function createMarker(point, html, icon) {
		var marker = null;
	    var markeropts = new Object();

		markeropts.icon = icon;

		marker = new GMarker(point, markeropts);
        GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function () {marker.openInfoWindowHtml(html)});
		points[counter] = point; 		//global
		markers[counter] = marker;		//global
		markers_html[counter] = html;	//global
		counter++;						//global

		return marker;
	}

	function slideMap(index) {	
        map.panTo(points[index]);
    }

	function showInfoWindow(index) {	
        markers[index].openInfoWindowHtml(markers_html[index]);
    }