Smoke

[DrAndy]

As a general rule, they don't survive at much higher than 4,500 ft.

that is species dependent

mosquitoes can live happliy at 8500ft, and have been noted at 10,000 ft

so general rules are a nonsense; where was your source, Lonely Planet?

it is true during the cold season, the malaria parasite is not likely to develop, but during the warm season it can be very active at higher altitudes

[ENT]

The malaria and dengue parasites need warmth to develop, but the dengue parasite lives on in its host so that he becomes a carrier, transporting the virus from it's original locus to a new dengue free area. In this way, coupled with global warming, both the dengue virus and it's vector mosquito are now spreading to higher latitudes, thus higher elevations and the malaria virus and it's vector similarly spread through global warming.

I've lived for more than twelve years in Asian high elevation areas from 4,000<12,000 ft across the whole of South and South East Asia.
Malaria and dengue were largely absent during my early travels there at those altitudes, and incidence of mosquito rapidly diminished as the atmosphere cooled through either increased elevation, latitude or seasonal cooling.
The smoke from burning also deter mosquitoes, which is one reason some hill tribe homes are smokey.

Escaping the malaria carrying mosquito is why hill tribes live at these heights, as their populations have been reduced time and again by malaria epidemics at lower altitudes.
All this information is available at Chiangmai university dept. of entomology, if you care to enquire.

[DrAndy]

do you think you are giving me a lecture? I mention the malaria parasite and you jump up and down and tell me all about it, essentially repeating what I posted

you seem to class all hill tribes as the same - of course there are many different ones and they all have their own ways of living

So, if the "hilltribes" live on the mountains to escape the malaria, why don't the "Thais" do the same? why stick down on those awful lowlands and get decimated?

you lack logic and reason; you just repeat myths that have no real proof

[ENT]

Repeating your views would be repeating the drivel of a fool.
Go read up about it, then come back and post some reasonable information.
As I suggested, visit CM Uni's entomology dept, which is a world authority on the subject, you sad, old, desperate troll.

[DrAndy]

that is your answer?

fine, you know little except that which you repeat from unnamed sources

So, if the "hilltribes" live on the mountains to escape the malaria, why don't the "Thais" do the same? why stick down on those awful lowlands and get decimated?

you lack logic and reason; you just repeat myths that have no real proof

"I don't know, better insult him and hope he forgets the question"

[ENT]

^

[DrAndy]

^ if you believe that then you must be a complete idiot falling for it

hook line and sinker

again

[nigelandjan]

This thread is supposed to be about long distance cycling - can some kindly mod please MKP this shit fight?



Back on topic

there was one time near the beginning where i got off the bike and my head hung beneith my legs. after that i found the strength.

I had the same experience about a week into the trip. Doing about 60 miles a day with the bike weighing 105 pounds fully loaded. I kind of hit a wall and thought 'I can't do this and will have to turn back' but then your metabolism seems to change up a gear and suddenly it is not so hard.

Thats got to be one of the funniest things I have read here in a while ( that wasn't meant to be funny )