Commze

Most thieves when breaking into a house, consider the door first.  It is often times the easiest and the quickest way to enter a house and commit burglary.  Most experts will state that dead bolt door locks will deter most burglars, they will see a dead bolt lock, and just move to the next house on the block.  The doors most often searched out by home intruders are the ones that are located off the street and away from the eyes of the neighborhood or those that are passing by, such doors are the ones along the side and the back of a house, those that attach a garage to the main living quarters.  And in this economy especially, most look at the price of a lock and base their decisions on that alone, but it is worth it to do a little research and spend a little more cash, in order to better protect those possessions and to protect their lives from those that may do them harm.  The quality of the door lock is of utmost importance.

Some locks can be broken with a hammer or picked or pried apart with pliers, drilled off with a power tool.  And if the door is located close to a window, thieves may break the window in order to unlock the door from the inside.  There are two classical types of locks most residential developers install in houses, the dead bolt and the latch, the best lock combines the two.  There is a system that is used to measure the durability and the security of door locks that is put out by the American Nat. Standards Institute.  Their recommendation is that a Grade one dead bolt be installed.  They also recommend that one should install a lock that is controlled by a key, on both sides of the door, especially important on doors that have windows that can be broken, or those that are located close to windows.  These careful considerations will cause sufficient deterrents to the burglars that may approach ones house.

I was taking the commuter train from Kowloon to Hong Kong’s border with mainland China for a business meeting I had schedule later on in the day, when I ran into some of my old highschool buddies. They were carrying backpacks full of water, sunscreen and snacks. They were going hiking.

I always have known Hong Kong to be the financial center of the world and a mecca for high-end shoppers like me who frequents the Boutique Hotel Hong Kong has plenty of for the tourist and locals. But, my buddies tell me Hong Kong is also a haven of pristine natural beauty. The peaks of it’s mountains beckons them to walk and climb all of them. They said there are countless islands and coves that when ascended will give a spectacular view of the South China Sea.

Since it’s winter here, they don’t have to worry about rain, but sadly, they don’t have to really worry about the sun beating down on them due to the ever-present haze created by the factories located on the mainland. They told me they started hiking basically to have something to do after being in the office, usually on Saturdays while their wife’s went shopping. But, now they regularly schedule personal days off of work to explore more of Hong Kongs beauty.

We arrive at our stop and step out on the platform at Fanling station. Just two stops from the border. My friends give me a look that says ‘drop everything and join us’. I give them a look of ‘maybe someday, maybe someday’, as they are greeted by their guide which whisks them off to where I can only guess. I head off to my scheduled appointment with clients that will keep me in the confines of business buildings with only a glimpse of the outside, and that’s usually more buildings. One day, I will join them. I will.

It’s possibly one of the most better known attractions in South Africa, Kruger National Park. When I was there, I didn’t want to take a tour, I wanted to explore the National Park on my own, so I called up a Car Hire in South Africa and created my own tour. I did some research first, so as not to get lost or be disappointed. I found out the park itself was established in 1898 with a 12 year conservation crusade by Paul Kruger.

The Kruger park spans a vast 2 million hectares of pristine, unspoiled wilderness. Archaeological and historical sites, where early settlers as well as the indigenous Khoi San people camped. Apparently, I will be able to see faint traces that they were there. I could participate in a biking, hiking or walking tour. Even take a 4×4 safari if I choose. Tempting as that is, I’m still taking my car hire. There are routes I can take spanning the entire length of the park and if I choose to do so, I can park the car and take an energetic hike along the Olifants River Backpack Trail.

There are accommodation at the Kruger National Park. Some are state run rest camps which offers luxury tented camps and outdoor showers or I could stay at one of the many gaming lodges. Any of these options will probably be a delight after a long hot day viewing the majesty and splendor of the park. I could relax with a cocktail and watch the African sunset then go inside and sample the local cuisine. I even read where there’s a remote spot where I could golf!  The Skukuza Golf Course offers nine-holes. What a unique experience that would be, to golf in the wilderness of Africa. Without a doubt, my experience in the park will be one I’m sure I’ll never forget.

We came to Cape Town South Africa to visit the renown Cederberg. We booked one of the Best Cape Town Hotels and hired a Range Rover so we could drive ourselves there and take our time exploring this pristine wilderness of South Africa. We could have booked a hotel there, but it’s more convenient for us to stay in Cape Town.

The Cederberh Wilderness area is approximately 200 kilo meters north of Cape Town and it stretches from Middelberg Pass to Pakhuis Pass. It encompasses about 71,000 hectares of pristine, stark and dramatic shaped rock sandstone formations, waterfalls, caverns, streams, peaks and deep valleys. The Cederberg is one of the most ancient landscapes with a unforgettable view.

When we arrive to the wilderness we were astonished with the amount of small game such as Dassies, Klipspringers, Grey Rhebok, Grysbok and baboons. The leopards that roam here, which we did not see one, are protected. Our eyes were filled with a tremendous diversity of wild flowers and trees. We even got to talk to several local farmers which are allowed on the land which are encouraged to rehabilitate and conserve this unique flora kingdom which, apparently, was exploited ruthlessly until the late 1800′s. Even the trees, including the Clanwilliam Cedar were almost on the brink of extinction. But, due to the Clanwilliam Cedar Tree project and the Cape Leopard Project of the University of Cape Town, both of these precious items have been saved and are doing well and regaining to foothold in this vast wilderness.

We found out that several farms in the Cederberg also form part of the Cederberg Biodiversity Corridor, one of the three Mega-Reserves in South Africa where the public and private sectors have joined hands to create a conservation corridor. We were grateful to have had a chance to hike a site see this wonderful treasure of South Africa. We decided we will be back when we retire and help with the conservation efforts. We feel it’s the least we can do so that others may have the same chance we had to explore the natural beauty of this country.