IN
SYNCH WITH NATURE
In some places people
call it trekking. In the United States it is known as hiking. The
name doesn't matter. What matters is that it is a great way to burn
calories and enjoy nature at the same time.
Who would have guessed?
In big cities, such as Los Angeles, you can still find places like
this, with lots of trails that can turn a small walk into a big
adventure.
Our guide is Joy.
She's an environmentalist, a daughter of hippies who was raised
in Hawaii, where she learned to love and respect nature. At each
spot on the trail she teaches us something.
This yellow flower
for instance, was used by the first Spanish explorers to mark their
trails. Today it grows wild. And … it tastes like mustard.
This small fruit,
called Lemon Berry, has a high concentration of vitamin C and was
used by native Americans as a medicine.
It tastes very sour.
Joy likes to put one of them in a water bottle to take advantage
of the vitamins.
By the way, don't
forget to take water on the trail.
This small fruit
is the black walnut. The native Americans used to make black ink
from this nut.
And this is a musical
tree. The branches were used by the indians to make musical instruments.
According to Joy,
it is important to be aware of snakes and a few poison plants in
Southern California. She warns that is important to know the flora
and fauna of your environment before venturing to eat wild plants
and fruits.
When you find danger,
like this snake that we encountered on our way, don't try to play
hero. Go around it and have a safe walk.
Another hint: take
a walk in the morning or late afternoon, to avoid times when the
heat is too strong. If you go alone, tell someone. Another fun option
is taking a dog with you, like Joy does.
To guard against overtiring,
calculate the return time as twice the going time... especially
if the path includes ups and downs. These are hints to help you
avoid unpleasant surprises on your adventure. The most important
thing in activities such as this, is the pleasure of discovery.
And when you are hiking
hard trails, to reduce the risk of accidents, it is important to
have your feet well protected, to choose the right shoes. We talked
to orthopedist Howard Liebenskind, who counts the American soccer
Team among his patients. His suggestions...
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与大自然共舞
在有些地方人们把“徒步旅行”叫做trekking,而在美国它则被称作hiking。其实叫什么并不重要,重要的是,这是一种能够一边燃烧卡路里一边享受大自然的绝妙方式。
谁又能猜到呢?在洛杉矶这样的大城市里,你仍然能够找到类似的去处,很多曲径通幽的小道,可以把看似平淡的散步变成一次重大的探险。
我们的导游叫乔伊,一个环境保护主义者,父母都曾是嬉皮士。她在夏威夷长大,也在那里学会了热爱大自然、尊重大自然。在小路的每个角落,她都会教我们一些东西。
比如,这种黄色的花就曾被首批西班牙探险家沿途用来作标记以免迷路。而现在它几乎遍地都是,而且——尝一尝,有芥末的味道。
这种小小的果实叫做柠檬浆果,含有高浓度的维生素C,曾经被美洲土著当作一种药物来使用。
它味道非常之酸。乔伊喜欢在水瓶里泡一个柠檬浆果,充分利用它所含的丰富维生素。
顺便说一下,别忘了——带上水再上路。
这小小的果实叫做黑胡桃,土著美洲人曾用它制造黑色墨汁。
这就是音乐树,它的树枝曾被印第安人用来制造乐器。
乔伊指出,在南加利福尼亚要对蛇和一些有毒植物多加小心,这是非常重要的。她警告说,在冒险吃野生植物和果实之前,最重要的是要对你周围环境中的动物和植物有所了解。
当你遇到危险的时候,比如我们在路上遇到的这条蛇,不要逞能扮英雄,绕过它,安全地走开。
另一个提示:要避开温度太高的时段,在早上或傍晚散步。如果你是单独行动,事先要和其他人说一声。另外,你还可以像乔伊一样,带上一条狗,这也是一种有趣的选择。
为避免过度疲劳,应该把回程时间预计为去程时间的两倍,尤其是在路途有高低起伏的时候。这些提示都可以让你避免在探险途中遇到不愉快的意外事件。在象我们现在这样的活动中,最重要的莫过于有新发现的乐趣。
如果你要徒步旅行而路况很差,为了降低发生事故的风险,最重要的是要做好双脚的保护工作,为自己挑选合适的鞋子。我们采访了整形外科医师霍华德·利本斯凯恩德,他的病人包括美国国家足球队的队员。他提出的建议有... |