X-Git-Url: https://codewiz.org/gitweb?p=wiki.git;a=blobdiff_plain;f=blog%2F2007%2F02;fp=blog%2F2007%2F02;h=c2158e8d93921d8d5754786f267b4cd13a746bd4;hp=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000;hb=20332db49d81018287a68bce389d75c6088e7207;hpb=97878c5fad26db8a17a0027132505c800a35d9e8 diff --git a/blog/2007/02 b/blog/2007/02 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c2158e8 --- /dev/null +++ b/blog/2007/02 @@ -0,0 +1,110 @@ +== Bernie's brain backup for February 2008 == + +=== Sun, 25th === + +==== Fosdem OLPC Team ==== + +FosdemOlpcGroupTaggedSmall.jpg + +=== Sat, 9th === + +==== Red Panda ==== + +Today I visited the Cairns tropical zoo. They have this cute red panda: + + http://www.wildlifearchives.com/images/red-panda.jpg + +And I could feed kangaroos and wallabies and even cuddle a koala! I have +a picture to prove it, but it's not digital. + +==== Photos ==== + +Arnd has flickr'd a few photos form our visit to the HealsvilleSanctuary: + + http://www.flickr.com/photos/22355135@N05/sets/72157603863399336/ + +I like this one with the both of us caressing a Wallaby: + + http://www.flickr.com/photos/22355135@N05/2241324490/in/set-72157603863399336/ + +=== Fri, 8th === + +==== So long, and thanks for all the fish! ==== + +Back from diving. I've seen plenty of small fish and medium fish, including the ClownFish (best known as Nemo). +I had little luck with the big ones: I've seen only one shark, around 2.5 mt long, but it was really +shy and ran away too quickly for me to follow. Yes, sharks do not attack man. If you know otherwise, +you must have seen it in a movie. No sea turtles for me, although my travel mates did see many and +even touched them. + +I've also seen two dolphins, but those don't count because I was on board. And, for +some reason, they soon decided that we were uninteresting and swam away. + +But now for the amazing thing: during my night dive, *lots* of big fish came around us. +I'm ashamed to admit I can't remember their name: they were mostly gray, as big as +medium sized dogs, with a bump on their heads, and big lips. They have learned to +follow the torch lights at night. They're absolutely not interested in us, only what our +beams were pointing at. Every once in a while, I'd spot a small fish in the dark, and +the big ones would swim really quickly and smash it! And then spit the little bones! +So cool! + +We played like this for a while. Poor little fish! But those big ones ought to eat somehow, +shouldn't they? + +The reef is one of the seven natural wonders of the world for a reason. A zoological +garden underwater. Highly recommended to divers and snorkelers. + + +=== Thu, 7th === + +==== Crusade on the reef ==== + +I'm boarding on a ship to the GreatBarrierReef. I'll be diving all day (and night!) to +see the wonderful fish and coral. As a secondary objective, I'll be doing an SSI +advanced diving course. + +http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Blue_Linckia_Starfish.JPG + +=== Wed, 6th === + +==== Tropical paradise ===== + +I just arrived in CairnsCity, a small town in the northern part of Queensland. +The flight was AU$99 plus taxes (about AU$115): you fly cheap in OZ! + +The climate here is clearly sub-tropical: very warm and wet even at 7AM. +A rain forest surrounds the city. The sea is 28 degrees Celsius, even at night! + +http://www.destination360.com/australia-south-pacific/australia/images/s/australia-cairns.jpg + +=== Mon 4th === + +==== Sydney ==== + +I'm SydneyCity! :-) + +But the weather is crappy :-( + +I took a domestic flight from Melbourne to Sydney for just AU$79 plus the usual taxes. +It rained all day, but the hostel is huge and has a covered swimming pool at the 8th floor. + +Finally, I managed to walk around the city. The parks are as remarkable and well kept as those +in London, but with sub-tropical vegetation. The OperaHouse is as impressive as you would +expect. The bridge is even more impressive. If you liked BridgeConstructionSet, you'd love +this one! + +=== Sun 3rd === + +==== Zoo ==== + +Along with a bunch of other hackers from the LCA, we went to the HealsvilleSanctuary zoological garden. +They had all the "usual" animals: kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, wombats, along with the Tasmanian devil +and many others. + +The kangaroos were not protected by a fence, but they were too scared to come close to us +and would just jump away when we got too close. + +One wallaby, instead, liked being caressed on the head. They are peaceful animals, +very much like grown up rabbits, but with a big tail, clever little forehands and... of course, a pouch :-) + +http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Bennetwallaby.jpg \ No newline at end of file