
Elephant Museum, at Bali Elephant Safari Park |
||
Over 1000 exhibits including fossil artefacts dating back 5 million years, prehistoric horns, ceremonial pieces, century old mammoth tusks, elephant skulls, tiger claws, bone carvings and a 300-year-old carved African elephant tusk can be seen at the Elephant Safari Park Museum. Thirty minutes outside of Ubud nestled high in the hills is the serene location of the Elephant Safari Park surrounding the traditional village of Taro. Location Map Currently home to 17 rare and endangered Sumatran elephants - (the Park will add another 10 elephants in 2003) an impressive total of 27 majestic beasts will make this the biggest Park of its' kind in the southern hemisphere. The Park is designed to educate people as well as to give them an unforgettable 'close encounter' with elephants. The elephants can be touched, patted and hand fed or a short safari ride is available into the surrounding forest area.
Asia is the biggest continent on Earth, a darling little gem floating around in space.
Hm, what is Asia? Who's in on it?
China and India are safe bets for Asian nations. Korea, Japan, Thailand, you're fine.
Europe? No. Europe would sort of be on the "Asian continent" if not for those pesky Ural mountains dividing things up in the middle, and then also the whole lineage of kings and wealth and nations and the EU and all that "give me my respect" stuff.
Russia would probably be happiest as its own continent, so for now we'll leave it in "Eurasia" and just hope the natural gas supplies keep flowing.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are dang close to Asia, but politically they show up in "Middle East" news stories an awful lot. Verdict: Eurasia.
I guess we'll actually have to consider everything from Turkey on eastward to be "Eurasian", although the moniker seems overlappitory of the territory.
The Asian economy is now officially raging like a wild furnace of lava that consumes everything in its path. Japan has had the largest individual economy in Asia for decades, but it is forecast that both India and China will outstrip Japan within twenty years.
China is the largest holder of United States debt and is positioned to become the world's next superpower, provided that Godzilla doesn't return and decide to stomp everybody back into the Shang Dynasty.
Text by Steve Smith.