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african-travel-n-tours · 6 months ago

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Discovering the Paradise of Zanzibar Archipelago

The Zanzibar Archipelago, located off the coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean, is a tropical paradise that beckons travelers with its pristine beaches, vibrant culture, and rich history. Consisting of the main islands of Unguja (commonly referred to as Zanzibar Island) and Pemba, along with numerous smaller islets, this enchanting destination offers a diverse range of experiences. From its turquoise waters and coral reefs to its spice plantations and historic Stone Town, Zanzibar is a dream destination for anyone seeking relaxation, adventure, and cultural exploration.

Pristine Beaches and Crystal-Clear Waters

Zanzibar's beaches are among the most beautiful in the world, with powdery white sands and clear, turquoise waters. Each beach offers its own unique charm, making it difficult to choose just one favorite.

Beach Highlights:

Nungwi Beach: Located on the northern tip of Unguja, Nungwi Beach is renowned for its stunning sunsets, vibrant nightlife, and excellent swimming conditions. The beach is lined with palm trees, beach bars, and resorts, making it a popular spot for tourists.

Kendwa Beach: Just south of Nungwi, Kendwa Beach is known for its wide stretch of sand and calm, shallow waters. It’s perfect for swimming, sunbathing, and beach volleyball. The monthly Full Moon Party is a major draw for visitors looking to enjoy the beach after dark.

Paje Beach: On the southeastern coast, Paje Beach is a haven for water sports enthusiasts. Its steady winds and shallow lagoon make it ideal for kitesurfing, windsurfing, and snorkeling. The laid-back vibe and local beach bars add to its charm.

Jambiani Beach: South of Paje, Jambiani Beach offers a more tranquil and authentic experience. This picturesque village is perfect for those seeking peace and a deeper connection with the local culture.

Diverse Marine Life and Water Activities

The Zanzibar Archipelago is surrounded by coral reefs teeming with marine life, making it a top destination for diving and snorkeling. The clear, warm waters provide excellent visibility and a chance to encounter a variety of sea creatures.

Marine Activities:

Diving and Snorkeling: Explore the vibrant coral reefs at Mnemba Atoll, Chumbe Island Coral Park, and the Pemba Channel. These sites are home to colorful fish, sea turtles, dolphins, and even the occasional reef shark.

Dhow Cruises: Experience the romance of a traditional dhow cruise. These wooden sailing boats offer sunset cruises, day trips to nearby islands, and opportunities for snorkeling and swimming.

Dolphin Tours: Head to Kizimkazi on the southern coast of Unguja for a chance to see and swim with dolphins in their natural habitat.

Fishing: The waters around Zanzibar are excellent for deep-sea fishing. Charter a boat and try your luck at catching marlin, tuna, and sailfish.

Rich History and Cultural Heritage

Zanzibar's history is a fascinating blend of African, Arab, Indian, and European influences. This cultural melting pot is best explored in Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the historic heart of Zanzibar City.

Cultural Highlights:

Stone Town: Wander through the narrow, winding streets of Stone Town, where you'll find a mix of Arabic, Indian, and European architecture. Visit the House of Wonders, the Sultan’s Palace, and the Old Fort. Don’t miss the bustling Darajani Market and the vibrant Forodhani Gardens night market.

Spice Tours: Zanzibar is famously known as the "Spice Island" due to its production of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and other spices. Take a spice tour to visit plantations and learn about the island’s spice trade history.

Slave Trade History: Explore Zanzibar’s darker history with a visit to the former slave market and the Anglican Cathedral. The exhibits provide a poignant reminder of the island’s role in the East African slave trade.

Local Villages: Visit local villages to experience traditional Swahili culture. Engage with locals, participate in daily activities, and enjoy traditional music and dance.

Adventure and Nature

Beyond the beaches and historic sites, Zanzibar offers a range of activities for nature lovers and adventure seekers. From lush forests to unique wildlife, there’s plenty to explore.

Natural Highlights:

Jozani Forest: The Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park is home to the rare red colobus monkey, as well as other wildlife such as bush babies, duikers, and various bird species. A guided tour through the forest will introduce you to its diverse flora and fauna.

Mangrove Forests: Explore the mangrove forests on the eastern side of the island. These unique ecosystems are crucial for coastal protection and provide a habitat for various marine life.

Caves and Lagoons: Discover hidden gems like the Kuza Cave in Jambiani, where you can swim in crystal-clear freshwater, or the Blue Lagoon near Pongwe, perfect for snorkeling and relaxing in the tranquil waters.

Relaxation and Wellness

Zanzibar is an ideal destination for those seeking relaxation and wellness. The island’s serene environment and luxurious resorts offer numerous opportunities to unwind and rejuvenate.

Wellness Highlights:

Spa Treatments: Indulge in a range of spa treatments at one of Zanzibar’s luxury resorts. Many spas offer traditional African therapies, as well as international wellness treatments.

Yoga Retreats: Join a yoga retreat in beautiful locations such as Paje and Nungwi. These retreats often include daily yoga sessions, meditation, and healthy meals.

Private Villas: For ultimate privacy and luxury, rent a private villa with stunning views, private pools, and personalized service.

Local Cuisine and Dining

Zanzibar’s cuisine is a flavorful fusion of African, Arab, Indian, and European influences. From street food to fine dining, there’s a culinary experience to suit every palate.

Culinary Highlights:

Seafood: Enjoy fresh seafood dishes such as grilled lobster, octopus curry, and Zanzibar pizza. Many beachfront restaurants offer daily catches prepared to your liking.

Swahili Cuisine: Savor traditional Swahili dishes like biryani, pilau, and urojo (Zanzibar mix). The use of spices and coconut milk gives these dishes their unique flavor.

Street Food: Visit Forodhani Gardens night market to sample local street food. Try Zanzibar pizza, sugarcane juice, and mishkaki (grilled meat skewers).

Spice-Inspired Dishes: Many restaurants incorporate Zanzibar’s famous spices into their dishes. Look out for unique combinations and flavors that highlight the island’s spice heritage.

Conclusion

The Zanzibar Archipelago is a destination that captivates all who visit with its stunning beaches, rich cultural heritage, diverse marine life, and luxurious resorts. Whether you’re seeking adventure, relaxation, or a cultural experience, Zanzibar offers something for everyone. Its blend of natural beauty, history, and vibrant local culture make it an unforgettable destination. So pack your bags and get ready to explore the enchanting islands of Zanzibar – a true paradise in the Indian Ocean.

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avaliveradio · 2 years ago

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Vern Daysel's Southern Rock Album 'Call of the Wild'

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Vern Daysel’s Cougar checks the boxes for me. You’ll enjoy the gritty vocal of this South African turned Florida songwriter as he plays his guitar on the east coast beaches. My favourite song on the album is ‘Cougar’ for that southern swank and comfortable charm. I like the Southern rock style and felt it suited the artist well. Other notable songs on this album that I love are ‘Gold Digger’ for the guitar solos, ‘Feed Me’ for the melody lines and ‘Wild Girl’ for the dynamic guitars and country rock fun tempo.

Review by Jacqueline Jax

Link to your streaming page: https://open.spotify.com/album/6PtYfbc304bsGhE81zMHuI

Vern Daysel - Cougar Album - Call of the Wild Music Genre: Southern Rock/Blues Rock/Rock n' Roll Vibe: Earthy Located in: Fort Pierce Florida Sounds like: Blackberry Smoke, Joe Bonamassa, Warren Haynes, The Steel Woods Video link: https://youtu.be/3q5yZykfUAE

‘Call of the Wild’ is Vern Daysel’s third album and his first solo album since moving to the United States from South Africa.

An album four years in the making. Between immigrating to the US, a relentless gigging schedule and working with other bands, Daysel has finally finished what he considers his best piece of work to date.

The 11- track album includes the singles ‘Cougar’ and ‘Feed Me’ that have already received radio play all over the world as well as being featured on Planet Rock Radio - the UK’s biggest rock station.

Not only is the album self produced by Daysel but he also wrote all the songs, played all the instruments and sang on the recordings.

At the core this is a rock n’ roll album but it definitely highlights Daysel’s soulful southern rock, blues and country influences.

Between the ‘Blood of a Wolf’ album and this he has performed close to a thousand shows, released an Afrikaans album and a 6-song EP with the Florida band Switch N’ Whisky.

About Vern Daysel

Vern Daysel is a multi-instrumentalist from Johannesburg, South Africa. Now living in Florida US he is set to release third album ‘Call of the Wild’ on Dec 23, 2022.

Daysel has been a full time musician since 2006 working as a drummer, guitarist and singer.

In 2014 he decided to take the solo route to focus on his unique bluesy, southern rock sound.

He released his debut solo album “Shootin’ the Breeze” in 2016 and in 2017 the follow up “Blood of a Wolf”.

He’s received global airplay but notably on Planet Rock Radio, the UK’s biggest rock station. He has also been featured in Classic Rock Magazine for his song ‘Shit Creek’.

It’s been a dream and a goal since he was eighteen to one day move to the US and work as a musician. That dream became a reality in 2019 when he got the opportunity to immigrate to the US where he now resides in Florida.

While under lockdown in 2020 he started recording the first couple of singles for the new album. Those singles laid the foundation for what would become ‘Call of the Wild’.

When everything opened back up, Daysel quickly found himself performing live six to seven days a week. In-between all the shows, recording and trying to get established in the US, he is finally ready to release his latest album.

With this new album and the new year on the horizon, 2023 promises to be the best year yet for Vern Daysel.

Social Links & Website: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/verndaysel

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrP5GGfX2nsKmZZuq-WkxgA

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/verndaysel

Official website - https://www.verndaysel.com

Featured on Curators Picks

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3Uli7GHUlAlITnWXxpVFFk?si=41ccc7316fad4c08

New Music Release radar Playlist

Rock Rising Playlist:

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elsanna-shenanigans · 3 years ago

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June Contest Submission #12: Boom Boom Pow

Words: ca. 3,300 Setting: mAU Lemon: lime CW: sand, alcohol, beanbags, dash of lime, language

“Do you like the stars?”

“Anna it’s fucking noon, the sun is up, it’s bright as shit. Why are you asking about stars?”

“Yo, my dude, chill. The sun is a star… right?”

Elsa rolled her eyes and turned up the radio, blasting 80’s music, but only the good songs. “I don’t know why I agree to come with you on these things.”

At this Anna laughed and danced a bit offbeat to the song that was playing. She didn’t know the lyrics, but the bass line was nice and she could vibe with that. She let the whole song play out before answering.

“Because you loooove me” She sing-songed, earning another eye roll from the driver. “You love me and we’re going to the beach and it’s going to be a good time.”

“If I didn’t love you, would it still be a good time?” Elsa asked, smirking.

As a response, Anna reached over and changed the radio. A loud, bass-heavy rap song overtook the speakers. The signer immediately spitting out questionably appropriate lyrics for the radio. Elsa’s face reddened under her large glasses and she reached to change channels so quickly that she turned it off. Enveloping the small sedan in a brief silence till Anna’s laughter filled the space.

And it went on like this the entire car ride, bits and pieces of random songs rapidly changing. Anna would allow something Elsa liked to play out entirely but when it was her turn she either skipped around or Elsa changed the station for her. The older woman apparently hated both rap and country music. The first part Anna didn’t understand and the latter, she agreed with. She was desperately trying to find a gospel station, just to see her sister’s reaction, but she found nothing but commercials.

Finally, she heard what she was looking for and turned to see Elsa’s reaction just as the other girl reached over and turned the radio off again. Anna was going to protest when she realized they were in a drive-thru.

“What can I get started for you today?” a tired-sounding voice asked over the intercom.

Anna leaned over Elsa to get closer to the open window and thus the speaker box. Making sure to be just close enough to be annoying.

“We would like to get married please, with Elvis if you have him, if not we’ll take what you have.”

“Anna!” Elsa exclaimed, slapping her on the shoulder.

There was an audible sigh come over the loudspeaker, “Ma’am this is a Wendy’s.”

“Oh right, then I’ll take a cheeseburger and a medium Coke, no ice. Thank you!”

“Anything else?” the tired voice asked. “I’ll have the same thing.”

They continued driving towards the beach after the drive-thru. Cupholders full of sodas in flimsy paper cups, and Anna’s lap full of white paper bags of greasy food. She kept sneaking a fry when she thought Elsa wasn’t looking. But it was a small car and Elsa could see every bit of fried potato Anna took.

The closer they got to the beach, the darker the sky became. Tall looming clouds crept over the horizon. They couldn’t see the beach yet as it was the east coast, and most roads took you to the beach straight on instead of winding down cliff faces like the Pacific was famous for. But still, the clouds loomed. Elsa knew there was a storm somewhere off the coast, but it seemed far away last she checked, which wasn’t today. She refused to check the weather today for fear of bad news.

On the main highway, traffic was starting to get heavy, more tourists were headed for their long-awaited vacations and the road ahead was either congested to the point of slowing down. Or there was an accident and everyone had to slow to a crawl to creep a glance at the carnage.

Thankfully the girls weren’t tourists, unthankfully they lived close to this tiny town that became a major city in the summer months. Having to deal with millions of tourists every year meant that locals had a series of short-cuts. So when traffic started building, Elsa took the next exit rather suddenly, cutting across the solid white lines and nearly missing the crash barrier.

“Elsa! Shit! What the fuck!” Anna yelled and shot out her hands with nearly inhuman speed to catch the drinks before they spilled out of their too-small cupholders. “There’s a backup, I’m not sitting in that,” Elsa replied, taking the next turn so hard that the car nearly tilted on two wheels.

“But I saw flashing lights, it could have been a firetruck!”

“It could have been a police car…”

“But Elsa you don’t understand, the hot firemen! …and women.”

“Anna I’m not sitting in traffic for 30 minutes or even longer, just for you to ogle at people in uniform.”

Anna took another fry, “Not people in uniform, F-I-R-E-M-E-N and women. It is very different.”

Elsa let out a heavy sigh as they came to a stop at a red light. “If I buy you that stupid Australian calendar will you shut up?”

“Wow, harsh.” Anna dramatically threw one braid over her shoulder. “But, yes.”

Again, Elsa rolled her eyes and continued forward when the light changed. It was only a short while later that they left the main road and turned into a small, older housing development. The narrow street lead them all the way to the ocean, coming out on the far end of the main strip. Highrise condos and hotels dotted the skyline to their left, but right in front of them was the beach, concealed behind a short sand dune. Because life is a bitch like that sometimes.

Luckily for them, there was also free parking at this end if you didn’t mind a bit of a walk. Which, for the price of 17 bucks to park next to the beach, who wouldn’t mind the walk. 17 dollars could buy many cheeseburgers, Anna pointed out.

The beach wasn’t nearly as crowded down where they were, away from the boardwalk and the hotels. The sand also happened to be rockier, rough and pitted with long-forgotten footprints and broken shells. The beach groomers didn’t come this far. Which was fine by them, they would take a rough sandy beach with fewer people over a crowded hellscape any day.

There’s nothing more relaxing than simultaneously listening to eight different speakers all playing different music. While children screamed for no reason and the air was filled with a mix of sunscreen and cigarette smoke.

So yes they will miss out on the hot lifeguards and yes there will be fewer people to watch. But you can’t put a price on the quiet and the fresh air that this section of the beach had to offer.

After crossing the highway on foot, climbing the dune, and laying out their towels, only then did they pause to look out on the water. The ocean was angry, white caps dotted the surface as far as they could see. The horizon line was blurred with fog or rain and the dark clouds from before were more ominous than ever. Why the two women didn’t notice all these signs until now was some kind of act of God. Or stupidly. Probably the latter.

The beach itself was even more sparsely populated than normal. A smart person would have gone home after seeing all the warning signs. But this was Anna’s only day off for the next few weeks. And Elsa, well Elsa was too stubborn to admit her beach idea was a bad one.

They both laid down, on separate towels, choosing to ignore the warning signs and attempting to soak up as much sun as possible before it was swallowed by the coming storm. Elsa tried not to think about it too much. Neither was sure how long it had been before they were interpreted.

“What are you two gay ass losers doing?” Came a female voice.

“Ch’yeah it’s like gonna rain bruh.” Said a male’s.

Elsa opened one eye to see her cousin and her boyfriend, or so it fiancé now? Standing over them. The sky beyond them somehow looked even darker than before, which was very rude.

“Trying to enjoy the sunshine, obviously.” She mumbled in response.

“What sun?” their cousin asked, in a weird out of place, and badly performed accent.

“Wait but what is that voice?” Anna asked, sitting up and brushing the sand off her arms. How that girl could get sand everywhere, Elsa would never know.

“It’s like our new characters,” Eugene answered, earning not an eye roll from Rapunzel but a nod of approval.

“I’m New York and he’s Los Angeles. Both strong and independent cities that you could almost say are their own character. And those characters are us.” She added

“Why though?” Elsa was also now sitting up and confused, though nowhere near as sandy because she wasn’t a dirt gremlin-like her sister.

“Because we wanted to be unique characters, otherwise we’re just boring white people and where’s the fun in that?” Eugene or rather Los Angeles answered.

“Oh boring, like you watch Star Trek and try to fit it into everything even though it has no business being there?”

Eugene shot Anna finger guns, “exactly, this one gets it… bruh.”

A boom was heard in the distance and it sent a few people running towards their cars, towels billowing behind them. A long-distance away, over the water, there was a flash and with it, the wind picked up.

“Looks like our beach day is ruined, I’m sorry Anna.” Elsa stood and began to roll up her towel. Even with the limited sun, she was already red on her front, making a stark difference to the pale skin of her back.

“Nah we just getting started, come back to our place and play some ping pong. We just pulled the table out of storage.” Rapunzel aka New York offered. The two of them didn’t live far from the beach, having taken over Rapunzel’s parent’s beach house. It was very old and run down, but the pair was fixing it up in exchange for free rent.

‘Aye New York is right, and we can take my new whip… bruh.” Los Angeles gestured over his shoulder towards the dunes. They couldn’t see it yet because that dang dune was blocking things again. But everyone knew he was referring to his new golf cart.

Reluctantly the girls agreed and a few long minutes later they were rushing inside an old house to avoid the rain that had just started to fall. Their car was left abandoned in the free parking lot.

Inside was an odd mix of old and new. Brand new stainless steel appliances dotted a kitchen with dark wood cabinets and a yellow linoleum floor. A half-torn-down wall gave way to the living room with floor-to-ceiling wood paneling and floral print furniture.

“It ain’t much but it’s home.” Los Angeles said once everyone was inside. He walked beyond the torn-down wall and slapped his hand on the wood paneling. “New York over there hates this stuff, but it’s hella soundproof if you know what I mean.” With this, he wiggled his eyebrows and finally, earned an eye roll from New York.

“How did you know we were on the beach by the way?” Elsa asked as she took a step further into the kitchen to look at the collection of magnets on the fridge.

“Your sister posted about it on her tumblr of all places. Honestly, get an Instagram like the rest of us already.” New York said throwing her hands up dramatically. The drama ran in the family apparently.

The ping pong table was in the basement, a dimly light space with concrete walls and a tiled floor. Mix-matched chairs lined the walls and a mini-fridge sat in the corner next to a shelf full of liquor bottles.

The ping pong game quickly descended into beer pong with a twist. No one had to drink from the cups the ball landed in. Because that’s gross, don’t do that. Inside if someone managed to land the ball in a cup the other team had to take half a shot of vodka. Los Angeles had wanted to do full shots but Elsa and New York talked him out of it, if only for not dying reasons.

Even so after a few games with no true stand-out winner, just a bunch of dumb luck, they were all fairly buzzed. Flushed creeks and slurred speech. Outside the storm finally hit. Rain battered the small basement windows and thunder boomed overhead.

With each thunderclap, Elsa reached for Anna’s hand and wouldn’t let go till the other girl gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Finally, everyone seemed to have enough of the game and collapsed into bean bag bars that Anna and Elsa had both not noticed before. Elsa scooted her bean bag closer to Anna’s, the other two people didn’t seem to notice. New York was hanging all over Los Angeles. Her fingers tracing the curve of his jawline down, her eyes practically boring holes into his face. He acted like he didn’t see, but it was obvious he knew.

“You guys can stay here for the night if you want since the storm sounds so bad,” Eugene said, dropping his horrible accent.

“That’s very kind, but it’s just a little rain, we’ll be alright,” Anna replied, completely forgetting their car was many blocks away.

New York stopped messing with her man and turned to them. “Anna, it’s more than a little rain. It’s a hurricane, I mean it was a tropical storm and it was supposed to miss us. But you know how it be sometimes.” She said with amazing clarity for a drunkard.

Elsa’s hand shot to Anna’s and she let out an audible gasp. She had refused to check the weather before heading out the door today, figuring what she didn’t know, can’t hurt her. Which was stupid and out of character for someone who claims to be responsible.

Another boom followed by a bright flash of lightning illuminated the room for a brief second. Elsa looked terrified so Anna took it upon herself to change the subject.

“So we will be seeing you in two weeks right?”

Rapunzel playing New York smiled and clapped her hands together, “Yes! At the church!”

“For things better left unspoken,” Eugene playing Los Angeles groaned, covering his eyes with his forearm.

Another boom and the room was suddenly cast in darkness and accompanied by an eerie quiet. You never notice how much sound your electronics make till everything is off. Elsa grabbed Anna’s entire arm, holding it so tightly Anna was worried she would lose it.

“Ah fuck the power is out. We have some candles upstairs, I’ll be right back, Rapunzel can you see if the camping lantern is over on the shelf?”

“Um excuse me, it’s New York, but yes I will look.”

Two bodies moved away in the darkness, their paths illuminated by the small light on their phones. Next to Anna, Elsa’s breathing became rapid and she clung to Anna as if she was in danger of being blown away.

“Hey, it’s going to be alright,” Anna whispered, using her free hand to pet the top of Elsa’s head. The older girl shifted so in one fluid motion she was off her beanbag and on Anna’s before curling into the young girl’s side.

“I found it!” Rapunzel slash New York exclaimed. She turned it on and the room was partly lit up. She walked back to where the other two women were cuddled together and sat back down in her own beanbag.

“Wow, that’s like hella gay.” She said, pointing to the pair.

“Oh shut up, she just doesn’t like storms, you know that.” Anna quipped

Elsa let go of Anna’s arm long enough to extend a hand and flip off her cousin, earning her a laugh in response.

Eugene returned shortly after with the candles, a tray of food, and some cards. “Anyone up for a game of hurricane poker? It’s like regular poker only there’s a hurricane.”

He rejoined the group, placing the tray in the middle of everyone and paying no mind to the two women who now shared a beanbag.

Elsa lifted her head to look, the tray was adorned with a random assortment of food. Celery sticks, M&M’s, KitKat bars, Cheetos, Grapes, and some animal crackers. She made a face.

“What’s wrong uh bruh?” Eugene asked in a bad attempt to get back in character. Los Angeles would never quite be the character that New York was.

“I’ll only eat celery sticks if you pay me,” Elsa responded.

The next few hours consisted of Eugene completely wiping the floor with everyone. They played for the M&M’s, of which he now owned all of. With the power still out and the storm still raging on the decision was made for the sisters to spend the night over.

Their room was completely unrenovated, the same wood paneling from the living room made up the walls and the carpet was a thick green shag rug. Eugene was right about one thing though, the paneling sure did dampen the sound. Once the door was shut the two women could hardly hear anything, which was good because Rapunzel had started blasting Mandy Moore music for some reason.

There was only one bed, pushed into the corner, but it didn’t matter anyway. There could have been 80 beds and they still would have shared just one.

Anna laid down on her back and traced the grains in the wooden wall. “Really makes you want to carve something in this stuff you know? Something that would be around for hundreds of years.”

“Please don’t vandalize our cousin’s house,” Elsa said before sitting on the edge of the bed. She turned the lantern off so the only source of the light in the room was the candle on the nightstand.

“You alright?” Anna asked, propping herself up on one elbow.

“Yeah, I’m just worried about the storm, I can’t stop thinking about it.”

Anna reached out and gently grabbed Elsa’s arm, guiding her back to lay in the bed next to her. “Do you want to sleep or keep your mind off things?”

Elsa paused for a brief moment before removing her arm from Anna’s grip. “I don’t know…”

“It’s your choice, either way, I’m here for you.” Anna smiled at her, a flash of lightning lit up the room but no thunder.

It startled Elsa but she remained where she was, staring at Anna. Thinking, always thinking.

“It’s just a storm and this old house seems to be built like a tank anyway.” She made a fist and pounded the wall to prove her point.

Elsa started twirling the end of one of Anna’s braids but her eyes remained locked on Anna’s. The delayed thunderclap came and Elsa inhaled sharply. Anna leaned over and kissed the top of her forehead.

“You sure this is okay?” Elsa asked and Anna nodded, running the back of her hand down the other girl’s cheek. “Let’s get our mind off of things then.”

Elsa crawled till she was straddling Anna who gazed up at her with eyes that shown like stars in the candlelight.

“What’s your favorite constellation?”

“Hmm, probably Orion, because you can find his belt so easy,” Anna answered, “Yours?” “Your eyes”

“Ew, that’s so fucking cheesy.”

Elsa leaned down, her mouth slightly agape. Anna’s eyes fluttered shut as her hands found their way to the other woman’s shoulders.

The storm, the damage, their car, all these things could wait until tomorrow. Tonight they were out of their control so for tonight they didn’t matter.

Elsa blew out the candle, and they both plunged into the sinful escape of the darkness.

#elsanna #submission #June 2021 contest #prompt: storm #lime #cw: alcohol use

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topfygad · 5 years ago

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Dream Dives Around the World

An underwater agenda for scuba divers, whale watchers, and shark seekers.

Adventure Ocean World | POSTED ON: April 1, 2019

Divers in French Polynesia get to glide with triggerfish. Photo By: Global Pics/Getty Images

If writing the new National Geographic book 100 Dives of a Lifetime: The World’s Ultimate Underwater Destinations taught me anything, it’s that the diversity of environments in the water rivals that on land. Although ocean covers more than 70 per cent of the planet’s surface, we’ve explored a mere five per cent of it. So for those looking to channel their inner adventurer, our aquatic realms offer abundant opportunity. Yet only some three per cent of the ocean is protected, which is why National Geographic works with researchers such as Explorer-in-Residence Enric Sala, who launched the Pristine Seas initiative with the goal of saving the ocean’s last wild places. Here are 19 dive sites spanning the globe that provide insight into the undersea world we’re striving to protect.

—Carrie Miller

Indonesia

Reef Riches

With some 500 species of coral, including gorgonians and sea pens, Raja Ampat is diving fit for a king—or four kings (Raja Ampat translated). Pro Tip: For easy access to the reefs, stay on a liveaboard boat.

Cayman Islands

The Great Wall

Little Cayman Island’s Bloody Bay Wall feels like an undersea spacewalk, as the blue abyss plummets more than a thousand feet. Pro Tip: Tour the research facilities of the Central Caribbean Marine Institute.

South Africa

Adrenaline Rush

Aliwal Shoal hosts species from nudibranchs to humpback whales, but it may be most famous for the annual sardine run, when millions gather to spawn. Pro Tip: Ask local dive operators about the specific timing.

Antarctica

Ice Ice Baby

Penguins scoot just below the surface in Antarctica’s Ross Sea. Photo By: PAUL NICKLEN/National Geographic Image Collection

Dives below the frozen Antarctic surface reveal agile penguins and octopi with blood pigments to help them survive the numbing temps. Pro Tip: You’ll need special freeze-protected regulators.

Maldives

The Big Time

The underwater pinnacles surrounding oval-shaped Ari Atoll attract whale sharks and manta rays, which feed in the plankton-rich channels. Pro Tip: The best time to see these marvels is February to May.

Mexico

Caving In

Once revered by the Maya, cenotes in the Yucatán are now treasured by divers. Strange rock formations and potential archaeological finds lend an Indiana Jones vibe. Pro Tip: Vet the dive operators well.

Bahamas

Shark Peek

Share the warm, crystalline waters of Tiger Beach with beautifully patterned tiger sharks that swim around a shark feeder who’s clad in protective gear. Divers kneel in fixed positions on the white sand behind the feeder to watch the show. (If you’re an especially intrepid traveller, book a trip to Port Lincoln, Australia, the only place where you can dive in an ocean-floor cage with great whites.) Pro Tip: Don’t get complacent with these extraordinary—but wild—creatures.

Cuba

Liveaboard & Learn

In Los Jardines de la Reina marine reserve, accessible only by liveaboard, divers have the opportunity to see elkhorn coral, silky sharks, and saltwater crocodiles. Pro Tip: Obtaining a Cuban visa for an Indian traveller can be cumbersome; visitors are advised to go through an established travel agent.

Marshall Islands

What a Wreck

In the Marshall Islands, wrecks attract both divers and snorkellers. Photo By: Design Pics Inc/ALAMY

Within the lagoon of remote Bikini Atoll lies a graveyard of battleships and destroyers—the legacy of U.S. nuclear tests in the mid-20th century. Pro Tip: Hone wreck-diving skills at easier sites first.

U.S.A.

Citizen Science

With the Coral Restoration Foundation in Key Largo, Florida, divers help “plant” corals and monitor new growth on the reef. Pro Tip: Learn about upcoming volunteer dive programs at coralrestoration.org.

Canada

Cold Comfort

Known for wrecks, reefs, and rich marine life, British Columbia’s Barkley Sound has become a cold-water hot spot. Pro Tip: The sheltered location allows for year-round diving.

U.S.A.

Night Moves

Swooping through the inky black waters, manta rays with 20-foot wingspans feed on plankton while divers look on from the sea floor near Kona, Hawaii. Pro Tip: Let the mantas dictate the interaction.

Iceland

Freshwater Fissure

Dive in and touch both the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The Silfra fissure in Thingvellir National Park is literally a place where worlds collide. Pro Tip: A dry suit is a must.

Wispy sea fans wave from a reef in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Photo By: Alex Mustard/Minden Pictures

New Zealand

Stranger Things

In Fiordland, a layer of freshwater on top of saltwater chokes off light, causing creatures of the deep to rise to viewing level. Pro Tip: The road out is a mountain pass, so add extra time to decompress.

Australia

Crowd Pleaser

Julian Rocks Marine Reserve lies off Australia’s most easterly point, near Byron Bay, and smack in the middle of the East Australian Current. Sea creatures migrating along the coast—humpback whales, manta rays, sand tiger sharks—stop in for a visit, joining the resident population of cuttlefish, wobbegong sharks, and turtles. Byron Bay is a top destination for experienced divers as well as newbies learning the ropes. Pro Tip: Don’t miss a hike up to the Cape Byron Lighthouse, one of the world’s best places to spot migrating whales.

U.S.A.

Bouncing Back

Hurricane Maria pummelled Puerto Rico, but it also gave the sea a breather from tourist traffic, making this a good time to go. Pro Tip: The vast majority of island hotels and businesses have reopened.

Bonaire

Small Wonders

At the Bonaire National Marine Park, get up-close looks at frogfish, banded coral shrimp, and Seuss-like nudibranchs. Pro Tip: Divers pay a one-time entrance fee and attend an orientation dive.

Ecuador

Fantasy Islands

Where can you dive with marine iguanas, sea lions, whale sharks, and hammerheads in the same day? It’s got to be the Galápagos. Pro Tip: To protect the fragile environment, diving is restricted; plan ahead.

French Polynesia

Drifting Away

Channels act as underwater slides between the open ocean and the atolls of the Tuamotu Islands, allowing divers to glide along with triggerfish and wrasses. Pro Tip: Practice with currents beforehand.

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dherzogblog · 5 years ago

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songs/19

“I listen so you don't have to”

Hey everyone, we’re back! enjoy some music and musings from the last year

Make sure to click on there bold type for music links and extras!

Lizzo- Juice Lizzo burst into 2019 with a hit song, huge album and wildly successful tour. The “pudding in the proof “. Easily the catchiest tune of the year with an irresistible Bruno Mars 80′s funk vibe, She has the kind of star power and charisma that makes her appealing to just about everyone, including your aunt, who no doubt will be grooving to this on bar mitzvah dance floors for years to come. Blame it on her juice.

Jen Awad- Hungover

Big voiced, post Amy Winehouse soul singer blames it on the juice too. Maybe she was with Lizzo the night before?

Charley Crockett- How Low Can You Go?

Multi ethnic Americana singer/songwriter delivers one of my favorite albums of the year where he effortlessly moves from country to blues to soul. He also recorded one of my favorite country covers of the year (see bottom of this blog for more info on that). His girl is breaking his heart (blame it on the juice again?) on this R&B styled song from a non album single.

Durand Jones and The Indications- Circles

More sweet 70′s soul, quiet storm style. The swirling strings and Delfonics harmonies would sound perfect coming out of the 8 Track player in your Pinto.

Dr.John- Such A Night (1941-2019)

A true music renaissance man. Starting as a teen in the studios of New Orleans, he learned his trade at the feet of the masters, playing R&B, jazz, and blues with equal skill and feel. The good doctor, (AKA Mac Rebbenack) went on to become an unlikely rock star in the early 70′s with his psychedelic and voodoo inspired Night Tripper alter ego. His long career found him playing several roles along the way, session man, producer, and The Big Easy’s unofficial funk ambassador. I picked this live version of the song because: A. He’s backed beautifully by The Band, B. It’s one of my favorite performances from The Last Waltz, and C. The live setting let’s you hear him stretch out a bit on the keyboards. I watched him perform many times, headlining or sitting in with others at Jazz Fest. No matter what the setting, he always fit right in and found the groove. Piano man, sideman, shaman, there was only one Dr.John.

Van Morrison - Early Days

Like Dr. John, Van’s been around long enough to recall the birth of rock and roll. Throughout his career he never stopped paying tribute to his roots and those who inspired him. You can hear it in his musical references, cover tunes and name checks. At The Hollywood Bowl in October I got to see an unusually joyous performance as he wistfully traced a lifetime of musical influences across R&B, jazz and blues. His latest release is an unabashed love letter to those good old days, three chords and the truth.

Spiral Stairs- Fingerprintz

Scott Kannberg is one of the co-founders of Indie rock legends Pavement. But truth is I never took much of an interest in them. I happened to read about his solo project where he mentioned listening to a lot of Van Morrison and Nick Lowe while recording. That seemed like a good enough reason for me to check it out. There are familiar ‘fingerprints” on this one, as you can definitely hear him channeling Van.

Vampire Weekend- This Life

Hardly anyone is ambivalent about Vampire Weekend. Their preppy east coast look, and sleeve wearing, dad rock influences make them polarizing at best. Doesn’t matter to me, I like their catchy hooks, bone dry lyrics, caribbean rhythms, and ringing guitars.This is easily the sunniest song about cheating I ever heard.

The English Beat- Whine and Grind/Stand Down Margaret Ranking Roger (1953-2019)

in January of 1980 England was in the grips of 2 Tone mania, the pop music movement that came dancehall crashing out of the UK Midlands, and for a brief black and white checkered moment, dominated the British charts. At the center of the scene were The Specials whose founder Jerry Dammers launched the 2 Tone label and created the blueprint for it’s sound, inspired by the Jamaican music he heard as a kid. These bands (including The Selecter and Madness), combined ska, reggae and punk that launched a brief music and fashion movement. They dressed in a mod black and white style making the look nearly as important as their sound. For most of these bi-racial bands, the goal was to make you dance AND think, with lyrics focusing on social and political issues affecting young people in Thatcher’s Britain. The track here is a good example of that.

I arrived in London on a traveling seminar ready to check it all out, as a college radio DJ I was already a fan of The Clash’s punky reggae. and I had read several dispatches from the British music tabloids like NME and Melody Maker. First chance I got, I was off to a record store where I stood at a listening station to hear The Special’s debut LP. I was instantly transformed into a card carrying 2 Tone fan boy. As a student, without much money with a long trip ahead, I couldn't afford The Specials album, but I did buy a 45 by the label’s latest signing, The Beat.

The A side was a cover of Smokey Robinson & The Miracle’s “Tears Of A Clown”. It took a minute to get used to hearing the Motown classic played in their energetic ska sound. The tune ends with Ranking Roger “toasting” over the track reggae DJ style, not something heard much outside of Jamaica back then. Side B featured Roger taking lead and riding over a bouncy stop and start rhythm titled “Ranking Full Stop”. It was an instant 2 Tone classic, and I now had a new favorite band.

The Beat (AKA The English Beat) after just one 2 Tone single, were given their own Go-Feet label and releasing a full length album later that year. Their songs seemed to have a slightly more authentic Jamaican sound than the others, dubbier, upbeat and fun. In addition they dabbled in world music and afropop long before it became chic. I saw them perform on their first US tour in Boston later that year.

As the 2 Tone moment waned back home, the group quickly focused on the American audience, touring constantly in the process. The Beat were definitely the band most committed to breaking in the states and nearly did. By the third album, they gained some traction at US radio (particularly here in LA at KROQ) and played the US Festival, but it was too late. The band was already fracturing. Lead singer Dave Wakeling and Roger left unceremoniously in 1983 to form the short lived and mildly successful General Public, while bandmates Andy Cox and David Steele formed the much more successful Fine Young Cannibals. despite some huge hits, they too were short lived.

The original band never reunited. Roger and Wakeling performed together as The Beat for awhile, later each forming his own version. Roger in the UK and Dave in the US. Dave’s version tours constantly to this day. The 2 Tone label didn't last long and the music never truly caught on here. Ultimately suffering the same fate as other short lived UK music fads like Glam Rock or The New Romatics. Their impact was strong enough though to fuel the much maligned ska third wave of the 90′s, and bring Jamaican music a bit farther into the mainstream. All that really remains are the three great studio albums and the memory of their exciting live shows.

I booked the band on a CNN talk show in 1982. I remember they seemed frustrated and were already hinting at a challenged future for the group. Less than a year later they were done for good. I recall desperately wanting them to succeed, bringing my favorite band and the 2 Tone music to the masses. It’s hard to imagine there was a ever a time in your life when a pop group could break your heart like that.

Foe me and other recovering rude boys/rude girls, the music endures, as does the message. And today when I hear them streaming into my ear buds, I still want to “move my likkle feet and dance to the beat”, which for the dearly departed Roger I have to think, was always the point. #loveandunity

The Special- Vote For Me

Politics and social issues remain front and center as the 2 Tone founders return with their first album since the 80′s. Reunited for many years now, this current version of the band boasts more original members of The Fun Boy Three than the original The Specials. That did not stop them from delivering a totally respectable and relevant effort. You can hear dark echos of their classic "Ghost Town” on this dubby tune no doubt inspired by Brexit.

Eddie And The Hot Rods- Do Anything You Wanna Do Barrie Masters (1956-2019)

in 1976/77 Eddie and the Hot Rods stood at the intersection of pub rock and punk as one scene fizzled, and the other burned down everything in its path. The Hot Rods had the classic straight ahead sound of the pub bands plus an attitude that leaned forward into the energy punk would embrace. They enjoyed a brief moment of UK chart success before literally falling into the cracks of the pop music scene. This song, one of my all time favorite singles, sum them up perfectly. Drawing a straight line from Graham Parker to The Clash with a touch of a classic Springsteen working class anthem. In other words....perfect.

Beach Slang- Tommy In The 80′s

When I first saw the title of this song immediately assumed it was a Beach Slang’s tribute to The Replacements guitarist Tommy Stinson . And even though Tommy himself plays on the track, it is not about him! In fact, it’s actually a tribute to obscure 80′s power popper Tommy Keene. I remembered the name from my MTV days, but honestly had to wiki him for clarification. Despite all these references, the whole thing sounds more inspired by “Jessie’s Girl” than either Tommy.

The Cars- My Best Friends Girl Ric Ocasek (1941-2019)

Truthfully. I was never a big Cars fan. But in my college days before digital music, you listened to whatever the radio played. And in Boston, they played The Cars a lot. It wasn’t long before they rose from local heroes to national charts toppers. They didn't have the bluesy street cred or swagger of hometown legends Aerosmith or The J Geils Band, but they were our very own neighborhood rock stars. Drummer David Robinson lived in the building next door to Noreen on Comm Ave, and it was always kinda cool to see them strolling around Back Bay or hanging out at a club. Their sound was little cold and metallic for me, but you couldn't deny they crafted pretty great pop and new wave singles. They were omnipresent sound of my college days. The hits literally followed me to MTV and NYC in the 80′s where I often spotted Ric and Paulina strolling hand in hand in Chelsea. This classic love triangle was always my favorite with it’s Tommy James like guitar at the top, handclaps, and unforgettable hook. The band disbanded long ago, but like the classic American automobiles, these songs were built to last.

The Neighborhoods- Don’t Look Down

The Cars were the only Boston group of the era to truly make it big, but that late 70′s scene boasted several other talented bands who scored label deals including: The Nervous Eaters, The Rings, The Paley Brothers, Robin Lane and the Chartbusters, The Fools, The Real Kids, The Stompers, and Mission Of Burma. Later on, The Lyres, The Neats The Del Fuegos, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and Murphy’s Law all managed to find the big time. It was a great time for local music back then. A city filled with students, plenty of clubs to pack on weekends, and college and commercial radio stations willing to play local bands. There were many good acts around town then, and my favorite, without a doubt, were The Neighborhoods. A young, brash power trio led by charismatic lead singer David Minehan. They played a ferocious brand of power pop/punk that would leave their audience breathless. I was certain they were destined for stardom. In the spring of 1979 they released their debut single “Prettiest Girl” on a local label and massive airplay on both college and commercial radio followed. They instantly became the hottest band in town, poised to become the next band from Boston to make it big. But it never happened. Bad luck, poor management and infighting derailed all the momentum. Before you knew it, the gritty street quality that was The ‘Hoods trademark was pushed aside by the synthesized sound of MTV. Over the course of the 80′s and into the 90′s they managed to release some pretty good albums on a variety of indie labels, but it never came together for them. The band reunited and gigs occasionally but hadn’t recorded for many years until right now. Forty years later, the neighborhood may not look the same, but their sound and spirit somehow survive. I suppose there’s something tragic and romantic about a great band lost to time, remembered only by the few who saw them way back when. They really were great, but I guess you had to be there.

Jesse Mailn - Meet Me At The End Of The World Again

New York’s favorite son, soul survivor, and street poet Jesse Malin is back. He’s been around long enough to understand that “When it all blows up, when it all goes down, when it makes you sick, but you’re still around” is victory in itself. It’s the only life he knows, so what can a poor boy do?

Brittany Howard- Stay High

This is from Alabama Shakes lead singer's excellent solo debut, unselfconsciously celebrating private moments spent with a lover on this rootsy and gentle ballad. Her soulful falsetto conveys the kind of lustful bliss you might expect from Al Green or Prince.

Mississippi All Stars- Mean Old World

Bear with me. This one is tangled up in the roots of several southern rock legacies and is going to take a minute to unpack. The All Stars are led by Luther and Cody Dickinson, sons of legendary Memphis musician and wild man Jim Dickinson. They decided to cover T Bone Walker’s Mean Old World, a blues number once recorded by Eric Clapton and Duane Allman as part of the historic Derek And The Dominos sessions. The track, featuring their dad Jim, did not make the original release but was later unearthed on an expanded reissue. Still with me? So, as a bit of a tribute, the guys recorded their own version of the tune and invited Duane Betts, son of Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts to record an Eat a Peach inspired guitar run at the end.

And oh yeah, Jason Isbell is on it as well.

Got all that?

Samantha Fish- Kill Or Be Kind

Have seen Samantha live several times over the past few years. She’s a very good blues/rock guitarist, vocalist and an exciting live performer. On the sultry “Kill or be Kind” she gives her lover an ultimatum. Fun fact: One of my son’s best friends from high school (Kate Pearlman) wrote two tracks on the album!

Jade Jackson- Bottle It Up

Second album from this promising up and coming alt country artist. She’s on the super cool Anti label which providing immediate credibility and her albums are produced by Social D frontman Mike Ness. And when she’s not on the road she waitress’s at her parent’s restaurant in central California. I’m not sure you can get any more country than that.

The Highwomen- Redesigninig Women

Inspired by The Highwaymen of Willie, Waylon, Johnny and Kris, this all female country “supergroup” quartet is out to break the stereotypes in country music with some really fine songs. While the male Highwaymen banded together to rescue careers in decline, these women (Brandi Carlisle, Amanda Shires, Marren Morris, and Natalie Hemby), are all on the rise. This song is lot of fun.

John Prine- Unwed Fathers

John Prine is back with a remake of his heartbreaking tale of teenage pregnancy. He’s joined this time Margo Price. I got to see Prine live this fall at the beautiful Anson Ford Amphitheater here in LA. His simple, plain spoken lyrics and songs are timeless. I attended the show with my pal David Kissinger who observed that despite health issues, “Prine remains an national songwriting treasure and his performance was as life affirming as you’ll ever see.” Can’t say it any better than that.

Shovels And Rope- Mississippi “Nuthin

Ever wonder whatever happened to that perfect couple from high school? You know, the high school quarterback and the prom queen? This one ain’t “Glory Days”. Our QB peaked in high school and never makes it back to the end zone again, plus he's tortured by the success his old flame enjoys. His anguish and desperation are palpable in this barn burner of a song whose vocals draw inspiration from June & Johnny and John & Exene.

The Delines- Eddie and Polly

Eddie and Polly are young and in love, and doomed. Vocalist Amy Boone’s world weary vocals always sound like it’s 3AM. This one won’t do much for your holiday spirit, but it’s haunting melody might stay with you throughout it.

Yola - Love all Night (Work All Day)

Love the one your with is (at least after work) is the basic idea on this track from this UK performer’s debut long player. Produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, the collection is full of excellent retro soul-folk. There was a fair amount of buzz in front of the release and she more than lives up to it including a nomination for a Best New Artist Grammy.

Mavis Staples + Norah Jones- I’ll Be Gone

First recorded effort form this duo. A bittersweet ballad that softly and soulfully looks ahead to a final salvation. But Mavis ain’t done yet. She’s still going strong, recording and touring constantly. She knows she may be running out of time, but there’s still work to do. And whenever she’s finally ready, you can be sure she’ll take us there.

Hope you and yours are well. The Herzog’s wish you the best and look forward to seeing you in the new year. For those of you who made it this far, thank you. I’ve got a bonus playlist for you. Artists you like playing songs you love: covers/19 Enjoy.

peace,

Doug

Los Angeles, December 2019

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thisisluxurytravel · 6 years ago

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Going off the Grid in Alor

The island of Alor might well be among the best-kept secrets of East Indonesia for those looking for quiet and adventure Indonesia is a remarkable chain of more than 17000 islands. A lot of tourists see only Bali, but the country is blessed with several awesome beaches, an abundance of wildlife, and a rich culture for all who explore deeper.

Located east of Flores. Alor gets few foreign visitors, but it is loaded with sights and activities, hospitable locals. It is only two flights away from Bali, but it does feel like the end of the world.

1. Getting to Alor

Firstly, you must fly to Kupang which has direct flights from Bali and Jakarta. There are direct flights to Alor from there once daily with LionAir. That’s your only option, and it isn’t all that reliable, so be prepared for delays and don’t book international flights with a short connection.

They only allow 10kg of luggage, but an extra 10kg should cost about 10 USD per flight. Also bear in mind that they didn’t weigh our carryon.

The flight view is beautiful, so try to get a window seat. When you arrive, it’s an hour’s drive to La Ptite Kepa, the simple guesthouse located on Alor Kecil, where we stayed a week. The guesthouse can help you organise the transfers.

On returning, it is advisable that you get to the airport at least an hour early, as the flights normally leave earlier than the scheduled times. Our flight was 30 minutes early.

2. Visiting Alor

It is a very undeveloped, and so you shouldn’t be expecting a 5-star accommodation, but warm locals, gorgeous beaches and landscapes free of tourists – those you should expect.

Before you go for a swim, make sure to check the tides with the indigenes, as the currents can come on really strong and may not be seen from the beach.

There is so much to do in Alor. There’s something for everybody.

Wildlife enthusiasts can observe Dugong in Mali, close to the airport.

Lovers of culture can hike towards the village of Bompalola “Kampung Lama,” which has a rich history and traditional ceremonial houses known as “Rumah Adat.” Some of the villagers also specialize in making ikat. If you love museums, there is a museum and a market Kalabahi.

There are several beaches for beach-lovers to explore, from Kepala Burung to Mangrove Beach at Pantai Deere, and you’ll most likely be the only tourist there.

For nature-lovers, the geysers in Tutu Adagai on the north coast and the waterfalls will be sure to interest you.

All this said, the real jewels of Alor lie below the surface and attract divers and snorkelers from around the world. It can’s remain a “secret” destination for too long.

3. Diving in Alor

Please visit my diving in Alor post here.

4. Review of La Ptite Kepa in Alor

While in Alor, we stayed at La Ptite Kepa which is in one of the best diving locations. It is located on Alor Kecil, a small paradise-like island with loads of bare beaches.

What it lacks in luxury, it makes up in friendliness and good vibe. Be ready to live off the grid while there as there is no electricity or running water. Every morning, water is brought by boat from the mainland and put in buckets for baths. There are solar panels for lights and recharging of devices at night.

The food is very modest, but quite tasty with rice, vegetables, and fresh fish daily. Meals are served at a communal table where guests share the day’s adventures. During our stay, most of the guests were from Europe, but there were also a few Asians and North Americans, which made for a truly global crowd.

The resort consists of ten bungalows. Some of them have shared bathrooms while others have private ones. There are two exclusive beachfront bungalows which are by far the best. They both have alluring patios, private bathrooms, and showers with running water, a true luxury! They also have their own charging stations which make recharging your devices easier. They are highly sought after, and so you should book months in advance.

Otherwise, the standard bungalows with private bathrooms are also somewhat comfortable but have bucket-style showers.

We took a break from diving to snorkel one day. We snorkeled that morning off the beach facing the exclusive cottages and encountered more than ten sharks! That afternoon, we also snorkeled in the channel with more than ten dolphins. Watch out for the current, though. I was almost swept away, and a boat had to come to my rescue.

Practical tips:

Take some mosquito repellent along. You may get the Autan brand in Soe or Kupang. I found it to be mild on the skin.

Get a Telekomcel SIM card with a good data package. Telekomcel is the telecoms service provider with the best coverage in the remotest areas in Most places in Alor and Timor don’t have internet (including La Ptite Kepa), and so the SIM card will help you stay connected and use Google Maps to get around.

#Alor #adventures

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defineifndef-blog · 7 years ago

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Hakuna Matataland

I was never particularly tempted by Africa, thinking it’s just a desert with little food and little to see. Nothing of that turned true – variety of landscapes, comfortable temperature, numerous animals, friendly locals and clean public spaces can satisfy even the most critical tourist.

Honza tricked me into a holiday in Tanzania by showing the pictures of Zanzibar’s sandy beaches:

Can one say no? :) As a compromise, we decided to spend a week on the continental part for a safari, and then chill in Zanzibar for another week – which I would say is the perfect mix for a comprehensive holiday.

After few hard months at work, we both just slept through the 14 hours of flight with a quick lunch in Istanbul, and woke up in Dar es Salaam - the former capital and largest city in Tanzania. Over the last century, Dar es Salaam has grown from a sleepy fishing village into a metropolis of over four million people. Straddling some of the most important sea routes in the world, it is East Africa’s second-busiest port and Tanzania’s commercial hub. Despite this, and its notorious traffic jams, the city has managed to maintain a low-key down-to-earth feel.

We stayed at the local Backpacker’s hostel owned by a distant acquaintance of ours, who did a city tour for us. It was pretty much just about walking around in a crowded slum-like city center, sweating at every step. The highlight was a metro trip (metro meaning bus run on tracks) and a visit to the local fish market. Boiling hot and rich in smells, it is divided into two main sections, with fresh and less-fresh fried fish sold to the local shoppers and restaurants.

Luckily, we escaped from Dar just after a day, and flew to Arusha, the gateway to the popular Northern Safari Circuit. Nested at the foot of Mount Meru (the view on which we enjoyed from the terrace of our guesthouse with a glass of wine), it is a lush green town as opposed to the dirty Dar. From some points of the area, you could even (theoretically) see Kilimanjaro - but it was always hiding in the clouds.

Here, we had a local buddy called Colman, who helped us book the safari, took us to the dinner with his friends and organized a trip to the Hot Springs (also with five of his friends). This is a fantastic oasis in the middle of nowhere. The term "Hot" in hot spring is used quite loosely though - the water was warm at best, but very clean. The fishes munch at the feet all over, just like at the Thai massage places. There is a swinging rope to either embarrass yourself (me) or show off your monkey skills (Honza), and a little stall with suspicious yet nutritious French fries omelet.

Next day, we took off for the adventure! The first destination was Tarangire National Park in northern Tanzania. Hump-backed wildebeest, kongoni with long ears and short horns reminiscent of a samurai headdress, hulking buffalo, buxom zebra, delicate gazelles, watchful eland, ostrich outriders, fringe-eared oryx and an array of predators move in and out of the park in different directions at different times. Starting with happy shouting when we see one lonely animal here and there, we were soon used to the herds of zebras and the whole elephant families gathering in central riverbeds. One more amazing sight were the giant baobab trees, medusa-headed monoliths often thousands of years old, making the scenery picturesque.

The first night out was in an African igloo at Panorama lodge. It has a stunning view on the savanna, and a storm was coming around in the evening. We enjoyed a dinner cooked by the group’s chef, scaring the lizards away from our plates.

We were in a group of five: two of us, a hot 40-y.o. American, and two German-Italian guys, in an indestructible Land Rover Defender, led by an amazingly calm guide Abdul, who’s been doing this for over 15 years. His personal lifetime safary experience was when a family of lions were passing through the camp and a baby got stuck in his tent, crying for mommy’s help. Abdul also helped me get my own personal lifetime experience of getting out of the jeep to pee in the middle of the savanna (strictly prohibited and deadly) few kms away from the lions.

The next park was THE Serengeti. With nature ranging from apparently limitless grass plains in the south, fertilized by volcanic ash, to wooded highlands in the east, crossed by rivers, it is a home to hundreds of inhabitants.

Among them, the principal actors are blue wildebeest and their spectacular annual Great Migration, “The Greatest Show Of The Natural World”, during which they trek in circumambulation for 3200 kilometers from northern Tanzania to south-western Kenya and back again. In turn, their trips affects other creatures: lions, jackals, hyenas, leopards and cheetahs prey on the migrating and resident herds. Vultures subsist on the predators’ leavings.

The herds of zebras were mainly turning their butts on us, but still were magical. Over the course of the safari, the amount of zebras around us was growing exponentially, until on the last night in Ngorongoro camp our tents were surrounded by them, walking between the tents. This was quite nice, as opposed to SImba camp in Ngorongoro, with hyenas swinging around and laughing right in your ear at night.

Ngorongoro is a park located in a volcano crater, with the diameter of over 20 km. This is a whole magical world, with own ecosystem, salty lakes, humid jungle forests and green swamps. The camp was based on the top of it, and at dawn we were descending for about 2 kms down on a dusty narrow road, speechless from the views unfolding ahead of us.

We’ve seen graceful flamingos, supposedly pink because of the shrimps they eat.

The swamps were full of grey dirty rocks that turned out to be sleepy hippos, nocturnal thus not giving a damn about the birds jumping all over them.

As for me, if you just have one day, Ngorongoro is the most magical place to see on the mainland.

Tired and dusty, we returned to Arusha to fly to Zanzibar on the next morning. Local airlines are truly a miracle, where ‘hakuna matata’ principle rules over any regulations. The boarding passes are issued in handwriting, and our surnames were (understandably) way too difficult for the check-in guy – so we ended up with two pieces of paper stating ‘Jan’ and ‘Daria’, and a delay of just two hours.

The plane had about 10 seats, so it’s almost as if you had a luxury private jet. By the way, there’re at least three different airlines, with ticket price varying from roughly 70 to 370$ for the same route – we dared to go with the cheapest and it was absolutely fine.

Zanzibar lies on the east coast of Africa, and the name officially refers to the archipelago that includes Unguja and Pemba, surrounded by about 50 smaller ones. As we were explained, when mere silly Europeans say ‘Zanzibar’, they usually refer to the Island of Unguja, separated from mainland Tanzania by a shallow channel 37 km across at its narrowest point.

Zanzibaris have a long history of religious tolerance and although the islands are 95% Muslim, alcohol and tobacco are available (if you search for it: not in every hotel, but pretty much in every bar). The tourists are many, and they are requested to show consideration for the Zanzibari culture by wearing long skirts/pants and covering the shoulders.

For many centuries there was intense seaborne trading activity between Asia and Africa, and Zanzibar was a key African port, hosting and blending the culture of Germans, Indians and Omanis. It used to be a colony of Oman for quite a while, and has become an official part of Tanzania quite recently, in 20th century. The name of the country itself is actually made up from two words: ‘Tanganyika’, the name of the continental part, and ‘Zanzibar’.

Zanzibar has great symbolic importance in the suppression of slavery, since it was one of the main slave-trading ports in East Africa. Interestingly, the majority of slaves were female concubines, whose children had full inheritance rights, same as the marital children of the master family. After a concubine gave master a child, it was impossible to sell either – which I can imagine resulted in an interesting blend of relationships and a blurred perception of social stratification.

The last but not the least important historical fact is that their beloved Princess Salme, who published an extensive memoir on her life in Zanzibar, looked like Putin. So we bonded with the locals immediately.

The capital and the main port is Stone Town, home of Freddy Mercury (Muslim locals do not seem especially proud of it, though).

The historic center is essentially a labyrinth of narrow winding streets, all leading to the sea cost, where local children play and swim right between the boats.

The city has a very calm vibe, and for the first time in Tanzania I felt truly comfortable and relaxed strolling around. One drawback is that obviously the prices are rather European – but fresh juices and local foods are worth it.

Zanzibar is sometimes called ‘the Spice Island’, as the agriculture is focused on growing spices. We decided to explore on of the local spice farms. Turns out, pretty much everything we know - cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, cardamom – grows on trees and bushes. Africans do not really use much spices for food, which is rather flat in terms of taste – but their traditional medicine is all about spices. Eating cumin powder helps with ‘running stomach’ (tested, proven personally), nutmeg gives women ‘romantic eyes’ and enhances men’s power (according to an alternative source, it can keep you high for up to 24 hours), and eating henna roots that cause internal bleeding has been an abortion solution for the most conservative Muslim communities for centuries.

After the farm tour, we did a local cooking class – fish curry, spinach mash and coconut milk dumplings with cardamom, all cooked right on the floor and eaten mostly by the local village kids attracted by the smell. If we did not see that fish on the local market, I suspect we might’ve enjoyed it more. But the dumplings were dope, and burnt cane sugar with cardamom is something you should all try!

After Stone Town, we headed to the north-east of the island for beaches and dives. Our first stop for few days was Kiwengwa, which, funnily enough, turned out to be an Italian enclave. Somehow the first tourists that started coming to Zanzibar about 10 years ago were Italians, and all the locals started learning the language. More than a half of the beach cafes were serving pizza, pasta and Prosecco (not that I mind!), and local kids were chasing us on the beach shouting ‘Ciao bella’. The beach souvenir stalls with coconut carvings and textile bags had the proud names like ‘Dolce & Gabanna” and “Fendi”.

The sea life was absolutely stunning. We skipped the crowded dolphin-chasing tours and went diving and snorkeling to the tiny neighboring islands. My personal favorite was a trumpet fish:

And apart from that, there was absolutely nothing to do in the north-east, as there was no wind and no waves. I was counting with sunbathing all day long, however, the tan plan was usually fulfilled in the first 15 minutes at the beach, even with SPF 50: African sun is truly severe. Chilling in the shadow of hotel terrace was complicated by the hardworking waiters, who came every 10 minutes with a call-center dialogue script: “-Hello! -…. ‘How are you?’ ‘… ‘How is your day?’ … ‘Is everything okay?’… ‘Would you like something else?’ ‘… and a killer follow-up ‘Why not?’. When once I dared not to order a drink, one of the waiters literally chuckled, loudly expressing her contempt for my refusal to support the local economy.

After three days, we ran away to Paje, a more democratic party village on the east coast. There was a tiny bit of wind, still not enough for surfing but sufficient for trying out a kite. This kept Honza busy for another two days, while I was swallowing Agatha Christie’s novel in batches. A sport that needs independent coordination of legs and hands did not look very promising for me. And the beaches were just amazing 24/7.

When it was time to go home, we took a ferry from Stone Town to Dar – and despite many negative reviews, I would recommend it to everyone. Reasonably priced (35$), big, clean and air conditioned, it reaches Dar in just about 2 hours – and then you can uber to the airport. Just be aware that local drivers aren‘t big believers in driving after they accept the order – they usually just stay where they are, apparently waiting for you to come to them. It took us just half an hour with 2 phones to actually get a car – but it was about 30 times cheaper than a taxi for an hour’s drive.

A lonely plastic pine tree in the departure hall reminded us that we’re flying back for snow and Christmas. This is nothing personal for Africa, but it was amazing to be back, with the reliable electricity supply, drinkable tap water and no need to bargain over everything.

Some of the practical tips:

· Essential vaccinations are just two – typhus ans yellow fever, but you must have a vaccination certificate for border crossing.

· If customs officers go away for half an hour with all your documents – hakuna matata. Sooner or later they’ll come back, and even if you end up with few local loans on your name, the notifications are not likely to arrive overseas.

· Mosquito net was available everywhere we stayed, but we still took one with us just in case. You’ll be bitten anyway, even with the net and repellent – but the levels of malaria are very high on the continental part.

· If you take Malarone in the evenings together with red wine, your dreams will be vivid and complex.

· If going in the low season as we did, you should definitely book a safari right on the spot in Arusha. This is more than twice cheaper than booking online in advance, and options are plenty. I’ll be happy to refer our local buddy to you :)

· Make sure you go to the bathroom before sleep when you stay in safari camps to avoid unpleasant meeting with hyenas. Same stands for game drives, when you are technically not allowed to leave the car. Skipping on this results in the scariest two minutes of your life, especially if someone in the crew decided to fool you shouting „Look, lion is coming!“ while you’re out.

· By law visitors have to settle bills in US dollars rather than shillings, but no one really cares. It;s best to bring USD and withdraw some local currency just in case. When paying in USD, you can (should) bargain over the exhange rate!

· As usual – avoid raw foods, veggies and fruit that you do not peel yourself, and make sure your water bottles are sealed. Valid even for the five-star hotels. If anything, chew cumin.

· Chat with the locals, smile and hakuna matata! Once you let it all go, Africa is amazing!

#tanzania #hakunamatata #africa #travel

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princessweddingdresssweetheartne · 5 years ago

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Princess Wedding Favors

Top Wedding Venues In San Diego, California

Table of ContentsThe Best Virginia Wedding Venues For Washingtonian CouplesWeddings: 9 Expensive Wedding Venues Around The Country ...16 Cheap Budget Wedding Venue Ideas For The Ceremony ...America's 65 Highest-rated Wedding Venues, According To ...

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jeremystrele · 5 years ago

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Our Favourite Getaways Of 2019

Stays

by Miriam McGarry

Photo – Lisa Cohen. Styling – Tess Newman Morris.

A Modern Country Home Inspired By The Aussie Shed

The Wensley is located in a remote rural spot, set back from the Surf Coast of Victoria. Designed by Nick Byrne of Byrne Architects, the form of the building is inspired by vernacular Victorian shed design, and this is echoed in the materials of Australian hardwood and corrugated steel. But inside, this is no ordinary shed!

Revisit the original story here.

The retreat is located in Central Victoria’s Macedon Ranges. Photo – Derek Swalwell.

Inside the single-bedroom cottage. Photo – Derek Swalwell.

This project is backed up by an impressive sustainability ethos. Photo – Derek Swalwell.

A Country Cottage That Makes A Real Splash

The Hill Plains Cottage Pool House by Wolveridge Architects combines guest quarters and a natural swimming pool, and is the personal project of architect and firm-director Jerry Wolveridge, located in the Macedon Ranges, Central Victoria.

The guest cottage is a 50-square-metre single-bedroom cottage, which like Jerry’s home, operates off-the-grid. This mini eco-retreat also offers a natural springs pool, which opens out to a view of the Heathcote ranges.

Revisit the original story here.

Two of the three cabins. Photo – Adam Gibson.

The interior experiences are designed to emphasises the feeling of being ‘in’ the landscape. Photo – Adam Gibson.

The three cabins are all different, but follow the same ethos of providing a shelter in the Tasmanian landscape. Photo – Adam Gibson.

Utility Meets Luxury In These Tiny Tasmanian Shacks

Inspired by the practical minimalism of Tasmanian shack heritage, the Denison Rivulet project by Taylor + Hinds architects on the East Coast of Tasmania is about ‘more than capturing a view.’

These assemblage of three cabins plays with the idea of minimal luxury. Designed to capture a sense of cosy intimacy, this accommodation offers the ultimate Tasmanian ‘shack’ experience.

Revisit the original story here.

Welcome to Slow Beam, nestled in the West Hobart bush. Photo – Lauren Bamford.

That carpet! Custom design carpet by Esther Stewart, Douglas and Bec ‘Turn’ floor lamp and Linge Roset Plumy couch. Photo – Emily Weaving.

A brooding kitchen featuring Caesarstone ‘rugged concrete’ bench tops. Grazia & Co Iva stools with sheepskin. Ebony Truscott oil painting. Photo – Lauren Bamford.

A bath with a view! Photo – Lauren Bamford.

A Photographer’s Designer Hideaway In Hobart

Slow Beam is a hidden gem in Hobart, representing a star line-up of Melbourne creatives! Photographer Lauren Bamford worked with Sarah Trotter of Hearth Studio, and architect Murray Barker to create this dramatic jewel in the West Hobart bush. The carpet by artist Esther Stewart is WILD, but every possible element of this accommodation is designed by one of Australia’s best!

Revisit the original story here.

Captains Rest is in Strahan, Tasmania. Photo – Marnie Hawson

No matter where you are in the home, you can gaze out at the water. Photo – Marnie Hawson

Sarah always believed in the potential of this space to be a year-round tourist drawcard. Photo – Marnie Hawson

A Magically Restorative Waterfront Getaway in Tasmania

Captains Rest in Strahan, on the west coast of Tasmania, is a much-in-demand Airbnb escape perched right on the waterfront. Owner Sarah Andrews transformed a run-down shack into a booked-out retreat! If you are eager to stay at Captains Rest, act smart, as it books out months in advance. A blissful Tassie bolt hole.

Revisit original story here.

‘I identified that boating and the processes involved can be quiet intimidating to some,’ tells Chuck Anderson, of his inspiration to design and build both Lilypad itself and the variety of tailored experiences offered aboard. Photo – courtesy of Lilypad.

Completely powered by solar, it has no fuels onboard, yet luxury and function are not compromised one bit.Photo – courtesy of Lilypad.

A Floating Eco Villa Off Palm Beach

Floating just metres from the shore of Sydney’s Palm Beach, this solar powered floating villa is known as ‘the Lilypad’! Designer and creator Chuck Anderson has applied his own metal fabrication expertise in creating this solar powered escape. Lilypad is a members only affair, so click through to find out how to become part of the floating gang.

Revisit the original post here.

The Fender House in Mount Martha, with renovations from Whelan Project. Photo – Derek Swalwell.

Say hello to that green carpet! And a peek of B&B Italia sofas from Castorina and Co in the background. Photo – Derek Swalwell.

Hanging out pool side. Photo – Derek Swalwell.

A Lovingly Restored Mid-Century Marvel In Mount Martha

If you fall in love with this mid-century gem (and warning, you will!) then act quickly – this propertly is only occasionally listed in Airbnb, because it is so beloved by its owners! Designed by iconic architect Karl Fender (now one half of Fender Katsalidis) this ‘Fender Weekender’ is filled with lush green carpet, stunning wood panelling and features a gentle curving pool.

Revisit original story here.

The Dairy, designed and built by Andrea Moore and her Dad Lindsay. Photo – Eve Wilson. Styling – Andrea Moore.

Travertine paving stones form the building blocks of the kitchen island. Dinnerware by Robert Gordon. Photo – Eve Wilson. Styling – Andrea Moore.

The Dairy completely opens up to make the most of outdoor/indoor living. Photo – Eve Wilson. Styling – Andrea Moore.

An Old Dairy Farm, Transformed Into One Of Victoria’s Coolest Boutique Accomodations

Few design projects are created with the same love as The Dairy at Ross Farm. Located in the small town of Meeniyan in Victoria’s South Gippsland (about two hours’ drive south-east from Melbourne), this boutique accommodation is owned, and has been meticulously designed and built by father-daughter team Lindsay and Andrea Moore.

No detail is overlooked in ‘The Dairy’, with a distinctly rustic, yet contemporary handcrafted vibe we cannot get enough of!

Revisit the original story here.

The white cabin, with strong Swedish summer house vibes. Photo – Marnie Hawson.

A corner of treats. Photo – Marnie Hawson.

Relaxed beach side vibes in Marion Bay, South Australia. Photo – Marnie Hawson.

A Swedish Summer Cottage In South Australia

Inspired by Swedish summer houses, sisters Emma Read and Sarah Hall purchased this white weatherboard delight in Marion Bay, South Australia. Their renovations for ‘My Sister & The Sea‘ are equal parts rustic and romantic, with a sense of vintage charm in every corner!

Revisit original story here.

The over water accommodation. Photo – Kara Rosenlund.

Photographer Kara Rosenlund traveled to the elusive island in 2014 on a workboat over the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. Photo – Kara Rosenlund.

Fires are the only source of warmth in the cold evenings. Photo – Kara Rosenlund.

Is This Private Island Tasmania’s Best Kept Secret?

An island, off an island, off an island… welcome to the elusive Satellite Island, off Bruny Island, off the mainland of Tasmania!

This small island houses two small properties, the Summer House and the Boathouse – and nothing else! Scroll through Kara Rosenlund‘s incredible pictures for a southern island paradise.

Revisit the original story here.

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krystangreen-blog · 5 years ago

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There’s so much to do when you’re visiting Santa Barbara with kids. My parents used to live here and we go back often for weddings and weekend getaways, usually via the easy Pacific Surfliner train from San Diego to Santa Barbara.

We love strolling through the fun, family-friendly museums, relaxing on the beautiful beaches, and exploring what there is to do up and down the coast. The weather is near perfect for most of the year (Santa Barbara gets 300+ days of sunshine), so all-ages outdoor excursions abound.

What you won’t find in Santa Barbara are the big theme parks that draw so many families to San Diego. That means that visiting Santa Barbara with kids can be more relaxing. Your vacation will unfold at a slower pace. There won’t be any long lines, just long stretches of quality time.

Below you’ll find 10 of my favorite things to do in Santa Barbara with kids.

Go to the Beach

Leadbetter Beach photo by Jay Sinclair, Courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara

While Santa Barbara is sometimes called the American Riviera, it’s important to remember that this is California. Not all the beaches in Santa Barbara are great swimming beaches. Some are better for watching the sunset, tide pooling, or having a picnic.

The best beaches for kids in Santa Barbara, in my opinion, are Leadbetter Beach, East Beach, Butterfly Beach, Miramar Beach, and Carpinteria State Beach.

Leadbetter Beach is across from Santa Barbara City College. Typically gentle waves make it a popular spot for learning how to surf and people who enjoy ocean swimming. It’s a gorgeous sandy beach with convenient amenities that include a grassy lawn and outdoor barbecue facilities.

East Beach is the epitome of a Santa Barbara beach and is conveniently located near downtown. Older kids will want to play volleyball here, and there are kayak and stand up paddleboard rentals right on the beach. It can get busy, but it’s never packed.

Butterfly Beach is a local favorite with its narrow strip of pristine sand and its unique east-west orientation that makes it a hot spot for sunsets and sunrises. Again, this beach doesn’t have lifeguards, but the surf isn’t terribly intense, either.

Miramar Beach is a small curved beach with almost no waves where families can walk, tide pool, splash around, or just relax. It’s definitely a hidden gem and one that not many tourists know about. The only downsides are that this beach doesn’t have facilities or lifeguards, and the parking lot is tiny.

Carpinteria State Beach is one of the safest beaches in the country and is just about ten minutes away from downtown Santa Barbara. The water is extremely calm here because of a protective reef, making it a great place to take beginner surfing lessons when you’re visiting Santa Barbara with kids.

If hitting the beach is number one on your itinerary when you’re visiting Santa Barbara with kids, also check out Santa Claus Beach and Arroyo Burro Beach — both of which are great swimming beaches.

Santa Barbara Zoo

Photo by David Collier, Courtesy of Visit California

We enjoy visiting the Santa Barbara Zoo. It’s on the smaller side, which makes it a great half-day outing, plus it’s absolutely lovely and well-maintained. I’d say it’s worth a visit just to see the native California condors and to hand feed the resident Masai giraffes.

Older kids will enjoy climbing on the 26-foot rock wall while younger visitors will have a blast riding the zoo train, panning for fossils, and running around in the family play area.

The zoo is also home to exotic animals from diverse ecosystems, including anteaters, lions, gorillas, elephants, penguins, and snow leopards. One of the most interesting features of the zoo is the animal kitchen where visitors can watch as zoo staff prepare food for the various animals.

Chase Palm Park

There’s some debate about which park has the best playground in Santa Barbara. Chase Palm Park has a massive wooden shipwreck-themed play area plus a cute old-fashioned carousel and a koi pond that little kids will be happy to watch for a long time. There’s also a bike and rollerblading trail, a skateboard park, beautiful walking trails, and beach access.

It’s located midway between the Santa Barbara Zoo and Stearns Wharf, across the street from East Beach. If your kids like to walk, you could spend the morning at the zoo, run around the park in the afternoon, and grab dinner at the wharf, and maybe hit the beach in between.

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Photo by Jessy Lynn Perkins, Courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara

This isn’t your typical natural history museum. There are a lot of hands-on activities, and the museum’s display cases are usually positioned close to the floor so even the smallest visitors will be able to see everything.

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History also has a relaxed vibe. Taking kids to museums can sometimes feel stressful, but not here! Families are free to wander slowly through the eight halls of exhibits showcasing dinosaurs, mammals, minerals, and more.

You can easily see everything — including the 72-foot blue whale skeleton named Chad — in about two hours, but if you have more time, it’s worth seeing a show at the Gladwin Planetarium.

MOXI Museum

Photo by JasonRick, Courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara

When you’re visiting Santa Barbara with kids, definitely put this fun, interactive museum on your itinerary. MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation has tons of hands-on science and tech exhibits that are as much fun for parents as they are for kids.

There are three floors filled with 17,000 square feet of exploration space that includes building, splashing, crafting, and music and sound activities. Make sure you visit the rooftop for a fantastic view of Santa Barbara.

Rent Bikes

Photo by Wheel Fun Rentals, Courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is such a bike-friendly community, and I love the side of the city I see when I’m exploring on two (or four) wheels. You don’t have to bring your own bike because there are lots of shops and Santa Barbara hotels that will let you rent bikes for the day or for as long as you’ll be visiting the city.

There are miles of well-maintained bike paths along the coast that are flat and easy enough for kids as young as six to ride on with confidence. You can bike from the quiet village of Montecito to downtown Santa Barbara and Stearns Wharf, and there are guided cycling tours, too.

You could easily spend a wonderful weekend sightseeing in Santa Barbara with kids without ever getting behind the wheel of a car.

Kid’s World

Younger kids will love running around at the fantastic 8,000-square-foot playground at Alameda Park — one of Santa Barbara’s oldest parks, right across from Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens.

Known as Kid’s World, this playground has plenty of slides and swings, and a huge castle structure for children to explore, plus a separate area for smaller kids.

Tree climbers will find a lot of great low hanging branches to dangle from, too. It’s a great spot to spend a few unscheduled hours when you’re visiting Santa Barbara with kids.

Stearns Wharf

Photo by Jessy Lynn Perkins, Courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara

This waterfront area at the end of State Street is Santa Barbara’s most visited attraction because there’s so much to do.

Stearns Wharf is where you’ll find the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center — an interactive marine education facility that’s enjoyable for all ages. There’s also family-friendly shopping (we like to stop and buy trinkets at the Old Wharf Trading Company) and dining (try Santa Barbara Shellfish Company).

Whenever we’re here, we grab ice cream at Great Pacific Ice Cream Shop and pop into Madame Stearns Candy Shop to see what’s new. If you want to do something a bit out of the ordinary, have a palm reading or get your tarot cards read at Madame Rosinka’s. As a kid, I always thought it was cool that you could drive out onto the wharf (parking can be tough though).

Whale Watching

Photo by David Collier, Courtesy of Visit California

The Santa Barbara Channel is one of the best places for whale watching in California because the nutrient-rich waters attract hungry marine animals, including dolphins and migrating whales.

There are a lot of Santa Barbara whale watching tours available, on boats that range from bare-bones to quite luxurious. From November through April, you’ll spot Pacific gray whales as they head south to Baja California to give birth and then north again (this time with their calves in tow) back to Alaska.

From spring through fall, you’ll see colossal blue whales and acrobatic humpback whales, along with shy minke whales and fin whales. You can also spot whales from the trails along Santa Barbara’s scenic bluffs.

Lil’ Toot Taxi

Photo by Jay Sinclair, Courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara

Visiting Santa Barbara with kids will almost always mean taking a ride or two on this Santa Barbara icon. The Lil’ Toot Water Taxi is an adorable yellow tugboat with a distinctive whistle, a smokestack that blows bubbles, and a super cute smile.

Little kids love the Lil’ Toot Water Taxi, and admission is just a few dollars ($5 for grownups, $2 for kids) for a 15-minute narrated boat ride that runs between the Santa Barbara Harbor and Stearns Wharf.

The tug departs every half hour and seats up to 19 passengers. Tours used to be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, but now it’s possible to buy tickets in advance online.

Santa Barbara Family Hotels

If you’re looking for somewhere to stay while visiting Santa Barbara with kids, my top pick among local hotels is Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore, Santa Barbara. It’s one of my favorite luxury hotels precisely because it’s so welcoming to kids and the atmosphere is very relaxed.

There’s also a lot to do, both on and near the property. We’ve taken advantage of the bike rentals many times, and their summer Kids for All Seasons has supervised activities for kids ages 5 through 12. It’s easy to book babysitting through the hotel and enjoy a little grownup time during your family vacation.

TIP: When you’re ready to book a Santa Barbara hotel, keep in mind that we have access to exclusive VIP amenities. If you book through my Santa Barbara Virtuoso page, you’ll get extras like complimentary breakfasts, room upgrades, and spa credits.

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emilysn2019-blog · 6 years ago

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I love road trips, and my favorite in the entire United States is the stretch of Pacific Coast Highway between Southern and Northern California. This guide will help you plan the perfect ocean-side vacation along PCH, with a multi-day itinerary, tips for where to stay, what to do, dining, and more!

Formally known as California State Route 1, this is California’s major north–south state highway that hugs 659 miles of the state’s Pacific coastline. In various places, California State Route 1 (SR 1) is designated as Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), Cabrillo Highway, Shoreline Highway, Coast Highway, or California Highway 1.

While all of these names can be used interchangeably, most people know it as simply PCH or Highway 1. Pacific Coast Highway starts in Southern California at I-5 near Dana Point in Orange County and terminates in Northern California at U.S. Route 101 in Mendocino County.

I’ve done stretches of this dozens of times, including one-way trips from Los Angeles to San Francisco, before flying back to Orange County. Other times, we’ve driven sections of Pacific Coast Highway north, and then looped in to Central California for the return trip south. From a sightseeing perspective, I would not necessarily recommend this (long sections of the drive are quite dull), but it’s a good meandering option if you want to hit several National Parks in (meandering) succession.

Since posting a trip report about my family’s experience doing this a few years ago, I’ve received questions about the ‘great American road trip’ driving Pacific Coast Highway. My goal was to cover entirety of PCH and create an ‘Ultimate Guide to Pacific Coast Highway’ that offers a 7-day itinerary from San Diego to Redwood National Park. However, our plans to visit Redwood National Park has been dashed a couple of times, so I’m going to start with this, and build out the itinerary later.

My first recommendation would be to allot at least 3 days to the road trip portion of the trip, picking a town or two to slow down and spend another night. You’ll notice our itinerary below is 4 days, but you’ll also see that it jumps from Los Angeles to Malibu. (Not exactly a colossal leap, but still.)

We are partial to Laguna Beach as a quiet beachside town for decompressing, and Los Angeles is our favorite city in the United States. In Big Sur, you’ll likewise find a number of beautiful areas that are stunning and secluded, including camp grounds. Just a short drive north of there, the affluent Monterey Peninsula offers a wealth of options for all budgets.

Santa Cruz isn’t high on our list of places to visit, but it likewise has some draws. In the Bay Area, San Francisco is another obvious choice for a world-class destination with no shortage of things to do. You could easily draw this trip out to 2 weeks, but we think around 7 days is ideal, with more (overnight) time spent in the aforementioned places.

My second recommendation would be to do this Pacific Coast Highway road trip pretty much any time that isn’t between Memorial Day and Labor Day. This is California’s peak tourist and vacation season, and many of these beach cities are especially popular during the summer.

Add to this the fact that segments of California Highway 1 alternate between being a two-lane road and an urban freeway, and there’s the potential for slow-moving traffic. In fact, if you consult Google Maps, it will frequently advise you to avoid Pacific Coast Highway and instead use US 101 or I-5.

We lived about 5 minutes from Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach for a few years, and this fact was borne out with regularity. This is arguably one of the worst stretches of PCH for summer traffic. Not only is it a two-lane road, but it’s one dotted with pedestrian crossings, and is a popular segment for leisurely drives.

However, there is a noticeable drop-off in traffic after Labor Day, which makes for a markedly better experience. Also noteworthy is that hotel rates are considerably cheaper in the shoulder and off-season, which is basically September through May, save for the weeks around major holidays and spring break.

You’re probably not going to swim in the Pacific Ocean anyway, so our strong recommendation would be to do this California Highway 1 road trip in the off-season when the weather is cooler and traffic is lighter. It’s an infinitely more pleasant experience. With that said, on to the itinerary…

Day 1: Dana Point/Laguna Beach to Los Angeles

Our recommendation would be to start with an overnight in Laguna Beach, which is the next city north of Dana Point, where Pacific Coast Highway begins. We’re biased to Laguna, but think it’s truly one of the most beautiful and pleasant places in Southern California. See our Laguna Beach, California Vacation Planning Guide for everything (probably more) that you’d ever want to know about Laguna.

The following day, either get up early to beat the rush hour commute heading north on Pacific Coast Highway through Newport and Huntington Beach, or have a leisurely breakfast (there’s no shortage of oceanside options) and get started after the traffic subsides. We’d recommend the former approach, as there’s a lot to see in Santa Monica and Los Angeles.

While much of it’s outside the scope of a Pacific Coast Highway road trip, we’d highly recommend following the second day of our 2-Day Los Angeles Itinerary. Essential (and easier) diversions from Highway 1 are the Getty Villa and Getty Museum, both of which we highly recommend.

If time allows, cherry-pick a few stops from our 1-Day ‘Best Of’ Los Angeles Itinerary to see more of the City of Angels’ highlights. For those who are ambitious and willing to drive a bit more inland, Griffith Observatory is our top recommendation for Los Angeles things to do.

End the day by heading to Malibu for sunset. For the most photogenic beach, we strongly recommend El Matador Beach, which is “Malibu’s Megastar.”

If you have time before sunset, do dinner at Malibu Seafood Fresh Fish Market. Hotel options in Malibu are limited, so you’ll either want to continue north to the Oxnard area or inland to Calabasas.

Day 2: Malibu to Morro Bay

This day could arguably be broken up into two days if you want to take a slower pace–or if you want to visit the Channel Islands. The first stretch would be Malibu to Santa Barbara, with Santa Barbara to Morro Bay (or Monterey) the following day.

Regardless, you’ll want to spend a good amount of time exploring Santa Barbara. The city bills itself as the American Riviera, which is a sufficient and apt way of describing Santa Barbara’s historic architecture, Mediterranean climate, mountain-meets-ocean setting, and overall vibe.

While you won’t find many must-do points of interest in Santa Barbara, it’s a wonderful city to explore. We enjoy wandering the Presidio, waterfront, and downtown without any real agenda. If you’re looking for something specific, a great option for continuing your ‘explorations’ is Old Mission Santa Barbara.

For lunch, you can’t beat Lilly’s Taqueria. This spot serves authentic Mexican soft tacos with some interesting menu items, including beef tongue, lip, cheek, and eye–all of which are delicious. Follow that with dessert at McConnell’s, which is my absolute favorite ice cream.

If you decide to stay overnight in Santa Barbara, consider making the short drive inland to Solvang, California. This Danish village is a tad touristy and kitschy, but it’s also charming and lovely. La Purisima Mission State Historic Park is another nearby stop that’s worthwhile.

Once you get north of Santa Barbara, you’re in for a long scenic drive devoid of major cities or even beach towns. We typically do this in a straight-shot, without stopping for sightseeing.

Day 3: Morro Bay to Big Sur

The stretch of California’s Central Coast around San Luis Obispo is its own thing, with a slower-paced way of life and less development than its neighbors to the north or south. There’s some natural beauty along this stretch of Pacific Coast Highway, but most of the towns are charitably described as “sleepy.”

We’d recommend stopping in either Pismo Beach or Morro Bay. In both, you can find a range of hotel options, including chic boutique offerings and very basic motels that are perfectly safe. Both are nice options, but we prefer Morro Bay; in particular, somewhere within walking distance of the embarcadero. (See our Tips for Visiting Morro Bay State Park for hotel and dining recommendations.)

The main purpose of stopping in this area is being near Hearst Castle, which is the iconic and must-do stop in the Central California Coast region. We absolutely love Hearst Castle and highly recommend it. If the evening or twilight tours are offered when you visit, do one of those on your arrival night. Otherwise, try for the very first Grand Rooms tour the following morning.

Driving north on Highway 1, Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery in San Simeon is another worthwhile stop. In fact, this entire area is known for seals, sea lions, and otters, so don’t be surprised if you see other aquatic life while stopping in Pismo Beach, Cambria, or San Simeon.

Following that, it’s on to Big Sur. In terms of the drive, this is the highlight of our Pacific Coast Highway road trip. My favorite stop in Big Sur is Pfeiffer Beach, which we love year-round for its purple sand, but especially during the annual Keyhole Arch “Light Show.”

Much of Big Sur is protected as Julia Pfeiffer Burns and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Parks, making for a sparsely-populated drive that is beyond stunning. Bordered on the east by the Santa Lucia Mountains, this stretch has winding turns, seaside cliffs, and stunning views of the Pacific coast.

Iconic must-see landmarks include Bixby Creek Bridge, a feat of engineering that rises 270 feet above the canyon floor. McWay Falls offers equally impressive natural beauty, as this 80 foot waterfall cascades down granite cliffs into a tucked-away ocean cove.

Some of California’s best camping is in Big Sur’s state parks, and that’s where we’d recommend staying during this stretch of the trip. Even if you aren’t up for tent (or car!) camping, most of these also offer rustic cabins (or, in some cases, chic) that are a great change of pace option. Failing that, there are plenty of hotels north on Highway 1 in Monterey.

Day 4: Big Sur to San Francisco

This day will start by going through Carmel-by-the-Sea, after which Highway 1 cuts inland to bypass the Monterey Peninsula. Instead of following PCH, we’d recommend continuing along the iconic (and paid) 17-Mile Drive, which is famous for its views, and offers popular stops at Pescadero Point, the Lone Cypress, Crocker Grove, Bird Rock, Fanshell Beach, and Del Monte Forest before arriving at the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Even though you presumably just spent most of the previous day in Big Sur, we’d recommend lingering in this area. Spend a couple of hours doing 17-Mile Drive, and spend a few more at Monterey Bay Aquarium followed by a stroll around Old Fisherman’s Wharf and Cannery Row. This area is really nice, especially as compared to the stretch following it.

Once you leave Monterey and head towards Santa Cruz, it’s not nearly as nice. Admittedly, I’m not a fan of Santa Cruz, though. With that said, I really like Natural Bridges State Beach, which features an iconic sea arch natural bridge and is also famed for monarch butterfly migrations (we’ve never seen that). For something more secluded, I also absolutely love Shark Fin Cove (or Shark Tooth Beach), which is named for its massive rock formation resembling a shark fin.

The next worthwhile stop on the Pacific Coast Highway road trip is Pigeon Point Lighthouse. After that, it’s on to either (or both) Martins Beach and Half Moon Bay. The former is a stunning beach that’s infamous for the lawsuit brought by surfers to ensure public access. The latter is another affluent beach town, which features a Ritz Carlton perched atop stunning bluffs.

If you’re a high roller, staying at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay is a great option. If not, continue north on Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco. As with Los Angeles, we’d recommend spending more time here (it’s also outside the scope of our Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip guide, but we have some San Francisco posts here). This is where our journey ends!

If you’re planning a trip, check out our California category of posts. If you enjoyed this post, help spread the word by sharing it via social media. Thanks for reading!

Your Thoughts

Have you done a California Highway 1 road trip? If so, what did you think of experience? Any additional tips or places to stop you’d add that we didn’t cover? Would you do it again, revisiting favorites along the way, or do you think a PCH road trip is a ‘one and done’? Was it worth your time, patience in traffic, and money? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

The post Pacific Coast Highway Guide: California Road Trip Tips appeared first on Travel Caffeine.

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noisykate · 6 years ago

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Catching up with the blog...

Thunderball Grotto, Pigs on the beach…

10 March 2019

The delights of the Bahamas were slow to reveal themselves, but the last few days have been quite special.

We are now further south, in the Exumas. The waters are, as advertised, crystal clear and the most extraordinary colours, from inky blue-black (bottomless, open atlantic), to navy blue (deep) to a pale, iridescent, luminous emerald green (very shallow), through peacock turquoise and every shade of blue. In the sun, the pale emerald green reflects back to the underside of the clouds, changing the sky.

We found the swimming pigs on Pig Beach, and found them slightly bolshie, clearly used to fleecing food from (the many) visitors, and stalking off immediately once the food has gone. We donated two carrots, cut up small and placed in their feed troughs, as advised, and left them to it. They keep pestering you until you show them your empty hands, then they just walk off. Hiding food in your pockets is not advised.

Thunderball Grotto was an unexpected delight – it was high tide when we arrived, and the current through the cave is strong, so the guide-led tourist hordes of non-swimmers stay away until the slightly more benign conditions which apply at low tide. We had this special place entirely to ourselves for nearly an hour. It is just an outcropping of rock, worn away from all sides into an open honeycomb of tunnels and caves, so that there is now a large cave – perhaps 10m diameter- in the middle of the rock, with holes through to the water from each side, and to the sky above. In the sunlight, these transform the place into the most amazing light theatre, the sun shafting down from above, and up through the underwater holes to the outside. Swimming in is slightly daunting, with strong currents outside pushing you against the rock walls, and once inside you get swirled around a little, but – it is magical. Full of fish, although the coral has suffered from too many visitors.

And I saw a shark. I dropped off the dinghy for a little swim on the way back to the boat after the grotto, and there it was, about 7’ long, its nose wedged under a rock so it could sleep. It swam away. Slightly disconcerting how close you can get to them before you spot them. Thankfully, it was a nurse shark, one of the more benign varieties.

The wind has (of course) been from the wrong direction for ages, and we are now against the clock to make distance south and east. Making progress in the right direction means either (a) risking a grounding against the shallow sand banks of the ‘inside’ or (b) braving the wilder conditions and much bigger waves of the ‘outside’, the open atlantic. We took the inside route for a bit yesterday, and -of course- went aground, stuck solid, bouncing of the hard sand bottom until the tide floated us off. Impossible to judge the depth by eye – you can see pebbles on the bottom in 10m of water.

Later…

13 March 2019

Now in Georgetown, in the company of an anchored fleet of perhaps 300 boats, some of whom of course we know. Lots of americans, on the southern end of their excursion south for the winter. We are meeting up with Chris and CC later – we first meet them on the ICW, in the Dismal Swamp – they rescued us from the appalling NY cop who was in favour of the police being able to shoot anyone without having to account for it. They are down here on a friend’s boat – looking forward to catching up.

Also bumped into John and Sue off Dandelion, last met in Marsh Harbour – they are on the way back to the UK for a flying visit, after an exciting year around Brazil, getting as far as the Beagle Channel around Cape Horn, and the Falklands, which they loved. They plan to go straight back there as soon as they’ve dealt with some business at home, including fitting a diesel heater. Sounds amazing, and very tempting, but the logistics of it put it out of our reach.

It is raining at the moment; still plenty warm enough, but the winds strong enough to keep all but the resolute and time-pressed to stay in the harbour. There is better weather on Friday for heading slightly north of east, which is where we need to go.

Georgetown is a decent little place, much livelier and more interesting than Marsh Harbour, although that could easily be taken as damning with faint praise.

Snorkelling, then a drink at a lovely beach bar. Later, we went out for the evening with Chris and Helen off Tyee, to a bar with live music – great vibe, lots of noise, good music. Even got Mike dancing a bit. Various musicians, hot-seating through a wide range of instruments, from the ubiquitous oil-can drum, to a timber saw, played with a screwdriver.

Mike is off the boat visiting somebody, I’m here making bread. Movie night later with Chris and Helen.

Internet here is pants, so no idea when this will get posted. I have been trying to ring family on Whatsapp but it is hopelessly broken and delayed, just a frustration.

Later still…

19 March 2019

Now in Clarence Town, on the southern end of Long Island. Another gorgeous emerald green bay, another tiny settlement pretending it is a ‘town’, still no internet.

Chris and Helen have left, heading east to go North around Haiti and the DR, as their insurer does not allow them to visit either place, or Cuba. We hope to meet up with them again on the south coast of Puerto Rico.

There is a posh marina here, catering to the large “sports fishing” boats, which means there is no swimming in the bay, because they clean their catch off the dock there, attracting sharks. We parked the dinghy there to go ashore. The splash from the stern anchor attracted them, half a dozen or so 4-8ft long, all circling the dinghy. Also saw a 5ft tarpon and a 4ft barracuda circling round.

The marina is very small – space for perhaps 10 boats – but with the shore-based infrastructure (showers, toilets, restaurant, laundry, shop) for many more. Far too expensive for us and most other cruisers at $2.70 or so per foot per night, all visiting boats anchor out. The well-stocked shop offers a large range of comically overpriced good, such as baseball caps at $30, packet of biscuits (“cookies”) at $8. The US-registered “sports fishers” are ubiquitous in the Bahamas; some are based here, but many come over from Florida for the season, spend vast amounts in tightly limited hot-spots, with little of their money making its way into the local economy. Under way, they burn fuel at 200-1000 litres per hour, depending on their size and speed. That’s a metric tonne of fuel, per hour. Clearly not a poor-man’s hobby. They don’t seem to have received the memo about global warming.

Ashore, we had to find the immigration office, to ‘fess up that we had inadvertently overstayed our visas by a month. We were expecting a fine, and a wrist-slapping, but no, we were just calmly given a form to extend our visa, and told to backdate it. Bureaucracy at its shining best.

From there, we walked around a bit looking for the bakery. It is too hot for walking for pleasure, so we were pleased to find it at the top of a little hill overlooking the bay, nearer the boat. We chatted for a while with the owner – a lovely black Bahamian, who talked of the difficulties living on such a small island. Her daughter, who clearly had a serious medical problem, perhaps cerebral palsy, lay on a mattress on the floor with a view over the bay – she could have been anywhere from 6 to 20 years old, her limbs twisted and wasted.

The owner said that the illegal immigrants from Haiti and the DR get free health care in the Bahamas, while she has to pay for it. The issue of health care, and who pays for it and how, is a truly universal problem, and it seems nowhere has it fully ‘cracked’. It is difficult to imagine the day-to-day problems dealing with such a disability, and what opportunities there might be – precious little. Mum is vastly overweight, which clearly brings its own problems. Living with that alone in this heat must be difficult.

We are -again- waiting for weather. There is a spell of ‘northers’ coming through, which will help us heading south. We have – reluctantly- given up on visiting Cuba. The delays in Marsh Harbour, and our slow progress since, have left us with no time. I may have said that already. Very disappointing, but – maybe next time!

One useful outcome – the dinghy chaps (cover) was falling to bits, so we took it off and patched it. As usual, this tedious job was worse in the contemplation than the event, and the cover is now re-fitted with an orange stripe around the bump strip, made from a piece of tan sailcloth donated by Sarah when we set off. Took most of the day, both of us pulling and pushing at various bits of fabric and the machine, and much swearing. My little domestic sewing machine is not really man enough for these heavy fabrics, and kept breaking threads and skipping stiches. May donate it to someone in Haiti or the DR, and save up for a Sailrite.

26 March 2019

We waited for the promised weather to head south, and eventually did so in company with Dandelion. We stopped for a night in Little Harbour, just to the south. As with so many of these gorgeous little bays, the beach was littered with rubbish, and although inviting from afar, felt quite squalid close up. The entrance, on the way in, was ‘ok’: fairly flat, and a clear path through. When the time came to leave, it looked horrendous, huge waves breaking 5’ high all the way across. At high tide, these drop to a more manageable size, and we threaded our way out without difficulty. Dandelion’s radio message afterwards summed it up: “Changed your trousers yet?”. Once past the narrow entrance, the sea state was fine.

From there, we headed south together, to the ‘Windward Passage’, the route through between Haiti and Cuba. Dandelion then headed right for Cuba, while we turned left to head along the south coast of Haiti and the DR, hoping that the more benign conditions here would allow us to motor-sail against the easterly trades. Shortly after turning the corner, our engine stopped. The lift pump, we think. So we are now plodding at 2-3kts along the entire southern coast of Hispaniola. 400 miles. That’s about 130 hours at 3 kts. 10 and a half days. Except we are tacking, so that makes the distance getting on for 800 miles. 21 days. That’s far longer than it took us to cross the Atlantic. Bored. Really, quite bored.

The only upside is a renewed appreciation of the epic voyagers of old, who explored these coasts making their own charts as they went, and boats unable to go to windward.

1 April 2019

We are in Barahona, a town on the south coast of the DR.

We rounded the point on the south of the island, and were gamely slogging north east in hopelessly light winds, making 1-2 knots, when another sailing boat hove into sight – first we have seen in days. Thankfully, “Mischief”, a Brazilian registered Moody 425, took pity on us and took us in tow and we made the last 40 miles in a mere 12 hours. It would have taken us 2-3 days on our own.

In the belief that our problem was the lift pump, we removed and cleaned said item, and refitted it, to find no improvement. Engine still wont start.

We spent a day hiking around Barahona trying to find a shop which stocked electric lift pumps. Eventually, we gave up and enlisted the help of a random stranger in the Ajuntament office, who in turn recruited a girl from upstairs who spoke “some English”. In fact, she has been to evening classes for 3 months, so her English is about as good as our Spanish. But we stuck with it, and the two of them drove us around town several times trying to locate the right part. A false dawn when they rocked up to a shop selling domestic generators, so our translation was clearly ‘off’, but we got there in the end. Sadly, though, the new lift pump was no more successful than the old one at getting the engine started.

The lovely Chester, a beautiful Honduran fisherman sharing a ride with an Aussie on another ‘project’ boat, spent the day in the engine bay, curled up in an implausibly small space which I cannot fit into, bleeding various pipes trying to sort out our problem. With some long-distance help from Mike’s mate Dave in the UK, we loosened and tightened various connections, trying to eliminate trapped air. We failed. The latest working hypothesis is that we may have stripped the drive on the pump, so we are now well outside the scope of our competence.

So, we are now in the little harbour awaiting Roberto, a local engineer, who allegedly knows about boat diesels. The word “manyana” (cant find the squiggly ‘n’ sign) has cropped up several times. Hope it really does mean ‘tomorrow’.

We are safe here, the harbour is good, there are shops and banks nearby, and we have company in Steve and Chester, so it could be a lot worse. It could also be quite a lot better, as we are both deeply sick of breaking down, and both not at all keen on repeating our Marsh Harbour experience, an open-ended delay with no control over our own destiny.

1 April 2019

Perhaps not an auspicious day to go shopping for a new sim card so we can be in touch with the world without relying on the café, but we gave it a shot. After a 2-hour wait in the ‘Claro’ shop, with a huge crowd of patient locals, we ended up speaking to somebody who said, basically – yes its easy, but you have to come back tomorrow with your passport.

Now waiting for Roberto, and another man who took the washing away, promising its return at 2pm. Didn’t count the dirty pants before letting it all go, but I hope we get most of it back; our stash of clothes is looking thinner than it was.

The dinghy access to town is perhaps worth a mention – we can get out at the “marina”, but it is then a mile-long slog into town, and it is really too hot for that to be any fun. The only alternative is to tie up outside the port office, and scramble up the 6’ high dock over a tractor tyre. A bit of a game with a swell running, the dinghy dancing up and down by 2’. Getting better with practice, though. At least the water is nice and warm.

The books describe this place as a ‘busy port’, but we have been here several days now, and have yet to see a ship, other than the three permanently moored here, apparently abandoned.

6pm – in the bar again. I know, life is hard. Waiting for somebody to do something, not quite sure what. The engineer who diagnosed the injector pump problem is playing dominoes on the next table. No sign that he is intending to take the pump off tonight. Might be waiting for ‘Los Hondura’ to get back, because he is younger and thinner, and more bendy, and can perhaps get the thing out without dismantling the boat around it.

I managed to talk to some of the family via Whatsapp- miraculous, being able to talk from a beach café in a country like this, via the internet. Not perfect - quite a delay on the line, and it drops out every now and again - but fantastic even so.

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topfygad · 5 years ago

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Dream Dives Around the World

An underwater agenda for scuba divers, whale watchers, and shark seekers.

Adventure Ocean World | POSTED ON: April 1, 2019

Divers in French Polynesia get to glide with triggerfish. Photo By: Global Pics/Getty Images

—Carrie Miller

Indonesia

Reef Riches

Cayman Islands

The Great Wall

South Africa

Adrenaline Rush

Antarctica

Ice Ice Baby

Penguins scoot just below the surface in Antarctica’s Ross Sea. Photo By: PAUL NICKLEN/National Geographic Image Collection

Dives below the frozen Antarctic surface reveal agile penguins and octopi with blood pigments to help them survive the numbing temps. Pro Tip: You’ll need special freeze-protected regulators.

Maldives

The Big Time

Mexico

Caving In

Bahamas

Shark Peek

Cuba

Liveaboard & Learn

Marshall Islands

What a Wreck

In the Marshall Islands, wrecks attract both divers and snorkellers. Photo By: Design Pics Inc/ALAMY

U.S.A.

Citizen Science

Canada

Cold Comfort

Known for wrecks, reefs, and rich marine life, British Columbia’s Barkley Sound has become a cold-water hot spot. Pro Tip: The sheltered location allows for year-round diving.

U.S.A.

Night Moves

Swooping through the inky black waters, manta rays with 20-foot wingspans feed on plankton while divers look on from the sea floor near Kona, Hawaii. Pro Tip: Let the mantas dictate the interaction.

Iceland

Freshwater Fissure

Dive in and touch both the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The Silfra fissure in Thingvellir National Park is literally a place where worlds collide. Pro Tip: A dry suit is a must.

Wispy sea fans wave from a reef in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Photo By: Alex Mustard/Minden Pictures

New Zealand

Stranger Things

Australia

Crowd Pleaser

U.S.A.

Bouncing Back

Bonaire

Small Wonders

At the Bonaire National Marine Park, get up-close looks at frogfish, banded coral shrimp, and Seuss-like nudibranchs. Pro Tip: Divers pay a one-time entrance fee and attend an orientation dive.

Ecuador

Fantasy Islands

French Polynesia

Drifting Away

source http://cheaprtravels.com/dream-dives-around-the-world/

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