Air-Quality? Water-Quality? A Jaunt to Jamaica

Last week I told you about our trip to Jamaica and this is the end of the story.
If you remember, the purpose of the trip was to attend my life partner's son, Peter's, wedding. He married a wonderful California girl named Danni (short for Danielle). Peter and Danni wanted to get married in a gazebo on the beach in Jamaica. They arrived on Friday because they had a multitude of things to arrange and had to be in Jamaica for three days to establish residency. More about the wedding later.

Anyway, the wedding was scheduled for Wednesday so, to kill time on Tuesday, Peter got our whole group of ten people (counting the kids) together for a catamaran sail down the coast. Have you ever been to Jamaica? If you have, does the phrase "Dunn River Falls" fill your heart with terror. Oh, I'm exaggerating! It's probably not too bad for you younger, more athletically inclined kids. I, however, am a little longer in the tooth and a bit of a klutz to begin with! They start the tour by making you rent what they laughingly call "water shoes" for $5.00 per pair. These are like ballet slippers with grooved rubber soles to help you climb through the water. Most of the shoes I saw must have been used by Columbus when he came ashore. They were old, with smooth bottoms and, with my pair, holes on the ends of both shoes where my big toes stuck out and about three sizes to small. I should have traded my shoes in for a first aid kit.

Well, we started climbing the falls. Yes! Climbing the falls! I don't mean on stairs or an elevator alongside the falls. I mean IN the falls! Yes, you will get wet! In my case, I got soaked. You are trying to climb along from smooth stone to smooth stone, but sometimes you slip. At one point, I even went completely under. Thank the deity that I did not bring my digital camera along! Navigation was not a problem - just keep going UP! At least the water quality was great. Cool! Clean! Fresh! After all, it was kind of fun and the guides were friendly and helpful. However, they don't seem to be able to finish a sentence without the word "Mon". But it's cool, and after a few days you find yourself speaking just like the natives.

Well, here I am at the end and didn't even tell you about the wedding and our trip into town yet. Will have to get to that next week. Hang in there with me, folks, and remember your last trip to Jamaica - or your next!

For information on camping and outdoor gear, first aid kits, emergency survival kits and home water quality equipment, visit our website at visitfrogkreek.com/

Wide Collections of GPS & Accessories

Kaf-tan KT-2 coffee maker cleaner.

Kaf-tan KT-2 coffee maker cleaner. For automatic drip coffee makers. ODORLESS. Cleans and removes Lime Scale from Mr. Coffee, Black & Decker, Bunn-O-Matic, Braun, Krups and similar auto drip coffee makers.

That one simple beverage could generate so many romantic stores and so much business is amazing. Yet, since its inception, the dark and powerful liquid known as coffee has turned into quite a lucrative product.

There are many legends about the origin of the coffee bean, but the most reliable historians pinpoint its discovery to around 500 BC in Ethiopia. It is said that travelers then brought it to Arabia after observing the stimulating effects from the coffee plant berries, where it acquired its name.

The Renaissance gave birth not only to art and science, but also to the commercial production of that "heathenish liquid," as it would later be termed. By the late eighteenth century, both drinking popularity and plantations had spread to other parts such as Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South and North America and did not make exception for social class.

During these centuries, the health effects associated with coffee bordered along the lines of miraculous, but as with most proclaimed miracles, there is some fact upon which to base the claim.

Some research suggests that mammalian sperm swim faster and farther in fluid laced with coffee, based upon the theory that caffeine stimulates them to perform as such. One study at Harvard followed over 100,000 individuals for nearly twenty years and drew the conclusion that moderate consumption of caffeine can help reduce diabetes, while other studies show a reduction in cirrhosis of the liver and decreased severity of asthma.

The antioxidants in coffee have been touted as helping to keep hearts healthier, albeit there is still debate about whether the risks outweigh the benefits. Coffee is a diuretic, thus encouraging frequent urination. Some allege that caffeine stimulation affects the nervous system, particularly that it can result in long term degeneration of the nerves. Caffeine withdrawal can lead to poor sleeping habits.

But, for good, bad or a combination of both, coffee is not going anywhere anytime soon, if ever. Economics alone can basically guarantee that since coffee is a commodity only second in dollar sense to oil.

Whether traded on exchanges in New York, London or Hong Kong, with over four hundred billion cups of coffee consumed yearly, this black gold is only increasing in popularity. Total retails sales estimate at near nine billion dollars annually, although only ten to twenty percent of adults drink at least one cup daily varying by country. Adding in the grinders, brewers, roasters and cups that go along with the coffee product and the numbers are astounding.

With the rise in both basic coffee and specialty retail prices, coffee's future looks extremely bright and this is not just for specialty coffee shops like Starbucks. Home brewers and roasters can also brew a tasty espresso allowing the enjoyment of coffee flavors and blends to occur both in and outside the home, adding to the overall coffee industry. By adding just a few special ingredients, anyone can have a mocha, cappuccino or latte in just a few minutes in the comfort of their own home.

The technical writer Peter Mason is especially interested in news similar to coffee makers and cappuccino machines. You can learn about his work on cappuccino maker at http://www.coffee-espresso-maker-tips.com

Wide Collections of GPS & Accessories

AquaBrew TE Pour-Over Commercial Coffee Maker, Brewer Alone

For restaurant, office or high-end home use Ca made AquaBrew is the choice for premium drip coffee makers. What sets AquaBrew apart from the competition? the list is long. First, all AquaBrew coffee makers brew into quality thermal carafes so the coffee doesnt sit on heaters getting that burnt muddy taste that we are all too familiar with. (Carafes are available separately or as part of the starter set) Thermal carafes are also portable, so you can take your gourmet coffee with you to the table, to the meeting, wherever it is needed. AquaBrew also brews at a hot 205 deg F the top of the recommended brewing temperature range to ensure optimum flavor and the hot coffee you are yearning for. Another advance is the quick brewing time, only 5 minutes for a 12 cup pot again a time recommended by the experts for water contact with coffee. Their patented technology ensures consistent brew volume and brew temperature with no recovery time between brews to keep up with the morning office rush or the evening dinner party. Plus, AquaBrew does it all without a holding tank of hot water. This is important b the best coffee is made with the freshest water. When water sits heated, it looses oxygen critical to extracting the quality flavor. Need another reason? AquaBrews energy efficient designs can save you hundreds of dollars a year in electric bills. Compare Aquabrew to other brands and you will be impressed. TE-116 Features Safety Brewing Lights Unibody molded Housing Tension Mount Brew Rail System Ready Light 205º F Brewing Temperature 3 Year Warranty Brews up to 14 Cups (74 oz.) Shown with Shown with Avantro US190 Ultimate® Server Sold Separately (or 1 included in starter set) 120 V, 1715 W, 15 Amps 17.75" H x 8.5" W x 14" D We are proud to offer Swiss Gold stainless permanent filters to complement your machine - included in the starter set configuration that also includes the thermal carafe. The difference is dramatic and we feel that the us

Are you the kind of person, just like millions around the world, who gets cranky the whole day if you weren't able to drink at least one cup of your favorite coffee? If you are, then you will definitely perk up with these new facts you are about to read.

According to recent studies coffee has several health benefits other than keeping you awake most of the day. It is said that just smelling the coffee upon waking up in the morning is good for the brain. The smell of coffee can help resist succumbing to stress due to deprivation of sleep. Other studies on coffee also show that it can lower risks of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, colon cancer, and even skin cancer. Yes, coffee is good for your skin!

Coffee can keep your skin healthy in a lot of different ways. Other than preventing skin cancer and melanoma-related diseases, coffee has anti-oxidant ingredients that can help:

• Your skin be free of different radicals that can cause acne, eczema and other skin diseases
• Improve the flow of micro-cellulars in your skin
• Break up fatty deposits which cause those ugly cellulites
• Clear up your skin of acne and other blemishes
• Act as sunblock and prevent sunburn and wrinkles
• Absorb and neutralize strong odors such as fish and other smells

How can you get all these skin benefits from coffee? There are two ways. One is to go to a spa that offers coffee treatment, and the other option is to make your own homemade coffee skin care treatment. Here are some suggestions on how to prepare your own coffee skin care products:

1. Use coffee beans to rub on your damp skin before taking a steam bath or going in a sauna bath. Coffee beans can lightly exfoliate your skin and its rich oils can soften it.
2. After having your fill of your morning coffee, used coffee grounds can be reused into a variety of skin products:

• Coffee grounds mixed with olive oil - Apply this mixture all over your cellulite regions, and wrap these areas using plastic wrap. Leave this on for at least 5 minutes, remove the plastic and shower off. This can help reduce cellulites from your body.
• Coffee grounds mixed with egg white - Apply this on your skin as an exfoliant for softer skin.
• Coffee grounds mixed with your skin cleanser - This mixture can be your very own coffee exfoliating scrub.
• Coffee grounds mixed with cocoa powder and whole milk or cream - This mixture is a great smelling facial mask.

Coffee as an ingredient for skin care products have been used by women from Russia, Hawaii, Bali, and South America for several years now. So why not visit your favorite spa or skin product store and check out their line of coffee skin products? Better yet, why not make your own?

Get more mouth-watering and informative daily features about gourmet food and beverages from around the world, including coffee, teas, wines, cheeses, appetizers, desserts, rare spices, and more at Whole Planet Company. To get more about "Coffee" and your daily dose of other culinary adventures, go to => http://www.wholeplanetcompany.com

Wide Collections of GPS & Accessories