Two 4000-meter-plus peaks, the Mauna Loa and the Mauna Kea, breakthrough the milk-white expanse of clouds which invariably covers the afternoons of Big Island. A road makes its way through the two giants, we travel it for several dozens of kilometers then turn off to the right and rise on the slopes of the Mauna Kea. The vegetation vanishes, a low-growing and crimson grass takes place and wraps the stone-free areas. We close our windows, the cold makes our skin tingle. But the temperatures aren't wintry yet when a layer of snow strews the heights of the volcano.
The purity of the sky attracts worldwide astronomers and a flock of white- or silvery-domed metallic mushrooms thrusts up on the top. These observatories and telescopes use the latest technologies to attempt to fathom out the stars and other luminous and radio-electrical manifestations. We park near the largest telescope in the world. The surrounding ocean of clouds doesn't take long to soak up ochre shades and we remain silent in front of the sun which slowly disappears on the horizon.
When the night is dark enough, halfway up the hill, a group of amateur or professional astronomers give us explanations about the starry vault. Electronically-controlled portable telescopes point at remarkable objects such as galaxies or cosmic clouds. An informal and educational encounter between a group of enthusiasts and a handful of tourist eager for understanding a little bit more of what happens overhead.
Keyword - in the stars -
Monday 3 November 2008
into the stars on the Mauna Kea
By dorian on Monday 3 November 2008, 08:31 - RTW2-Hawaii
Tuesday 9 October 2007
On a dromedary's back in the Thar desert
By dorian on Tuesday 9 October 2007, 22:54 - RTW-India
The stone castle dances in the desert wind of the Rajasthan. These thick bulwarks carry a bloody, more or less glorious past within their bowels. The fort of Jaisalmer knew its moments of prosperity, at the thriving time of the silk roads. Vendors of every kind sold their textiles, spices, elixirs and miraculous products. But the development of the maritime saling in the south of India suddenly shattered the opulent prosperity of the city nestled on the edge of the Thar desert. It had to wait for several centuries before some backpackers rediscover the serenity of this small hamlet overlooked by lofty ramparts. Sensing the fledgling market, a great deal of inhabitants turned towards this new type of modern business, the tourism. To the point to spoil the old buildings, from now on being weighed down with signs utterly dedicated to the tourists.
The touts fidget as soon as we get off the train and are omnipresent in the city. Up to lose patience several times. The inebriating alleyways within the ramparts are dotted with souvenirs shops and snake among sable-hued delicately chiseled buildings. Jaisalmer epitomizes Rajasthan where the time seems to get fixed. Most of tourists come here to enjoy riding a dromedary and sleeping on the sand dunes of the Thar desert.
We leave for a 3-day meharé in the desert. The jeep draws away the fort of Jaisalmer while a swarm of windmills whril in the glowing morning sky.
A short stop at the royal cenotaphs and we take our way again. We plunge into the flat and dry roads of the desert.
On the edge of the road, 2 heavily loaded dromedaries wait for their hosts. We make Badia's acquaintance who will guide us throughout this stroll in the desert.
We sit astride the animals and with a slow and gentle pace we leave to the unknown. The dromedary is not really comfortable. We often stop to get over our trials. We take advantage of the stops to watch this fascinating animal able of staying 2 weeks without drinking and then swallowing 200 liters of water within 3 minutes. The soles of their leg cushion the heavy carcass when the long bend neck swings at the rate of the steps. A timeless experience while we reach a bit of sand dunes where we get off the animal to spend the night. We run onto the sandy mounds. A magical sensation of the feet which sink into the blong sun-heat sand. We sit down on the crest of a dune, vague look and fixed mouth. These desert wind-shaped landscapes penetrate and mesmerize us. We share the diner in a deep silence and dash to settle a pile of blankets up a dune. Lying down on the sand area and the eyes skywards, the star-dotted sky shows our pettiness. Without being able to say anything, our looks peer into the sky, endeavour to piece the constellations together, capture the fleeting apparition of a shooting star or the slow trip of a satellite. We fall asleep as in a dream, a dream full of stars.
We sit astride our mounts for a long stroll, far from all. We start again our slow drift towards the inknown et lose the notion of time and space. Bushes and small trees immortalize the few signs of life that surround us and mark a set of dunes out. Without comparison with the Sahara infinity, the sunset over the dunes of the Thar desert remains poignant. The golden disc vanishes in the distance, the bronze shades darken and the first stars break through the celestial vault. A second magical night lying down on a dune, the hands crossed under the head and the eyes getting the light of these millions of stars and galaxies that slowly turn around the polar star. Silence and admiration.
Third and last day of our stroll and our dromedaries drop us off at the edge of the asphalted road where a jeep waits for us to go back to the fort of Jaisalmer.
A break in the desert utterly out of time and completely invigorating.
