VietNamNet - 29 killed, over 40,000 flee homes after volcano eruption in Indonesia | 29 killed, over 40,000 flee homes after volcano eruption in Indonesia

29 killed, over 40,000 flee homes after volcano eruption in Indonesia

Volcano eruption in Central Java of Indonesia on Tuesday has killed 29 people and forced 40,475 others flee homes, officials said on Wednesday.

Villagers rest in a temporary shelter about 7 kilometers away from the Mount Merapi in Central Java of Indonesia, Oct. 27, 2010. Volcano eruption in Central Java of Indonesia on Tuesday has killed 29 people and forced 40,475 others flee homes, officials said on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Zhao Jinchuan)

The latest data at coordinating post in Sleman of Yogyakarta province shows that 17,776 people have escaped the dangerous zones of 10 kilometers and official at National Disaster and Mitigation Management Agency Furqon Hafid told Xinhua by phone that 22,609 others have taken shelters in Central Java province.

Mount Merapi of 2,968 meters high is located in the border of the two provinces.

In Sleman district of Yogyakarta province ten people were still treated intensively after hit by hot ash, data from the post said.

Most of the displaced persons took shelters in schools, makeshift tents, barracks and relative houses, Taupik Wahyudi, senior official of the Disaster and Mitigation Management Agency in Sleman told Xinhua.

Many of the people have suffered from respiratory problem. Some children got diarrhea.

The previous eruption of Mount Merapi in 2006 killed two people. A 1994 eruption claimed 60 lives. In 1930, a major eruption killed more than 1,000 people.

Indonesia lies in a quake-prone zone called the Pacific Ring of Fire. The country now has 129 active volcanoes.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet

- Historic and picturesque Cao Bang | Historic and picturesque Cao Bang

– Cao Bang Province, about 286 kilometers north of Hanoi, has a landscape that begs exploration and a history that demands looking back at.

Ban Gioc Waterfall is the largest waterfall in Vietnam. (Photo: SGT)

The province is famous for Pac Po Cave, Ban Gioc Waterfall and Lenin Stream.

We came to Cao Bang in the late noon. The highlands city was not too noisy as the Bac Giang River starts to roar in the early rainy season. When we were there it was the dry season so there was silence.

Cao Bang is about 200 meters high above sea level but some areas of the province reaches about 600 meters to 1,300 meters near the border.

After taking a lunch of wild pork and wild vegetables, we headed to Pac Po Cave where we spent an entire day. The cave is in a rugged rocky mountain, about 55 kilometers north of Cao Bang Township.

Pac Po means a mouth where hundreds of streams flow, so the cave has many smaller limestone caverns and fresh streams. Uncle Ho lived in one of the caverns. His cave is eight meters long and five meters wide with many holes to let in sunlight and fresh air. Lit by one of these rays of light was a large rock which the tour guide said was the bed and desk of Uncle Ho.

Near the cave is Karl Marx Mountain and below the mountain is a perfectly clear spring which the former President named Lenin. In front of the cave is a 1,000 square meter yard that is shaded by old trees.

Leaving Pac Po Cave to return to Cao Bang Township, we came to Ban Gioc Waterfall in Dam Thuy Commune early in the morning next day. The roar of the water hitting the cliffs could be heard kilometers away. We had heard it in Trung Khanh so we were keen to see it.

Rafts cruised under the thirty meter tall waterfall that divides into three. At the foot of the falls is a large river, as smooth as glass, lined by different flowers.

VietNamNet/SGT

0.5kg of hairs taken from little girl’s stomach | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Doctors of Hanoi-based Vietnam-Germany Hospital recently conducted an operation to take a bun of hair weighing 0.5kg from the stomach of a 9-year-old Vietnamese-Russian girl.The girl, Vika Ermiskina, visited her home country on the occasion of Hanoi’s 1000th anniversary. She couldn’t eat anything, just drank milk. Whenever she ate rice, she vomited.

The Vietnam-Germany Hospital’s doctors made a scan and discovered a bun of hairs in her stomach. They performed a surgery to take the hair out on October 4. The girl left the hospital one week later.

The hospital’s Deputy Director Tran Binh Giang said this case is called Rapunzel syndrome. This is an extremely rare intestinal condition in humans resulting from eating hair (trichophagia). The syndrome is named after the long-haired girl Rapunzel in the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. Trichophagia is sometimes associated with the hair pulling disorder trichotillomania.

The girl told doctors that she had eaten her hair for a very long time but her parents didn’t know. She has shown symptoms of tiredness and weight loss for a year.

“In Russia, children often take liquid food like soup or milk so the Rapunzel syndrome was not clear. When she ate rice, symptoms began to show more clearly, including vomiting or stomachache,” Dr. Giang analysed.

PV

Shopping in Dong Van stone plateau | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Dong Van is not only a newly-recognised global geological park but also a tourist attraction in Vietnam. Let’s go shopping at Dong Van market.

Stone plateau listed as geopark

This is the market of ethnic minority people like H’mong, Dao, Tay, Nung, Lo Lo, etc. from mountain communes in Dong Van district. This is part of the plateau’s unique characteristics.

Dong Van market opens every Sunday, from early morning. Sweet and fragrant guavas are only priced 4000 dong per kilo.

Butcher’s stalls are always crowded. Pork is still a luxurious food for ethnic minority people.

Men have fun with rice alcohol and pipe tobacco.

Young girls buy Dai string to decorate their dresses. A string is priced from 10,000 to 20,000/unit.

Banh gai ran, a specialty at Dong Van market.

French tourists buy H’mong clothes as souvenirs.

Thang co – a popular cuisine (from horse meat) of H’mong people.

Confectionary is sold in kilo.

Dried bamboo shoot.

A H’mong man and his newly bought dog.

PV

Intel to open 1 bln USD factory in Vietnam - SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - VietNamNet

Intel to open 1 bln USD factory in Vietnam - SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - VietNamNet: "Intel Corporation, the world’s largest semiconductor chip maker, will open its 1 billion USD chip assembly and testing facility in Vietnam by the end of this month, an executive said.

Intel recruiters set sights on the best and brightest

Intel’s investment in Vietnam is aimed at tapping growth opportunities in emerging Asia , Navin Shenoy, Intel’s general manager for Asia-Pacific, was quoted by The Wall Street Journal as saying on Oct. 14.

'We expect Asia ’s PC market to continue to grow by more than 20 percent annually in the next few years. We definitely will continue to invest in Asia where we see growth,' he said.

Intel Corp., the first major foreign investor in high technology in Vietnam, started construction of the Vietnam facility in 2007, and 4,000 people are expected to employ for the plant, according to the paper.

The Vietnam facility is Intel’s seventh assembly and test site. Other sites include Penang and Kulim in Malaysia, Cavite in the Philippines, Chengdu and Shanghai in China, and San Jose in Costa Rica.

Shenoy said that China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam are important markets of the US chip maker in Asia, which has a young population and a low PC penetration rate. He added while the company is seeing relatively weak sentiment in the US and European consumer markets, Asian customers and enterprises continue to buy PCs.

Intel reported more than 11 billion USD in quarterly revenue for the first time in the third quarter. 58 percent of its third-quarter revenue came from the Asia-Pacific region which rose 20 percent to a record 6.40 billion USD, compared with 5.32 billion USD a year earlier.

Source: VNA

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Vietnam ranks as world’s 72nd for gender equality | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Vietnam ranks as world’s 72nd for gender equality | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update: "Vietnam ranks as world’s 72nd for gender equality

October 14, 2010 about News, Social

The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual report has ranked Vietnam as 72nd for gender equality in terms of politics, education, job and health. LookAtVietnam - The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual report has ranked Vietnam as 72nd for gender equality in terms of politics, education, job and health.

Vietnam was listed for the first time in the WEF’s annual report in 2007, at the 42nd.position. It ranked 68th in 2008 and 71st in 2009.

Iceland tops the list this year, for the second consecutive time. Northern European countries rule the ranking, with Norway, Finland and Sweden in the top five.

The Philippines holds the highest, 9th position in the list among Asian countries . The three countries at the bottom include Pakistan (132nd), Chad (133rd) and Yemen (134th).

“Gender equality has direct influence on the competitiveness of an economy. Women must be treated equally if their countries want to develop,” said WEF Chair Klaus Schawab.

Here are the top 15 countries: Iceland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, New Zealand, Ireland, Denmark, Lesotho, Philippines, Switzerland, Spain, South Africa, Germany, Belgium and Great Britain.

Phuong Linh

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Go figure, why travel prospects in Asia are looking good-14 October, 2010

Go figure, why travel prospects in Asia are looking good-14 October, 2010: "News Printable version Email to a Friend
14 October, 2010 Adjust font size: Increase Font Size Decrease Font Size

Go figure, why travel prospects in Asia are looking good

Some of the numbers emerging from the Abacus International Conference in Vietnam this week.

11 percent year on year growth in Abacus travel bookings

10 percent surge in international arrivals to Asia Pacific in the first quarter 2010

5.2 billion US dollar profit predicted from Asia Pacific carriers in 2010

23.9 percent growth in premium aircraft routes linked to Asia

28 percent share of global passenger traffic is accounted for by Asia Pacific carriers

450 million mobile Internet subscribers in the Asia Pacific

70,500 visitors and SG$85 million in travel deals at recent National Association of Travel Agents Singapore consumer sales event

10 percent increase in corporate travel in Asia Pacific this year over 2009

786 million Internet users in Asia – 43.5 percent of global users – in 2009

50.2 percent of global Internet users will be in Asia Pacific by 2020, according to Euromonitor International.

32 percent of global consumers intend to purchase airline tickets online in the second half of 2010, with a further 26 percent planning to book tours or hotel reservations, according to a 2010 Nielsen survey

238 hotels are under construction in South East Asia, with Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam leading the way.

US$779 billion tourist spending by Asian travellers by 2014

25 percent of Asia Pacific consumers are planning a holiday in the next six months

26 airports planned and 43 new hotels under development in Vietnam

93 percent of travel in Indo-China region is by leisure travellers, many of whom are moving towards short getaways.

127 million mobile Internet subscribers in India, and 155 million in China

US$630 billion – value of the mobile payment market by 2014, according to Jupiter Research

20,000 – number of Abacus travel agency locations in 24 markets


- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Can Tho: Colossal crocodile jawbone fished out from river

Fisherman Tran Van Ut in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho found the jawbone of a giant crocodile in Dau Sau (Crocodile Head) River.

HCM City farm loses 300 crocodiles in the night

Crocodiles captured near central province croc farm

Mother Nature lets hundreds of crocodiles loose on Central Vietnam

Ut at first thought this 0.9m long, 0.4m wide jawbone was a tree trunk.

Tran Van Tot, 86, a resident of the area, exclaimed that he has never seen such a big crocodile head. He estimated the reptile had been five to six meters long and weighed 300-400 kilograms. He also guessed that the crocodile may have died more than 100 years ago.

Tieu Thi Tuyet, 76, who lives near the river, recalled that her grandmother once saw a giant crocodile basking on the shore and crawling into the river when it spotted people.

Several people have offered to buy the jaw, but Ut has refused to sell it.

The world’s largest living crocodile is the saltwater crocodile found in Australia and India, which is thought to grow to up to seven meters.

Some pictures of the giant crocodile jawbone:

Source: Tuoi Tre/VNE

Visas fee exempted for foreign tourists - Travel

Foreign visitors who go to Vietnam under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism’s (VNAT) promotional program from now to the end of the year will be exempted from visa fee.

The VNAT has just made public this program, which benefits citizens from all countries and territories who enter Vietnam in tours.

The visa fee exemption is also effective for car tours to Vietnam. This program will last from now until the end of December 2010.

To join this program, tourist firms must meet two conditions: be registered with the VNAT and be listed on the website of VNAT’s Vietnam – Your Destination program.

PV

Central floods leave 66 dead, make thousands homeless | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Floods have left 66 people dead, 75 injured and 17 missing in central Vietnam by October 11, reported the National Committee for Floods Prevention and Control.

Update on flood in central Vietnam

Flood hits Central Vietnam, leaving 85 dead, missing

The floods caused damage worth more than 2.5 trillion dong (around US$127 million), including nearly 1.4 trillion in Quang Binh province, leaving 100,000 people in need of safe water.

Thousands of people in Quang Binh Province’s Tan Hoa commune have left caves in a nearby mountain to come back home. However, flash floods damaged thousands of houses, leaving many people moneyless and homeless.

After several days fighting with the flood, many have been exhausted due to lack of food, coldness and illnesses.

As of October 7, over 20.8 billion dong was raised for the flood victims.

Hanoi has saved around US$260,000 from canceling 29 fireworks displays on its 1,000th anniversary, and part of the sum has been spent as relief aid for flood-affected residents in Quang Binh.

Hanoi’s vice chair Hoang Manh Hien said 2.5 billion dong, of which 1.5 billion dong was saved from canceled fireworks spending, was given to Quang Binh. He said more relief aid will be given to other four provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue.

PV

Toyota Classics 2010 scheduled in Hanoi | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Toyota Classics 2010 scheduled in Hanoi | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update: "- An orchestra from the Italian city of Florence , will perform its only concert in Vietnam at the Hanoi Opera House on October 27.

My Linh mixes movie tunes, classics for nationwide tour

The Orchestra Citta de Firenze, with well known conductor Lorenzo Castriota Skanderbeg, famous tenor Leonardo Melani and talented young Vietnamese pianist Luu Hong Quang, promises a wonderful evening of classical Italian music with concertos and symphonies by great composers such as Verdi, Puccini and Rossini.

Luu Hong Quang won first prize at the 2009 Chopin Piano Contest in Australia .

It is the 13 th Toyota Classic to held in Vietnam since it first started in 1997. The programme has not only entertained Vietnamese audiences with world famous masterpieces but has also promoted classic music across Asia .

The president of Toyota Motors Vietnam (TMV) Akito Tachibana, said at a press briefing in Hanoi on October 12 that the proceeds from the night would be donated to the “Toyota Scholarship for Young Vietnamese Musical Talent”.

TMV has made a considerable contribution to Vietnam ’s socio-economic development in its 15 years of operation. The Japanese car manufacturer has held first position in Vietnam ’s car market for many years with a record sale of 167,000 vehicles so far.

The global giant has contributed over 1.66 billion USD to the Vietnamese State Treasury and over 13.6 million USD to social activities ranging from culture to sports, education, traffic safety and the environment.

Source: VNA


- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Cancer increasing across Vietnam

he number of people suffering from cancer was increasing across Viet Nam, warned participants at a national conference on cancer prevention on Thursday.

According to statistics presented at the conference, between 100,000 and 200,000 new cancer cases are reported in Viet Nam each year, while between 15,000-20,000 people die from cancer annually.

The rate of male patients with cancer increased to 181.2 per 100,000 people in 2010 from 141.6 per 100,000 people in 2000. The figure for female patients is 134.9 per 100,000 against 101.6 per 100,000.

Smoking, environmental pollution and the use of pesticides were the main causes of the disease, said Vice Chairman of the Association for Cancer Prevention and Control Nguyen Ba Duc.

The most common cancers were lung, stomach, liver, breast, rectum and cervical cancer, said Duc.

He added communication and education activities had not been strong enough to raise people’s awareness on cancer prevention in Viet Nam, a factor that had contributed to the rising rate of cancer in the country.

A recent survey carried out in 12 provinces and cities showed that only 35 per cent of the more than 12,000 surveyed people knew the correct answers to cancer-related questions.

Most people held the erroneous view that cancer was an untreatable disease.

Director of the Viet Nam National Cancer Hospital Bui Dieu said about one-third of the patients could be potentially treated if their cancer was discovered at an early stage, but most Vietnamese patients did not have frequent health check ups.

Chairman of the HCM City Cancer Prevention Association Nguyen Chan Hung said modern medical technologies could prolong the lives of people with cancer.

World Health Organis-ation Representative Dr Jean-Marc Olive said that in the coming time, cancer prevention and control programmes should be integrated into the national diseases prevention programme.

Human resources and medical facilities to treat cancer should be strengthened and upgraded along with services to meet the demands of patients, he said.

Health experts recommend people have regular health check-ups and reduce high-risk behaviour such as smoking and eating fastfood.

Source: VNS

Mango Trees part of National Vietnam's heritage

Nine ancient mango (Mangifera foetida Lour) trees at Hanoi’s Voi Phuc temple have been recognized as part of national Vietnam’s heritage.

Two of the nine ancient mango trees at the Voi Phuc Temple in Hanoi.

The Chair of the Vietnam Association for Nature and Environmental Protection, Nguyen Ngoc Sinh, said that recognizing these trees as a part of our national heritage is an activity to celebrate Hanoi’s millennial anniversary and the International Year on Biodiversity.

The trees have become national heritage items after Voi Phuc Temple’s manager Nguyen Van Tung sent the record of these trees to the Vietnam Association for Nature and Environment Protection and asked them to strictly protect and specially take care of these trees on September 24 2010.

The nine trees at Voi Phuc Temple are around 700 years old. They are from 17 to 29m high, with trunk diameters from 2.92m to 5.2m. The trees are considered witnesses of history Thang Long-Hanoi.

Besides the nine ancient mango trees, a few other ancient trees throughout the country are also recognized as national heritage items.

PV

Hanoi History in Photos

more than 500 items, documents and pictures at the “National heros and cultural men of Vietnam” exhibition have partly reflected Vietnam’s 4000-year history. The exhibition opened at the Vietnam Museum of Revolution, Hanoi, on October 4.

Vietnam history overview

The biggest bronze drum in Vietnam.

The model of the magic crossbow of King An Duong Vuong in the Au Lac age, the second state in Vietnam’s history after Van Lang of 18 Hung Kings. This magic crossbow was made by the Vietnam Museum of Military History in 2009.

Ly Thuong Kiet – the preeminent hero of the Ly Dynasty. He passed away in 1105, at the age of 86.

The Royal Edict for Moving the Capital by King Ly Thai To to move the capital from Hoa Lu to Dai La (Thang Long-Hanoi).

Wood stakes used in the Bach Dang battle in 1288, the strategic battle conducted by Tran Hung Dao which put an end to the 3rd war of resistance against Mongol-Yuan invaders.

Nguyen Trai (1380-1442), a preeminent politician, a national hero, an outstanding strategist and diplomat, a great writer of Vietnam, who was recognized by UNESCO as the world great cultural man in 1980 on the occasion of his 600th birthday.

King Quang Trung, the second king of Tay Son dynasty, one of the most famous leaders and generals in Vietnam’s history. He passed away at the age of 40 (1792).

Guns in the 18th century.

French troops attacked the Hanoi citadel in November 1873. The citadel is closely linked with the names of Governors Nguyen Tri Phuong and Hoang Dieu, who sacrificed themselves to defend the citadel.

The gun collection of the Nguyen dynasty, used by soldiers of the Hanoi citadel in the late 19th century.

An old lady told her old memory about Hanoi.

President read the Declaration of Independence on September 2 1945 to found the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

With 39 pages, over 300kg in weight, this giant calligraphic work comprises the three famous Declarations of Independence in Vietnam’s history by Ly Thuong Kiet, Nguyen Trai and Ho Chi Minh.

54 ethnic groups in Vietnam in a set of stamps.

President Nguyen Minh Triet thurified at the Hung Kings death anniversary at Hung Kings Temple in Phu Tho province in early 2010.

General Vo Nguyen Giap visited the excavation site in the Thang Long Royal Citadel.

The Street of Calligraphers in Hanoi.

Vietnam has six world heritage sites recognized by the UNESCO: Ha Long Bay, Hue ancient capital, Phong Nha cave, Hoi An ancient town, My Son holy land and Thang Long Royal Citadel.

The My Dinh National Convention Hall in Hanoi.

A new residential area.

Vinh Tuy bridge crossing the Red River in Hanoi. This will be the largest bridge in Vietnam.

Thang Long avenue, Hanoi.

Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi.

PV

My day with a Vietnamese soldier

Posted by  Frank Yetter to Meanderthals' posterous

I spent today with a lieutenant in the Vietnamese army, sitting behind him for seven hours as he showed me the sights of Dalat's countryside and told us about his life in the war.

Huang Van Hong is now one of the members of Dalat's Easy Rider Club , a group of 80 motorbike guides who whiz around the countryside (and beyond) to show visitors the beauty of this region up in the hills of the Vietnamese Highlands. He is 60 years old and  has worked as a guide for 12 years. And he told us stories about his life in the war that made it hard for me to imagine this smiling, jovial man as someone who has been subject to so much suffering. "My life had many tears," he said as he smiled broadly and adjusted his helmet. He fought for the South Vietnamese and, once the war was over, was taken by the Communsts to a "re-education camp" where they were told to pack enough food for seven days.

Seven days turned into a month, then three months, then a year. He was shuttled from camp to camp in deep Vietnamese jungle with other South Vietnamese officers, his family having no knowledge of his whereabouts. When he asked about their instructions about packing for seven days, he was told "We said pack food for seven days. We didn't say you could leave in seven days."

Such has been our experience in Vietnam. Meeting aimiable, warm people and then discovering they have led lives that we can't even dream about.

So, for me, Hong was a perfect travel companion who not only knew the countryside of Vietnam but one who could add so much through his experiences

We'd heard about the Easy Riders before coming to Dalat and considered giving trying them out as a way to see the countryside on the back of a bike. The group started back in the 1990s as an informal bunch of Vietnamese who spoke English and were able to show visitors around (although they had to pick them up outside the town since foreigners were not allowed by the police to travel with Vietnamese guides) and they evolved (mostly due to the Lonely Planet guide books) into an organized group of tour guides operating beyond the borders of Dalat into multi day tours throughout Vietnam. We were also told, when asked how to find them..."They will find you".

True to form, we wandered down to the Peace Cafe yesterday, which used to be their hangout until they opened the Easy Rider Club next door (since the Peace Cafe wanted to charge them commission) and were approached by Hong and his partner, Binh. After a few moments of western skepticism, we decided to take the plunge and spent most of today on the saddle, whizzing around the countryside. Me with Hoang and Skip with Binh.

Boy, are we glad we did! For our $25 investment, we were shown the Dragon Pagoda, the spectacular Elephant waterfall, a coffee plantation and ancient temple. We sampled rice wine and watched it being made, visited an incredibly industrious silk factory where dozens of people plucked silkworms and spun mechanized looms into vibrant coloured fabric, walked on the U.S. airstrip where they flew cargo planes in the war, and spent time with a 91-year old Chil tribe resident in his dark, damp, wooden hut sipping strange looking watery tea and seeing his three smelly black pigs, which he proudly displayed for us.

We walked around the Crazy house, which Lonely Planet describes it as ‘a free-wheeling architectural exploration of surrealism”, and saw fields after field of flowers.

We also drove through the winding roads across valleys and through mountain passes, observing spectacular scenery of rolling hills and forest of soaring pines which went on for miles. And we shared a mountain of Vietnamese food with Hong and Binh in a tiny local cafe while the rain fell outside and a friendly blonde dog chewed on our leftover chicken.

Seven hours later we disembarked from the saddles, pulled off our helmets and warmly bid goodbye to our new friends, Hong and Binh, after exchanging countact information.

Could  a seven day tour of Vietnam be next?

Two-ton sapphire turtle presented to Hanoi | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

A sapphire turtle made by DOJI Group was presented to the Hanoi People’s Committee as a gift for the city’s millennial anniversary on October 3.

LookAtVietnam - A sapphire turtle made by DOJI Group was presented to the Hanoi People’s Committee as a gift for the city’s millennial anniversary on October 3.

The giant sapphire turtle has spiritual meaning as a symbol of longevity and peace, said DOJI general director Do Minh Phu.

Its natural blue and reddish brown colours give it a unique beauty. The two-tonne turtle, made from a monolithic sapphire, took artisans 200 days to complete.

Legend says a turtle helped King An Duong Vuong build Co Loa Citadel in the 3rd century BC while King Le Thai To (1385-1433) returned a precious sword to a tortoise in Hoan Kiem or “Returned Sword” Lake after using it to defeat invaders.

The sapphire turtle in photos:

PV