Finally, I can reveal the reason we won't be going to Europe later this year - we are expecting our first child! It's very exciting for us, but it will undoubtedly change our lives, especially with regards to travel. I still hope to travel with our child; what a wonderful way for them to learn about our world! I feel that I gained hugely from my family's journeys around parts of Australia during my childhood. Visiting historical sites, experiencing natural habitats and activities like fossil hunting and tours of mines and factories taught me more than sitting in a classroom would.
Part of the Kamioka zinc mining and smelter complex Just after posting about the Kamioka Railway another photo from that 2006 set piqued my interest. Up there in the mountains the landscape looked blasted not just by winter but by something more. It was the kind of lonely place where you would not expect to find major industry, so this sight was quite surprising. Even more surprising is the history associated with this photo. According to some sources mining and refining of ores in Kamioka dates back to 710 AD and only closed in 2001. Undoubtedly the mine was a major reason for the existence of the Kamioka Railway. Refining of zinc still continues to this day under the parent Mitsui Kenzoku zaibatsu . Gold, silver, copper, zinc and lead were all dug out of the rock here. Unfortunately, the process released cadmium into the river, which, when taken up by the rice that was grown in the river, caused the terrible itai-itai disease - meaning "It hurts! It hurts". Cadm...
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