Winning tip: Pirin Mountains, Bulgaria

A friend and I completed a 55km, three-day hike across the Pirin mountains. We started in picturesque Dobrinishte, stayed in mountain huts for two nights and finished in the famous wine-growing town of Melnik, via the stunning Rozhen monastery. The variety of landscape was wonderful, from the glacial lakes of the upper mountains to the gentle Alpine forests below and finally the almost sub-tropical sandstone pyramids, dense vines and creepers around Melnik. jamescrouchman

Three days is all it takes to complete one of New Zealands great walks. The trek takes you through dense forest to rocky mountainsides with some spectacular waterfalls on the way. Side treks are also available for those who want a little more adventure. These are greatly advised particularly Conical Hill, which gives a panoramic view of the mountain range. Alpine parrots will accompany your journey, but keep an eye on your picnic! Really friendly guides give you all the information you need in the excellent huts on the way. David Grant

The Travessia Petrpolis is a three-day trek inland from the city of Rio that takes you up above the clouds to over 2,000m in the Parque Nacional da Serra dos Orgos. You will see spectacular sunsets and sunrises and can bathe in a refreshing waterfall. You can spend two nights in mountain shelters, hire a tent or take your own. You will need to pay a small fee to access the park, which can be done online, where you can also book the shelter and find a local guide. When you get back to Rio, you can carry on trekking with climbs up the numerous peaks of that amazing city.

bikeandwalk bikeandwalk

This is one of the last great wilderness walks in the British Isles, and not for the faint-hearted. Its a rough, tough five-day trek with no roads, no accommodation other than basic bothies and no other people! What it does have is superb coastal scenery, abundant wildlife and remarkable geological phenomena. writeofway

My partner and I trekked through Burmas Shan State, from Kalaw to Inle Lake, over three days. The states agricultural hinterland comprises a patchwork of farmland and an endless vista of hills and forest, dotted with villages, pagodas and monasteries. Stopping overnight, we were warmly welcomed to stay in wooden village houses, experiencing rural Burmese life in a place that felt off the beaten track. Along the way, we chatted to locals, rested in small tea shops over sweet, milky drinks and ducked into monasteries to escape the suns midday glare. BenStarkey

This is a great trek for several reasons. First, its history - the pilgrim way to Santiago was one of the great routes of the Middle Ages. Second, the architecture Cluniac monasteries, tiny Romanesque churches, great pilgrim hospitals, and the amazing cathedrals of Le Puy and Compostela at either end. And third, the landscape, from the great droving tracks of Aubrac to the Pyrenees, the narrow gorge of the Lot to the fertile vineyards and fruit orchards of Gascony, the route traverses some of the finest landscapes of southern Europe. andreakkk

The Nuortti hiking trail is a circular 40km trek near the Finnish/Russian border in the Urho Kekkonen national park. The trail runs along the Nuortti river, which is a popular destination for fishing and offers views of dense forests and deep canyons. It is an extremely well-catered-for trek offering reservable huts equipped with wood for fires, an outhouse, gas cooker and kitchen utensils. Id advise spending two nights in the forest its a magical environment to immerse yourself in, a place to feel detached from the hustle and bustle of life. connect10

The valley of Glenlough lies facing the wild Atlantic in south-west Donegal, Ireland. Its en route from Port to Maghera, which is a comfortable two-day trek, edging the coast, along spectacular cliffs and breathtaking scenery. Accessible only on foot, the valley was once briefly home to poet Dylan Thomas, who spent the summer of 1935 living and writing there. (The old stone cottage where he stayed is now a ruin.) The area and surrounding mountains are also home to rare flora and fauna and have been described by the Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) as one of the last remaining wilderness frontiers in Europe, and the sea stacks offshore are some of the largest in Ireland. glendoan

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Great treks around the world: readers travel tips

By Farooq Soomro | January 7, 2015

The night sky in Kirthar range is so clear that you can spot the Milky Way with your naked eyes. The landscape is so vast that it stretches beyond man-made boundaries.

A land so enriched with history that one feels lost in time. The mountain range forming a natural boundary between Balochistan and Sindh is home to several peaks, most notably Gorakh Hill (5,700), Kuttay-ji-Qabar (6,877) and Bandu-ji-Qabar (7,112) .

The 150+ mile long stretch provides a sanctuary to different wild life and its torrents, tributaries, canyons, ponds and historical sites making it an ideal excursion for a variety of people.

Unfortunately the uncertain security situations cloaks the ground reality that the local hospitable people are more than eager to welcome tourists and help improve the image of their area.

I went to Gorakh Hill last year and had been yearning to go back to Kirthar range ever since. A family friend was hosting a kacheri on Badro Jabal and I jumped into the invitation as soon as I heard about it.

Badro Jabal in Kirthar range was a much safer and easier destination than the rest. It was only 320km from Karachi and a metal road connected it with the Indus highway.

The drive was rather uneventful until we reached the elevation of 3,000 feet where we saw the panoramic view of the valleys below. An oil exploration company had dug wells across Badro plateau and we could see dirt roads connecting various spots across the mountain.

We found a small guesthouse there that had been built by the government a long time ago and was now in desolate condition. We made a stop there and walked leisurely to the edge of the mountain. We saw a dirt road below in the gorge.

Here we met a local shepherd there who lived across the gorge. He told us that they had been promised development in the area due to the oil companys investment.

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The night sky in Kirthar range is so clear that you can spot the Milky Way with your naked eyes. The landscape is so ...

Native vegetation codes irk both environmental and farm groups.

Proposed loosening of land-clearing codes by the O'Farrell government will allow NSW farmers to slash, burn and rip will little oversight, environmental groups claim.

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner and Environment Minister Robyn Parker on Thursday unveiled for public comment the first three self-assessable codes for clearing native vegetation.

The codes - for managing invasive native species, thinning native vegetation and clearing paddock trees in cultivated areas will help ensure we strike the balance between conservation and efficient agricultural management, Mr Stoner said.

This places trust in landholders to manage their property sustainably while maintaining environmental standards.

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Environmental groups, though, say the codes permit the use of chains dragged by bulldozers and blade ploughs that run counter to the recommendations in the Native Vegetation Regulation Review completed a year ago by agricultural consultant Joe Lane.

Self-assessable clearing should only include methods such as burning or clearing individual plants with nil to minimal disturbance to soil and groundcover, Mr Lane's review said.

The codes will obviously lead to a lot more destructive land-clearing when we need to be protecting [native vegetation] as much as possible and moving to a more sustainable agriculture - not slash, burn and rip, said Jeff Angel, director of the Total Environment Centre.

Pepe Clarke, chief executive officer of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, said the prospect of large-scale clearing creates a substantial environment risk while placing landholders at risk of breaking laws if their self-assessment proves to be erroneous.

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Native vegetation codes open way for destructive clearing: environmental groups

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Attrition: Afghanistan Leads The World

January 7, 2015: Despite a tremendous mine clearing effort in Afghanistan, the country still suffers over 900 landmine casualties a year, nearly half of them children (those under age 18). The mine clearing effort greatly increased after the Taliban were driven from power in 2001. But in the last six years the Taliban have been increasingly planting more mines themselves and attacking or scaring away mine clearing teams.

Until 2006 Afghanistan was making great strides in getting rid of millions of land mines (most of them Russian and Chinese Cold War vintage stuff). In 2001 over 1,600 Afghans a month were being killed or wounded by all these mines but by 2006 the losses were cut in half. But since then the growing use of landmines by the Taliban and drug gangs has increased annual mine casualties to nearly a thousand. By 2006 17 years of demining efforts had cleared nearly a thousand square kilometers mines. At the time that was believed to be 70 percent of the mined areas. Up until 2007 the Taliban and drug gangs tended to leave the deminers alone. But then new minefields began to show up, planted by the Taliban and drug gangs to protect drug (opium and heroin) operations. This happened despite the fact that most Afghans wanted nothing more to do with landmines and just want to see them all gone. Most of the people actually clearing the mines are Afghans, and some have been at it for since the 1990s. Foreign aid groups and governments provide equipment, training and money for salaries and supplies. The biggest supplier of such aid has been the United States.

Landmines were outlawed by an international treaty in 1999, but this mainly applied to nations that don't have landmines or don't have any reason to use them. Islamic terrorists, rebels and drug gangs have not signed the international agreement and find the mines a cheap way to control civilian populations and slow down anyone coming after them. It takes more time, money, and effort to remove these mines than to place them. Most countries needing to get rid of mines seek to speed up mine clearing by training local volunteers to be part of the part-time mine clearing teams. The government provides training, pay (usually pretty good by local standards), health and life insurance and other benefits. When a new bunch of mines are found (usually by an animal coming across them), the team gets to work.

Despite efforts like this it has not been a promising time for those seeking to enforce the ban on the use of landmines. In the last few years Israel, Libya, Syria, North Korea, Iran, and Myanmar (Burma) planted new mines. In addition, there are three countries still manufacturing landmines (India, Myanmar, and Pakistan). Arms dealers will still provide large quantities of Russian and Chinese landmines, many of them Cold War surplus. China, Russia, and other communist nations were major producers of landmines during the Cold War. The mines were produced not just for use against potential enemies but to aid in keeping the borders closed and preventing citizens from leaving these unpleasant dictatorships.

There has been a growing list of outlaw organizations that are ignoring the 1999 Ottawa Convention to ban landmines. The Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan are manufacturing landmines in primitive workshops and using them against Pakistani, Afghan, and foreign soldiers, as well as Afghan civilians who refuse to support the Islamic terrorist group.

Despite the 1999 treaty, landmines are still causing over 5,000 casualties a year worldwide. About twenty percent of the victims are killed and 90 percent of them are males. This is largely because men are more likely to be out in the bush or working farmlands that still contain mines. A third of the casualties are security personnel (police and soldiers). Afghanistan leads the world in landmine casualties. Most landmine losses these days occur in countries where rebels and criminals are still using landmines, either factory made ones from countries that did not sign the Ottawa Convention or locally made models.

Landmines are simple to make and workshops are easily set up to do it. There's no shortage of mines out there, despite the fact that in the first few years after the 1999 Ottawa Convention was signed over 25 million landmines, in the arsenals of over fifty nations, were destroyed. But these nations were not users and rarely sold them either. For those who want landmines, they find a way to obtain and use them. The Taliban are the latest group to demonstrate this. Leftist rebels in Colombia have been making their own mines for years now, as have Islamic and communist rebels in the Philippines. There are believed to be over 100 million mines still in the ground and at least as many in military warehouses for future use.

The 1999 Ottawa Convention was supposed to have reduced land mine casualties among civilians. It hasn't worked because the owners of the largest landmine stockpiles, Russia and China, refused to sign. Chinese land mines are still available on the international arms black market. China is believed to have the largest stockpile, mostly of anti-personnel mines. The old ones are often sold before they become worthless. But even these mines, which go for $5-10 each, are too expensive for many of the criminal organizations that buy them. Land mines, competitive with the factory built ones from China, can be built for less than three dollars each. You can find all the technical data you need on the Internet. On the plus side these locally made anti-personnel mines tend to be less powerful than factory made ones and thus the mine boots provide even better protection when the wearer encounters an locally made mine.

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Attrition: Afghanistan Leads The World

#3 Endydragonsurvival the interior designer
In this episode im sadly on my own but idecorate the rooms our house.

By: misskittycatclaws

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#3 Endydragonsurvival the interior designer - Video

Sims 3 PS3 Pro interior designer! #4
Only watch if you want or like building ideas/ designs!

By: Frosty Long Head

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Sims 3 PS3 Pro interior designer! #4 - Video

1st modern home design, home designer suite 2015, home design ideas, owner need property insurance
Home Improvement Interior Design Interior Design, Interior Design Ideas, home design ideas, house interior design, home interior design, home design, room interior design, interior designer,...

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MODERN INTERIOR design, home designer suite 2015, home design ideas, owner need property insurance
Home Improvement Interior Design Interior Design, Interior Design Ideas, home design ideas, house interior design, home interior design, home design, room interior design, interior designer,...

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MOST home design, home designer suite 2015, home design ideas, owner need property insurance
Home Improvement Interior Design Interior Design, Interior Design Ideas, home design ideas, house interior design, home interior design, home design, room interior design, interior designer,...

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MOST home design, home designer suite 2015, home design ideas, owner need property insurance - Video

Carlsbad, CA (PRWEB) January 07, 2015

Southern California's premier weight loss and fitness resort, PFC Fitness Camp partners with Internationally recognized Interior Designer, Susanna Samaniego of 4 CORNERS International Design Concepts to complete the weight loss resort's full wheel of wellnessthat is to create the absolute healthiest atmosphere for clients in PFC Fitness Camp's Omni La Costa Resort and Spa headquarters.

When one thinks of health, the obvious thought is typically a healthy mind, healthy eating, and a healthy dose of exercise... but what about the effects of keeping a healthy home? Could a healthy home lead to weight loss? Or even better, optimal health? Recent studies show there is a direct correlation between clutter and stress as a proven contributor to weight gain and making healthy decisions. PFC Fitness Camp has helped over 3,000 individuals lose significant weight through behavioral health, nutrition, exercise, and now environment as the health-centric resort reveals it's own interior transformation with design cues from San Diego's must-have designer, Susanna Samaniego.

"Health is a state of well-being," states designer, Samaniego "in which numerous components are in balance with one another: Mental, Physical, Nutritional, Emotional, Social, Spiritual and Environmentalwhich is where I come in. A home base needs to be a daily retreat of tranquility after the hectic hours of life. Everything from lighting to paint color can affect sleep, motivation, energy levels and overall health." The internationally sought after designer illustrates her 5-step prescription for a healthy home in PFC Fitness Camp's own headquarters, commonly known as Center Court.

Order - Clean Space, Clean Mind: Humans have a habit to collect, accumulate and save a variety of stuff. Clutter heightens stress, collects dust, and effects efficiency. In fact, most experts agree that clutter can be a contributing factor to one's compliance to exercising, eating well and maintaining other healthy behaviors. In an effort to lead by example, PFC de-cluttered every square foot of the resort's Center Court. Almost all administrative paperwork is now digital, books, magazines, and other health literature have a home in PFC's new THINK - EAT - MOVE library, white boards are mounted to the wall opposed to the previous, obtrusive roller, and each client is assigned their own locker so-to-speak to keep miscellaneous personal items off of chairs, tables and floors.

Color - The Orange Effect: Orange is the color of happiness, confidence and energy. it is the best emotional stimulant. It strengthens the appetite for life, connects to the senses and helps remove inhibitions. PFC's main brand color is orange chosen specifically for the psychological impact behind the bold hue. Susanna incorporates the energizing color tastefully throughout the building in office soffits, ceramic accents and custom-designed bathroom signage with appropriately illustrated stick figures lifting weights. A soft white covers the main walls to maintain the building's mediterranean essence, and a warm grey gives the traditional beams a modern update.

Nature - Bring the Outdoors In: Houseplants do more than beautify a space. According to healthline.com, Research shows that plants inside a home can produce numerous physical and mental health benefits. Plants naturally fight pollutants caused by compounds in paints, furnishings and building materials, they can enhance cognitive function, increase self-esteem and reduce anxiety. Samaniego brings life to the multi-functioning room with refreshing Fiddle Leaf Fig indoor plants. The lush, sculptural eye candy lines PFC's rest area as a natural wall for privacy, greets guests at the main entrance and adds purifying CO2 throughout various areas of Center Court.

Lighting - The Mood Booster: Lighting has proven to have a large affect on emotions, such as happiness and sadness. Adequate lighting naturally evokes positive feelings, and dark, the opposite. Natural light specifically can be healing to the mind, body and soul, and exposure to it has many mood boosting health benefits. Samaniego stripped the walls of the once heavy, draped curtains to reveal more of Southern California's highly sought after sun and the building's incredible french doors which lead out to the full-length patio overlooking La Costa's iconic Tennis Courts. Additionally, track lighting was updated and positioned purposefully to gently brighten the building.

Personalize - The Ultimate Comfort Zone: A home that reflects the individual residing in it automatically produces a feeling of comfortit's welcoming, familiar and restorative. Susanna brilliantly personalizes the healthy retreat turning coastal, PFC destinations like La Jolla's Torrey Pines and Swami's Beach to life in the form of large format wall graphics produced by local photographer Pete Katcov. Perhaps the most breathtaking moment of "comfort", however lies in the oversized custom art of San Diego's Ponto Beach, created by photographic artist, Jeff Lewis. The San Clemente-based artist boasts national recognition for his innate ability to capture that special, single split second in time and turn it into stunning, almost optical allusions for the eyes to explore.

PFC's renovated Center Court is open for business just in time for the wave of weight loss resolutions. For more information on 2015 rates, please visit http://www.premierfitnesscamp.com/contact-us/

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Weight Loss Resort Reveals San Diego's Healthiest Interior Design Makeover