#i encountered a shark at the coast 1 time and i will never go more than 2ft deep

[savage-rhi]

"Make eye contact with the shark so it knows you mean business."

Me: 👁👄👁

The shark: 👁 👁

[dragonnan]

fanfic tag game

I was tagged by @disappearinginq​- these are the absolute best fun!

Questions:

Ao3 Name: dragonnan (same as everywhere: Psychfic, FFN, etc)

Fandoms: *cracks knuckles* You want, like, ALL of them?? Welp I’m obsessively listy so here we go:

Currently writing fic for: 

Sherlock

MCU

Psych

In the recent past wrote fic for (and may again as there are WIPs remaining):

SPN

HTTYD

Simon & Simon (as part of a crossover)

Lucifer

Wrote fics years ago but probably won’t write more:

Monk

Star Trek Voyager

Big O (as part of a crossover)

Wrote 1 or 2 fics but probably won’t write more:

Cowboy Bebop

Inuyasha

Lethal Weapon

Invisible Man (2001)

X Files

Quantum Leap

Fullmetal Alchemist

Haven’t published any fics yet but have (or had) ideas:

Doctor Who (specifically 10 and 11)

Burn Notice

Psych

Beauty and the Beast (1980′s series)

Moonlight

In Plain Sight

Star Wars

Haven’t had ideas but I love the fandom and may someday write fic:

Prodigal Son

Star Trek (TNG primarily)

MacGyver (1980′s)

Number of fics: Ummm.... It’s a little hard actually to parse that as some of my stories are posted as larger collections so let’s see what I can do...

Psych: 168 (give or take)

Sherlock: 8

MCU: 19

Other: 29

Total: 224

1. Fic you spent the most time on:  Can I even remember anymore?  I suppose Where There is Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth (Psych) which I think took me over 5 years to complete.  However, I wasn’t straight writing that entire time so not certain if it specifically qualifies?  Another contender is The Tiger and the Shark (Sherlock) which I posted pretty consistently and took about 2 years.    

2. Fic you spent the least time on:  I’m not counting those 100 word challenge fics cause, please.  I think the least amount of time I spent on truly legit stories would be one of these possibilities (cause fuck if I know for sure): Wibble Wobble Wibble Wobble To and Fro (Psych), A Good Heart (Psych), Making the Cut With a Squeeze of Lemon (Psych) 

3. Longest Fic: Where There is Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth (Psych) 104,522

4. Shortest Fic:  Promises to the Dead (again, not counting 100 word challenge fics), This Week on Psychfic - 280 words

5. Most hits: Just Pieces; Passion, Pain, & Parody (Psych fic collection.  Does that count?)

6. Most kudos: All Nighter (Psych)

7. Most comment threads/ reviews: Standing from Falling (Psych) 352 Reviews

8. Fave Fic you wrote: Ooohh screw this question!  Staawwwp!!! I can’t just pick A favorite but I gueeeesss I could narrow it to a few which out of over 200 damn stories you should be grateful I can narrow it down that much (of COURSE I love my own writing - that’s why I do it!).  I’ll also only include completed works: Psych - Suffer the Night, I Would Do Anything for Love; Even That, You Give Me Fever MCU - Just Another Day in New York, Did You Make it to the Milky Way to See the Lights all Faded, Simple Math Sherlock: The Tiger and the Shark, A Russian, Two Spies, and an Elephant

9. Fic you want to rewrite/expand on:   The Tiger and the Shark (expand) Fury (Psych) - rewrite

10. Share a bit of your WIP or share a story idea that you’re planning:  How about both?

Untitled Iron Dad and Spider Son fic:

It started with sand.  Benign. Sorta... tan...  Fucking sand and yet there he was, trembling like he'd just spent the last two hours in subzero temps wearing nothing more than a speedo and a grin.

"Mr. Stark?"

Tony gulped; curling his toes before looking up at the young man across from him... who was wearing an expression that mirrored the anxiety thumping in Tony's chest. "Hey... you okay, Kid?"

Peter shrugged - his long fingers clenching and stretching.  "Y-yeah.  Sure!  I mean..." he swallowed, "not like anything bad happens at the beach, right?"

Tony tapped his teeth around his lower lip.  "It's just sand..." Not like sand ever hurt anyone...

Why were they there again?  Oh right; facing demons.  Because that shit never backfired.

The ocean was calm that afternoon. Behind them the sounds of the pier carried with shrill laughter and the cacophony of vendors, shrieking children, and seagulls.  Lots of seagulls - drawn to the scent of funnel cakes and french fries dominating the blend of scents that normally drew Tony, as well, but currently just twisted the pool of nausea threatening his pride.

Peter drew his focus back with a sharply drawn breath.  Then another.  Wind flicked the curls that had been pasted to his forehead with sweat.  Tony pushing his feet through the hot sand - too hot - a decade later and he still couldn't stand the feel of hot grains...  until he stood alongside the kid. Not looking away from the reflection of sunlight on water he nudged his elbow against Peter's arm.  "Not so bad during the day, yeah?"

Peter blinked rapidly - making something like a smile.  "No, yeah... way better." he nodded - looking about as convinced as Pepper would be at the prospect of birthing octuplets.

Tony pushed his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose.  The most expensive shades on the planet and he still hadn't managed to stop them slipping down when he sweated.  He cupped his left elbow in his right hand and watched the para-sailors and jet skiis and swimmers splashing in the low waves.  No surfers; not that day.

He wouldn't have been there if not for Pete.  Kid's idea.  Apparently therapy was the new heroin.  Better come down, he supposed.  Even at that he'd tried for distraction, first.  Tony was nothing if not the Grand Master of distractibility. Offered everything from a road trip along the East Coast to helping the kid build a personal bot (who was he kidding, he planned both as a graduation present).  And, yet, here there were.  Revisiting trauma because what better way to spend a Saturday?

Story Idea - Doctor Who/ Doctor Strange crossover:

Plot: Stephen encounters a woman in a parallel world – a world protected, not by a Sorcerer Supreme, but by a man known only as “The Doctor”.  He soon finds out that this Doctor is unique among the worlds he's explored.  For all he has seen - all the beings he’s encountered, he has never met a woman with such energy coiled within the depth of her brain as the ordinary, redheaded woman he bumps into walking through a parallel London.  In fact, so powerful are the forces within her that he is immediately struck with a chaos of discordant images – of giant wasps and singing squid-like beings and screeching salt shakers and before he can even begin to understand it a face – eyes furious and dark – glaring from a raging fire. “GET OUT!  THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING! GET OUT, NOW, WHILE YOU STILL HAVE A CHANCE!”

Stephen figures out that Donna is slowly being consumed by the Time Lord energies locked inside her. The Doctor may have barred her memory but it still seeps through – with each exposure weakening the walls even more.  Eventually, it will consume her.    

This is not something he can fix alone, however.  He will need to track down the man who first created those mental blocks and left Donna behind to slowly go insane.  The Doctor.

Tagged: @sgam76 @silentsaebyeok @kitcat992 @mizjoely @villaniouslyawesome @itsjustdg @hanuko @jennberry1984

[otnesse]

Might as well post this regarding Linda Woolverton based on something that she said a little while back.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-linda-woolverton-alice-through-the-looking-glass-20160523-snap-story.html

In particular, something she said in the article really irritated me, which is the following in regards to the so-called Disney Princess culture:

"'I grew up in that princess culture,' Woolverton said. 'I remember feeling very incensed that the men would retire to the library and talk about interesting things and the women and girls were supposed to be over here baking and sewing. We weren't supposed to be thinkers or philosophers.'"

Okay, first of all, Woolverton, I'm pretty sure that is NOT the Princess culture (in fact, technically, the Disney Princess culture didn't even EXIST at the time she's referring to, as the only three movies that existed of Disney Princesses were Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. The Little Mermaid had yet to exist, let alone Beauty and the Beast and others, heck, the idea of an interconnected franchise regarding those characters like Disney Princess was not even an idea yet.). In fact, I don't recall it EVER being implied in the movies that women were not supposed to be thinkers or philosophers at all. Far from it, Cinderella at least was actually shown to have studied history if her naming one of the mice after Emperor Octavian, or more accurately, his nickname of Gus, is of any indication. So don't conflate your experiences with the princess culture.

Which brings me up to my next point: Don't imply that what you described was even widespread enough to be a culture, or that women during that time weren't allowed to be thinkers or philosophers, or even allowed to enter libraries. Sure, maybe YOU have personal experience regarding that bit, but that doesn't mean it was even remotely widespread enough to qualify as a culture, since it's unlikely that most common Americans at the time, heck, most common Californians even, had that experience you did (or various people in the world, for that matter). Actually since it was mentioned earlier in that article that during her childhood she learned to tie knots on the family's 45-foot boat and often went sailing there, she's actually closer to one of the more wealthy citizens of America at that time, meaning that DEFINITELY wasn't a common occurrence among mainstream America (for example, my parents weren't exactly slouches in terms of income or being well-off when they were children, with my dad being the son of a traveling businessman and being raised in Edina, Minnesota, and my mom being the daughter of a traveling Baseball announcer who settled down while still young at Massachusetts. However, not even THEY could afford during that time a 45-foot boat to travel the Atlantic coast or even one of the lakes of Minnesota.), or even the world for that matter. At most, this was just something your own family had as a social rule.

And here's the final point on the matter (and I learned of this yesterday): From what I gather, it was common among the upper class at the time that, around the time of dinner, the men retreat to the library in order to talk about stuff like baseball and other topics, while the women often separated to take care of dinner prep. It had more to do with a social rule among the elites, one that wasn't even embraced by all (not that my Dad's family was anywhere near the upper class, but he had a similar story: During dinner parties, the kids were often separated from the adults when they had conversations, mostly because the subject matter was simply not stuff the kids would have had the emotional maturity to deal with). Even assuming she had an actual legitimate grievance towards it, there was technically never anything stopping her from, say, actually entering the library. Sure, it's unorthodox, and not quite approved of by her class, but it's not like she'll get punished AFAIK by her parents like she would for, say, breaking curfew or refusing to clean up a mess, or that she'd get arrested for that.

I don't mind strong females by any stretch (heck, my #1 DP, Ariel, is plenty strong. And I'm also a fan of Misty from Pokémon and Samus from Metroid, both of whom were very strong females), but Linda Woolverton's attempts at strong females I do not approve of at all, especially not when she is trying to push the radical feminist agenda (and let's face it, her view of feminism and what she tried by her own admission to push onto children IS radical, from bashing the concept of marriage to such an extent in BATB that she effectively implied in the film that it was a woman's worst nightmare and that any woman who even remotely supported marriage in any way was some brainless bimbo who only falls for the town hunk, to basically bashing men by depicting them as either villains, incompetent, or doofuses like she did in BATB and Maleficent. Heck, even speaking as someone who actually has respect for the Beast, I have to admit she definitely had him poorly handled, especially in the ending where he was unable to do ANYTHING to save himself or even his servants when they were attacked, something that he was at least perfectly capable of in his old ways, unless Belle was physically present, as if Belle just castrated him.). And quite frankly, I thought you ruined Beauty and the Beast with your insistence of using that to push the feminist agenda, like Paul Verhoeven did with his pushing an anti-War agenda in Starship Troopers. Belle didn't come across as having true beauty within, and if anything those triplet sisters came far closer to that mark (to say little about their outer beauty). And there was literally nothing in common with the original tale (either version) save for the bit about Beast being cursed and her father encountering him. I'm sorry, but even the Disney version of The Little Mermaid was a lot more faithful to the source material than BATB is, and that's the one that got complained about being ruined by Disney for a changed ending (a changed ending's nothing to literally most of the entire plot being rewritten to such an extent that it came across as an in-name-only adaptation, the latter of which was BATB's problem.). Yes, several Disney films before then had significant rewrites as well, some even going as far as to be in-name-only adaptations but most of that was either due to time constraints (such as Snow White cutting out the poisoned comb bit) or otherwise trying to tone down the material due to the source material otherwise being too inappropriate for the age bracket to do a direct adaptation (eg, The Jungle Book). BATB was the first film to literally rewrite the whole film from the story it adapted from for the sake of pushing a socio-political agenda onto the masses, onto children even. And I wouldn't call that a good thing. To add insult to injury, you arguably insulted the original authors of the tale, Villeneuve and Beaumont, by having the story effectively imply that Belle was not only the only one of the village who was literate, but that she was an outcast for that reason especially due to her being female. Quite frankly, the only reason that jerk is working at Disney is thanks to Jeffrey Katzenberg insisting on a feminist twist to the story after critics complained that Ariel was "cloyingly sexist" just for the fact that she even wanted to go for Eric at all (completely ignoring, of course, that Ariel had already shown badass credentials in the very opening scene where she managed to encounter a shark and beat it, not to mention was explicitly shown to have an interest in humanity to such an extent that she already WANTED to become human long before even being aware of Prince Eric's existence, let alone meeting him face to face, or the fact that she, you know, saved Eric at least twice, and Eric returning the favor himself about that same amount.). I'd even go so far as to argue that, thanks to Katzenberg and this decision, that was the start of Disney shedding its wholesome family values reputation in favor of pushing leftist agendas that is currently plaguing the company right now.

[wesleyv21-blog]

Galapagos: Been there, done that(;

Hello once again!

Quito has never felt quite like home until now. After about 6 hours total of travel (including the hour I lost due to the time difference) from the Galápagos back to the Andes, I’m very glad to be back home-loosely speaking. There’s so much to tell yet so much that words can’t express, but I’ll give it my best shot to review everything that was our excursion to Guayaquil and the famous Galápagos Islands.

Last Wednesday we flew from Quito to Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city. Nicknamed the Pearl of the Pacific for its beauty and the pride of its inhabitants, Guayaquil is the financial hub of Ecuador and really always has been. It’s named after the legendary figures of Guayas and Quil, an indigenous couple who according to legend led the resistance against the Spanish in what is now the area around the city. It was damn beautiful—and hot as hell compared to Quito! Upper 80s with 100% humidity and no clouds! Our first stop was the centrally-located Parque Histórico, where we took a tour of the zoological/botanical gardens that featured animals and plants from all over Ecuador. Crocodiles, otters, parrots, mangroves, monkeys—it was pretty cool! After that, we ate lunch on the famous Malecón (Boardwalk) that sits right on the River Guayas. Then, we toured an art museum that housed an impressive collection of pre-Columbian art from all around Ecuador. Ecuador is home to the first culture in South America to make pottery (the Valdivia culture). The Ecuadorian coast can also boast to be the home of the Manta-Wantawillka culture, the best and only ocean navigators in the southeastern Pacific. In addition, the infamous Spondylus shells are found in the depths off the Ecuadorian coast. These shells were traded as far north as Baja California and as far south as Chile and formed an important part of the economies of various ancestral societies. Alas, our time in Guayaquil was limited to a day, but what a day we spent! It’s a beautiful city that doesn’t have a tradition of tourism interestingly enough, yet I couldn’t recommend it more.

Thursday was the big day, the one we were all looking forward to: the arrival in las Islas Encantadas, the Galápagos Islands. The word “Galápagos” comes from old Spanish and means a saddle; it originally referred to the various species of tortoises that inhabit the islands and then came to refer to the islands themselves. We spent Thursday and Friday in San Cristobal, the capital and home of the oldest human settlements on the islands. Unlike mainland Ecuador, there is no history of ancestral communities living on the islands. Even though the Manta-Wantawillka were the first to discover the islands, they didn’t settle them because they’re very inhospitable. Only 2 islands have natural sources of fresh water. Only 4 are inhabited. I never knew the meaning of “desert island” until I came here. Yet they’re a curious mix of tropical, desert, and high altitude. On the same island (such as San Cristobal or Santa Cruz), you can encounter 5 different micro-climates, each with their own vegetation, animal life, and weather. And then there are the islands that look like they’re otherworldly, such as Bartolomé or Baltra. Bartolomé is red and rocky with an occasional cactus sprouting out of the lava flows and this scraggly grey lichen sprawled out over the entire surface of the island. Baltra has completely red soil, like deep red soil, and the same grey lichen except in much vaster quantities. There are also ruined buildings all over the island—probably dating from the WWII U.S. military base—which give the island an Old West-type feel.

But anyway, Thursday we spent on San Cristobal. We checked into our hotel and chilled the rest of the day, heading down the boardwalk to the beach and swimming with sea lions (which are called lobos marinos in Spanish, or sea wolves, which to me makes a whole lot more sense than sea lions). Sea lions are literally everywhere on San Cristobal—on the benches, on the beaches, on the sidewalk, on the outdoor patios of the restaurants, sometimes on the street. They’ll chase you sometimes if you get too close—as some of the students found out! The way human settlements work on the Galápagos is that 97% of all the territory of the islands is reserved as the national park, leaving 3% for human development. San Cristobal boasts a population of about 8,000 people; Santa Cruz is the biggest in population with around 18,000. So yea, Thursday we spent exploring and swimming and trying to avoid sunburn (which would prove a losing battle the entire trip, as there was hardly ever a cloud in the sky all the days we were there. The sun would be roasting us from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. every day).

On Friday we took a boat out to a tiny rock called León Dormido to go snorkeling! This was the first time I had ever gone snorkeling and it was amazinggggggg. We wore wetsuits, flippers, and masks—the whole outfit lol. The current around this rock was such that you could just float effortlessly while looking at all the wildlife literally right below you. We swam with schools of fish, sea lions, sharks, and even sea turtles! It was absolutely incredible to be only 10 feet from all these animals you see at the aquarium or on TV. One of the students brought a GoPro camera and got the whole experience—including the animals—on video! After eating lunch on the boat and taking a wonderful nap in the sun (which I later came to regret due to sunburn), we returned to San Cristobal to hear a talk by a local political activist about the tourism industry and local relations of power. This to me is far more interesting than the wildlife, although it’s never emphasized. The activist told us that some people come to the Galápagos not realizing that people actually live on the islands lol, which is indicative of the image projected to the rest of the world. There’s basically 4 entities that run the islands. There’s the Charles Darwin Research Station, which has the most funds of any of the entities I’ll discuss and enjoys the most privileged access to all of the islands—such unrestricted access that not even the local politicians or national park people have. Their agenda, which is ostensibly one of conservation and study, often prevails over the local interests of the people who inhabit and try to make a living on the islands. Second, there’s the Parque Nacional Galápagos, which is the administrative body of the national park aspect of the islands and is overseen principally by the Ministry of the Environment. Their agenda often meshes with that of the Charles Darwin Station, yet the key difference is the amount of money the two have. Whereas the Parque Nacional is funded by the state (meagerly), the Charles Darwin Station is an NGO affiliated with the Charles Darwin Foundation, which receives much more money from international donors. Third, there is the political system on the islands which includes local governments for each of the 4 inhabited islands as well as an overarching political body. Whereas the local governments are elected directly, the Minister of the Galápagos is appointed by the president and thus often a) is corrupt, b) is unpopular, c) does not govern with the interests of the local population in mind, or d) some combination of a, b, and c. Finally, there is the tourism industry, which really comprises two sets of individuals and companies: local and foreign. The foreigners are technically not allowed to operated in the islands by law, yet one always sees the fleets of international cruise ships circling the islands like vultures with their tourists on board. The corrupt politicians allow the international cruise lines to operate illegally, and the fucked up thing is that the conservationist agenda usually goes along with it because the rhetoric of tourism in the Galápagos is ostensibly to minimize the environmental impact of tourists by having them take up as little space as possible for as little time as possible. So, it’s very common for a trip to the Galápagos to be spent almost entirely on board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship or another similar one, which then lays anchor at various ports only long enough for tourists to disembark to take pictures, buy things, eat, etc.

We’re not taking this route obviously. In fact, this piece is important for yall to know in case you ever want to come to the Galápagos or have friends/family who do. It’s vital that visitors to the islands DO NOT rely on big-name, international travel agencies to visit the islands. In addition to the environmental impact these companies leave behind, they siphon money out of the local economy. Only 1/3 of the money spent in the Galápagos stays in the pockets of the local galapagueños. Even though the islands are the richest province in Ecuador, they should be a lot better off. Instead, their environment and their jobs get auctioned off to foreign companies because of corrupt politicians and because tourists don’t know any better and go with the household names over the local establishments and tours. The latter is wayyy more fun, trust me. And part of the fun lies in knowing that I’m contributing to a responsible tourist ethos. I came into this trip thinking that tourism was inherently exploitative. Now I understand that that’s not the case. However, when big transnational companies appropriate the livelihood of the local population, that’s when tourism becomes a problem. Now yall know and can plan a smart, eco-friendly, and relatively sustainable trip to these magical islands.

On Saturday we arrived on Santa Cruz, the biggest island population-wise and the tourism hub. We stayed on land and checked out the Center of Environmental Interpretation, a system of trails with cool information about the formation of the islands as well as sociological information about the human aspect of the islands. We hiked up breathtaking (literally and figuratively) trails and spied frigate birds, boobies, big spiders, marine iguanas, giant cactuses, etc. I found out that the colonists as the residents are called have their residency pretty much for life; the only way they can lose it is by failing to renew it once every 10 years or so. Yet obtaining residency in the first place is tricky: one must marry someone with residency or be born to parents who have residency. Living on the islands is so exclusive so as not to upset the delicate ecosystems or overburden the economy. This whole time we had been eating fabulously. I’ve never had seafood so fresh in my life. Lobsters, tuna, shrimp—out of this world delicious. At dinner some of us met this random U.S. dude touring the islands after having just graduated college. He rubbed me the wrong way from the beginning, but then he mentioned how he really wanted to try ayawaska recreationally. Ayawaska, or ayahuasca, is an entheogen that combines two vines found in the Amazon—one contains a neurotransmitter released at birth and at death, and the other contains an enzyme that allows for the metabolization of the neurotransmitter. This combination is distilled into a drink and taken by shamans (yachakuna in Kichwa, where the term ayawaska comes from) of various Amazonian nations in order to divine the future, receive instructions or warnings, or cope with loss or other powerful life events/emotions. It is a sacred plant, and partaking in an ayawaska ritual requires years of dedication, preparation, and for outsiders, trust and bonds of communion with a local population. It cannot be taken recreationally, and the fact that this tourist expressed an interest in doing so even after one of us pointed all the above out to him just really irritated me. However, it’s important I use him as an example and continuously strive to root out my own ignorance and prejudices toward cultures different than my own.

Sunday was the best snorkeling day by far. We took a boat from Santa Cruz to the little island of Bartolomé, which is home to perhaps the most iconic image of the islands (Google Galápagos and you’ll probably see it, or check out my Facebook as I posted a picture of it). Bartolomé is so inhospitable that it’s been used as a site to film movies that take place on Mars. There’s dried lava plumes, ridges, cliffs, and tunnels everywhere, and the sparse vegetation only adds to the merciless landscape. With no trees and no clouds to shade us, we were sizzling as we climbed up to the summit to look down on the bay. But it was all worth it once we jumped in the water! We snorkeled and swam with penguins! The second smallest species in the world. They were adorableeee! And they zoomed in the water right past us as we snorkeled! We also saw numerous sharks lurking on the seafloor, as well as seastars and tons of fish. There’s this giant fish called a parrotfish that is as brightly colored as its namesake. They are absolutely breathtaking. And the water was a bright turquoise—I’ve only ever seen water that beautiful in the movies haha. We also ate lunch on the boat (an incredible experience), and on the way back to Santa Cruz (about a 2 hour ride), I sat up top with the captain and jammed out to his playlist of reggeaton classics while the wind whipped my hair and the sun beat down on my back. Simply beautiful.

Monday was our last full day. We visited two sinkholes that are named Los Gemelos (the Twins) because they’re right next to each other. They were pretty cool but uneventful haha. Then we visited the famous Charles Darwin Research Center. We toured the tortoise breeding program and saw baby tortoises! They were absolutely the cutest things ever—only like the size of your hand, moving all around their enclosures exploring to their precious little hearts’ content, and eating leaves like you’ve never seen anything eat a leaf. The day passed far too quickly and left us all with sadness and nostalgia. We played classic group games like Hot Seat and the question game and games of that sort through the night. As we were leaving today, I couldn’t help but feel that this is an adios and not a chao—a goodbye forever and not an “until next time.” I certainly would love to return but I just don’t see how I’ll ever be able to for the rest of my life. Then again, I’m one of the 1% of the world population who has ever visited the islands. And what a fulfilling trip it was. Still though, returning to Quito has filled me with a profound sadness. It’s not just leaving behind such a paradise and knowing that I’ll never be able to recreate that experience in the same way. It’s also returning to the daily grind of classes and homework. But even more than that—being in an airport for the first time since January has filled me with homesickness for one of the really only times so far. I can’t really explain why beyond that just physically being in an airport made me recall the flight to the unknown that took place what feels like eons ago. The domestic and international arrivals share the same exit point, so I was literally back in the same place I was when everything was so new and I didn’t know anybody or anything. It was a weird feeling.

So, there ya have it—the Galápagos episode over and done with. These words fail to do justice to the sights, smells, sounds, emotions, and thoughts that comprised this trip. I encourage yall to go and see for yourselves, because the Enchanted Islands will certainly enchant you—as they have done me.  

[shannrussell-blog1]

Australia has a few animals that can be extremely dangerous, and the crocodile is high up on that list. You’ll find them in the northern parts of Australia, and as the statistics will tell you, they can, and do attack and kill humans.

That said, with a bit of caution, understanding and common sense you’ll be able to safely explore the stunning northern parts of Australia like thousands of others every year with minimal risk.

Having grown up in Perth, WA, my understanding of crocodiles was fairly limited prior to a few trips to the Kimberley and Northern Territory. I picked up a lot of interesting information from various crocodile parks, tour guides, northern locals and the indigenous people and I want to share it with you. You should have a healthy fear of crocodiles and play it safe, but they are very misunderstood too.

Freshwater crocodiles relaxing at a croc park in Darwin.

Types of crocodiles

Let’s start right at the very beginning, and talk about the different crocs we have here in Australia. You get two types – the fresh water, and the estuarine (or saltwater).

Freshwater crocs are much smaller and have a very narrow head to snout. It’s rare to see them over 3 metres long. These are only found in fresh water, and unless provoked are timid animals. If you visit Windjana Gorge on the Gibb River Road, you can see hundreds of them bathing on the side of the water, or floating the day away. As soon as you get within about 3 metres of them they take off, away from you.

You will likely see freshwater crocs floating the day away.

Tunnel Creek (just up the road from Windjana) is home to a few freshwater crocodiles, and you’ll see their eyes when you walk through the tunnel and water. Thousands of people do this every year, and never have a problem with them; they just move out of the way and do their own thing.

There have been a few people attacked by freshwater crocodiles, but it’s due to antagonising them or getting too close. These have incredibly sharp teeth and will do serious damage if they bite you, so leave them alone and they will do the same.

A couple of freshwater crocs sunbathing at Windjana Gorge. 

Estuarine (or saltwater crocodiles)

The saltwater crocodile is on the other end of the spectrum. They can grow up to 7 metres long and are incredibly dangerous. A number of people have been killed by Salties over the years, and plenty more wounded. They are patient, cunning and sneaky animals that have very few weaknesses.

Despite the name, saltwater crocodiles can be found anywhere there is water. This includes freshwater lakes, creeks, rivers and billabongs.

The saltwater species are extremely dangerous animals. 

The real difference between fresh and saltwater crocodiles

On a tour in Kakadu National Park, the difference between freshwater crocodiles and salties was put very clearly, and concisely. If you were to fall into the water, fresh water crocodiles would swim away from you, and saltwater crocodiles would swim towards you looking for an easy meal.

While on a boat cruise in Kakadu, it was made clear what separates the species. 

Where do you find wild crocodiles?

You’ll find Crocodiles anywhere from Port Hedland in Western Australia all the way around the northern coast and back down just south of Brisbane. The further north you go the more common they are, but anywhere between Broome and Gladstone, they are relatively common.

Due to an increase in numbers, crocodiles are being found further and further south every year, so always be on the lookout.

Northern Australia is an incredible place to visit, but it is where crocs are found.

What do crocodiles mean for travelling in the north?

If you are exploring the magic country of Northern Australia, it means you need to pay attention, be careful and don’t take risks near water. Crocodiles are very dangerous and will continue to attack and kill people who are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Where do you need to be cautious?

Crocodiles live near water. Any time you are near billabongs, creeks, rivers, the beach or other swimming holes in the northern part of Australia you should be aware that there is a chance of a crocodile living nearby.

Always be cautious around water and when swimming.

The wet and dry season

If you aren’t familiar with the seasons in the northern part of Australia, here’s a quick rundown. From December to March it’s hot and pours with rain. From May to November it’s dry, with warm days.

The wet season plays a big role in where you will find Crocodiles. After a lot of rain, water levels rise dramatically and crocodiles spread out significantly. As the dry season goes on and the water levels dry up they are more restricted and tend to head back to the larger water bodies.

What it means though, is that late in the wet season/early on in the dry season there is a much higher chance of seeing crocodiles outside of where they might normally be.

It takes time for the national parks, rangers and property owners to deem each swimming hole safe before opening it to the public after every wet season, so take extra caution early on.

Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park in Broome. 

Crocodile traps

One of the more common signs of crocodile activity in the northern parts of Australia are traps. These are usually big, floating aluminium cages with some form of meat tied to the inside. The crocodile enters the cage and the door shuts behind them. These are then relocated.

You’ll find crocodile traps all over the place, including the very highly frequented swimming holes like Berry Springs near Darwin and Bitter Springs in Mataranka. Saltwater crocodiles are frequently removed from popular swimming locations.

If there aren’t traps, another popular method is to use a foam float. This is just tied somewhere and checked regularly. Crocodiles will bite these, and the bites are used to tell if anything has come through.

A big crocodile up in Broome. 

What can you do to stay safe from crocodiles?

Crocodile attacks can be avoided. If you do the following, your risk of a crocodile attack is almost completely removed.

1. Read and obey the signs

Where tourism is common, signs are located telling you of crocodiles in the area, and where it is safe to swim.

Obey the signs that you come across. 

2. No signs does not mean it’s safe

If you can’t see any signs, that doesn’t mean the water body is safe. There’s no way signs can be put up and maintained everywhere, and if you are off the beaten track there will be no signs. Always assume a crocodile could be living in the water and you’ll be just fine.

3. Listen to your gut

Your gut feeling is usually pretty good. If you don’t feel comfortable near the water, there’s a reason for it. Trust your instinct.

Fishing like this is super dangerous. 

4. Stay back from the water’s edge

The croc safe campaign in the northern parts of Australia says to stay a minimum of 5 metres away from the water’s edge. If you’ve seen how fast a crocodile moves, you’d stay a lot further away than that.

5. Don’t clean fish near the water

If you catch fish (and the fishing up north is unreal) don’t clean them near the water. Take your catch well away and do it there, and dispose of the offal intelligently.

When fishing, keep a safe distance and clean your fish away from the water. 

6. Put your food away

Leaving food out is a sure way to attract unwanted attention, so put it away.

7. Don’t swim if you can’t see the bottom

If you can’t see the bottom of the water you want to swim in, it’s an absolute no for swimming. Crocodiles love muddy, dirty water and if you can’t see very clearly where you are walking and swimming, they could be hiding anywhere.

Take responsibility for your safety, and read signs carefully. 

8. Accept the risk for yourself, and weigh it up

At the end of the day, you are responsible for your safety. Some signs will say ‘this is a known crocodile area’, and that it has been cleared, but there’s nothing stopping a crocodile moving into the area after the area has been deemed croc-free.

Every time you hop in the water up north, do so at your own risk knowing that there could be a croc there. The chances in popular tourist swimming holes are very limited, but it’s still a risk that you have to consider and accept.

Common crocodile attacks

The most common crocodile attacks are men, and usually locals. They’ve been around crocodiles for a long time, and become haphazard and careless. All it takes is to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and you’ll be dinner for a big Salty.

Saltwater crocodiles are not to be messed with, but you should still respect them. 

Don’t hate the croc

Just like sharks, when you enter their backyard you are accepting the risk. More and more people are travelling up north and that means more contact with crocodiles. They are just living their lives and looking for an easy meal.

Have a healthy fear and respect for them, use your common sense and gut, and don’t take unnecessary risks. Missing out on a nice refreshing swim is hardly a price to pay when compared to what would happen if you were attacked.

The northern parts of Australia have some of the best places to visit in the country, but do so with a full appreciation for what may also be there!

  Have you ever spotted a croc in the wild, or even encountered one? 

The post How to Stay Safe from Crocodiles in Australia appeared first on Snowys Blog.

[galacticbugman]

My Winter Vacation PT. 1

Hello nature geeks this is Galactic Bug Man and last year during Christmas time I had a fun trip down at the coast. Yes I just had get a photo like this, and no this was on my own terms and not my parents doing I am just that crazy to do silly things like this. I love sharks and thought this would be kind of fun to hang up during Shark Week this year. Anyway I took a trip down around Chorpus and boy what a time I had. I don’t get to go to the beach too often but in the last few years I have made three trips out there to see what I could find and do. We had a blast. We did so much and I thought it was time that you guys had an update of what I did over my winter break last year. I know it is spring now but c’mon I had a lot of stuff happen in my life recently so cut me some slack please. 

Ah Corpus Christi one of the many places along the coast of Texas where you can enjoy the water, birds, and of course get a nice cheese burger in paradise (yes I listen to Jimmy Buffet and I do like a good cheeseburger when I go down to Corpus). I took this shot the last night we stayed there. Ah the wind was cool and the sky was a deep purple red. The moon was full and the birds calls were just music to my ears. I have had a rough time with my grandmother’s passing that I needed to get a away from the chaos. I had a rough semester last year that I needed some time to reflect, relax, and to contemplate my thoughts and make some new memories and get used to things without her. What better way to get your mind eased then to go to the beach. The beach is my preferred place to go or to look at when I am feeling down or depressed. It was a lovely trip full of wildlife and fun things to do. We wound up doing more than we bargained for which only added to the adventure. 

 On our way to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge we made a quick stop at a place called Indian Point Park which was not on the list of places to go but it was really neat. They had a nice area out there full of birds. My aunt stopped for she saw some Roseate Spoonbills as you see here feeding in the shallow water of this salt marsh. Some of you may not know this but I am an avid birder and bird watcher when I am not looking for insects. Winter time is the perfect time to go down to the coast to get birds you don’t often see in the summertime. Beach time is not just for summer. 

Some American Avocets were also in the feeding group. These guys stayed mostly too themselves and didn’t get too close to the Spoonbills. The Black-necked Stilts which were also out there early that morning stayed to themselves in a tighter group totally isolated form the other birds. There were also a few Tri-colored Herons around in the tall grasses too but I was not able to get any great photos of them. They were further out in the tall grass and even though I got a new camera I was having a hard time with the shadows. I got a new camera because my Nikon was getting all messed up. I got a pretty good deal for it on Black Friday and I love it. It takes some pretty nice photos of birds I normally can’t get that are way out away from the humans. So on this trip I was able to get several shots of many different birds that I wouldn’t have been able to get with my old Nikon Coolpix L830. I now have a Canon EOS Rebel T6 which was a very nice upgrade from my Nikon. Sorry I am getting off topic here. So the feeding group had a lot too it. We got up really early and ate our breakfast and got on the road around 10:00 and made it to this park pretty quickly because it wasn’t that far from our hotel. We went down the road that weaved around this park and did some more exploring.  We made our way to a little parking lot with a dock near it. We all piled out of the car and did some further exploring. I went near some rocks where I found this guy. 

This Long-billed Curlew was just beyond the rocks I was watching him from. He was in the shallows of the shore looking around for something to snack on. I love watching shore birds feed as they dip their bills in and out of the sand looking for tasty morsels to eat. It is fun to watch as some birds do it in groups and it is like an all you can eat buffet. This guy seemed to be all alone on the shore and I soon finished my observation of him and went on to see what I could find elsewhere at the park. 

We went along the to the fishing pier where a bunch of people were currently fishing at. Along the beach the water was very clear and in the water I was able to get a few shots of our state shell which is none other than the Texas Lighting Whelk. The shore was just dotted in these shells. You would see one then as you looked around every few feet of beach you could see them all spread out. There was about sixteen or so I kind of had to fudge on the estimate just to make a round about estimation. There were a lot of these. I had never noticed the patterns very closely before but they were very beautiful indeed. The creamy white color with the darker maroon stripes was just very interesting to note. This was not all that we would see on our little adventure it was only just beginning. 

  In the deeper waters as we went further out past the sandy shores I looked over the edge and spotted this Sea Nettle Jellyfish. This was the second Jellyfish that I have seen alive and have on my iNaturalist account. I never seem to do anything without out in nature without documenting stuff to the iNaturalist database/ social media/ wildlife site. It is one of the best tools to learn about the wildlife around you. The jellyfish was just floating in place. He would often ungulate that huge dome up and down which was very entertaining to watch. The last time I was down there was during the time of the Padre Island National Seashore Turtle Release and Scout Days. We went to the U.S.S. Lexington Museum by the Bay and when we left the museum I saw my first Moon Jelly bobbing up and down in the water next to the mighty ship. This just gave me a small boost to my aquatic life forms list. I don’t know about some people but I always like to keep a life list of all that I see and hear. Some people only keep check lists of birds but for me I like to keep a spreadsheet of all the wildlife I encounter using the data mainly from again my iNaturalist account. I am a firm believer in making a difference with citizen science and iNaturalist is a very helpful tool to learn about all about the wildlife that you encounter. I have been using it for a long while and I officially have 5,771 observations in total but I have seen 1,370 species at last count and that is using it over a four year period. This year will be my fourth year using it. I am so glad I use it; it is fun to use it and learn the names of all the wildlife that see. In most cases people grow up knowing something in nature but don’t know what it is name wise. with the iNaturalist app it can give you that information because a team of scientists or avid nature fans will tell you exactly what said creature is. That is how I know most of this stuff. The birds I am able to use guides on to figure out their names but when I am unsure like in most of my insect and spider cases I use iNaturalist to help me better understand an organism. 

Sorry I went off topic again but it just comes to show that I am really passionate about such things when I am on the go and on an new adventure. 

What is Corpus Christi without the USS Lexington CV-16 standing watch over the coastline at the JFK Causeway Bridge. I been to that museum as I mentioned it may not be nature but it is history and nature and history go hand in hand I find. The museum is a fantastic place and it is basically the whole ship. You go from deck to deck and explore nearly the whole ship’s interior. I find a lot of that kind of stuff interesting because I am kind of a history nut. I like to read about boats and things since I am a Trekkie and Star Trek is literally based off the Navy but more of a science navy. I love to read about airplanes too and among other places. I also like to visit state and national historical sites too like the Alamo and the old mission at Goliad State Historical Site. There is a lot of cool things to do and see as some of those places. Even if they don’t seem like they have wildlife you’ll be what you can find that is wild around those kinds of places. My great grandfather drove a Half-track in World War II and I guess that is why my family have always been history freaks. I love it though you get to learn about the most intriguing things when you study nature, history and any kind of science.  

One of the last things I would expect to find at the coast so late in the season would be a Monarch Butterfly. This guy should have already made its journey down to the Fir Forests of Mexico but this guy was a little late getting there. We found this guy at Indian Point park in the mess of vegetation that was growing out there. This guy was also with a nearby Queen Butterfly so that was kind of odd but of course first to come last to leave I guess. Still that was an interesting observation but he didn’t have a tag so I couldn't report it or call it in. Still it was a nice observation for the trip and a very unexpected one. 

When we finally arrived at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge I had to complete a mission; a mission I have been trying to fulfill since my first trip out there. I wanted to by a patch to put on my naturalist vest that I have been working on for the last few years since I got it back in 2015 or so. I was kind of nervous because the last couple of times we went out there I was unable to purchase it but I lucked out and was able to buy it on this last trip boy was I happy. This is the place where the rare and endangered Whooping Crane nest over winter. A few Whoopers have been found nesting in Louisiana but most flock here and take refuge in the tall grasses of the prairies that are there. I made a donation to the park by giving a little bit of what I had out of my bank for the restoration after the recent Hurricane Harvey which destroyed their lovely visitor center which was a pity they had so many wonderful exhibits there and a whole wildlife guide collection among other things. So I felt I need to make a contributions to the restoration of their visitors center and their ongoing efforts to protect one of my favorite birds. I have been a big Whooping Crane fan since I was a small boy. I went to this Zoo once I think it was the San Antonio Zoo and I bought a VHS tape on Whooping Cranes called Flight of the Whooping Crane and it talked about the flock on the eastern seaboard that is not a natural migration route and the people who take the ultralight aircraft path with the whoopers each year called Operation Migration. It was a video of mainly home videos showing their route and how they take care of the chicks and the adult birds. I really enjoyed that video. Back in the early 1941 there was only 21 individuals but now there are 383 birds. So they are slowly regaining numbers and regaining their territory lowly but surely. They are a crane so they are not prolific at all they have maybe one or two chicks a year so survival of these birds still hangs in the balance. 

While on the trail I spotted this guy high up in the trees. This guy is called an Anhinga. Don’t let it fool you it may look like a Cormorant but actually it is a little different than a cormorant and acts differently. This is what you call a Darter. I am not sure what makes it so different form the Cormorants. A friend I have from the Fort Worth Audubon Society didn’t even know but there is a difference. I might have to go back and resort to my field guides for more details. I am not an expert I am only an amateur so bear with me okay. Now where was I... oh yes; 

We like to go out to the observation tower that was surprisingly not destroyed by the hurricane that had made a mess out of the coastline. There was a whole flock of Turkey Vultures sitting in the trees when we arrived. You know your pretty high up when you can see the backside of a vultures sitting on its perch. This guy had a real Batman stance as he sat up in the tree. My guess is that they all had a recent meal and were drying their feathers and resting. Some people just don’t like vultures. I tend to appreciate them for their good service to the planet. Without vultures the world would be a much messier place. Some one has to clean up the carcasses after something dies and the vultures may seem like an unlikely character but they play an important part as nature’s trash cleanup crew. They may have ways that are odd and kind of grotesque to us but yet it is just the way nature wanted them to be. They are pretty neat birds if you think about it. I go to a place called River Legacy in Arlington Texas a lot and I some shots of vulture’s coming in pretty close over the trees. They maybe a strange bird but man do they have power when they are flying. It is amazing to look at these wonderful birds up close. 

After we ate lunch we headed over to the Oso Bay wetland’s center which was a place I had never been too before. This place is really cool and they have a fun little area called Pelican Porch which overlooks the Oso Bay area. This was a marvilous place. It is like a little nature center with a community garden for like kids camps and things. There was a lot of stuff to see here on the day we went and there was few things I didn’t expect to see since I am from North Texas and I keep forgetting that it is warmer down south and that there are more arthropods down there in the winter time that our out to play. Let us meet a couple of them that caught my eye shall we. 

Here is one of the few spiders I saw on the trip. I bet you have never seen one of these guys before! Meet the Spiny-backed Orbweaver. These guys come in an assortment of different colors. They can be white and red, black and white, orange and black, or in this guys case yellow and back. These little guys are so cool and this female was just hanging out when I found her. I had to climb under stuff to get her backside because where my mother’s hand is she was sitting opposite and there was not a snowball’s chance in heck I would be able to ID that from that side. So I had to get on my hands and knees and crawl under her web making sure I didn’t disturb it and was able to get this shot. It was kind of tricky but the web was just high enough that I didn’t disturb her. Remember don’t do anything to disrupt the balance of nature. Messing with spiderwebs is not very smart. for one thing spiders can’t produce more silk. When they have to move to a new location they will eat that silk and move on. If you muck with it then they may not be able to restore the majority of that silk. 

Here is another one; not the Spiny-backed but another species of spiny spider known as the Spined  Micrathena. This one has an much more elongated back than the other one and has more of a starburst color pattern. This guy may not come in a whole range of colors but I am not sure I have been so busy with other observations I have not looked this one up to the fullest. Anyway still a really neat one that I liked that I thought was pretty unusual. It was my first one and a new lifer for me. 

Soon the sun began to sink slowly in the west and we went to one last stop before turning in that night before going to Padre Island National Seashore before heading back home. Let me share with you a couple of that night’s observations before I close the gate on part one of my most recent major excursion at the coast. 

So this is where we came in. A peaceful serene look over the bay with A&M Corpus Christi in the back with the full moon above. Talk about a shot! I am going to hang this up in my room when I get a chance to put it in a frame. This is one of my favorite shots from the trip but being there in person was really memorable. I loved being there at Hans & Suter Wildlife Refuge. Not a bad little spot to end the day of hiking and wildlife watching and wildlife photography. 

A lovely shot of a Brown Pelican passing by the covered end of the boardwalk under a red sky. My what a shot. Some of the best photos from my new camera were taken on this trip and this was one of them. Frankly I would have liked to have stayed a little bit longer but I am being told that we will most likely go to Colorado this Summer so that will be a fun trip to get some observations from the mountains and go to some of the old favorite places and some places I have never been before and revisit some of the old memories up there. My I love traveling to get photos and to spend time with those I love the most. I needed this vacation. It was a good trip where I just lost myself completely in the personal discovery of new places and new species to add to my life list. This is what I live for. Just to let loose and hang out among wildlife and explore culture, history, and science all in one swing. 

When we wrapped up our second day which was the day we had the full day to explore we said goodbye to Hans & Suter Wildlife Refuge but not before this little Loggerhead Shrike landed on this info board and posed for me. I was not expecting this little bird to make a surprise entrance as we were making our exit. It was pretty dark and I had a little trouble getting the shot but the end result was absolutely incredible. I sure enjoyed my time at this place and all the other places I explored. Up next is part 2. of my Coastal trip where I will tell more of the unexpected trip turns we took during our Whirlwind trip across the Lonestar State. 

[rnrmarineservices-blog]

Lines to Hawaii: a dream cruise chasing the Pacific surf from Tahiti to Honolulu

Chasing the surf along the Pacific Line islands from Tahiti to Hawaii, Amory Ross enjoyed the trip of a lifetime

I could only laugh. Travis Rice, world-famous snowboarding pioneer, had just jumped into the Pacific waves to chase down his once-anchored dinghy, which was now floating away. Meanwhile Ian Walsh, professional big-wave surfer (and arguably one of the best ocean swimmers in the world), was nowhere to be found. He had gone investigating our abandoned island with Travis's best friend, Graham Scott. I stood alone at the edge of the water, guiltily amused at our predicament.

We were effectively stranded on tiny Malden Island, 1,500 miles south of Hawaii and 1,000 miles north of Tahiti. Travis' empty Gunboat 48, Falcor, lay anchored a few hundred yards off the beach after the four of us had gone ashore to explore, surf and fish. So impressed were we with Travis' last catch, a fly-snared bonefish, that we completely missed the dinghy breaking free. 

Its grey tubes were soon barely visible in the distance and I wondered how close it was to Travis' limits as he swam away. Ian clearly wasn't coming back anytime soon, so he didn't have much of a choice.

Falcor had been based in Tahiti for the past three years. Travis had made the long journey from North Carolina to Tahiti via the Panama Canal as part of The Fourth Phase, a snowboarding movie made for his sponsors Red Bull on the hydrological cycle of water. Travis wanted to sail across the Pacific in the same air mass that would eventually hit the coast of Japan, where it would rise up the mountains to make the world-famous snow he'd ride back to the ocean. But first, Falcor needed to get to Hawaii and the Line Islands adventure was hatched. 

All photos by ©Amory Ross

The Line Islands chain consists of 11 central Pacific atolls and coral islands formed by volcanic activity, stretching 1,500 miles from end to end. It is one of the longest island chains in the world and was the route that ancient Polynesians used to sail north to Hawaii. Using no instruments, they navigated without maps, compasses, or sextants, way-finding by observing only the ocean and the sky, the stars and the swells.

No stranger to Polynesian wayfinding and local ocean lore, Ian – a Maui native – was ticking two boxes on Falcor. As a new owner of a Hobie 16 he has joined a growing contingent of Hawaiian surfers that have adopted sailing. He was also scouting the region for future surf missions on the remote, unseen breaks along the way.

Winds were light as we left Pape'ete so we motored north, knowing the edge of the tradewinds was close. We passed Tetiaroa atoll, and its five-star resort founded by Marlon Brando, just 30 miles from Tahiti. With humpback whales playing in our wake, we kept going, anxious to leave the last reaches of first-world luxury behind.

Two days and 450 miles later we arrived at Flint Island. Flint was long, a narrow strip of rock covered with thick vegetation and nothing more. We sailed down its flank and dropped anchor off the north-west corner. The four of us donned snorkels to be greeted by an active and vibrant reef. Turtles were everywhere, as were sharks; French Polynesia's oceans appeared well and healthy. Then with nightfall approaching we raised sails and plotted a course 550 miles north to Malden Island, our first planned stop and more importantly, first potential waves.

The Gunboat Falcor eating up the miles ©Amory Ross

Surfing at the helm

The sailing was nearly perfect. Consistent south-easterly tradewinds and large following seas had us comfortably averaging 22 knots. First-time helmsman Ian was brushing 30 knots, his wave-surfing principles translating seamlessly to the art of downwind planing. 

I have spent plenty of time offshore going fast, but this was entirely different because we were essentially doing it in a very luxurious Winnebago. The helm felt balanced and light with very little lag between steering adjustments and rudder actions. Falcor seemed happiest at an apparent wind angle of 120°, where it was easy to turn up to load up some power, quickly accelerate, before tearing off across the face of the wave, bows free and clear from the water. I did this for hours, alone, with everyone else happily dreaming in their bunks, and absolutely no sail adjustments required.

That is the beauty of a lead-less, lightweight cruising cat: the acceleration is immediate and exhilarating, but the high roach main and self-tacking jib need little attention. We were cruising – but with such a competitive group it wasn't long before we were all monitoring our top speeds and multi-hour-logs at each watch change.

The Gunboat 48 is the ideal owner-operator fast cat. Though its performance may intimidate, its relatively small size means an experienced boatowner is capable of running it alone, and Travis was no exception. The considerable freeboard is safe and dry and allows for ample headroom below. First-generation Gunboat bows, high and straight, provide bottomless storage for things like sails, dive gear and boards of all shapes and sizes.

Travis and Graham had made the previous crossing from Panama but had done little open water sailing since, and Ian had never been offshore on a sailboat, so we started in a two-watch system with Ian and myself on one, Travis and Graham the other.

The B&G instruments proved easy for the less experienced guys to learn and it wasn't long before we moved to individual watches of three hours, with next-up on standby in the bunk, if needed.

On a dark, moonless night we arrived at Malden Island, and with little faith in the accuracy of our charts – the island's radar signature and supposed position did not line up – we anchored conservatively, well outside the breaking waves that we could hear, but not see. We spent that night surveying the island virtually on Google Earth, Ian and Travis scrutinising every wave via satellite images.

After a calm morning at anchor and a three-course breakfast, the dinghy was launched and we turned for shore. Malden's beaches were deep and clean, the island low and bare. A single tree stood above a calm spot as if to say 'land here'. The waves down the line were big, surely overhead, and Travis dropped us off with the fishing gear before hurriedly taking the dinghy back outside the break to anchor. 

At one point in time Malden was an active guano farm, inhabitants mining its land for the valuable fertiliser and transporting it using a sail-powered railroad system. Ian disappeared over the bluff intent on exploring the ruins while Graham and Travis started fishing. 

Juvenile black tip sharks patrolled the shore, visible from the beach through crystal-clear walls of breaking waves, like a window into the sea. All was well in paradise. Until the dinghy broke free.

Miraculously, Travis reached it. I was kind of amazed. The shackle had come undone from the anchor so we somehow managed to find it, reattach and re-anchor. This time, we swam ashore with surfboards. After a good laugh at our own expense Ian and Travis surfed until they could paddle no more – possibly the very first time anyone had ever surfed Malden. It was pure, remote bliss.

Surfing at the helm

The next day we resumed our northerly progress and set our sights on Kiribati, some 430 miles away at 1°N. I knew before we left that both Travis and Graham were certified 'Shellbacks', trusty aids to King Neptune and sailors of proven seaworthiness, having previously crossed the Equator on Falcor in 2016. My own first Equator crossing came in 2011, on Puma for the Volvo Ocean Race. But this was Ian's first crossing and he was due for a king's visit. 

While researching the ceremony's origins we learned that Ian would be joining an elite class of Shellback; a 'Golden Shellback' – awarded only to the sailor who first crosses the Equator at the International Dateline. So at 0°N and 156°W, Neptune clambered up the transom demanding Ian show his worthiness by consuming raw two-day-old fish from the fridge. It was a significant sacrifice for a guy who doesn't like to eat fish, but he survived the encounter and we offered our thanks to the sea with a splash of good rum over the side.

Finding previously unsurfed breaks was a highlight of the trip for the pro surfers on the crew ©Amory Ross

Much as we would have enjoyed stepping ashore in Kiribati, there was no surf in sight and Ian had received word that the Fiji swell we were chasing was coming sooner than expected. Some 200 miles north was Fanning Island with its famed left-or-right wave, breaking on both sides of a deep manmade channel that gave surfers a choice of either direction. It was arguably the best chance for big waves on the trip and Travis and Ian had been salivating over Fanning's promise since departure, so we pressed on.

Ten days after leaving Tahiti, Fanning's trees broke the horizon. Approaching the channel, waves peeled off to both sides and it wasn't long after we had settled into the atoll's shallow interior that Travis and Ian were clammering for their gear. They surfed the channel, cut during World War 1 almost until it was dark.

The next day we went ashore to clear customs, since we were now technically in the Kiribati Republic, and explore the island's colourful shores. 

The team took samples for water quality and pollution analysis along the way ©Amory Ross

During the war, Fanning had been home to a British cable relay station and its dredged entrance was a popular safe harbour for visiting warships. Today, Fanning looks like a shell of its one-time splendour, the overgrown landscape littered with abandoned buildings and deteriorating infrastructure. The USA's Passenger Services Act of 1886 prohibited foreign ships from travelling between United States ports unless they stopped in a foreign country in between, so any foreign-flagged cruise ship leaving Hawaii used to stop at Fanning Island – the closest foreign port – and Fanning became accustomed to more than 200,000 day-trippers a year. That Act has been relaxed and those ships no longer stop at Fanning, so the atoll has since receded into relative poverty.

The customs agents were not at the office so we arranged for them to visit Falcor later that evening. When the time came we ferried them out so they could collect payment and conduct their search of the yacht. Alcohol is banned on Fanning but we were warned of the agents' interest in 'confiscating' it, so we hid as much as we could. They found a stash of beer in the fridge and insisted we share – so they enjoyed several each, before we strongly suggested their time aboard was over. We returned the favour by unknowingly breaking the law of the land with the 12 coconuts we collected the following day from the vacant north shore. The meat and water was sweeter than any coconut anyone had ever had, but we later learned it is forbidden to cut down coconuts on Fanning.

The following day, a young local boy swam out into the surf to join us – grabbing a slippery 1980s-era board from the tree where it had leaned, presumably for decades. After a few unsuccessful attempts at standing up, Ian brought him over to the dinghy to wax his board. The boy eventually surfed and stayed out with us almost all day. When it was time to go home, Ian gave him his leash and remaining wax, then Travis went ashore with a brand new surfboard to leave behind for the next generation of aspiring island surfers.

Jaws beckons

Our final passage was to be the longest, with 1,200 miles of open ocean between Fanning and Honolulu. It was hurricane season in the North Pacific and we would also transit the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone, where the trade winds of the northern and southern hemispheres collide. The region is characterised by volatile, unpredictable weather and energetic thunderstorms, as well as large expanses of little-to-no wind.

It was a welcome return to the open ocean after a few busy days at anchor. We settled back into our offshore routines and again revelled in the quiet solitude that can only really be found at sea. We practiced with our sextant, studied the night-time stars and anxiously counted down the dwindling mileage until we knew our adventure would be over.

It's hard not to fall in love with 21st century catamaran cruising. In addition to making passagemaking fun and fast, cats like Falcor are very capable of covering long distances with a literal boatload of toys and amenities. I will always remember the awe of that first night, sitting behind the helm at 0200 in a perfectly flat director's chair, a hot cup of proper coffee in one hand and a good book in the other, surfing across the Pacific at 23 knots.

LIFE ON THE OCEAN

One month after the trip, Ian Walsh went on to win the World Surf League's Pe'ahi Challenge at Jaws with a 'perfect 10' wave.

He told me afterwards that after the voyage not only did he feel physically well enough to surf Jaws despite the break in training, but that he felt mentally refreshed. The 20 days away from digital distractions had given him a rare focus and, interestingly, the surfing press were onto it too. He was asked if the time at sea left his body more 'in tune with the waves', as people noted a perceptible change in his surfing.

Falcor has since changed hands and is now owned by two-time Surfing World Champion John John Florence.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

An on board reporter on three Volvo Ocean Races, AMORY ROSS has spent more than a decade in the world of grand prix sailing and worked with two America's Cup teams, but his very first published was Yachting World in 2006.

  The post Lines to Hawaii: a dream cruise chasing the Pacific surf from Tahiti to Honolulu appeared first on Yachting World.

[sebeth]

Aliens Outbreak Part 1

Warning, Spoilers Ahead…

Outbreak by Mark Verheiden and Mark A. Nelson

For your information, per Wikipedia: “The first three stories formed a continuation of the two Alien films that had been released by the time they were published. However, 1992 saw the release of Alien 3, which contradicted the events of the comics by beginning with the deaths of Newt and Corporal Hicks. In order to keep the stories relevant and canonical to the Alien film series, Dark Horse changed the names of the characters for future printings of the stories. Newt became Billie while Hicks was now known as Wilks.”

A man in a lab coat interviews a woman on a gurney.  He would like to know what happened last night. She explains that she and two friends decided to indulge in some old-fashioned camping.  What’s camping without scary stories being told around a fire?  Billie decides to tell the scariest story she knows: “There are these – things – that live in space.  They live to feed – and to hate.  They have acid for blood and skin as hard as hull steel.  You don’t see them until they’re on top of you. And then all you see are the teeth, glittering like sparks as they snap – Maybe they’re from another world.  Or maybe they just exist in the black hell of space, feeding on anything they find.  It doesn’t matter.  Nothing matters but those teeth, snapping shut on bone and brain, tearing, cutting, crushing – But it doesn’t end in death.  They use what’s left for breeding, burrowing into the tissue, spreading like cancer, until the parasite is whole, until the hate can build again and again and –“

Billie is a very effective storyteller!  I’m properly scared.  It’s also a nice way to summarize the xenomorphs if you’ve never heard of them.

A xenomorph bursting out of Mag’s chest interrupts Billie’s tale of horror while Carly states that “I don’t feel…” Billie screams “Not again! Not again!”

Billie comments to the man: “I guess that’s when you found me in the hall, screaming.”

Did the camping story actually happen or was it a nightmare?  It’s very descriptive for someone who hasn’t had first-hand experience with the xenomorphs.

Billie mentions that “Nothing can stop the dreams” as we flashback to Aliens 2.  A squad of marines – Drake, Vasquez, Wilks, Jasper, Quinn – are in the base.  Wilks is carrying a young blonde girl.  Vasquez and Drake are found dead in the generator room.  The rest of the marines – besides Wilks – are killed.  Wilks finds the blonde girl cocooned to the wall. Wilks awakens from his nightmare. He is told to report to Colonel Stephens.  Wilks’ cellmate warns that “He’s sick, man – You don’t know what he’s got inside him!” PTSD or ominous foreshadowing?

We discover that the inhabitants of future earth still don’t believe in taking care of the planet. Abandoned ships and space stations are left to fall and burn up in orbit.  It worked great until “…one of the flamers crashed half-intact near a coffee plantation near the island of Hawaii.  The radiation killed the indigenous population…”  Oops?

The (space) Coast Guard send a probe into an abandoned ship.  The probe broadcasts images of destruction.  Highlights include a massacred body and the words “kill us all” written in blood on the walls.  The officers write it off as a “murder – suicide” and blow the ship up.  The officers feel their ship’s controls are sluggish and discover a full-grown xenomorph on the ship’s surface.  The xenomorph makes quick work of the duo. Unfortunately for the xenomorph, the ship explodes.

The encounter with the xenomorph is the cause of Wilks’ recall from the military prison.  It’s clear that “Outbreak” is retconning the ending of Aliens 2.  Newt is Billie (now in an insane asylum) and Wilks ended up in a military prison.  I wonder if we will find out what happened to Ripley and the android?

A preacher films a portion of his next broadcast:  “The truth of my message will shine like a beacon.  The others are pretenders – I preach the gospel of the true messiah!” The true messiah is a xenomorph. To quote the cameraman: “But if that thing’s god…gimme the old religion.”

How would you even recruit for this religion?  Unless it’s used as a deterrent – be good or you’re banished to the land of the aliens! It’d make me behave!  

Back to a sedated Billie. An irate Billie lashes out: “I didn’t ask to be born out there!  Nobody warned me about the risks!  You can’t get it out of me with drugs.  I saw them tear my mother apart like a doll! And they’re still out there!”

Billie exemplifies the PTSD that an encounter with xenomorphs would result in.  If you think about it – she saw the horrifying massacre of her entire colony plus no one knows the origin of the aliens.  If you survive a shark attack – stay out of the ocean. But to survive a xenomorph attack? It could happen in any environment – there is no safe zone.

The “xenomorph is the true messiah” broadcast plays during Billie’s freak out.  Really?  What idiot would allow that to be broadcast in a place full of individual suffering from emotional/psychological issues?

Wilks recaps his previous encounter with the xenomorphs to Colonel Stephens and Doctor Orona: “Other than myself, a civilian woman, and the young girl, no one from the mission survived”.

One side of Wilks’s face has is heavily scarred from the alien’s blood.

Doctor Orona reveals what happened to Wilks in the aftermath of the encounter with the aliens:  “Once back on earth, you spent several months in quarantine waiting to be cleared into the general populace.  There was considerable concern over the – infectious nature of the alien spore.  According to hospital records, you didn’t have a single visitor during this entire period.  When you were finally reinstated to active duty, there seems to have been problems in – readjusting – to military life.  Former comrades, fearful you might somehow be ‘infectious’ from the alien blood, avoided contact.  Your later record is painfully repetitive – drunk and disorderly, brawling, public intoxication.  Really quite disappointing”.

Doctor Orona tells Wilks that “You seek redemption.  I seek – specimens.”

The only proper response to that statement is “Good luck with that.  I’m going back to my cell”.  At least, that’s what I would have said.

Wilks visits Billie. He wants to see her before he leaves on his mission.  Billie begs Wilks to take her with him.  Life has to be horrible in the asylum if you feel that another encounter with xenomorphs is the better alternative.

Colonel Stephens and Doctor Onora are arguing over the selection of Wilks: “They think he’s the big, tough monster killer.  Crew killer is more like it.  It’s not like the rim mission was a success.  Hell, the only survivors were a kid, a civilian woman, and Wilks.  The kid’s a brain case and the woman – well, you know what became of her.”  “Which means Wilks is the only experienced hand available.”

Colonel Stephens clashes with Wilks over weaponry.  Wilks wants the most powerful weaponry available while Stephen maintains that they are “collecting specimens, not pieces.”

I’m hoping that Stephens and Onora die first – their stupidity deserves to be met with horrible, painful deaths.

Wilks smuggles Billie out of the asylum after learning that she’s scheduled for a lobotomy.  He hides her aboard the ship.

The ship launches and we are officially on the space highway to hell!

[ecotone99]

[FN] The Toad Prince parts 1 & 2

The Toad Prince

Part one : "From the moment I saw her, I knew I was in love"

I hated everything about moving to a new city. I hated how long the drive was to get there. I hated being uncomfortably packed in the back seat of my dads station wagon next large boxes of my belongings. I hated leaving all my friends and family behind at my old town, and how much it made me sad to miss them. I hated the idea that I'd have to make new friends to replace them eventually. I hated how my new home creaked and moaned and felt scary and foreign to me. My parents on the other hand were very excited, "It's going to be a fresh start" they said. "In a larger house. Where who knows, maybe you can one day have a dog." My father said, in a nothing but offensive attempt to lift my spirits. Naturally, the joy was lost upon me, because more than hate, I felt sad, sad and alone. After a few hours of unpacking. My mother came to find me sulking in my room. "Follow me. I have a surprise for you!" She exclaimed with exuberance. Sluggishly I followed her down to the car and got in. Not once did I ask her where we were going in a defiant attempt to mask my curiosity. Though through my window I looked upon my new city with amazement. Nothing about it compared to what I was used to in my old hometown. From the types of trees that were there, to the enormous sizes of the buildings. The city its self was massive I began to notice, neighborhood after neighborhood in an endless maze of buildings. Finally we reached our destination. My mother woke me up form the slumber I drifted into just to tell me to close my eyes again, so I did as she asked. She unbuckled me from my seat and began to guide me with her soft, warm hands through where ever we were. I tried to figure out where we were going by feeling around with my feet. I felt as the cement beneath my feet began to feel soft. A mysterious scent filled the air around me and the wind and began to pick up. I began to hear birds make sounds I've never heard before. "Here we are" she said "open your eyes". I looked down at my feet first to see what I was stepping on. “Sand?” I thought to myself curiously. As I lifted my head I saw one of the most spectacular views my little five year old mind has ever seen. The ocean. I was speechless. Seeing this illustrated on my face my mother began to explain that that's where whales and sharks lived and many other massive creatures yet to be found. Everything she said about it fascinated me. "It's so pretty" I said. "Yes" She explained "she's very beautiful, but she can also be ferocious, and what she takes she keeps forever. So we have to be careful with her." That was my first encounter with the ocean and from the moment I saw her, I knew I was in love. After a few moments of pondering in silence I asked "so is that where babies come from?"

The Toad Prince

Part two : "It's funny how time can do that to us, turn our passions into redundancy"

Over the years of living here I'd become very familiar with the ocean. Often asking as a child to go see it any time I could. A great many picnics and birthdays were spent there and eventually I'd grow old enough to leave the house freely to see it on my own. For years I'd go see it after school and on the weekends. I picked up surfing and would sometimes bring my dog rocket with me to play fetch. I liked to collect the debris of the ocean, I even had an entire wall in my bedroom dedicated to all the sea shells I collected over the years. The ocean to me was more than a just some large body of water. It was my best friend. I told the ocean about all my crushes and my first kiss. My first date was at the beach and the ocean consoled me through my first break up. It congratulated me each time I placed high in surfing tournaments. The ocean spent years by my side and I loved it with all my heart. But through so much time together I'd began to notice a boredom with the ocean developing in me. I noticed an inability to just sit an admire it. Sea shells lost their gleam and the random debris of crab carcasses and planks of wood became all too repetitive. Going to see the ocean every day became more of a task to me. Until eventually I stopped going to see it everyday. Developing new hobbies, I went instead a few times a week, to once a week, to a couple of times every two weeks. Until eventually I wouldn't see it for months. It's funny how time can do that to us, turn our passions into redundancy. I suppose this is the cold side of comfort, undervalue. And though I never did stopped going all together. I did feel guilt, I felt as though I were abandoning a dear friend and so desperate to reignite my interest in the ocean, I'd decided to explore it more thoroughly. I realized over the years that I haven't really seen much of the coast line. I usually went to the same spot each time I was there. So I made an effort to go every weekend and walk as far as I could along side it. I began to walk further and further along the shoreline. Exploring what would be a seemingly endless trail of sand. Until one day when I was about to give up on it all together. I came across one of the most magnificent sand castles I have ever seen. I hurried to it to get a better look at it and noticed it was more than just a castle, it was an entire sand kingdom. It had outer walls that stood as high as my waist that ran along the entirety of the kingdom. Carved into the walls were fine lines and grooves that made them look as though they were really built brick by brick. The walls even had guard towers and an indented path along the top for them to walk on. Within the walls were tiny houses, all created with the same exceptionally accurate attention to detail. These houses had windows, doors, and fenced yards. There was even a town plaza with vendors and a monument that looked a lot like the Washington monument. The kingdoms castle was an enormous Gothic looking thing with gargoyles and hundreds of windows and a maze in its courtyard. The highest point of the castle reached my sternum and it was about as wide as my arms stretched apart. Truly, you'd have to see this sand kingdom to believe it. Because it had everything, everything except people. That struck me quite curious because of all the attention to detail in every other aspect. Surely the creators couldn't have forgotten to add them in, no, they must have intentionally left them out. I waited at the kingdom for a few hours hoping the creators would show up. I wanted to ask them so many questions. But they never showed up and it got late. The entire way back home I thought of the kingdom. So much so that, that night as I slept I dreamed of castles and kingdoms. It was two days before I found myself free to walk along the shore again. I was so curious as to if the kingdom was still there. Even though part of me knew that it was impossible, “the tide would have definitely washed it all away by now” I told myself. But still the suspense was killing me. I began to shake with anticipation as I got closer to the ocean. When I finally arrived to the beach I sprinted until all my muscles ached. Heading to the location I had first seen the kingdom. I was baffled when I got close enough to see that the kingdom stood in its spot. I walked closer to it in shock. Because sure enough it was the same kingdom, with the same maze, guard towers, and castle. But how? I asked myself. How could this have withstood the tides for two days? The question perplexed me as I stood there staring at the wonder. Looking around in hopes to find someone to answer the enigma before me. But no one came and I stood there wondering for a good half hour until I finally had my eureka moment. I knocked down one of the cities houses and left. That evening the suspense of what I would find the next day kept me awake most of the night. The day dragged along as I went from class to class just waiting to finally be free to walk along the sea shore. When the time came to leave school I rushed to the beach on my bicycle. When I reached the beach I was practically flying along the shore to the spot the kingdom would be. When I reached the kingdom I ran to its walls to look over them. And sure enough it was there. The house I knocked down, stood once again. This proved it to me, this proved that the castle didn't withstand the tide. That instead who ever built it, built it again. But not only that, they built it exactly identical as the day I first saw it. This raised a million questions in my mind and I knew now that I absolutely had to meet its creators.

submitted by /u/the_toad_prince_ [link] [comments] via Blogger https://ift.tt/2FqCXtw

[janetchavezcom]

My Run-In With A Notorious Mexican Drug Cartel

My Craziest Travel Story

Somewhere In Mexico…

This is the story of how I accidentally wandered into an extremely remote Mexican village that was openly controlled by a ruthless drug cartel — and what happened next.

No, this is not an April fools post. Posted April 2nd!

The other week I was taking an Uber from the airport, chatting with the driver about traveling and working around the world as a nomad.

After asking the standard question everyone asks “what’s your favorite country”, he wanted to know if I’ve ever felt in any danger while traveling.

Sure, I’ve been scared before.

When I crossed the border into Afghanistan by myself on foot.

Balancing on rusty beams 300 feet over a canyon in Spain.

Attempting to wade across a crocodile-infested river in Costa Rica.

Scuba diving without a cage in Fiji face-to-face with bull sharks.

Spending the night on an erupting volcano in Guatemala.

Illegally hopping a freight train while hitchhiking across America.

Yes, looking back, I’ve done some stupid & risky stuff over the years…

But the most scared I’ve ever been — was on a journey through Northern Mexico about 7 years ago. And it’s a story I’ve NEVER shared on this blog.

I wrestled with writing about this experience for a long time.

It just didn’t feel appropriate to share publicly, or even very safe for that matter. I was worried about the possible consequences for myself and others.

Yet I think enough time has passed that I finally feel comfortable sharing my crazy (and pretty dumb) encounter with dangerous members of a notorious drug cartel in the lawless mountains deep within Mexico’s Copper Canyon.

Maybe the story will be entertaining, but I hope you’ll learn something too.

The Sierra Tarahumara Mountains

Once Upon A Time In Mexico…

My tale begins in the Mexican tourist town of Creel. A major stop for the popular Copper Canyon Train which runs from the cities of Chihuahua through the Sierra Tarahumara mountains to Los Mochis on the coast.

After a very scenic (but uneventful) train journey through the mountains, I planned to explore more of this mountainous area on my own. Hoping to spend time with the Tarahumara, a Mexican indigenous group.

While chatting with locals, I learned of small villages at the bottom of the canyon that would present a more “authentic” Northern Mexican experience. Off-the-beaten-path if you will.

These places were not easy to reach, and the drive would take hours on rough mountain roads. I mentioned my plan to a local guy (let’s call him Fede) who I’d worked with earlier, and he offered to take me in his vehicle.

Fede wasn’t just some random dude. I’d already spent a few days traveling with him. Even crashing overnight at his family’s house. He was a well-known local professional. I trusted him completely.

Rugged Dirt Roads in Mexico

Surprises Down In The Canyon

I’m not going to name the specific village I traveled to in this story. However, I’m sure if you dig deep enough, you’ll probably be able to figure it out.

Because it’s not like what goes on down there isn’t unknown within Mexico.

Over the course of our 4+ hour drive down winding dirt roads into the depths of the Copper Canyon, Fede starts to share some unsettling information with me.

“When we get there, you may see some stuff that’s alarming. But don’t worry. They know you’re coming.” – Fede

“Wait, what?! What kind of stuff? Who knows I’m coming?” – Me

“The Cartel. They control this town. But when the guesthouse has a tourist, the owner informs The Cartel. They won’t bother you as long as you don’t do anything stupid.” – Fede

“……….” – Me

The Cartel he was referring to is the Sinaloa Cartel. Aka Cártel de Sinaloa, aka the Guzmán-Loera Organization, aka The Blood Alliance.

The same cartel controlled by the notorious drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who was just on trial in the United States for drug trafficking, murder, and money laundering.

What the hell did I just get myself into?

The Golden Triangle – Drug Production Area in Mexico

Mexico’s Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle is the nickname given to a remote and mountainous region in Northern Mexico that encompasses the states of Chihuahua, Sinaloa, and Durango.

It’s where Mexico’s powerful cartels have been growing billions of dollars worth of heroin & weed to supply an insatiable demand for drugs from the United States.

Cartels are able to produce drugs in the Golden Triangle because the area is so rugged & inaccessible that it can take hours to reach these small villages on unmarked dirt roads.

Mexico’s Copper Canyon, if you haven’t heard of it before, is a massive canyon that’s technically larger and deeper than the US Grand Canyon. It is the perfect hiding place for fields of illegally grown opium poppies & marijuana plants!

Combine this fact with a desperately poor workforce of indigenous people called the Tarahumara, and you’ve got a Mexican drug lord’s wet dream.

This is where I found myself.

On the edge of the Golden Triangle, in a village controlled by the Sinaloa Cartel.

The Only Bridge Into Town

A Surreal Travel Experience

As we pull into the village, over a narrow bridge, I see a kid talking into a military-style radio. He’s announcing our arrival to the cartel. My heart begins to race.

Further down the road, we pass a group of men dressed in black, armed with assault rifles. I begin to sweat.

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all…

Fede notices my apprehension and assures me everything will be ok. I’m not the first tourist to visit this town.

Because the cartel doesn’t want to draw any attention to themselves, they’d never harm a tourist. That would force the military to intervene and ruin everything.

I check into my guesthouse, the only one in town, and we eat lunch at his friend’s place, which is basically a small restaurant run out of her home.

One of the Cartel’s Trucks

Keeping Tabs On Me…

Fede says his goodbyes and leaves town. He has to go back to work. So I’m on my own now. I walk around town. I visit some abandoned silver mines nearby.

I stop into the local museum and sign the guestbook (the last signature is over a month old).

I pass by the group of cartel members I saw earlier. We say hello to each other. While they certainly appear to fit the stereotype of hardened criminals, they seem friendly enough.

I still can’t quite believe this is happening.

My goal for the day is to visit an old Spanish Mission, located a few miles out of town. On the way, I run into a pickup truck with blacked-out windows on the side of the road. As I approach, the driver’s side window rolls down.

“¿A dónde vas?” says a large scary dude in a cowboy hat. There’s a beautiful woman half his age in the passenger seat.

“La misión Española” I reply. He nods, and the window slides back up. They’re keeping an eye on me. Making sure I don’t stumble into their fields of poppy or marijuana.

Friendly Mexican Drug Farmer

This Sack is Full of Weed…

Everyone Works For The Cartel

Over the next few days, I learn that basically the whole town is working for the cartel. They are the sole employer.

I’m not sure if it’s by choice, or by the threat of violence, but growing and trafficking drugs for the cartel is how this town survives.

And some of them are not afraid to talk about it. Growing marijuana is as normal as growing corn. It’s just another crop — only one that pays much better.

After chatting with one local farmer for a while, he takes me up to a small barn behind his house, pulls out a large sack, and offers me two giant handfuls of freshly picked marijuana buds!

I start laughing, thanking him for his generosity, but explain that there’s no way I can bring his gift back into the United States with me.

But… because I’m a polite guy, I accept a few flowers so he isn’t offended.

This man isn’t some murderous cartel member, he’s just a friendly, impoverished farmer trying to make a living for his family with very limited opportunities.

Making Friends in Town

More & More Ridiculous

So while the whole cartel situation had me feeling pretty nervous, this next part was the scariest moment of the whole few days I was down there.

My comfort level had been improving. I was getting used to chatting with cartel members each day. Maybe too comfortable.

One evening, a young Mexican guy dressed like a rodeo cowboy walks into the home-based restaurant where I’m eating dinner.

He’s wearing a pair of beautiful, very fancy white-handled revolvers on his hip. Like right out of your typical Spaghetti Western movie.

A heavily armed bodyguard wearing a bullet-proof vest waits for him outside.

We happily chat for a minute in Spanish, asking how I like the food, before they both disappear into the darkness of night. This is seriously feeling like I’m caught in the middle of a movie.

On another occasion, I watch a team of five armed men loading blue 55-gallon drums of something from a truck into a guarded building.

Weed? Opium poppies? Human remains dissolving in acid? My imagination starts to run wild…

Sinaloa Cartel Members (Faces Censored for Safety)

Getting The Shot

I REALLY wanted a photo of one of these guys. No one would believe all this happened to me unless I had a photo!

So the next morning, I cut a small hole into the side of my backpack and tape a GoPro inside. My plan is to use “time-lapse” mode, quietly shooting photos automatically as I walk past them.

However as I approach, I decide to stop and chat. With my adrenaline pumping, I simply ask them directly. Pointing at the camera around my neck. What’s the worst that could happen?

“¿Puedo tomar tu retrato?” (Can I take your portrait?) – Me

“Jajaja… no.” – Cartel Dude #1

“Please? My American friends back home would love to see your big gun. I can leave your face out of it if you’d like.” – Me

“Jajaja… no. But you can get a photo of my amigo here.” – Cartel Dude #1

So, without thinking about the consequences, I aim my wide-angle lens at the truck driver sitting next to him. *CLICK*

Cartel Dude #1 is in the photo too, but just doesn’t realize it.

Immediately I start to panic — internally. What if he asks to see the photo? That was so dumb! I’m going to get myself killed. Maybe I can quickly use the zoom button before showing it to him…

Fortunatley he never asks — and just assumes the camera wasn’t aimed his way.

I try to act normal, end the conversation, and walk off down the road contemplating just how stupid that was.

I think it’s time for me to leave this town.

Patrolling the Village

Mexico’s Remote Golden Triangle

Cartel Wars In The Mountains

As someone who has spent almost 2 years of my life both living and traveling through Mexico, I’ll be the first to tell you it’s one of my favorite countries.

I certainly don’t want my story to scare you from visiting Mexico. This is NOT a typical Mexican vacation experience.

I specifically went out of my way to visit a remote area that isn’t very safe. Even for the Copper Canyon itself — if you stay on the normal tourist trail you’ll be fine.

However if you venture off-grid in this region, there’s a lot of sh*t going on.

Mexico is an amazing and beautiful destination, but like any country, it can also be a dangerous one if you go looking for danger.

Golden Triangle In Flames Again (Borderland Beat)

Extreme Race in the Shadow of Extreme Danger (New York Times)

Drug Gangs Delay Sierra Trail Riders (My San Antonio)

One particular story that shook me recently was the murder of North Carolina teacher Patrick Braxton-Andrew, who was visiting a similar remote village in the same region last year.

That one hit close to home. A curious traveler looking for adventure, trying to get off the beaten path, exploring a dangerous area on his own… mistaken for a DEA agent and shot.

When I first started traveling, I did many risky and stupid things seeking that addictive jolt of adrenaline. Hell, I haven’t completely cured myself of it even now!

Luckily everything has turned out ok so far, and I have some pretty incredible memories and stories to show for it.

But that isn’t always the case for everyone.

My Scariest Travel Story

I’m not sure if there is a lesson in this story. Maybe there are many.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes? Young people traveling with no responsibilities often take unnecessary risks for fun? Don’t be an idiot like me?

I’m sure I’ll be judged and ridiculed a bit for writing about this. That’s ok. It happened, and I have to live with it. I’m probably lucky to be living at all…

Have you ever done anything stupid like this while traveling? Taken on too much risk? Gotten yourself into a sticky situation that you regret later?

Frequent travelers have this insufferable tendency to “one-up” each other’s travel stories — and this one is mine. The one I share at bars after a few drinks.

Now it’s your turn to share.

Take a minute to quickly describe your scariest/dumb travel story.

If only to make me feel like I’m not the only one out there who’s done something stupid on the road…

Maybe we can turn it into a guide on “what-not-to-do while traveling.” ★

READ MORE TRAVEL TIPS

My 50 Best Tips After 9 Years Traveling Is Instagram Ruining Travel? How To Take Better Travel Photos Why I Quit Being A Digital Nomad Tips For Starting A Travel Blog

What’s your scariest travel story? Have you ever done something dangerous or stupid while traveling? Drop me a message in the comments below!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

from Tips For Traveling https://expertvagabond.com/scary-travel-story-cartel/

[kevingbakeruk]

My Run-In With A Notorious Mexican Drug Cartel

My Craziest Travel Story

Somewhere In Mexico…

This is the story of how I accidentally wandered into an extremely remote Mexican village that was openly controlled by a ruthless drug cartel — and what happened next.

No, this is not an April fools post. Posted April 2nd!

The other week I was taking an Uber from the airport, chatting with the driver about traveling and working around the world as a nomad.

After asking the standard question everyone asks “what’s your favorite country”, he wanted to know if I’ve ever felt in any danger while traveling.

Sure, I’ve been scared before.

When I crossed the border into Afghanistan by myself on foot.

Balancing on rusty beams 300 feet over a canyon in Spain.

Attempting to wade across a crocodile-infested river in Costa Rica.

Scuba diving without a cage in Fiji face-to-face with bull sharks.

Spending the night on an erupting volcano in Guatemala.

Illegally hopping a freight train while hitchhiking across America.

Yes, looking back, I’ve done some stupid & risky stuff over the years…

But the most scared I’ve ever been — was on a journey through Northern Mexico about 7 years ago. And it’s a story I’ve NEVER shared on this blog.

I wrestled with writing about this experience for a long time.

It just didn’t feel appropriate to share publicly, or even very safe for that matter. I was worried about the possible consequences for myself and others.

Yet I think enough time has passed that I finally feel comfortable sharing my crazy (and pretty dumb) encounter with dangerous members of a notorious drug cartel in the lawless mountains deep within Mexico’s Copper Canyon.

Maybe the story will be entertaining, but I hope you’ll learn something too.

The Sierra Tarahumara Mountains

Once Upon A Time In Mexico…

My tale begins in the Mexican tourist town of Creel. A major stop for the popular Copper Canyon Train which runs from the cities of Chihuahua through the Sierra Tarahumara mountains to Los Mochis on the coast.

After a very scenic (but uneventful) train journey through the mountains, I planned to explore more of this mountainous area on my own. Hoping to spend time with the Tarahumara, a Mexican indigenous group.

While chatting with locals, I learned of small villages at the bottom of the canyon that would present a more “authentic” Northern Mexican experience. Off-the-beaten-path if you will.

These places were not easy to reach, and the drive would take hours on rough mountain roads. I mentioned my plan to a local guy (let’s call him Fede) who I’d worked with earlier, and he offered to take me in his vehicle.

Fede wasn’t just some random dude. I’d already spent a few days traveling with him. Even crashing overnight at his family’s house. He was a well-known tourism professional. I trusted him completely.

Rugged Dirt Roads in Mexico

Surprises Down In The Canyon

I’m not going to name the specific village I traveled to in this story. However, I’m sure if you dig deep enough, you’ll probably be able to figure it out.

Because it’s not like what goes on down there isn’t unknown within Mexico.

Over the course of our 4+ hour drive down winding dirt roads into the depths of the Copper Canyon, Fede starts to share some unsettling information with me.

“When we get there, you may see some stuff that’s alarming. But don’t worry. They know you’re coming.” – Fede

“Wait, what?! What kind of stuff? Who knows I’m coming?” – Me

“The Cartel. They control this town. But when the guesthouse has a tourist, the owner informs The Cartel. They won’t bother you as long as you don’t do anything stupid.” – Fede

“……….” – Me

The Cartel he was referring to is the Sinaloa Cartel. Aka Cártel de Sinaloa, aka the Guzmán-Loera Organization, aka The Blood Alliance.

The same cartel controlled by the notorious drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who was just on trial in the United States for drug trafficking, murder, and money laundering.

What the hell did I just get myself into?

The Golden Triangle – Drug Production Area in Mexico

Mexico’s Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle is the nickname given to a remote and mountainous region in Northern Mexico that encompasses the states of Chihuahua, Sinaloa, and Durango.

It’s where Mexico’s powerful cartels have been growing billions of dollars worth of heroin & weed to supply an insatiable demand for drugs from the United States.

Cartels are able to produce drugs in the Golden Triangle because the area is so rugged & inaccessible that it can take hours to reach these small villages on unmarked dirt roads.

Mexico’s Copper Canyon, if you haven’t heard of it before, is a massive canyon that’s technically larger and deeper than the US Grand Canyon. It is the perfect hiding place for fields of illegally grown opium poppies & marijuana plants!

Combine this fact with a desperately poor workforce of indigenous people called the Tarahumara, and you’ve got a Mexican drug lord’s wet dream.

This is where I found myself.

On the edge of the Golden Triangle, in a village controlled by the Sinaloa Cartel.

The Only Bridge Into Town

A Surreal Travel Experience

As we pull into the village, over a narrow bridge, I see a kid talking into a military-style radio. He’s announcing our arrival to the cartel. My heart begins to race.

Further down the road, we pass a group of men dressed in black, armed with assault rifles. I begin to sweat.

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all…

Fede notices my apprehension and assures me everything will be ok. I’m not the first tourist to visit this town.

Because the cartel doesn’t want to draw any attention to themselves, they’d never harm a tourist. That would force the military to intervene and ruin everything.

I check into my guesthouse, the only one in town, and we eat lunch at his friend’s place, which is basically a small restaurant run out of her home.

One of the Cartel’s Trucks

Keeping Tabs On Me…

Fede says his goodbyes and leaves town. He has to go back to work. So I’m on my own now. I walk around town. I visit some abandoned silver mines nearby.

I stop into the local museum and sign the guestbook (the last signature is over a month old).

I pass by the group of cartel members I saw earlier. We say hello to each other. While they certainly appear to fit the stereotype of hardened criminals, they seem friendly enough.

I still can’t quite believe this is happening.

My goal for the day is to visit an old Spanish Mission, located a few miles out of town. On the way, I run into a pickup truck with blacked-out windows on the side of the road. As I approach, the driver’s side window rolls down.

“¿A dónde vas?” says a large scary dude in a cowboy hat. There’s a beautiful woman half his age in the passenger seat.

“La misión Española” I reply. He nods, and the window slides back up. They’re keeping an eye on me. Making sure I don’t stumble into their fields of poppy or marijuana.

Friendly Mexican Drug Farmer

This Sack is Full of Weed…

Everyone Works For The Cartel

Over the next few days, I learn that basically the whole town is working for the cartel. They are the sole employer.

I’m not sure if it’s by choice, or by the threat of violence, but growing and trafficking drugs for the cartel is how this town survives.

And some of them are not afraid to talk about it. Growing marijuana is as normal as growing corn. It’s just another crop — only one that pays much better.

After chatting with one local farmer for a while, he takes me up to a small barn behind his house, pulls out a large sack, and offers me two giant handfuls of freshly picked marijuana buds!

I start laughing, thanking him for his generosity, but explain that there’s no way I can bring his gift back into the United States with me.

But because I’m a polite guy, I accept a few flowers so he isn’t offended.

This man isn’t some murderous cartel member, he’s just a friendly, impoverished farmer trying to make a living for his family with very limited opportunities.

Making Friends in Town

More & More Ridiculous

So while the whole cartel situation had me feeling pretty nervous, this next part was the scariest moment of the whole few days I was down there.

My comfort level had been improving. I was getting used to chatting with cartel members each day. Maybe too comfortable.

One evening, a young Mexican guy dressed like a rodeo cowboy walks into the home-based restaurant where I’m eating dinner.

He’s wearing a pair of beautiful, very fancy white-handled revolvers on his hip. Like right out of your typical Spaghetti Western movie.

A heavily armed bodyguard wearing a bullet-proof vest waits for him outside.

We happily chat for a minute in Spanish, asking how I like the food, before they both disappear into the darkness of night. This is seriously feeling like I’m caught in the middle of a movie.

On another occasion, I watch a team of five armed men loading blue 55-gallon drums of something from a truck into a guarded building.

Weed? Opium poppies? Human remains dissolving in acid? My imagination starts to run wild…

Sinaloa Cartel Members (Faces Censored for Safety)

Getting The Shot

I REALLY wanted a photo of one of these guys. No one would believe all this happened to me unless I had a photo!

So the next morning, I cut a small hole into the side of my backpack and tape a GoPro inside. My plan is to use “time-lapse” mode, quietly shooting photos automatically as I walk past them.

However as I approach, I decide to stop and chat. With my adrenaline pumping, I simply ask them directly. Pointing at the camera around my neck. What’s the worst that could happen?

“¿Puedo tomar tu retrato?” (Can I take your portrait?) – Me

“Jajaja… no.” – Cartel Dude #1

“Please? My American friends back home would love to see your big gun. I can leave your face out of it if you’d like.” – Me

“Jajaja… no. But you can get a photo of my amigo here.” – Cartel Dude #1

So, without thinking about the consequences, I aim my wide-angle lens at the truck driver sitting next to him. *CLICK*

Cartel Dude #1 is in the photo too, but just doesn’t realize it.

Immediately I start to panic — internally. What if he asks to see the photo? That was so dumb! I’m going to get myself killed. Maybe I can quickly use the zoom button before showing it to him…

Fortunatley he never asks — and just assumes the camera wasn’t aimed his way.

I try to act normal, end the conversation, and walk off down the road contemplating just how stupid that was.

I think it’s time for me to leave this town.

Patrolling the Village

Mexico’s Remote Golden Triangle

Cartel Wars In The Mountains

As someone who has spent almost 2 years of my life both living and traveling through Mexico, I’ll be the first to tell you it’s one of my favorite countries.

I certainly don’t want my story to scare you from visiting Mexico. This is NOT a typical Mexican vacation experience.

I specifically went out of my way to visit a remote area that isn’t very safe. Even for the Copper Canyon itself — if you stay on the normal tourist trail you’ll be fine.

However if you venture off-grid in this region, there’s a lot of sh*t going on.

Mexico is an amazing and beautiful destination, but like any country, it can also be a dangerous one if you go looking for danger.

Golden Triangle In Flames Again (Borderland Beat)

Extreme Race in the Shadow of Extreme Danger (New York Times)

Drug Gangs Delay Sierra Trail Riders (My San Antonio)

One particular story that shook me recently was the murder of North Carolina teacher Patrick Braxton-Andrew, who was visiting a similar remote village in the same region last year.

That one hit close to home. A curious traveler looking for adventure, trying to get off the beaten path, exploring a dangerous area on his own… mistaken for a DEA agent and shot.

When I first started traveling, I did many risky and stupid things seeking that addictive jolt of adrenaline. Hell, I haven’t completely cured myself of it even now!

Luckily everything has turned out ok so far, and I have some pretty incredible memories and stories to show for it.

But that isn’t always the case for everyone.

My Scariest Travel Story

I’m not sure if there is a lesson in this story. Maybe there are many.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes? Young people traveling with no responsibilities often take unnecessary risks for fun? Don’t be an idiot like me?

I’m sure I’ll be judged and ridiculed a bit for writing about this. That’s ok. It happened, and I have to live with it. I’m probably lucky to be living at all…

Have you ever done anything stupid like this while traveling? Taken on too much risk? Gotten yourself into a sticky situation that you regret later?

Frequent travelers have this insufferable tendency to “one-up” each other’s travel stories — and this one is mine. The one I share at bars after a few drinks.

Now it’s your turn to share.

Take a minute to quickly describe your scariest/dumb travel story.

If only to make me feel like I’m not the only one out there who’s done something stupid on the road…

Maybe we can turn it into a guide on “what-not-to-do while traveling.” ★

READ MORE TRAVEL TIPS

My 50 Best Tips After 9 Years Traveling Is Instagram Ruining Travel? How To Take Better Travel Photos Why I Quit Being A Digital Nomad Tips For Starting A Travel Blog

What’s your scariest travel story? Have you ever done something dangerous or stupid while traveling? Drop me a message in the comments below!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

from Tips For Traveling https://expertvagabond.com/scary-travel-story-cartel/

[marymperezga]

My Run-In With A Notorious Mexican Drug Cartel

My Craziest Travel Story

Somewhere In Mexico…

This is the story of how I accidentally wandered into an extremely remote Mexican village that was openly controlled by a ruthless drug cartel — and what happened next.

No, this is not an April fools post. Posted April 2nd!

The other week I was taking an Uber from the airport, chatting with the driver about traveling and working around the world as a nomad.

After asking the standard question everyone asks “what’s your favorite country”, he wanted to know if I’ve ever felt in any danger while traveling.

Sure, I’ve been scared before.

When I crossed the border into Afghanistan by myself on foot.

Balancing on rusty beams 300 feet over a canyon in Spain.

Attempting to wade across a crocodile-infested river in Costa Rica.

Scuba diving without a cage in Fiji face-to-face with bull sharks.

Spending the night on an erupting volcano in Guatemala.

Illegally hopping a freight train while hitchhiking across America.

Yes, looking back, I’ve done some stupid & risky stuff over the years…

But the most scared I’ve ever been — was on a journey through Northern Mexico about 7 years ago. And it’s a story I’ve NEVER shared on this blog.

I wrestled with writing about this experience for a long time.

It just didn’t feel appropriate to share publicly, or even very safe for that matter. I was worried about the possible consequences for myself and others.

Yet I think enough time has passed that I finally feel comfortable sharing my crazy (and pretty dumb) encounter with dangerous members of a notorious drug cartel in the lawless mountains deep within Mexico’s Copper Canyon.

Maybe the story will be entertaining, but I hope you’ll learn something too.

The Sierra Tarahumara Mountains

Once Upon A Time In Mexico…

My tale begins in the Mexican tourist town of Creel. A major stop for the popular Copper Canyon Train which runs from the cities of Chihuahua through the Sierra Tarahumara mountains to Los Mochis on the coast.

After a very scenic (but uneventful) train journey through the mountains, I planned to explore more of this mountainous area on my own. Hoping to spend time with the Tarahumara, a Mexican indigenous group.

While chatting with locals, I learned of small villages at the bottom of the canyon that would present a more “authentic” Northern Mexican experience. Off-the-beaten-path if you will.

These places were not easy to reach, and the drive would take hours on rough mountain roads. I mentioned my plan to a local guy (let’s call him Fede) who I’d worked with earlier, and he offered to take me in his vehicle.

Fede wasn’t just some random dude. I’d already spent a few days traveling with him. Even crashing overnight at his family’s house. He was a well-known tourism professional. I trusted him completely.

Rugged Dirt Roads in Mexico

Surprises Down In The Canyon

I’m not going to name the specific village I traveled to in this story. However, I’m sure if you dig deep enough, you’ll probably be able to figure it out.

Because it’s not like what goes on down there isn’t unknown within Mexico.

Over the course of our 4+ hour drive down winding dirt roads into the depths of the Copper Canyon, Fede starts to share some unsettling information with me.

“When we get there, you may see some stuff that’s alarming. But don’t worry. They know you’re coming.” – Fede

“Wait, what?! What kind of stuff? Who knows I’m coming?” – Me

“The Cartel. They control this town. But when the guesthouse has a tourist, the owner informs The Cartel. They won’t bother you as long as you don’t do anything stupid.” – Fede

“……….” – Me

The Cartel he was referring to is the Sinaloa Cartel. Aka Cártel de Sinaloa, aka the Guzmán-Loera Organization, aka The Blood Alliance.

The same cartel controlled by the notorious drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who was just on trial in the United States for drug trafficking, murder, and money laundering.

What the hell did I just get myself into?

The Golden Triangle – Drug Production Area in Mexico

Mexico’s Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle is the nickname given to a remote and mountainous region in Northern Mexico that encompasses the states of Chihuahua, Sinaloa, and Durango.

It’s where Mexico’s powerful cartels have been growing billions of dollars worth of heroin & weed to supply an insatiable demand for drugs from the United States.

Cartels are able to produce drugs in the Golden Triangle because the area is so rugged & inaccessible that it can take hours to reach these small villages on unmarked dirt roads.

Mexico’s Copper Canyon, if you haven’t heard of it before, is a massive canyon that’s technically larger and deeper than the US Grand Canyon. It is the perfect hiding place for fields of illegally grown opium poppies & marijuana plants!

Combine this fact with a desperately poor workforce of indigenous people called the Tarahumara, and you’ve got a Mexican drug lord’s wet dream.

This is where I found myself.

On the edge of the Golden Triangle, in a village controlled by the Sinaloa Cartel.

The Only Bridge Into Town

A Surreal Travel Experience

As we pull into the village, over a narrow bridge, I see a kid talking into a military-style radio. He’s announcing our arrival to the cartel. My heart begins to race.

Further down the road, we pass a group of men dressed in black, armed with assault rifles. I begin to sweat.

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all…

Fede notices my apprehension and assures me everything will be ok. I’m not the first tourist to visit this town.

Because the cartel doesn’t want to draw any attention to themselves, they’d never harm a tourist. That would force the military to intervene and ruin everything.

I check into my guesthouse, the only one in town, and we eat lunch at his friend’s place, which is basically a small restaurant run out of her home.

One of the Cartel’s Trucks

Keeping Tabs On Me…

Fede says his goodbyes and leaves town. He has to go back to work. So I’m on my own now. I walk around town. I visit some abandoned silver mines nearby.

I stop into the local museum and sign the guestbook (the last signature is over a month old).

I pass by the group of cartel members I saw earlier. We say hello to each other. While they certainly appear to fit the stereotype of hardened criminals, they seem friendly enough.

I still can’t quite believe this is happening.

My goal for the day is to visit an old Spanish Mission, located a few miles out of town. On the way, I run into a pickup truck with blacked-out windows on the side of the road. As I approach, the driver’s side window rolls down.

“¿A dónde vas?” says a large scary dude in a cowboy hat. There’s a beautiful woman half his age in the passenger seat.

“La misión Española” I reply. He nods, and the window slides back up. They’re keeping an eye on me. Making sure I don’t stumble into their fields of poppy or marijuana.

Friendly Mexican Drug Farmer

This Sack is Full of Weed…

Everyone Works For The Cartel

Over the next few days, I learn that basically the whole town is working for the cartel. They are the sole employer.

I’m not sure if it’s by choice, or by the threat of violence, but growing and trafficking drugs for the cartel is how this town survives.

And some of them are not afraid to talk about it. Growing marijuana is as normal as growing corn. It’s just another crop — only one that pays much better.

After chatting with one local farmer for a while, he takes me up to a small barn behind his house, pulls out a large sack, and offers me two giant handfuls of freshly picked marijuana buds!

I start laughing, thanking him for his generosity, but explain that there’s no way I can bring his gift back into the United States with me.

But because I’m a polite guy, I accept a few flowers so he isn’t offended.

This man isn’t some murderous cartel member, he’s just a friendly, impoverished farmer trying to make a living for his family with very limited opportunities.

Making Friends in Town

More & More Ridiculous

So while the whole cartel situation had me feeling pretty nervous, this next part was the scariest moment of the whole few days I was down there.

My comfort level had been improving. I was getting used to chatting with cartel members each day. Maybe too comfortable.

One evening, a young Mexican guy dressed like a rodeo cowboy walks into the home-based restaurant where I’m eating dinner.

He’s wearing a pair of beautiful, very fancy white-handled revolvers on his hip. Like right out of your typical Spaghetti Western movie.

A heavily armed bodyguard wearing a bullet-proof vest waits for him outside.

We happily chat for a minute in Spanish, asking how I like the food, before they both disappear into the darkness of night. This is seriously feeling like I’m caught in the middle of a movie.

On another occasion, I watch a team of five armed men loading blue 55-gallon drums of something from a truck into a guarded building.

Weed? Opium poppies? Human remains dissolving in acid? My imagination starts to run wild…

Sinaloa Cartel Members (Faces Censored for Safety)

Getting The Shot

I REALLY wanted a photo of one of these guys. No one would believe all this happened to me unless I had a photo!

So the next morning, I cut a small hole into the side of my backpack and tape a GoPro inside. My plan is to use “time-lapse” mode, quietly shooting photos automatically as I walk past them.

However as I approach, I decide to stop and chat. With my adrenaline pumping, I simply ask them directly. Pointing at the camera around my neck. What’s the worst that could happen?

“¿Puedo tomar tu retrato?” (Can I take your portrait?) – Me

“Jajaja… no.” – Cartel Dude #1

“Please? My American friends back home would love to see your big gun. I can leave your face out of it if you’d like.” – Me

“Jajaja… no. But you can get a photo of my amigo here.” – Cartel Dude #1

So, without thinking about the consequences, I aim my wide-angle lens at the truck driver sitting next to him. *CLICK*

Cartel Dude #1 is in the photo too, but just doesn’t realize it.

Immediately I start to panic — internally. What if he asks to see the photo? That was so dumb! I’m going to get myself killed. Maybe I can quickly use the zoom button before showing it to him…

Fortunatley he never asks — and just assumes the camera wasn’t aimed his way.

I try to act normal, end the conversation, and walk off down the road contemplating just how stupid that was.

I think it’s time for me to leave this town.

Patrolling the Village

Mexico’s Remote Golden Triangle

Cartel Wars In The Mountains

As someone who has spent almost 2 years of my life both living and traveling through Mexico, I’ll be the first to tell you it’s one of my favorite countries.

I certainly don’t want my story to scare you from visiting Mexico. This is NOT a typical Mexican vacation experience.

I specifically went out of my way to visit a remote area that isn’t very safe. Even for the Copper Canyon itself — if you stay on the normal tourist trail you’ll be fine.

However if you venture off-grid in this region, there’s a lot of sh*t going on.

Mexico is an amazing and beautiful destination, but like any country, it can also be a dangerous one if you go looking for danger.

Golden Triangle In Flames Again (Borderland Beat)

Extreme Race in the Shadow of Extreme Danger (New York Times)

Drug Gangs Delay Sierra Trail Riders (My San Antonio)

One particular story that shook me recently was the murder of North Carolina teacher Patrick Braxton-Andrew, who was visiting a similar remote village in the same region last year.

That one hit close to home. A curious traveler looking for adventure, trying to get off the beaten path, exploring a dangerous area on his own… mistaken for a DEA agent and shot.

When I first started traveling, I did many risky and stupid things seeking that addictive jolt of adrenaline. Hell, I haven’t completely cured myself of it even now!

Luckily everything has turned out ok so far, and I have some pretty incredible memories and stories to show for it.

But that isn’t always the case for everyone.

My Scariest Travel Story

I’m not sure if there is a lesson in this story. Maybe there are many.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes? Young people traveling with no responsibilities often take unnecessary risks for fun? Don’t be an idiot like me?

I’m sure I’ll be judged and ridiculed a bit for writing about this. That’s ok. It happened, and I have to live with it. I’m probably lucky to be living at all…

Have you ever done anything stupid like this while traveling? Taken on too much risk? Gotten yourself into a sticky situation that you regret later?

Frequent travelers have this insufferable tendency to “one-up” each other’s travel stories — and this one is mine. The one I share at bars after a few drinks.

Now it’s your turn to share.

Take a minute to quickly describe your scariest/dumb travel story.

If only to make me feel like I’m not the only one out there who’s done something stupid on the road…

Maybe we can turn it into a guide on “what-not-to-do while traveling.” ★

READ MORE TRAVEL TIPS

My 50 Best Tips After 9 Years Traveling Is Instagram Ruining Travel? How To Take Better Travel Photos Why I Quit Being A Digital Nomad Tips For Starting A Travel Blog

What’s your scariest travel story? Have you ever done something dangerous or stupid while traveling? Drop me a message in the comments below!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

from Tips For Traveling https://expertvagabond.com/scary-travel-story-cartel/

[coldwarchristmas]

This is the distinction inside five star hotels.

I arrived at the Dubai International Airport on the 17th of March. The Atlantis gives helicopter rides for the Dubai city tour. This gigantic project was modelled just after the Atlantis Paradise Island in Nassau, in the Bahamas, also owned by Sol Kerzner, a South African businessman with a penchant for big projects like the Sun City Resort in his native country, typically referred to as the Las Vegas of Africa.

A two star hotel is not designed for the total expertise.

Lately Dubai has gone up close to the best of the list of most preferred destinations for tourists in the planet. Right after days out exploring the wonders of Dubai city, unwind at the Conrad Spa. Why is the room price of agoda diverse from the main website of the hotel? Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa promises a luxury beach location like no other. The initially spot in our leading of the most unusual hotels of the globe is for an exclusive oasis, which is located in the desert near Dubai. Suite and Imperial Club guests obtain absolutely free every day Atlantis Youngsters Club access between 10am and 1.30pm, with further possibilities for exciting and games in between 2pm & 5pm. Booking a rental vehicle anywhere in the globe could not be simpler with Travelocity. He very first went to Dubai three years later and devoted nearly 30 years of his qualified life to the city. Habtoor comprises the finest accommodation the city of Dubai has to offer you. Dubai property has improved significantly and the 7-star hotel has a benchmark for all other hotels are attempting to reach set. It is no wonder that jobs at hotels in Dubai represent a large share of the worldwide hotel sector. I understand that numerous of the hotels are smaller and their terms might not be as versatile as a substantial chain hotel, but paying in full in advance for a typical price seems excessive to me. We at supply very trusted services for hotel booking for India. Located at the finish of the Dubai Marina, it is well placed for receiving out to explore the continuously developing city. Delight in unparalleled luxury in the Signature Royal Bridge Suite at Atlantis with the added advantage of Imperial Club rewards. I spend a lot of time walking past the sublime undersea vistas, largely on the way to some of the 23 Atlantis restaurants.

Dubai is famous for its very first-class hotels.

Dubai's Palm Island trilogy have develop into icons of the Emirate and handful of could deny that they are actually impressive examples of man's ability to produce not just huge feats of engineering, but also structures that can rival these produced by Mother Nature, when it comes to beauty and scale. 'The Palm' is what Atlantis sits on, a $US12-billion palm-shaped island reclaimed from the Persian Gulf. Burj Al Arab is not the only unofficial 7-star hotel. Cape Sounio is a stunning Grecian paradise by the beach supplying the best escape for households who want wonderful surroundings as well as five-star service. Utilizing a higher-speed, proprietary algorithm, our service compares all combinations of stays across two hotels, getting the most cost-successful way to split a hotel keep, with out compromising on top quality or comfort. That translates into a lot more bookings for your hotel web page. With wonderful deals all year round on Dubai hotels and flights, all you need to be concerned about is packing your bags prepared for the trip of a lifetime. He mentioned: ‘There is one particular guest I took care of who ordered a Rolex watch in one particular of our shops at Atlantis, The Palm but by the time the watch was delivered the guest had already checked out. When these beaches are a good place to relax, there are various adventure activities that you can try your hand at. From snorkelling to scuba diving to parasailing, you can have a terrific time on the beaches of Dubai. Some of the best-rated apps on the App Retailer belong to the travel sector and as technologies advances, the innovation and trouble-solving abilities of these apps continues to surprise us. The iOS platform remains one of the most popular markets for constructing and promoting travel apps. five-star hotels in Dubai offer you the ideal of every thing and set the stage for unforgettable memories. Each and every apartment also attributes at least 1 private balcony with beautiful views more than the marina, Palm Island or the city. In addition, there are many public beaches, such as Al Mamzar Beach Park, Jumeirah Beach Park, Umm Suqeim Beach and Open Beach, with huge green regions, gardens, as well as playgrounds and barbecues to love a wonderful day on the beach. Through this acquisition, Yatra expanded its hotel business enterprise, establishing extra direct hotel relationships in India, and also improved its inventory of very affordable travel selections. Atlantis, The Palm offers other-worldly luxury, combining best drawer skyline views with a under no circumstances-ending list of facilities, like absolutely free access to an underwater aquarium and a waterpark.

I stayed for a night in Novotel Hotel in Dubai.

It is mentioned that one particular can encounter accurate luxury only in Dubai hotels. Even if you're not travelling also far from household, you can rely on to enable you uncover Australia hotel deals for your trip. For those who like the most effective of the beach and the city, Jumeirah Al Naseem is it. Occupying a prized place between the existing Mina A'Salam hotel and the iconic Burj Al Arab, it connects to the wider Madinat Jumeirah resort region, enabling guests to use a vast array of facilities. فنادق دبيBook now and get ten% off the most effective obtainable prices along with other unrivalled hotel solutions and benefits. This hotel is a beachcomber resort on the North- west coast, stretching across sandy white beaches. The hotel has a playground and sauna, and guests can enjoy a drink at the bar. Oasis in the heart of Dubai: A haven of calm nestled in the heart of the city, ten minutes away from Dubai International Airport, Gold Souk, Dubai Museum and Burj Khalifa. A lot of individuals travel to Dubai on holiday and for enterprise and it is worth checking prior to you go, if you have not been there before, what the details are about what you can and can not do. These special Expedia offers offer you the least expensive hotel rooms out there anywhere and they sell out rapid, so check the web page regularly you never want to miss out on our excellent presents. The most option hotels in the globe, underwater hotels offering a variety of unimaginable underwater sea views, swimming with sharks while you sleep. Burj Al Arab - isn't that the world's only seven-star hotel? Earlier, if we wanted to pay a visit to some spot inside our own nation or some foreign nation, we required to do lot of research for a lengthy time, may possibly be for days to know which roads to take, where to stay and so forth. Thankfully, I came across with some prominent on-line hotel booking websites which use to give discounted packages and bargains even in luxury five star hotels. My companion and I stayed the Ramada Chelsea for 7 nights, from the moment our Taxi pulled up outside the hotel, the outstanding service began, and did not stop all through my keep there. Its rooms have modern day amenities, advertising a relaxing, enjoyable and memorable keep in this hotel. For Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Tom Cruise famously swung by a rope from the best of Dubai's most iconic structure, the Burj Khalifa, whose two,700 feet of shimmering glass also were seen skewering London throughout the opening of Independence Day: Resurgence. Some hotels give concierge services that assist the guest in gaining access to any exclusive restaurant, concert, or Broadway show, although organizing for them and even help them in the execution of any occasion. Atlantis, The Palm has been sold by a subsidiary of the state-owned developer Dubai Globe to a sovereign wealth fund. Obtain the perfect hotel on and book your area online at the ideal price! Positioned in the heart of Dubai and overlooking the Dubai Creek, Jumeirah Creekside Hotel in Dubai is conveniently situated for access to Dubai International Airport and within minutes away from some of Dubai 's most significant landmarks and shopping centres. The hotel is centrally situated on Burj Khalifa Street, and is one particular of Dubai's most coveted addresses. hotel booking sites trivago, hotel atlantis the palm dubai trivago, hotel rooms in goa india, dubai seven star hotel burj al arab, hotel dubai marina view

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Do you ever know that there’s a place you want to visit but you’re not sure where to begin or what’s attainable in one trip?  Well, that’s a problem we face a lot. We expect that we can experience the majority of a place but then don’t understand the actual layout of the area and all of the distractions we’ll face.  Enter Puerto Rico. A fantastic way to visit Puerto Rico is to pick just one portion of the island and roll from there.

Northeastern Puerto Rico is an ideal area to experience everything from tropical waters to towering rainforests, totally chill resorts to expansive stars at night.  Since this trip was a first for me and I wasn’t sure just how accessible or safe some of the big ticket experiences would be, the fam stayed home while I scouted it out… and now I know just what we’ll all love together next time we visit Puerto Rico.

Need-to-knows to visit Puerto Rico

When it comes to Caribbean travel, Puerto Rico has a hand up on other islands.  Being a territory of the United States (OMG, it should be a state. Whatever…) US Citizens can visit without a passport, or international visitors can get to Puerto Rico with the same visa requirements as taking a trip across the continental USA.

And since it’s part of the USA, Puerto Rico runs off the US Dollar.  There is no pondering exchange rates.  There’s no weird pricing structure and there’s also no wheeling and dealing on goods.  A lot of people love the bargaining process, but just like you wouldn’t necessarily do that in a shop in Southern California, you wouldn’t do that in Puerto Rico.

Note:  a funny question that came up prior to this trip was if any shots or health precautions are needed. The answer is basically no, but just like with any Caribbean destination, including Florida, you’ll want to be wary of mosquitoes due to the potential of Zika Virus.

Language in Puerto Rico

Remember, Puerto Rico is an extension of the USA which makes it more simple and less stressful for some than visiting Mexico or the Domenican Republic.  While Spanish is the primary language we had zero experiences, either on the east coast or in the San Juan area, where we needed to use it as nearly everybody we encountered everywhere spoke fluent English.  Yes, we went off the beaten path; yes, we went into the mountains; yes, we traveled beyond our hotels, but no: no moment of panicked tourist unable to communicate.

Tip:  still be prepared to communicate in Spanish both in the event you must and as a courtesy to the residents you will no doubt interact with.

Note:  the Puerto Rican Spanish accent is quite different from Mexican Spanish.  There are also words and phrases I’d never heard… and my Spanish accent was odd to some people I talked with.  Just saying.

How to plan a visit to Puerto Rico

Travel planning is so important, especially when you consider the cost of travel experiences these days. Sure you can deplane in a new land and let the wind take you, but that just isn’t the smartest plan.  When you visit Puerto Rico you’ll want to determine your goals:  adventure or relaxation… or both.  If you’re traveling with kids, you’ll want to consider their level of engagement and physical skill.

So here’s what you do (or just go with our itinerary):  

Google “activities in Puerto Rico” and review the top suggestions

Consider who’s traveling and what they CAN do

Pick one solid activity per day that everyone CAN do

Pick one optional activity per day that some may WANT to do

Plot the locations on a map

Pair up nearby activities, leaving room in the plans to be able to do the second activity if time allows

Tip:  if you visit Puerto Rico with a larger group or have travelers with a broad age/physical skill set, be okay with splitting up for the day. Having a spa day may be perfect for some while jumping into waterfalls may be a dream for others.

Top Activities in Eastern Puerto Rico

Like we always remind with our articles WE DIDN’T DO EVERYTHING that you can experience in the area, but did do our research in advance and had an unforgettable time both being adventurous and relaxing, and that’s why we say that the following are the top activities when you visit Puerto Rico’s east coast.

Exploring El Yunque National Forest

Ever since seeing tropical rainforests in movies and cartoons as a kid, it’s been a bucket list item to go hiking through the jungle surrounded by dripping vines while clouds moved through the trees.  El Yunque National Forest is just that.  It’s full of waterfalls, the most epic vines and rooty trees, and more creature sounds than you can imagine.  There is a great Visitors Center at El Portal that is the perfect stop to get your bearings and learn a bit about the vegetation and animals you’re about to see.

Tip:  take time to talk with a ranger about any road condition issues or warning before you head off into the mountains.  Flash floods DO HAPPEN in the rainforest and El Yunque National Forest’s roads are windy and suceptable to damage.

Easy sights within El Yunque Naitonal Forest

El Portal Visitors Center and canopy walk

Yokahu Tower – view point and photo opp

La Coca Falls – viewing and short trails

La Mina Falls – hiking through the rainforest, waterfalls and swimming in tropical splash pools

Doable with kids:  yes! There are lots of sights that are easily accessible from the roads and there are kid-friendly hikes as well.

Kayaking in Bio-luminescent waters

We love kayaking and do it all the time.  From the marsh lakes of Wisconsin to ecotours in Florida, it’s our favorite way to gently get into nature.  Kayaking with the chance to experience the bioluminescent waters of Puerto Rico is a must-do.  If you’re unfamiliar, bioluminescense is a visible light reaction that you can see when certain organisms, such as plankton, are disturbed. In the Fajardo area on Puerto Rico’s east there is a brackish lagoon called Bio Bay. It’s part of the Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve and it’s a pristine slice of nature.

Going with a licensed guide, you can kayak through the most epic mangrove tunnel outside of the Everglades until you reach Bio Bay.  There are no lights anywhere and you’re paddling in near pitch black conditions. As you get closer to the lagoon, the water starts to light up with every stroke. Wiggling your fingers or feet in the warm water below creates even more bioluminescent activity and then with the stars above you… It’s unforgettable.

Tip: if you’re going to be on the island of Vieques when you visit Puerto Rico, Mosquito Bay is also reserve where you can experience bio-luminescence via kayaking.

Note:  this is an experience you can only remember.  Photographing the bioluminescense is impossible without a highly specialized camera, so adjust your expectations now.

Other bio-luminescent kayaking spots in Puerto Rico

Bio Bay – Fajardo, east coast

Mosquito Bay – Vieques, east coast detached island

La Parguera – Boqueron / Ponce, south western coast

Doable with kids:  no, if the kids are scared easily or struggle to control themselves. This is a very calm and special experience for all that participate, so be wise about bringing small kids. Yes, if you’re visiting Puerto Rico with older kids (6+). Kayaking in the dark is really cool but also really creepy.  To keep everyone’s eyes adjusted for viewing the bioluminescense there are no flashlights or spotlights except used by guides in emergency situations.

from KayakingPuertoRico.com

Snorkeling Puerto Rico’s tropical waters

Oh snorkeling! What travel experience to a tropical destination is complete without snorkeling? We do a lot of snorkeling in Mexico, from Playa del Carmen to Cabo San Lucas, and the underwater life in eastern Puerto Rico is just as rich and totally different.  

The brain and fan corals of Eastern Puerto Rico make for some fascinating reefs to explore.  There are all kinds of reefs and trenches along the coast, so whether you’re a surface snorkeler or somebody who pretends to be a diver without tanks (like me) you’ll see some incredible wildlife.

Species to look for while snorkeling

Parrot fish

Angel fish

Grunt fish

Green sea turtle (rare)

Black tip reef shark (saw one!!)

Sting rays (shuffle when you walk into the water)

Sea urchins, stars, and more.

Snorkeling beaches in Eastern Puerto Rico

Islas Palimino (private) and Paliminito (tour)

Playa Escondido – Farjado area

Culebra – detatched eastern island

Sombe, Vieques – large island, southeastern

Doable with kids:  yes, but not every beach is recommended with new swimmers.  Eastern Puerto Rico is where the open Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean meet, so the winds and currents are VERY strong and could prove dangerous for the novice snorkeler or weak swimmer.

Relaxation on rainy days

Just know that when you visit Puerto Rico you’ll most likely get a day or two of rain. The rain may be breif or completely epic. There are some great options for making the most of rainy days in Puerto Rico, including spa visits, dining, hiking in the rainforest (hello, it’s called the rainforest for a reason), seeking out art, shopping, and enjoying everything rum-based.

While staying at the El Conquistador Resort in Farjado a rainy day getting a massage and just relaxing in the niwa totally ate up spare time while the lightning was going crazy outside.  True, you may not be staying at the Waldorf Astoria when you visit Puerto Rico, but all of these suggestions are great fillers wherever you may be.

Note: it’s also tons of fun to go swimming in the rain, but when there’s lightning, you need to be wary and stay out of the water.  Nobody wants to fry their brains on vacation.

Ideas with kids:  we always travel with a few coloring books for the rare moment we need them. Also, with our oldest starting home-schooling, we will be bringing his laptop and lessons when traveling, so homework is perfect for waiting out the random Puerto Rican storm.

Where to stay when you visit Puerto Rico: El Conquistador Resort

With so many options for travelers, from AirBNB to resorts, there’s a lot to consider when choosing accommodations.  Things we look for as a family are proximity to sites we want to visit as well as immediate access to the outdoors, both in terms of pools and nature.

El Conquistador Resort was homebase for this Puerto Rico visit and it was perfect for our itinerary and needs.  There was a variety of indoor activities including a family arcade, shopping, and countless restaurants; we actually could’ve stayed there the whole time and been content (but we love to explore!). And the food was delish, particularly Chops Steakhouse.

Tip:  if you’re planning on the fly and aren’t sure what your full itinerary will be when you visit Puerto Rico, El Conquistador Resort has an Enterprise Rental Car location on property.  We used it to get to El Yunque National Forest.

The rooms are very nice with plenty of bright space and outdoor access (large balconies).  There are several pools around the property, including a lap pool and a swim-up bar.  Also a part of the resort is Coqui Waterpark. It is an additional fee to enter and enjoy the waterslides, lazy river and pools, but if you are up for it and want to enjoy both the park and amazing Caribbean view, spend an afternoon.

A huge bonus to staying with El Conquistador Resort was access to their private island, Isla Palomino. Perfect beaches, a coral reef, lounge chairs and palapas, watersports rentals (kayaks/SUP/skis), dining: it’s basically everything you think of when you’re looking for a luxury resort or family vacay.  Oh, and to access the ferry to Isla Palomino or to get to Coqui Waterpark there is a funicular (cable car) that carts guests up and down the steep hill from resort to marina level.

Tip:  when choosing your accommodations, take into account the additional value a property provides beyond the room you’ll sleep in.  Sometimes paying more for a hotel room saves you money in the long run when you consider the dining and tours you might be planning separately that are worked into the full resort experience.

Good option with kids:  yes!  The El Conquistador has everything from a game room to scavenger hunts around the property. There is family friendly dining as well as upscale dinner options. And don’t forget that there is a funicular and waterpark.

So yes, I’m completely ready to visit Puerto Rico again ASAP, particularly with the kids.  The options for being out in nature abound and the fun that can be had on Puerto Rico’s east coast is endless.  Overall, eastern Puerto Rico was on par or less expensive than vaction options on either the Atlantic or Gulf Coasts of Florida with the same amazing weather.  The food was great and we felt safe everywhere we went.

There is much more to Puerto Rico so watch for more detailed artcles to come, including some amazing ideas for exploring San Juan as well.

Want to pin this for when you start to make your plan to visit Puerto Rico?  Go for it!

Visit Puerto Rico: exploring the east coast of the Island of Enchantment Do you ever know that there’s a place you want to visit but you’re not sure where to begin or what’s attainable in one trip?  

[valeriebielbooks]

Monthly Book Reviews - AUGUST

Reading Goal Update: After failing to reach my ambitious goal of reading 80 books last year (while writing and publishing two books--what was I thinking?), I set a much more reasonable goal of 52 books for 2017.  I’m now only eight books away from reaching this goal. How are you doing on your reading goals this year? I track my reading through Goodreads. I love this because I also get notifications when an author I've previously read has a new release. You know how hard it is to keep track of these things!!

The best part of reading more books than anticipated so far this year?? I’m finding even more excellent books that I think you would enjoy!

Beth Flynn’s Nine Minutes Trilogy was recommended to me ages ago and, in December, I finally read it (and reviewed it here.) In The Iron Tiara, Beth Flynn continues with characters we met in her Minutes Trilogy. This is an excellent return to the world where dangerous bikers show a softer side in a story that weaves together past and present in a fast-paced, suspenseful plot.  There are two more books to come in this series. Write faster Beth, pleeeeease!  

ABOUT THE BOOK:  (To purchase click here for Kindle or Paperback.)

Anthony Bear and Christy Chapman are from two completely different worlds.Anthony's the leader of a motorcycle gang that terrorizes Florida's West Coast. As a child, he ran away from his family and the Cherokee Indian Reservation to enter a life of crime. As an adult, he leads a multifaceted life managing his two businesses--his legitimate landscaping venture, and his loan shark and underworld dealings. Driven by anger and betrayal, Anthony begins the hunt for Christy's father, Van Chapman, after he runs out on a loan.  Christy's privileged life is not as it seems. She has kept painful family secrets and hidden some of her own. She's determined to find out the truth and expose Van, but her search delivers her right into Anthony Bear's hands, adding kidnapping to his list of crimes. Their worlds are as contrasting as the color of their skin. The only thing they seem to have in common is their mutual disdain for Van Chapman...and each other.

They couldn't be more wrong.

I also devoured the Irish Heart series by Juliet Gauvin, which begins with book one The Irish Cottage, and continues with The London Flat, and The Paris Apartment. (I didn’t even really need the book description at this point, knowing that those titles were enough to get me to read the stories.)

ABOUT THE IRISH COTTAGE: 

(Free on Kindle currently or purchase paperback here.)

A story about losing your way and finding your life. Book 1 of 3. Elizabeth Lara built a perfect life as San Francisco’s top divorce attorney, but when she loses her great-aunt Mags, the woman who raised her, she boards a plane and leaves it all behind. 

The Irish shores welcome her as she learns a shocking truth, kept secret for thirty-five years. Devastated and now alone in the world, Beth tries to find peace in a beautiful cottage by Lough Rhiannon, but peace isn't what fate had in mind. Almost as soon as she arrives, Beth's solitary retreat into the magic wilds of Ireland is interrupted by Connor Bannon. A man with light brown hair, ice blue eyes and a secret of his own. He's gorgeous, grieving, and completely unexpected.  

With the help of Mags' letters, the colorful townspeople of Dingle, and Connor, Elizabeth might just find a way back to the girl she lost long ago and become the woman she always wanted to be.

I began another series, this time by a Wisconsin author, Christine Keleny. The Rose series is a set of four books, beginning with #. I was intrigued by the historical setting of this novel aboard one of the many Mississippi riverboats that went from town to town in the early decades of the last century. This is a well-research novel and gives us a lovely glimpse into the past through the eyes of a naïve Wisconsin farm girl who runs away for adventure, fleeing the sedate life of school, marriage, motherhood that she sees before her. (And if you are in the Columbus, WI area, Christine will be our guest author at the Books & Beer Book Club on September 28. Learn more here.) I'm so glad this series is complete, so I can now zip on to book two (and three and four!)

ABOUT THE BOOK: (To purchase click here for paperback or Kindle.)

Step into the life of Rose, a precocious young girl in 1930s Wisconsin, who runs away from home to avoid what she sees as a certain path to marriage and motherhood. What she seeks is adventure. 

What she finds is much more. Rose is thrown into the lives of the varied people and towns of the Mississippi while working on river boats, going to a prep school in St. Louis where she lives with a black family in the Ville, and working in a bordello in New Orleans (not as a call girl, of course. She is a Catholic girl form the Midwest after all). 

What she doesn't anticipate are the close relationships that develop with many of the women she encounters. She also discovers the harshness of the world far away from the security of home. Ultimately, Rose realizes what is most important in her life: her family and her friends. 

Rosebloom takes place at a time in history that buffets Rose between the great depression and the coming wave of World War II. She gets herself into situations through her naivete and also just by chance that test her resolve and teach her not only about herself but about the world of others which she would never have known if she hadn't left her small farm in Southwest Wisconsin.

Watch for the upcoming review and interview with Liz Czukas aka Ellie Chahill author of I Temporarily Do--another August read that I couldn't put down!

[touristguidebuzz]

9 Travel Accessories That’ll Help You Save Money

Look inside the bag of an expert traveler and you’ll find a variety of meticulously chosen accessories specifically tailored for each trip. Whether you’re hiking in the mountains of northern Spain, surfing the coast of Australia or backpacking through Southeast Asia, the tools you carry play a big role in managing your budget. Here are 9 travel accessories guaranteed to save you money on the road.

1. Become a Power Traveler With a Smart Bag

If you’re a traveler who can’t go anywhere without a camera, GoPro, laptop, cell phone or other electronics, you’ll find it useful to have a smart bag capable of charging several devices at once. I can’t tell you how many times I see people going to coffee shops for the sole purpose of charging a device or two, typically spending up to $10 on coffee or food to justify hanging around. Save yourself some time and money by getting a bag that lets you power up on the go. CO.ALITION, featured on the show Shark Tank, has a $199 starting price point and two fully customizable packs with built-in hard drives and battery packs that can fully charge a phone three times or a tablet once (if you select the higher-end power supply). The AMPL Smart Bag has also received a lot of attention for its quality design and impressive features, including a power bank that can charge an iPad Air 3.25 times (for the fully loaded option.) The AMPL bag isn’t yet on the market, but the company is taking reservations now.

Image courtesy of AMPL.

2. Indulge Your Vested Interest

Booking a super-cheap flight is a great feeling, but there’s usually a catch with discount airlines and low-cost carriers: inflated baggage fees. The good news is you can avoid paying them with one simple and sneaky travel hack — carrying the heaviest items in your travel vest. These multi-pocket travel vests, shirts and coats can make the difference between breezing from airport to airport and a trip from hell. There are several reputable companies to buy from, but I like using ScotteVest because of the many styles offered in its “intelligent clothing” line for both men and women — the typical vest starts at about $100. Choose from among comfortable and durable vests, pants, hoodies, jackets and even boxer shorts — each article (yes, even the boxers) is designed with extra pockets specifically made to carry your travel accessories, providing a nice balance between fashion and function.

Image courtesy of ScotteVest.

3. If the Shoes Fit, You’re Golden

The No. 1 bulky item I can’t stand stuffing into a suitcase is shoes. No surprise, then, that the Kickstarter success +ONE (formerly known as Shooz) was instantly welcomed into the travel industry. These shoes fold flat in any suitcase and are fully customizable, allowing you to change the soles so you can go straight from running to a fancy night on the town. Choose between an elegant leather wingtip and a sleek metallic look — the waterproof zip also makes it extremely easy to change the top or soles to fit your style and activity each day. The company says the shoes will be available later this year.

4. Venture Into Uncharted Territory Without a Data Plan

MAPS.ME instantly turns your smartphone into a sat nav for every city or island in the world. But the real beauty of this free app is that you can navigate without using up an ounce of your precious data, saving you from having to sign up for expensive international phone plans. I found it to be far more detailed than its competitors — like Navmii — on recent road trips across Europe and Australia.

Image courtesy of MAPS.ME.

5. This Is the Most Valuable Addition to Your Wardrobe

Pashmina scarves are more than a fashion statement. I don’t fly without these nifty little wraps, which are great for both guys and gals. They can be used as a pillow, blanket, stylish warm-up, impromptu picnic blanket or to cushion the most valuable items packed in your bag. A well-seasoned traveler should always spring for multipurpose items like this to save space and cash, and these certainly fit the bill. I recommend buying them on the road while you’re traveling, from pretty much any market around the world. With the right negotiating skills, you can pick one up in Southeast Asia for $1 — otherwise, one will cost you about $10 in an international airport.

6. Perplex Pickpockets Everywhere

My iPhone case has held three of my most important cards (my credit card, photo ID and debit card) for the past eight years, and has drastically improved the way I travel. If you wander around Europe with a bulky wallet, you’re just begging to be targeted by a pickpocket. By using a smartphone case with slots for your cards, you can keep your valuables next to your cell phone in your front pocket, which is harder for thieves to access. I use a Speck CandyShell Card Case, and it’s one of the best investments that I’ve made — they’re available for about $35 on Speck’s website, or a little less on Amazon.

7. Travel SIMply

Try to think of SIM cards as an investment in future savings. Use data to find navigational maps that’ll help you avoid expensive tolls and find the fastest routes, or use websites to book the cheapest bus, train or airplane tickets. Apps like CamperMate — which displays all the free campsites in Australia and New Zealand, for instance — can easily save you hundreds. International SIM cards can be found almost anywhere, and for as little as $5 for one gigabyte of data, depending on which part of the world you’re in, so you can be posting your favorite travel photos within minutes.

Image courtesy of 이것좀보게.

8. Fill ‘er Up

I never leave home without a refillable water bottle. There are always water fountains in airports, so once you get through security, you can refill your bottle for free — many European cities also have free water spouts located throughout the streets. Pack a refillable water bottle and you’ll never have to spend another dime on overpriced bottled water during your travels. If you’re going to be visiting a country without a clean public water supply, I’d recommend getting a bottle with a built-in filtration system so you can purify dirty tap water. I like GRAYL, which makes ultralight, battery-free bottles that can filter out the 99.999% of protozoan cysts, bacteria and viruses, including cryptosporidium, giardia, e. coli, salmonella, rotavirus and hepatitis A. If you don’t need a filter, check out Vapur Eclipse, a water bottle that can be rolled up and packed away tightly whenever it’s not in use. The Vapur Eclipse retails for $11.99 and can be purchased directly through the company website.

9. Go Bananas for a Hammock

One of the biggest travel expenses you’ll encounter is accommodations. With a travel hammock, you’ll always have the option to sleep outside in nature — usually for free! These have become increasingly popular with trekkers in recent years because they’re inexpensive, ultra-compact, and provide you with a comfortable, dry place to sleep. You can set one up and be ready for a good night’s rest in less than a minute. Basic travel hammocks are often available for as little as $30, while top-of-the-line models with all the bells and whistles will run about $200. If you plan to use it daily, invest in a model that comes with a rain cover. If comfort is your main concern, try out the Kammok Roo, one of the largest, toughest and most luxurious hammocks on the market, which retails at about $99 at REI.

Image courtesy of nataliecrane via Getty Images.

What are your favorite travel accessories that help save money?

Featured image courtesy of the author. 

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Even after the introduction of the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is still a fantastic choice if you want to avoid the Reserve’s $450 annual fee, earn 2x on all travel & dining and earn a 50,000 point sign up bonus.

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More Things to Know

Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $625 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®

Named Best Credit Card for Flexible Travel Redemption - Kiplinger's Personal Finance, July 2016

2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

Earn 5,000 bonus points after you add the first authorized user and make a purchase in the first 3 months from account opening

No foreign transaction fees

1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs

Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 50,000 points are worth $625 toward travel

No blackout dates or travel restrictions - as long as there's a seat on the flight, you can book it through Chase Ultimate Rewards

Intro APR on Purchases

N/A

Regular APR

16.49% - 23.49% Variable

Annual Fee

Introductory Annual Fee of $0 the first year, then $95

Balance Transfer Fee

5.00%

Recommended Credit

Excellent Credit