PLITVICE Lakes, Croatia - Geographical Location

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION AND IMPORTANCE OF THE LAKES IN CROATIAN SPACE

After so many millions of regular visitors of this part of Croatia, is it necessary at all to mention their location? The answer is NO to those who know, and YES to all of those who haven't been there. This large number of visitors from all the continents of our planet Earth is just one of the reasons, but also a confirmation of their exceptional beauty, natural attraction, uniqueness and of that something which can be hardly described by words - that remains only recorded in sound and picture or can be directly felt while being there - to support a not imposed wish on us to come back here as soon as we can. One should only let himself to hidden feelings, to complete calmness, to listening to the murmur of waterfalls, while looking at the reflection in the water - in the surrounding where everything moves, changes and is permeated with one harmonious rythm...
Geographically defined: The Lakes are located in the area of southeast Europe, in part of Croatia where we go from northern flat land towards a bit more elevated karsted mountain area. The Lakes are situated where Kordun touches Lika and in the valley Ogulinsko - Plascanska dolina, on the very spring of the karst river Korana - at 480 to 636 meters above the sea level, on the hillside of Mala Kapela and Pljesivica.
The road directions coming from northern side from Varazdin, going through Zagreb and then continuing towards central and southern section of the Adriatic, are bringing us just next to the Plitvice Lakes as well as do the roads coming to them from Kvarner, Gorski Kotar, Slovenia and neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, connecting west with east, or south with north of this part of Croatia. All these directions are connecting tourist attractions of "Primorsko - Adriatic" region with continental area, but visits are varying depending on the season of the year. Respective signs at the border crossings and in all bigger city centres are indicating the location of the Plitvice Lakes and the distance to them. That is why are we always in a position of making decision to go there and stay at the Lakes, either in spring, summer, autumn or winter - taking into account climatic conditions and the time that we have.
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PLITVICE Lakes, Croatia

The natural attributes of the Plitvice Lakes National Park, uniqueness and sensibiliry of that phenomenon, deserve a full attention of our visitors. Recreational aspect of stay and the amazement with beauty of the area that conquers by its natural diversity and harmony of shapes and colours in any of the seasons, is based on many mutually conditioned natural characteristics.
That is a specific geological and hydrogeological phenomenon of karst. The series of 16 bigger and a few smaller lakes, gradually lined up, separated by travertine barriers for which the period of the last ten thousand years was crucial, and which were ruled by ecological relations similar to those of today - suitable for travertine depositing and for the origin of the lakes - are the basic phenomenon of the National Park.
Travertine forming plants, algae and mosses have been and still are playing an important role in their creation, thus making a very sensitive biodynamic system.
Transitive type of climate between coastal and continental with microclimatic diversities makes summer pleasant and sunny, while on the other side winter is relatively long, harsh and snowrich. There are large forestry complexes in the Park area, of which some sections are protected as a special reserve of forestry vegetation due to its primeval characteristics (Corkova uvala virgin forest). Diversity of places and living conditions makes possible for numerous species of plants and animals in watery and terrestrial areas of the Park to develop with no disturbancy.
It should be stressed that all fundamental things that do determine the Park, make a very fragile structural and functional complex, sensitive to natural changes and to incautious human actions.
UNESCO has declared it with all rights as the World's natural inheritance. All that was mentioned in this short introduction shows a big importance and the reason why this Natural History Guide of The Plitvice Lakes National Park is being published. It should come into hands of every single visitor and draw his attention to numerous attractions of the first Croatian National Park.
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Top 5 Reasons Why Your Car Overheats

Are you having trouble with your car overheating? It can be a frustration problem to deal with and diagnose. This article will go over some of the most common reasons why cars and trucks overheat.

One of the most common reasons for a vehicle overheating is a stuck thermostat. It can stick or freeze in the closed position blocking the flow of coolant to your engine. The easiest way to check if your thermostat is not open is to feel the upper radiator hose. Once the engine warms up it should become warm. If it does not get hot the thermostat is probably not opening.
A second common cause of overheating is a leak in your vehicle's cooling system. If your vehicle is loosing coolant there will not be enough left in the vehicle to keep it cool. This is easy to diagnose as the radiator will be low on fluid and there will probably be a pool of coolant on the floor of your garage. Look for leaks in the most common places like around hoses and around the welds of your radiator. If you can not find the leak you might need to take it to a shop to have the cooling system pressure tested.The third cause is a faulty water pump. The water pump is a vital part of your cooling system since it is responsible for circulating coolant through your engine. With a faulty water pump your vehicle will not run for more than a few minutes without overheating.

The fourth cause of overheating is a bad cooling fan. There are two types of fans, electric and mechanical. The electric fan should come on automatically once the vehicle reaches operating temperature or when the A/C is turned on. If it doesn't you should have it replaced. The mechanical fan will run all of the time but has a clutch which makes it turn faster when the engine heats up. With the car turned off the fan should not turn too easily especially when the vehicle is warm. You can also check for signs of leakage from the fan clutch. If you see any problems have it replaced.

The fifth cause of overheating I will talk about is a clogged radiator. Over time the radiator can accumulate deposits of rust and debris. This is especially true if radiator fluid has not been flushed on a regular basis. If you suspect a clogged radiator you should take it to a shop to have it professionally cleaned.Those are some of the most common cause for vehicle overheating. Vehicle overheating can cause a great deal of damage to your vehicle. If you are experiencing trouble be sure to fix your vehicle or take it to a quality mechanic as soon as possible.

Toyota Tundra 2008

2008 Toyota Tundra - Previews

A First Look At Toyota�s Not-So-Secret Seriously Full-Size Pickup: No More Mr. Nice Guy.BY TONY SWAN, October 2006
Toyota calls it “the single most important product in its history,” which may seem like a stretch coming from a company that sells over 400,000 Camrys every year in the U.S., four times the volume of it full-size pickup sales.
But of course “full-size pickup” and “100,000 sales” are two elements of Toyota’s U.S. product portfolio the corporate product strategists wish to redefine.
Before we get into the few specifics we can relate, though, we must first tell you about the Byzantine rules governing what we can’t mention. In order to attend Toyota’s official hands-on first-look first-drive preview held recently in Louisville, Kentucky, we had to swear a blood oath to maintain secrecy regarding many aspects of the Tundra family.
For example, although we drove several different Tundra models, we are sworn to secrecy regarding driving impressions – until January 8. That’s when Toyota will officially and publicly unveil the production Tundras at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, with sales due to begin in early February.
You may wonder how some mention of the Tundra’s dynamic traits could compromise that presentation, which will be held in the confines of Detroit’s Cobo Hall. We can’t imagine either. But we know that if we utter one word about ride quality, acceleration, braking, or transient response before January 8 Toyota might have us shot. And even if that didn’t happen, we might be required to shoot you. Can’t have that, right?
Right. So here’s the info we’re at liberty to reveal.

Powertrains
4.0-liter V-6 (236 horsepower, 266 pound-feet of torque). Shared with the mid-size Tacoma, this robust six will be the standard engine in the regular cab Tundra.
4.7-liter V-8 (271 horsepower, 313 pound-feet of torque). The strongest engine available in the current Tundra, the 4.7 will become the middle offering in the new truck lineup.
5.7-liter V-8. Sorry, this falls under the Louisville Official Secrets compact. We can tell you this all-new engine will deliver a level of grunt that will rank at or near the top of the half-ton truck charts, with work ratings—payload, towing (Toyota is willing to go on record with “over 10,000 pounds)—that will be ditto. It will also show up in other future Toyota/Lexus truck products.
Two transmissions will be offered, both automatic—the five-speed auto employed in the current Tundra, and a brand-new six-speed gearbox to go with the new 5.7-liter V-8. The latter will be unique in the full-size pickup world, at least for the time being.