Subject: recreational geographics from geographical recreations<br/>
Date: May 28, 2004 @ 05:25<br/>
Author: acroorca2002 (&quot;acroorca2002&quot; &lt;orc@...&gt;)<br/>
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<div id="ygrps-yiv-820951682">finding a new london here in new england on a new thames river<br/>
leads me to wonder if there are any similarly complex series of <br/>
geographical recreations to be found anywhere else in the world<br/>
<br/>
& the marvelousness of this particular series inspires further <br/>
perusal & divination of both these rivers <br/>
in the highest tradition of recreational geographics <br/>
all the way up to their sources<br/>
<br/>
for who knows what further marvels of geographical recreation <br/>
might be found in the course of such a multidimensional salute<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
while a sawanabori of the old thames has proved to be old hat<br/>
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.kemble1.co.uk/pictures/thspring.jpg">http://www.kemble1.co.uk/pictures/thspring.jpg</a><br/>
a similarly definitive try begun this week to reach the source of <br/>
the new thames has thus far proven beguilingly elusive<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
the new thames river is not truly a river <br/>
but is technically only an estuary to 2 tributary rivers<br/>
the shetucket & the yantic <br/>
both of which fall into the thames directly below norwich <br/>
but only at low tide<br/>
<br/>
at high tide the twin tributaries are estuarial themselves<br/>
<br/>
it is not easy to choose which of them to nominate & ascend as <br/>
the true albeit pseudonymous upper thames <br/>
or at least as the major contributary of the actual thames<br/>
<br/>
indeed the 2 appear so nearly equal that i would guess the <br/>
relative volumes of their watersheds probably alternate over time<br/>
depending on where the rains have been heavier recently<br/>
<br/>
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://g3.tmsc.org/face_of_ct/80.jpg">http://g3.tmsc.org/face_of_ct/80.jpg</a><br/>
shows the entire thames proper <br/>
facing south <br/>
with long island sound on the horizon beyond new london<br/>
<br/>
the shetucket is at left foreground & the yantic at right foreground<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://topozone.com/map.asp?lat=41.52417&lon=-72.07639">http://topozone.com/map.asp?lat=41.52417&lon=-72.07639</a><br/>
with directions of course reversed now<br/>
zooms in on the confluence of the shetucket & yantic<br/>
from which you can also easily zoom out for full context<br/>
<br/>
for an aerial view<br/>
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=13&x=464&y">http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=13&x=464&y</a><br/>
=2875&z=18&w=1<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
despite the difficulty<br/>
i can tell you i have already decided which of these rivers or forks <br/>
i will try to follow to the true source of the true thames<br/>
<br/>
my choice or guess is based not on their actual appearances <br/>
but only on the comparative areas of their watersheds<br/>
<br/>
this is a reasonable even if still problematic fallback method <br/>
when visual inspection of the confluence fails to settle the <br/>
question  <br/>
<br/>
but before i do continue the ascent<br/>
would anyone care to join the sawanabori & say which of the <br/>
forks you would choose or guess to be the greater here<br/>
<br/>
or if you wish <br/>
join & choose & leapfrog on ahead of me<br/>
until i can catch up with you<br/>
<br/>
there is still a long way to go & several more difficult decisions<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
there are no known accounts of traditional japanese sawanabori <br/>
other than the version given by rob schultheis in his great little <br/>
book <br/>
the hidden west<br/>
<br/>
but i suspect the ritual may only have been performed as an act <br/>
of consensus<br/>
since presumably a party could not advance as a party until there <br/>
was full agreement <br/>
or at least acceptance on some basis<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
& of course there is always the chance that the sawanabori ritual <br/>
is only an elaborate hoax & a nonesuch<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
but i do hope to perform the culmination by visiting & drinking the <br/>
source as soon as i can ascertain the true headstream<br/>
<br/>
& perhaps an old english or old japanese counterpart would like <br/>
to culminate this try simultaneously <br/>
back in the old country<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
note<br/>
tho sawanabori arts can be useful or even definitive in tripointing<br/>
admittedly the present exercise isnt really tripointing at all<br/>
but merely trypointing<br/>
<br/>
still i find it is no less enjoyable than the real thing<br/>
especially where there is a multidimensional angle<br/>
as in the present case</div>