Podcasts about San Miguel

In this episode, the Travel Mom Squad is heading south! Jess shares her birthday trip to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and Pam and Alex walk us through their tropical getaway to Roatán, Honduras. From charming colonial cities to vibrant beachside resorts, both of these escapes were powered by points and miles—and they're breaking down exactly how you can do it, too. Jess's San Miguel de Allende Birthday Getaway For her birthday, Jess wanted a trip that was cute, walkable, and filled with culture—and San Miguel de Allende checked all the boxes. She used points to book her flights and free nights at a boutique hotel that had cash rates of $800/night—a steal!  Jess shared how San Miguel felt totally different from places like Cancun—more Spanish-speaking, with rooftop restaurants, cobblestone streets, and an artsy vibe. She loved practicing her Spanish and appreciated how kid-friendly the town was (though leave the stroller at home). Highlights included a rooftop pool, the hotel's mascot dog Pancho (who even has his own Instagram), and a standout breakfast. Pro tip: order the San Miguel–style eggs! Roatán with Pam & Alex: Direct Flights & Island Vibes Pam and Alex flew to Roatán using United miles and IHG points. They started their stay in a bungalow—secluded, rustic, and quiet—then upgraded mid-trip to a Premium Ocean View room in the newer building.  Beach Time, Dining, and That Sweet Island Energy Roatán was a totally different vibe—bustling but beautiful. From colorful buildings to locals selling snacks on the beach, Pam and Alex loved the laid-back charm. Highlights included hotel spa visits, hospitality hours, and free snorkel gear and kayaks, plus great dining spots in town. Even when the resort was at maximum capacity, it still felt relaxing and fun. Alex and Pam both liked this resort even better than the Kimpton Grand Cayman, which is high praise! If you're dreaming of warm weather and want a new destination to add to your points wish list, this episode is packed with inspiration, strategy, and a few laughs. Tune in and start planning your own tropical escape! ☀️

Retransmisión de los festejos taurinos que se celebran durante la Feria de Abril y en la feria de San Miguel en septiembre en la plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla. (Tramo de 18:00 a 19:00)

Retransmisión de los festejos taurinos que se celebran durante la Feria de Abril y en la feria de San Miguel en septiembre en la plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla. (Tramo de 19:00 a 20:00)

Retransmisión de los festejos taurinos que se celebran durante la Feria de Abril y en la feria de San Miguel en septiembre en la plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla. (Tramo de 20:00 a 21:00)

Retransmisión de los festejos taurinos que se celebran durante la Feria de Abril y en la feria de San Miguel en septiembre en la plaza de toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla. (Tramo de 21:00 a 21:30)

Host Finis Stribling IV talks about summer plans, THIRD WARD, and more with Mia San Miguel and Chadney TreadwellSponsored by: Final Form Supplements High quality supplements for everyone, whether you are a hardcore gym rat needing gains, a couch potato that just wants some multivitamins, or somewhere in between we got what you need.FinalFormSupps.com

Hoy en Me lo dijo Adela, platicamos con el diputado federal, Germán Martínez, para darnos un análisis sobre los corridos tumbados y su prohibición. En el foro nos acompaña Claudia Aguilar, para hablarnos de las elecciones del Poder Judicial. Vía zoom, platicamos con Mariana Almanza Marroquin, madre de Alana, quien perdió la vida en en un enfrentamiento en San Miguel de Allende. Hoy martes, nos acompaña Luis G y G y el jovencito Juan Carlos Díaz Murrieta.

In this episode, Perri and Rashawn sit down with Josh and Emily, the husband-and-wife duo behind micro-brand watch company Papar. Born in the high desert of San Miguel de Allende and now growing in the Berkshires, Papar blends brutalist architecture, vintage watch design, and the playful spirit of paper planes into something fresh yet familiar.They dive into what it's like launching a watch brand as first-time designers, the creative journey behind their standout GMT sector dial, and how their Anillo model turns complication into connection. Josh and Emily open up about working together as partners in both life and business, the role of family support, and the warm welcome they've received from the watch community.If you're curious about indie horology, love a good origin story, or just appreciate thoughtful design, this one's for you.Powered by @getbezel Shop 20,000+ watches at getbezel.com, and Download the Bezel app at download.getbezel.com⁠⁠SUBSCRIBE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get the latest Wrist Check Pod content ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on instagramChapters00:00 - Intro01:08 - Wrist Check13:31 - Inspiration to start Papar17:58 - How location inspired design20:14 - Why the name Papar24:02 - Building watch company with spouse28:16 - Transition from collector to founder35:27 - Its a family business36:15 - Promoting a watch business46:06 - Dream Ambassador47:36 - What's next for Papar52:01 - Outro

Hoy en Me lo dijo Adela, platicamos con el diputado federal, Germán Martínez, para darnos un análisis sobre los corridos tumbados y su prohibición. En el foro nos acompaña Claudia Aguilar, para hablarnos de las elecciones del Poder Judicial. Vía zoom, platicamos con Mariana Almanza Marroquin, madre de Alana, quien perdió la vida en en un enfrentamiento en San Miguel de Allende. Hoy martes, nos acompaña Luis G y G y el jovencito Juan Carlos Díaz Murrieta.

La Ventana MetropolitanaZona Franca de Vigo estudia un nuevo emplazamiento para el World Car Center ante el informe desfavorable de Augas de Galicia. El IV Encontro de Viños da Raia en Tui se traslada al Mercado de San Antonio. Nigrán reabre durante la Semana Santa la exposición del mosaico romano de Panxón. La parroquia de San Miguel tendrá la primera comunidad energética de O Rosal.

Rebe Huntman joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about who are we as women and what holds us together as a culture, following questions to their conclusions and changing in the process, running away from grief,  magical thinking, reinventing ourselves, Afro-Cuban traditions and relationships to the dead, hungering for answers, permission to be more than one thing, losing mothers and finding them again through memoir, spiritual mothers and keeping the dead close, and her new memoir My Mother in Havana: A Memoir of Magic & Miracle. Also in this episode: -getting a do over -trusting the writing process -including the beautiful and the terrible Books mentioned in this episode: When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern Poetry by Richard Blanco Poetry by Aracelis Girmay REBE HUNTMAN is the author of My Mother in Havana: A Memoir of Magic & Miracle (February 2025, Monkfish Books), a memoir that traces her search to connect with her mother—thirty years after her death—among the gods and saints of Cuba. A former professional Latin and Afro-Cuban dancer and choreographer, for over a decade Rebe directed Chicago's award-winning Danza Viva Center for World Dance, Art & Music and its resident dance company, One World Dance Theater. She collaborates with native artists in Cuba and South America, and has been featured in LATINA Magazine, Chicago Magazine, and the Chicago Tribune, and on Fox and ABC. Rebe's essays, stories, and poems appear or are forthcoming in such places as The Southern Review, The Missouri Review, Parabola, Ninth Letter, The Cincinnati Review, and the PINCH, and have earned her an Ohio Individual Excellence Award as well as fellowships from the Macondo Writers' Conference, Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Ragdale Foundation, PLAYA Residency, Hambidge Center, and Brush Creek Foundation. She holds an MFA in creative nonfiction from The Ohio State University and lives in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and Delaware, Ohio. Both e's in her name are long. Find her at www. rebehuntman.com and on Instagram at @rebehuntman. Connect with Rebe: Website: www.rebehuntman.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebehuntman Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebehuntmanauthor Links to purchase the book at www.rebehuntman.com/mymotherinhavana   – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers

In this episode of Nomadic Diaries, we welcome our returning guest, Koen Gomes, a global nomad and horse groom recorded live from San Miguel de Allende. Koen dives into his experiences as a nomadic traveler, flying horses across the globe, and the intricacies involved in this unique lifestyle. We explore Koen's travels over the past six months.Key Highlights:Koen shares details about attending the Olympic Games in Paris and experiencing Tokyo during autumn.We discussed the challenges of flying horses, including managing their eating and care during long flights.Insights into how different cultures handle the reception of horses and how this reflects national characteristics, were fascinating.Koen shared his travel statistics from 2024, including flights, distance traveled, and time spent in the air.He offered practical tips on using travel apps like Flighty and techniques for maintaining community connections globally while traveling.Finally, a couple of pieces of best practices for aspiring nomads on being flexible and building meaningful connections in their travels.Travel Apps Mentioned:Flighty: A detailed app for flight tracking and managing layovers.Been: Tracks countries visited and include travel inspiration.Other apps for booking and travel management: Skyscanner, booking.com, and Google Flights.Quotes and Takeaways:"Traveling is not a race. Go to places that give you a good feeling and comfort."Koen emphasizes the importance of being a "chameleon," observing and adapting to your surroundings.Where to Find Koen:Instagram: Follow Koen at @kungamass for updates on his travel adventures.Closing Quote:"Don't compare your life to others. There's no comparison between the sun and the moon. They shine when it's their time."We are a small but mighty independent podcast and we invite you to leave a review, like, or share the podcast wherever you listen. Thanks for lending us your ears!https://www.nomadicdiariespodcast.com/https://www.amazon.com/Life-Camel-Lane-Embrace-Adventure/dp/0578607352www.doreenmcumberford.comPlease support the show:Support the showHome is Where Your Story Crosses Borders!We aim to inspire expat solutions, by helping you navigate global living with Confidence.

El abandono de las infraestructuras ferroviarias en Ferrol y su comarca ha impulsado la creación del Foro Cidadán polo Ferrocarril, un espacio abierto y plural que reclama la modernización urgente de las líneas Ferrol-A Coruña y Ferrol-Ribadeo. Este nuevo colectivo celebra hoy, viernes 11 de abril, una nueva actividad pública en el Centro Cívico de Canido a las 19:30. La sesión contará con ponencias de la historiadora Esperanza Piñeiro de San Miguel y la periodista Xulia Díaz Sixto, quienes abordarán tanto la historia como el futuro del ferrocarril en la ciudad naval.

El Hospital Civil de Guadalajara abrió sus puertas el 3 de mayo de 1794, con el nombre de Real Hospital de San Miguel de Belén. Fue una idea de Fray Antonio Alcalde y Barriga, quien había llegado a la Nueva Galicia el 12 de diciembre de 1771. El Hospital de San Miguel de Belén inicia sus actividades con mil camas. Desde entonces el inmueble experimentó tres grandes transformaciones en su apariencia. La primera tuvo lugar entre los años 1825 y 1842, en la que se realizaron mejoras de todo tipo, tanto materiales como de apoyo. A partir de 1850 comienza otra transformación, donde surgen los emblemáticos jardines interiores. La tercera es a finales del siglo XIX con la mejora de techos. En 1888 el Hospital Civil fue entregado por el Gobierno del Estado, encabezado por el General Ramón Corona, al director de la Escuela de Medicina, Salvador García Diego y se establece el vínculo indivisible y virtuoso entre la Escuela de Medicina y el nosocomio. A finales del siglo XIX se asignan además médicos y enfermeras a cada departamento. La intervención Realizada recientemente en el área antigua del Hospital Civil de Guadalajara es la más importante en 229 años de vida del viejo hospital, y se realizó durante la gestión del Dr. Jaime Federico Andrade Villanueva y Hoy en El Expresso de las 10 queremos reconocer su liderazgo y gestión para continuar con el legado de Fray Antonio Alcalde “. Gracias Doctor Jaime Andrade por su pasión por la salud. ¡Comenzamos! En este programa acompañaron a Alonso Torres con el Dr. Jaime Andrade, Director General del OPD Hospital Civil de Guadalajara; el Dr. Mauricio Ambriz Alarcón, Especialista en Medicina Interna y Subdirector Médico del Antiguo Hospital Civil “Fray Antonio Alcalde”, el Dr. Juan Carlos Vázquez Limón, Jefe del Servicio de Oncología del Antiguo Hospital Civil “Fray Antonio Alcalde”; además el Dr. Ernesto Barrios Prieto, Jefe de la Unidad de Medicina Materno Fetal del Nuevo Hospital Civil “Juan I. Menchaca”, el Dr. Eduardo Alberto Villaseñor Rodríguez, Especialista en Cardiología con Alta Especialidad en Ecocardiografía de Adultos del Hospital Civil de Oriente y la Dra. Margarita Ibarra Hernández, Encargada de la Unidad de Hemodiálisis del Antiguo Hospital Civil “Fray Antonio Alcalde”.

SPORTS: San Miguel begins 'redemption tour' | April 5, 2025Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.netFollow us:Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebookInstagram - https://tmt.ph/instagramTwitter - https://tmt.ph/twitterDailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotionSubscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digitalSign up to our newsletters: https://tmt.ph/newslettersCheck out our Podcasts:Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotifyApple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcastsAmazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusicDeezer: https://tmt.ph/deezerStitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcherTune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein#TheManilaTimesVisit our website at https://www.manilatimes.netFollow us:Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebookInstagram - https://tmt.ph/instagramTwitter - https://tmt.ph/twitterDailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotionSubscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digitalSign up to our newsletters: https://tmt.ph/newslettersCheck out our Podcasts:Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotifyApple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcastsAmazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusicDeezer: https://tmt.ph/deezerStitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcherTune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein#TheManilaTimes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

El capellán de San Miguel de Aralar, Alfonso Garciandia, tras el ataque a dos cruces vandalizadas en el camino al santuario: "En una sociedad sana tenemos que responder a todo signo de intolerancia".

Viajamos con Álvaro Anula al Madrid desaparecido. En este caso, a la parroquia de San Miguel y San Gil, que estaba en la calle Requena y de la que sólo nos queda una placa. Placa que nos recuerda el lugar y también a Felipe III. Pero para saber eso, tenemos que viajar al Siglo de Oro.

El Betis se impone al Sevilla y consigue la victoria en un derbi sevillano siete años después. 

For more than three decades, trailblazing artist and activist Joyce J. Scott has elevated the creative potential of beadwork as a relevant contemporary art form. Scott uses off-loom, hand-threaded glass beads to create striking figurative sculptures, wall hangings, and jewelry informed by her African American ancestry, the craft traditions of her family (including her mother, renowned quilter Elizabeth T. Scott), and traditional Native American techniques, such as the peyote stitch. Each object that Scott creates is a unique, vibrant, and challenging work of art developed with imagination, wit, and sly humor. Born to sharecroppers in North Carolina who were descendants of enslaved people, Scott's family migrated to Baltimore, Maryland, where the artist was born and raised. Scott hales from a long line of makers with extraordinary craftsmanship adept at pottery, knitting, metalwork, basketry, storytelling, and quilting. It was from her family that the young artist cultivated the astonishing skills and expertise for which she is now renowned, and where she learned to upcycle all materials, repositioning craft as a forceful stage for social commentary and activism. In the 1990s, Scott began working with glass artisans to create blown, pressed, and cast glass that she incorporated into her beaded sculptures. This not only allowed her to increase the scale of her work, but also satisfied her desire to collaborate. In 1992, she was invited to the Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, Washington. Continuing her interest in glass, Scott has worked with local Baltimore glassblowers as well as with flameworking pioneer Paul Stankard and other celebrated glass fabricators. In 2012, Goya Contemporary Gallery arranged to have Scott work at Adriano Berengo's celebrated glass studio on the island of Murano in Italy, creating works that were part of the exhibition Glasstress through the Venice Biennale. Scott has worn many hats during her illustrious career: quilter, performance artist, printmaker, sculptor, singer, teacher, textile artist, recording artist, painter, writer, installation artist, and bead artist. Her wide-ranging body of work has crossed styles and mediums, from the most intricate beaded form to large-scale outdoor installation. Whether social or political, the artist's subject matter reflects her narrative of what it means to be Black in America.  Scott continues to live and work in Baltimore, Maryland. She received a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and an MFA from Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Selected solo museum exhibitions include The Baltimore Museum of Art (2024); Seattle Art Museum (2024 – 2025); and Grounds for Sculpture (2018), Trenton, NJ. She is the recipient of myriad commissions, grants, awards, residencies, and prestigious honors including from the National Endowment for the Arts, Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation, Anonymous Was a Woman, American Craft Council, National Living Treasure Award, Lifetime Achievement Award from the Women's Caucus for the Arts, Mary Sawyers Imboden Baker Award, MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (2016), Smithsonian Visionary Artist Award, National Academy of Design Induction, and Moore College Visionary Woman Award, among others. In March of 2024, Scott opened a major 50-year traveling Museum retrospective titled Joyce J. Scott: Walk a Mile in My Dreams co-organized by the Baltimore Museum of Art and Seattle Art Museum. Also in 2024, Scott opened Bearing Witness: A History of Prints by Joyce J Scott at Goya Contemporary Gallery. Her latest exhibition, Joyce J. Scott: Messages, opened at The Chrysler Museum of Art on February 6, 2025 and will run through August 17, 2025 at the Glass Projects Space. This exhibition is organized by Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge, MA. Says Carolyn Swan Needell, the Chrysler Museum's Barry Curator of Glass: “We are thrilled to host this focused traveling exhibition here in Norfolk at the very moment when Scott's brilliant career is being recognized more widely, through a retrospective of her work that is co-organized by the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Seattle Museum of Art.”  In Messages, 34 remarkable beaded works of art spanning the artist's career express contemporary issues and concepts. Included in the show is Scott's recent beaded neckpiece, War, What is it Good For, Absolutely Nothin', Say it Again (2022). A technical feat in peyote stitch, infused with color and texture, this multilayered and intricate beadwork comments on violence in America. Embedding cultural critique within the pleasurable experience of viewing a pristinely crafted object, Scott's work mines history to better understand the present moment. The visual richness of Scott's objects starkly contrasts with the weight of the subject matter that they explore. She says: “I am very interested in raising issues…I skirt the borders between comedy, pathos, delight, and horror. I believe in messing with stereotypes, prodding the viewer to reassess, inciting people to look and then carry something home – even if it's subliminal – that might make a change in them.”   

Fluent Fiction - Spanish: Blending Tradition with Innovation: A Holy Week Adventure Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/es/episode/2025-03-25-22-34-02-es Story Transcript:Es: El sol brillaba con fuerza sobre el bullicioso Mercado de San Miguel.En: The sun shone brightly over the bustling Mercado de San Miguel.Es: Carmen, Rafael e Isabella caminaban entre los puestos llenos de color y movimiento.En: Carmen, Rafael, and Isabella walked among the stalls full of color and movement.Es: Era Semana Santa en Madrid, y el mercado estaba más vivo que nunca.En: It was Holy Week in Madrid, and the market was more alive than ever.Es: La fragancia de las especias, el aroma del pan recién horneado y el murmullo animado de las conversaciones llenaban el aire.En: The fragrance of spices, the aroma of freshly baked bread, and the lively murmur of conversations filled the air.Es: Carmen, una apasionada de la cocina, estaba decidida a encontrar los ingredientes más frescos para su cena especial de Semana Santa.En: Carmen, a cooking enthusiast, was determined to find the freshest ingredients for her special Easter dinner.Es: Quería impresionar a su familia y seguir las recetas tradicionales.En: She wanted to impress her family and follow the traditional recipes.Es: Mientras avanzaba, miraba con atención las frutas y verduras, buscando lo mejor.En: As she moved forward, she carefully looked at the fruits and vegetables, searching for the best.Es: "Me encanta este lugar," dijo Rafael sonriente.En: "I love this place," said Rafael, smiling.Es: Aunque adoraba el mercado, a menudo se distraía con los músicos callejeros y las muestras de comida.En: Although he adored the market, he often got distracted by street musicians and food samples.Es: Isabella, su hija adolescente, caminaba un poco más atrás, admirando la energía del mercado, pero pensando en cómo podrían modernizar las festividades familiares.En: Isabella, his teenage daughter, walked a little further back, admiring the market's energy but thinking about how they might modernize the family festivities.Es: Pronto, Carmen se preocupó.En: Soon, Carmen got worried.Es: Algunas de las paradas estaban vacías, y los ingredientes que necesitaba no estaban disponibles.En: Some of the stalls were empty, and the ingredients she needed were not available.Es: El mercado estaba lleno debido a la temporada de fiestas, lo que hacía difícil llegar a todos los puestos.En: The market was crowded due to the holiday season, making it hard to reach all the stalls.Es: Rafael trató de que Carmen se calmara.En: Rafael tried to calm her down.Es: "Podemos probar algo nuevo, cariño.En: "We can try something new, dear.Es: No todo tiene que ser como siempre," sugirió Rafael al ver su frustración.En: Not everything has to be as always," suggested Rafael upon seeing her frustration.Es: Isabella también intervino.En: Isabella also chimed in.Es: "Mamá, podríamos intentar algo moderno este año.En: "Mom, we could try something modern this year.Es: Tal vez una fusión de tradiciones."En: Maybe a fusion of traditions."Es: Carmen, aunque aferrada a sus recetas, sintió curiosidad ante la idea.En: Carmen, although attached to her recipes, was intrigued by the idea.Es: Las palabras de su familia quedaron en su mente mientras continuaban por el mercado.En: Her family's words lingered in her mind as they continued through the market.Es: De repente, encontraron un puesto que nunca habían visto antes.En: Suddenly, they found a stall they had never seen before.Es: La vendedora ofrecía un producto único: pimientos del piquillo rellenos de una mezcla innovadora de sabores.En: The vendor was offering a unique product: pimientos del piquillo stuffed with an innovative mix of flavors.Es: "Carmen, esto es diferente.En: "Carmen, this is different.Es: Quizás podamos incorporarlo," sugirió Rafael con entusiasmo.En: Maybe we can incorporate it," suggested Rafael enthusiastically.Es: Carmen miró el puesto, dudando por un momento.En: Carmen looked at the stall, hesitating for a moment.Es: Finalmente, decidió arriesgarse y comprar los pimientos.En: Finally, she decided to take a chance and buy the peppers.Es: Esa noche, la familia se reunió alrededor de la mesa.En: That evening, the family gathered around the table.Es: Además de los clásicos platos de Semana Santa, Carmen presentó un nuevo plato: los pimientos del piquillo rellenos.En: In addition to the classic Easter dishes, Carmen presented a new dish: the stuffed pimientos del piquillo.Es: Rafael e Isabella probaron el nuevo plato con curiosidad.En: Rafael and Isabella tasted the new dish with curiosity.Es: Ambos sonrieron y aplaudieron a Carmen.En: Both smiled and applauded Carmen.Es: "Esto es maravilloso, mamá," dijo Isabella, feliz de ver cómo una pizca de modernidad se añadía a su tradición.En: "This is wonderful, mom," said Isabella, happy to see how a touch of modernity was added to their tradition.Es: Carmen se dio cuenta de que podía honrar las tradiciones mientras incorporaba ideas nuevas.En: Carmen realized that she could honor traditions while incorporating new ideas.Es: La cena fue un éxito.En: The dinner was a success.Es: La combinación de lo antiguo y lo nuevo había creado un recuerdo especial.En: The combination of the old and the new had created a special memory.Es: Como el mercado de San Miguel, la familia encontró la armonía entre el bullicio de lo tradicional y lo novedoso.En: Like the Mercado de San Miguel, the family found harmony between the bustle of the traditional and the new.Es: Carmen encontró en esta experiencia que, al igual que el sol que brillaba sobre el mercado, había espacio para iluminar su vida con una mezcla perfecta de tradición e innovación.En: Carmen found in this experience that, like the sun shining over the market, there was room to illuminate her life with a perfect blend of tradition and innovation. Vocabulary Words:the sun: el solbrightly: con fuerzathe market: el mercadobustling: bulliciosothe fragrance: la fraganciathe aroma: el aromalively: animadothe murmur: el murmulloenthusiast: apasionadato impress: impresionarcarefully: con atencióndistracted: distraíathe stalls: los puestosthe ingredients: los ingredientesavailable: disponiblescalm down: calmarafrustration: frustraciónto chime in: intervinofusion: fusiónattached: aferradaintrigued: curiosidadvendor: vendedoraunique: únicoinnovative: innovadoraenthusiastically: con entusiasmoto hesitate: dudandoto take a chance: arriesgarseto gather: reunióhonor: honrarsuccess: éxito

**David Monteagudo Viaja a Angola: Naturaleza, Cultura y Realidades Locales** David Monteagudo regresó de un viaje a Angola, un país africano más del doble de grande que España, con una experiencia que mezcla impresionantes paisajes y desafíos logísticos. Con una economía centrada en el petróleo, minerales como el mármol y la pesca, Angola ha pasado por una historia de colonización portuguesa y guerra civil, pero en la actualidad está avanzando y abriendo sus puertas al turismo, al eliminar el visado. Monteagudo visitó las playas de Benguela y Lobito, menos masificadas que otros destinos turísticos africanos, y pasó tiempo en Luanda, donde exploró la Fortaleza de San Miguel y el Memorial Agostinho Neto. En su recorrido por el país, también descubrió el desierto de Namibe, las montañas de Tundavala y Serra da Leba, y el Hotel Pululukwa, donde animales como cebras viven libres en la finca. Uno de los momentos más impactantes fue la visita a las cataratas Kalandula, las segundas más grandes de África. Sin embargo, el viaje también presentó algunos desafíos: las carreteras son malas, la impuntualidad es común y los horarios no se respetan. Monteagudo comentó que en África, "no hay tiempo ni reloj", resaltando las diferencias culturales. A pesar de esto, la gastronomía local sorprendió por su calidad a precios bajos, y la hospitalidad de la gente fue excepcional. En sus anécdotas, destacó encuentros curiosos, como el policía que, por 2.000 kwanzas (2 euros), quedó satisfecho con una comida simple. En resumen, Angola ofrece un destino único, lleno de belleza natural y cultura, pero con la necesidad de adaptarse a sus peculiaridades.#Angola #Viaje #Turismo #CulturaAfricana #Naturaleza

Fluent Fiction - Spanish: Unlocking Ancestral Secrets in San Miguel's Spring Market Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/es/episode/2025-03-18-22-34-02-es Story Transcript:Es: En el mercado bullicioso de San Miguel de Allende, los colores y aromas llenaban el aire fresco de la primavera.En: In the bustling market of San Miguel de Allende, the colors and aromas filled the fresh spring air.Es: Las luces del sol se filtraban a través de los toldos, creando sombras bailantes sobre los adoquines.En: The sunlight filtered through the awnings, creating dancing shadows over the cobblestones.Es: Era Semana Santa y se escuchaban el repicar de las campanas de la iglesia mezclándose con el murmullo de la gente.En: It was Semana Santa and the ringing of the church bells mixed with the murmur of the people.Es: Mateo, un joven de mirada inquisitiva y pasión por el pasado de su familia, caminaba junto a su hermana menor, Lucía, quien siempre veía detalles que los demás pasaban por alto.En: Mateo, a young man with an inquisitive look and a passion for his family's past, walked alongside his younger sister, Lucía, who always saw details that others overlooked.Es: Se detuvieron frente a un puesto de libros antiguos, atendido por Esteban, un hombre sabio y algo enigmático, conocido por sus historias sobre la ciudad.En: They stopped in front of a stall of old books, attended by Esteban, a wise and somewhat enigmatic man known for his stories about the city.Es: Mientras Lucía exploraba con la vista, Mateo hojeaba un viejo tomo polvoriento.En: While Lucía explored with her sight, Mateo leafed through a dusty old tome.Es: De repente, encontró algo insólito: una carta escondida entre las páginas amarillentas.En: Suddenly, he found something unusual: a letter hidden among the yellowed pages.Es: La abrió con cuidado y, al leer detenidamente, su corazón empezó a latir con fuerza.En: He opened it carefully, and as he read it closely, his heart began to beat strongly.Es: La carta mencionaba que un ancestro de su familia había tenido un vínculo con una famosa obra de arte local.En: The letter mentioned that an ancestor of his family had a connection with a famous local work of art.Es: —Lucía, mira esto —dijo Mateo con emoción.En: “Lucía, look at this,” Mateo said with excitement.Es: Pero Lucía, aunque observadora, dudaba de la autenticidad de la carta.En: But Lucía, although observant, doubted the authenticity of the letter.Es: —¿Y si es solo una broma de alguien que la dejó ahí? —preguntó, escéptica.En: “What if it's just a joke by someone who left it there?” she asked, skeptical.Es: Mateo no podía dejar de pensar en el posible legado que esto podría traer a su familia.En: Mateo couldn't stop thinking about the possible legacy this could bring to his family.Es: Esteban, al ver el interés de los hermanos, intervino.En: Esteban, seeing the siblings' interest, intervened.Es: —Esa carta parece auténtica, pero muchas veces las apariencias engañan —dijo Esteban con una sonrisa enigmática.En: “That letter seems authentic, but appearances are often deceiving,” said Esteban with an enigmatic smile.Es: Decidido a descubrir la verdad, Mateo optó por confiar en su intuición.En: Determined to discover the truth, Mateo chose to trust his intuition.Es: Sabía que necesitaba la ayuda de Lucía y la experiencia de Esteban.En: He knew he needed Lucía's help and Esteban's expertise.Es: Juntos se dispusieron a seguir las pistas crípticas de la carta.En: Together they set out to follow the cryptic clues of the letter.Es: Tras días de investigación y algunas visitas a la iglesia donde se rumoreaba que estaba la obra de arte, encontraron el vínculo.En: After days of investigation and several visits to the church where it was rumored that the work of art was, they found the link.Es: Una antigua inscripción mostraba el apellido de su familia.En: An ancient inscription showed their family's last name.Es: Con esto como prueba, se dirigieron a la sociedad histórica del pueblo para validar el descubrimiento.En: With this as proof, they headed to the town's historical society to validate the discovery.Es: Era el momento de la verdad, y mientras Lucía observaba ansiosa, Esteban habló con los historiadores sobre la carta y la inscripción.En: It was the moment of truth, and while Lucía watched anxiously, Esteban spoke with the historians about the letter and the inscription.Es: Después de una tensa espera, se confirmó la autenticidad del hallazgo.En: After a tense wait, the authenticity of the finding was confirmed.Es: La carta había revelado una conexión perdida con la obra de arte, y Mateo sintió un orgullo profundo por su familia.En: The letter had revealed a lost connection to the work of art, and Mateo felt a deep pride in his family.Es: La noticia se difundió rápidamente por el pueblo, y la familia de Mateo ganó un nuevo respeto y apreciación en la comunidad.En: The news spread quickly throughout the town, and Mateo's family gained new respect and appreciation in the community.Es: Mateo ya no era un joven curioso, sino alguien con un sentido renovado de su historia familiar.En: Mateo was no longer just a curious young man, but someone with a renewed sense of his family history.Es: Lucía, por su parte, comenzó a admirar la determinación de su hermano.En: Lucía, for her part, began to admire her brother's determination.Es: Los tres, juntos, miraron la obra de arte que ahora sabían era parte de su legado, mientras las campanas seguían sonando, marcando el fin de una Semana Santa inolvidable.En: The three of them, together, looked at the work of art that they now knew was part of their legacy, while the bells continued to ring, marking the end of an unforgettable Semana Santa. Vocabulary Words:the market: el mercadobustling: bulliciosothe awnings: los toldosthe cobblestones: los adoquinesthe inscription: la inscripciónthe rumor: el rumorthe tome: el tomothe shadow: la sombraskeptical: escépticadetermined: decididoinquisitive: inquisitivathe sibling: el hermanothe stall: el puestothe link: el vínculothe historian: el historiadorthe pride: el orgullothe heritage: el legadoto leaf through: hojearyellowed: amarillentasauthentic: auténticathe ancestor: el ancestrocrucial: crípticothe society: la sociedadthe expertise: la experienciato unveil: revelarthe news: la noticiato validate: validarthe letter: la cartaenigmatic: enigmáticothe appreciation: la apreciación

Send us a textIn this episode of Friday Night Beers, Tom & Vince drink Red Horse. This lager comes from San Miguel Brewery in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila Philippines. They drink it and somehow compare it to things like San Miguel's market domination, notable Filipinos, Google, Apple, animated movies, dynastic runs and more. At the end, they rate this beer on a unique 1-5 scale. VINCE: 3.5 / 5 VincesTOM: 4 / 5 TomsInstagram: @friday.night.beersTwitter: @fnb_pod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@friday.night.beersEmail: friday.night.beerspodcast@gmail.com Theme music by Billy Hansa. Subscribe, rate and review the podcast on Apple, Spotify or wherever you find your podcasts!

In this podcast, host Taniel Chemsian sits down with relocation expert Kerry Loeb to explore the ins and outs of retiring in Mexico, specifically focusing on San Miguel de Allende. Kerry shares his personal journey of moving to San Miguel eight years ago and how it evolved into a passion for helping others make the transition. Together, they discuss the vibrant culture, stunning natural beauty, and cost-effective lifestyle that Mexico offers.    The episode covers essential considerations for those looking to relocate, including cultural adaptation, housing tips, and health care infrastructure. Listeners will gain valuable insights into the demographic trends of expats moving to Mexico, the benefits of learning Spanish, and the importance of aligning lifestyle preferences with the location.  Whether you're seriously considering a move south of the border or just dreaming about your future, this episode provides an informed and inspiring guide to starting a new chapter of your life in Mexico.  Don't miss out on this comprehensive discussion that might just convince you to take the leap into the sunny and welcoming embrace of Mexican living.   Key Moments:  03:41 "Community Aid and Golf Volunteering" 08:38 Assessing Familiarity with Mexico 11:06 Passionate About Mexico Caution 13:30 Mexican Coastline Living Insights 17:50 San Miguel Winter Indoor Climate 20:27 Mexico Safety: Misunderstood Perceptions 24:47 Affordable Housing in San Miguel 28:01 "Finding the Perfect Living Balance" 31:46 Healthcare Overview: Private Hospitals Insight 34:10 Embrace Spanish to Understand Culture 38:44 "City Development vs. Lifestyle Factors" 39:19 Living Choices in Mexico 43:21 Celebrating Life Embraced by Culture 47:19 Expat Relocation: Six-Month Cycle About the guest :  Kerry Loeb is a compassionate and proactive individual who has dedicated significant efforts to supporting migrants journeying through Central America. Recognizing the challenges these individuals face, Kerry spearheaded a project focused on providing essential food and clothing to thousands of people traveling through San Miguel on their way to the United States.  In addition to his humanitarian efforts, Kerry is an avid golf enthusiast and volunteered as a marshal at a picturesque golf course in San Miguel for several years. His love for the region extends beyond sports; with an innate passion for the vibrant culture and community of San Miguel, Kerry eagerly assists others in visiting or relocating there, driven by a naturally enthusiastic and sharing nature.  Kerry Loeb's life is defined by his altruism, love for community, and zest for life, making a positive impact wherever he goes. How to connect Kerry :  Website: https://www.expatpathwaymexico.com/ Facebook Group : https://www.facebook.com/groups/166819317257051

What does success really look like? For Karla Parra, it wasn't the corporate career, the degrees, or the external achievements—it was the freedom to live life on her own terms. In this episode, Karla shares her journey from growing up on the beaches of Mexico to pursuing the "American dream" in the U.S., only to walk away from it all in 2019 to travel full-time in an 84-square-foot camper with her husband and two dogs.Over five years on the road, Karla rediscovered her Mexican heritage, built a coaching business helping women in corporate find more joy, and ultimately embraced a “slowmad” lifestyle in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where she's now writing her first book, her memoir.Discover:The mindset shifts that helped Karla leave corporate life for full-time travelHow RV life led her to reconnect with her roots in MexicoHer transition from coaching to becoming a full-time writerThe importance of building a life from the inside out instead of chasing external successConnect & Learn More:Coloring Across The Lines: https://karlaparra.substack.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/karlaexploradora/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~THE RV ENTREPRENEURhttps://therventrepreneur.com~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Join the RVE community on Facebook!⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/therventrepreneurcommunity⁠Connect with RVE on all your favorite socials⁠https://therventrepreneur.com/connect⁠⁠Got questions or comments for our hosts? Leave us a voice message! ⁠⁠https://therventrepreneur.com/voicemail⁠⁠(NOTE: Audio submitted may be published on the podcast unless specifically requested otherwise.)Got a great story or tips to share with RVE Listeners? Complete our Guest Intake Form:https://therventrepreneur.com/guestform

Rebe Huntman is a memoirist, essayist, dancer, teacher and poet who writes at the intersections of feminism, world religion and spirituality. For over a decade she directed Chicago's award-winning Danza Viva Center for World Dance, Art & Music and its dance company, One World Dance Theater. Huntman collaborates with native artists in Cuba and South America, has been featured in Latina Magazine, Chicago Magazine and the Chicago Tribune, and has appeared on Fox and ABC. A Macondo fellow and recipient of an Ohio Individual Excellence award, Rebe has received support for her debut memoir, My Mother in Havana: A Memoir of Magic & Miracle  (Monkfish Book Publishing Company, February 18, 2025), from The Ohio State University, Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Ragdale Foundation, PLAYA Residency, Hambidge Center and Brush Creek Foundation. "Writing with a physicality of language that moves like the body in dance, Rebe Huntman, a poet, choreographer, and dancer, embarks on a pilgrimage into the mysteries of the gods and saints of Cuba and their larger spiritual view of 'the Mother.' Huntman offers a window into the extraordinary yet seldom-seen world of Afro-Cuban gods and ghosts and the dances and rhythms that call them forth. As she explores the memory of her own mother, interlacing it with her search for the sacred feminine, Huntman leads us into a world of séance and sacrifice, pilgrimage and sacred dance, which resurrect her mother and bring Huntman face to face with a larger version of herself." Rebe also helps other writers. With over thirty years of experience as a writer and a coach, she shows writers the ropes, helps them build a powerful, personalized writing practice, and teaches writers step by step strategies to find their voices, become the best writers they can be, and deliver their work to the world. Rebe's essays, poems and short stories appear in The Missouri Review, The Southern Review, Parabola, CRAFT LIterary, The Cincinnati Review, Ninth Letter, South Loop Review, Sonora Review, Tampa Review, The Pinch & elsewhere. She lives in Delaware, Ohio and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Learn more: www.rebehuntman.com https://www.instagram.com/rebehuntman/ https://www.facebook.com/rebehuntmanauthor/

En la tarde del viernes 14 de febrero, el presidente de Argentina, Javier Milei, promocionó en su cuenta de X, donde tiene más de 3 millones de seguidores, la criptomoneda $Libra como un vehículo para invertir en empresas argentinas. De forma automática, el valor de la criptomoneda comenzó a subir y se disparó hasta un 2.500%. Pero solo unos instantes después de alcanzar ese pico, otra gente vendió de golpe todo lo que tenía y hundió su valor a prácticamente 0. Milei está desde entonces en el centro de una operación que sigue el patrón de una estafa, y que ha dejado unos 44.000 afectados y cerca de 4.500 millones de euros defraudados. Hablamos con Mercedes López San Miguel, periodista de elDiario.es en Argentina, para conocer los últimos detalles de la peor crisis que vive el mandatario argentino y que ya está en manos de la justicia. Carlos del Castillo, periodista de elDiario.es especializado en Tecnología, nos ayuda a entender mejor cómo funciona el mundo de las criptomonedas y por qué tantos líderes de la nueva ultraderecha mundial se ven seducidos por este tipo de producto financiero. *** Envíanos una nota de voz por Whatsapp contándonos alguna historia que conozcas o algún sonido que tengas cerca y que te llame la atención. Lo importante es que sea algo que tenga que ver contigo. Guárdanos en la agenda como “Un tema Al día”. El número es el 699 518 743 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textIn this episode of Soul of Travel, Season 6: Women's Wisdom + Mindful Travel, presented by @journeywoman_original, Christine hosts a soulful conversation with Rebe Huntman.Rebe is a memoirist, essayist and poet who writes at the intersections of feminism, world religion and spirituality. Rebe holds an MFA in creative nonfiction from The Ohio State University and lives in Delaware, Ohio and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.  She is also the author of “My Mother in Havana: A Memoir of Magic and Miricle” released February 18, 2025. In her book she offers a window into the extraordinary world of Afro-Cuban gods and ghosts and the dances and rituals that call them forth. As she explores the memory of her own mother, interlacing it with her search for the sacred feminine, Reebe leads us into a world of séance and sacrifice, pilgrimage and sacred dance, which resurrect her mother and bring her face to face with a larger version of herself. Christine and Rebe discuss:· The draw of the pilgrimage quest and why that pull is so strong· Connection and disconnection when we travel and what it's like when you leave your camera behind · Growing awareness of colonization and the deep complexities we witness when we travel · Rebe's new book, My Mother in Havana: A Memoir of Magic and Miracle

Al encuentro de cuadrillas que celebra el próximo fin de semana su trigésimo tercera edición en Nerpio (Albacete) hemos dedicado toda la primera parte, escuchando a algunas de la agrupaciones participantes, además de a Karmento (que será la pregonera de honor) y a Juan José Robles que estarán ambos en la jornada inaugural. En la segunda hemos anunciado la cuarta edición del Castilla Fiddle Camp, que se celebrará en Semana Santa en la localidad burgalesa de Molino de Butrera. Un campamento en medio de la naturaleza para conectar con la música tradicional y el baile con instructores como María San Miguel, Elisa Gallego, Gelen Fraser, Rodrigo Martínez, Lucía López o Luis Ángel Fernández, a los que hemos escuchado en sus diferentes formaciones. Hemos vuelto a escuchar a María López, porque acude a la próxima cita de Los Viernes de la Tradición de San Sebastián de los Reyes (Madrid) y concluido con Collado Project, que cada día nos gusta más. Aquí va el repertorio que ha propuesto este domingo La Tarataña: 1.- Karmento, “La serrana” 4:192.- Juan José Robles, “Huele a pan tierno” 3:563.- Cuadrilla de Huerbas, “Jota” 4:464.- Cuadrilla del tío Román, “Malagueña borracha” 3:125.- Aguilanderos de Barranda, “Seguidillas pardicas” 4:006.- Cuadrilla de San Juan Bautista de Pedro Andrés, “Pardicas” 3:397.- San Miguel Fraser, “Jota del Guijar / Xota de Ríotorto” 3:478.- Luis Ángel Fernández y Jaime Vidal, “Entre el Adaja y el Eresma” 2:099.- Ringorrango, “Motilleja” 3:4710.- Rodrigo Martínez, “Sal a bailar” 5:0311.- María López, “Avolta” 2:2712.- Collado Project, “Sin cobardía” 4:41Escuchar audio

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Gracias a nuestros patrocinadores: Party Smart: http://himalaya.com.gt/es/products/pa... MultiMoney: www.multimoney.com/San Miguel: https://sanmiguelmadera.com/productos/Síguenos en nuestras redes sociales:Whatsapp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaFG...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6nwrSBj...Tiktok: / tangentepodcast Twitter: / tangentegt Facebook: / tangentegt Instagram: / tangente_gt

En las primeras horas de la mañana del 20 de mayo de 2019, los habitantes de San Miguel del Monte despertaron con una trágica noticia, un accidente automovilístico había cobrado la vida de tres menores de edad y un joven de 22 años. Sin embargo, lo que al principio parecía una mala jugada del destino para las víctimas y sus familias, pronto empezó a rodearse de dudas y rumores que involucraban a las autoridades del lugar. 

Gracias a nuestros patrocinadores:San Miguel: https://sanmiguelmadera.com/productos/Piedra Santa: https://www.piedrasanta.com/Cocina y más: https://www.facebook.com/CocinamascateringSíguenos en nuestras redes sociales:Whatsapp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaFG...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6nwrSBj...Tiktok: / tangentepodcast Twitter: / tangentegt Facebook: / tangentegt Instagram: / tangente_gt

Gracias a nuestros patrocinadores: San Miguel: https://sanmiguelmadera.com/productos/ Piedra Santa: https://www.piedrasanta.com/ Transdoc: https://transdoc.com/trabajos Síguenos en nuestras redes sociales: Whatsapp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaFG... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6nwrSBj... Tiktok: / tangentepodcast Twitter: / tangentegt Facebook: / tangentegt Instagram: / tangente_gt

A foodie's perspective as we travel through Madrid! This is part one of our Spain story where we focus on the Spanish capital and our day trips to nearby Toledo and Segovia. We spent about 4 days altogether in Madrid and found that was enough time to see the "major sights" while also stumbling upon some unexpected enjoyment. Churros, tapas, and wine were of course some highlights for us but we also appreciated the art scene. Personally, I love the Madrid metro and you'll hear a lot about it in the episode. For a full list of where we ate, see below: Salvador Bachiller Restaurants (Bloom, El Rincón Secreto de SB) Bodega de los Secretos (converted wine caverns) AYCE Sushi San Gines churros Mercado de San Miguel food market Secret Nun Cookies at Monasterio del Corpus Christi More info about the activities we booked on the Busy Gallivanting website Field Notes Travel Blog and Itineraries offerings! WHERE TO FIND MORE: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@busygallivantingpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@BusyGallivantingPodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: busygallivantingpodcast@gmail.com Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠busygallivantingpodcast.com⁠

Host Finis Stribling IV talks about upbringing, passions, and more with Mia San Miguel, Chadney Treadwell, Brajha Herron and Reyna Rios.

Two new novels tackle themes of motherhood and family secrets. First, in Emma Knight's The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus, 18-year-old Pen has just arrived as a student at the University of Edinburgh. For Pen's whole life, she's sensed that her parents were hiding something from her – and she believes the answers might lie in Scotland. In today's episode, Knight joins NPR's Mary Louise Kelly for a conversation about her debut novel. They discuss the first character that came to Knight – and her use of the octopus as a metaphor for early motherhood. Then in Rosarita, the latest novel from Anita Desai, a strange encounter at a park in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, throws the protagonist's family history into question. The story follows Bonita as she tries to untangle her mother's past. In today's episode, Desai speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about the way her character finds pieces of India in Mexico and the dual lives of women.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Last time we spoke about the South China Sea Raid. In January, General Krueger reinforced the American beachhead at Lingayen Gulf while Admiral Halsey launched Operation Gratitude, targeting enemy ships based on faulty intelligence. Despite not finding the expected battleships, American forces decimated a Japanese convoy, sinking numerous vessels and claiming 113 enemy aircraft. Meanwhile, on Luzon, the 1st and 14th Corps advanced against Japanese defenses, capturing key positions despite fierce resistance. As both sides prepared for counteroffensives, the battle intensified, marking a pivotal moment in the Philippines campaign. On January 17, the 58th Brigade and supporting regiments launched a daring operation to destroy enemy positions. As American forces advanced, they faced fierce resistance, but some regiments achieved notable successes. Task Force 38 executed airstrikes on Formosa and Hong Kong, inflicting damage despite heavy losses. Meanwhile, Japanese forces struggled to regroup amid American pressure. General Suzuki devised a plan to fortify Leyte, but ongoing air raids hampered supply efforts. Tensions escalated as both sides prepared for decisive confrontations in the ongoing battle for control. This episode is the Mandalay Offensive Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  We last left off with, General Krueger strategically positioned General Mullins' 25th Division on the right flank of the 43rd Division to bolster the assault forces at the Rosario front. This maneuver was also intended to facilitate the continuation of the 14th Corps' advance to the south. Following the successful repulsion of General Nishiyama's local counterattack, General Wing ordered the 63rd, 158th, and 172nd Regiments, which had been stalled, to launch an offensive from the west along the Damortis-Rosario road. Simultaneously, the 103rd and 169th Regiments were tasked with advancing northward along Route 3, originating from Pozorrubio. In contrast, while the 58th Independent Mixed Brigade and the 23rd Division worked to contain General Swift's 1st Corps, General Yamashita was reinforcing the San Jose sector. He further instructed the Shigemi Detachment to maintain a defensive position in Binalonan. Although the 27th and 161st Regiments had successfully relieved the 103rd Regiment in the Binalonan area, Major-General Shigemi Isao ultimately opted to halt further troop movements. He decided to leave only a small garrison in Binalonan while the majority of his forces prepared for a decisive stand at San Manuel.   As the situation unfolded, the 3rd Battalion of the 161st Regiment encountered minimal resistance, allowing them to advance into the northern half of Binalonan by nightfall on January 17. In a parallel effort, General Patrick directed the 1st Regiment towards Urdaneta, where they successfully eliminated a small outpost belonging to the Shigemi Detachment. Additionally, he dispatched the 20th Regiment to the Cabaruan Hills, where they achieved their objective by reaching Lunec and securing the central area of the hills by the end of the day. On January 18, the offensive momentum of the 6th and 25th Divisions persisted. The 20th Regiment advanced to a low ridge approximately 2,500 yards west of Cabaruan, where American forces identified the primary defenses of the 2nd Battalion, 71st Regiment. Meanwhile, the 161st Regiment successfully cleared Binalonan, and the 27th Regiment moved forward to seize control of the Bactad area, further consolidating their gains in the region. Simultaneously, Wing's units were gearing up for a significant new offensive. In line with this strategy, the 2nd Battalion of the 169th Regiment advanced along Route 3, deftly circumventing the town of Sison, and finally reached a crucial road junction located to the northeast of the town. Meanwhile, to the north, the 172nd Regiment executed a successful nighttime ambush against a Japanese artillery battalion. Following this victory, they dispatched a company to seize control of a strategically important hill, rising 600 feet and situated approximately 1,000 yards north of Rosario. This position enabled American forces to exert control over a substantial portion of the surrounding area. By the conclusion of the day, the 158th and 63rd Regiments established contact through patrols about a mile south of Amlang, as they prepared for a coordinated assault that was set to launch on January 19. This offensive culminated in the collapse of the last Japanese defenses just two days later. Concurrently, the 172nd Regiment successfully established a patrol base on Hill 606. From this vantage point, patrols ventured into Rosario, discovering the town was heavily mined, riddled with booby traps, and defended by concealed machine-gunners and riflemen hiding amidst the rubble of the buildings. On January 19, the 103rd Regiment initiated an assault on Hill 600, located at the southern end of the ridge line east of Route 3. At the same time, the 2nd Battalion of the 169th Regiment faced several intense counterattacks from retreating Japanese forces that had been bypassed at Mount Alava and Sison. Despite the fierce resistance, the relentless pressure from Japanese troops and increasingly heavy artillery fire ultimately compelled the battalion to withdraw by noon. Nevertheless, the American operations succeeded in diminishing the Japanese presence in the region. Looking southward, the 161st Regiment cautiously advanced toward San Manuel, while the 27th Regiment effectively moved into Asingan, successfully cutting off Shigemi's escape route. Further south, the 1st Regiment rapidly progressed along Route 3 toward the Agno River, capturing the towns of Villasis, Carmen, and Rosales. Meanwhile, the 20th Regiment commenced an assault on the 2nd Battalion of the 71st Regiment stationed in the Cabaruan Hills. On the front commanded by General Griswold, the 14th Corps was in the process of mobilizing along the Camiling-Anao line, preparing to initiate an advance toward the Tarlac-Victoria line. The 160th Regiment began its march, covering seven miles southward from Camiling along Route 13, while the 129th Regiment took a strong position in Anao, establishing vital contact with other outposts of the 37th Division stationed at Paniqui. The advances made on January 20 were notably swift, with the 148th Regiment successfully capturing the towns of Gerona and Pura. Meanwhile, the 37th Reconnaissance Troop made significant progress by entering the guerrilla-occupied area of Victoria, and units from the 40th Division advanced to within four miles of Tarlac, signaling a promising push toward their objectives. In the area around Cabaruan, the Japanese forces had sustained heavy losses during the initial attack. In response, Colonel Patrick made the strategic decision to withdraw two battalions from the hills to reinforce the southern advance. Probing slowly through the roughest ground in the Cabaruan Hills on January 20 and 21, the 20th Regiment's reinforced battalion jumped off in the morning of the 22nd in what was expected to be the last attack, its way paved by an especially heavy artillery and air bombardment. But from the start, operations did not go as planned. The air strike, conducted by Fifth Air Force A-20s was four hours late, subjecting the infantry to "a nerve racking wait," and did not include requested napalm. Air and artillery concentrations were, however, well placed, and it seemed improbable to the waiting infantry that many Japanese could have lived through them. A combined tank-infantry assault began about 12:30 and proceeded slowly but steadily for almost two hours. Then the attackers were stopped cold by a tremendous burst of rifle, machine-gun, and light artillery fire from the very hillsides that had received the weight of the bombardments. Company E, in the lead, fell back; Company G's officers were all either killed or wounded, and the company was temporarily scattered; Company F was pinned in place; and two supporting tanks were knocked out. Casualties mounted quickly to 10 men killed and 35 wounded. As a consequence, Patrick found it necessary to redirect one battalion from the 1st Regiment to support the ongoing attack. Simultaneously, the remainder of the 20th Regiment pressed forward toward Cuyapo, while the bulk of the 1st Regiment continued its eastward movement toward the guerrilla-held Balungao. Additionally, the 6th Reconnaissance Troop reached Guimba, successfully establishing contact with patrols from the 14th Corps, which was crucial for coordinating their efforts. On another front, with Mount Alava now vulnerable, the 169th Regiment launched a vigorous assault on January 20, managing to secure the summit of the mountain by nightfall. In contrast, the 103rd Regiment continued to face heavy casualties during their frontal assaults against Hill 600, ultimately gaining only a precarious foothold on the exposed southern slopes. Meanwhile, in a significant naval development, Admiral Halsey's Task Force 38 exited the South China Sea through the Balintang Channel on January 20. The task force was poised to execute further strikes against Formosa, aiming to disrupt enemy operations and bolster the Allied offensive in the region. The following day, with significantly improved weather conditions, Admiral McCain's aircraft carriers launched a coordinated series of airstrikes targeting Formosa, the Pescadores Islands, and the southern Ryukyu Islands. These operations resulted in the destruction of 104 Japanese aircraft on the ground, the sinking of seven oil tankers, and the loss of seven transport ships, along with additional damage inflicted on another seven vessels.  For the first time since November 1944, TF 38 felt the sting of kamikazes. Operating just 100nm east of Formosa, TF 38 was not difficult to find. Just after noon, a single aircraft appeared to conduct a conventional bombing attack on TG 38.3's light carrier Langley. One bomb hit forward. Personnel casualties were light, but the carrier was conducting flight operations three hours later. Within minutes, another aircraft also evaded radar detection and the CAP to commence a suicide dive against Ticonderoga. The kamikaze struck the flight deck and penetrated where its bomb exploded. An impending strike was spotted and ready to launch; now these aircraft provided fuel for the fire which was quickly spreading. Just before 1300hrs, another group of eight kamikazes and five escorts resumed the attack on TG 38.3. Only two suicide aircraft survived the CAP to dive on the wounded Ticonderoga. One was sent spinning into the water by antiaircraft fire, but the final attacker crashed into the carrier's island. More fires were started. The crew succeeded in putting out the flames by 1415hrs and correcting a nine-degree list by 1800hrs. Though the ship was saved, the cost was high. Some 143 men were killed and 202, including her captain, were wounded. In addition, the air group lost 36 aircraft. As a final farewell, kamikazes attacked the two destroyers on picket duty just 65nm off Formosa at 1310hrs. A single Zero had joined a returning strike. Before it could be identified as enemy, it dove on destroyer Maddox, striking her amidships. This and the explosion of the bomb aboard created a fire that was quickly extinguished. After a final day of strikes on January 22 against the Ryukyus, during which eight ships were sunk, Task Force 38 set course for Ulithi. Upon arrival, Admiral Halsey transferred command of the Fast Carrier Force to Admiral Spruance, who would lead the final offensives in the Central Pacific.  Meanwhile, back on Luzon, on January 21, the 160th Regiment swiftly cleared the town of Tarlac and began its advance toward San Miguel. Simultaneously, the 145th and 148th Regiments moved unopposed toward La Paz. The speed of 14th Corps' advance had stretched Griswold's supply lines abnormally and had exposed his left from Cuyapo to La Paz, a distance of nearly 25 miles. He had no definite information about suspected Japanese concentrations in the vicinity of Cabanatuan, on Route 5 just 15 miles east of La Paz. His worries about the security of his flank were hardly put to rest by reports of new contacts with Japanese forces at Moncada, now 20 miles behind the front, and at La Paz. Elements of the 129th and 145th Regiments easily took care of the Japanese in the Moncada area; but during the night of January 21, a pitched battle developed at La Paz when a platoon of Japanese infantry, supported by one tank, attacked a 148th Regiment perimeter at a road junction a mile west of town. The Japanese finally withdrew after destroying a bridge that carried a secondary road across a river a mile east of La Paz; but because of this, Griswold reported to General Krueger that it would be impossible to extend 14th Corps' left any further south until he had more information about Japanese forces east of La Paz. To mitigate this risk, he decided to keep General Beightler's 37th Division positioned in reserve while General Brush's 40th Division continued its advance southward along Route 3 toward Bamban. As a result, elements of the 160th Regiment and the 40th Reconnaissance Troop reached Capas and conducted patrols toward Camp O'Donnell on January 22. Meanwhile, the 161st Regiment began probing the defenses established by Japanese forces under Shigemi. The 103rd Regiment faced severe losses during their assault on Hill 600, necessitating a withdrawal to reorganize. Concurrently, the 169th Regiment launched an attack on Hill 355, making slow and costly progress against fierce resistance on the steep, barren slopes. By January 24, most of Hill 355 had been cleared, allowing the 3rd Battalion of the 103rd Regiment to move in and conduct mop-up operations in the area. As the 158th Regiment looked northward and secured the area around Amlang, they initiated an eastward push towards the positions held by the 172nd Regiment. However, their advance was slow, with only a modest gain of 500 yards achieved. Over the next two days, the 158th faced a grueling battle, making painstaking progress as they advanced foot by foot across exposed hills and ridges, all while enduring relentless machine-gun, mortar, and artillery fire. It wasn't until January 26 that they successfully broke through to Cataguintingan, where they provided much-needed support to the 172nd Regiment's ongoing assaults into Rosario. Meanwhile, by the evening of January 23, the 161st Regiment had managed to secure the southern slopes of the barren ridge north of San Manuel. They established trail blocks in the Aboredo Valley, effectively controlling movement in the area. To the south, the 108th Regiment had taken control of the Capas region, while the 160th Regiment successfully captured Bamban. However, it became increasingly evident that the American forces were now confronting the well-fortified and organized defenses of the Kembu Group. The Kembu Group's strength lay in the terrain it held, in the depth of its defenses, and in the great number of automatic weapons (aircraft and anti-aircraft) it possessed. Its major weaknesses were its immobility; the inadequate training and armament of the bulk of its troops; shortages of food, ammunition, and field artillery; and the rudimentary state of many defensive installations, a state deriving from the late start in establishing the positions at and west of Clark Field. The health of the command was poor from the start, and medical supplies were short. Morale was not of the highest order, and many of the troops were easily disaffected Formosan, Okinawan, and Korean labor personnel. In brief, the Kembu Group was the poorest armed, prepared, and supplied of Yamashita's three defense commands. On the other hand, as the 40th Division was soon to learn, even poor service troops, whatever their state of training and armament, can put up stiff resistance in good defensive terrain.  In preparation for the defense of Clark Field, General Tsukada assembled a diverse array of forces, totaling approximately 30,000 troops, although the majority consisted of air and naval personnel. He strategically divided his Army units into four distinct detachments. The Takayama, Takaya, and Eguchi Detachments were positioned along the first and second lines of defense, facing eastward toward Highway 3. Their defensive line extended from the hills west of Bamban to the vicinity of Fort Stotsenburg. In contrast, the Yanagimoto Detachment maintained its mobile units at Angeles and Porac, ready to respond to any potential enemy paratrooper landings on the southern flank of the Clark Field defenses. Additionally, Rear-Admiral Sugimoto Ushie commanded naval units comprising about 15,000 men, tasked with defending positions behind the two forward lines. In light of this formidable opposition, General Griswold made the strategic decision to utilize January 24 for consolidation and regrouping. This involved preparing for further advances southward while also probing into the enemy defenses that had already been uncovered. The 160th Regiment was able to secure Lafe Hill, although they were unable to establish a foothold on Hill 500, highlighting the challenges that lay ahead. To the north, American forces initiated another offensive against the Cabaruan Hills. The units of the 1st Regiment made only modest progress, yet they managed to advance closer to the main defensive positions as night fell. Meanwhile, at San Manuel, the 161st Regiment launched its first assault against the Shigemi Detachment, which encountered unexpectedly fierce resistance. As a result, the Americans were only able to establish a fragile foothold in the northern section of the town. Further north, Wing directed the 103rd Regiment to set up a line of departure along Route 3, aiming to strike eastward at the northwestern slopes of Hill 600. At the same time, they were tasked with advancing up the southwestern slopes of the exposed Hill 700 to secure that strategic location, as well as Hill 800 to the northwest. The 169th Regiment, advancing to the left of the 103rd, was assigned to capture Question Mark Hill. Concurrently, the 63rd and 172nd Regiments were ordered to launch simultaneous assaults on Hills 900 and 1500, respectively, while the reserve 3rd Battalion of the 63rd Regiment was also committed to clear Benchmark Hill. This coordinated attack was scheduled for January 25. The initial phases of the assault showed promise, with the supporting forces making significant headway. However, the 103rd Regiment faced considerable difficulties, managing to secure Hill 800 only by nightfall. Notably, the 172nd Regiment achieved tactical surprise, successfully clearing most of Hill 900. Over the next two days, the 63rd Regiment regrouped around Hill 1500 in preparation for its own offensive. Simultaneously, the 161st Regiment continued its slow advance southward through San Manuel, facing intense opposition. Patrick's units on the Cabaruan Hills managed to gain a mere 300 yards against determined resistance. Meanwhile, Brush pressed his attack on Clark Field, with the 160th Regiment clearing Hill 500 and advancing nearly a mile along the ridge from Lafe Hill, while the 108th Regiment secured Hills E and G. The following day, the 40th Division continued its southward maneuver. Any movement by American troops along the generally open ridges west of Route 3 inevitably brought down Japanese machine-gun and mortar fire, often augmented by fire from the dismounted aircraft automatic weapons, anti-aircraft guns, and light artillery. Seeking cover and usually pinned in place, the American infantry would call for close-in mortar and artillery support, wait for the concentrations to be fired, and then drive forward a few yards, when the process had to be repeated. Each time, the Americans managed to overrun a few Japanese machine-gun or rifle strongpoints. There was little choice of routes of advance. Draws, providing some concealment in scrub growth or bamboo thickets, were usually covered by well-emplaced Japanese weapons both within the draws and on the ridges to each side. Possession of the high ground, as ever, was essential. Yet the troops had to employ draws whenever possible to outflank Japanese ridgeline strongpoints, and often draws and ravines proved to be the only routes by which tanks, tank destroyers, and cannon company self-propelled mounts could get to the front to fire against Japanese cave positions along the sides of the ridges. The capture of one Japanese-held cave served only to disclose another, and one machine-gun position was overrun only to provide access to the next. Dislodging the Kembu Group from such defenses in depth was to prove a slow, laborious, and costly process, demanding the closest teamwork between the infantry and its supporting arms. Casualties, as a rule, would not be heavy on any one day--progress would be too slow and the troops would spend too much of their time pinned down awaiting fire from supporting weapons. But a daily attrition rate of about 5 men killed and 15 wounded for each battalion engaged would soon begin to have its effect. Meanwhile the 160th Regiment swiftly captured Hills 636 and 600 in rapid succession. However, the 108th Regiment lost control of Hill G during the engagement. On January 26, Griswold committed the 37th Division to the fight, with the 145th Regiment successfully capturing Mabalacat and Mabalacat East Airfield. They then shifted westward across Route 3, overrunning Clark Field Runway Number 1. In the Cabaruan Hills, American forces gained only 150 yards at a considerable cost. In response, Patrick decided to deploy another battalion from the 1st Regiment to eliminate this pocket of resistance. The following day, this two-battalion assault proved successful, resulting in the destruction of an entire battalion of Japanese troops, with over 1,400 enemy soldiers killed. Further north, the 161st Regiment finally broke through the main defenses of Shigemi's forces. Before dawn most of the Japanese left in San Manuel scrambled across the draw on the east side of town and fled to join the 10th Reconnaissance Regiment north of San Nicolas, but not before launching a final counterattack to cover their escape. At 0930 the 161st Infantry's two battalions resumed the drive southward through the town, and by 1330 San Manuel was clear. In a heroic but tactically unimportant stand the Shigemi Detachment had virtually fulfilled its self-imposed desire for annihilation in place. The detachment had lost 750 men killed; all its tanks, artillery, trucks, machine guns, and mortars had been either captured or destroyed. Probably no more than 250 troops escaped, and many of them were unarmed and wounded. The 161st Infantry and attached units had lost approximately 60 men killed and 200 wounded; the 716th Tank Battalion lost 3 tanks. Meanwhile, Wing's offensive continued on January 27, with the 103rd Regiment successfully reaching the crest of Hill 700 and the northwestern slopes of Hill 600. Unfortunately, they lost both positions to a brutal Japanese counterattack amidst a violent tropical downpour. On January 28, the 172nd Regiment captured Rosario, while the 63rd secured the southern crest of Hill 1500. Both regiments completed the capture of this strategic feature by January 30, thereby finalizing the occupation of the crucial road junction area. Further south, on January 27, the 160th Regiment advanced only 500 to 800 yards to the west and southwest. The 108th Regiment made a more substantial advance of about 1,000 yards southwest from Hills E and G but failed to reach Hill 5. The 145th Regiment pushed south along Route 3 for an additional three miles, reaching Culayo and Dau before taking control of the guerrilla-occupied Angeles, which had recently been abandoned by the retreating Yanagimoto Detachment. In a similar vein, the 148th Regiment secured Magalang without encountering any resistance. As we shift our focus from Luzon, we turn our attention to Burma, where we will delve into the ongoing developments of Operation Capital. Picking up from our previous discussions, we find ourselves in Central Burma, where the 2nd British Division and the 19th Indian Division are making significant strides toward Shwebo. The 2nd British Division successfully captured Ye-u on January 2, followed by the establishment of a crucial bridgehead across the Mu River just three days later. Meanwhile, the 19th Indian Division also advanced, reaching the Shwebo area by January 5. On January 8, a coordinated assault was launched by units from both divisions, culminating in the capture of Shwebo after two days of intense and brutal combat. To the west, General Festing's 29th Brigade began probing the northern flank of the 15th Division at Twinnge. Concurrently, other elements of the 19th Division worked to solidify their positions by establishing additional bridgeheads over the Irrawaddy River at Thabeikkyin and Kyaukyaung. On January 10, the 20th Indian Division captured Budalin and subsequently pushed towards Monywa, where the 33rd Division had only left a small contingent to serve as a rearguard. However, the campaign faced unexpected challenges; heavy rainfall during the first week of January brought all transport operations of the 4th Corps to a standstill, significantly hampering the Lushai Brigade's planned assault on Gangaw. After enduring a heavy aerial bombardment, the attack on Gangaw finally commenced on January 10. The Lushai Brigade managed to overpower the limited defending forces, forcing them to retreat after a brief skirmish. With Gangaw now under their control, the Lushai Brigade refocused their efforts on reconnaissance, monitoring the flanks of the 7th Indian Division. Meanwhile, the 28th East African Brigade took the lead in the advance, successfully displacing a Japanese garrison at Tilin on January 22. By this time, the 114th Brigade had begun to follow in the wake of the East Africans, while the 89th Brigade executed a long maneuver to the left, advancing toward Pauk in parallel with the other offensives. Although General Kimura was aware of some movements on his southern flank, he perceived these as mere feints by minor forces intended to divert his attention southward. Following a relentless barrage of artillery and air strikes, the 20th Division launched its offensive against Monywa on January 20. This assault faced fierce resistance, and it took two days of intense and bloody combat before the division was able to secure control of the town. After capturing Monywa, the 80th Brigade advanced towards Myaung, while the 110th Brigade shifted its focus to Ayadaw before launching an attack on Myinmu. By January 25, they had successfully established a bridgehead in that area. Meanwhile, to the east, the 2nd Division commenced its assault on Sagaing on January 14. They made significant headway against the forward defenses of the 31st Division, with other units managing to secure a bridgehead at Ywathitgyi. General Katamura, concerned about the expanding bridgeheads established by the 19th Division across the Irrawaddy River, ordered the 15th and 53rd Divisions to neutralize these positions before they could become fortified. As a result, during the last week of January, the Japanese forces executed a series of coordinated night attacks on Kyaukmyaung. By this time, British-Indian troops had dug in deeply, supported by formidable artillery and machine-gun positions. The ensuing conflict was marked by brutal carnage, with the 15th Division suffering a staggering loss of one-third of its personnel, while the 53rd Division was compelled to withdraw to Kyaukse after incurring heavy casualties. In parallel, the 89th Brigade successfully occupied Pauk on January 28, as General Messervy's forces geared up for a decisive push towards Meiktila. Looking northward, General Sultan was also advancing his own offensive aimed at reopening the Burma Road to China. He ordered the 50th Chinese Division to move towards Lashio and deployed the Mars Task Force to Hosi. Additionally, he dispatched the 36th British Division towards Mongmit, although the British advance was expected to be slow until additional forces could be brought into alignment for a more coordinated effort. General Sun's newly established 1st Army initiated a delayed offensive against Namhkam, which resumed in early January. This resurgence was marked by the 90th Regiment's strategic capture of the hill that overlooks the southwestern entrance to the Shweli River valley. Concurrently, the 112th Regiment advanced through Loiwing, subsequently crossing the river to approach Namhkam from the northeast. Meanwhile, the 88th Regiment entered the valley via the main road, making a direct push across the small plain toward Namhkam. The 89th and 114th Regiments executed a broader maneuver around the southern end of the Shweli valley; the 89th crossed the river on January 7 and advanced northward toward Namhkam, while the 114th crossed three days later, navigating through the hills toward the Namhkam-Namhpakka trail. To the south, the 475th Regiment progressed through Mong Hkak and reached Mong Wi on January 6, preparing for another challenging march across the hilly terrain toward Hosi, with the 124th Cavalry Regiment following closely behind. So close is Tonkwa to the mountains that the 475th found the trail rising steeply on the 1st day's march east. Like a crazily twisted drill it bored its way farther east and ever higher. In some places it was 15 to 20 feet across; in others, just wide enough for a man and a mule. As they rounded the turns, the men would peer ahead and look out across the valleys to where lay row on row of hills. Trees were everywhere. In flat places carved by erosion, the Burmese had cut and farmed terraces, and little villages clung to the mountains like limpets to a rock. Because existing maps were unreliable, so that map reconnaissance could not locate water and bivouac areas, and because the sheer fatigue of climbing the steeper slopes was formidable, march schedules went down the mountain side, with quite a few steel helmets and an occasional mule. Halts were a matter of common sense leadership at platoon or company level. The march was tactical but no Japanese were encountered, though rumor of their nearness kept the men alert. The Chinese had passed that way before, while a screen of Kachin Rangers was preceding the American column. Speaking the local dialects and carrying radios and automatic weapons, the Kachins were an excellent screen which masked the MARS Task Force while reporting anything that might be suspicious. Despite the difficult march, crossing the 400-foot wide Shweli was not too hard. The bridge built by the Chinese some weeks before still stood, a triumph of Oriental ingenuity, with bundles of bamboo for pontons and vines for cable. The Shweli was beginning to tear it apart, but work parties from the 475th kept it operable.  Meanwhile, spurred into action by General Wedemeyer after a month of inactivity, General Wei's Y-Force finally resumed its offensive operations in late December. They promptly dispatched the 2nd, 6th, and 71st Armies to launch an assault on the forward positions of the 56th Division at Wanting. Simultaneously, the 53rd Army executed a wide flanking maneuver to the west, aiming to encircle and attack the Japanese forces from the rear. Faced with the intense pressure of this four-pronged offensive, General Matsuyama was compelled to withdraw the 148th Regiment to a position north of Mongyu. He also ordered the Yoshida Force to mount a counteroffensive toward Muse and committed the reserve 2nd Regiment to secure Namhpakka. On January 5, the 53rd Army reached the vicinity of Muse and began crossing the river; however, they were met with fierce resistance from Matsuyama's timely counterattack, which thwarted their advance. Ten days later, Sun's forces initiated a well-coordinated offensive against Namhkam, which ultimately succumbed on January 16 as the 55th Regiment retreated toward Khonung. With the Shweli Valley now firmly under Allied control, Matsuyama began to tighten his defensive perimeter in anticipation of a final withdrawal toward Hsenwi. On January 17, the Mars Task Force made significant progress by reaching the Hosi sector, where they immediately engaged Japanese outposts. The 475th Regiment successfully secured the advantageous high ground near Nawhkam village. Over the next two days, American forces clashed with the 4th Regiment, capturing the strategically important Loikang Ridge and the elevated terrain overlooking Namhpakka. On January 19, the Mars Task Force attempted to disrupt Japanese supply lines by blocking the Burma Road through demolition and artillery bombardment, coinciding with the arrival of the 55th Regiment, which was sent to bolster the defenders. In a parallel effort, the 114th Regiment managed to sever the Namhkam-Namhpakka trail at Loilawn on the same day. Faced with this escalating threat from the south and the intensifying Chinese assaults on Wanting, the 56th Division was compelled to further contract its defensive perimeter. As a result, Wanting fell on January 20. Fortunately for Matsuyama, General Wei received orders from the Generalissimo to conclude the Salween campaign immediately, which meant that the Chinese forces would remain in their positions until they could be relieved by Sultan's units. Over the course of nearly nine months of intense combat, Wei's Y-Force had successfully reoccupied an impressive 24,000 square miles of Chinese territory and had defeated one of the most elite divisions of the Japanese army, along with elements from two additional divisions. However, the fighting was far from over. Sun continued to dispatch the 112th and 113th Regiments toward Wanting and Mongyu, aiming to clear the final stretch of the road leading to China. Meanwhile, the 89th and 114th Regiments pressed eastward to cut off the Burma Road north of Namhpakka, further complicating the situation for the Japanese forces. In the southern region, from January 20 to January 24, the Mars Task Force continued its strategic operations, executing ambushes and demolition missions while successfully repelling several intense counterattacks from enemy forces. By late January, pressure by MARS Task Force and that of the Chinese forces in the north began to register on the Japanese. The soldiers of the 4th Regiment could see the aerial activity that kept MARS supplied. Not recognizing what they saw, they were so impressed by a big supply drop on the 24th that they sent a report to the 56th Division of a large airborne force being landed along the Burma Road. Accepting this report, General Matsuyama decided to destroy his ammunition and retreat south. His superiors on January 24 agreed to let him retreat, but only after he had evacuated casualties and ammunition. Forty vehicles with gasoline accompanied by a Major Kibino of the 33rd Army staff were sent north to support the 56th in its withdrawal. The Japanese truck convoy made its run north the night of January 24. The trucks were heard, and the Americans placed heavy fire on the road. Kibino had been making the trip in a tankette. Hit by a 4.2-inch mortar shell, it burst into flames clearly visible from the American lines. Kibino clambered out, jumped on a truck, and succeeded in getting his convoy through to the 56th Division. Next day the derelict tankette was credited to the 2nd Battalion, 475th Regiment. But  Encouraged by the additional supplies of gasoline and inspired by the heroic examples of Major Kibino and the personnel of the truck companies, the 56th Division renewed its efforts and, during the next four days effected the evacuation of over 1000 casualties and moved several tons of ammunition to Hsenwi.  Meanwhile, General Matsuyama began to systematically reposition his forces toward Namhpakka, a strategic maneuver that would enable Chinese troops to occupy Mongyu on January 27. In a broader context, by the end of January, the 36th and 50th Divisions were also engaged in crossing the Shweli River, preparing to advance their offensives further southward. In the Arakan region, Operation Romulus exceeded expectations. The 1st Battalion of the 111th Regiment had been defending Akyab. On December 31, as the rear guard of the Sakura Detachment crossed the Kaladan River and moved eastward the Battalion was ordered to withdraw to Ponnagyun. As intelligence suggested very few Japanese were left on Akyab island, a recce aeroplane reported the locals showing no anxiety and on January 2 messages were dropped in Urdu and Burmese asking them to sit on the ground if the island was still occupied or stand with their hands in the air if not. Captain Jimmy Jarrett of ‘C' Flight, 656 AOP Squadron, then landed to a rousing reception and found the Japanese had quit on December 31, although nobody believed him until a senior officer flew in to confirm it. This prompted General Christison to swiftly initiate an amphibious invasion. Notably, this operation was executed without the anticipated naval bombardment and without deploying the reserve 26th Indian Division. As a result, the 3rd Commando Brigade successfully captured Akyab on January 3, facing no resistance, and the 25th Indian Division soon followed, reinforcing the area. From Akyab, the 9th York and Lancasters were transported by boat to establish a strategic blockade along the Yo River at Ponnagyun. There, they encountered significant Japanese forces. After a fierce engagement, however, the Japanese defenders were compelled to retreat toward Myohaung by January 11. In response to the evolving situation, Admiral Mountbatten devised a plan to land the 3rd Commando Brigade and the 25th Division on the Myebon Peninsula. This operation aimed to sever the primary lines of communication for Japanese forces, while preparations were made for the 26th Division to conduct a landing on Ramree Island. In response to the urgent military situation, Operation Passport was swiftly conceived and executed on January 12. British-Indian forces successfully landed at the southern tip of the peninsula, supported by both air and naval operations. Once ashore, the commandos advanced inland, facing intense resistance from fortified hill positions. Their efforts culminated in the capture of Pagoda Hill and the village of Myebon. However, as they pushed forward, opposition intensified, making it increasingly difficult for the British-Indian troops to reach Hill 831. Simultaneously, the 82nd West African Division, now commanded by Major-General Hugh Stockwell, entered the Kaladan Valley to relieve the 81st Division, which had been engaged in combat for over a year. The West African forces began to apply pressure against the Matsu Detachment units stationed at Myohaung and Minbya, although these Japanese forces managed to maintain their positions despite the mounting assaults. Meanwhile, planning was underway for the deployment of the 3rd Commando Brigade and the 51st Indian Brigade to land at Kangaw, coinciding with General Lomax's invasion of Ramree Island.  Early on January 21 the naval bombardment group opened fire. Christison and the other Force Commanders were watching through field glasses from the bridge of HMS Queen Elizabeth in her first engagement since the Dardanelles in 1915. Christison later said: ‘Some shells fell on a marsh behind the Jap defences, and I saw a number of duck spring up. “Duck”, I shouted. “The Royal Navy never ducks”, said the Admiral.' With her second salvo Queen Elizabeth scored a direct hit on the Japanese ammunition depot, which facilitated the landing operations. The 71st Indian Brigade successfully captured Kyaukpyu with minimal resistance. This victory enabled them to advance toward Minbyin and Kyaupyauk, both of which fell into their hands by January 23. In the subsequent days, the brigade continued its advance toward the Yanbauk Chaung, where they encountered fierce Japanese defenses. At the same time, other elements of the division worked to secure Cheduba and Sagu Kyun Islands, further consolidating their strategic position in the region. On January 22, the commandos and the 51st Brigade successfully landed in the Kangaw area near the Min River. However, they faced violent and frequent counterattacks from Japanese forces, which hindered their ability to expand their beachhead. Despite these challenges, the intense pressure from the commandos ultimately forced the Japanese defenders at Hill 831, Myohaung, and Minbya to retreat toward Kani, marking a significant shift in the operational landscape. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. General Krueger's forces advanced against Japanese defenses, capturing key positions despite heavy resistance and casualties. Meanwhile, in Burma, British-Indian troops advanced, seizing key locations despite heavy resistance. Both fronts faced intense combat, leading to significant territorial gains against Japanese forces by the end of January.

Meet Tracie Collins, the trailblazing Founder of the National Black Doulas Association®, as she shares her transformative journey from Oakland, California, to her life in the vibrant San Miguel de Allende with her wife. Tracie opens up about embracing the divine feminine, living with intention, and unlocking abundance in all areas of life.With over two decades of experience empowering women of color, Tracie has made a lasting impact in the world of maternal health and entrepreneurship. From her groundbreaking work to combat Black maternal mortality to her coaching and holistic health expertise, she's helped countless women claim their power and live fulfilling lives.Listen as Tracie reflects on selling the NBDA, embracing a new chapter, and creating a life centered on pleasure, peace, and purpose. Whether you're seeking inspiration for your journey abroad or tools for intentional living, this episode is a must-listen!Connect with Tracie:www.traciecollinsofficial.comIG @traciecollinsFB @traciecollinsYouTube @Tracie_CollinsTikTok @blackgirlceoinmexicoSend us a textJoin aspiring Black expats, expats, and re-pats where you can build community, get resources and gain support along your journey abroad….You're invited to join Blaxit Global Passport. Join Blaxit Global Passport - https://blaxit-global-passport.mn.co/ Looking for VPNs, banking, travel, and health insurance for your move abroad? Well have no fear, we've got you. Get your Move Abroad Starter Kit today at www.blaxitglobal.com/resources.Support the showJoin Blaxit Global PassportSubscribe to Blaxit Global on YouTubeBlaxit Global Website: www.blaxitglobal.comSupport the show - www.ko-fi.com/blaxitglobal

Lesbians and the Law The Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast - Episode 305 with Heather Rose Jones In this episode we talk about: Evidence for how romantic and sexual relations between women were treated in legal systems in western culture References Benbow, R. Mark and Alasdair D. K. Hawkyard. 1994. “Legal Records of Cross-dressing” in Gender in Play on the Shakespearean Stage: Boy Heroines and Female Pages, ed. Michael Shapiro, Ann Arbor. pp.225-34. Benkov, Edith. “The Erased Lesbian: Sodomy and the Legal Tradition in Medieval Europe” in Same Sex Love and Desire Among Women in the Middle Ages. ed. by Francesca Canadé Sautman & Pamela Sheingorn. Palgrave, New York, 2001. Boehringer, Sandra (trans. Anna Preger). 2021. Female Homosexuality in Ancient Greece and Rome. Routledge, New York. ISBN 978-0-367-74476-2 Borris, Kenneth (ed). 2004. Same-Sex Desire in the English Renaissance: A Sourcebook of Texts, 1470-1650. Routledge, New York. ISBN 978-1-138-87953-9 Brown, Kathleen. 1995. “'Changed...into the Fashion of a Man': The Politics of Sexual Difference in a Seventeenth-Century Anglo-American Settlement” in Journal of the History of Sexuality 6:2 pp.171-193. Burshatin, Israel. “Elena Alias Eleno: Genders, Sexualities, and ‘Race' in the Mirror of Natural History in Sixteenth-Century Spain” in Ramet, Sabrina Petra (ed). 1996. Gender Reversals and Gender Cultures: Anthropological and Historical Perspectives. Routledge, London. ISBN 0-415-11483-7 Crane, Susan. 1996. “Clothing and Gender Definition: Joan of Arc,” in Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies 26:2 : 297-320. Crawford, Patricia & Sara Mendelson. 1995. "Sexual Identities in Early Modern England: The Marriage of Two Women in 1680" in Gender and History vol 7, no 3: 362-377. Cressy, David. 1996. “Gender Trouble and Cross-Dressing in Early Modern England” in Journal of British Studies 35/4: 438-465. Crompton, Louis. 1985. “The Myth of Lesbian Impunity: Capital Laws from 1270 to 1791” in Licata, Salvatore J. & Robert P. Petersen (eds). The Gay Past: A Collection of Historical Essays. Harrington Park Press, New York. ISBN 0-918393-11-6 (Also published as Journal of Homosexuality, Vol. 6, numbers 1/2, Fall/Winter 1980.) Dekker, Rudolf M. and van de Pol, Lotte C. 1989. The Tradition of Female Transvestism in Early Modern Europe. Macmillan, London. ISBN 0-333-41253-2 Derry, Caroline. 2020. Lesbianism and the Criminal Law: Three Centuries of Legal Regulation in England and Wales. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-3-030-35299-8 Duggan, Lisa. 1993. “The Trials of Alice Mitchell: Sensationalism, Sexology and the Lesbian Subject in Turn-of-the-Century America” in Queer Studies: An Interdisciplinary Reader, ed. Robert J. Corber and Stephen Valocchi. Oxford: Blackwell. pp.73-87 Eriksson, Brigitte. 1985. “A Lesbian Execution in Germany, 1721: The Trial Records” in Licata, Salvatore J. & Robert P. Petersen (eds). The Gay Past: A Collection of Historical Essays. Harrington Park Press, New York. ISBN 0-918393-11-6 (Also published as Journal of Homosexuality, Vol. 6, numbers 1/2, Fall/Winter 1980.) Fernandez, André. 1997. “The Repression of Sexual Behavior by the Aragonese Inquisition between 1560 and 1700” in Journal of the History of Sexuality 7:4 pp.469-501 Friedli, Lynne. 1987. “Passing Women: A Study of Gender Boundaries in the Eighteenth Century” in Rousseau, G. S. and Roy Porter (eds). Sexual Underworlds of the Enlightenment. Manchester University Press, Manchester. ISBN 0-8078-1782-1 Hindmarch-Watson, Katie. 2008. "Lois Schwich, the Female Errand Boy: Narratives of Female Cross-Dressing in Late-Victorian London" in GLQ 14:1, 69-98. History Project, The. 1998. Improper Bostonians. Beacon Press, Boston. ISBN 0-8070-7948-0 Holler, Jacqueline. 1999. “'More Sins than the Queen of England': Marina de San Miguel before the Mexican Inquisition” in Women in the Inquisition: Spain and the New World, ed. Mary E. Giles. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. ISBN 0-8018-5931-X pp.209-28 Hubbard, Thomas K. 2003. Homosexuality in Greece and Rome: A Sourcebook of Basic Documents. University of California Press, Berkeley. ISBN 978-0-520-23430-7 Hutchison, Emily & Sara McDougall. 2022. “Pardonable Sodomy: Uncovering Laurence's Sin and Recovering the Range of the Possible” in Medieval People, vol. 37, pp. 115-146. Karras, Ruth Mazo. 2005. Sexuality in Medieval Europe: Doing Unto Others. Routledge, New York. ISBN 978-0-415-28963-4 Lansing, Carol. 2005. “Donna con Donna? A 1295 Inquest into Female Sodomy” in Studies in Medieval and Renaissance History: Sexuality and Culture in Medieval and Renaissance Europe, Third Series vol. II: 109-122. Lucas, R. Valerie. 1988. “'Hic Mulier': The Female Transvestite in Early Modern England” in Renaissance and Reformation 12:1 pp.65-84 Merrick, Jeffrey & Bryant T. Ragan, Jr. 2001. Homosexuality in Early Modern France: A Documentary Collection. Oxford University Press, New York. ISBN 0-19-510257-6 Michelsen, Jakob. 1996. “Von Kaufleuten, Waisenknaben und Frauen in Männerkleidern: Sodomie im Hamburg des 18. Jahrhunderts” in Zeitschrift für Sexualforschung 9: 226-27. Monter, E. William. 1985. “Sodomy and Heresy in Early Modern Switzerland” in Licata, Salvatore J. & Robert P. Petersen (eds). The Gay Past: A Collection of Historical Essays. Harrington Park Press, New York. ISBN 0-918393-11-6 (Also published as Journal of Homosexuality, Vol. 6, numbers 1/2, Fall/Winter 1980.) Murray, Jacqueline. 1996. "Twice marginal and twice invisible: Lesbians in the Middle Ages" in Handbook of Medieval Sexuality, ed. Vern L. Bullough and James A. Brundage, Garland Publishing, pp. 191-222 Puff, Helmut. 1997. “Localizing Sodomy: The ‘Priest and sodomite' in Pre-Reformation Germany and Switzerland” in Journal of the History of Sexuality 8:2 165-195 Puff, Helmut. 2000. "Female Sodomy: The Trial of Katherina Hetzeldorfer (1477)" in Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies: 30:1, 41-61. Robinson, David Michael. 2001. “The Abominable Madame de Murat'” in Merrick, Jeffrey & Michael Sibalis, eds. Homosexuality in French History and Culture. Harrington Park Press, New York. ISBN 1-56023-263-3 Roelens, Jonas. 2015. “Visible Women: Female Sodomy in the Late Medieval and Early Modern Southern Netherlands (1400-1550)” in BMGN - Low Countries Historical Review vol. 130 no. 3. Sears, Clare. 2015. Arresting Dress: Cross-Dressing, Law, and Fascination in Nineteenth-Century San Francisco. Durham: Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-5758-2 Traub, Valerie. 2002. The Renaissance of Lesbianism in Early Modern England. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN 0-521-44885-9 Van der Meer, Theo. 1991. “Tribades on Trial: Female Same-Sex Offenders in Late Eighteenth-Century Amsterdam” in Journal of the History of Sexuality 1:3 424-445. Velasco, Sherry. 2000. The Lieutenant Nun: Transgenderism, Lesbian Desire and Catalina de Erauso. University of Texas Press. ISBN 0-292-78746-4 Velasco, Sherry. 2011. Lesbians in Early Modern Spain. Vanderbilt University Press, Nashville. ISBN 978-0-8265-1750-0 Vermeil. 1765. Mémoire pour Anne Grandjean. Louis Cellot, Paris. Vicinus, Martha. 2004. Intimate Friends: Women Who Loved Women, 1778-1928. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. ISBN 0-226-85564-3 A transcript of this podcast is available here. Links to the Lesbian Historic Motif Project Online Website: http://alpennia.com/lhmp Blog: http://alpennia.com/blog RSS: http://alpennia.com/blog/feed/ Twitter: @LesbianMotif Discord: Contact Heather for an invitation to the Alpennia/LHMP Discord server The Lesbian Historic Motif Project Patreon Links to Heather Online Website: http://alpennia.com Email: Heather Rose Jones Mastodon: @heatherrosejones@Wandering.Shop Bluesky: @heatherrosejones Facebook: Heather Rose Jones (author page)

Charlas y homilías que el P.Santiago Martin FM, fundador de los Franciscanos de María, realiza durante las distintas etapas de la 'Peregrinación a Roma y los Santuarios Eucarísticos', en la que se visitan algunos de los Santuarios Eucarísticos de Italia, finalizando en Roma con el paso por la Puerta Santa en el año del Jubileo. Los videos se encuentran en www.magnificat.tv Otros canales de comunicación de Magnificat TV de los Franciscanos de María: Podcast: bit.ly/AudiosMagnificatTV Youtube: bit.ly/YouTubeMagnificatTV Twitter: twitter.com/MagnificatTV Facebook:www.facebook.com/Magnificattv

On this episode, Tony Brueski digs into the chilling history of Mission San Miguel Arcángel, exploring the tragic events that have led many to believe the spirits of Native Americans and Spanish settlers haunt the mission. Through interviews with historians and paranormal investigators, Tony examines the evidence and theories surrounding the reported hauntings, seeking to uncover the truth behind the legends.  Join us as we delve into the mission's past, from its founding and role in California's mission system to the infamous Reed family murders and the enduring tales of restless spirits. Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, this episode offers a comprehensive look at one of California's most intriguing historical sites. 

It's never too early to plan for your next adventure! In this episode, the Travel Mom Squad team looks ahead to 2025, sharing the trips we've already booked, the credit cards we're eyeing, and our goals for the year. From Bora Bora to Spain, and everything in between, we're setting the stage for another year of nearly free travel—powered by points and miles! The Cards We're Excited About for 2025 Jess kicks things off with a breakdown of the credit cards she's targeting, starting with the Capital One Spark Cash Plus and a high-value 80,000-mile Alaska Airlines personal card offer. Pam and Alex are also planning to go for the Capital One Spark Cash Plus, while Alex shares how she's strategizing with Citi AAdvantage business cards to maximize welcome offers. The key takeaway? Timing matters when it comes to opening new cards and meeting bonus requirements. Trips We've Already Booked Between the three of us, we've got a packed itinerary for 2025! Highlights include: Jess: Birthday celebrations in San Miguel de Allende, spring break in Japan, and summer escapes to Iceland and Ireland. Alex: A Costa Rica adventure with her family, a Maui getaway, and a bucket-list trip to Bora Bora with her husband. Pam: A whirlwind journey through India, Nepal, and Bhutan, along with visits to Spain, Maui, and Bora Bora. We talk about how planning trips far in advance ensures award availability and allows us to secure premium travel experiences. Points and Miles Strategies for the Year Ahead One thing is clear: flexibility is crucial for success in the points and miles world. Alex shares how she's keeping her plans open for potential limited-time offers, while Jess talks about balancing her earn-and-burn strategy to maximize the value of her points. Pam reflects on how having a solid points balance gives her the freedom to take spontaneous trips or splurge on luxury experiences. Make 2025 Your Best Travel Year Yet! If you're ready to make 2025 the year of nearly free travel, tune in to this episode for inspiration and actionable tips. We also share a free masterclass on how to get your next vacation for nearly free, so be sure to check the show notes for the link. Let's make this your best travel year yet!   Links: Links For All Things Travel Mom Squad: stan.store/travelmomsquad How to Get Your Next Vacation for Nearly Free: https://travelmomsquad.lpages.co/freevacation How I Got Approved for the Capital One Spark Cash Plus: https://travelmomsquad.com/how-i-got-approved-for-the-capital-one-spark-cash-plus/   Episode Minute By Minute: 00:30 – Introduction: Looking ahead to 2025 01:00 – The credit cards we're eyeing for 2025 11:00 – Our travel plans: Highlights from our booked trips 28:00 – Points strategies and staying flexible 31:00 – Points and miles goals for the year ahead 33:00 – How to make 2025 your best travel year yet

On this episode, Tony Brueski digs into the chilling history of Mission San Miguel Arcángel, exploring the tragic events that have led many to believe the spirits of Native Americans and Spanish settlers haunt the mission. Through interviews with historians and paranormal investigators, Tony examines the evidence and theories surrounding the reported hauntings, seeking to uncover the truth behind the legends.  Join us as we delve into the mission's past, from its founding and role in California's mission system to the infamous Reed family murders and the enduring tales of restless spirits. Whether you're a skeptic or a believer, this episode offers a comprehensive look at one of California's most intriguing historical sites. 

Last time we spoke about the third arakan campaign. In December, General Bruce's forces advanced through Leyte, securing Ormoc and preparing for a decisive push toward Valencia.. The 305th and 306th Regiments steadily overcame enemy positions, while the 307th secured the airstrip. As Japanese forces began to retreat, the 12th Cavalry captured Kananga, opening Highway 2. Meanwhile, in Burma, General Slim devised Operation Extended Capital, aiming to outmaneuver the Japanese and cut off their supply lines, setting the stage for a crucial battle. As Admiral Mountbatten pivoted from Operation Dracula to launch Operation Romulus in Arakan, General Christison devised a three-pronged assault on Akyab. Facing fierce Japanese resistance, Private Kweku Pong displayed extraordinary bravery amidst chaos, earning recognition for his valor. Meanwhile, the 28th Army struggled to defend its positions, ultimately retreating under pressure. Amidst strategic deceptions, the Allies advanced through challenging terrain, culminating in significant victories that shifted the tide in Burma, showcasing courage and tactical ingenuity in the face of adversity. This episode is the Victory at Leyte  Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  As we last left off, General Krueger's forces had effectively secured the Ormoc Valley, prompting many Japanese units to begin a challenging retreat toward Palompon. From that point, the best General Suzuki's troops could manage was to hold their positions for as long as possible. The Japanese had pockmarked Matagob and the area surrounding it with foxholes and emplacements and had dug spider holes under the houses. South of Matagob, where the road climbed into the hills, the enemy had utilized natural caves, gullies, and ridges on both sides of the road and dug many deep defensive positions. Some of these were eight feet deep, two feet in diameter at the top, and widened to six feet at the bottom. The Japanese had emplaced machine guns in culverts and had constructed several well-camouflaged coconut log pillboxes on the forward slopes of the ridges. An excellent, almost invisible installation, which served as an observation post, was dug in on the forward slope of a ridge about three miles north of San Miguel. It had a concealed entrance on the reverse slope. From this post eight miles of the road to the north and east could be observed.  Meanwhile, eager to deliver a decisive blow, Krueger organized his forces for a four-division assault along a wide front toward the west coast. General Bruce's 77th Division was tasked with advancing west along the Palompon road, while the three divisions of General Sibert's 10th Corps embarked on a difficult trek across the mountains to reach the northwest coast. The northwestern mountains of Leyte west of Ormoc Bay provided a difficult barrier to any movement toward the northwest coast. The area was the last one available to the Japanese either for escaping from Leyte or for staging defensive actions. In general, the terrain was rough, increasing in altitude from broken ground and low hills in the north to steep rocky ridges and high hills in the south. The northern part was either under cultivation or covered with cogon grass. Toward the south, the cultivated fields and grasslands were gradually supplanted by dense forests. Palompon had been extensively used by the Japanese as an auxiliary port of entry to Leyte. The town was the western terminus of the road that ran north and eastward across the northwestern hills to join Highway 2 near Libongao. It was this road junction that the 10th and 24th Corps had seized. The Palompon road, as it was called, followed the lower slopes of the hills until the flat interior valley floor was reached. The confining hills were steep-sided with many knife-edged crests. Such was the area into which the forces of the 6th Army had driven remnants of the Japanese 35th Army. To facilitate the capture of Palompon, Bruce planned to land the 1st Battalion, 305th Regiment near the port, while the other two battalions advanced westward on the Palompon road. To support this operation, Admiral Kinkaid would provide amphibious vehicles, LCMs, and a PT escort. However, while preparations for the amphibious assault were underway, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 305th Regiment departed from Valencia on December 22, quickly crossing the Togbong and Pagsangahan Rivers without encountering any opposition, and eventually halting just beyond the Humaybunay barrio.  The 302nd Engineer Battalion, which followed behind the assault battalions, fought the "battle of bridges." The engineers worked around the clock, frequently without any infantry protection, to restore the bridges as soon as possible. The bridges were to be sufficiently strengthened initially to support 2.5-ton truck traffic for infantry supply, then they were to be reinforced to carry 20 tons in order to bring M8's forward, and eventually to 36-ton capacity to carry the M10's. General Bruce had hoped that sufficient Bailey bridges could be made available for important crossings to carry traffic while engineers built wooden bridges under the Bailey bridges. Only a limited number of Bailey bridges were furnished, however, and engineer progress to the west was slowed down. At the same time, patrols from the 128th Regiment successfully eliminated the last enemy strongholds in the Limon area, while the 127th Regiment advanced to Lonoy, where the 1st Cavalry Division was gearing up for its westward push. Finally, the 24th Division, now under Major General Roscoe Woodruff, dispatched the 34th Regiment to launch an attack toward Tuktuk. On December 23, as aircraft bombed Palompon, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 305th Regiment resumed their advance. The Americans steadily progressed along the road, successfully forcing the Takahashi Detachment to retreat to the mountains northwest of Matag-ob, where they had to fend off a series of strong night counterattacks. That same morning, the assault units of the 1st Cavalry Division moved out from the highway, facing no resistance as they advanced west through the mountains. This initial day of marching established the pattern for the following days, with the cavalry regiments continuing to push forward through challenging terrain, encountering only sporadic resistance. Additionally, from December 23 to 26, the 34th Regiment conducted extensive patrols along the west coast of the Leyte peninsula. Meanwhile, the advance echelon of the 1st Division successfully linked up with the 68th Brigade, reaching the Bagacay sector the next day. However, the main body of the division had to carve its way through dense jungle on its way to Bagacay. The 102nd Division was also advancing toward the area south of Matag-ob, but after failing to make contact with the 35th Army or the Takahashi Detachment, its units began to retreat to Villaba in the following days. On December 24, while the 1st Battalion was boarding at Ormoc, the remainder of the 305th Regiment launched another offensive. At 1000 on 24 December the assault troops jumped off. The Japanese resistance was light and intermittent, but American progress was slow because of the rough, irregular hills in which the enemy had established positions in foxholes, spider holes, and caves. Since it was not possible to bypass these positions, the regiment had to clear each one before the advance could continue. The force received some artillery fire but a mortar platoon from Company A, 88th Chemical Weapons Battalion, silenced the enemy guns. At 1500 the battalions set up their night perimeter 500 yards short of the road bend. During the night a Japanese force of twenty men, which tried to penetrate the defenses of the 3d Battalion, was killed. Both the 127th and 128th Infantry Regiments sent out patrols on December 23 to reconnoiter the terrain. At 08:00 on December 24 the two regiments started for the west coast. Throughout the march to the sea, they encountered only small parties of the enemy, who put up no effective resistance, but heavy rains, dense, almost impassable forests, and steep craggy hills slowed the advance. The commanding officer of the 127th Infantry said of the hills encountered on December 24: “The morning was spent in climbing to the top of a mountain ridge. The climbing was difficult but as we later found out, the descent was much worse. The trail led almost perpendicular down the side. After reaching the bottom, another ridge was encountered, this almost straight up, everyone had to use hand holds to pull themselves up. All in all there were seven ridges from the bottom of the first descent to the first possible bivouac area.” The hills were less rugged from then on. Throughout the march both regiments also received supplies by airdrop, which was not completely satisfactory since none of the drops was made at the requested time and frequently there was a wide scattering of supplies. On December 25, the 1st Battalion of the former unexpectedly came across the remnants of the 1st and 57th Regiments. The Japanese forces suffered significant casualties and were compelled to disperse, but they eventually managed to reach Bacacay later that night. Meanwhile, the 305th Regiment made slow progress along the Palompon road against a well-entrenched enemy. However, the crucial development was that its 1st Battalion successfully landed at Buaya without facing any opposition.  A light fast armored column moved north to clear the road and to forestall any Japanese counterattack from that direction as the rest of the task force went rapidly south through the barrio of Look to Palompon, which fell at 1206. This closed the last main port of entrance on the island to the Japanese. Within four hours after hitting the beaches the battalion had secured the barrios of Buaya and Look as well as Palompon, and had strong patrols operating to the northeast and south. The troops met no opposition at any point. It was doubtless with great satisfaction that General Bruce sent the following message to the Commanding General, 14th Corps: "The 77th Infantry Division's Christmas contribution to the Leyte Campaign is the capture of Palompon, the last main port of the enemy. We are all grateful to the Almighty on this birthday of the Son and on the Season of the Feast of Lights." The 1st Battalion occupied a defensive position in the vicinity of Look on 25 December, and rested on 26 December, which was Christmas Day back home. It spent the next five days sending out patrols and awaiting the arrival through the mountains of the rest of the 305th Infantry. Once again, Suzuki's plans were thoroughly disrupted. Palompon was to have been used as the rear center of the line of communications and the army headquarters was to have been established at Kompisao, but the seizure of Palompon on 25 December by the 77th Division forced Suzuki to change the location of his army headquarters. He then selected as a base of operations an area in the vicinity of Ginabuyan that overlooked Silad Bay and was about three kilometers north of Villaba. The new area was a plateau with an elevation of about 1,200 feet, heavily forested and having rocky eastern and western slopes that made it "a natural fortress." From it one could command a view of Ormoc Valley to the east and the Camotes Sea and Cebu to the west. There were a few Filipino huts, and cultivated fields and coconut groves, interspersed with salt beds, lay along the beach. The area "was admirably suited for an extended period of defensive action." General Suzuki ordered the units of the 35th Army that were retreating westward to repair to the vicinity of the new base of operations.  He sent orders for his retreating units to gather there instead of in Palompon. Although Suzuki anticipated being able to support 15,000 men in this self-sufficient area, an assessment of the available resources revealed that they would only last for two weeks. Consequently, the Japanese began preparations for Operation Chi-Go, which involved the amphibious movement of several units, including the 35th Army headquarters and the majority of the 1st Division, to other islands in the Visayas. At the same time, on December 26, the 34th Regiment received orders to capture San Isidro. The next day, its 1st Battalion left Calubian and moved to the high ground overlooking the port, while Companies F and G conducted amphibious landings at Gigantangan Island and Taglawigan before securing Daha. The reinforced Company G then re-embarked on the landing craft and proceeded toward the San Isidro Bay area, where they encountered heavier resistance than anticipated and were ultimately forced to retreat. At the same time that the 2nd Battalion, 305th Regiment was being withdrawn for an overwater movement to Palompon, the 3rd Battalion continued its advance along the road, successfully covering over 1,000 yards by December 28. That day the foremost elements of the 5th and 12th Cavalry Regiments broke out of the mountains and reached the barrio of Tibur on the west coast, about 2,800 yards north of Abijao. By nightfall on the following day, the 7th Cavalry was also on the west coast but farther north. In its advance it had encountered and destroyed many small, scattered groups of the enemy, most of whom showed little desire to fight. The regiment arrived at Villaba, two and one-half miles north of Tibur, at dusk, and in securing the town killed thirty-five Japanese. Additionally, the 34th Regiment launched a coordinated assault on San Isidro, successfully overcoming all enemy resistance and capturing the port. In the following days, the troops moved south along the coast, eliminating small, poorly equipped Japanese units. Looking south on December 29, the 128th Regiment reached the high ground overlooking Tabango and Campopo Bays, while the 127th Regiment secured the high ground overlooking Antipole Point, completing the advance of the 32nd Division. Further south, the 3rd Battalion, 305th Regiment continued its push along the Palompon road despite strong resistance, while Company B secured the barrio of San Miguel. At 0930 on 30 December the 305th Infantry struck along the Palompon road, the 3d Battalion driving west, and the Provisional Mountain Force attacking east. The Mountain Force encountered only scattered resistance until 0930, when the Japanese, from well-entrenched positions in the precipitous sides of the road at a point about four miles east of Palompon, directed strong machine gun fire along the road. The Mountain Force dug in for the night on high ground overlooking the point at which its advance had been halted. The 3d Battalion succeeded in overcoming the opposition which had halted it the previous day, and pushed forward to a point about 1,000 yards southwest of Tipolo. The Japanese had emplaced artillery on curves in the road and could fire directly on the advancing American troops. Although the 305th Infantry lost one tank to enemy artillery fire, it was able to destroy three 75-mm. guns and capture two others intact. Meanwhile, Company C conducted a reconnaissance in force and executed an amphibious landing at Abijao, advancing 1,300 yards north to establish contact with elements of the 1st Cavalry Division near Villaba. By this time, most of the Japanese forces had successfully regrouped in the Villaba-Mount Canguipot area. Consequently, on December 31, Suzuki launched four strong counterattacks against the forces at Villaba; however, enemy artillery disrupted most of these assaults before elements of the 77th Division arrived to relieve the cavalrymen. With the westward advance to the coast complete, General Eichelberger's 8th Army officially took command of all units on Leyte Island, following MacArthur's announcement that organized resistance had ceased. As a result, on January 1, the 77th Division was instructed to relieve the 32nd and 24th Divisions, while the divisions of the 10th Corps moved to staging areas in preparation for upcoming operations. The 8th Army also assumed control of operations on Samar Island, which had similarly been secured against enemy forces. Units from the 1st Cavalry Division had pushed through heavy resistance to reach the strategic Taft-Wright Highway that runs through central Samar. On December 8, the cavalry successfully captured Wright, the western end of the highway, and then moved east to connect with friendly guerrilla forces advancing from Taft on the opposite coast, thereby securing control of the highway. Meanwhile, following the successful invasion of Mindoro, American forces continued their efforts on Hill Drome and Ellmore Field, with General Dunckel's troops conducting extensive patrols to locate enemy stragglers while awaiting the arrival of the 21st Regiment. The only opposition faced came from the persistent assaults of the 4th Air Army and the 1st Combined Base Force. On December 21 and 22, the 1st Resupply Echelon was attacked by enemy aircraft. About twenty kamikazes attacked the convoy, so damaging two LST's that they later had to be abandoned, and inflicting lesser damage on two destroyers and a Liberty ship. The 3d Battalion, 21st Infantry, en route to Mindoro in this convoy lost 6 men killed and 32 wounded; U.S. Navy losses were about 70 men killed or wounded; the Japanese lost 7 planes in kamikaze attacks and 3 others to shipboard antiaircraft fire. Then, from December 28 to December 30, Task Unit 18.3.15 was also attacked by kamikazes. Meanwhile, Admiral Okawachi was getting Admiral Shima's 2nd Striking Force ready for a hit-and-run surface attack on enemy invasion ships near San Jose, known as Operation Rei-Go. However, a proposed counter-landing on Mindoro, which was supported by Marshal Terauchi, Admiral Fukudome, and General Tominaga, faced strong opposition from General Yamashita and his 14th Area Army. The Area Army staff adamantly maintained that it would be impossible to move any sizeable forces to Mindoro but agreed to dispatch a small raiding unit to hamper enemy development of airfields in the San Jose area. On or about 24 December, an order was issued to the 8th Division to organize a task unit for this mission as soon as possible. Ultimately, a reluctant compromise was reached, allowing a small raiding unit from the 8th Division to be sent to disrupt enemy airfield development in the San Jose region. The raiding detachment was a specially organized provisional unit which included a small number that originally belonged to the Gi-Go Airborne Raiding Unit. It assembled at Batangas and prepared to embark for Mindoro. While this unit was being organized, Shima's warships left Camranh Bay on December 24. However, as they approached Mindoro on December 26, a lone PBY reconnaissance plane spotted them. In response, 105 aircraft were sent to conduct low-level attacks on the Japanese force.  At 19:40 the first wave of planes found the vessels just offshore. Before the wild engagement was over, the full wing strength had attacked every ship at least once. "When I saw a solid sheet of flame," reported one pilot in describing the AA, "I knew I was over the vessel." While wheeling away from the target, each pilot flashed on his running lights to avoid collision. Some planes landing in the Mindoro blackout for rearming, made as many as three strikes against the enemy vessels. Although PT boats, lurking close to shore, fired torpedoes at the silhouetted Japanese targets, only the destroyer Kiyoshimo went down, and the fleet persisted toward the beachhead, where at 22:40 it fired star shells which began an ineffective 40-minute bombardment. Only one Liberty ship, which had not sought refuge behind Ilin Island as directed, was sunk. Naval gunfire and simultaneous Japanese air attacks caused little damage at Hill, but made it difficult for the airmen aloft to land. With gasoline running short, most of the pilots made as many attacks as possible and then headed through the night and bad weather for Leyte, a flight more dangerous than the Japanese AA had been. When a full count was made, losses during the engagement totaled 26 aircraft. For the force engaged this was a heavy loss, but it was not in vain, for several Japanese survivors attributed the amazingly poor bombardment by their fleet to the aerial clawing which had demolished main batteries and killed a majority of the gun crews. Dunckel thought that without a doubt the airmen had saved the beachhead from serious losses: "The action of our Air Units on that night," he wrote, "will stand forever… as one of the most gallant deeds to be established in the traditions of American fighting men." On 26 December 1944, then with the San Jose bombardment force, Kiyoshimo was crippled by two direct bomb hits in attacks by U.S. Army bombers during the approach to Mindoro, Philippines. The ship was then finished off by a torpedo from U.S. PT-223, 145 miles south of Manila ; 82 were killed and 74 injured. The destroyer Asashimo rescued 169 survivors, including ComDesDiv 2, Captain Shiraishi Nagayoshi, and Lieutenant Commander Kajimoto; U.S. PT boats rescued five others.Despite this, Shima pressed on toward his target, entering the anchorage area at 23:00 to commence bombardment of San Jose. After approximately forty minutes of shelling, during which one auxiliary vessel and a PT boat were sunk, the Japanese ships withdrew northwest at high speed, still under fire from enemy planes. Although Shima's force ultimately managed to escape, the air attacks resulted in the sinking of the Kiyoshimo and damage to the Ashigara, the light cruiser Oyodo, and three destroyers, with a loss of 26 aircraft. The bombardment prevented landings at the Mindoro strips and many pilots, finding their planes running low on fuel, headed through the darkness and heavy weather toward Leyte fields only to crash on the way. Following this unsuccessful operation, on December 31, the raiding unit from the 8th Division finally crossed the Verde Island Passage by landing craft to reach Calapan in northeastern Mindoro, and then proceeded to Pinamalayan, arriving there on January 5. We must now depart from the Philippines and proceed to Bougainville to report on the preparations for a new Australian offensive.  Previously, we observed that General Savige's 2nd Corps had successfully relieved the American troops stationed at the Cape Torokina perimeter.  The Australians had now reached the conclusion that the Japanese had disbanded depleted units to reinforce others and were maintaining a well- disciplined and efficient force. They decided that, at the end of November, the force included the 38th Independent Mixed Brigade, built round the 81st Regiment, and the 6th Division with three depleted infantry regiments -13th, 23rd and 45th. Of these the 38th Brigade was believed to be chiefly concentrated at Numa Numa, with part of the 81st Regiment forward on the trail; most of the 13th Regiment was believed to be round the Jaba River-Gazelle Harbour area, with the 23rd farther south, and the 45th round Kieta on the east coast. The Allied Intelligence estimates of the whereabouts of the main Japanese forma- tions on Bougainville proved accurate. The main shortcoming was that the strength of the naval troops was underestimated. At the time of the arrival of the Aus- tralians there were about 11,000 naval men, including 3,500 civilian workers, on the island; the 87th Garrison Force, about 4,000 strong, was in the Buka area, and in the south were two strong forces of marines: the 6th Sasebo Special Naval Landing Force (about 2,000) and the 7th Kure Special Naval Landing Force (about 1,500). Indeed the naval forces were about as strong in fighting men as the 6th Division. The successful attack on Little George by the 9th Battalion on 29th November, six weeks before it was expected, surprised the enemy commanders and convinced them that the Australians were determined to open an offensive. Reinforcements numbering 450 were hurried into the central area (there were 2,000 troops deployed in or forward of Numa Numa) and Colonel Kaneko Atsushi of the 81st Regiment took command. A further 1,000 troops were sent from Kieta and the north to Numa Numa. Hyakutake was convinced that the attack on the Numa Numa trail would be accompanied by a landing at its eastern end with the object of severing his force. The quantity of artillery used in the attack on Little George and later Arty Hill convinced the Japanese that a determined thrust was being made. Arty Hill was defended by men of the 5th and 11th Companies of the 81st Regiment. Meanwhile the 13th Regiment was attacked on the Jaba River. Lieut-General Kanda of the 6th Division did not propose to contest the south bank of the river, considering that the crossing was merely a feint and the principal offensive would be made by sea; the main body of the defending force-1,500 men-was retained in the Mosigetta area. By January Kanda estimated that one Australian division, its name yet unknown, was south of the Jaba, with 25 guns. From 23rd to 26th November the 9th Battalion, with the 12th Field Battery and other detachments under command, took over this sector. The 9th Battalion's first task was actively to reconnoitre the Sisivie area with a view to attacking it later; and to secure ground from which such an attack could be launched. It had been believed that the main supply route from Numa Numa passed through Sisivie, but captured docu- ments and interrogation of prisoners revealed that Sisivie was merely an outpost and that the Piaterapaia area was the terminus of the enemy's line of communication; consequently the battalion's efforts were con- centrated in that direction. At 1.50 p.m. on the 24th one rifle shot was fired from Little George into the battalion's area the first shot in the Australian operations on Bougainville. On the 25th a small patrol moved stealthily to the rear of Little George and was fired on, two men being wounded. On the morning of the 29th the battery in the Doiabi Valley fired high-explosive and smoke shells on to Arty Hill, mortars fired smoke bombs on to Little George, and into the smoke a single platoon attacked. At the run the men reached the top of Little George before the Japanese emerged from shelter, opened fire with machine-guns and threw grenades. The attackers did not falter but worked their way forward in pairs, one man firing on a post while the other moved close and threw in grenades. Lieutenant Deacon, the commander, was 3 wounded but carried on. In about half an hour the position was gained. Two Australians had been killed and six wounded, of whom three remained on duty. Twenty Japanese dead lay on the hill, in- cluding a lieutenant and a sergeant. The expected enemy counter-attack was made in the evening by about 40 Japanese. It was a frontal thrust and gained no ground. Until dawn the enemy tried in vain to infiltrate. While these operations were in progress on the Numa Numa trail, the 2/8th Commando, next on the right, had taken over responsibility for the tangled mountain area rising to an altitude of 4,000 feet south and south-east of Mount Bagana, and known as the Hanemo sector. When the commando squadron took over from a company of the 164th American Regiment there had been no contact with the enemy for several weeks, and it was believed that only a handful of Japanese were in the neighbourhood. For five weeks from 24th November, when the relief was completed, a commando troop patrolled but met Japanese only twice, killing two and capturing another. By 27th December, when the 61st Battalion relieved the troop, it was considered that the area was clear and the flank of a force advancing down the coast would be safe. Additionally, Brigadier Raymond Monaghan's 29th Brigade was deployed to the southwestern edge of the perimeter, and a company from New Guinea was assigned to scout the Jaba River area. On December 3, Matthews sent a platoon to Sisivie, but the defenders were able to pin down the Australians with intense fire. After successfully repelling a strong enemy counterattack, the 9th Battalion advanced on Bawabu Ridge toward Pearl Ridge, with Matthews' C Company ordered to capture Arty Hill on December 18.  Matthews planned an attack on Arty Hill by a full company. At 7 a.m. on 18th December Major Blanch's C Company formed up on the sheltered side of George and Little George, on top of which men of a supporting company were walk- ing about nonchalantly to mislead the enemy into thinking that it was to be another uneventful day. Twelve New Zealand Corsairs at- tacked the Japanese positions; the battery of the 4th Field Regiment opened fire from its positions in the Laruma River Valley; medium machine-guns fired from Mount Deacon and Bawabu Ridge that is, from each flank-on to the reverse slope of Arty Hill at ranges up to 1,000 yards. After thirteen minutes of bombardment, the attackers advanced through the smoke along the razor-back ridge which was the only means of approach to the bare hill. Months of intermittent shelling had destroyed the bush and so loosened the soil on the steep slopes that the men had difficulty in scrambling up them. By 8.10 the leading troops were near the crest of Banyan Knoll and were meeting sharp small arms fire from Japanese in covered weapon-pits. Grenades were hurled down on them. They pressed on. Sergeant Allan, commanding the right platoon, led the way to the top of Banyan Knoll, shot a Japanese machine-gunner and himself fell dead. His men carried on up the slopes of Arty Hill. As at Little George, the attackers worked in pairs, one man covering an enemy post with fire while the other attacked from a flank with grenades. After more than an hour of close fighting the position was won and the defenders were digging in and setting up wire in preparation for the probable counter-attack. There was none: a prisoner said that there were not enough men left to attack. Five Australians were killed and 12 wounded of whom 4 remained on duty. Twenty-five Japanese dead were counted, 2 Japanese were taken prisoner, and from 10 to 20 recently-buried bodies were found. Two days later, Lieutenant-Colonel John McKinna's 25th Battalion began to relieve the exhausted 9th Battalion and was immediately tasked with taking Pearl Ridge, although its initial probing attacks were met with fierce resistance from the determined defenders. Meanwhile, Monaghan had deployed Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert McDonald's 15th Battalion to the Jaba River area, where they effectively cleared out enemy outposts. By the fourth week of December, the unofficial ceasefire on Bougainville had collapsed. Intense fighting erupted in two of the three main sectors, resulting in the deaths of over 100 Japanese soldiers, with their forward positions in each area being captured. The Australians were also bringing in additional reinforcements to sustain their offensive. According to Savige's strategy, Brigadier John Field's 7th Brigade was to be replaced by elements of Brigadier John Stevenson's 11th Brigade in the central sector, with orders to move south and join the rest of Major-General William Bridgeford's 3rd Division for an assault toward the Puriata River. Additionally, a strong contingent from the 11th Brigade was set to advance along the northwest coast of the island toward Soraken Harbour, aiming to push the northern enemy forces into the confined Bonis Peninsula. However, before these plans could be executed, McKinna was intent on capturing Pearl Ridge and aimed to launch one final attack with all his companies by the end of the month. Unbeknownst to the Australians, the few defenders in the area had recently received reinforcements in the form of a battalion under the direct command of Major-General Kijima Kesao, which significantly strengthened the ridge. Nevertheless, on the morning of December 30, aircraft bombarded the Japanese positions for about 40 minutes. At 08:00, the infantry advanced under the cover of artillery and machine-gun fire, with A Company facing heavy resistance just in front of Pear Hill that they could not overcome. Due to this setback on the right flank, McKinna ordered D Company to undertake a challenging climb along Pear Hill instead of the narrow spur where the attack had failed. Meanwhile, C Company made slow progress through dense brush but eventually managed to cut the enemy's track to the west. After repelling several enemy counterattacks during the night, the four companies renewed their assault on December 31. Although the march over Arty Hill and through thick underbrush was physically demanding, D Company managed to approach Pear Hill undetected. With A Company drawing enemy fire, D Company launched a powerful attack following an artillery bombardment that successfully pushed back the Japanese defenders. Meanwhile, B Company captured Baker's Brow to the west, and C Company held its position along the western track. However, by nightfall, Kijima's troops began testing the defenses established by C Company. In the early morning, the Japanese launched a fierce counterattack from the south and southeast, managing to penetrate two forward Australian positions. After an hour of intense hand-to-hand combat, the assault was ultimately repelled with the help of artillery support, and Australian patrols later found that Pearl Ridge had been abandoned by the enemy. Throughout the morning and into the early afternoon, the Australians conducted mopping-up operations until the ridge was completely cleared. With control of Pearl Ridge secured, the Australians gained a strategic vantage point that allowed them to observe from one side of Bougainville to the other, aiding future operations. During the battle, the Australians suffered 10 killed and 25 wounded, while the Japanese lost 34 killed and 1 captured. Shortly after taking Pearl Ridge, the 11th Brigade assumed control of the central sector as per Savige's orders, while the rest of the 7th Brigade began moving south. In conclusion, Major-General Percy Clarkson's 33rd Division began its deployment to Morotai in late December, with Colonel Ray Cavenee's 136th Regiment landing on the island's west coast on December 22. Four days later, the regiment advanced into Japanese-controlled territory to engage Colonel Kisou's 211th Regiment, receiving support from elements of the 130th Regiment moving overland from the Doroeba Plain and the 3rd Battalion of the 137th Regiment marching from Morotai's southern coast into the interior. This coordinated effort aimed to prevent the Japanese from dispersing into smaller groups in the island's mountainous regions. On January 3, the 136th Regiment located and attacked the 211th Regiment at Hill 40, with the 1st and 2nd Battalions advancing from the southwest while the 3rd Battalion approached from the north. After two days of intense combat, the Americans successfully captured Hill 40, inflicting significant casualties on the enemy, and then began pursuing the retreating Japanese forces to the north. Two thousand yards to the north, the 3d Battalion was settling down for the night. Its march from Radja had started badly. From the beginning the battalion had been harried by the enemy. On the nights of December 26-27 and 27-28, its perimeter had been attacked viciously by an estimated enemy battalion. (The 3d Battalion of the Jap 211th Infantry. It had been detached from the 211th for a special mission to Radja to await and guide reinforcements from Halmahera. The five reinforcing barges were ambushed after slipping through the Navy PT screen, and were destroyed along with fifty tons of food and supplies.) The battalion had experienced the hardest march of its history. The jungle was more difficult than that encountered by the Pilowo column. Moreover, to join the Hill 40 battle it had to abandon trails for cross-country movements. Although the battalion had marched and fought its way forward for ten days it was still in fighting trim. The number of Japs killed and found buried along the trail indicated terrible losses for the Japs. The battalion commander, Major Ralph Pate, attributed the lack of enemy resistance during the past two days to the withdrawal of the enemy. Actually, as he learned later, the 3d Battalion, Jap 211th Infantry Regiment, had been destroyed as a military force. By January 14, when the 136th Regiment was finally withdrawn to the main perimeter, the Americans reported having killed 870 Japanese soldiers and captured 10, suffering 46 men killed and 127 wounded in the process. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. General Krueger's forces captured Palompon, disrupting Japanese plans, while American troops advanced through challenging terrain, overcoming resistance and securing key locations. Japanese forces planned a counter-landing on Mindoro, but faced fierce opposition. Meanwhile, Australians advanced on Bougainville, capturing strategic positions amid heavy fighting.

Ann Marie and her husband traveled throughout the world and dreamt of living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. They took a leap of faith and made their dreams come true. Having a service mindset, she co-founded a microlending organization, Mano Amiga, and was the former Vice President of Casita Linda, which builds homes for families living in extreme poverty in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Ann Marie shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: pay attention to the needs of the people stay humble and keep learning we get more than we give tell our story and share our truth volunteering can enhance purpose we have so much wisdom to give seize the moment tags: Ann Marie Jackson is co-founder of microlending organization Mano Amiga and former Vice President of Casita Linda, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,  

A judge named Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón meets a man from the land of Chicora who fills his head with tales of gold, pearls, domesticated deer and men with tails who only eat raw fish. De Ayllón brings the man to the King of Spain, and according to the historian Peter Martyr captivates the attention of the restless masses, 600 of whom will go with de Ayllón to the American South East. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/osoa/support