Safety Rules and Suggestions For Zoos and Hiking

London's Soft Play and Zoos For All Ages

If you are taking children out, there are many opportunities. We visited a London location where you have the opportunity to visit either a soft play centre with two areas for the under threes and another for older children, plus an animal watching and petting area. You can buy a combined ticket for both but must visit the animals area second not first, for health reasons.

Maybe you should think about that when visiting both kinds of attraction in the same day, at different venues.

That is a regulated situation. 

Hiking and Backpacking Worldwide

With summer coming, many families, with and without children, go hiking. I go with a hiking group to a different country every year. I was astonished to see a child from the age of three happily running up and down slopes which were challenging for the elderly, middle aged and less fit adults.

Warnings I have seen about behaviour hiking in the wild include not to go hiking when menstruating. Nor if you have diarrhea.

Not to leave open sandwiches and litter. To cover bleeding wounds.

I read that bears can smell humans, food and blood from six miles away. Animals with young will react to anybody getting too near, or moving suddenly.

Planned Pooping In The Woods

Some areas allow you to dig a 'cat hole' with a trowel and bury toilet paper or wipes. Other national USA park and other places require you do gather both animal and human waste in a poop bag, which you would double wrap on a longer journey than a four minute walk away from home, and take it home or back to base in a city to dispose of it appropriately where permitted.

Pets and Precautions

Worldwide customs and regulations and reactions vary. For example, dogs on leads, or off leads, and breeds allowed. In vehicles, different cities, countries, ski slopes, avalanche regions.

The reactions from dog owners and forensics seem to be that even good-natured dogs can turn bite or jump when alarmed, especially if they are sick or are protecting their newborns. After an attacking dog is put down sometimes it is discovered that they have brain tumours. Evidently strong dogs can kill adults. Precautions suggested are that is safer for both the humans and the dogs, not to allow dogs alone with babies, and children, nor in beds? And to keep your human heads and necks away from the animals' teeth?

Useful Websites

Hiking and Backpacking

The classic book which has been reprinted and updated many times is available from Amaxon and many camping gear shops.

https://www.amazon.com/How-Shit-Woods-4th-Environmentally/dp/1984857134

There are numerous videos entitled how to poop in the woods

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaOKKzpCjgA

Pets & Precautions

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15728483/Pictured-dog-mauled-teenage-owner-death-father.html

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Pillar box topper

 

Pillar box topper. Long Elmes, Harrow. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Green Park Station

Lovely tiled murals of leaves. Not green? They look black on red. Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

The red colour is echoed in the seating.

 Green Park station. A long underground walk to the distant line. Allow extra time.

The station, as the name suggests, is next to Green Park. 

Byron poem by the lift.

Green Park station has three lines, Jubilee, Piccadilly, and Victoria.

Useful Websites

https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/stop/940GZZLUGPK/green-park-underground-station?lineId=jubilee

Chutney Mary Celebration Dinner

 Chutney Mary

A doorman greeted us in the doorway, quite chatty, greeted us and wished us a pleasant evening.

Doorman at Chutney Mary, Photo by Angela Lansbury.

On our way out, he asked us if we had enjoyed our meal. We stopped for a chat with him about our restaurant and other restaurants nearby.

Our table was one of four tables for two at the back. I though it was a small table, but easy to talk across. For a photo I set up a giant Hallmark birthday card, which I had adapted for a golden wedding anniversary but adding a hand written Gold wedding anniversary to the front, using blue tack and a staple. This was a success, balloons get in the way, intrude and leave litter.  The big card attracted the attention o all the other three tables, who all applauded, and wished us well, and I had a lovely chat with the lady at the nearest table. 

My husband had booked the restaurant as a surprise, Indian because our first date had been to an Indian restaurant. He had the set menu, and matching wines, I had the vegetarian menu because I am allergic to shellfish, and for the other dishes we got to try different main dishes. The desserts were the same on both menus. 

Service

Always somebody passing nearby who could be asked to help. For example, they escorted me to the ground floor toilet which was down a dark corridor to the fire exit passing fire extinguishers, which I thought was a good thing to note. The ground floor toilet had a keycode, operated by the waiter who escorted me. Inside was big and quite dark.

After dinner I tried the downstairs toilets, much better decorated, with lovely hand lotion. Not much further and stairs not too steep.

The lighting came from an oil container with a flame, which went out a couple of times. Being in such dim light made it hard to read the menu. I copied it on my phone. But I didn't need the menu, no choices to be made because we were having the set menu. 

Unique Champagne glasses at Chutney Mary restaurant. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

We ordered a sparkling wine to start. The wonderful Champagne glasses were perfect. Wide enough not to hit your nose, unlike the narrowest flutes. We recently changed our very narrow flutes, which in theory hold in bubbles, for wider ones. I would have liked to buy the wonderful unique glasses and wondered if they were some special brand such as Riedel. But the sommelier told us that the glasses had been specially ordered for the restaurant. 

Starter

I had avocado.

Main Dishes

Came with delectable rice.

Desserts

A small souffle containing coconut and halva, which they spelled halwa.

My husband had informed them that it was our anniversary. After our dessert they brought out a plate with a small chocolate concoction and happy anniversary written in chocolate.

Happy Anniversary written in chocolate at Chutney Mary restaurant. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Good for a souvenir photo. Just what I wanted.

Nearest stations

Piccadilly

Green Park

Going there we started through the park, passing on our right a lovely curvy food kiosk, shut Saturday evening, then took a tunnel left, hardly wide enough for two people side by side, went in single file, standing back to let others coming the other way.

Returning to Green Park station late at night, we took the main road, slightly longer.

At Green Park station there is a long underground walk within the station to the Jubilee line going north west.

We plan to go back, at lunchtime when the lower prices of the lunch time deals are attractive.

Useful Websites

https://www.chutneymary.com/

https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/stop/940GZZLUGPK/green-park-underground-station

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Noted from the news - lost people found from heartbeats

I read in the online Independent newspaper about the rescue of an American from Iran being helped by using technology to locate a heartbeat.

This is astonishing. But I read earlier about heat detection being used to locate an avalanche victim. An avalanche victim down one side of a mountain is sometimes in a much smaller area.

A rescue story is a happy, positive story. 

Tracking Endangered People & Pets

What I just read suggested to me hopeful thoughts about many more lifesaving opportunities. If this is true, it means great advances in finding avalanche victims, people lost when hiking, kidnapped children,  wandering toddlers and autistic people. Also, the confused elderly, lost pets, and many other helpful life saving opportunities for people worldwide.

Tracking Goods & Vehicles 

We already have tracking devices for lost keys, and luggage lost at airports or in flight transfers. Apple AirTag is well-known, and there are others.

Trackers show you your mail order delivery vehicles. And businesses track their vehicles. 

Singapore

In Singapore, we could track when a bus would arrive.

When we ordered a taxi, we could see where it was on the roads on the route. Was it taking the main road or a short cut? What was the delay? Was it waiting at the traffic lights?

London, England

In London I can track when my bus will arrive.

Tracking Lost People

But what about tracking people? You could also use it to track people who don't know they are lost, to warn them. Track a spouse who has taken a wrong turn off a motorway, or is heading for a traffic jam. Track people heading into a flood or fire or avalanche.

Motorway police could alert an elderly person driving the wrong way on the motorway. Tell them to stop until the traffic has been stopped and they can be escorted back to safety.

Hikers. Lost toddlers. People with autism. People with Alzheimer's. A person with a pacemaker. An Apple watch recording your heartbeat.

We already have one success story. A woman died.

After she died, her Apple watch revealed at which time.

Lost Pilots

You could track lost pilots and passengers. Flights landing in jungles and storm. Passengers who left the vehicle seeking help. People straying across borders. Soldiers trapped behind enemy lines.

Natural disasters such as flooded rivers. Tsunamis.

People in wartime in bombed buildings. 

Earthquakes. Subsidence. I am sure that is just the start. There will be more.

Useful Websites

https://umatechnology.org/apple-health-data-helped-convict-a-man-for-wifes-death/

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/iran-airman-rescue-cia-technology-b2953698.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirTag

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Saying Goodbye hello, goodbye in Spanish

Spanish - Englsih ¿

Dónde vives? Where do you live?

¿Dónde trabajas? where do you work?

¿Viniste en coche? Did you come here by car?

¿Viniste en transporte público? Did you come here by public transport?

¿Podemos ir juntos a la estación? Can we walk together to the station?

¿Puedes esperar cinco minutos? Can you wait five minutes?

Tengo prisa. I am in a hurry

¿Te llevo? Can I give you a ride (UK a lift)

¿Me llevas? Can uou give me a lift (US ride)

Vivo en I live in 

¿Tienes sitio en tu coche? Do you have space in your car?

Para una persona. for one person

Me voy ahora.

Este es mi autobús. This is my bus

Adiós. Goodbye

Encantado/a de conocerte Lovely to have met you.

Spanish Words for a meeting

Learning Useful Spanish Words

I have spent a lot of time on Duolingo, at the start diligently learning to fill in missing words in sentences like a witch's hat is green, and the rabbits are in the car, which is good for reading confusing nonsense to a grandchild. 

I can recognize 'the elephant is big', which is useful on a visit to a zoo. However, what I really need is a simple conversation. I meet a Venezuelan man and a Spanish woman in London at a meeting of the Toastmasters International Speakers' club. I want to say, 'The meeting was good,' and, 'Let's walk to the station together'.

 So I went into translate google and wrote out the phrases I really need. However, I must admit that all those weeks of learning Spanish on Duolingo have paid off. Because I can now see at a glance which words are singular or plural. With a bit of effort I can identify past or future. I can even spot the challenges of the order of I give to you and you give to me. 

Here's my first list of useful words for a meeting.  I hope other people who travel or meet travellers will also find it useful.

 Español Spanish Simple Conversation At A Social Or Business Meeting

España Spain

Inglaterra England

Inglés English

Británico British

Soy inglés I am English

Hablo inglés I speak English

¿Hablas inglés? Do you speak English?

Hablo español I speak Spanish

Hablo un poco de español  I speak a little Spanish

No hablo español I don't speak Spanish

Solo un poco only a little

Hablo un poco I speak a little

Reuniones meeting

¿Lo pasaste bien? Did you have a good time

Fue una buena reunión it was a good meeting

Siempre buena always good

Interesante interesting

Aprendí mucho I leanred a lot

Aprendí cosas nuevas I learned new things

Discursos geniales good speeches

Todas las reuniones son buenas All the meetings are good

Las reuniones siempre son buenas The meetings are always good

¿Me das tu número de teléfono?  Can I have your phone number?

¿Te doy mi número de teléfono? Can you give me your phone number?

Aquí tienes mi número de teléfono Here is my phone number

Anótalo

La salida está ahí

La salida de emergencia está ahí

Los baños están afuera

A la derecha On the right

A la izquierda On the left

Deberíamos esperar

¿Cuándo empieza? When does it start?

¿Cuándo termina? When does it end?

Hasta la próxima See you next time (until next time)

¿Cuándo es la próxima reunión? When is the next meeting

Añádela a tu teléfono

Por favor, llámame Please call me

Cuando quieras

Ahora now

es it is

¿Dónde está la invitación? Where is the invitation?

Empezaremos en breve. We are starting shortly

Empezamos a las 7:30. We start at 7.30

Normalmente terminamos a las 9:00. We normally/usually end at 9 o' clock

¿Dónde es? ¿Dónde es la reunión? Where is where is the meeting?

¿Dónde estás? Where is it?

¿Dónde están los baños? Where are the toilets?

¿Dónde están los baños de mujeres? Where is the Ladies?

¿Dónde están los baños de hombres? Where is the Gents?

¿Cómo estás? How

Ven aquí. Come here

Ven conmigo. Come with me

Un momento. Just a moment

Espera un momento. Wait a minute

Espera aquí. Wait here

¿Cómo estás? How are you?

Muy bien, gracias. Very well, thanks

¿Y tú? And you?

Siéntate aquí. Sit here

Siéntate. Sit down

Fiesta.a party

Festival. a festival

Call To Action

I suggest you make your own list of words you really need.

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