Scuba Diving in Cozumel, Mexico

Posted on February 2, 2013 by debbie

Before we left for Africa, we spent some time researching and booking a dive trip with our Edmonton friends. I find it odd to be booking a long range trip before the short range trip has been taken, but sometimes it has to be done.

The group bantered about a few Caribbean destinations and chose Cozumel. Although Murray and I had been there in 2001 and then again in 2003, we decided that it was  a place that we would like to go back to. The island will have changed in the 10 years since we were last there. Here are a couple of pictures from those trips.

The motley dive crew - Debbie, Murray, Dive Master Polo, M and T

The motley dive crew – Debbie, Murray, Dive Master Polo, M and T

Street scene

We are going with R, A and B, so that makes a group of five – four divers and one relaxer. These are some of the same folks that we went to Bonaire with two years ago. Between R, Murray and me we investigated hotels and found a boutique hotel we were all happy with and booked ten nights into the Mi Casa en Cozumel. Murray and I like to stay in town so we can walk to restaurants, shops and explore the sights so we convinced the other three travelers to stay in town too.

At the same time, we investigated flights and the best route is through Houston then direct to Cozumel. Red eye to Houston, couple hour layover and into Cozumel by 11:00 am. Not bad. The return trip was even easier. Goofy story….Murray and I booked our flights early in the week, but B could not book until the weekend. We wanted to sit in the same row, so Murray and I picked seat numbers “D” and “F”, leaving “E” empty and hoping no one picked that seat before B booked her flights. B then booked her flights and was able to get seat “E” on all the flights, so we are sitting together. We thought we were quite ingenious with what we did, and it was a little fun trying to out think other travelers.

With the two critical pieces booked, we jetted off to Africa.

Once we returned from Africa and got back to mountain standard time, we started looking at dive operators.  This involved emails to dive shops, my famous spreadsheet analysis and a few discussions with the group.  Once again, between R, Murray and me we found one we were all very happy with (Blue Magic Scuba). Booked, paid a deposit and we were done.

Now on to the fun stuff – like figuring out how to pack my new BCD and regs and still travel carry on! More on that in the next post.

Cressi Aqua Pro 5 R BCD

Cressi Aqua Pro 5 R BCD

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A Day in Banff National Park

Posted on January 31, 2013 by debbie

I delivered Murray to B’s house where a group is going to Taylor Lake to back country ski. I now have the day to myself in Banff National Park. The snow is abundant, so I am going to head to Lake Louise to cross country ski the Great Divide.

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I head off and notice that the tracks have been blown over by the wind but skiers ahead of me have cleared the way. As I ski I think about a conversation I had with J last week about photography and how important light is. I decide to look for opportunities where light makes an ordinary photo into a WOW photo.

As I ski I realize how tired I am. I skied 21 plus km on Sunday, swam and did weights on Monday and my body is telling me it is tired. I bargain with myself that at 5 km I can make a call to turn around.

IMG_5609 (427x640)There are clouds obscuring the sun today, so there is a lack of sunlight streaming onto the fresh snow to make it sparkle. The wind whips around the trees, with their ready to fire snow bombs, and swirls the snow across the tracks.

I meet only 3 other skiers and it is very quiet out on the track by myself. Eerie for a city girl. I stop occasionally to look around for photo ops, cougars, critter tracks, others skiers. None anywhere.

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At the 4 km mark, the tracks turn ugly (as it looks like only one skier has gone past this point) and I bail. The wind is at my back now and the going seems easier. I think about having soup and hot tea for lunch at Laggan’s Bakery and Deli in the Samson Mall in Lake Louise Village. They make the best vegan tomato vegetable soup!

As I drive back to Banff I realize that the sun is already disappearing behind the mountains and it is only 1:30. During the winter, when the sun has such a low arc, it does not stay visible very long between the mountains. I manage to catch Cascade Mountain with sun on it.

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The photo ops are few today, but as I walk along the river in Banff I come across an ice dragon!

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I now wait for Murray to return from his adventure so we can share stories.

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Africa Safari – Just Go!

Posted on January 30, 2013 by debbie

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This is my last post on Africa. I want to tell you that if you have ever dreamed of, or have always been interested in, seeing all the animals we usually see in a zoo in their natural habitat, JUST GO ON SAFARI!

I have wanted to go to Africa for a very long time, perhaps since I was a child. Murray has wanted to go to Zanzibar since his stamp collecting days. We went and we could not have asked for a better experience. People use the phrase “a trip of a life time” and I actually dislike it, but in this case, it was a trip of a life time for me.

The safari in Tanzania was great. Assured animal sightings, excellent lodges, fabulous safari company and guide. Seeing our first animal – a giraffe – just inside the park gates of Tarangire National Park was just so thrilling. It is amazing that a single giraffe was able to illicit such a reaction!

If the safari in Tanzania was great, the one in Botswana was awesome. We saw so much “animal behavior” as we sat in the truck and just chilled with the animals. Our guide was amazing and was also so very interested in what we were witnessing.

The animals were fantastic. They were brilliantly colored, graceful in their movement, entertaining and informative. We have so many wonderful memories of elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, zebras, hippos, leopards and lions just doing what they do in the wild. If you have ever wanted to go to Africa to see these creatures, just go.

Go.

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Photos are Posted!

Posted on January 28, 2013 by debbie

They are here at last. Our photos from Tanzania, Botswana and London are now posted under the Photos tab on the main menu bar. They are in three separate photosets. Take a look and enjoy a peek at Africa!

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Cats

Posted on January 28, 2013 by debbie

Lions (Simba), cheetahs and leopards are lazy sorts. Hunt (occasionally), Eat (after they hunt), Sleep (after they eat) and Loll (the rest of the time). Pat, our Botswana guide, says that cats can go up to 7 days without eating and that making a kill is sometimes very hard work. Making a kill is easier if there is more than one cat working together.

Male Lion feasting on a Wildebeest

Male Lion feasting on a Wildebeest

All the cats we see in motion are very elegant and move with a complete conservation of energy.

Leopard

Leopard

What looks like a cute cuddly pet, turns into a killing machine when it gets hungry. Pascal, our Tanzanian guide, tells us that a leopard may make three kills in a row and only consume one kill. This shows that cats have an instinct to hunt and kill and will do it just to do it. Leopards take their kills up into a tree. These cats are the safest while up a tree as no other cats climb trees.

Cheetahs are the world’s fastest mammals but only over a short distance. They have to be cunning to sneak up on prey to get close enough to be able to take it down within its fast speed range. We see a cheetah blaze past as it overtakes an impala and it is only a white streak between the bushes.

Cheetah lunching on a baby Impala.

Cheetah lunching on a baby Impala.

Cats, impressive to see no matter what they are doing, but a little dull if they are just sleeping or lolling.

Lion

Lion

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Animal Babies

Posted on January 26, 2013 by debbie

Our hearts melted every time we saw a baby animal. They are just so cute that it is hard to not like them. They are often gangly, full of energy and have a sense of wonder about them. Here are a few.

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Animal Faces

Posted on January 24, 2013 by debbie

I wonder what they are thinking as they gaze our way. What do you think?

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Warthog

Posted on January 22, 2013 by debbie
Warthog in the Serengeti

Warthog

Funny little fellows. They seem shy, scurrying away when the vehicle approaches. If the truth be told they are quite ugly. While running, their tails stick straight up in the air, just like the movie character Pumba. Apparently this tail thing is so that warthogs know where each other are, even in higher brush. Ever wonder where the idea of those fluorescent orange bike safety flags came from? Pumba!

There is a mother warthog and her children hanging around the hotel in Kasane, Botswana. The kids are playing and I am amazing at how fast they move.

Every time we see warthogs on the move they look like they are on a mission.  Don’t spend a great deal of time watching these guys but they do make us laugh every time we see them.

Warthog in Botswana

Warthog

 

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The Cell Phone Dilemma

Posted on January 20, 2013 by debbie

I am now in a dilemma. The dilemma is whether we should travel with a cell phone. One that actually works in the countries where we are going, of course. This confusion comes about because of our two airline episodes in Tanzania and Botswana. Both situations might have been resolved much quicker, and perhaps with less stress, if we had a phone that worked where we were.

In Maun, Botswana, we would have been able to phone the Air Botswana office rather than going there and making multiple trips to and from the hotel. (Refer to “November 30 – Safari Goodbyes”)

In Tanzania, we might have been able to resolve the issue with our flights the night we discovered it, rather than waiting until the next morning. Although I do not think either of lost sleep over the matter. We also would have been able to phone the hotel in Vancouver and Westjet/Air Miles easier and rearrange our travel plans. (Refer to “December 11 –  Delayed”)

So, do we take the plunge and start traveling with a usable cell phone? Do we incur the extra expense for situations that may, or may not, happen? We have traveled to China, India, Vietnam, France and various Caribbean countries without any issues, so was this trip just bad luck? We managed to get both our travel issues resolved without a cell phone, so in the end everything worked out. I should tell you though that we borrowed three different people’s cell phones to deal with the Tanzanian airline issue. Who knows whether they got charged for the calls to Canada.

I don’t really know that much about cell phones and international travel, but my son was saying there are a number of ways to do it. One option is to get a cell phone plan that allows you to buy a roaming plan for the countries where you will traveling. The other option is to buy an open cell phone, which he says can be quite painful, and buy SIM cards in each country you go to. Either way I would have to replace the antique that I currently own.

So, there are options, but the big question is whether we really need to carry a cell phone. Do we carry a phone for “what if” scenarios? Any suggestions? We do not have another long international trip planned, so I have some time to think about the cell phone dilemma.

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Birds

Posted on January 18, 2013 by debbie
Yellow Hornbill

Yellow-billed Hornbill

We do not have a comprehensive list of the birds we see in Tanzania but in Botswana we have a very long list of possible bird sightings given to us by the safari company.  Even though we check-mark sightings off the list, we do have trouble identifying them in the field. There are just so many different birds here in Africa.

Ostrich

Ostrich

There are Water Birds – storks, ibis and hamerkop. There are Ground Birds – ostrich and cranes. There are Raptors – the infamous chicken stealing kite, secretary birds and vultures. There is a group called Near-Passerines – hornbills, kingfishers and rollers. And these are just a few of the birds that we see.

Open-billed Stork

Open-billed Stork

We see many Crested Guinea Fowl and from a distance they are eye catching but up close their beautiful colored heads are completely prehistoric. Egyptian Geese roughly resemble our geese but are much prettier and smaller. A Spectacular Starling is indeed spectacular with its blue back and brilliant gold breast. Secretary Birds look like stenos with a drooping black crest that looks like a Victorian clerk’s quills.

Kingfisher

Kingfisher

 

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