function makeMap(){

	if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) {
	  var sidebar_html = "";
	  var gmarkers = [];
	  var htmls = [];
	  var i = 0;
		
	  var blueIcon = new GIcon();
	  blueIcon.image = "images/map/act1marker.png";
	  blueIcon.iconSize = new GSize(50, 41);
	  blueIcon.shadow = "images/map/act1shadow.png";
	  blueIcon.shadowSize = new GSize(50, 41);
	  blueIcon.iconAnchor = new GPoint(5, 40);
	  blueIcon.infoWindowAnchor = new GPoint(27, 13);
	  blueIcon.transparent = "images/map/act1transparent.png";
	  blueIcon.printImage = "images/map/act1marker.gif";
	  blueIcon.mozPrintImage = "images/map/act1markerff.gif";
	
	
	  // An array of GIcons, to make the selection easier
	  var icons = [];
	  icons[0] = blueIcon;
	
	  // the icon information is passed to this function
	  function createMarker(point,name,html,icontype) {
		var marker = new GMarker(point,icons[icontype]);
		GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function() {
		  marker.openInfoWindowHtml(html);
		});
		// save the info we need to use later for the sidebar
		gmarkers[i] = marker;
		htmls[i] = html;
		// add a line to the sidebar html
		sidebar_html += '<a href="javascript:myclick(' + i + ')">' + name + '</a><br>';
		i++;
		return marker;
	  }
	
			function myclick(i) {
				gmarkers[i].openInfoWindowHtml(htmls[i]);
			}
	
			var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map"));
			map.addControl(new GSmallMapControl());
			map.setCenter(new GLatLng(37.308673,-121.963692),12);
	
	  // Read the data from custom.xml
		var request = GXmlHttp.create();
		request.open("GET", "markers.xml", true);
		request.onreadystatechange = function() {
			if (request.readyState == 4) {
				var xmlDoc = request.responseXML;
				// obtain the array of markers and loop through it
				var markers = xmlDoc.documentElement.getElementsByTagName("marker");
	  
				for (var i = 0; i < markers.length; i++) {
					// obtain the attribues of each marker
					var lat = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lat"));
					var lng = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lng"));
					var point = new GLatLng(lat,lng);
					var html = markers[i].getAttribute("html");
					var label = markers[i].getAttribute("label");
					var icontype = parseInt(markers[i].getAttribute("icontype"));
					// create the marker
					var marker = createMarker(point,label,html,icontype);
					map.addOverlay(marker);
				}
			}
	  }

  	request.send(null);
	
	} else {
		alert("Sorry, the Google Maps API is not compatible with this browser");
	}
}