovi Baraki – pistes; Markudjik- 4 pistes and Qstrebec- 3 pistes. The pistes on Qstrebets are the best- and all of the competitions in the resort are taking place there! The resort is a regular host of various winter sports competitions. It has twice hosted World Cup competitions in Alpine skiing. Its biathlon track is one of the best in Europe.
Borovets was developed into a modern ski resort of high class with luxury hotels, restaurants, discos, shops and a good choice of pistes and lifts.
Borovets is a resort of Alpine type and provides very good conditions for snow sports during the winter: skiing, night- skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, ski jumps and biathlon, ski-doo, in the resort, etc.
There are available ski runs for beginners, intermediates and advanced skiers, designed with international markings and multilingual signs. Pistes are bashed and maintained to the high standard.
The ski runs of Borovets are located in three different regions. Cross-country and biathlon tracks are located 2 km away from the resort together with the cross-country tuition tracks.
Borovets ski centre is serviced by well organized lift system, inclusive Gondola lift.
14 snow cannons for artificial snow are installed to guarantee the snow cover if needed. Read more about this facility here . The Borovets ski school has been known as one of the best in Bulgaria.
There are more than 200 ski instructors fluent in foreign languages and some of them are former professional skiers. We have received hundreds of positive comments from tourists who used their services.
There are ski and snowboard rental services around the Gondola lift station, but we strongly recommend you book your holiday with us and take advantage of our low prices comparing to those on spot in the resort.
Mountain rescue service is available 24 hours a day.
The climate is also considered to be healthy. The winter in the resort is mild and of course with loads of snow! The average temperature during the coldest month January is 4.8ºC. Usually the slopes of Borovets have snow cover from mid December till April. The air in Borovets is clear, free of any pollutants.
Borovets is also easy accessible- 12 kilometers long first class road connects it with Samokov; Sofia (the capital of Bulgaria) is just 72 kilometers away. There is a regular bus transport as for Samokov every 30 minutes.
The real charm of Borovets can be felt during the winter. It is then when the harmony with the nature is complete.
The excellent equipment for ski sports attracts thousands of mountain lovers from Bulgaria and from foreign countries. They can use the 45 kilometers various in difficulty and length ski pistes grouped in three regions: Sitnqkovo – Martinovi Baraki – pistes; Markudjik- 4 pistes and Qstrebec- 3 pistes. The pistes on Qstrebets are the best- and all of the competitions in the resort are taking place there! The resort is a regular host of various winter sports competitions. It has twice hosted World Cup competitions in Alpine skiing. Its biathlon track is one of the best in Europe.
Borovets was developed into a modern ski resort of high class with luxury hotels, restaurants, discos, shops and a good choice of pistes and lifts.
Borovets is a resort of Alpine type and provides very good conditions for snow sports during the winter: skiing, night- skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, ski jumps and biathlon, ski-doo, in the resort, etc.
There are available ski runs for beginners, intermediates and advanced skiers, designed with international markings and multilingual signs. Pistes are bashed and maintained to the high standard.
The ski runs of Borovets are located in three different regions. Cross-country and biathlon tracks are located 2 km away from the resort together with the cross-country tuition tracks.
Borovets ski centre is serviced by well organized lift system, inclusive Gondola lift.
14 snow cannons for artificial snow are installed to guarantee the snow cover if needed. Read more about this facility here . The Borovets ski school has been known as one of the best in Bulgaria.
There are more than 200 ski instructors fluent in foreign languages and some of them are former professional skiers. We have received hundreds of positive comments from tourists who used their services.
There are ski and snowboard rental services around the Gondola lift station, but we strongly recommend you book your holiday with us and take advantage of our low prices comparing to those on spot in the resort.
Mountain rescue service is available 24 hours a day.
Ponikva-Recreational ana Tourist center in Macedonia
Ponikva – Recreational and Tourist center In Macedonia, in the breasts of Osogovo Mountain, 1460 m. above sea level. Recreational and tourist center PONIKVA, place which is visited both in summer and in winter, (as well as in the others seasons), by a big number of people, who are lovers of mountain beauty and white sports. People visit the place from different places from Macedonia, but most of the tourists and weekenders are from Kocani, Shtip, Probishtip, Veles and Skopje. You can arrive to Ponikva following on a good and modern road, whose length is 20 km. This road in the winter mounts (when the snowfall is even 1m.) is always clean and good for traveling. The town Kocani is located in a valley, dominated by the Osogovo and Plackovica Mountains, the fruitful field and also the river Kocani. It is Industrial and Economic center. It’s modern town with 32 000 inhabitants. If you have already seen Kocani (I hope that you saw the pictures) I’m inviting you to go for a walk in Ponikva. The mountain region is 1000 m. above sea level. Here are the Lodge and the hunting reservation. The trophy quarry: deer, mouflon, wild pig, doe, rabbit, and spring quarry (birds) are the treasure of this reservation, which is a place for research for flora and fauna, and also rare species of fern. In the sport-recreational and tourist center Ponikva, there are places like: the Children Resort with capacity of 200 beds, than, the hotels “Izgrev”, “Sharena Cheshma”, “Shampinjoni”, the Lodge, 2 resorts and about 100 cottages, bungalows and lodges, where the attendance in the whole year, is very big. On the snow grounds in Ponikva, the young people compete in skiing, like Osogovo slalom and giant slalom. The ski path is kept for ski competitions for international character too. Characteristically for the mountain's beauty lovers is that Ponikva and Osogovo Mountains are full of rich mountain trees, the most of oak and tumult, and also plants with low tree-trunk, and pastures. For the mountain flower's beauty there are a lot of flowers like: snowdrop, Klamath weed, and also lots of mountain tea. Many people and holyday makers visit and gather the fields of strawberries and raspberries because they are ecologically clean from clean environment. For the mountaineering lovers there are some famous attractive places like: Ponikva-1460 m., Retki buki-1760 m., and Ruen - 2085 m. and also the people call it "Sultan tepe" (King's top). Famous settlements in this region are: Jastebnik, Novo selo , Nebojani, Glavovica and also about ten resettled villages where a small number of people live, most of them are very old. The wish to keep the family houses develops the mountain and village tourism. On Ponikva there are some places for breeding sheep and from their milk people make cheese. In the mountain villages the visitors will be invited to eat `bakardan`(famous traditional meal) and yogurt. From the drained plums and the other drained fruit the people prepare tea or as they call it `oshav`(stewed fruit).
Osogovo
Only a decade ago some of the most beautiful places in Bulgaria were hard to reach. Trigrad with the Yagodinska and Devil’s Throat Caves, our southern Black sea coast further down from Sinemoretz, the Osogovo Mountain at the border with Macedonia, etc. - all of them were closed for tourists.
Without having been confined within the boundaries of a national park or natural reserve, today the Osogovo Mountain is just like one - an unspoiled piece of Bulgarian nature. Mysterious and enigmatic, it displays its beauties to curious tourists seeking new adventures. Encouraged by such tourist interest, the “Osogovo” firm together with the Bulgarian Tourist Union, Kjustendil Municipality and “Cartography” - Sofia initiated the tracing of mountain routes and issuing a map. The Osogovo Mountain and its lay are suitable mostly for pedestrian tourism; hence the producing of a route map is a key activity in the common efforts. It is expected that already in 2006 tourists shall be able to use 6 marked pedestrian routes, mapped out in the Osogovo Mountain tourist map. Names in the map shall also be written in Latin, as well as the information boards and route pointers. In March 2006 the idea came up to make a thorough map of the Osogovo Mountain since its larger part lies in fact in the Republic of Macedonia. The “Osogovo” firm has good relations with the “Ruen” mountain company in Kriva Palanka. They organize joint annual tourist meetings on the Ruen mountain top. At one such meeting it has been decided to continue with the mapping out of routes over to the territory of Macedonia.
The Osogovo Mountain has not been well-studied or cultivated. It has neither chalets and hotels, nor excavated historic or cultural findings. Its lay is suitable for pedestrian tourism mainly. The only popular place nearby is the town of Kjustendil, known in Bulgaria as the “cherry paradise”.
In order to reach Osogovo from Sofia you first head south-west, direction Pernik, and then continue on route E 871 towards Kjustendil. The town is at the foot of the mountain and some of its residential quarters are literally creeping up the mountain slopes. Apart from its cherries, Kjustendil can also be proud of its cultural and historic sites. The “Pirgova” Tower is in the town center and the St. George church - in the “Kolusha” quarter. Nearby is the Zemenski Monastery, named after the Zemen village, as well as the Skakavitza waterfall. The place also boasts with its mineral springs, gushing out with a capacity of 32 l/s. People here are aware that the town’s development depends primarily on tourism and balneology. There are ideas to consolidate the fruit-growing lands, namely the cherry, apple and peaches ones, and start up an eco fruit production business. In the region one can also find the “Osogovo” state game-breeding station where deer, wild boars and small game is bred. The tourist prices here are much lower compared to those in other regions in the country.
It takes only 15-20 minutes to reach one of the best hotels in the region of Kjustendil. The grass growing by the meandering road going up the mountain is interspersed with wild poppies, primroses and daisies that make the hidden glades particularly charming.
Almost forgotten and hardly visited until recently, the Osogovo Mountain now makes the visitor feel like a true discoverer. Here you won’t find board signs on trees, directing you to the nearest chalet or natural landmarks; neither will you meet people, nor will you have a final travel destination - only pure relaxation and long strolls out in the wild and beautiful nature. You can also choose to head for the “Osogovo” chalet, one of the two chalets in the whole region, and then from it continue on deep into the heart of the mountain. The Ruen mountain top is only 15 km away, so is the border with Macedonia. From the chalet the path turns right and then gets lost amid a green sea of beeches and oaks where the forest is thickly overgrown with flowers and grass, sun rays play over lush meadows, lily-of-the-valleys hide in cool fresh shadows and the path itself threads through the forest like a needle on an old tapestry. If you take this path it will take you down and soon you’ll find yourself out of the tree tunnel into the open space. Far away ahead over the Macedonian border lie the undulating outlines of violet hills. The ridge is flecked with pine trees and low alders. From this point on the path splits in three and starts descending. There is complete silence and the loneliness is more than one could bear…You would hardly meet anybody around on your way to and back from the chalet.
Once you know the path, on your way back you can fully enjoy the charm of a forgotten mountain which has preserved everything the way it used to be - unspoiled by construction works, rough and massive human activity - a pure ecosystem. Back in the Osogovo chalet, you can also take a final look at the St. Peter and Paul chapel, built with the help of the local tourist association. The chapel offers peace for one’s thoughts and prayers. One such prayer could be that this land remains pure and unspoiled the way it is.
Without having been confined within the boundaries of a national park or natural reserve, today the Osogovo Mountain is just like one - an unspoiled piece of Bulgarian nature. Mysterious and enigmatic, it displays its beauties to curious tourists seeking new adventures. Encouraged by such tourist interest, the “Osogovo” firm together with the Bulgarian Tourist Union, Kjustendil Municipality and “Cartography” - Sofia initiated the tracing of mountain routes and issuing a map. The Osogovo Mountain and its lay are suitable mostly for pedestrian tourism; hence the producing of a route map is a key activity in the common efforts. It is expected that already in 2006 tourists shall be able to use 6 marked pedestrian routes, mapped out in the Osogovo Mountain tourist map. Names in the map shall also be written in Latin, as well as the information boards and route pointers. In March 2006 the idea came up to make a thorough map of the Osogovo Mountain since its larger part lies in fact in the Republic of Macedonia. The “Osogovo” firm has good relations with the “Ruen” mountain company in Kriva Palanka. They organize joint annual tourist meetings on the Ruen mountain top. At one such meeting it has been decided to continue with the mapping out of routes over to the territory of Macedonia.
The Osogovo Mountain has not been well-studied or cultivated. It has neither chalets and hotels, nor excavated historic or cultural findings. Its lay is suitable for pedestrian tourism mainly. The only popular place nearby is the town of Kjustendil, known in Bulgaria as the “cherry paradise”.
In order to reach Osogovo from Sofia you first head south-west, direction Pernik, and then continue on route E 871 towards Kjustendil. The town is at the foot of the mountain and some of its residential quarters are literally creeping up the mountain slopes. Apart from its cherries, Kjustendil can also be proud of its cultural and historic sites. The “Pirgova” Tower is in the town center and the St. George church - in the “Kolusha” quarter. Nearby is the Zemenski Monastery, named after the Zemen village, as well as the Skakavitza waterfall. The place also boasts with its mineral springs, gushing out with a capacity of 32 l/s. People here are aware that the town’s development depends primarily on tourism and balneology. There are ideas to consolidate the fruit-growing lands, namely the cherry, apple and peaches ones, and start up an eco fruit production business. In the region one can also find the “Osogovo” state game-breeding station where deer, wild boars and small game is bred. The tourist prices here are much lower compared to those in other regions in the country.
It takes only 15-20 minutes to reach one of the best hotels in the region of Kjustendil. The grass growing by the meandering road going up the mountain is interspersed with wild poppies, primroses and daisies that make the hidden glades particularly charming.
Almost forgotten and hardly visited until recently, the Osogovo Mountain now makes the visitor feel like a true discoverer. Here you won’t find board signs on trees, directing you to the nearest chalet or natural landmarks; neither will you meet people, nor will you have a final travel destination - only pure relaxation and long strolls out in the wild and beautiful nature. You can also choose to head for the “Osogovo” chalet, one of the two chalets in the whole region, and then from it continue on deep into the heart of the mountain. The Ruen mountain top is only 15 km away, so is the border with Macedonia. From the chalet the path turns right and then gets lost amid a green sea of beeches and oaks where the forest is thickly overgrown with flowers and grass, sun rays play over lush meadows, lily-of-the-valleys hide in cool fresh shadows and the path itself threads through the forest like a needle on an old tapestry. If you take this path it will take you down and soon you’ll find yourself out of the tree tunnel into the open space. Far away ahead over the Macedonian border lie the undulating outlines of violet hills. The ridge is flecked with pine trees and low alders. From this point on the path splits in three and starts descending. There is complete silence and the loneliness is more than one could bear…You would hardly meet anybody around on your way to and back from the chalet.
Once you know the path, on your way back you can fully enjoy the charm of a forgotten mountain which has preserved everything the way it used to be - unspoiled by construction works, rough and massive human activity - a pure ecosystem. Back in the Osogovo chalet, you can also take a final look at the St. Peter and Paul chapel, built with the help of the local tourist association. The chapel offers peace for one’s thoughts and prayers. One such prayer could be that this land remains pure and unspoiled the way it is.
Osogovo Mountain
Osogovo (Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian demonstrates several linguistic innovations that set it apart from all other Slavic languages except the Macedonian language, such as the elimination of case declension, the development of a suffixed definite...and Macedonian
Macedonian language
Macedonian is the official language of Republic of Macedonia and is a part of the Eastern group of South Slavic languages. Macedonian is closely related to and shares a high degree of mutual intelligibility with the Bulgarian language and to a certain extent with Serbian and Croatian...
Cyrillic: ) or Osogovska Planina (Осоговска планина or Осоговска Планина) is a mountain and ski resort between southwestern Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...
(Kyustendil Province
Kyustendil Province
Kyustendil Province is a province in southwestern Bulgaria, extending over an area of 3084.3 km² , and has a population of 163,889... and northeastern Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country in the central Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
(Kočani
Kocani
Kočani is a town away from Skopje, situated in the Eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia, with population of 28 330. The town of Kočani is the seat of Kočani Municipality.-Geography and population:...
and Kriva Palanka
Kriva Palanka
Kriva Palanka is a town located in the northeastern part of the Republic of Macedonia. It has nearly 21,000 inhabitants. The town of Kriva Palanka is the seat of Kriva Palanka Municipality....
municipallities). It is about 110 km long and 50 km wide, the highest peak being Ruen
Ruen
Ruen is a village in southeastern Bulgaria, part of Burgas Province. It is the administrative centre of Ruen municipality, which lies in the northern part of Burgas Province.-Municipality:Ruen municipality includes the following 41 places:...
(Руен) at 2251 m, which constitutes the main orthographic knot on the very border between Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia. The steepest slope of the mountain is in the west, stretching down from Carev Vrv (Царев Врв; "Tsar's Peak").
Osogovo is the northernmost and highest part of the Osogovo-Belasica
Belasica
Belasica is a mountain range in the region of Macedonia in Southeastern Europe, shared by northwestern Greece , southeastern Republic of Macedonia and southwestern Bulgaria...
group and is situated between the Kyustendil
Kyustendil
Kyustendil is a town in the far west of Bulgaria, the capital of Kyustendil Province, with a population of 58,059 . Kyustendil is situated in the southern part of the Kyustendil Valley, 90 km southwest of Sofia...
and Kamenitsa Valleys, Dobro pole and the Bregalnica and Kriva Reka
river valleys. The west slopes are steep and the southeast ones are slant, the mountain being rich in polymetal ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals such as gemstones or metals that can be extracted through mining and refined for use. Samples of ore in the form of exceptionally beautiful crystals, exotic layering visible when sectioned or polished or metallic presentations such as large nuggets or..s.
There are many legends about the origin of name Osogovo, but the most famous one is that it was given by the Saxon
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Old Germanic tribes. Their modern-day descendants in Lower Saxony and Westphalia and other German states are considered ethnic Germans ; those in the eastern Netherlands are considered to be ethnic Dutch; those in north.. miners who were mining gold and silver in the region in the past. According to this legend, the name originates from the Old Germanic words "osso" (god) and "gov" (place) which means "a divine place".
The mountain itself is a powerful granite massif of crystal rocks. It has a prominent volcanic relief made of conic peaks and volcanic tufa.
The flora distinguishes vertical coverage: an under-mountainous zone up to 1000 m where trees like oak, elm, hornbeam, ash, hazel and others can be found; a mountainous zone (1000-1800 m) covered mostly with beech trees; and a sub-alpine zone covered with grass pastures and bushes of juniper trees. The mountain rivers and streams are a natural habitat for the barbell, the chub and the mountain trout.
Deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means falling off at maturity or tending to fall off and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...and coniferous forests dominate. The area is inhabited by the rare Alpine Newt
. The nature and climate conditions allow for all-year tourism. Important towns at the foot of Osogovo are Kyustendil to the northeast in Bulgaria and Kočani and Kriva Palanka to the west and southwest in the Republic of Macedonia.
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian demonstrates several linguistic innovations that set it apart from all other Slavic languages except the Macedonian language, such as the elimination of case declension, the development of a suffixed definite...and Macedonian
Macedonian language
Macedonian is the official language of Republic of Macedonia and is a part of the Eastern group of South Slavic languages. Macedonian is closely related to and shares a high degree of mutual intelligibility with the Bulgarian language and to a certain extent with Serbian and Croatian...
Cyrillic: ) or Osogovska Planina (Осоговска планина or Осоговска Планина) is a mountain and ski resort between southwestern Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...
(Kyustendil Province
Kyustendil Province
Kyustendil Province is a province in southwestern Bulgaria, extending over an area of 3084.3 km² , and has a population of 163,889... and northeastern Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country in the central Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
(Kočani
Kocani
Kočani is a town away from Skopje, situated in the Eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia, with population of 28 330. The town of Kočani is the seat of Kočani Municipality.-Geography and population:...
and Kriva Palanka
Kriva Palanka
Kriva Palanka is a town located in the northeastern part of the Republic of Macedonia. It has nearly 21,000 inhabitants. The town of Kriva Palanka is the seat of Kriva Palanka Municipality....
municipallities). It is about 110 km long and 50 km wide, the highest peak being Ruen
Ruen
Ruen is a village in southeastern Bulgaria, part of Burgas Province. It is the administrative centre of Ruen municipality, which lies in the northern part of Burgas Province.-Municipality:Ruen municipality includes the following 41 places:...
(Руен) at 2251 m, which constitutes the main orthographic knot on the very border between Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia. The steepest slope of the mountain is in the west, stretching down from Carev Vrv (Царев Врв; "Tsar's Peak").
Osogovo is the northernmost and highest part of the Osogovo-Belasica
Belasica
Belasica is a mountain range in the region of Macedonia in Southeastern Europe, shared by northwestern Greece , southeastern Republic of Macedonia and southwestern Bulgaria...
group and is situated between the Kyustendil
Kyustendil
Kyustendil is a town in the far west of Bulgaria, the capital of Kyustendil Province, with a population of 58,059 . Kyustendil is situated in the southern part of the Kyustendil Valley, 90 km southwest of Sofia...
and Kamenitsa Valleys, Dobro pole and the Bregalnica and Kriva Reka
river valleys. The west slopes are steep and the southeast ones are slant, the mountain being rich in polymetal ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals such as gemstones or metals that can be extracted through mining and refined for use. Samples of ore in the form of exceptionally beautiful crystals, exotic layering visible when sectioned or polished or metallic presentations such as large nuggets or..s.
There are many legends about the origin of name Osogovo, but the most famous one is that it was given by the Saxon
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Old Germanic tribes. Their modern-day descendants in Lower Saxony and Westphalia and other German states are considered ethnic Germans ; those in the eastern Netherlands are considered to be ethnic Dutch; those in north.. miners who were mining gold and silver in the region in the past. According to this legend, the name originates from the Old Germanic words "osso" (god) and "gov" (place) which means "a divine place".
The mountain itself is a powerful granite massif of crystal rocks. It has a prominent volcanic relief made of conic peaks and volcanic tufa.
The flora distinguishes vertical coverage: an under-mountainous zone up to 1000 m where trees like oak, elm, hornbeam, ash, hazel and others can be found; a mountainous zone (1000-1800 m) covered mostly with beech trees; and a sub-alpine zone covered with grass pastures and bushes of juniper trees. The mountain rivers and streams are a natural habitat for the barbell, the chub and the mountain trout.
Deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means falling off at maturity or tending to fall off and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...and coniferous forests dominate. The area is inhabited by the rare Alpine Newt
. The nature and climate conditions allow for all-year tourism. Important towns at the foot of Osogovo are Kyustendil to the northeast in Bulgaria and Kočani and Kriva Palanka to the west and southwest in the Republic of Macedonia.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Learning to Howl Like a Wolf
Excited doesn't even come close to how I felt on the day I was to have a photo shoot with two wolves Raven and Forest at the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in Ramah, New Mexico . Raven who is a pure Black-phased Timber wolf is a retired ambassador for the sanctuary and Forest who is a pure Timber wolf is the new ambassador.
I made arrangements with photographer Michael L. Miller and the director of the sanctuary, Leyton Cougar and even got up at 4:00 in the morning in preparation for our 2 hour drive. We planned and prepared and even had a professional make up artist on site. In my mind I was going to be Leyla the warrior belly dancer living amongst the wolves.......ok quit rolling your eyes! I'm sure the wolves themselves would have howled with laughter. Little did I know that my fantasy was quite the illusion.
As we walked towards the enclosures where the wolves were kept my heart was pounding a mile a minute. Laughing and talking excitedly we all anxiously kept up a fast pace to the front gate to the large enclosure. That was until Leyton said, "We'll have to see if Raven will allow you to be next to him. And there may be a chance he won't want his picture taken."
You could have heard a pin drop with the deafening silence that followed his statement. It was as if time stood still and my moment of "Leyla the wolf woman" vanished with the wind. It served me right because when you work with wild animals you are working on their schedule not yours.
Fortunately I already had been around Raven and he knew me so he was excited to see everybody. Whew....that was a close call and my heart started to race again. Once I was beside Raven it occurred to me that the images of photos in my head were unrealistic. Raven was calling the shots throughout the entire photo shoot and I was left standing by myself on numerous occasions or basking in his glory by my side. And I would love to say that he was by my side because he really liked me but the truth of the matter is that Leyton had me rub lip balm all over myself because Raven loves the smell.
So here I am rubbing lip balm all over me so I can get this gigantic wolf to come over and take his picture with me. He came over immediately and all of a sudden he just started to rub himself all over me! There were moments I thought we were both going to tumble off the rock ledge that we were perched on. The funny thing about it was that there was no way to look stylish because I was holding on to this large boulder for dear life while at the same time I was dealing with wolf saliva being drooled all over me. Oh yes I forgot about the wolf drool...actually I didn't even think about it! And since it had just rained a few days earlier, I also had mud being rubbed all over me along with the wolf drool. And do any of you know how wolves smell? Not only did I learn but I ended up smelling like one. And a word for the wise; just remember that your costume will take a beating too!
As we walked around I noticed a lot of birds flying above in the air watching us curiously. They just happen to be Ravens. It's really interesting to note that Ravens and wolves are connected to each other. This is because the Ravens help the wolves find food and then the Ravens get to eat the left overs. At times it almost seemed like they were our audience because there were so many of them. The large enclosure where we were taking the photos had enclosures on either side of it with other wolves watching us as well. So it was interesting to note that the Ravens and the wolves had confused and perplexed looks on their faces kind of like some audiences. Sound familiar?
At the end of the first photo shoot with Raven, I crawled off the rocks only to see to my dismay that I had scuffed up and tore the heels of my new boots. So, just about every part of my costume that has a tear or smudge on it still reminds me to this day of what a wonderful and amazing experience it was. Bizarre as it may seem I almost felt like I went through a right of passage.
Furthering this right of passage was my next photo shoot with Forest. For this next photo shoot I dressed in my gothic, gypsy outfit with a little bit of Elvira in it. So off we went back to the same enclosure to see what was in store for us with Forest. Fortunately all it took was hotdogs for Forest to come over to me and I didn't have to rub any of them on me. But I'll tell you all a little secret, when Leyton first took out the hotdogs I was a little worried!
Forest was such a gentleman and he even gave me a few kisses here and there. But after while he stood beside me looking at Leyton with a pleading look on his face as if saying, "Are we done yet"? Fortunately the occasional hotdog did the trick and we were able to get in some good shots. To Michael's dismay though, Forest thought his light reflector that he was holding in his hand was a new toy and Forest went right for it. I wish I would have had the camera on the both of them as Michael was trying to pull the reflector from Forests mouth. Leyton had to come over and make Forest give it up and pry his mouth open. I have never seen a wolf cry but Forest whined and whined over having to let go of what he thought was his new toy. So obviously this ended the photo shoot with Forest getting reprimanded and Michael having his reflector back but with a few extra bite marks on it.
Understand that if any of you are going to have your photos taken with wild animals you are entering their world and their timetable. Make sure you do your homework and work diligently with the animal trainer or handler. Anything can happen in a split second so you must be focused and aware at all times.
Leyton is one in a million and he is known as the "Wolf Whisperer". Leyton has 62 wolf and wolf dogs at the sanctuary that he and volunteers care for. Over the past two years I have had the pleasure of seeing Leyton handle the wolves with amazing grace. The wolves' body language is so astounding when Leyton walks by their enclosures. Since body language is one of the oldest languages on the planet, I found watching the wolves move reminded me of an ancient dance form being performed with deliberate grace. Their sinuous movements had the timing of any well versed choreographer. I also noticed that Leyton respects the wolves and he looks at every one of them as individuals with characteristics all their own.
To say that patience is a virtue while working with wild animals is an understatement. It took all day to get in a variety of shots. And after it was all said and done, I was exhausted. Plus I smelled like I had been in the wild for days with the hint of lip balm. And just so you know I had lip balm in places I never would of thought putting it! In the end it was all worth it because both Raven and Forest taught me a great lesson; they reminded me to be in the moment and this was the most precious gift of all.
I made arrangements with photographer Michael L. Miller and the director of the sanctuary, Leyton Cougar and even got up at 4:00 in the morning in preparation for our 2 hour drive. We planned and prepared and even had a professional make up artist on site. In my mind I was going to be Leyla the warrior belly dancer living amongst the wolves.......ok quit rolling your eyes! I'm sure the wolves themselves would have howled with laughter. Little did I know that my fantasy was quite the illusion.
As we walked towards the enclosures where the wolves were kept my heart was pounding a mile a minute. Laughing and talking excitedly we all anxiously kept up a fast pace to the front gate to the large enclosure. That was until Leyton said, "We'll have to see if Raven will allow you to be next to him. And there may be a chance he won't want his picture taken."
You could have heard a pin drop with the deafening silence that followed his statement. It was as if time stood still and my moment of "Leyla the wolf woman" vanished with the wind. It served me right because when you work with wild animals you are working on their schedule not yours.
Fortunately I already had been around Raven and he knew me so he was excited to see everybody. Whew....that was a close call and my heart started to race again. Once I was beside Raven it occurred to me that the images of photos in my head were unrealistic. Raven was calling the shots throughout the entire photo shoot and I was left standing by myself on numerous occasions or basking in his glory by my side. And I would love to say that he was by my side because he really liked me but the truth of the matter is that Leyton had me rub lip balm all over myself because Raven loves the smell.
So here I am rubbing lip balm all over me so I can get this gigantic wolf to come over and take his picture with me. He came over immediately and all of a sudden he just started to rub himself all over me! There were moments I thought we were both going to tumble off the rock ledge that we were perched on. The funny thing about it was that there was no way to look stylish because I was holding on to this large boulder for dear life while at the same time I was dealing with wolf saliva being drooled all over me. Oh yes I forgot about the wolf drool...actually I didn't even think about it! And since it had just rained a few days earlier, I also had mud being rubbed all over me along with the wolf drool. And do any of you know how wolves smell? Not only did I learn but I ended up smelling like one. And a word for the wise; just remember that your costume will take a beating too!
As we walked around I noticed a lot of birds flying above in the air watching us curiously. They just happen to be Ravens. It's really interesting to note that Ravens and wolves are connected to each other. This is because the Ravens help the wolves find food and then the Ravens get to eat the left overs. At times it almost seemed like they were our audience because there were so many of them. The large enclosure where we were taking the photos had enclosures on either side of it with other wolves watching us as well. So it was interesting to note that the Ravens and the wolves had confused and perplexed looks on their faces kind of like some audiences. Sound familiar?
At the end of the first photo shoot with Raven, I crawled off the rocks only to see to my dismay that I had scuffed up and tore the heels of my new boots. So, just about every part of my costume that has a tear or smudge on it still reminds me to this day of what a wonderful and amazing experience it was. Bizarre as it may seem I almost felt like I went through a right of passage.
Furthering this right of passage was my next photo shoot with Forest. For this next photo shoot I dressed in my gothic, gypsy outfit with a little bit of Elvira in it. So off we went back to the same enclosure to see what was in store for us with Forest. Fortunately all it took was hotdogs for Forest to come over to me and I didn't have to rub any of them on me. But I'll tell you all a little secret, when Leyton first took out the hotdogs I was a little worried!
Forest was such a gentleman and he even gave me a few kisses here and there. But after while he stood beside me looking at Leyton with a pleading look on his face as if saying, "Are we done yet"? Fortunately the occasional hotdog did the trick and we were able to get in some good shots. To Michael's dismay though, Forest thought his light reflector that he was holding in his hand was a new toy and Forest went right for it. I wish I would have had the camera on the both of them as Michael was trying to pull the reflector from Forests mouth. Leyton had to come over and make Forest give it up and pry his mouth open. I have never seen a wolf cry but Forest whined and whined over having to let go of what he thought was his new toy. So obviously this ended the photo shoot with Forest getting reprimanded and Michael having his reflector back but with a few extra bite marks on it.
Understand that if any of you are going to have your photos taken with wild animals you are entering their world and their timetable. Make sure you do your homework and work diligently with the animal trainer or handler. Anything can happen in a split second so you must be focused and aware at all times.
Leyton is one in a million and he is known as the "Wolf Whisperer". Leyton has 62 wolf and wolf dogs at the sanctuary that he and volunteers care for. Over the past two years I have had the pleasure of seeing Leyton handle the wolves with amazing grace. The wolves' body language is so astounding when Leyton walks by their enclosures. Since body language is one of the oldest languages on the planet, I found watching the wolves move reminded me of an ancient dance form being performed with deliberate grace. Their sinuous movements had the timing of any well versed choreographer. I also noticed that Leyton respects the wolves and he looks at every one of them as individuals with characteristics all their own.
To say that patience is a virtue while working with wild animals is an understatement. It took all day to get in a variety of shots. And after it was all said and done, I was exhausted. Plus I smelled like I had been in the wild for days with the hint of lip balm. And just so you know I had lip balm in places I never would of thought putting it! In the end it was all worth it because both Raven and Forest taught me a great lesson; they reminded me to be in the moment and this was the most precious gift of all.
In the Forest
Edna O'Brien's In the Forest is a fictionalization of the murder of a young child and his mother in Ireland by a very disturbed young man. Apparently, the book created a huge furore at the time as the crime was very well-covered in the press. I came to read it because it is on the "1001 Books to Read Before You Die" list.
O'Brien has created a tale of a dysfunctional, sociopathic young man, Michen O'Kane, who is institutionalized at an early age. His behaviour deteriorates regardless of what treatment he receives and he eventually escapes to plague his home county with destructive jaunts of madness. He meets outsider, Eily, who lives with her son, Mattie, and they become a touchstone of normal relationship for him, and eventually get swept into his whirlwind.
I really enjoyed the upward swing of this book - the travels with Michen as he grew into a cracked young man. I didn't really bond with Eily, which made it hard to keep reading as enthusiastically. Also, I found it very hard to pick Mattie's age, which meant he was very ghost-like for me. I don't think he was consistent as a character, which made scenes with Eily jar, and made her less believable as well.
This novel is really dark in timbre, but not particularly gruesome. I love that a book can be so emotionally disturbing, without containing shocking descriptions. Instead, the mood of the novel and explanation of events is built of the emotions of the villagers. O'Kane was not bluntly shown to be evil, but a sense of dread was built around him by the fear of others. (People will probably disagree with this, as he did do some pretty awful things)
This is one of the 1001 books that I enjoyed, although it certainly left me disturbed. In some sense, the unreality of Michen's thought processes distances it from my life. Although I know that people can be insane (in fact, I've met some of them), the foreignness of his thoughts prevents him from invading my life. This book didn't keep me up at night. However, it is a lot more than the "social-worker" justification of murder that I thought it would be. Even despite the glitch with Mattie's character, definitely worth reading.
Dr Christine (Cris) Cuthbertson (DrCris)
Cris is a medical doctor in Melbourne, Australia. She has had numerous scientific articles published, and writes regualrly for three blogs. She is keen to enable patients to access better healthcare by sharing her inside knowledge of the industry.
This article is reproduced from my reading blog DrCris Reads. See this post in it's natural habitat at: http://drcris.net/readblog
O'Brien has created a tale of a dysfunctional, sociopathic young man, Michen O'Kane, who is institutionalized at an early age. His behaviour deteriorates regardless of what treatment he receives and he eventually escapes to plague his home county with destructive jaunts of madness. He meets outsider, Eily, who lives with her son, Mattie, and they become a touchstone of normal relationship for him, and eventually get swept into his whirlwind.
I really enjoyed the upward swing of this book - the travels with Michen as he grew into a cracked young man. I didn't really bond with Eily, which made it hard to keep reading as enthusiastically. Also, I found it very hard to pick Mattie's age, which meant he was very ghost-like for me. I don't think he was consistent as a character, which made scenes with Eily jar, and made her less believable as well.
This novel is really dark in timbre, but not particularly gruesome. I love that a book can be so emotionally disturbing, without containing shocking descriptions. Instead, the mood of the novel and explanation of events is built of the emotions of the villagers. O'Kane was not bluntly shown to be evil, but a sense of dread was built around him by the fear of others. (People will probably disagree with this, as he did do some pretty awful things)
This is one of the 1001 books that I enjoyed, although it certainly left me disturbed. In some sense, the unreality of Michen's thought processes distances it from my life. Although I know that people can be insane (in fact, I've met some of them), the foreignness of his thoughts prevents him from invading my life. This book didn't keep me up at night. However, it is a lot more than the "social-worker" justification of murder that I thought it would be. Even despite the glitch with Mattie's character, definitely worth reading.
Dr Christine (Cris) Cuthbertson (DrCris)
Cris is a medical doctor in Melbourne, Australia. She has had numerous scientific articles published, and writes regualrly for three blogs. She is keen to enable patients to access better healthcare by sharing her inside knowledge of the industry.
This article is reproduced from my reading blog DrCris Reads. See this post in it's natural habitat at: http://drcris.net/readblog
Want to Preserve the Flora and Fauna?
The IFS was set up in 1966 to preserve and regenerate the natural resources of the country. Entrance examination for being recruited in the office of the Indian Forest Services is generally done in the month of July.
The Indian Forest Service exam is conducted by UPSC every year in order to recruit officers for the Indian Forest Services. This is an exam similar to the TPS and IAS, i.e., it is a national level exam. The Indian Forest Service was created in 1966 in order to protect, conserve and to ensure the regeneration of forest resources in the country. Since it is an all India service, the exam is conducted by the center, but their services are put under various state cadres.
Since the maintenance of the natural resources of the country is an extremely important task, the IFS offers an extremely challenging and rewarding career. Further, as there is an entire academy that has been set up exclusively for this purpose, the officers recruited for this purpose are handpicked after a series of tests to ensure that only the very best are finally given the responsibility to take charge of preserving the country's natural resources. The IFS exam is generally conducted in the month of July, and the pattern of the same is similar to that of the civil services. Selection is done in three phases, a written test, a personality test, and a final interview. and selected candidates are sent to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration for foundation training. The next stage is a specialized orientation for forest services at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehradun.
After the training is over, these candidates are posted as one of the following; assistant conservator, district conservator, chief conservator, principal conservator, and the inspector general of forests. The highest rank in the IFS is that of the Environment Secretary in the Central government. Further, those who are finally recruited in the IFS enjoy benefits of both the benefits, those of the central as well as the state governments, thus making it one of the most sought after careers in the country.
The Indian Forest Service exam is conducted by UPSC every year in order to recruit officers for the Indian Forest Services. This is an exam similar to the TPS and IAS, i.e., it is a national level exam. The Indian Forest Service was created in 1966 in order to protect, conserve and to ensure the regeneration of forest resources in the country. Since it is an all India service, the exam is conducted by the center, but their services are put under various state cadres.
Since the maintenance of the natural resources of the country is an extremely important task, the IFS offers an extremely challenging and rewarding career. Further, as there is an entire academy that has been set up exclusively for this purpose, the officers recruited for this purpose are handpicked after a series of tests to ensure that only the very best are finally given the responsibility to take charge of preserving the country's natural resources. The IFS exam is generally conducted in the month of July, and the pattern of the same is similar to that of the civil services. Selection is done in three phases, a written test, a personality test, and a final interview. and selected candidates are sent to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration for foundation training. The next stage is a specialized orientation for forest services at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehradun.
After the training is over, these candidates are posted as one of the following; assistant conservator, district conservator, chief conservator, principal conservator, and the inspector general of forests. The highest rank in the IFS is that of the Environment Secretary in the Central government. Further, those who are finally recruited in the IFS enjoy benefits of both the benefits, those of the central as well as the state governments, thus making it one of the most sought after careers in the country.
Forest Fires, (Human) Nature and Culture
Forest Fires, (Human) Nature and Culture
This year the Forrest fires in Spain have "chosen" an exceptional area. Galicia. Exceptional, because Galicia in the north-west of Spain, is not by nature a very arid area. Until July of this year, 36,000 hectares are destroyed by fire. This is about fifty thousand soccer fields. Galicia that has recovered another catastrophe a few years ago (caused by the Prestige Oil Tanker) is now attacked again, but this time the attack comes from within (society).
The human nature takes the lead in the causing this tragedy. Pyromania is not even the number one cause, but apparently negligence is. Negligence in the sense of barbeques that are used (but forbidden) in forest areas. Meadows that are burned in order to reuse the land for agricultural purposes, in which many cases the fires are uncontrollable (mostly because of strong winds). And then there is the litter of glass than many times causes the start of a Forrest fire; splinters of glass that are transformed as a magnifier glasses.
It goes without saying that both cases -- pyromania and negligence -- need to be punished by law and order.
Pyromania is another cause but that is uncontrollable as being a byproduct of society. Pyromania is a psychopathic disease. Fire has always fascinated mankind and pyromania is something you can not easily control. To manage and control Pyromania you need to manage exceptions. You need to enter into the sick mind of the pyromaniac. Understand psychology. Understand the deviations of society.
Negligence on the other hand, is a primary product of society. It is part of culture. You do not have to enter the psychological area to control negligence. Education and instruction is the only means to control the overall level of negligence of a country. Parents have to teach their children and at school teachers need to explain the human relation with nature, that we need to take care of nature.
But how do we know whether we are reaping the fruits of this education?
This is what culture is all about. The cultural "level" of a society is visible in the way we treat each other but also in the way we treat nature.
An indicator of a cultural level is (the level of) recycling. We started to recycle our garbage not only because of economical incentives, but most of all because moral concern with the environment. Even if the economic equation doesn’t break even on itself from recycling it will when you include the moral and cultural influence. Understanding that we are responsible for our own garbage.
Recycling is about separating glass, batteries, paper, plastic, metal and even organic leftovers from other garbage. And it is not even our own garbage... just think about the people that own a dog...
Changing a culture maybe difficult, but in the end it is the individual that is part of it. You and me who are influencing the average level of culture. If we talk about negligence, the first thing we should do is knock at our own door and check whether we have done all we could have done. Do we recycle our own stuff in the right way?
© 2006 Hans Bool
Hans Bool is the founder of [http://www.astorwhite.com/]Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management tools. Have a look at some of our [http://www.astorwhite.com/en/service_online_statistics.php]free management tools
This year the Forrest fires in Spain have "chosen" an exceptional area. Galicia. Exceptional, because Galicia in the north-west of Spain, is not by nature a very arid area. Until July of this year, 36,000 hectares are destroyed by fire. This is about fifty thousand soccer fields. Galicia that has recovered another catastrophe a few years ago (caused by the Prestige Oil Tanker) is now attacked again, but this time the attack comes from within (society).
The human nature takes the lead in the causing this tragedy. Pyromania is not even the number one cause, but apparently negligence is. Negligence in the sense of barbeques that are used (but forbidden) in forest areas. Meadows that are burned in order to reuse the land for agricultural purposes, in which many cases the fires are uncontrollable (mostly because of strong winds). And then there is the litter of glass than many times causes the start of a Forrest fire; splinters of glass that are transformed as a magnifier glasses.
It goes without saying that both cases -- pyromania and negligence -- need to be punished by law and order.
Pyromania is another cause but that is uncontrollable as being a byproduct of society. Pyromania is a psychopathic disease. Fire has always fascinated mankind and pyromania is something you can not easily control. To manage and control Pyromania you need to manage exceptions. You need to enter into the sick mind of the pyromaniac. Understand psychology. Understand the deviations of society.
Negligence on the other hand, is a primary product of society. It is part of culture. You do not have to enter the psychological area to control negligence. Education and instruction is the only means to control the overall level of negligence of a country. Parents have to teach their children and at school teachers need to explain the human relation with nature, that we need to take care of nature.
But how do we know whether we are reaping the fruits of this education?
This is what culture is all about. The cultural "level" of a society is visible in the way we treat each other but also in the way we treat nature.
An indicator of a cultural level is (the level of) recycling. We started to recycle our garbage not only because of economical incentives, but most of all because moral concern with the environment. Even if the economic equation doesn’t break even on itself from recycling it will when you include the moral and cultural influence. Understanding that we are responsible for our own garbage.
Recycling is about separating glass, batteries, paper, plastic, metal and even organic leftovers from other garbage. And it is not even our own garbage... just think about the people that own a dog...
Changing a culture maybe difficult, but in the end it is the individual that is part of it. You and me who are influencing the average level of culture. If we talk about negligence, the first thing we should do is knock at our own door and check whether we have done all we could have done. Do we recycle our own stuff in the right way?
© 2006 Hans Bool
Hans Bool is the founder of [http://www.astorwhite.com/]Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management tools. Have a look at some of our [http://www.astorwhite.com/en/service_online_statistics.php]free management tools
Forest
Jungle or forest holidays take you into the richest habitat on earth. This is an environment where man is tolerated rather than accepted, an eco-system that supports the animal and plant kingdoms in a fragile interdependency.
The way to visit these precious environments on a forest holiday is on an organised tour, and there are plenty of forest adventure tour companies that can offer rainforest tours worldwide. Some forests are relatively safe from harm and quite welcoming, but some exist, fragile, on a knife edge and need soft foot fall visits in order to protect them. There are also numerous local tourism, conservation and volunteering projects that educate visitors and support the local communities, taking you deep into the lush green hearts of these magical places on forest holidays. Here are some forest holidays to inspire:
Forest Holidays in the Amazon: A huge moist leaf forest covering a great swathe of the top of South America, the Amazon spreads into nine countries, but is most of it falls within Brazil. As well as being the largest rainforest in the world and half the world's remaining rainforest, the Amazon has greater biodiversity than any other - and that's before everything here has even been found and dissected. More than a third of all the world's species live in the Amazon, as well as the vast range of plants there are more than two and a half million species of insect, 3000 kinds of fish, 1,200 types of bird, 370 kinds of reptiles and 420 different mammal species. If around 90,000 tonnes of living plant can come out of one square Amazon kilometre then imagine what has been lost in the 600,000+ square kilometres of rainforest which have been destroyed. As well as plants and animals there are still people living in the Amazon.
Forest Holidays in Ecuador's Cloud Forest: Mainland Ecuador has three general regions - the Amazon, the mountains and the Pacific Coast. Heading up from the coast and over the Andes toward the Amazon Basin on forest holidays, you pass through a range of ecosystems, including sub alpine Paramo system. The cloud forests occur on both sides of the Andes and contain incredible biodiversity, especially of birds. They are lush verdant forests, with much of the precipitation coming in the form of mist, and although close to the equator, have a mild temperature year round. And apart from the birds, there are fantastic displays of orchids. Best time: during the dry season (June to December)
Forest Holidays in The Daintree: While thousands of people choose the Daintree for forest holidays, in far North Queensland, you can still escape from it all and experience the ancient sense of this place. Famously known as the place where 'the rainforest meets the Reef', it is home to one of the largest ranges of animals and plants on earth. It contains 30% of the frog, marsupial and reptile species in Australia, and 65% of Australia's bat and butterfly species.
WorldReviewer.com is a travel website with many independent reviews on [http://www.worldreviewer.com/travel-guides/rainforest/]forest holidays around the world including the [http://www.worldreviewer.com/travel-guides/rainforest/the-amazon-rainforest/55001/]Amazon Rainforest and the Cloud forests of Ecuador.
The way to visit these precious environments on a forest holiday is on an organised tour, and there are plenty of forest adventure tour companies that can offer rainforest tours worldwide. Some forests are relatively safe from harm and quite welcoming, but some exist, fragile, on a knife edge and need soft foot fall visits in order to protect them. There are also numerous local tourism, conservation and volunteering projects that educate visitors and support the local communities, taking you deep into the lush green hearts of these magical places on forest holidays. Here are some forest holidays to inspire:
Forest Holidays in the Amazon: A huge moist leaf forest covering a great swathe of the top of South America, the Amazon spreads into nine countries, but is most of it falls within Brazil. As well as being the largest rainforest in the world and half the world's remaining rainforest, the Amazon has greater biodiversity than any other - and that's before everything here has even been found and dissected. More than a third of all the world's species live in the Amazon, as well as the vast range of plants there are more than two and a half million species of insect, 3000 kinds of fish, 1,200 types of bird, 370 kinds of reptiles and 420 different mammal species. If around 90,000 tonnes of living plant can come out of one square Amazon kilometre then imagine what has been lost in the 600,000+ square kilometres of rainforest which have been destroyed. As well as plants and animals there are still people living in the Amazon.
Forest Holidays in Ecuador's Cloud Forest: Mainland Ecuador has three general regions - the Amazon, the mountains and the Pacific Coast. Heading up from the coast and over the Andes toward the Amazon Basin on forest holidays, you pass through a range of ecosystems, including sub alpine Paramo system. The cloud forests occur on both sides of the Andes and contain incredible biodiversity, especially of birds. They are lush verdant forests, with much of the precipitation coming in the form of mist, and although close to the equator, have a mild temperature year round. And apart from the birds, there are fantastic displays of orchids. Best time: during the dry season (June to December)
Forest Holidays in The Daintree: While thousands of people choose the Daintree for forest holidays, in far North Queensland, you can still escape from it all and experience the ancient sense of this place. Famously known as the place where 'the rainforest meets the Reef', it is home to one of the largest ranges of animals and plants on earth. It contains 30% of the frog, marsupial and reptile species in Australia, and 65% of Australia's bat and butterfly species.
WorldReviewer.com is a travel website with many independent reviews on [http://www.worldreviewer.com/travel-guides/rainforest/]forest holidays around the world including the [http://www.worldreviewer.com/travel-guides/rainforest/the-amazon-rainforest/55001/]Amazon Rainforest and the Cloud forests of Ecuador.
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