tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42007394309664000552024-03-13T09:34:50.005-04:00Noland TravelsTravel BlogAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732757819924451127noreply@blogger.comBlogger289125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200739430966400055.post-75909742578018674422014-03-17T11:06:00.000-04:002014-03-17T11:06:00.265-04:00North Seymour Island - Last Stop<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So our Galapagos cruise comes to an end with one last stop on North Seymour island. It gave us a chance to say goodbye to a few of the bird species of the Galapagos including the blue-footed booby, who just happened to put on a show for us.<br />
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Being our last day, we were up early to catch the sun rise. Sitting on the sun deck, sipping our coffee, looking out over the nearby cliffs warm with the morning glow, we tried to take it all in and appreciate what we were seeing and experiencing.<br />
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The sky in front of us was filled with birds welcoming in the morning sunshine. Some soaring, others playfully swooping and diving together putting on a show that seemed to be just for us.<br />
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Then the uniqueness of the island chain set it. Seeing firsthand that two islands next to each other had similar species that evolved differently was out of this world and something you usually only read about.<br />
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In the sky, the main bird we watched was the Frigate bird. When you see Frigate birds flying they remind you of birds that may have flown in Jurassic Park - very stoic looking. Add in the red pouches and they are really a sight to see.<br />
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After breakfast we hopped on the dingy to make our way to a dry landing where we hit the shore to see what we could find.<br />
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It was a short trek around the island but it was one of the most intimate with regards to the closeness of the birds and their nests. Its hard to comprehend compared to normal animal sightings, but the lack of predation fear of the Galapagos creates such a unique viewing experience. You literally walk right next to the birds and their nests.<br />
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For instance, take this short video below which is a fairly routine Galapagos encounter. We were walking down a path next to a blue-footed booby and he decided he might try the mating dance on our friends.<br />
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So, with that last laugh - we finished our boat tour of the Galapagos Islands - truly a magical place! Enjoy the last set of photos.<br />
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In a few hours we'd be back on the mainland and on our way to experience Peru.<br />
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After Florena, we found ourselves back on Santa Cruz Island, but this time to visit the <a href="http://www.darwinfoundation.org/">Charles Darwin Research Station</a> where we could see the famous Galapagos Tortoise. Established in 1864, the station is a big support center for research and conservation of the Galapagos. It has teams of researchers, scientists and conservationists which help to look after and promote the well being of the islands.<br />
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We explored for about an hour seeing different species of all sizes from the tiny ones up to the giant tortoises along with a few of the different land iguanas species on other islands. Some of the tiny tortoises breeding areas were the most fascinating. They had special enclosures to keep them out of harms way from the predatory birds until they reached a certain size. They were so fun to watch. Scrambling around, falling off small inclines and general just being toddlers - causing trouble and exploring.<br />
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All in all, its worth a short visit.<br />
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Floreana Island was the first stop on our last full day in the Galapagos. The island has had a long history of humans and introduced species playing a negative role on the island. At one point, feral goats overran the island and killed off most of the native wildlife which has yet to recover. As a result there is currently a big conservation effort to try and bring back many of the species that are native to the island and in 2007 the goats were all finally removed. You can read more <a href="http://www.galapagos.org/about_galapagos/floreana/">about Floreana on Galapagos.org</a>.<br />
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For us, it started with a wet landing to a quaint beautiful brown sand beach and a lazy path that led to a flamingo lagoon. We were lucky enough to see 2 flamingos grabbing a morning snack from a distance, but that was about it. With the last few days of jam packed sights it was bound to slow down, but it was still not disappointing. Plenty of majestic views and smaller birds to keep us occupied.<br />
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We walked over to a quiet bay that looked like a good snorkel spot but unfortunately was full of small sting rays feeding in the break of the surf. In water of depth, swimming with rays is safe but in shallow mirky water that is risky business.<br />
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Before we knew it, we were back on board heading to Santa Cruz island to see the famous Charles Darwin Research Station - home to researchers, conservationists and the infamous giant land tortoises. Relaxing on the top of the boat with the sea breeze keeping us cool, we were followed by Frigate birds dotting the skies as we sailed away. They just hovered around the boat in the breeze. What a life.<br />
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Up Next: <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/03/a-visit-to-charles-darwin-research.html">A visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station</a><br />
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17063922271779671843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200739430966400055.post-84331805969066024642014-01-22T21:11:00.002-05:002014-02-23T16:09:20.920-05:00Beautiful and Colorful Española Island<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-65DeDUWIYoo/Ut24aFPp2qI/AAAAAAAAEhc/IUaoOL1g91s/s1600/Galapagos-7727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-65DeDUWIYoo/Ut24aFPp2qI/AAAAAAAAEhc/IUaoOL1g91s/s1600/Galapagos-7727.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a>The anticipation the night before Española Island was high. Why, you ask? Well, Española has a good selection of the creatures on the must-see list which makes it one of the most highly rated islands. <br />
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During our nightly briefing Efrain went over the list of sights and sounds. It was epic! The usual crew of Sea Lions would be on a beach, countless types of birds with a possible Galapagos Hawk sighting, a couple types of marine iguanas including the Red Marine Iguana that looks like a rugged explosion of Christmas colors, the much anticipated Blue-footed Boobies that as of last week were in mating season, staggering cliff views overlooking a blow hole that fires as each wave hits the shore, plus the icing on the cake being one of the prime spots in the world to see the spectacular Waved Albatross.<br />
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The morning couldn't come soon enough, so here we go!<br />
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Hitting the beach we instantly found plenty to see including some sea lions sunning themselves next to a tree full of marine iguanas doing the same but tails only, hiding under a tree. Nearby were countless other Red Marine Iguanas warming on the rocks including this poor guy below missing some of his tail, ouch.<br />
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A trail through the rocks and brush lead us to the other side of the island where we stumbled on some masked boobies, more iguanas and a set of flirting blue footed boobies! Witness, the courting ritual. A whirling and whooshing mating call with wings flared out and up to the sky. Then head bobbing up and down the wobble while switching back and forth standing on each foot. If the lady likes him she'll dance back at him and mimic his call. <br />
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After watching this for a few minutes we headed on down the path where we found outstanding views including the blow hole and cliffs that were home to hundreds of Marine Iguanas warming themselves in the sun. They were everywhere and you could even find some big clusters where they were all sprawled out laying on top of one of another.<br />
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The views, lighting, colors, cliffs, clouds, creatures were out of this world! The sea breeze coupled with a slight sea spray just added to the sights! But we weren't done yet...<br />
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Looking for the Albatross' soon took over as our path headed back inland and we came upon their lush breeding grounds. Stopping on a high path with good views of the Albatross, we sat and tried to take it all in.<br />
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The Albatross is a funny looking bird - kind of like that big-boned and awkward friend you have. They seem too big to have any grace whatsoever. But then one of them waddles over to the high cliffs, pauses as if wondering is this is a good idea, but then takes a leap. You immediately shudder thinking he's about to plummet like a stone but then he spreads his 8-foot wing span and takes flight! They do fly and quite majestically, at that! Soaring over the cliffs they hardly even had to move their wings as they glide along.<br />
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As with many other Galapagos birds, they nest on the ground, so we were able to get quite close. While somewhat awkward looking, they have an almost porcelain-like appearance - soft white feathers that fade into a gray-brown. We could see quite a few nests grouped together in a certain area including seeing one frisky couple going at it - stop that - you have visitors!<br />
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As we headed back to the beach to be picked up at the end of the hike, Efrain said we needed to be on the lookout for the hard-to-find Galapagos Hawk. Sitting on the beach, we looked out towards the center of the island and there he was, perched in a bush in the distance scouting his next meal. Well it was our lucky day because he took off and flew right by us.<br />
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The sun was getting lower in the sky so it was our time to go but Espoñola provided some out-of-this-world sights and wildlife encounters which are hard to beat. Even the moon came out to say hello as we left the island. Enjoy the photos. <br />
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Up Next: <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/floreana-island-flamingos.html">Floreana Island Flamingos</a><br />
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So after the events at Kicker Rock, our next stop of the day was tiny Lobos Island. It was a stones throw from San Cristobal only separated by a narrow stretch of calm water and home to the darling of the Galapagos, the Blue-footed Booby.<br />
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We had yet to see this unique creature but starting today we'd have a few chance on up coming islands to hopefully run across their infamous mating dance. From what we had read the dance was a serious show which was needed to win over a mate. However, the birds weren't in the mating mood, so the show would have to wait for anther day.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wkaL2E7Fsos/Ut2qvgiCuZI/AAAAAAAAEgo/LOugtkyqhLQ/s1600/Galapagos-7493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wkaL2E7Fsos/Ut2qvgiCuZI/AAAAAAAAEgo/LOugtkyqhLQ/s1600/Galapagos-7493.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a>One thing that is interesting about the Galapagos is that even though the same species inhabits multiple islands, they may not all be in the same cycle of mating season. For instance, Frigate birds may have red pouches on one island but not the other. It sounds strange but the Blue-footed Boobies would be proof as they were not in mating season on Lobos but they would be at the next stop.<br />
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The hike around the island was over some large rocky boulders that were an adventurous change from some of the other flat hikes. Climbing over the rocks were able to get up close and personal with Blue-footed Boobies. As the picture above shows, they nest on the ground because they have no natural predators for their eggs - they also weren't afraid of us. At times they might do a double take in our direction but as long as you gave them a few feet of space they didn't seem to have a care in the world.<br />
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It was an uneventful hike but the nesting birds were amazing. Lots of Blue and Masked boobies to watch go about their business on the rocky barrier to the ocean. So here are a few additional photos we took along the way. But don't worry, there is more to come from these blue-footed birds.<br />
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Up Next: <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/beautiful-and-colorful-espanola-island.html">Beautiful and Colorful Española Island</a><br />
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After the morning beach visit we headed towards Kicker Rock to get a closer look at the big white rocks that juts out of the ocean between a few of the islands. Its an area known for good snorkeling and even some good scuba diving, so lets find out!</div>
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Before I get to the snorkeling, I want to explain how/why we ended up on a touring boat to explore the Galapagos instead of a diving boat. There are two main types of touring you can do in the Galapagos - visiting islands for the wildlife (land-based or boat-based) or scuba diving for the Galapagos's lesser known, but equally epic underwater wildlife. Most trips do not combine both because the dive sites are mostly at the far reaches of the island chain, so you normally have to pick one unless you have the luxury of lots of time and/or money. It was a tough choice because the scuba diving in the area is renowned for the ability to get up close to large schools of hammerhead sharks - something high on our "epic things to see while scuba diving" list. But since I was still recovering from my wrist surgery (fresh out of the cast the week we left), the cruise was the safer option. Plus the animals on land are probably more unique and that just couldn't be missed the first time around.</div>
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To help bridge the gap, we ensured the itinerary included quite a few snorkeling opportunities. Some off the beach, some off the back of the boat in the middle of the bays and this one, at Kicker Rock.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e6_bdhV1AkA/Usd7SfD3x_I/AAAAAAAAEQ0/xFh7ISay4Zg/s1600/Galapagos-1000420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e6_bdhV1AkA/Usd7SfD3x_I/AAAAAAAAEQ0/xFh7ISay4Zg/s640/Galapagos-1000420.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a>Leading up to the today's snorkeling attempt we hadn't been overly impressed with the snorkel sites. First and foremost, the water was cold. And without wetsuits a 30 minute snorkel was tough. The visibility wasn't great either and although we'd seen a few nice underwater scenes, the overall result was average snorkeling.</div>
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Would today be any different? Other sites were in much shallower water near the coast but here at Kicker Rock we were a long way from the coast with no bottom in site. The visibility was better but still not crystal clear leaving you seeing only about 8-10ft down to the mirky cold depths.<br />
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As the bell after breakfast rang, Efrain yelled out that anybody going snorkeling would need wet suits. Oh man, colder than normal, ouch.<br />
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Suited up, we climbed into the dingy and headed to the drop location at the mouth of a narrow channel running between the two large rocks. The water was dark blue in stark contrast to the white washed rocks. As we snorkeled near the rocks, heading into the channel, a white tip reef shark swam underneath us which immediately made us forget about the temperature of the water and the waves smacking the sides of the rocks.</div>
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Swimming further into the channel we came across a group of eagle rays about 3 feet below the surface. Anybody who has seen a ray swim will tell you they just glide through the water, wings gracefully moving through the water. Our eyes widened as they swam under us without a care in the world.<br />
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Then a small school of 3-4ft Galapagos sharks appeared out of the mirk from the left. This time about 4-5 feet below us. They just appeared from the depths and took us by surprise swimming towards and quickly mixing in with the Eagle Rays.<br />
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The anxiety really ratcheted up at this point because it was really our first experience swimming with sharks...multiple sharks, all at once! With our guide leading the way the group at first was spread out but now we formed a tight cluster as we were all pointing and excitedly yelling underwater to each other about what we were seeing. But the real excitement was still to come.<br />
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We were all admiring the sharks, and honestly starting to let a little fear creep in as we floated in dark water in the middle of the ocean with no ocean floor in sight. Then suddenly the scene below shifted again. Steph shrieked underwater with her snorkel still in mouth - HAMMERHEADS!<br />
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There they were. A group of 3-4 foot hammerheads (adolescents) right below us. It didn't take long before the excitement within the group peaked and we all eagerly watched these incredible creatures swim past. You know that feeling where you want to yell and jump around from excitement but are nervous to not make a scene out of a naive fear? Well, that was us, looking at each other for a brief moment, eyes wide open.</div>
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It wasn't the giant 8-10 foot variety you might see scuba diving, but they still had our attention and amazement as we were lucky enough to have a few minutes with the incredible creatures. <br />
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We couldn't believe our eyes...eagle rays, Galapagos sharks and now hammerheads all swimming around with the 6 of us snorkeling in the channel at Kicker Rock. I'm sure there were fish too but they were lost in the excitement.</div>
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Before we knew it, they were gone. What felt like an eternity was probably more like 2 minutes but it was an absolutely thrilling experience. The only bad part, we left the underwater camera on the boat! Wait, What?! I know, I know but that actually made the experience that much more enjoyable by not having to fuss around with an underwater camera - we just enjoyed the show! The pictures shown in this post are some filler photos we took at other snorkeling sites.</div>
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We didn't see much the rest of the way around the rock back to the boat and were honestly ready to get out of the water. It was a fairly rough surf, we were freezing and I think all of us wondered where the sharks had gone and what else loomed just out of eyesight in the deep waters.<br />
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Back on board we were all in a euphoric state. Even our guide, Efrain, was buzzing and said he had never seen that many sharks there before, especially the hammerheads.</div>
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After not being able to dive, I had been a little bummed that we weren't going to be able to swim with the huge schools of large hammerheads the Galapagos is famous for but to my surprise, it worked out in the end and one of my bucket list items was complete...for now. Plus, its a good thing we didn't' start with the big sharks, I was a nervous wreck with the small ones. Steph and I were less than an arms reach away from each other for the rest of the snorkel. It still makes me a little nervous now just writing about it. Ha.</div>
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With that being said, we have officially moved Kicker Rock to "legendary" status in our travel history. It was an unexpected but amazing swim around the rocks!<br />
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Finally, below is a video of a Spotted Eagle Ray to give you an idea of how they move in the water.<br />
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Up Next: <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/an-afternoon-at-lobos-island-to-meet.html">An Afternoon at Lobos Island to Meet Blue-footed Boobies</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732757819924451127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200739430966400055.post-5117536477292317852014-01-19T14:42:00.002-05:002014-01-20T15:07:28.899-05:00Morning Stop at San Cristobal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After an overnight ride we parked just off the coast of San Cristobal, the next island on the itinerary. We were in for a big day and it kicked off early because we had 3 stops to make.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7F7EKaaGBY4/UseEhRNOSDI/AAAAAAAAERc/JQD-VTOGMNQ/s1600/Galapagos-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7F7EKaaGBY4/UseEhRNOSDI/AAAAAAAAERc/JQD-VTOGMNQ/s640/Galapagos-.jpg" height="640" style="cursor: move;" width="336" /></a>First up was a dingy ride through the nearby caverns in the area. As the sun peaked over the horizon, we climbed into the dingy to explore some nearby caverns and cliffs. It was a little chilly this morning and we were still sleepy eyed but were eager to see what was ahead. It was a fairly uneventful cruise through the caves but at one point, we had to time the wave surge in order to make it through a tight passage without crashing into the narrowing walls and celling.<br />
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Our destination was the tall cliff you can see in the photograph. Steph actually had the idea to take this vertical panorama shot. Even with movement of the ocean it came out ok and shows the scale of the island cliff (see our tiny boats at the bottom?). You can also see this in the last picture a similar sense of scale with the expanse of the ocean. Its hard not to feel small when faced with those types of scenes. <br />
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From there we headed to a nearby beach for a wet landing and morning stroll on the white sand crescent-shaped beach. There were a few sea lions, sally lightfoot crabs and one hungry pelican who was entertaining to watch hunt. I also ran into a few iguanas that posed for a photo towards the end of the beach. <br />
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The beach itself was probably one of the more picturesque and without any other activities to pre-occupy us, the peaceful stroll was a great way to start the day. The warm sun brought the day to life and the colors really started to pop. The blue waters, white sand and contrasting black lava rock did not disappoint. Add with the views of Kicker Rock on the horizon, our next snorkeling destination, we couldn't help but appreciate the scene.<br />
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Up Next: <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/kicker-rock-snorkeling-surprise.html">Kicker Rock - Snorkeling Surprise</a><br />
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Before I get to the actives I wanted mention a little about the schedule on the boat. At each stop there are scheduled activities and due to rules in Galapagos National Park all of the boats are given time slots to participate in the activities. The aim is to avoid huge crowds on the islands which could disturb the wild life.<br />
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One amusing aspect was always how quickly the boat would be on the move after the activity ended. We would all jump off the dingy and deck hands would spring into action. Within minutes, the captain would have the boat on the move, leaving little time to say goodbye to island where you had just been. You had to be quick on your feet to get good island shots from a distance because before you knew it, the island was far off in the distance and only a memory.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kll1HcaipBg/UtOGYvbm8oI/AAAAAAAAEcA/dqA-6rOlhTc/s1600/Galapagos-1000450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kll1HcaipBg/UtOGYvbm8oI/AAAAAAAAEcA/dqA-6rOlhTc/s400/Galapagos-1000450.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a>Well, the move to Santa Fe was no different. Time between islands was short and before we knew it we were parked in a gorgeous bay. The nearby beach would be our afternoon landing for a trek around the island to see unique cactus, some iguanas and colony of sea lions that inhabited the beach.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CXkLKsi2cmQ/UtOGZXe5pMI/AAAAAAAAEcM/GLmeZGP63A0/s1600/Galapagos-1000533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CXkLKsi2cmQ/UtOGZXe5pMI/AAAAAAAAEcM/GLmeZGP63A0/s400/Galapagos-1000533.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a>After lunch we headed up to the sun deck for our afternoon coffee and to relax in the the shade to take in the scenic views of a another new island. These hours leading up to an activity were always so exciting as you imagined what cool experience you might have next.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h-y_XtZswYQ/UtOGYr01RbI/AAAAAAAAEcI/3rCJv4NXSVU/s1600/Galapagos-1000498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h-y_XtZswYQ/UtOGYr01RbI/AAAAAAAAEcI/3rCJv4NXSVU/s400/Galapagos-1000498.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a>Staring out at the calm blue waters we started noticing dark spots moving in from the bay entrance in waves past the boat. The water was about 15-20 feet deep with about 10-12 feet of visibility but looking closely you could see the black spots were actually schools of small spotted sting ray flooding the bay due to the sandy bottom.<br />
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Never needing an excuse to go explore, we grabbed our mask and snorkels and were quickly off the back of the boat swimming with what looked like carpets of sting rays. They weren't always in the same path and since the visibility wasn't great it took a team effort to spot them in the water. Those on the boat would call out relative directions and we'd swim over and dive down to watching them.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LUZi6CRB2_4/UtOGYo6q_qI/AAAAAAAAEcE/TpXeRsjWXB8/s1600/Galapagos-1000515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LUZi6CRB2_4/UtOGYo6q_qI/AAAAAAAAEcE/TpXeRsjWXB8/s400/Galapagos-1000515.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a>As they approached they would either dive under you or go around but there was always a few moments where they were swimming at your level which really showed off their flying movement. The grace and fluidity they swim with is just remarkable.<br />
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The schools kept going past the boat long after we were tired and cold and relegated to watching from the boat. However, after a short break it was time to get back in the water because Efrain rang the bell for a guided snorkeling trip around the bay.<br />
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The dingy gave us a ride to the edge of the bay and off the side we went. I'm not sure if it was the change of setting or what, but going back in the water the second time was extra cold - wet suits sure would have been nice. Luckily we were quickly distracted.<br />
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Sea Turtles were in the bay too!</div>
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We had been so focused on the rays we must have just missed them. We ran across 4 or 5 as we snorkeled along the coast then back to the boat. Most of the time we were close enough to swim right along side them and watch as they just went about their business. Its too bad I don't have better camera equipment for underwater photography because these creatures made for one amazing snorkeling experience. Here is a short video to get the idea.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Now back on the boat we had about 10 minutes to warm up in the sun and change out of our swim suits before the bell was ringing again for our shore excursion and hike on the island.</span><br />
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</span> From what we had heard about the island, iguanas and beautiful beach covered in a colony of sea lions were to be expected. However, there were two differences from some of the other islands. First the land iguanas were more pale and yellow than other islands. And the sea lions seemed more friendly. It could be that the younger sea lions were just more active later in the after than other visits, we aren't sure.<br />
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The hike took us through the heart of the island giving us a lot more vegetation to see than some of the other islands. We stumbled on a few of the pale iguanas who with the vegetation blended right in. One even cracked a nice smile for the camera! The short walk took us around a path with some sections of shoulder height vegetation and some good views over the bay, but he majority of the time was happily spent on the beach being entertained by sea lion cubs as they wrestled at our feet in the sand. After a few days of endless sea lions you almost forgot that beaches covered in sea lions were an every day occurrence. Well at least outside the Galapagos anyway...<br />
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As the sun eased towards the horizon for sunset with a glorious golden glow, we sat and just admired the endless playful energy of the sea lion pups. This capped off a good day and we were spent.<br />
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Up Next: <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/morning-stop-at-san-cristobal.html">Morning Stop at San Cristobal</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732757819924451127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200739430966400055.post-3528503682569934312014-01-08T20:00:00.000-05:002014-01-13T19:40:58.378-05:00Land Iguanas and Bachelor Sea Lions of South Plaza Island<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Next up was South Plaza Island - an island off the coast of Santa Cruz. It's a small island that was created by rising lava and not a volcano like some of the other islands. It was an absolute treat filled with so much to take in and an amazing opportunity to get up close and personal to colorful land iguanas and bachelor sea lions...we'll explain the bachelor part in a minute!<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RL71aguM8AA/UsSdI4G7pkI/AAAAAAAAEHg/TUbWCRfv9wc/s400/Galapagos-7020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RL71aguM8AA/UsSdI4G7pkI/AAAAAAAAEHg/TUbWCRfv9wc/s400/Galapagos-7020.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a>The island is about a mile long in length but skinny, with a large slope across the island ranging from tall, steep, cliffs down to sea level where we could make a dry landing. It is known for its amazing flora called, Sesuvium or carpet weed, that depending on the season can be any shade from green to red. It provided a stark contrast to the grey lava rocks that were exposed and plotted our path along the island.</div>
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It turned out to be one of our hotter mornings with the sun bearing down and no place to hide except under the brim of your hat...IF you had a big enough brim! In my case, my hat just wasn't cutting it with my nose not always in the shade and already sunburnt! Again learn from us, be prepared with a big wide brimmed hat because in this case I couldn't just run to a store and pick one up. I had to wait another few days before we were scheduled to be back in a port.<br />
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We were told beforehand that South Plaza has one of the larger sea lion colonies, most of which we wouldn't see although as we made our landing, there were a sea lions sunning themselves on our walkway. <br />
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In the Galapagos, clapping is the way to warn sea lions or get them to move out of your way. So, with big round of applause by our group, we woke up the sea lions who begrudgingly moved out of the way for us to pass. We made our way onto the island and immediately found a small cactus field of Opuntia Cactus - the trees with the round cactus pads. Land iguanas love them and over time have eaten the lower half of the branches, so the cactus leaves flourish from about 2 feet off the ground.<br />
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Most of the cacti had a iguana hiding from the sun or guarding its territory. There was prime real-estate to be had and I'm sure some fights ensued to get the best spot.<br />
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Making our way around the island we climbed up to the cliffs. Looking down below to the sparkling ocean we were on the lookout from some rare Red bill tropic birds and swallow tail gulls. They were a fair ways away on the cliffs so we soon moved on.<br />
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From there we headed to Bachelors' Rock where male sea lions come to recover after failing to fight off other sea lions (showing off for the ladies, of course). Wounded and tired, they bask in the sun while gearing up for another battle. There were a couple sea lions as we walked by but they didn't even move, deep in their slumber. They rested on what looked like white rocks, but really they were just polished from all of the sea lions using this as a resting ground. It sounds all sweet and serene feeling sympathy for the loser sea lions, but it was one stinky place. The white polish is natural, shiny, slippery finish created by sea lions wallowing on the rocks, but the not-so-nice part is that its created from polishing the rocks with sea lion poo - not a nice smell. Actually it stunk. But I'm sure if you were an injured sea lion it was a restful retreat.<br />
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Next we made the rest of the loop around the island spotting iguana after iguana which was so <br />
enjoyable. They aren't the most cuddly of creatures but they sure are interesting! Some of them pose for you and others just ignore you.<br />
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Here are some of the photos.<br />
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Up Next: San Cristobal Island, Kicker and Lobos Island<br />
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Bartolome was an island that Steph specifically sought out on our itinerary because of the overwhelming reviews it received from other travelers...and they weren't wrong. It was all about the vistas and volcanoes that created them. </div>
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Before I get to the island, I want to talk about our good friend the sun, well, the strength of the sun. Coming from late winter in New York after being in full winter mode, we were pale and didn't come as prepared as we needed and thus couldn't avoid sun burn. For starters we didn't bring enough sunscreen and ran out about 3 days into the trip. Don't ask, we still can't figure out what we were thinking only bringing one bottle. I guess the pack light mentality got the best of us. We had to borrow some from our boat mates until we went back to a city a couple days later. So, learn from us, bring plenty of high SPF sunscreen because you will need it.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z8Jt-y-sY2A/UscJxuqVKdI/AAAAAAAAELw/sBNN-JV-iX4/s1600/Galapagos-6835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z8Jt-y-sY2A/UscJxuqVKdI/AAAAAAAAELw/sBNN-JV-iX4/s400/Galapagos-6835.jpg" width="400" /></a>Even with 50+ SPF we were still getting sun burnt burnt. We each ended up with something red just about every day. It almost became a game. The following day apply extra sunscreen on the burnt spot and something else would mysteriously be red. We ended covering up more even despite the heat. You'll notice the big brimmed hats and long sleeve shirts, so be warned, the sun at the equator is strong!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AxpNCMZCvMQ/UbahR9yntoI/AAAAAAAAEBM/xzaDy9azp-Y/s1600/Galapagos-1000425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AxpNCMZCvMQ/UbahR9yntoI/AAAAAAAAEBM/xzaDy9azp-Y/s400/Galapagos-1000425.jpg" width="400" /></a>Back to the island. We started the day with an early morning dingy ride to try and spot a colony of penguins that are known to breed nearby. No luck. However I did get a shot of this Oyster catcher resting on one leg which was fairly interesting with its bright red bill.<br />
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After giving up the penguin search we headed to the dry landing to embark on a light climb on the island to the top of the old volcano. The fairly steep hike took about 20 minutes and was a small price to pay for an amazing overlook that the Galapagos is famous for. Its the headline photo where Steph is sitting on the fence. The colors were so bright with the desolate lunar looking landscape as contrast overlooking Pinnacle Point.</div>
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Bartolome is one of the "youngest" islands in the chain, somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 million years old. This means not much plant life has really taken hold yet so its a pretty rocky and rough place. A few salamanders and lava plants was about it.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xKPilOnkapA/Us3sP7e6feI/AAAAAAAAEW0/rb3pRKpoADo/s1600/Galapagos-6952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xKPilOnkapA/Us3sP7e6feI/AAAAAAAAEW0/rb3pRKpoADo/s1600/Galapagos-6952.jpg" width="400" /></a>However, there is plenty of activity between the islands under. Splashing into the water after a short dingy ride we started another round of snorkeling. We ended up swimming around the rocks up to Pinnacle Point where we found some caves with white tip reef sharks in the shadows. With the waves crashing into the small cove we could only admire from a short distance away before having to move on. Further into the swim we rounded the point and looked down to see one of the sharks swimming below. He gracefully swam past as we admired him.<br />
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From there we headed to Santiago island's Sullivan Bay that afternoon where we hiked over a lava field that reminded us of the lave fields in Hawaii. They are such a collision of texture and shapes that is fascinating to walk on. At times it can even look soft to the touch before you remember it is rock. We stumbled on a shallow lava cave with a hole just big enough to jump in, hence, Steph chest deep in the lave field. <br />
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Finally, it was off the the nearby beach to relax for the rest of the afternoon. On top of a gorgeous white sand beach, there was a big colony of Sally Lightfoot crabs that kept me entertained. The black rock, red crabs and blue ocean provided such an unique mixture of color. Add in the constant motion of the crabs crawling around as only crabs can do, jumping from rock to rock, dodging the crashing waves while having territorial spats where the bigger crabs over power the smaller ones made for good viewing.<br />
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We will leave you with a few more photos of the spectacular landscape around Bartolomè island - uniquely Galapagos and truly breathtaking.<br />
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Up Next: <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/land-iguanas-and-bachelor-sea-lions-of.html">Land Iguanas and Bachelor Sea Lions of South Plaza Island</a> </div>
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Sitting in bay after lunch admiring the swarm of birds, we couldn't help but keep an eye on the beach that lie off in the distance knowing this was our afternoon destination. However, before it was beach time it was snorkeling time. Back to Prince Phillips we went this time with mask, snorkel and fins in hand. Earlier in the day we had seen sea lions warming on the rocks so hopefully we'd get a chance to swim with them. They are fairly friendly like seals and typically don't bother you and will swim past you if that is the direction they are going.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-haMJmGvWfao/Ua1kcXJJU1I/AAAAAAAAD7I/vrL1dAEPBLI/s1600/Galapagos-6431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-haMJmGvWfao/Ua1kcXJJU1I/AAAAAAAAD7I/vrL1dAEPBLI/s640/Galapagos-6431.jpg" width="640" /></a>While the stunning teal waters look inviting, it wasn't long until we realized the waters around the islands are quite chilly and we often needed to don wet suits before snorkeling. But the shock of the cold water quickly faded as a turtle was spotted below us feeding by the rocks. As we continued to snorkel we were in luck, as a sea lion breezed past us! So graceful and as quickly as he approached he was gone. From there we swam along the cliffs until we were too cold to go on but luckily the beach and warm afternoon sun awaited. <br />
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As if we were stalking the sea lions, we exited the water and joined them on a beautiful bay beach where they were basking in the sun. As we approached the large group of sea lions, we had to ask: what is it about sea lions? They are stinky and some what obnoxious creatures, but so amazing to watch in their element. Even when they are just sleeping, they seem so adorable and peaceful. They frolic and roll around in the sand and then when they've had enough, the plop down, often near a friend for a nap.</div>
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And while we were intruders to their beautiful alcove, they hardly noticed us. They might pass within inches of you while making their way over to a friend, but they rarely showed any interest in the odd human on their beach. Its definitely for the better that there's no interaction - and the guides will enforce it - because that is what has created what we came to understand of the Galapagos. <br />
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Up Next: <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/bartolome-santiago-monster-views.html">Bartolome & Santiago - Monster Views, Snorkeling and Lava</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732757819924451127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200739430966400055.post-13776060768725289582014-01-05T20:00:00.000-05:002014-01-13T19:46:04.228-05:00Genovesa Island - El Barranco, Climbing Prince Phillip's Steps for Bird Watching<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The island of Genovesa introduced us to a few new birds and was one of the best bird watching spots we encountered on the trip. At Prince Phillip's Steps we climbed up 25 feet to the top of the cliffs where we began a walk though one of the most memorable bird encounters we've ever experienced. It was a bird watchers paradise!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eJkjxRltNbI/Usdh9PjP-cI/AAAAAAAAENo/cpp46aXER-o/s1600/Galapagos-6365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eJkjxRltNbI/Usdh9PjP-cI/AAAAAAAAENo/cpp46aXER-o/s400/Galapagos-6365.jpg" width="400" /></a>To better explain the awe of this island, you must understand how touring works in the Galapagos. They are strict about human-wildlife interactions and keep you to pre-defined walking paths. Guides will be quick to yell if you're stepping outside the lines or if you get too close to one of the inhabitants. Particularly with the birds, many don't have natural predators and they also don't fear humans because of the well-controlled, no interaction touring rules. So with birds with no natural fears, we were able to get amazing, almost shockingly, close to birds. Birds nesting on the ground. Birds performing mating dances. Birds just hanging out. Simply amazing!<br />
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First and foremost, say hello to the Frigate bird with his red pouch inflated trying to attract the ladies. He sits in a nesting site making a calling noise and inflating his red pouch trying to find a mate. In addition to his pouch, the ladies also inspect the nest that he built. We had fun watching, and listening, as the Frigates showed their stuff.<br />
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Next up, we saw a lot of boobies. We mean birds - where is your filthy mind?! Yep, the white bird with red feet is the Red Footed Booby. Clever name, right? These guys nest on the ground, rest in the trees and are excellent flyers that fish out in deep water. They have developed claws on their feet to hold onto the trees. While he's quite crafty, he's also a looker with those stunning feet and the beautiful watercolor face. This little guy stood patiently in a tree within arms length while we photographed him.<br />
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Next up the Nazca Booby. This guy is also called the masked Booby and to eat it makes very dramatic dives into the ocean to catch its food. They circle around and then dive bomb the ocean which is very fun to watch. On land they are just as fun with their awkward side wobble as they take step after step. The juvenile's don't have the orange beak yet and were malting when we were there.<br />
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The trail lead through the heart of the island through some fairly dense trees and brush before opening to the other side wide which was an almost plateau like arid expanse that sloped towards the water before the 30 foot cliffs. A huge rift ran through it which made a perfect trail for us to see the birds.<br />
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In the skies above thousands of birds circled in the air. Big birds, small ones, the works! In one of the crevasses we also spotted a rare owl on the hunt for a morning snack.<br />
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The trail was a dead end so we happily retraced our steps and continued to be amazed. Here are a few more photos that should give you an idea of what it was like on the island.<br />
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This was our first morning tour and as we continued each day amazed as we were able to have similar close encounters with the amazing wildlife of the Galapagos...<br />
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Up Next: <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/genovesa-island-darwin-bay-say-hello-to.html">Genovesa Island, Darwin Bay - Say Hello to Sea Lions</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732757819924451127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200739430966400055.post-49329777337680930902014-01-04T20:00:00.000-05:002014-01-13T19:46:57.337-05:00Baltra and Santa Cruz's Bachas Beach<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So here we go, 8 days in the Galapagos awaited us. The flight was buzzing with excitement and we couldn't wait to hit the ground, soak in the sun and see what was in store. Day 1 was going to be a light day with a morning filled of travel logistics like finding the boat, but it gave a good intro to the islands.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CMSBj3Sn3pE/UaradtApGFI/AAAAAAAAD3U/umlUZa-lRpo/s1600/Galapagos-1000159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CMSBj3Sn3pE/UaradtApGFI/AAAAAAAAD3U/umlUZa-lRpo/s400/Galapagos-1000159.jpg" width="400" /></a>Baltra was where we embarked, one of 2 airports in the Galapagos. Officially not in the National Park, it served as a military base during WWII and today still serves as an Ecuadorian base. Outside of the airport and shuttle buses to the ports not much happens on the island.<br />
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Meeting our naturalist guide, Efrain, we were shuttled to the boat where we soon set sail to North Seymour Island. We had a customary boat briefing, unpacked in our cozy cabin and readied for our first scheduled island visit.<br />
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Our boat wasn't full which made for an intimate group that week - a Dutch retired couple, a young Aussie couple literally in route to moving to London and a New Yorker our age who just quit her stressful investment banking job for something more practical (and was making use of valuable time between jobs). <br />
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The Fragata yacht itself, was a lovely boat that Steph had spent much time investigating to ensure we had a great experience. We chose a mid-priced boat range which paid off with our great group of boat companions (as opposed to the cheaper sister boat that had almost the same itinerary as us and was packed full of gap years - no offense, but we were looking for R&R on this trip).<br />
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We had a great corner cabin with two large windows and after speaking to the boat crew, they arranged the twin beds "matrimonial" style by pushing them together for us. A small bathroom complete with shower, sink and toilet completed our en suite cabin. Apparently we forgot to take pictures but many are readily available online if you're interested. We finished unpacking and explored the boat we'd call home for the next week. <br />
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Before we knew it, the bell was ringing which signaled we needed to get to the back of the boat. The dingy was leaving. An afternoon wet landing at Bachas Beach was our first stop. It was a gorgeous white sand beach contrasted with black lava rock formations that were dotted with striking red Sally LightFoot crabs. Efrain started the first of many casual walking tours of the islands. Just off the beach were 2 lagoons to look for flamingos before seeing the turtle nesting grounds along the beach. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rmp6w5PRous/UaraeUSM4CI/AAAAAAAAD3k/m2fOUxivolI/s1600/Galapagos-1000143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rmp6w5PRous/UaraeUSM4CI/AAAAAAAAD3k/m2fOUxivolI/s400/Galapagos-1000143.jpg" width="400" /></a>We were able to see a couple flamingos feeding in the lagoon and we royally kicked ourselves for underestimating this first stop and only taking our waterproof point and shoot. The larger birds were also stalking the turtle nests looking for an easy meal. It was hard not to want to protect the turtles but that's nature.<br />
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We also spotted our first marine iguana as he appeared out of the water then quickly ran for cover to the lagoons up over the turtle nests. <br />
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After the walking tour, Efrain walked us back to our beach landing site and held out his upturned hand to the ocean - want to snorkel? Why not! We explored the reefs off this quaint island then headed back to the boat just in time for a gorgeous sunset. What a great introduction to the Galapagos!<br />
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Up Next: <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/genovesa-island-el-barranco-climbing.html">Genovesa Island - El Barranco, Climbing Prince Phillip's Steps for Bird Watching</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732757819924451127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200739430966400055.post-25098030166551896172014-01-03T20:01:00.000-05:002014-03-16T11:09:18.779-04:00The Galapagos Islands - Exploring a Unique World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean lies a unique place in the world. The Galapagos Islands! Here you find a series of 18 volcanic islands renowned for the endemic species that call it home.<br />
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As you probably know, this is where Charles Darwin visited to form the basis of his Natural Selection theories. Right or wrong, these pristine islands are a treat for nature and animal lovers.<br />
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To see this for ourselves we embarked on an 8 day southern island live-aboard cruise, which is the best way to see the diversity the islands have to offer. On our cruise we would take in Baltra, Santa Cruz, Genovesa, Bartholomew, Santiago, South Plaza, Santa Fe, San Cristobal, Española, Floreana and North Seymour Islands. From the reviews, this was a very good selection of islands.<br />
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The Galapagos has a population of about 25,000 people spread over 5 populated islands, 2 with airports. They are actually one of only a handful of places in the world without an indigenous population. However the population has been steadily growing after 1500 people called it home in the mid 1950s.<br />
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There are 2 ways to visit the islands. The first option is a land based trip where you stay in one of the populated islands and day trip to other islands. The second option is a water based tour where you live aboard a ship and cruise throughout the islands. We choose the latter because it allowed us to see more far reaching islands you can't visit on a day trip.<br />
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As you might expect there is a constant struggle with conservation. The islands are such a unique eco-system that even the smallest outside influence has an impact. 95% of the islands are a national park and have strict regulations to help control outside influence. The 2 biggest threats to the islands are introduced species (e.g., goats, cats, dogs, insects, plants) and tourism. Creatures like the Nazca (masked) Booby above, don't have natural predators and do not have any fear of other creatures. However, the good news is that both are in our control and various programs are in place to try and constrain the impact.<br />
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Now before I get to the islands I wanted give a little background on the planning and experience as a whole because throughout our 8 days the days happily melded into a routine.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hKoWRbkkmrE/UbaPbCqWEYI/AAAAAAAAD_E/czvCdzmU6V0/s1600/Galapagos-6932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hKoWRbkkmrE/UbaPbCqWEYI/AAAAAAAAD_E/czvCdzmU6V0/s400/Galapagos-6932.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a>Everything in the Galapagos National Park is controlled. All of the many boats are all on a pre-determined schedule. What islands they visit, exact time schedules, landing sites, snorkeling slots, ect. Plus all of the boats must have a certified guide who leads all of the tours and activities making sure the visitors follow the rules while on land. Our guide was named Efrain. He was born on Santa Cruz and was our source of information throughout the trip.<br />
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Each morning we were up for sunrise just before 6:00am fully rested and ready for what the day had in store. A morning coffee welcomed in the day before the first mate on the boat rang the bell signaling the 6:30am breakfast in preparations for our 7am departure for a shore landing. After breakfast there were usually a excitement filled frantic few minutes as douse yourself in sunscreen, decide on your footwear (wet or dry landing), gather your things, hat and camera, then head to the back of the boat to hop in a dingy for the ride to the drop off point. <br />
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A couple hours later were were back on the boat for lunch and siesta in one of the shaded spots on the boat. The afternoon wasn't always the same. Some days you'd have time to do some swimming or snorkeling off the back of the boat. Around 3 or 4 the bell would ring again and it was time for another shore landing. As sunset approached, it was time to head back to shower up and enjoy the splendid views as the sun dropped below the horizon. <br />
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The final bell of the day signaled the evening briefing. We'd start by recapping the days amazing sights and sounds before Efrain would tell us the plan for the next day that stoke our adventure fire.<br />
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Finally, dinner was served before we all retired to bed. If we made it to 9:30pm it was a surprise. However there here was no need to fret though, all the days were rewarding and hitting the sack that early was a luxury. So, let's begin with the wonders of the Galapagos...<br />
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<b>Day 1:</b> <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/baltra-and-santa-cruzs-bachas-beach.html">Baltra And Santa Cruzs Bachas Beach.html</a><br />
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<b>Day 2:</b> <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/genovesa-island-el-barranco-climbing.html">Genovesa Island - El Barranco, Climbing Prince Phillip's Steps for Bird Watching</a> AND<br />
<a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/genovesa-island-darwin-bay-say-hello-to.html">Genovesa Island, Darwin Bay - Say Hello to Sea Lions</a><br />
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<b>Day 3:</b> <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/bartolome-santiago-monster-views.html">Bartolome & Santiago - Monster Views, Snorkeling and Lava</a><br />
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<b>Day 4:</b> <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/land-iguanas-and-bachelor-sea-lions-of.html">Land Iguanas and Bachelor Sea Lions of South Plaza Island</a> AND<br />
<a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/carpets-of-sting-rays-and-following.html">Carpets of Sting Rays and Following Turtles on Santa Fe Island</a><br />
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<b>Day 5:</b> <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/morning-stop-at-san-cristobal.html">Morning Stop at San Cristobal</a>, <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/kicker-rock-snorkeling-surprise.html">Kicker Rock - Snorkeling Surprise</a> and <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/an-afternoon-at-lobos-island-to-meet.html">An Afternoon at Lobos Island to Meet Blue-footed Boobies</a><br />
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<b>Day 6:</b> <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/beautiful-and-colorful-espanola-island.html">Beautiful and Colorful Española Island</a><br />
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<b>Day 7:</b> <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/floreana-island-flamingos.html">Floreana Island Flamingos</a> and <a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/03/a-visit-to-charles-darwin-research.html">A visit to the Charles Darwin Station</a><br />
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<b>Day 8:</b> North Seymour Island<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732757819924451127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200739430966400055.post-44219236358920623022014-01-02T22:12:00.000-05:002014-01-13T19:49:55.137-05:00Time to Travel - Visiting the Galapagos and Inca Empire via Quito<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Throughout the latter half of 2012 and the first months of 2013 we were content to be city-bound and enjoy New York City. Other than a few trips home, we really hadn't done much moving around. As the cold winter months in the city took its toll, we once again found some inspiration to hit the road. We wanted some of scenic views, sunshine and a little adventure if we could find it. And South America was calling us and to top it off it was a continent we had yet to visit.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a6Fv8ecjCcw/UsYnvBaYYHI/AAAAAAAAEKw/UliUTIG9RSE/s1600/Quito-1000032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a6Fv8ecjCcw/UsYnvBaYYHI/AAAAAAAAEKw/UliUTIG9RSE/s400/Quito-1000032.jpg" width="400" /></a>In thinking about South America it wasn't long before the Galapagos and Machu Picchu were on our our targets - they are epic sites, we had friends who recently visited and a co-worker from Peru on which we could rely. So it wasn't long until we booked a jam packed 2+ week journey and away we went!<br />
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Starting in Ecuador, we wanted to visit the Galapagos to see why <br />
Darwin was so inspired before hopping over to Peru to visit the home base where the ancient Inca civilization thrived. We took a ridiculous 2am flight from JFK and hit the ground in Quito to start adjusting to the altitude which would plague us for a good portion of the trip.<br />
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Landing in Quito, our driver was waiting for us with a simple sign in hand but a large smile on his face. He was a nice older gentleman who spoke about as much English as we did Spanish. Enough to get by and communicate but conversation was tough. On the ground we were a little weary from the overnight travel but excited to be introduced to South America for the first time.</div>
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The trip was well planned but we were packing a lot in. Quito was mainly just a stopover on the way to the Galapagos and our morning flight gave us a few extra afternoon hours to explore. After a refreshing cerveza over lunch, we crammed our way onto a local bus headed to the old town.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X1Zr2qBS4M4/UaqpjCuOBUI/AAAAAAAADz0/KsJQq4iSxjk/s1600/Quito-1000042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X1Zr2qBS4M4/UaqpjCuOBUI/AAAAAAAADz0/KsJQq4iSxjk/s400/Quito-1000042.jpg" width="266" /></a>Old town was full of narrow streets, colonial buildings and European-style squares. It was bustling and full of life. We enjoyed strolling around, window shopping and photographing the intricate, and sometimes, imposing architecture, in the case of the large cathedral. We stopped in a little bakery for a afternoon treat and Coke in the bottle, with a customary straw.</div>
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A couple of things to know about Quito: First, the equator literally runs through the city limits, so the days are like clock work. Up and 6am and down at 6pm, give or take a few minutes throughout the year. Second, as with much of this part of South America, Quito sits high in the Andes at an elevation of 9350ft above sea level, which can takes some adjustment. Just walking in the airport we found ourselves huffing and puffing. What a strange feeling. Your body occasionally just needs to take a deep breath and you find yourself almost gasping for air, which can be surprising because that is usually only associated with certain activities. Things like turning around too quickly or reading a airport sign usually aren't one of them.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MZofLVlIW5Y/UaqpkKtGjnI/AAAAAAAAD0I/UY7V4fuyfBI/s1600/Quito-6112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MZofLVlIW5Y/UaqpkKtGjnI/AAAAAAAAD0I/UY7V4fuyfBI/s400/Quito-6112.jpg" width="266" /></a>However, being up in the Andes does have its benefits, namely the city is set on series of peaks and valleys that can reward you with great views of the city. So, a full day of traveling, the altitude kicking us in the tail and the sun setting, we grabbed a taxi out of old town and headed to a recommended restaurant to see if we could find said vista over the city. We had success!</div>
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After sunset, we called it a night because our early morning flight to the Galapagos would come calling at 4:30am. We had to leave for the airport by 5am to make our 7am flight. </div>
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TRAVELLER TIP : A quick note about the Quito airport. It is brand new, literally opening in February 2013. However, its at minimum 1 hr from the city which means it is not a good "layover" city. You have to go into the city for accommodation and that entails an hour taxi ride each way through some mediocre roads with traffic-inducing one-lane bridges and hair pin turns. Just plan accordingly.</div>
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Anyway, up next was a Galapagos adventure. R&R was headed our way along with some island hoping and the infamous creatures of the Galapagos. <br />
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<a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2014/01/the-galapagos-islands-exploring-unique.html">Exploring the Galapagos</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732757819924451127noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200739430966400055.post-87582250932105171362014-01-01T22:05:00.000-05:002014-01-01T22:05:15.397-05:00New Year, Old Travels<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Happy New Year, its hard to believe its 2014! I'm sure everybody is asking, but what happened to 2013?<br />
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Since moving back to the US we haven't been great at posting our travel stories and photos. So on this first day of 2014, one of our New Year's resolutions is to get it all posted.<br />
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First, we will blog about our big 2013 trip - the Galapagos and Peru. It was an awesome trip with so much to share. Incredible wildlife encounters. Epic mountainous sites. Fantastic food. Its long over due but we hope you enjoy it all the same!<br />
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Then we will finish off our 5-month worldly travels of 2012 - the career break travel while we moved from the UK back to the US. We've blogged over half of it but it's shameful that we haven't finished - particularly since some our our favorite moments happened during the last few weeks. So stayed tuned...it's good!<br />
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And last but not least - we have some travel archives to go through of great trips that just never got posted. Mainly last minute weekend getaways or just finishing off posts from other longer travel adventures (e.g., the FIRST time we went to India). There are all sorts of interesting photos and stories to share and we want to getting them posted. <br />
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So here's to New Year's resolutions - let's see how quickly we can knock this one out! <br />
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To start here is a time lapse we put together from the roof of our apartment here in New York City. It took a little over 4 hours one Sunday afternoon in November, but I think it turned out pretty good. It's actually some what fitting because we spent a fair amount of time the last year enjoying the view instead of blogging...<br />
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17063922271779671843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200739430966400055.post-82718030930724620362013-07-07T22:15:00.002-04:002013-07-07T22:15:47.715-04:00The 4th of July Fireworks Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Living in New York City, our apartment overlooks the Hudson River from 14 stories up. As you can see above we have one heck of a view for the Macy's Fireworks show. At the river's edge you can see the Intrepid aircraft carrier with the shuttle enclosure now finally restored after Super Storm Sandy.<br />
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It was set to be a hot and steamy day in the city so we were out early for a grocery run. The streets were quiet and we seemed to be the only ones out. That wouldn't last long surely. Needing a couple other trips to the grocery later in the afternoon things gradually kept picking up. More and more people out and about, traffic increased and streets were gradually closed off by the police as people made their way down to the river for the fireworks.<br />
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So what is one supposed to eat on the 4th of July? We opted for hot dogs, mac & cheese, baked beans, cole slaw and watermelon. Nutritious, no, but it sure did feel like the 4th. And to cap it all off we had a delicious homemade banana pudding. Nice work Steph! Now all we needed was FIREWORKS! <br />
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With the anticipation building we weren't happy with the window situation. Great view, check, but the windows would only open about 5-6 inches. That wasn't going to be good enough today. Digging through the tool box I found a hex key that fit the window guard stop locks perfectly. A big thanks to Steve for the comprehensive tool box! With the guards off, the windows were wide open and the ambience streamed in along with the hot dense air. Hanging out the window you could see hundreds of people streaming down the sidewalk below all decked out in red, white and blue and trying to get to the water front before the show started. Looking closer, we noticed that in all of the buildings around us party goers had filled every bit of prime firework viewing space on roof decks and outdoor patios. There was an audible chatter from everybody nearby and the scene was set.<br />
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The show kicked off just after dusk and lasted about 25 minutes. The blasts of light were followed by bursts of sound which made the windows vibrate. I took a few photos then hung out the windows like everybody else to enjoy the show. What a way to celebrate the 4th! I hope you all had a good one to celebrate this very special day!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732757819924451127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200739430966400055.post-14104985911332735012013-04-07T09:00:00.000-04:002013-04-07T09:00:02.697-04:00House keeping in Kumarakom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Fresh off a backwater cruise our taxi driver dropped us off at a gorgeous Colonial style hotel, the <a href="http://www.ecotourskerala.com/Tharavadu-at-Kumarakom.html#">Tharavadu Heritage Home at Kumarakom</a>, where we were going to set up camp for a few days to take care of a few odds and ends, namely our taxes. Can you believe it, Uncle Sam doesn't care we are travelling?!</div>
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The last month or so we had been pseudo off-the-grid after all the diving and staying with the Ravindran's who didn't have internet access. Not being connected was great but enough was enough. Its the modern world and we are now dependent on the internet.<br />
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Up to this point in the trip internet was more easily accessible or at least we could justify being out of reach, but we were finding that more of a challenge in India. While we hadn't been in too many hotels in India yet, we heard that internet was hard to come by. They may only have a single internet connection in the hotel office. With the weeks ahead we were going to be on the move quite a bit and needed to make research and comms easier so we decided to get a cellular internet connection - a 3G dongle. They were relatively cheap and would help ensure we weren't dependent on hotels that had internet connections. Since we had no concrete travel plans, it was high on our list of priorties. But that's if we could work it out...<br />
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We were staying in a small area off one of the main roads in Kumarakom which only had a few vegetable shops, restaurants and a state run liquor store. We needed a bigger commercial area to find a cell phone shop to see if we could talk them into selling us a 3G device without being a resident. <br />
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We flagged down an auto rickshaw to head down the road to a (slightly) bigger town. After negotiating a good roundtrip fare we set off down the surprisingly well maintained two lane road. There is nothing like an auto rickshaw ride - what a fun experience! It never gets old climbing in the 3 wheeled anomaly and whizzing off somewhere - especially in Kerala where the scenery is so picturesque - dense palm tree jungle coupled with the backwaters.<br />
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Now the fun begins...can we convince them to sell us a 3G device. The backstory is that you really need to be a resident to purchase anything cell phone related because you need a permanent India address and contact info which we didn't have.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DBhbcAphKjM/UVZMG7yk_bI/AAAAAAAADnI/TZ7F1-Vi7mM/s1600/River+Cruise-1927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DBhbcAphKjM/UVZMG7yk_bI/AAAAAAAADnI/TZ7F1-Vi7mM/s400/River+Cruise-1927.jpg" width="400" /></a>However, there was one loop hole we were trying to use. The Ravindran's had been kind enough to give us a cell phone which came in handy more than I would have ever thought. So with the phone giving us contact information we could use that as our stepping stone to an internet device.<br />
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The first store we tried wasn't interested saying we needed to be residents. Even a little charm and extra payment didn't help. At the next store the lady didn't completely turn us away so after a few questions we asked her if there was anything else she could do. With that she offered to call her manager and ask if with the cell phone and our hotel as an address she could sell us a 3G device. After a quick phone call she said it could be done if we could get passport copies and a signed letter from our hotel manager saying that we were staying there. It must be from the manager she repeated. Ok, we will be back.<br />
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The letter shouldn't be a problem, but passport copies, hmm. The lady at the cell phone store pointed us in the direction of an internet cafe that should have a copier, but they turned out to be closed. We went into shop after shop asking where else we could get copies. Nobody seemed to understand what we needed. Xerox, photo copies, copier, scanner - all lost in translation. Then finally we went into a pharmacy where the daughter of the owner spoke good english. Oh you mean "photostat", she said. Then she told us that their Photostat was broken and to go across the main road, over the bridge to a small shop which should be marked. We've gotten farther on less so we headed for the bridge.<br />
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Bingo, next to a beauty parlor was a shop sign that read: Photostat. The shop was empty and locked but after a few hellos somebody came over from the beauty parlor who agreed to make copies of our passports. She went in the back room, turned on the copier and made our copies. Now, back to the hotel to try and convey to the manager who was no doubt gonna think we were crazy for asking him to sign a letter saying we were staying there.<br />
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We whizzed off in the taxi back to the hotel. After a new fare agreement for another round trip with a wait in between I headed into the manager's office who was luckily a very friendly and helpful man. He understood and hand wrote a letter on hotel letterhead in English cursive. His handwriting was very neat but agonizingly slow. I had to surpress my western world hurry up mentality but he finally finished. One more addition, "Manager", under his signature. That should do the trick.<br />
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lady honored her agreement as we presented the photostat copies and letter. Reading it carefully she made a final approval call to her manager. Her assistant activated the 3G device and that was that. Score! We thanked the lady and quickly left the store before she changed her mind. It was a few hoops to jump through but it felt good to skirt around the system and be the proud owners of mobile internet.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ovH6wMtzts/UVYcrjndYyI/AAAAAAAADmA/9-FtcxiZvSY/s1600/River+Cruise-1916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ovH6wMtzts/UVYcrjndYyI/AAAAAAAADmA/9-FtcxiZvSY/s400/River+Cruise-1916.jpg" width="400" /></a>We spent the next few days catching up on admin things during the heat of the day and exploring the area in the mornings and evenings.<br />
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Since we were staying in a rather unpopulated area we ate entirely at the hotel but it made for some tasty food. Our particular favorite was a breakfast dish called Puttu. You get a large serving of steamed rice flour and coconut, served warm. Then they also give you a couple steamed ripe small bananas and a hefty bowl of sugar. The bananas aren't as sweet as the large ones you generally have in the US so sugar is often needed!<br />
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The best part of this breakfast is that there is no other way to eat it than with your hands. <br />
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The rice flour and coconut is incredibly flaky so you unwrap a steamed banana, pour on some sugar and begin mashing it all together like a kid playing in mashed potatoes with their hand! It was definitely awkward the first time we did this, but you get the hang of it. Once you mash it all together you have a sweet, warm cakey mixture which goes nicely with a pot of coffee!<br />
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One afternoon I was talking to my manager friend who mentioned that if I wanted beer the liquor store would be open tonight. Evidently it has regulated hours and was only open every few days. So, around sunset I headed down to try and get a few Kingfisher Beers for the evenings. After crossing the main road I encountered a surprisingly frenzied scene. It was pretty much dark and there were only sparse street lights and the glow from inside the liquor store set just off the main road. It wasn't really a store but more a service counter. A delivery trunk was parked out front and a big congregation of people had formed. It was an unorganized system with only partial queuing but there was a clear entrance and exit. People had lined up but there was still a lot of pushing and shoving. Keep in mind that there isn't the concept of personal space here and this situation was no exception. In line you find yourself right next to everybody else; you get used to it but its still fairly uncomfortable.<br />
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Anyway, there were about 40 men in front of me when one of the guys working waived me down and gestured to the exit. Taking the hint I climbed under a rail to skirt the line and placed my order. It took a few minutes and I got a few dirty looks and people pushing and shoving past me but I emerged with a box full of beers and avoided the unruly line. Nice!<br />
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The beers helped make the task of getting our taxes and some of our onward journey planning a little more bearable. Chores done, its time to head to a hill station!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732757819924451127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200739430966400055.post-31466011688316736482013-04-06T09:00:00.000-04:002013-04-06T10:23:55.884-04:00Kerala Backwater Cruise<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Our driver picked us up early in the morning for a short drive to Kumarakom, the departure point for the ever popular Kerala backwater boat cruises. Saying goodbye to our hosts, all we really knew was we were scheduled to stay overnight on a boat that would be exploring the "backwaters". Knowing India this could mean anything from a luxury 5 star cruise to a raft floating on a polluted river. It came highly recommended and The Ravindran's were kind enough to make the arrangements for us, so we just went with it.<br />
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After stopping a couple times for our driver to ask directions we finally turned off the main road. Shortly after the boats started appearing as we drove next to a backwater canal on a narrow dirt road. We stopped to ask for directions again because we were supposed to meet our contact to start the cruise. The driver didn't know much more than that so after asking a few people we finally found the right boat.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1qNKA5zJGgY/UVPQXRjrSyI/AAAAAAAADkU/MIKh--H9RCk/s1600/River+Cruise-1721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1qNKA5zJGgY/UVPQXRjrSyI/AAAAAAAADkU/MIKh--H9RCk/s400/River+Cruise-1721.jpg" width="400" /></a>So what are the Kerala backwaters? <br />
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In short, they are a set of canals and lakes that feed into the adjacent Arabian Sea that run along a big portion of the Kerala coast. The canals are filled with water plants on the surface and dense palms trees lining the shores. The green brackish water is a combination of salt water and fresh water and is home to a unique eco system along with being a major irrigation source for the surrounding communities.<br />
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In this laid back setting only a boat of a certain nature would do. Meet the Kettuvallam style of house boat - a more modern invention using ancient boat building techniques to construct the living quarters out of bamboo, coconut fibre, ropes and thatched roofs. They are a modern day adaptation from the old rice and goods carrying barges which aren't needed anymore. Though many have the same general style, the local craftsman are creative so you see all sorts.<br />
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On board they have hotel-style rooms with en suite bathrooms and big beds. The main area is covered but open on the sides with a few chairs, tables and fans all set for relaxation. At the back is the full service kitchen and all meals are prepared on board.<br />
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We were introduced to our staff on board - a captain, a cook and a deck hand who welcomed us warmly. The cook said our welcome drinks and snack were almost ready so we grabbed two chairs on the deck to take it all in. It turned out we were the only guests that night and had the whole place to ourselves. You can see Steph enjoying, err, drinking her coconut with a straw. Some are good and others can be more fun than good.<br />
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Before we knew it the deck hand was untying us from the shore and the captain was in his front-and-center captain's seat, a fancy plastic chair, at the bow of the boat.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zR5G-kSosWE/UVz2201gHvI/AAAAAAAADwI/Kd-wfSSmv3w/s1600/River+Cruise-1768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zR5G-kSosWE/UVz2201gHvI/AAAAAAAADwI/Kd-wfSSmv3w/s400/River+Cruise-1768.jpg" width="400" /></a>The setting was so calm and peaceful. Soon enough the cook brought out fried bananas which were a real treat. Seems this is the norm around Kerala. Thirsty? Have a coconut. Luckily, they know when they are ripe so they taste ok. Our snack was the tiny sweet bananas found everywhere, fried in a crispy batter. They were very tasty!<br />
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The plan was to cruise out to Kumarakom Lake, stop for lunch then cruise through a few more canals and find a place to stop for the night.<br />
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The scenery was fantastic. As I mentioned the canals were covered in dense sections of hyacinths (lily pad type plant) almost making a carpet to walk on, surrounded by palm trees, mangroves and coconut groves. There were a few other boats like ours and many of the locals out in smaller more traditional boats fishing. We passed a few small villages with children out playing in the canals and a few sections of old school fishing nets. They were a trip and must take quite a few men to operate.<br />
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While cruising on the wide open lake we caught this classic india moment.<br />
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After stopping on the lake for lunch we made our way back through the canals where we stopped for the evening. The sun was starting to set when a storm moved in. The captain and deck hand quickly scrambled to get the tarps out to keep us all from getting soaked. Normally rain is a bad thing but the tranquililty and peace level went to an entirely new level. Sitting on the boat tied up to the shore on a peaceful canal with the sound of rain gently tapping the lilies and water was amazing. No sunset today but off in the distance we watched as the storm lit up the sky and soaked the canals. We felt a millions miles from anywhere, it was surreal.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fb-pMOI9eSk/UWAv1IC7kyI/AAAAAAAADzA/ZjioyrpTYeo/s1600/River+Cruise-1824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fb-pMOI9eSk/UWAv1IC7kyI/AAAAAAAADzA/ZjioyrpTYeo/s400/River+Cruise-1824.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />Surprisingly the captain asked us if we wanted any beer. In this type of setting it would have been a nice treat but we didn't bring any. He said the deck hand could "run" to the local shop to get it for us if needed. Sure, we said. The deck hand then took off into the trees down a small path. About an hour later he emerged with the drinks we had ordered. As the saying goes, ask and you shall receive, even if there was a small markup on the price of the beers.<br />
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One of our favorite things was the soundtrack they played in the evening. It was an Indian and Malay soundtrack which set the scene for this amazing cruise. Dinner was a spicy curry by candle light (they asked in advance if we wanted meat or veggie - we chose veggie - its what they do best!). Kerala food is so diverse and so tasty!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CI9SznJRTMs/UVPO3nm8VRI/AAAAAAAADjc/XF8C5fqjkLU/s1600/River+Cruise-1866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CI9SznJRTMs/UVPO3nm8VRI/AAAAAAAADjc/XF8C5fqjkLU/s400/River+Cruise-1866.jpg" width="400" /></a>Morning came and we were up early to experience the sunrise on the backwaters. Overnight a huge section of hyacinths had engulfed the boat which attracted a lot of stalking birds and made for interesting bird watching. They hunted for their breakfast then had to fight off the other birds to eat it.<br />
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After our breakfast we were offered the option to do some fishing of our own. A small branch and a little fishing line with a hook. We didn't have any luck but the cook had honed his skills and caught a few hand size fish.<br />
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Overall, it was an incredibly fast 24 hours and before we knew it we were heading back to the dock. By this point in the India trip, we were starting to learn that things really did happen only at a certain pace...and that pace was generally relaxed and fairly slow. But we were getting used to it! The house boat was an extremely relaxing part of our trip and we would recommend it to anyone! <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732757819924451127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200739430966400055.post-49678479385288780482013-04-04T09:00:00.000-04:002013-04-04T09:00:00.228-04:00Kerala Banana Plantations and Paddy Fields<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After all the diving another country was calling, this time India. Since our first visit back in 2010 we had been itching to go back and now was our chance. This time we were starting in the southern state of Kerala and were going to work our way north with no planned agenda. Adventure was certain to follow.<br />
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As most of you know we were welcomed to India by our friends, the Ravindran Family. They were our gracious hosts for the first week of our trip. From picking us up at the airport, to the welcoming ceremony with incense and water on their doorstep to fabulous meals and great company we were instantly a part of the family. You can look back below at a few of our posts along the way.</div>
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<li><a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2012/04/incredible-india.html">Incredible India</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nolandtravels.com/2012/04/meet-ravindran-family.html">Meet the Ravindran Family</a></li>
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One morning after breakfast we set out for a walking tour of the area around Kollam where we were staying. Kerala is a picturesque place and we wanted a first hand look. Summer was in full swing and the afternoons were hot, so the walk wasn't going to be a long one. The plan was to take an auto rickshaw a few minutes down the road to a local temple then walk back to the house exploring the banana plantations and paddy fields and meet some of the neighbors along the way.<br />
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Walking outside our ride awaited along with our guide, the family friend Babu who had gone to the main road to bring a taxi back to the house. We also had the company of Madhov who was staying with his grandparents, our hosts, and was on his school break. He was fun to have around plus his english was good and a big help translating at times throughout our stay. We all piled in the auto rickshaw and with a buzz of the engine we were off.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tawfnbbfwhc/UVD-ORxSxtI/AAAAAAAADgI/0VSBql40AJ0/s1600/Kollam+Village+Tour-1410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Cruising through the small village we took a left and headed into the fields following a rough little road down to a small temple. After a quick look around Babu started leading us to a local temple down a dirt path when he turned and yelled at a man walking behind us. I figured it was just a friend but as we continued he joined us. His english was good so we had some light conversation and it turns out it was Babu's brother.<br />
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After exploring the outside of the temple, we stopped at at one of the palm trees and the brother proceeded to hike up his dhoti and climb the tree. A little surprised, we watched him climb using small wedges cut into the trunk to slowly work his way up where he cut down a few coconuts that tumbled to the ground.<br />
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Nearby was a little shelter which the field workers use in the summer to get out of the sun and eat lunch. Then with a few swift hacks of his machette he opened the coconuts and handed us each one. It was a refreshing morning drink. While taking a break we were joined by a few other guys who were hiding from the sun too. After a group photo op with our coconuts we then headed further into the fields winding along the irrigation path where water was flowing into the fields.<br />
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Coming up on a house a man waved us down and invited us onto his property. For some reason the man was very excited for us to meet his daughter and then to have her sing for us. I'm sure Mrs. Ravindran warned them we were coming. Anyway, it took a little extra encouragement since she was shy around the funny looking Westerners, but she sang a lovely tune for us. After a good chat, we then carried on again further into the fields.<br />
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Next we stumbled on a very curious man with goats. He was taking one to the stream for a bath but stopped us to say hello and shake hands. Then he graciously posed for a photo.<br />
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By this time of the morning, it was starting to heat up and we were thankfully nearing the house. We weren't sure of the exact temperatures, but in trying to be conservatively dressed, Steph was now feeling quite warm in her jeans and t-shirt.<br />
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We continued to follow the path through paddy fields with white herons stalking and others with cows grazing, through banana fields that open to more paddy fields. There were also plenty of rubber trees. Kerala is actually a big supplier of natural rubber and all the trees had big swatches cut out of them, many with bags to collect the rubber. We hadn't seen rubber being farmed so that was very interesting. It seemed hard to imagine how it gets from tree to tire.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mvENBpvYkck/UVJ1eaDbeqI/AAAAAAAADhE/yt57oEc49hQ/s1600/Kollam+Village+Tour-1484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mvENBpvYkck/UVJ1eaDbeqI/AAAAAAAADhE/yt57oEc49hQ/s400/Kollam+Village+Tour-1484.jpg" width="400" /></a>The countryside in this area of Kerala was stunning albiet a long way from the horse farms, rolling hills and bluegrass we were used to. But the palm trees, paddy fields and banana trees were a gorgeous combination and in hindsight, some of the best scenery in India.<br />
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We even found a dragon fruit that we'd heard great things about. True to form, the family had one cut up (apparently a messy and hard process since its so big) and served it to us later in the day.<br />
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Our days were very relaxing in this lovely village. And I couldn't pass up this shot of Steph in the umbrella which is a little ridiculous but she was a good sport in jeans.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00732757819924451127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200739430966400055.post-2125344283408700922013-03-31T22:12:00.002-04:002013-04-03T21:42:24.043-04:00Final thoughts on live aboard diving<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Cruising back after Richelieu Rock we didn't realize it at the time but we had hung up our regulators for the last time on this trip. In the short span of February we had racked up nearly 50 dives. Quite a feat for new comers on the diving scene! We had gone from inexperienced divers to more accomplished and confident divers. Deep dives, wreck dives, strong current dives, wall dives. shallow dives and swim through dives to round out the variety.<br />
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Diving has been such a fantastic experience and hopefully a new life long hobby. Picking up and honing new skills was such a welcome challenge and a live aboard cruise was the perfect way to take it up a notch. Once on board it was full focus on diving with little room for anything else short of brushing up on your aquatic life knowledge and afternoon napping.<br />
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One major difference between live aboard diving and land-based day trip diving is the service. The deck hands were amazing! Not having to put on your fins was a real treat. They took care of everything.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JALov10CDOI/UTyioY8WEJI/AAAAAAAADe8/lwDAiOQYVxI/s1600/Similan+Island+Diving-7018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JALov10CDOI/UTyioY8WEJI/AAAAAAAADe8/lwDAiOQYVxI/s640/Similan+Island+Diving-7018.jpg" width="640" /></a>After sunset and a quick bite for dinner I'd climb up to the sun deck to relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Here the memories of the awe inspiring underwater came flooding back. Gazing out at the twinkling stars and glowing moon off in the distance was a truly rewarding feeling of relaxation and accomplishment. The physical exertion coupled with peaceful surroundings was a perfect combination. Times like this happen occasionally but are too few and far between. All was right in the world for that short spell.<br />
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One of the many things we learned is that electrolytes are a must! On Koh Tao we didn't realize it at the time but we were run down, literally dead tired at the end of each day from lack of proper hydration. We were only drinking filtered water so weren't getting the minerals to replenish after the days activities. After being strongly encouraged to drink them on the live aboard we quickly found ourselves feeling more energetic and alert at the end of the day even after a 4 dive day. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QBcPit0dXSg/UTyiqSau3zI/AAAAAAAADfE/p4uSgTzRa-0/s1600/Similan+Islands-1178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QBcPit0dXSg/UTyiqSau3zI/AAAAAAAADfE/p4uSgTzRa-0/s400/Similan+Islands-1178.jpg" width="400" /></a>However, the diving picture isn't all that pretty. Our oceans are under threat from over fishing, pollution and sadly, tourism. Sitting on the deck at night counting the glowing lights in the distance from the fishing boats in the area was staggering. 75+ glowing squid boats in my 360 degrees views of view. It was no different in Koh Tao where boats were fishing the bare minimum from the dive site even while the dive boats were around.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wLuGOPkZ2iw/UTPZFKrUzFI/AAAAAAAADeE/MCnzO8j5Y6M/s1600/Koh+Tao+Diving-4385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wLuGOPkZ2iw/UTPZFKrUzFI/AAAAAAAADeE/MCnzO8j5Y6M/s400/Koh+Tao+Diving-4385.jpg" width="400" /></a>Reflecting on it, its hard to blame the locals that are doing the fishing. We'd probably do the same in their spot, but the overfishing is taking its toll. The dive instructors say that the first dive of the season at Richelieu Rock is spent cutting fishing nets off the delicate corals. The volume of fish life across the waters was also in decline according to their experience over the years. All of the bigger predators, sharks included, have moved off the reefs which is a worrying sign for the delicate eco-systems.<br />
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As for our part, the only thing we could do was try to be responsible divers. Look, don't touch. Learn our buoyancy well so we're not bumping in to delicate corals. Learn about the amazing underwater world and the challenges it faces. And share where we can to educate others. <br />
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I remember being surprised by a sign in our bathroom in Thailand talking about looking at the ingredients of your shampoo - ingredients that are toxic to the underwater world. Not so surprisingly, we later found an article about P&G carefully planning ingredients of products distributed in certain countries where such cleansers were likely to end up, untreated, back in the water supply. As a company, they realized the potential harm to humans and animals alike. Another reason travel is so eye opening... <br />
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Our live aboard experience definitely wasn't on a backpacker budget but the diving was amazing and its the only way to see some of these world class sites. </div>
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A big thanks to our friends at <a href="http://www.khaolakscubaadventures.com/">Khao Lak Scuba Advenures</a>.</div>
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17063922271779671843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200739430966400055.post-56192976810518654112013-03-11T09:00:00.000-04:002013-03-11T09:00:08.768-04:00Say hello to my little friends - the fish of the Andaman Sea<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-03ymHxAAEs4/UTQQUUpLWUI/AAAAAAAADek/WrDF9FsOtgA/s1600/Similan+Islands-1231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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As I previously mentioned, the dive sites on our liveaboard trip kept getting better and better. The variety and volume of marine life was stunning and we *tried* to capture some of that beauty by renting an underwater camera. To save you from a detailed account of each fascinating dive I have compiled a set of photos and little stories about some of our favorite fish. Say hello to my little friends...<br />
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Boxfish - one of our favorites...maybe because of their funny boxy shape and mis-match color patterns as babies. But don't touch, they secrete a toxic liquid that is poisonous to other fish.<br />
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Nudibranch - there were numerous varieties and colors of nudis - weird little slug-like things, but we came to love them. And they are the size of your thumb nail! A challenge to find but rewarding!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Juvenile Angelfish - our favorite! A strikingly attractive little fish and hard to find!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Harlequin<span style="text-align: center;"> Shrimps - These shrimps are tiny, less than an inch long but AMAZING!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4oUKwfQ74Qk/UTGBeF1SvLI/AAAAAAAADUY/Jk3AMAOWOsE/s1600/Similan+Islands-7120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dCc_FNs0JEI/UTF4ts77_8I/AAAAAAAADSA/xfKFuRKxhd4/s1600/Similan+Islands-7082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dCc_FNs0JEI/UTF4ts77_8I/AAAAAAAADSA/xfKFuRKxhd4/s640/Similan+Islands-7082.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">Octopus - this guy was hard to spot, but I happened to see him as our group went by because his color changing skin reacted as he moved to reposition on his rock.</div><br />
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<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yt4vvQ8y58o/UTF6rfYrzOI/AAAAAAAADS0/jSYuUIMxnDU/s1600/Similan+Island+Diving-6968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yt4vvQ8y58o/UTF6rfYrzOI/AAAAAAAADS0/jSYuUIMxnDU/s320/Similan+Island+Diving-6968.jpg" width="320" /></a>Seahorse - these famous little guys are HARD to find. So small and delicate. What a treasure to see him!</div><br />
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Porcupine fish & Mappa Pufferfish<br />
We saw these guys often although the shipwreck site we visited really brought them to a new level - they were all over the place and I found out they charge at paparazzi!</div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-isvLCnsaiX0/UTO9qmvhLEI/AAAAAAAADbg/EBXHQOmOGuk/s1600/Similan+Island+Diving-7220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-isvLCnsaiX0/UTO9qmvhLEI/AAAAAAAADbg/EBXHQOmOGuk/s320/Similan+Island+Diving-7220.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Stone Fish - Camouflaged and poisonous. We steered clear.</div><br />
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</div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-So4U0mG25GM/UTOLdsGizWI/AAAAAAAADYU/ZIsEaiynxQA/s1600/Similan+Island+Diving-6874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-So4U0mG25GM/UTOLdsGizWI/AAAAAAAADYU/ZIsEaiynxQA/s640/Similan+Island+Diving-6874.jpg" width="640" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17063922271779671843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200739430966400055.post-46608466707157286702013-03-10T09:00:00.000-04:002013-03-10T09:00:01.261-04:00Richelieu Rock, kid-in-a-candy-store-diving<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Richelieu Rock was the most famous of the dives sites on our liveaboard trip. Jacques Cousteau discovered this horseshoe shaped reef, near the coast of Burma. It is well known for its purple corals and incredibly diverse and abundant marine life. Having heard all the talk leading up to our first dive here, we were unsure what to expect. Could it really be better than what we've seen already? What makes it so special? Well, we were about to find out.<br />
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Josh had been joking with our dive master, Neil, that he needed to "find" us a juvenile angelfish. We were anxious to see this little beauty that carried the vibrant colors of royal blue, white and black. Neil had been pretty good about "finding" other fish for us but he was less confident about this one - they are elusive little guys - but he said Richelieu Rock was the best chance.<br />
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We jumped in the water from the dive deck and our group made the descent into wonderland...immediately upon going under water the dive site was in view. The visibility was spectacular and the waters were alive with movement of little creatures. The whole site had an incredible glow of purple from the abundant amount of soft purple corals. I think we all felt like kids in the candy store as our eyes darted around not knowing which beautiful aspect to admire first. <br />
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As soon as we made it to the bottom Neil was already turning back to Josh and swinging his cradled arms in front of him then drawing a circle around his head - dive language for baby angelfish! Score! We all gathered around to look at the stunning fish about the size of your palm. <br />
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I was so excited and immediately began trying to take pictures as he was swimming near a small patch of coral. My first attempt at closing in on him was too fast and with everyone else around I had to go forward and come back around for another approach. I waited for the others to have a look and then steadied my hands on the camera, breathed slowly to control my bouyancy and softly flipped my fins to approach the shy fish as he had moved over to the base of a large wall of coral.<br />
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I took several careful pictures and was admiring his beauty. I smiled mentally (cause you can't really smile with a regulator in your mouth) and turned around because I was sure Josh was relishing this little guy as much as I was. But there was no Josh. There was no one!<br />
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I backed away from the wall and looked around - my group was gone! Oh crap! Rule number 2 of diving is to always stay with your buddy (Rule number 1 is to never hold your breath, in case you're curious). Even in our short diving careers we had already established the normal attitude of being frustrated with people who wander off from their groups - it can cause dives to end early if you can't quickly reunite. We were at Richelieu Rock and I was lost! Although I firmly believed that Josh had left ME, I definitely didn't want to be the reason our whole group had to surface early at such an epic dive site. <br />
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So, I looked around in the distance. Thanks to the brilliant visibility I spotted our group in the distance over a coral ledge. I quickly swam across the expanse and as I neared I realized it wasn't my group. Double crap. I turned around and looked again. I saw another group up to the right, but that wasn't them. Then I saw a group from our boat. The dive master knew what was up and made the "buddy" sign at me and I had to shrug my shoulders in reply. She motioned for me to join her group but just then I saw our group in the distance. I pointed and motioned I was off and she waved goodbye.<br />
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As I approched that group, again, across an expanse, again, I realized it wasn't them. Oh no! I just sent that other group on their way! Just as I was about to really have to consider surfacing, standard procedure when you are lost for more than 1 minute, Neil, Josh and crew all emerged from a narrow split in the corals off to the left. SAVED! <br />
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Josh and I both did the "where the heck did you go?", "why the heck did you leave me" shrugs, motions and wide eyes at each other. Neil just looked at us both and gave us the buddy sign. Gotcha. Won't happen again.<br />
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Come to find out Neil was racing to be the first at the sea horse hangout.<br />
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The rest of the dive was unbelievable and we all stayed together. It was the most exciting dive we had had to date and not just because I got lost! At the end of the hour, our group surfaced all grinning ear to ear. And off the back of the boat was Richeilieu Rock just breaking the ocean surface. You would never know what an exciting world sat beneath that simple set of rocks!<br />
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17063922271779671843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200739430966400055.post-83134412198418788342013-03-08T09:00:00.000-05:002013-03-08T09:00:00.402-05:00This Dive Site Is "Challenging"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>(Disclamier - no photos were taken on this dive)</i><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sNUkkz3kG4k/UTOAWws_3JI/AAAAAAAADX8/gk1K6khTJAg/s1600/the+dome+dive+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sNUkkz3kG4k/UTOAWws_3JI/AAAAAAAADX8/gk1K6khTJAg/s400/the+dome+dive+map.jpg" width="400" /></a>"The word of the day is 'challenging'", the dive leader announced as he kicked off our dive briefing and holding up the dive board with the color dive site description. <br />
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Yes, you have my attention. We were tied up off the tiny uninhabited island of Koh Tachai. Below us is the infamous dive site called the Dome or as locals call it, The Dome of Doom. Even now just thinking about it gives me chills.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_llJ-I4WyZM/UTGEju4ta9I/AAAAAAAADU8/QjZ485f57Cs/s1600/Similan+Island+Diving-6825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_llJ-I4WyZM/UTGEju4ta9I/AAAAAAAADU8/QjZ485f57Cs/s400/Similan+Island+Diving-6825.jpg" width="400" /></a>This site is renowned for its STRONG currents but on this day they were worse and labeled challenging. Being fairly new divers and only used to mild currents, it wasn't something we wanted to hear as we were getting ready for our last dive of the day.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MuDds4fJTLw/UTPQrvK5jJI/AAAAAAAADcg/GvPEjGwEK2s/s1600/Similan+Island+Diving-6691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MuDds4fJTLw/UTPQrvK5jJI/AAAAAAAADcg/GvPEjGwEK2s/s400/Similan+Island+Diving-6691.jpg" width="400" /></a>On top of the currents, we would be learning a new technique called a Negative Entry. Normally after jumping into the water you remain at the surface to make sure everybody is ready to go before heading down together. With the negative entry you do not surface and instead descend straight down to depth. Why do this? Well, the currents were so strong that even taking 30 seconds on the surface would cause you to drift so far off the dive site you may not be able to swim back. It was so bad that one of the instructors joked, if you get caught in the current the boat would be picking you up in Burma - a few miles away.<br />
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Suited up and standing on the back of the boat, we watched a group of divers from another boat start their dive. Skipping the negative entry they instantly drifted a long way off the site. Our dive master shook his head knowing they were in for a long hard swim. We watched nervously thinking, here we go!</div>
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The boat pulled over the dive site and sounded the horn indicating, "go, go, go". Our team jumped into the water, one after another in hurry to not get separated. We were a group of 4 and one dive master, all heading down to the dive site as usual with our hearts pounding with a nervous energy. I couldn't help but think, "what are we in for?"<br />
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Initially, we were drifting with the current which was at quite a pace. You didn't really have to kick your fins because the landscape was just breezing past you. Then the dive master started changing directions looking for some rocks to hide behind so we could actually go slower to see something instead of just watching everything zoom past in dark blue motion blur. An important rule of diving is to go slow but in this current that proved challenging.<br />
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Hiding behind some rocks, we were able to get some shelter from the strong current. In buddy groups of 2, the normal diving safety mechanism, we moved from rock to rock. However, as soon as you broke cover the current would hit you square in the face and to beat the current you had to all out swim, kicking as hard and aggressively as you could. When you finally found a calmer spot you needed to catch your breath from the excessive swimming. In all this effort, spotting underwater life was tough. What did we see, hmmm, not much because it took so much effort and focus to avoid being picked up in Burma.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mm8DCyG77pI/UTGFppRMzsI/AAAAAAAADVY/lLhr3ggaGQw/s1600/Koh+Tao+Diving-4380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mm8DCyG77pI/UTGFppRMzsI/AAAAAAAADVY/lLhr3ggaGQw/s400/Koh+Tao+Diving-4380.jpg" width="300" /></a>Any diver knows air consumption is crucial and that a general rule of thumb is that when you get to 50 bars of air pressure remaining you need to start making your way to the surface. Well on this dive the limit was 70 bars. Keep in mind you only start with 200. This was serious.<br />
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If you can't tell already, the dive was brutal. I spent the whole time worry about current, Burma, air, and Steph. Fish? What fish? I can't tell you how relieved I was to signal to the dive master that I was at 70 bar. But it wasn't over yet. We still had to make it to the buoy line, do a safety stop and then signal the boat to pick us up.<br />
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Finally, we made it to the buoy line. We all grabbed on, slowly inching ourselves up to the 5 meter mark. At that depth, the current was at its strongest and frankly unbelievable! Hanging on to the line with both hands we were all at 90 degree angles to the line flying in the current like we were flags on a pole! The force was incredible. The sound of the water rushing past with bubbles hitting you in the face was absolutely unreal. None of us dared to turn and look at one another because the current could easily rip our masks off! The sound, pressure and out of this world feelings were something I can't do justice.<br />
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Finally, we got the all clear to surface. Up we went and quickly enough the dingy darted over to pick us up. After helping Steph and grabbing a hold of the small boat for a tow it was a big relief. Climbing out of the water on to the boat, we were exhausted and still buzzing from the adrenaline rush. I was on 20 bars of air. Wow!<br />
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Its no surprise that back on board the other group members echoed the same sentiment I'm glad that's over! The dive was short which normally isn't a good thing but in this case every one was ready to be done.<br />
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Dome of Doom - a challenge for sure! We are better divers because of it.<br />
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Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17063922271779671843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200739430966400055.post-42202760275221369422013-03-07T19:59:00.000-05:002013-03-07T19:59:00.311-05:00Similan Islands liveaboard diving<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--o8pDjj2I1Y/UTAkdwDl-HI/AAAAAAAADNw/XWJeZVgQ6ww/s1600/Similan+Islands-1191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--o8pDjj2I1Y/UTAkdwDl-HI/AAAAAAAADNw/XWJeZVgQ6ww/s640/Similan+Islands-1191.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Ever since learning to dive, discussion on amazing world dive sites always brought up a place called Sipidan on Borneo. We weren’t able to make Sipidan work for our schedule and if we could do it over we would make it happen no matter what.<br />
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So, after speaking to folks on Koh Tao everybody raved about The Similan Islands off the west coast of Thailand. Supposedly, there were more “big fish” and the visibility was stellar. The catch? The only way to see them is via live aboard diving boats – which are costly.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oIlfNwya8iE/UTAkujA9XfI/AAAAAAAADOI/Ta_ayEIUkS0/s1600/Similan+Islands-1274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Live aboards are literally that – you live on a boat and dive multiple times a day. Eat, sleep and dive if you will. The idea of so much diving in a day sounded daunting since we were still relatively new divers, but to be fair we had racked up over 30 dives and were feeling proficient in the water.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p46YMmx2L1M/UTAlyjbbcqI/AAAAAAAADOc/JdHdAk1ITyE/s1600/Similan+Islands-1270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p46YMmx2L1M/UTAlyjbbcqI/AAAAAAAADOc/JdHdAk1ITyE/s400/Similan+Islands-1270.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Then came our inevitable discussion of budget. It was simply way out of budget. So, we pondered for days and when our restlessness got to be too much we just decided – we were young, we were nearby and in the grand scheme of things we’d regret passing up the opportunity more than we’d miss the extra cash in our pockets. So we booked it!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dfTlpnmxIj4/UTAkgPSjeoI/AAAAAAAADN4/H-ji_ZQI_uw/s1600/Similan+Islands-1183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dfTlpnmxIj4/UTAkgPSjeoI/AAAAAAAADN4/H-ji_ZQI_uw/s400/Similan+Islands-1183.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AvDQEa5lBP8/UTAkjTNaUOI/AAAAAAAADOA/WTVmNnTiddE/s1600/Similan+Islands-1199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AvDQEa5lBP8/UTAkjTNaUOI/AAAAAAAADOA/WTVmNnTiddE/s400/Similan+Islands-1199.jpg" width="400" /></a>We were fresh off one of the most "backpacker" overnight ferries you could imagine - a long narrow ferry with 60 narrow mattresses side-by-side on the floor with only a narrow walk way running down the middle. It was shoulder to shoulder backpackers returning to mainland! Backpacks were stacked in the front of the boat with personal bags at your feet. Forget blankets, pj's, brushing your teeth, etc., it was simply lay down and snooze. You didn't dare roll over for fear of meeting a stranger just inches from your face. <br />
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So on very little sleep, we hit the ground running as the sun came up and caught our bus across the peninsula to Khao Lak.<br />
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Dazed and groggy, we were buzzing with excitement when we arrived in Khao Lak, an unimpressive little town north of Phuket, for boarding our Similans liveaboard. For the next 4 days and 4 nights we would complete 14 dives in some of the world’s top dive sites - Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Surin Islands and the epic Richelieu Rock. Plus the idea of living on a boat for a few days sounded incredibly idyllic with stops at remote islands for afternoon beach time.<br />
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Our boat was the charming Manta Queen II from <a href="http://www.khaolakscubaadventures.com/">Khao Lak Scuba Adventures</a>. At the dock, instructors were holding a big plastic garbage bag at the gangway. "Please deposit your sandals and flip flops in the bag - you won't need them for the next 4 days. Don't worry you will get them back". Awesome.<br />
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Barefoot, we quickly started exploring our new home. The lower deck was the dive deck, kitchen, cabins and bathrooms. Upstairs was the "living room" - an open space with padded benches lining the perimeter, tables and a TV. The upper deck was the sun deck, half covered and half exposed to the sun (or moon!) - it looked like a prime place to relax, err recover, between dives...<br />
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Not long after setting sail, they served a scrumptuous buffet dinner. They had all angles covered down to fruits and jam biscuits for dessert, a beer and Coke fridge and hot/cold water cooler for unlimited coffee, tea or water.<br />
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Our energetic boat leader was Neil, an American, who had come travelling to Southeast Asia many years ago, found diving, and never left. He was definitely not boring! He welcomed us to the boat, outlined the schedule (basically, dive-eat-sleep-repeat) and gave us many pointers on diving so frequently back-to-back. In one tip, he explained that the cooler water was filtered by reverse osmosis and as such, had no minerals. Although it would wet your mouth it wouldn't provide the essential minerals needed by your body after the gruelling dive schedule. So, they provided electrolyte packets, effectively powered Gatorade, and we were instructed to have at least two of them a day. <br />
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Neil closed out the night by saying goodnight and to enjoy sleeping in the next morning...to 7am! Because we'd be rising at 6am the other mornings. Should be easy enough, right, seeing as though all we have to do is dive?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ol9MU6DJw8E/UTGHQQc0o0I/AAAAAAAADVw/KmKHKUUOzT4/s1600/Similan+Island+Diving-6988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ol9MU6DJw8E/UTGHQQc0o0I/AAAAAAAADVw/KmKHKUUOzT4/s400/Similan+Island+Diving-6988.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The next morning, we strangely woke up EARLY! We went upstairs and enjoyed the peacefulness of being moored next to a remote island. At 7am, we heard Neil come through with what would be his standard wake up call - his outrageously loud voice yelling "Waaaaake Uuuuuuup! Goooooood Mooooorning Diverssss!" Seriously! Oh. my. gosh. I'm awake.<br />
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Let the diving begin!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oIlfNwya8iE/UTAkujA9XfI/AAAAAAAADOI/Ta_ayEIUkS0/s1600/Similan+Islands-1274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oIlfNwya8iE/UTAkujA9XfI/AAAAAAAADOI/Ta_ayEIUkS0/s400/Similan+Islands-1274.jpg" width="400" /></a>All dives went something like this. You'd head up to the main deck and have a dive briefing to tell you all the ins and outs for the dive. Things like dive depth, what to look out for, the dive site layout, etc.<br />
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Then you'd head down to the dive deck where it was all business. Wetsuit on. Wait belt on. Turn your air supply on. Sitting down you put your BCD and tank on like a backpack. The deck hands then swooped in to put your fins on which after a few dives was a great luxury. Standing up you found your buddy and performed your saftey check (Beef with Red wine and fries) BCD, Weight belt, Releases, Air, Final check.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>It was dive time! We would jump off the back of the boat and head down to wonderland. Just don't forget to spit in your mask, first!<br />
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Afterwards it was taking off all your gear (and the deck hands would clean it all up!) then heading up to the main deck to log and discuss the dive.<br />
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And so began our schedule of dive-eat-sleep-repeat. I won't bore you with the details but it was awesome. Hearty meals. Coffee anytime. Nap anytime. Increasingly awesome dive sites (I think they plan it this way, to build up to Richelieu Rock). After the last dive of the day, you could have a cold beer, watch a movie, read a book, watch sunset over the ocean, stare at the stars from the sundeck or a little of all of them! You didn't feel guilty for hitting the sack at a reasonable time - you had earned it. It was indeed a grueling schedule, but so very rewarding!<br />
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</a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gCTcw-8u8ek/UTAoEi49tXI/AAAAAAAADOo/EEF6HaXmGTs/s1600/Similan+Islands-7052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gCTcw-8u8ek/UTAoEi49tXI/AAAAAAAADOo/EEF6HaXmGTs/s640/Similan+Islands-7052.jpg" width="640" /></a>Stephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17063922271779671843noreply@blogger.com0