Ushuaia, Argentina:

Although Ushuaia sounds like a sneeze, its name actually means simply 'bay penetrating west'. A glance at a map shows the Beagle Channel doing just that, with the deep water port of Ushuaia, founded in 1884, cosily situated at the far end of a narrow tongue of water flanked by Argentinean land on one side and Chile on the other.

Tourism has sparked new life into the place. At the port at the bottom of the hill, cruise ships berth, and others depart for Antarctica. Penguins abound in the shops. Not the real ones of course, but sculpted and painted ones, drawn on mugs, laminated onto keyrings, or embroidered on thick sweaters. There are mate mugs from which you can sip the astringent tea that Argentineans love, and jewellery fashioned from the local pink rhodocrosite rock.

Tierra del Fuego. The name translates as 'land of fire', and certainly the snowy, conical peaks we can see across the border in Chile, across Lake Fagnano, look volcanic, but there were no volcanoes. Guides in the area say "It was the smoke, from the fires of the Yámana people. Everywhere, there were fires. That's what the explorers saw."

For those who wish to see more, and do more, tours offers 4WD treks into the hinterland and many other options. There is skiing and snow sports in winter, fishing, cycling, hiking, kayaking and sailing, even birdwatching, or sled rides pulled by huskies, bred specifically for the purpose.

The world's southernmost city has the look of a frontier town. The architecture is eclectic, with buildings in progress, some half finished, and many roads potholed, obviously damaged by the severe weather. The warmer season, roughly from November to March, seems hardly long enough to catch up on all the jobs which accumulate during those colder months when, in the depth of winter, there are only seven hours of daylight each day. Read more...

Uralla, NSW

Located halfway between Sydney and Brisbane on the New England Highway, Uralla, founded in 1855, is a small New South Wales country town with a population of around 2,500. If that sounds a little too small, don't be misled. This town has much to recommend it. Come and see for yourself!

Gostwyck Station's gardens are extensive and this bridge replaced stepping stones over the river in the early 1900s. It was erected, not to help humans, it seems, but to make it easier to move flocks of sheep to the woolshed for shearing.

The region's food and wine scene is growing and an annual food festival called the Duke's Feast celebrats the best it has to offer. Read more...

Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia:

This is Uluru, not any old rock in the centre of Australia. The world's largest pebble (that's official) was, until 17 years ago, universally known as Ayers Rock, named for the boss of the white discoverer, Gosse. It’s the world's largest cleanskin monolith, and has been around a mere 60 million years or so.

The traditional owners, the Anangu people, by comparison have been here a lot less - 22,000 years - but that's still enough to give them intimate knowledge of this mysterious outcrop smack in the middle of thousands of square kilometres of vast stony saltbush desert.

To walk through this country with a local aboriginal person is a rare treat. You sense the harshness, feel the thirst, taste the isolation of one of the world's most remote places. You fear falling foul of the spirits of the desert. It sends a shiver through you, despite the blistering heat, and you take a step closer to the group. How long would we last alone out here? A few hours? A day, tops.

It's a tough part of the country, and even the wildlife needs to be tough. This thorny devil camouflages perfectly against the desert sands. Read more about Uluru.... 

Urban sprawl:

Top 10 world's most populous cities.

1. Shanghai   17.8 million
2. Istanbul     13.48
3. Karachi      13.05
4. Mumbai      12.47
5. Beijing       11.71
6. Moscow      11.55
7. Sao Paulo   11.31
8. Tianjin        11.09
9. Guangzhou  11.07
10. Delhi          11.00

Umbrellas needed:

The world has some rainy places. Here are the top ten with highest annual rainfall - in inches.

1. Mt Waialeale, Hawaii   460.00

2. Monrovia, Liberia   202.01

3. Pago Pago, American Samoa  196.46

4. Moulmein, Burma  191.02

5. Lae, Papua New Guinea  182.87

6. Baguio, Philippines   180.04

7. Sylhet, Bangladesh  175.47

8. Conakry, Guinea  170.91

9. Padang, Indonesia 166.34

10. Bogor, Indonesia  166.33

Umeboshi plums:

Umeboshi plums are Japanese salt plums even though the fruit is more like an apricot. Some believe that umeboshi are good for digestion, prevention of nausea, and for systemic toxicity, including hangovers. Green ume extract is even used as a tonic in Japan. The citric acid is claimed to act as an antibacterial, help to increase saliva production and assist in the digestion of rice. Additionally, umeboshi is claimed to combat fatigue (historically given as part of a samurai's field ration) and protect against aging.

Ugli fruit:

An ugli fruit does not exist! UGLI®, though, is the brand name used by Cabel Hall Citrus Ltd., and its licensees for marketing The Exotic Tangelo from Jamaica™. This tangelo was discovered growing wild near Brown’s Town in Jamaica and was developed commercially by the family which discovered the original tree.

When buying the UGLI® brand of tangelos do not be deterred by their odd shape, or their wrinkly, green, yellowish or sometimes russet skin. Rather, take a bite of the sweet juicy flesh which will tantalize your taste buds. You will love their sweet tangy flavour. They are easily peeled to be eaten by the peg, or the flesh used in salads, yogurts, ice cream and soufflés, or cut in half to be eaten with a spoon extracting the luscious deep orange juicy flesh.

The UGLI® brand was developed when in 1934 an importer wrote to ask for “..more of that ugly fruit…” whereupon the spelling was changed and the trade mark registered. The somewhat odd appearance comes from the rough wrinkly greenish-yellow skin, wrapped loosely around succulent orange pulpy flesh inside. The fruit is slightly larger than a grapefruit, but has a sweet tangy taste unlike the bitter taste of grapefruit

Americans and Europeans pronounce the brand name like ugly, while in Jamaica it is pronounced “hugly”!

It is seasonal from November to May, but sometimes is available in July to September, depending on the weather conditions at its home in Jamaica. More details....