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Island Holbox Whale Shark Adventure

Every summer the waters around Holbox Island Mexico are teaming with giant hungry feeding sharks. So why are so many people getting into the water with these ravenous beasts? No special cages or protection are used yet thousands of people flock from around the world to take their chances swimming with sharks! While many people may think the idea is crazy, swimming with Whale Sharks is actually very safe and a once in a lifetime experience.

Whale Shark season is from mid May to mid September off the Coast of Holbox Island near Cancun Mexico. The largest fish in the world reaches lengths of over 40 feet (13 meters) with a weight in excess of 21 tons. Whale Sharks return to the waters around Holbox year after year due to the unique environment and timing of available food which occurs each spring and continues through most of the summer.

The Whale Shark is a filter feeding fish with a primary diet of plankton and other microscopic plants and animals and has been observed on occasion feeding on very small schooling fish. The conditions around Isla Holbox are ideal during the summer months as it is uniquely situated near the merger points of the Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. This joining of three oceans creates a rich seasonal explosion of life.

The Whale Shark poses no threat to humans on a snorkel or diving expedition; in reality it is a wonderful opportunity to change the false perception that sharks are man eaters. The Whale Sharks around the Island of Holbox actually seem to enjoy and welcome the human interaction and are quite gentle and slow moving. The experience of swimming with these magnificent fish is awe inspiring.

Isla Holbox provides the ideal and closest land location in the world to experience an encounter with these very large majestic and peaceful creatures with access only 20-60 minutes from the island by boat. Tours and expeditions from this Mexican island location have been featured by National Geographic, The Discovery Channel, Shark Diver Magazine and many others.

The typical Whale Shark swimming experience requires only a snorkel, fins and mask though most tour operators also require and provide a life vest. After a briefing on guidelines and safety you’ll take an early morning boat ride from Holbox Island to the feeding areas of the Whale Sharks where they lazily graze on plankton near the surface. You are then escorted in small groups or pairs with your biologist guide into the water where you swim along side one of natures oldest and largest creatures, it truly is a Jurassic experience!

The calm and slow swimming pace of the Whale Shark makes access to these great fish easy for most people, kids as young as 5 years of age and as old as 90 have swam with the Whale Sharks. The direct interaction with these incredible animals is a once in a lifetime experience. Getting to the sharks is an adventure in itself with schools of dolphin common and a variety of tropical birds including; Flamingos, Pelicans, Cranes and a wealth of others indigenous to the area.

If you are interested in this amazing experience there are a number of wonderful hotels on the island, from luxury boutique hotels to cabanas on the beach, a night or two at least on Holbox is worth the trip. Isla Holbox is a friendly fishing village hosting a population of around 1500 permanent residents, mostly fishermen, hoteliers and tour operators. Golf carts are the preferred mode of transportation on this sleepy Tropical Island and natural playground.

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Alkalizing Food – What You Need to Know About Alkalizing Foods

Nowadays, there are many diet plans that people are trying to follow. They want to have a healthy body and to maintain good shape. Alkaline diet is the best bet to having them. You can have the body you have always wanted by eating alkalizing food.

Alkaline diet has been proven effective in losing weight and achieving a healthy lifestyle. It is natural yet effective! It was called alkaline diet because this diet involves incorporating large amount of alkaline foods into your everyday meals.

Alkalizing food is something that when taken into our body, produces alkaline ash. In the contrary, acid foods produce acid ash when metabolized by the body.

Alkaline foods include most of fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts. Some of the well known alkaline foods which are rich in alkaline residues are lemons and grapefruits. We all know that they are acidic in nature.

Therefore, some of us are somewhat getting confused why these fruits are considered alkalizing. Alkaline forming foods do not mean that they must all be alkaline in nature. What we mean when we say alkaline foods is that, these foods produce alkaline residues once digested.

Lemon is a really good alkalizing food! In fact it is a great advice for an arthritic patient to have it. Lemon water is a great drink for those who really want to have a renewed lifestyle and who want to lose weight.

Some examples of alkaline vegetables are broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, mushrooms, squash and turnips. Fruits that are alkaline foods are apples, bananas, papayas, grapefruits, oranges, lemons, pineapples, raisins, nectarines, blackberries and dates.

Acid foods are very easy to distinguish because they are the foods that we know that are not good for our health. Among the acid foods are red meats, dairy products, frizzy, sweets, pastries, rice and pasta.

Alcohols are considered acidic. We know that they cause liver cancer. Cigarettes are acidic too. They cause lung cancer.

Alkalizing food is easily obtained from anywhere else. You can directly get it from the yard if you have grown some fruits and vegetables there. Fresh foods are really better than other foods. Processed foods are not good.

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The Art of Tea and The Way of Tea

Mention the words Chinese tea culture and the first images that surface are probably that of a tea ceremony and the method of brewing tea commonly known as gongfu brewing. Not inaccurate but hardly representative of the entire spectrum that Chinese tea culture entails.

Unfortunately, Chinese tea culture has been synonymous with Chayi (the Art of Tea) as opposed to Chadao (the Way of Tea). Hence, this beloved beverage and way of life has often been portrayed as a mystical, arcane ceremony that requires years of devoted training and the purest of hearts before one can begin to unravel the mysteries.

If that is the case, than tea would have been reserved for less than 1% of China’s (admittedly sizable) population, not a ubiquitous sight across the country spanning all walks of life. Contrary to what some may believe, not all Chinese are proficient in brewing gongfu tea or even drink tea the gongfu way. While we are at it- Chinese do not wear silk traditional costumes everyday either but I digress.

Chinese tea culture is more than ceremonies and performances. It can be as simple as throwing some leaves in a tall glass. It can be carrying a vacuum flask or tumbler full of brewed tea and sipping from it all day long. It can also be the famous Beijing big bowl tea (Da Wan Cha) or Taiwanese ‘bubble tea’ or Hong Kong’s ‘yum cha’ culture.

It would be unfair to assume Chinese tea culture begins and ends with the gongfu style or the ceremony that is more of a performance than about exacting the best possible taste from the leaves. Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for it- there are few things more inherently relaxing than attending a tea performance but that is hardly representative of the full spectrum.

For tea to be considered a culture- it would have to be ingrained in the daily lives of the masses. Just like British tea culture entails afternoon teas which has embedded itself into a daily routine- Chinese culture has elements that are day-to-day affairs. Being a daily affair would exclude ceremonies, unless the subject matter in question is in that line of work.

For example in Chinese culture, tea is universally served at restaurants, virtually by default. When I was in China, I asked for plain water (after a whole day at the tea market, I was certain I wouldn’t be able to consume anymore caffeine without a bout of insomnia) and I was greeted with a look of incredulity. I had to repeat myself and endure those piercing stares before I eventually got my message across.

Yet teas served in restaurants are simply brewed in a metal or ceramic pot, not a Yixing pot with an elaborate show before being served. These may be a notch (or ten) below the teas served in ceremonies but they are undeniably as much a part of Chinese tea culture as their more illustrious counterparts.

Another common simple method of consumption is drinking directly out of tall glasses with the leaves thrown in. This is particularly favored for green tea which is the most commonly consumed type in China. There are variations and more details but generally the approach is this- warm the glass, add leaves, add hot water, let the leaves steep, when the water level falls to 1/3 fill again and repeat another time. Not only is this convenient, it allows the drinker to watch leaves unfurl and admire the rhapsody of the leaves. More importantly, it basically requires only a glass and hot water and not the whole kitchen sink so this can be practiced in the workplace without incurring the boss’s wrath.

Some connoisseurs disdain this method of brewing saying that it doesn’t quite unleash the full flavor of tea but personally I think the convenience it brings about outweighs the loss in quality.

Tea culture really is about enjoying tea in a manner that best fits the occasion. Whether on the dinner table or in the office, on the go or hosting friends at home- these are all as much a part of tea culture as ceremonies and performances. At its very core, tea culture is about consuming it, incorporating it into part of our lives- not a sporadic indulgence. This is true for the Chinese nationals and should be true for of us.

Let Chinese (or Japanese or Korean) tea ceremonies intrigue us but not intimidate us, be enchanting but not elusive- tea culture can be simple, enjoyable and an everyday affair.