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7Jul/100

The Royal Barge Procession ? Splendor on the Chao Phraya River

The Royal Barge Procession ? Splendor on the Chao Phraya River

The Royal Barge Procession in Bangkok, conducted on very
rare occasions, is a spectacular royal armada on the Chao
Phraya River. This procession is normally conducted on the
following occasions:
When the King ascends the throne.When the King goes down the Chao Phraya to present
robes to the monks during the Royal Krathin Ceremony after
the Buddhist Lent in October.When the King goes to Saraburi to pay homage to the
Buddha's footprint.When Bangkok receives important Buddha images from
other cities.When receiving foreign diplomatic dignitaries to
Bangkok.
Some of the memorable Royal Barge Processions during the
reign of King Rama IX, the present King, were:
On 14 May 1957, to commemorate the 25th century of the
Buddhist era.On 06 Apr 1982, to commemorate 200 years of the
Bangkok era on the Bangkok Bicentennial.On 05 Dec 1999, to celebrate the 72nd birthday of King
Rama IX.
The most recent Royal Barge Procession was on 20 Oct 2003
for the closing ceremony of the APEC Conference in Bangkok,
in honor of the visiting heads of state.This procession was special as this was the first time it took
place at night, amid special light and sound effects for the
stretch of the river fronting the VIP's. The guests were seated
in the Royal Thai Navy Institute across the Chao Phraya River
from the Grand Palace.At 2000 hours, 50 barges consisting of the Suphannahongse, the
Narai Song Suban King Rama IX and escort barges were
launched from the Wasukri Pier upriver.This flotilla of royal barges, when fully deployed in a sailing
formation of five columns abreast and 90 m wide, stretched 1.5
km along the Chao Phraya.Concurrently at the Royal Thai Navy Institute, a 10-minute
sight and sound presentation in six languages was made on the
history and tradition of the royal barges.The presentation was timed to end as the Royal Barge
Procession sailed into view, on waters apparently lit with gold,
as a curtain of mist fell over the river, creating an ethereal air.Two thousand men of the Royal Thai Navy in ancient
ceremonial uniforms rowed steadfastly by in perfect unison,
honed through months of intense practice. Their chants of the
ancient boat song, that dates back to the days of King Narai of
Ayutthaya, drifted across the river.Just then, the night erupted as fireworks burst, filling the sky
with the brilliant national colors of the participating nations.
The lights cascaded down illuminating the Royal Barge
Procession as it streamed past the Grand Palace, a splendid
finish to a grand event.The royal barges can be viewed at the Royal Barge Museum, Bangkok.This article by Eric Lim first appeared in Tour Bangkok Legacies, a historical travel site on people, places and events that shaped the landscape of Bangkok. Lim, a free-lance
writer, lives in Bangkok, Thailand.

8Jun/100

A Simple Way To Identify and Catch The Big One in River!

A Simple Way To Identify and Catch The Big One in River!

River dry fly fishing considered as the purest form of fly
fishing inspired generations of writers, artists, poets and
even philosophers to wax lyrical about its pleasures.The gist to river dry fly fishing lies in the rise. Here,
the angler waits patiently for a rise to begin before
he or she starts to fish. And the art comes in persuading a
particular trout to take your artifical pattern among a host
of natural flies.Rise forms vary widely from hour-to hour and river-to river.
From the way a trout breaks the surface (a rise), an
experienced angler can tell how and what the
trout feeds.The classic rise is when a series of concentric rings fan
out on the surface as the trout confidently engulfs the fly
as it drifts past.Trouts do not rise vertically in the water, instead they
drift back on the current to intercept the fly. The trout will then return to its station in the
stream, usually inbetween weed beds on a shallow gravel run,
under a bridge, overhanging tree or in a hatch pool, to
wait for the next free meal.Other rises includes:Nebbing rise occurs when the trout pushes its nose right out
of the water as heavy hatches of flies hover over its head.Splashy rise is a violent splashing which usually
happens in the evening when the trout are after mayfly or
caddis.Sipping rise happens when insects are trapped in the surface
film and usually leaves a bubble behind.Sub-surface rise causes all the problems as the rtout seems
to be rising to take a surface fly, bt it is really taking
an emerging nymph. As it does so, it disturbs the water
making it looks like a proper rise.Head and tail rise are usually seen in smooth stretches of
water to nymphs trapped below the surface film where the
whole fish appears.The challenge comes in first identifying the fly that the
trout is taking, whether they are taking duns or spinners,
or if they are nymping sub-surface.After selecting the correct fly, the next challenge comes in
persuading the trout to take it.The observant dry-fly angler learns by experience to
recognize the different types of rise that commonly make.
This will help him to select the correct fly and present it
in a manner that the feeding fish will accept.Once a correct imitation fly to match those that the trout
are taking is selected, get a position downstream and cast
at but not over the rising fish.Highlighted are the common rises, to net that 'big one',
all you need is to match the correct fly to what the trout
is looking for and cast your rod!Wishing you loads of catch!Are you looking forward to that one big catch? Ebenezer Heng
has co-created the ultimate, informative and useful fly
fishing directories for anyone seeking to know more about
flyfishing. Read about the equipment, places and other
trivias to net a prize catch!
Check out=> http://www.flyfishinglovers.com

18May/100

A Review of Popular River Rafting Trips and Services

A Review of Popular River Rafting Trips and Services

Organized river rafting trips are a good idea for novices and experts alike. River rafting tours provide all of the equipment, guidance, and instruction necessary. If the trip covers several days, the rafting company may provide camping accommodations as well. Trips are available for rafters of all skill levels, from beginners rafting for the first time, to skilled experts looking for the toughest rivers in the country.River rafting tours are offered on many major rivers in the country. Trips are available in many different lengths, varying from an afternoon to a two week trek. River rafting trips designed for families as well as trips that cater to experienced rafters are available almost anywhere. While much river rafting is done in the Southwest, it is by no means the only place for a river rafting adventure. North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, and many other states have great rivers for rafting.A couple of well-established river rafting outfitters are Dvorak Expeditions, California River Rafting Excitement, and the Nantahala Outdoor Center. All three of these companies offer great guides, top-of-the-line equipment, and routes on some of the best rivers.Dvorak Enterprises was the first outfitter given a river recreation outfitters license in 1969. Run by the world famous Bill Dvorak out of Salida, Colorado, this company offers exciting river rafting trips to visitors in many states including Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, and Texas, as well as New Zealand and Nepal. Dvorak Enterprises is known for its friendly, skilled, and knowledgeable guides.California River Rafting Excitement is one of the top-rated river rafting outfitters in the Sunshine State. This company offers river rafting trips on five different California rivers, has trips designed for families as well as experienced rafters, and offers camping equipment for trips lasting several days.Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Carolina offers a variety of river rafting adventures on several rivers in the area. The rivers range in difficulty to accommodate rafters at any skill level, and Nantahala offers great guides as well as a rafting school for novices.River rafting trips are a fun way for adventurous travelers to unwind and relax. River rafting adventures are available for rafters of all skill levels, insuring that everyone will have a good, safe time.River Rafting Info provides detailed information on river rafting trips in Washington, Colorado, California and the Grand Canyon, as well as Salmon River in Idaho and Rogue River in Oregon. River Rafting Info is the sister site of Inflatable Boats Web.