Category: Travel

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Walking Up Waterfalls in Jamaica

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You read that right – walking UP waterfalls. Dunn’s River Falls in Jamaica, to be exact, and the experience is magical.

Jamaica is the land of Bob Marley, reggae, and all-inclusive resorts hugging the coast. The adventure began in one of those resorts, at the Grand Bahia Principe Hotel not far east of Montego Bay and nestled into Runaway Bay on the northern beaches.

Jamaica

Squeezed in between rum punches and peaceful beach enclaves were ample reminders of the science all around us. The most noticeable geology near the resort were karst formations in the limestone. Plant life ranges broadly from various palms, bamboo, ferns, mahogany and rosewood in wet areas to cactus in dry areas.

Jamaica

But one of the biggest attractions was a little further east along the coast near Ocho Rios.  Dunn’s River Falls is a terraced waterfall system over 600 feet long. As the river flows downward it cascades over dozens of mini-precipices, dropping from one ledge to another down the hillside, occasionally resting in small pools interspersed in the vertical walls. That vertical is a mere 180 feet or so but the varied dips and dives is what makes the waterfall so special. As does the fact that you can climb it.

Dunn's River Falls, Jamaica

The falls are a major tourist attraction in Jamaica, drawing thousands of visitors a year. We started on the white sandy beach at its base, then joined a line of other intrepid souls carefully hiking up the slippery rocks while lush tropical vegetation cooled us from the morning sun. The water shoes we purchased the night before came in handy as we battled the splashing streams pushing us downward while we forged our way upward. Steadying ourselves in the hands of total strangers a minute before, now suddenly friends (or perhaps, co-conspirators in our survival quest), we reached the top in fulfillment of our goals after about an hour and half trek. Being drenched from head to toe was overwhelmed by the smiles on our faces that warmed us from skin to soul.

Jamaica

Relaxing back at the resort, we reveled in the joy of listening to live reggae music on the veranda while sipping another rum punch and marveling at the science that is all around us.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His next book, Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, is scheduled for release in summer 2017.

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[Note that all photos were taken by me except the one of the waterfall, which is a stock photo I grabbed off the internet. After all, I was busy being wet at the time.]

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Abraham Lincoln Close Up

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Like all Presidents, Abraham Lincoln seemed to age decades during his four years in office. On my recent trip to Springfield, Illinois I got to see this close up. As you might expect, there are several statues of Lincoln around town, all of which have been photographed millions of times by the steady stream of tourists into this relatively small city.

I did the same, of course. But I also have a penchant for close ups. It was here that the aging process was brought home to me. Let’s start at the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices, standing on the corner across the street from the Old State Capitol. Here we find a relatively younger Lincoln the lawyer and statesman with his family, his wife Mary straightening his tie as he prepares to give his 1854 anti-slavery speech. This is a close up:

Young Lincoln

A couple of blocks north you’ll find Union Square Park and, yes, more Lincoln statues. I liked the one of him standing strong against an unseen wind as he gives his first inaugural address. In this close up the flag atop the tower of Union Station highlights a now bearded Lincoln.

Older Lincoln

Now imagine how much older he looked after four years of war.

The statue sits across the street from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. I spent two days inside the library doing research with the Papers of Abraham Lincoln project, skipping across the street only to see a special exhibit “Unfinished Work” temporarily showing in the museum. I’ll be coming back out to Springfield in September for a full-scale tour of Lincoln-related sites including New Salem, the Lincoln house, and tomb. Even though I’ve just returned, I can’t wait to go back.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for thirty-five years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (now in its 5th printing) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His book on Thomas Edison is due in Barnes and Noble stores in July 2016.

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Chasing the Papers of Abraham Lincoln

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Papers of Abraham Lincoln logoThe Papers of Abraham Lincoln “is a long-term project dedicated to identifying, imaging, and publishing all documents written by or to Abraham Lincoln during his lifetime (1809-1865).” The Papers is physically located in Springfield, Illinois, and is a project of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. They are co-sponsored by the Center for State Policy and Leadership at the University of Illinois Springfield and the Abraham Lincoln Association.

I’ll be in Springfield this month doing research for my new Lincoln book. The staff will show me how to use the database and how to best use the documents found. As Daniel Stowell, the Papers Project Director put it to me:

Much depends on what you are looking for and what you find.  Understand that all of our documents to March 1861 are transcribed and word searchable, but only perhaps one third of the presidential documents have been transcribed.  That’s still some 27,000 documents, so it’s a lot of material.  Most, but not all, of the untranscribed materials will have images attached.

I have a lot of work ahead, but it’s much easier now that the Papers Project has begun organizing, scanning, and transcribing the documents collected from all over the country and the world.

On Lincoln's SideThe impetus for my impending visit was a talk given by Abraham Lincoln himself (in the guise of George Buss) at the Lincoln Group of DC this past December. Joining him was his Chief of Staff, played by former Abraham Lincoln Association President Bob Lenz. It was Lenz who passed my name on to Stowell, after which Stowell invited me out to Springfield. He even sent me two publications, One Lincoln’s Side and On Lincoln’s Mind.

Much is going on with the Papers Project these days. Professional historians and editors like Dan Stowell and Stacy Pratt McDermott (whom I met at the recent Lincoln symposium in Ford’s Theatre) are diligently at work collecting and organizing the papers. Unfortunately, politics has intruded, funding has been severely curtailed, and the project is in danger of not being able to complete its mission. A New York Times editorial describes some of the issues and the travesty of the project being used as a political punching bag.

I’m doing my part by being among the many historians who are showing how valuable the project is by taking advantage of the database.

Here’s how you can help.

[Note that the Papers project has been severely disabled by even more recent budget cuts and personnel removals.]

David J. Kent has been a scientist for thirty-five years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (now in its 5th printing) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His book on Thomas Edison is due in Barnes and Noble stores in spring 2016.

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Raphael and The School of Athens

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Today* is the birthday of Raffaelo Sanzio da Urbino, or as we better know him, the painter Raphael. A contemporary of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael sometimes gets lost in their long shadows of memory. His art and capability, however, can arguably be said to outshine even those two masters.

I had the pleasure of seeing in person what is perhaps Raphael’s greatest work; it is certainly his best known. The School of Athens is a fresco decorating an entire wall in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.

The School of Athens - Ru

It took two years to paint the fresco, all while Michelangelo was down the hall painting the famous ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Raphael also painted many other walls in the Vatican, but The School of Athens was to be the apex of his career.

And he had fun with it. The School is one of four paintings on the walls of the palace depicting the four distinct branches of knowledge (Philosophy, Poetry [including music], Theology, and Law). The actual title given to the fresco is Causarum Cognitio, which translates roughly into “Seeking Knowledge of Causes.” While Raphael left no explanation for the figures, many have been identified as famous philosophers.

Plato and Aristotle detail - Wiki

The only two undisputed figures are the two most obvious in the center of the crowd. Carrying their respective master treatises, Plato (Timaeus) on the left with his protégé Aristotle (Ethics) on the right.Their hand gestures are said to signify central aspects of their philosophies. Plato’s upward point at the vaulted ceiling contrasted with Aristotle’s more down-to-earth horizontal plane positioning. These may suggest a divergence of the two philosophical schools: the elder Plato arguing a sense of timeliness while the younger Aristotle focuses on the present and the physicality of life.

Plato vertically, upward along the picture-plane, into the beautiful vault above; Aristotle on the horizontal plane at right-angles to the picture-plane (hence in strong foreshortening), initiating a powerful flow of space toward viewers. It is popularly thought that their gestures indicate central aspects of their philosophies, for Plato, his Theory of Forms, and for Aristotle, his empiricist views, with an emphasis on concrete particulars. Many interpret the painting to show a divergence of the two philosophical schools. Plato argues a sense of timelessness whilst Aristotle looks into the physicality of life and the present realm.

Of course, since no one knows what Plato actually looked like, Raphael painted him to look a lot like a certain Leonardo da Vinci. Similarly, Aristotle is painted in the visage of sculptor Giuliano da Sangallo.

Beyond these two the identifications get dicier. The following comes from the Wiki page for the painting (click on the link to see the names):

The School of Athens numbered - Wiki

Those that are more or less identified with certainty, in addition to Plato and Aristotle, are Socrates, Pythagoras, Euclid, Ptolemy, Zoroaster, Raphael (painters love to paint themselves into their art), Sodoma, and Diogenes. Others are more speculative. Since Raphael and Michelangelo were not particularly friendly rivals, the rather frumpy looking depiction of pre-Socrates Greek philosopher Heraclitus (#13 in photo above) just happens to look like Michelangelo.

By the way, the two big sculptures in the background are Apollo (left) and Athena (right).

A quick note about fresco. Derived from the Italian word for “fresh,” fresco is a technique of mural painting in which pigments are mixed in wet lime plaster and applied to walls and ceilings. As the plaster dries it becomes an integral part of the wall. It is notoriously difficult to work with, which is why they are so amazing to see today. Other great examples are down the hall in the Sistine Chapel.

Ironically, today is also the anniversary of Raphael’s death in 1520, apparently caused by a fever caught after a debaucherous night of excessive sex with his mistress. He was only 37. Raphael’s influence was so great that he was buried in Rome’s Pantheon.

*There is some question as to whether his birthday was April 6 or March 28 (Good Friday). Either way, he was born in Urbino, a small but “artistically significant” city in central Italy.

[Photo credits: 1st: Ru Sun; 2nd and 3rd: Wiki]

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His next book is on Abraham Lincoln, due out in 2017.

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Writing Bulgaria, Traveling Serbia, Mourning Brussels, Tesla, Edison and More

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It’s been a hugely busy month of writing, traveling, mourning, Tesla, and Edison. Here’s a quick catch up in case you missed anything.

Writer pyramidHot White Snow: My more “creative” writing, responses to writing prompts, some memoir-ish works, and articles “On Writing.” Featured recently:

IrelandThe Dake Page focuses on communicating science to the general populace, with a sometimes emphasis on climate change. Recent articles:

KotorScience Traveler: Here on my author website I focus on my non-fiction works (Tesla, Edison, Lincoln), plus tips and tales about traveling the world. Several recent posts:

This past month also so a draft cover for my Thomas Edison book due out in July, and I’ll share that with you all shortly. Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World is in the same style and format as my Tesla book. And while I continue with the sample chapters of my Abraham Lincoln book, another potential book offer arose. More on that later.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for thirty-five years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (now in its 5th printing) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His book on Thomas Edison is due in Barnes and Noble stores in July 2016.

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Science Traveling Bulgaria

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Several years ago, while I was still living and working in Brussels, I received a call in the middle of the night telling me that I would need to be in Bulgaria to defend a client’s business venture. Shortly I found myself in Sofia, the capital.

Bulgaria is squeezed in between Romania (where I’ve still never been) and Greece (where I have). Just to the west is Serbia (where I’ll be going this summer). Its language looks like a cross between Greek and Russian. To make matters worse all the street signs were in Bulgarian but the map given to me by the hotel showed the street names only in English. Despite this handicap I was able to find my way around the city, including witnessing the changing of the guard at the presidential palace and a variety of ancient churches. Dominating the skyline is the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral:

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, Bulgaria

While grabbing a bite to eat at a street-side cafe I became acquainted with the local beggar boys (to whom a shake of the head means “yes”). While prevalent, it seems they are outnumbered by the approximately 6600 street dogs (to whom shaking of anything seems to be a trigger for gnashing and drooling anything that looks edible).

I was only one afternoon and night in Sofia. The next morning a driver picked me up for the two hour ride to Plovdiv, the “City of the Seven Hills,” where the international meeting I was attending would take place. For the next three days I alternated science lobbying work with nights out on the town (including some variant of belly dancer and the local hard liquor). Plovdiv also is the site of some ancient Roman ruins, not the least of which was an old amphitheater now used as a concert venue:

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

I’m happy to say that the meeting was successful for my client (though he would lose that success two years later after someone else represented him). I’m also happy I had the opportunity to visit such an interesting country, and to do so even before making the acquaintance of friends who hail from there.

Meanwhile, I’m busy planning for the next trips. More on that in future posts.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, now available. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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Feeling Brussels

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My feelings about the events of yesterday remind me that I’m coming up on the fifth year anniversary of my return to the states after my 3-year stay in Brussels. It hardly seems possible as I feel it was just yesterday I was admiring the biennial flower carpet in the Grand Place.

Flower carpet in Grand Place

Four months ago I scrambled for news that friends in Paris were safe after the November attacks. Today I repeated the now-too-frequent scurry for information, this time friends and former colleagues in Brussels. In both cases all were fine. My heart then turned to those whom I’ve never met but instantaneously became close to on these fateful days.

Brussels is a beautiful city. In some ways it’s typical of old European cities with its central plaza (the Grand Place), impressive cathedrals, and amazing architecture. In other ways it is supremely atypical. As both the capital of Belgium and the capital of the European Union, the city has the aura of Washington, DC with its international flavor and populace. Away from the old city sits the EU quarter, glass skyscraping office buildings replacing the ancient mix of Gothic, Baroque, and Louis XIV edifices. Like DC, the city features the embassies of virtually every foreign nation. Even Belgians are multinational, with three official languages reflecting its Dutch, French, and German heritages.

I have fond memories of the city, the people, and my former colleagues. I have the urge to see them again, and so will put a return trip on my busy travel calendar. For now, my feelings for the events of yesterday are best represented by one of Brussels’s most iconic landmarks, the Manneken Pis.

Manneken Pis

Until we meet again, mon cher.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

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Visiting Nikola Tesla in Belgrade

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I’m going to visit Nikola Tesla in Belgrade, Serbia. Last month I mentioned that my originally planned trip to Machu Picchu had hit a snag and that an opportunity to see the Tesla Museum in Belgrade had popped up. After examining the options I decided on Serbia for this July. [A bigger and better trip to Machu Picchu with my friend from Argentina will be done in 2017]

This particular Serbia trip was too good to pass up. Organized by famed Eurocircle travel guru Sherry Kumar in conjunction with an international Tesla Conference , the trip will take us to three countries and a cocktail party with royalty.

HRH Prince Alexander and HRH Princess Katherine

Yup, royalty. After a day of touring around Belgrade we’ll change into formal attire for an evening reception at the Royal Palace with HRH Prince Alexander and HRH Princess Katherine of Serbia. We’ll also get a tour of the royal palace.

While in Belgrade we’ll also visit the Nikola Tesla Museum, whose director I met here in the U.S. some time ago. Since I didn’t have a chance to visit the Museum itself prior to publishing my book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity, I’m eager for this chance. We’ll even have dinner in the Bohemian quarter.

Kotor

After Belgrade we’ll head to Montenegro, where we’ll have a chance to see the historic environs of Tivat and the island of Sveti Stefan on the Adriatic Sea, plus travel to see Kotor (photo above), Cetinje, and Lovcen. If that wasn’t enough, we’ll check out the Blue Cave.

The last few days will be spent in famed Dubrovnik, Croatia.

I’ll have a lot more information before and after the trip, which we’ll do in July, but to give you a feel for what we’ll see, check out these cool videos.

It should be an exciting trip. We still have to work out flights into Belgrade and out of Dubrovnik, but the deposit is down and we’re committed to visiting a part of the world I haven’t seen yet.

So who is coming with me?

David J. Kent has been a scientist for thirty-five years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (now in its 5th printing) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His book on Thomas Edison is due in Barnes and Noble stores in spring 2016.

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[Photo of HRH Prince Alexander and HRH Princess Katherine by By Holger Motzkau 2010, Wikipedia/Wikimedia Commons (cc-by-sa-3.0)]

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The Hot and the Cold Climate of Tenerife

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You might guess that Tenerife would be a warm place given that it is part of the Canary Island group sitting off the southernmost coast of Morocco in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. And you would be right, but not completely right. Tenerife is approximately the same latitude as Orlando, Florida, but unlike Orlando, the island goes from sea level to 12,198 feet in altitude.

A few years ago I experienced both extremes within a matter of hours on the same day. After barely escaping Brussels in a snowstorm and spending a sub-freezing Christmas eve in Madrid, I arrived in Tenerife North Airport (site of the worst airline disaster in history, the 1977 runway collision between two 747s that killed 583 people). Luckily, no drama for my arrival.

cactus

 

The initial wave of high heat and humidity was a welcome change from the dreary winter I had left behind. There were many cacti, but also a wide variety of subtropical trees and plants. Loro Parque, a combination zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden, was like walking into a jungle and reef all in one. As the name suggests, the parrot collection alone is the largest in the world. The number of orchids was astounding, as I talked about in this earlier post. We even met a gorilla.

gorilla

After building up a good sweat, it was time to head to the highlands. More specifically, it was time to drive up the winding roads to the summit of El Teide in Teide National Park. This snow-capped volcano is the highest point in all of Spain (the Canary Islands are Spanish possessions), not to mention the highest in all the Atlantic Ocean islands and the third largest volcano in the world.

El Teide, Tenerife

The twisting roads for this trip are a topic deserving of their own post, but eventually you get to a spot where you can park and board a cable car up to just below the summit, at 11,663 feet. From there you can hike to the top, though on the day we were there the snow and ice was considered too dangerous and park officials banned hikers for the last section. The views were amazing, as was the cold.

From there we wound our way back down and continued our drive around the island. From heat and humid to cold and ice and now back to the rocky beaches. Definitely a day to remember.

Tenerife

Of course, that was just the beginning. I’ll have more on the science of Tenerife, and even some parasailing, in future installments.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for thirty-five years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (now in its 5th printing) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His book on Thomas Edison is due in Barnes and Noble stores in spring 2016.

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Machu Picchu, or, Serbia? That is the Question

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It seems I have to make a choice. The plan was to go to Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes in May. I even wrote a post last month, Preparing for Machu Picchu, in which I compared the area to a previous trip I made to the Argentinian Andes.

Machu Picchu

I admit I’ve been lax in following through on those preparations, some of which must be made sufficiently in advance to ensure getting in the queue. May is getting very close and arrangements are still not set.

And now a complication. The Tesla Science Foundation is planning a conference for July in Belgrade, Serbia. Attached to the conference is a 9-day trip that includes Belgrade (with a private reception with the reigning Prince and Princess), Montenegro, and Dubrovnik. I’ve always wanted to get to Serbia, and especially to the Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade, a place that I’ve held dear since the release of my book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity.

Nikola Tesla Museum, Belgrade

Logistically I can’t do both this year. Which sets up a choice. Given my dearth of organization for Peru I’m thinking that trip might best be put off until next year, and with the extra time to prepare, possibly expanded to include Lake Titicaca, northern Argentina, and Iguazu Falls. The Serbian trip would take less preparation on my part because it’s being planned by a highly skilled tour planner that also just happens to be a key player in the Tesla Science Foundation.

So this week is the time to decide all of this. I’ll let you know what happens.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for thirty-five years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (now in its 5th printing) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His book on Thomas Edison is due in Barnes and Noble stores in spring 2016.

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