Onaping Falls in Northern Ontario

The High Falls of Onaping

By Bala Menon

Onaping Falls in Northern Ontario was until 1977 outside the ambit of municipal administration and was a company town, owned and operated by mining giant Inco. 

Today, it is an amalgamation of three local communities - Dowling, Onaping and Levack. Dowling is about 11 km from Onaping along Highway 144, while Levack is north of the highway along Municipal Road 8. The smaller subdivisions of Levack Station and Phelans are also located along Highway 144 between Dowling and Onaping.

Clear Lake at the entrance to Onaping Valley. At one time, it was 
a water source for Onaping. Now it is used for swimming and recreational boating.

On January 1, 2001, the town and the Regional Municipality were dissolved and amalgamated into the city of Greater Sudbury.

The Onaping Falls area is known for its scenic beauty and its abundance of recreational faciilities; fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, cross-country and downhill skiing.

Onaping is particularly known for its High Falls, where the Onaping River drops 46 metres in a single plunge, sending mist and froth for several meters. The town is at the point where the Canadian Shield meets the Sudbury Nickel Irruptive, caused by a meteorite strike two billion years ago. There is a magnificent lookout off Highway 144 called the A. Y. Jackson Lookout, for the famous Group of Seven artist who immortalized the view on his canvas with his 1953 painting "Spring on the Onaping River". There is a local government information centre near the lookout.

A wonderful trail can take you quite close and over the Onaping Falls. 

Onaping Falls from the A.Y. Jackson Lookout

The scenery is majestic and the area contains a treasure of natural resources for the traveler and outdoor sports enthusiast. The city itself is very small - home to only about 4,000 people and is part of the City of Greater Sudbury. 

There are fine recreational facilities available - a double rink, a curling club, downhill skiing and cross-country skiing. Ski trails are located off Highway 144 near the Windy Lake Motel. For updates on ski conditions call 855-0145

Currently, there is a proposal to build a zip line to carry tourists down and across High Falls on steel cables stretched from a tower near the present foot bridge to a landing midway where they can walk across a rope bridge. Here, visitors can walk up the path or if stage one is a success and the second part of the zip line is constructed they can take their chances on the big run down the main falls to a landing near A.Y. Jackson Center. A 3 rope walkway would be stretched across the river in the middle of the rapids area above the main falls. 

The Annual Cardboard Toboggan race in the area in Feburary is an attraction at the former mer Levack Ski hill . Hot chocolate, a bon fire, great music, and tons of snowy fun are all part of the exciting event. More info at: Onaping Community Site

The Onaping Falls Curling Club is located at 10 Fraser St.Onaping, Ont. The 
club has 150 members. The club can be reached at.966-2323 

© Bala Menon. Pics on this page © Bala Menon 

The Magic of Quaint Bahla in Oman

 Magical Bahla - In the Heartland of Oman

by Bala Menon

A little more than 30km west of Nizwa, the district headquarters of the Interior Region or the Dhahira– deep in the lovely heartland of the Sultanate of Oman, lies the magical and ancient town of Bahla. It is a quaint, little settlement with lush surroundings and exudes a distinct flavour of the ancient Sultanate and one that has many a tale to tell the modern-day visitor. The Bahla valley is part of the central plateau that slopes southwards from the base of the Jebel Al Akhdhar or the Green Mountains.

Por Francisco Anzola - Flickr: Bahla Fort, CC BY 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26938919

A single carriageway breaches an almost 12km long mud and brick wall that surrounds the town and passes through verdant date plantations and settlements, with hospitable people. Vast tracts of well-watered gardens crowd within the town walls and a most of the original dilapidated township can be seen while on a walk round the old quarter.

Bahla was the capital of the country between the 12th and early 17th century and the town gets its name from the old Bahila tribe, which ruled the region. The Nabhan dynasty ruled it until the Yarubis took it over in 1650s and consolidated most of interior Oman. Across the road, on a site dominating the surrounding countryside rises the Great Fort of Bahla, with its attractive towers, including a windtower, known as Burj-al-Reh. The vintage of the fort has still not been dated mainly because successive rulers have added to or renovated or rebuilt parts of it down the centuries. You will have to get prior permission for entry into the fort. 

Because of its great importance in human civilization, the great fort and the wall was brought under the umbrella of the Unesco in 1988 and declared a World Heritage Site – meaning it should be treasured by mankind for all time.

Bahla town and the surrounding villages have always been considered a stronghold of Omani cottage industry and many of these crafts – with their fine workmanship – have been preserved and developed under special government programs of the Omani Ministry of National Heritage and Culture.

The visitor can see a metalworker on the job at his small furnace, a maker of beautiful goat-hair cloaks or an indigo dyer showing off his ware (with the dye coming from a plant similar to the staple fodder of cattle throughout the Persian Gulf region – the alfalfa). This indigo-dyed cloth is a popular piece of costume for people as we travel southwards and is now nationally familiar – with expatriates and visitors – because of its association with the Firqat Forces (the irregulars from the Dhofar Region in the Sultan of Oman’s Army).

On the Sultanate’s National Days and other festive occasions, hundreds of these fierce-looking, barechested men dance with the indigo-cloth tied like a sarong around their waists and waving their weapons as they shout their oath to Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who has now been ruling the country for more than 40 years.

However, the pride of place in Bahla town is occupied by the potter and his exceptional art. The potters of Bahla, they say throughout the country, have magic in their fingers and their creations adorn the best of homes. The clay comes from the dry river (wadi) bed and it is laboriously trampled upon to make it pliable and then worked upon on the wheel – as potters have done throughout history.

The clay is transformed as the potter’s hands seem to weave patterns in the air and you can see shapes and sizes emerge, along with spouts and rims as the fingers mould and curve. Like music that is unheard, the sight will root you to the spot.... The pots are then fired in a dome-shaped kiln, heated with fire-wood (palm fronds, of which there is a plentiful supply). Although the electric wheel has been introduced, you can still see the old kickwheel. And don’t forget to pick a pot or two. They are reasonably priced and will be great conversation piece in any drawing room. One of the popular ones is the elegant snake pot which is used to store dates.

At the entrance to the town is a modern pottery works, set up by the government, with the help of Chinese experts. Beijing has donated equipment and provided some modern technology. The Oman-China link in this sphere is an ancient one and colourful shards of Chinese celadon pottery have been found at many sites excavated by archaeologists in recent times in various areas of the Sultanate.

The souk is a delightful place, like most souks in the country and is built around the village square. Bahla is also a town full of legends and stories about genies (djinns) and ghosts that are said to live in trees ... and if you have an Omani friend or a long-term resident to guide you around, it will be a memorable, educational visit.

© Bala Menon. This article was first published in the 'Times of Oman'.

    

 

 

Meeting two 'writers' in Budapest

 In ‘conversation’ with Gyula Krúdy

By Bala Menon

Budapest: Here I am In ‘conversation’ with Gyula Krúdy, one of Hungary’s most famous writers (1878-1933). This bronze sculpture is on the side of  Ferenciek Square on Duna Street in downtown Budapest.

With the Gyula Krúdy statue. Pic: ©Bala Menon

Gyula Krúdy, who was also a journalist, was connected to the area, because he wrote most of his famous ‘Sindbad’ stories  in the Downtown Cafe that was a popular haunt for intellectuals, adjacent to the southern Klotild Palace.

  

Krúdy’s life in Budapest coincided with the boom in the city in the early part of the 20th century and the start of what was called ‘The Golden Age of Coffee Houses’. Most of the magnificent buildings in the city were built during this period. 

Krúdy’s works, published in Budapest from 1978–89, ran to twenty volumes. ‘The Adventures of Sindbad’ is a collection of surrealistic tales that weaves fantasy with reality and connect the idea of death with life. 

One of his books - ‘Life is a Dream (1931) is a collection of ten stories, which Penguin Books describe as ‘a world where editors shoot themselves…men attend duels incognito and lovers fall out over salad dressing.’

The statue of Krúdy was designed by Márk Lelkes and Krisztián Máthé. Today, there is a permanent exhibit on Krúdy's life at the Hungarian Museum of Trade and Tourism in a building in Obuda in which he lived for the last three years of his life. There is another statue of Krúdy in the spectacular Central Market Hall - the largest and oldest indoor market in Budapest, built at the end of the 19th century.

... and face to face with 'Anonymous' 

Budapest: I came face to face with the huge, two-metres high, bronze statue of  ‘Anonymous’ on the grounds of the Vajdahunyad Castle in Budapest (which now houses the Hungarian Agricultural Museum).

The bronze statue of 'Anonymous. Pic: © Bala Menon

(My  concept of ‘anonymous’ was mostly of a person without an overt identity or some online hacker group which had gained prominence in the past few years or just nameless entitles like Alchoholics Anonymous and the like.)

The imposing statue that towered over me — on a solid marble base — is of a hooded, mysterious figure, holding a book in one 

hand and a pen in the other. It is said that visitors who touch the tip of the pen, get inspiration to become good storytellers. 

 

(Yes, I did touch the pen!) 

As Questoapp.com says: ‘This enigmatic statue reminds us that history is often told by voices from the shadows.  The Statue of Anonymous is not just a monument; it's a portal to a past shrouded in legend, inviting all who pass by to ponder the stories untold.’

The Hungarian Agricultural Museum. Pic: © Bala Menon

Under the hood, the eye sockets of the statue are empty. Sculpted in 1903 by Miklós Ligeti, the statue is of Anonymus Bele Regis Notarius  - Anonymous Notary of King Béla III, who is noted for his classical work  Gesta Hungarorum ("The Deeds of the Hungarians”). 

The book, written in the 12th century, talks of the (Magyar) Hungarian capture and occupation of the Carpathian Basin in Central Europe in the late 9th and early 10th century.

 

The gothic Vajdahunyad Castle is richly ornamented with carvings on its walls and there are several other statues on its grounds. The structure is similar in style to the Hunyad Castle in Transylvania in Romania.

Juneau, the Capital of Alaska

Juneau, the Stunning Capital Of Alaska 

Home of the Mendenhall Glacier & the Bald Eagle, the City was established by Canadian miner Joseph Juneau 

By Bala Menon

The picturesque downtown of Juneau. Pic: © Bala Menon

A couple of bald eagles suddenly swoop down, level off  and soar away towards the wooded mountains behind a block of red and white painted buildings. The bald eagle has been the national emblem of the United States since 1982 and we are approaching the Alaskan home of this magnificent raptor.

Looking at it from aboard a ship cruising the Inner Passage of the Northern Pacific, the city of Juneau - built in the Gastineau Channel and the Alaskan panhandle, does not look anything like a metropolis. 

Another view of downtown Juneau. Pic: © Bala Menon

However, Juneau is the capital of the 49th US state of Alaska and the second largest city (by area) in the United States. Juneau is around 1,356 km from the commercial city of Anchorage. (Alaska itself is the largest of the US states.)

The city downtown is picturesque in the summer, with beautiful sidewalks and cycle paths bordered with brilliant flowering bushes. Traffic is sparse - and the cycle seems to be the favoured method of transportation. The tallest building is only 11 storeys high. 

Towering above the town is Mt. Juneau and other mountains surrounding the town include Mt. McGinnis, Mt. Jumbo, Cairn Peak, Gastineau Peak, Mt. Roberts, Thunder Mountain and several rolling, thickly-wooded hills. 

The magnificent Mendenhall Glacier. Pic: © Bala Menon

A cable tramway takes tourists right from the docks half way up on Mount Juneau to an alpine area which has homes with great views, hiking trails, flora and views of Gastineau Channel. This is also the site of the renowned Juneau Raptor Center that looks after lost, infirm and injured eagles and other birds.

From May to September, the town is a bustling market place with over a million tourists - from cruise ships - passing though Juneau during the four months, making tourism one of the mainstays of the city’s economy. Jewellery (gold and precious stones) stores abound, most of them closing after the tourism season, with the operators moving back to sunnier states in the US.

Although an American city, Juneau was established in 1881 by Canadian miner Joseph Juneau (1836–1899) who was born in the Quebec town of Saint-Paul-l’Ermite (later renamed Le Gardeur and then incorporated into Repentigny).  

He was one of the early pioneers during the Klondike Gold Rush and it is said that though he struck it reasonably rich, he spent the money as fast as he could. In the end, he opened a small restaurant in Dawson City in the Yukon and died there of pneumonia. Juneau’s cousin  Solomon Juneau is credited with founding the city of Milwaukee in Wisconsin.

The Mendenhall Visitor Centre. Pic:© Bala Menon

Juneau today is linked as a sister city to two Canadian cities - Whitehorse, Yukon,  and  Saskatoon in Saskatchewan.

Juneau became the capital of Alaska in 1906 and is one of most sparsely populated cities in the country - because there is no land access to the city. 

One has to fly in by seaplane or arrive by boat. It is inhabited mostly by state and federal government officials, fishermen and those involved in the logging and tourism industries.

One of the most famous sites in Juneau is the Mendenhall Glacier - located in the Juneau Icefield which has given birth to over 30 glaciers, including the Lemon Creek Glacier visible in the distance from Juneau’s main roads.

Bald Eagle - image <a href="https://www.peakpx.com">Peakpx</a>

We travelled by bus to the glacier -  about 20 km from Juneau. (There are helicopter rides available for those who want to set foot on the glacier.)  

The area is part of the almost 6,000 acres of the Mendenhall recreation area, a unit of the  heavily wooded federal Tongass National Forest. The ancient glacier is about 22 km long, travelling from the Juneau Icefield and ending at Mendenhall lake, formed naturally in the late 1920s from its melting ice. Sadly, the glacier is said to be retreating and scientists say its light blue crystal face is shrinking both in height and width, while the lake gets bigger with its new  ecosystem boasting an abundance of fish life, including salmon and trout.

Romeo - Taxidermy mount at the Visitor Centre. Pic: © Bala Menon 

The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center perched atop a small hill provides stunning views of the glittering glacier and the surrounding area, bathed as it is in a late August early morning light. Short documentaries about the glacier and its flora and fauna  - especially wolves, bears, eagles and mountain goats - are shown in a small cinema at the centre, and there are several interpretative exhibits. 

Branching off from the centre are three wonderful trails - Photo Point Trail, the Steep Creek Trail and the popular 1.3 km East Glacier Loop Trail, the last of which leads to the rushing waters of the attractive Nugget Falls right near the face of the Mendenhall Glacier. 

There are signs warning of black bear activity during the summer months, when the animals come out to feed on sockeye salmon on the lakeshore and forest berries, in preparation for their winter hibernation. 

(We did not, however, see any bears - only their droppings and paw marks in wet muddy areas.) The undergrowth on the lakeshore is also home to beavers, porcupines and the waters have arctic terns and waterfowl. 

The gushing waters of Nugget Falls. Pic: © Bala Menon

Nugget Falls is a two-tiered gushing 

wall of water running off from the Nugget Glacier and dropping about 380 feet over a U-shaped small valley. It falls onto sandbars in the Mendenhall Lake, which feeds the Mendenhall River that empties into the Alaskan Inside Passage.

Bald eagles are everywhere in Juneau, You can see them perched on every lamppost, every tree stump and every piece of rock that juts out from the Mendenhall river. 

Of the estimated 100,000 bald eagles in the world, half of them fly around in Alaska. In Juneau alone, there are around 30,000 bald eagles with wingspans stretching to almost eight feet.  Researchers say these birds of prey can live up to 32 years of age. The bird is, along with the Alaskan wolf, also spiritually important for the territory’s First Nations people.

The Story of Romeo

JUNEAU, Alaska: One day in the winter of 2003, a young black wolf appeared on the inhabited shores of the Mendenhall Lake - in an area where dogs ran unleashed and children played games. The wild three-year-old animal was a lone survivor of a ive-member Nugget Basin pack; three had been trapped and killed, one was road kill.

The handsome wolf did not seem frightened or threatening and soon established bonds with other dogs and the people who named him Romeo because he apparently had a crush on a female Labrador. The name became famous across Juneau and soon people began arriving to see him - an extraordinary animal who is a feared predator in Alaska, playing with dogs.

Romeo did not want food, he only wanted companionship and to trot around the area where the evening crowd gathered to play on the lake ice. He also interacted with tourists and cross country skiers. Sometimes he would disappear for days, only to appear suddenly one day as his old playful self, gambolling, howling...

A plaque for Romeo on Nugget Falls trail. Pic: © Bala Menon

This continued for an amazing  six years when he vanished forever in September 2009, plunging the whole city in gloom. Forest officers later arrested two serial poachers who had shot Romeo at point-blank range for his rich, black hide.

However, the beloved wolf of Juneau today lives on - as a high quality taxidermy mount (see picture on the page) at the Mendenhall Centre, along with a sound wand that has his recorded joyful howls. A bronze plaque has also been affixed on one of the trees on the Nugget Trail where he liked to roam.

A best-seller “A Wolf Called Romeo” was written by Nick Jans, to whom Romeo’s love interest the Labrador named Dakotah belonged. “Nothing can take away the miracle that was Romeo and the years we spent in his company,” wrote Jans. “Love, not hate, is the burden we carry.”

©  Bala Menon Pics of Romeo and his plaque by © Bala Menon