On our tour of Charleston, Savannah, Beaufort and Hilton Head Island, June and I recall the fun, interesting things, following memories and comments, in no particular order:
§ Visiting the Georgia Sea Turtle Hospital and seeing sick turtles being nurtured back to health by Vets and caregiver assistants, and seeing a newly arrived Snapping turtle with medical problems being operated on by that Vet and his assistants. Priceless.
§ Seeing an assistant caressing and holding the leg and foot of that Snapping turtle with her hand as the Vet worked on it. Priceless.
§ Sitting on the front porch of Jekyll Island Club Hotel, watching 6 men and women play croquet on the hotel’s perfectly manicured lawn. The hotel is an old time southern resort that set the mood of this Charleston and Savannah Tauck World Discovery tour.
§ Riding the tram around Jekyll Island with Phyllis and hearing all her stories of the old days when the Rockefellers and other oil rich millionaires came to the island in January, February and March to hunt, fish and party.
§ Learning that the beautiful Spanish moss that hangs out of the trees is not a safe decoration or stuffing because the moss is loaded with bugs, parasites and other dangerous things.
§ Learning that Jekyll Island is now a state park and the land is leased for 99 years to the homeowners who are not allowed to own the land under their home.
§ Learning that the area’s Hercules Corp., one of the largest corporations of its kind in the world, extracts products of all kinds from pine trees.
§ Seeing, feeling and learning that the ballast rocks that ships carried to the Savannah port were used to “pave” the streets of Savannah.
§ Hearing from a city guide that 46% of the USA’s peanuts are grown in Georgia.
§ Seeing and learning about the 2 kinds of iron fences in Savannah-wrought iron and cast iron, and that New Orleans and Savannah have the most of both.
§ Learning that Savannah has 2.2 miles of ironwork on the homes and in the yards.
§ Discovering that the Girl Scouts of America began in Savannah March 12, 1912 and that the lady who started it, Juliette Gordon Low “Daisy” was born and lived in Savannah.
§ Knowing what caused Low to seek new directions in her life was being divorced by her husband, William Mackie Low, who considered her below his level.
§ Learning that this tour of Savannah-Charleston was the #888th for Tauck World Discovery.
§ Learning about tabby-sand, lime, oyster shell and water- construction and seeing several buildings made that way.
§ Learning about and seeing the Ha-Ha, a moat like trench built around a plantation or estate to keep the animals from escaping. It was named Ha-Ha because of the element of surprise when it was encountered.
§ Learning that the Georgia peach originated from China and that it is related to the almond, plum and cherry, and that Georgia is the third biggest producer of peaches in the USA.
§ Seeing how Oglethorpe originally laid out Savannah into planned squares pattern. The first planned city in the USA had 24 squares surrounded by homes.
§ Seeing the remaining beautiful 22 squares with fountains or sculptures and trees, blooming shrubs and benches.
§ Knowing that the Girl Scouts founder-Juliette Low-had ear and hearing problems that nearly left her deaf, and that she was an accomplished artist which was frowned on in her time.
§ Meeting magnetic Robert Baden Powell at a London luncheon in 1945 that she didn’t want to attend because she thought it would be boring, caused Low to found the Girl Scouts.
§ Learning that Johnny Mercer who wrote and sang “Moon River” lived in Savannah and that he had an affair with Judy Garland and was a founder of Capital Records.
§ Learning that Low was serious about making her Girl Scouts a success because all girls were invited to join. And in 3 weeks there were 102 Girl Scouts. And by the time she died at age 66 of breast cancer, there were 165,000 Girl Scouts. Today there are 59 million Girl Scouts.
§ Enjoying the expert and excellent leadership of Tauck World Discovery’s tour director Andrea Rovito, who LOVED the South’s Savannah and Charleston, and had us loving them from the beginning.
§ Seeing the intricately custom built model ships in the Ships of Sea Museum that were used in the early years of Savannah, many which were built by the same man over 15 years.
§ Taking the free trolley tour and free ferry tour of the Savannah River
§ Seeing Chippewa Square, where Tom Hanks sat on that bench in “Forest Gump” movie, and knowing that 1 of 3 of the benches used is in the Savannah History Museum.
§ Learning that Savannah was founded as a colony where slaves, lawyers, Catholics and hard liquor were prohibited.
§ Knowing that Savannah was the first planned city in the USA and was laid out by Oglethorpe, who designed the city with 24 squares. Today there are 22 squares, with 2 made into parking garages.
§ Seeing the beautiful Dogwoods. Azaleas and Indian Hawthorne in full bloom, and then seeing Magnolia trees, Wisteria, and Jasmine, and smelling their wonderful fragrances.
§ Learning that South Carolina was the rice bowl to the world in the 1700’s.
§ Learning that all brick and rock have been brought into Savannah.
§ Seeing the holes blown in the walls of Fort Pulaski by the Union Army with their new rifle barrel machine guns.
§ Hearing that Sherman gave President Lincoln Savannah as a Christmas present, thereby saving Savannah and all the beautiful colonial homes.
§ Seeing the first Black Baptist Church totally built by slaves and the basement used for Underground Railroad activities.
§ Learning that stucco was put on homes for beauty and to keep moisture from penetrating the brick walls of a house.
§ Learning that Savannah was occupied over 2 years by the Union army.
§ Riding the Pedi-cab to and from the Savannah Theatre to see “Southern Nights” and “The Beat Goes On”, both outstanding performances which featured songs of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, and both of which were fun and enjoyable.
§ Enjoying the 18th and 19th Century Savannah homes, in the style of Regency, Federal, Second Empire, Adams and Italian Renaissance.
§ Learning that Savannah has the second largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade and celebration in the USA.
§ Learning that the 1886 Cotton Exchange warehouses on River Street by the Savannah River are now tourist shops, bars, restaurants and hotels.
§ Learning that 7 ladies in Savannah got together to stop the destruction of the Davenport House, thus starting the Savannah Historical Society to save the past.
§ Learning that Fort Pulaski was built of 25 million bricks by slaves and area masons at the entrance to Savannah River and that, to this day, there are no cracks in the 7-foot thick walls.
§ Learning that the battle of Fort Pulaski, between the Confederate and Union soldiers lasted only 30 hours and that the Union won.
§ Knowing that the first use of the Union’s rifle cannon that had grooves in the barrel giving a spin to the bullet as it passed faster out of the gun, was the thing that won the battle for the Union.
§ Knowing that the fort was used as part of the Underground Railroad during the Civil War and that it served as a prison at one time.
§ Visiting Hilton Head Island and seeing that it is 42 square miles.
§ Learning that Hilton Head Island was named for Captain William Hilton who discovered the island during a voyage from England.
§ Sampling Key Lime and Benne flavored Byrd Cookies made daily in Savannah, provided by our tour director Andrea Rovito. Delicious
§ Knowing that Savannah is one of the largest port in the USA and seeing container ship after container ship arriving with thousands of containers per ship.
§ Serving as the Gullah Queen in Aunt Pearlie Sue’s presentation of what it was like to be a slave who spoke the Gullah language. Priceless.
§ Hearing Aunt Pearlie’s Sue closing her presentation with love for all people and sharing it with all people. Priceless
§ Experiencing Antebellum Civil War, Beaufort, South Carolina, that was not destroyed by the Union soldiers in the Civil War.
§ Riding in a carriage pulled by Paul Newman, an 8-year-old Belgium Draft horse bought from the Amish, around Beaufort learning the story of the antebellum homes and Civil War.
§ Seeing the house and other buildings that were the subject of the book “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”.
§ Learning how some residents in Beaufort buried their valuables in the ground so the Union couldn’t find it or steal it from them.
§ Getting a CD of Memories of our entire tour from our Tauck World Discovery tour director, Andrea Rovito. Priceless.
§ Touring the Drayton Hall Plantation outside of Charleston, built between 1738-42, that stands alone as the only authentic survivor of the Ashley’s River colonial past, intact and in its original condition and Georgian-Palladian-inspired architecture. Priceless.
§ Learning that Drayton Hall was saved from destruction during the Civil War because it was surrounded by red flags indicating a dangerous disease, serving as a “small pox hospital.”
§ Seeing the blue porch ceilings of the old Southern homes because it was believed these kept out ghosts. Ghosts wouldn’t go into BLUE water!
§ Learning that a brick fence with every other brick missing allowed air to pass through the fence.
§ Learning the pineapple was used as a sign of hospitality in colonial America.
§ Seeing that rooms with very small windows in them were to keep ghosts from getting inside.
§ Ordering Colored paint from England that was very expensive if any other paint was desired because the only color available was white.
§ Learning that Beaufort, South Carolina was occupied by then Union and served as the Union’s hospital supply, therefore, saving Beaufort as is.
§ Learning that indigo was a huge cash crop for plantations and that the 5-foot tall plant with dark berries was cut off at the ground and shipped to Europe for dyeing fabrics.
§ Learning and seeing that there were 11,000 graves in the Charleston National Cemetery due to the Civil War.
§ Attending the Praise Session at the Circular Church of Christ by 3 ladies singing in Gullah and other songs that the plantation slaves sang as they worked the fields of the Old South.
§ Visiting several churches and their graveyards, some dating back to 1695, and hearing the stories of the various ghosts that appeared there.
§ Learning on the Ghost Tour that a tall, pillar-like slender stone in a graveyard indicated a life cut short, such as a child or murder victim.
§ Learning that several gravestones were stacked against the church wall because no one knew where they belonged after Hurricane Hugo removed them from graves.
§ Learning that sweet grass grew in the low land of South Carolina and that very fine, exclusive baskets are made of the grass and are super expensive due to the extremely labor intensive work to yield one.
§ Learning that in the year 2011, 102 cruise ships docked in Charleston harbor for a visit.
§ Learning that the Charleston City Market, now used for shopping on dry land, was built in 1807 and used to be the fish market on the dock where the boats unloaded their day’s catch.
§ Learning that the College of Charleston is now a state university with 12,000 students where women graduates wear all white and carry red roses and the men wear white jackets with a red rose in the lapel, all to receive their diploma.
§ Learning that in 1904, iced tea was served for the first time at the St. Louis World’s Fair
§ Learning that rice, indigo and cotton made Charleston the richest city.
§ Learning that a Charleston law prevents a structure from being demolished that is 75 years old or older.
§ Learning that Charleston’s military academy, The Citadel, has 2,500 students and the freshmen are called “knobs” because they have shaved heads and walk on the street beside the sidewalk. The females have their hair cut short. All have no obligation to go into service for their country.
§ Seeing that a person could get married, pick up their mail, pay their taxes and go to jail, all on the corners of one intersection in Charleston because there is a federal, county, and city office and a church.
§ “The shot heard around the world” that started the Civil War at Ft. Sumter only lasted 30 hours because the Union army didn’t have enough ammunition.
§ Knowing that The Citadel freshmen have to march to football games and then stand at attention while the seniors claim their seats first.
§ Being told that freshmen have to march to meals and eat square meals, i.e. their arms must make a square going up and down to the plate at all times.
§ Learning that the colonial home, kitchen and privy were all separate structures to protest the main house from fires, heat, cold and unpleasant fragrances.
§ Telling that the bricks in the old colonial homes were made by slaves because they had black spots in them.
§ Tasting she crab soup, a signature dish of the area that used to be made only of female crabs. Now, we are told, any old crab is used. It was rich, flavorful, hearty and just perfect soup that was full of crabs.
§ Eating raspberry crème bruleé which was “to die for”, extremely delicious and the best we ever had.
§ Learning that the traditional Charleston garden is shade and winter blooms.
§ Seeing the multi-colored row houses saved on the 1740 waterfront by several ladies and in 1950 were “tarted up”, spruced up and painted those multi-colors.
§ Learning that the AME Baptist Church stood for African Methodist Episcopalian Baptist Church that was formed by the slaves.
§ Learning that South Carolina is gaining a balanced economy with a great ocean front and port that is 5th largest in the US that exports more frozen chickens than any place in the US.
§ Visiting the only tea plantation and factory in the USA.
§ Eating fresh strawberries every day while touring Savannah and Charleston-priceless.
§ Learning that the tea plantation gets 7-10 leaf cuttings between May and September and that tea leaves are insect and disease resistant with no pesticides ever used.
§ Learning that it only takes 20 hours from the time the tea leaf is cut in the field until the tea makes it to your cup. Awesome.
§ Learning that 34 nations grow tea and that the USA buys 50% of its tea from Argentina.
§ Learning that 1 pound of coffee and 1 pound of tea have the same amount of caffeine but tea has less caffeine because it takes less tea to make a cup of tea than it takes to make a cup of coffee.
§ Discovering that first cut tea is the first time a field is cut and is the best.
§ Learning that 5000 pounds of tea leaves yields 1000 pounds of dry tea leaves.
§ Learning that tea leaves are flavored with natural protein of the seed or essence of the oil.
§ Listening to our Tauck World Discovery tour director, Andrea Rovito, telling the complete story of the Civil War during our tour from memory with no notes. Priceless.
§ Learning Middleton Plantation house was saved during the Civil War from destruction because little red flags were placed around it indicating a dangerous infectious disease was there and that all should stay away because of small pox.
§ Seeing that the Middleton Plantation House was Georgian-Palladian design, which was simple, symmetrical, balanced, boxy and beautiful.
§ Learning that the National Trust for Historical Preservation now owns the Middleton Plantation and 19 other properties to preserve not restore.
Friday, May 25, 2012
A Taste of the Old South in Charleston & Savannah
Monday, May 21, 2012
Amoroso Cottage
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: my favorite part of vacation is always the hotel/resort/bed and breakfast—i.e., the accommodations. I research this more than I research activities in the area, restaurants, etc. May seem backwards to some people, I guess, but I really enjoy the relaxing down time of a trip more than anything else, and so does my husband, so it seems natural to us.
We’re getting back in the swing of a new, non-vacation week now, but I’ve been having such a nice time going through pictures from last week in Fredericksburg. Kind of makes me feel like I’m back there again.
We stayed in Amoroso Cottage, which might possibly be the quaintest little B&B you ever did see. You get the whole three bedroom house to yourself, and it. was. fabulous. I was like a little kid in a candy shop while we were there… happily perusing the rooms and marveling at all the delicious vintage touches around every corner, the warm hardwoods, and that general feeling of being wrapped up in a cozy, worn blanket that an old house offers. We absolutely loved this place.
I have plenty more pictures from the trip, but for now here are some photos from the cottage. I hope they brighten up your Monday morning! :)
Travel tips from travel writers
The photo above is of a gorgeous certificate my Great Aunt Aline was given for gamely taking a flight on 1 August 1949 across the Atlantic Ocean from London to Boston. It's an "overseas flight certificate" from the "captain of the flagship, Scotland" which states, "may all your journeys be pleasant ones". Ahh. Nowadays getting on a plane is so often the worst part of the journey - not just for you, but for the planet. So how did well-known travellers face up to the burden of getting there?
What the Dickens
I'd have loved to talk to Charles Dickens about his travel snaps. If he wasn't listening intently, ready to nick your lifestory then he was getting slightly over excited about how to get around, say taking the train to France (and remember he had no Channel Tunnel so had to use a boat too). Later, in 1865, he survived a train crash coming back from France close to Stapleton, Kent - it'd be interesting to find out what mental revisions he made to train travel then, although he comes close in this letter.
"There is a dreamy pleasure in this flying. I wonder where it was, and when it was, that we exploded, blew into space somehow a parliamentary train, with a crowd of heads and faces looking at us out of cages, and some hats waving... What do I care?
Bang! We have let another station off, and fly away regardless. Everything is flying. The hop gardens turn gracefully towards me, presenting regular avenues of hops in rapid flight, then whirl away. So do the pools and rushes, haystacks, sheep, clover in full bloom delicious to the sight and smell, corn sheaves, cherry orchards, apple orchards, reapers, gleaners, hedges, gates, fields that taper off into little angular corners, cottages, gardens, now and then a church. Bang. Bang! A double-barrelled station! Now a wood, now a bridge, now a landscape, now a cutting, now a - Bang! a single-barrelled station - there was a cricket match somewhere with two white tents and then four flying cows, then turnips - now the wires of the electric telegraph are all alive, and spin, and blur their eges and go up and down, and make the intervals between each other most irregular, contracting and expanding in the strangest manner."Orwellian
Charles Dickens on Travel (Hesperus Press, edited essays, 2009 from The Flight, 1851, p55)
What a contrast to George Orwell.
"So long as a machine is there, one is always obliged to use it. No one draws water from the well when he can turn on the tap. One sees a good illustration of this in the matter of travel. Everyone who has travelled by primitive methods in an undeveloped country knows that the difference between that kind of travel and modern travel in trains, cars, etc, is the difference between life and death. The nomad who walks or rides, with his luggage stowed on a came or an ox-cart, may suffer every kind of discomfort, but at least he is living while his is travelling; whereas for the passenger in an express train or a luxury liner his journey is an interregnum, a kind of temporary death. And yet so long as the railways exist, one has got to travel by train - or by cr or areoplane. When i want to go up to London why do I not pack my luggage on to a mule and set out on foot, making a two days of it? Becasue, with teh Green Line buses whizzing past me every ten minutes, such a journey would be intolerably irksome. In order that one may enjoy primitive methods of travel, it is necessary that no other method should be available."
The Road to Wigan Pier (Penguin, original edition 1937) p175
Backseat driving
See how jaded poor Bill Bryson, writing in the early 1990s, had got.
"If you mention in the pub that you intend to drive from, say, Surrey to Cornwall, a distance that most Americans would happily go to get a taco, your companions will puff their cheeks, look knowingly at each other, and blow out air as if to say, "Well now that's a bit of a tall order," and then they'll launch into a lively and protracted discussion of whether it's better to take the A30 to Stockbridge and then the A303 to Ilchester or the A361 to Glastonbury via Shepton Mallet. Within minutes the conversation will plunge off into a level of detail that leaves you, as a foreginer, swivelling your head in quiet wonderment."
Notes from Small Island (Black Swan, 1999 this edition specially for World Book Night p31)
Over to you
In contrast I tend to love where I go - else why leave? Let me know where you hope to go this year without using a plane.
The Bangkok Nightlife Guide - Travel Tips For First Timers
With that said we'll begin our short tour now with the red-light district of Patpong. Patong is situated between Silom Road and Surawongse Road, two major streets that you can't miss because it is packed full of foreign tourist at night. Check out the Night Market where you will find cheap knockoffs of famous goods. Stay away from the Rolex, your friends at home can tell it's fake. Patpong is infamous for the Ping Pong sex shows where woman launch... well ping pongs out of their vagina at moving targets and audience members. You will also find many of the famous established go go bars with names such as Super Pussy, King's Castle and Queen's Castle. Among the seedy bits you can find a smattering of Irish Pubs such as Barbican, O'Reilleys and Bobby's Arm.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1809536
Exploring Greece on Two Wheels
Today’s featured guest post was written for Beat the Brochure by Ricky Durrance. My experience of Greece so far extends to a brief sailing holiday where I barely saw much other than some beautiful sea, so I welcomed this post, which shares ideas for exploring some of the wonders this country has to offer, by bicycle no less! On with the post…
Most people when on holiday in Greece head to the beach for a few days or weeks of relaxing. Others try and immerse themselves in the culture that is abundant in cities such as Athens and islands like Rhodes.
But the problem with being drawn to the popular places of interest is that often you do not get to see much else, which when in a county as fascinating as Greece is a real shame.
One of the best ways to get to see the real Greece is to explore it by bike – and Greece is one of the best cycling countries in Europe with many different routes to choose from.
Cycling the Cyclade Islands
Cycling through the islands will allow you plenty of opportunities to get that perfect photo of white-washed towns and blue seas that pop into most people’s minds when Greece is mentioned in conversation.
Many of the towns’ buildings have distinctive blue shutters on the windows which really give off a unique feel and are certainly aesthetically pleasing. Be warned however that the islands are in places hilly, so there will be uphill cycling involved, although these can always be avoided if you prefer a gentle ride to a hardcore cycling session!
Discover the Mythical Ionian Islands
Greece is perhaps as famous for its mythical tales as it is for its attractions, and if Greek myths and legends interest you, you may want to consider holidays in Greece which incorporate cycling the Ionian Islands.
These islands are located off the west coast of Greece, and each has something a little different to offer. Hellas for example is green and vibrant whilst Corfu has many undiscovered corners which have managed to avoid the downsides of mass tourism. The island of Ithaca is said to have been the home of Odysseus and is a must for all you myth buffs.
One common recurring theme that runs through these islands though is the food – the diet on these islands is said to be one of the healthiest in the world, so if you combine the food with all the exercise you’ll be doing on your bike, you could come back home healthier than you were before you left!
Mountainous Crete
If you like to cycle rough terrain whilst having plenty of opportunities to take in some fantastic views, explore some of the best beaches and relax in laid back fishing villages, consider a cycling holiday to Crete.
The island is famously mountainous so you also have the option to take on some challenging peaks, with Mountain Gingilos, which stands at 2080 metres, being a particular challenge. The island is full to the brim with ancient sites from Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine eras, so a popular thing to do is identify the sites which interest you and find the best route to explore them all when on all inclusive deals to the island!
Thanks to Ricky of Beat the Brochure for today’s post! Have you been to Greece? If you’ve got any tips to share, do hit up the comments below!
Today’s photos were sources from flickr users: Wolfgang Staudt, eflon,
POV: Will QR Codes Be Useful?
The QR codes are sort of barcodes that can hold thousands of alphanumeric characters of information, and their ease of use makes them practical for businesses. When you scan or read a QR code with your iPhone, Android or other camera-enabled Smartphone, you can link to digital content on the web; activate a number of phone functions including email, IM and SMS; and connect the mobile device to a web browser!
Cool! So my quick search revealed there are many free QR Code generators such as Kaywa and others, and naturally I immediately filled in my The Travel Photographer website's URL, and voila!!! The square barcode you see above is the QR Code for it. You scan it with your iPhone/Android and your browser will immediately log on to my website.
This is the QR of for my blog, The Travel Photographer's Blog:
And finally, here's the QR Code for The Leica File:
Is it useful for photographers? I have no idea. For the time being, I can only think of one use for it (apart from how the airlines and banks do), and that is to have it printed on one's business card. The recipient would scan it into his/her device and would be immediately logged on to your website.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
NYC's United We Dance Parade With The X Pro-1
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| All Photos ©2012 Tewfic El-Sawy (Click To Enlarge) |
Barricades and police presence around St. Marks Place can portend a lot of things these days, but when I was handed an announcement for United We Dance, I suspected I'd have a good time. This was corroborated by a woman standing besides me who predicted I'd also get fantastic photographs.
I only carried my Fuji X Pro-1 fitted with the Fujinon 18mm f2.0, and since the barricades had been erected along the route of the parade, I wasn't sure it'd work with such a short range lens. I was on the verge on hurrying back home and get my Canon 5D MarkII and the 70-200 f2.8 that serve me well in such events....but as the police seemed to not be in the mood to restrict photographers, press affiliated or not, I chose to stay and ignore the barricades.
It worked.
Naturally, I had to compete with other photographers who had the "appropriate" gear,...DSRLS mostly with long zoom lenses, but I had reasonable access to the dancers as they performed. I chose a spot on 8th Street that was in the shade (the other side of the street was very sunny), took a reading off the asphalt, and kept my camera's setting at 1/500 sec and an aperture of f2.0 (for a shallow DOF).
In a way, it was both frustrating and liberating to shoot with the X Pro-1. I was frustrated in not having the 70-200 lens (or even a 24-70mm) with me for some close portraiture of the gorgeous dancers...and frustrated that the X Pro-1 seemed to 'oversleep' sometimes. I probably missed about 4-5 photographs because the X Pro-1 didn't respond as quickly as I wanted. Its AF also seemed to be confused in some situations.
The liberating aspect of having the X Pro-1 is that it forced me to be close and personal with the dancers. Its size makes it so much easier to be unobtrusive, although the dancers were eager to be photographed, so stealth was a little difficult.
The JPEG photographs were processed (minimally) in Photoshop.
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Saturday, May 19, 2012
That time I was shipwrecked
I recently undertook a 3000km round trip across Europe for entirely unexciting reasons. Unless sorting out stuff in a loft you’ve not been in for four years counts as interesting. This trip allowed me two things. One, lots of time to listen to Abba, as my Mum was in charge of the music selection. Two, lots of time to think of adventures to relate. And it occurred to me that you might like this story, about a slightly unfortunate boat ride I once took…
I was rather lucky at one point in my life to be able to call a tiny island in the Seychelles my home. The island really was tiny – far too small for such conveniences as a runway. Or a port for that matter.
Were I the owner of the island, or a proper hotel guest, or anything other than a dishevelled student, my mode of transport to the island would have been the rather glamorous helicopter charter.
Sadly, I didn’t quite qualify for the helicopter option in the eyes of whoever was in charge of these things, so my usual way of getting to this island was a boat.
On the particular occasion of this story, I was accompanied by a friend from University, who wasn’t what I would term a strong swimmer. Not in the sort of water that goes up and down and doesn’t have a nice tiled floor anyway.
The tale starts off with us in a little boat, not much bigger than a bathtub really, puttering across the magnificent turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. Sea birds drifted lazily by. Fingertips trailed in the sea. Nina Simone was probably singing in the background. I’m sure you get the picture.
On the way over, the boat driver chatted to us about the fishing, and said it hadn’t been so good of late what with the giant hammerhead shark that had been seen off the island. (That was the end of the fingertip trailing). Not the sort of thing you really want to hear about when you’re bobbing across the ocean in what is essentially a bathtub with an outboard, but there we were. Nina Simone was quickly replaced by the Jaws theme tune at around this point.
As it was, we arrived at our destination entirely uneaten and landed safely on the shore. Palm trees fringed the pure white sands. Waves gently molested the beach. Hopefully I am setting the scene for you as this being a nice place to be, with solid, non shark-infested ground underfoot.
As soon as we arrived, the island manager popped down to the beach, and mentioned that there was a large buoy that needed placing on the other side of the island, and would we be interested in helping take it round in the boat and putting it in place?
Having just arrived on nice safe shark-free terra firma, the correct response would probably have been “no, thanks, we’ll be in the bar, let us know when you’re done”. As it was, it sounded like a fun and exciting adventure, so we loaded a gigantic buoy into the (did I mention it was bathtub sized?) boat, squeezed four of us around it, and set off to the far side of the island.
This other side of the island was a far less inviting place. Barnacle coated granite cliffs rose out of the water, and the sea pounded them mercilessly. There were no palm trees to be seen. Just deep, grey, angry water, hammering itself against the rocks. Not a place for a nice swim.
We reached the location where the buoy was to be put, where an anchor had already been put in place with a smaller buoy as a marker.
At this point it became apparent that not much planning had gone into the operation. Getting the enormous buoy into the boat on the land had not been an easy operation. Getting it out again on a squishy unstable surface was going to be even less so.
We peered at the problem facing us for a brief while, before someone had the brilliant idea to attach the buoy to the anchor whilst it was still in the boat. This seemed like an exciting option, so we did that.
What this resulted in was that our boat was now attached to the sea bed by some rather hefty bit of cabling, designed to moor rather larger oil bearing vessels. A sticky situation quickly arose.
The motion of the waves was attempting to move us away from the mooring (towards the cliffs), whilst the cable we were attached to was attempting to keep us (or at least the buoy) firmly anchored to the surface of the sea.
The result of this was that the boat attempted to make both parties happy, with the back of the boat which was where the buoy was going down to sea level so the buoy could float, and the nose going happily skywards, following the waves. Large quantities of water entered the boat over its stern.
In fact, we took on rather more water than was strictly necessary to enable floatation.
All this water inside the boat started getting quite excitable. As the waves rocked the boat, the water inside the boat started to slosh from side to side. Clearly, it wanted to be reunited with the rest of the sea, not cooped up in a wooden shell. Within seconds, the boat was rocking from side to side to a tremendous degree, and the boat man uttered the words:
“Get ready to go over the side.”
At this point, my friend looked at me in a sort of nervous terror and said
“What does he mean, go over the side?”
I was wondering a wise response to this, when the boat answered for me, and turned turtle.
As a brief aside, I should point out that I have a background in dinghy, or small boat, sailing. One of the drills that you practice when sailing a dinghy is known as a dry capsize. The idea is that when a boat capsizes, you are fast enough to realise this, and as it rolls over, you pull yourself up over the side and onto the bottom.
If you practice this properly, you can actually climb around the boat as it rolls over, and remain entirely dry. With a small sailing dinghy, you can then reverse the process, using the keel to righten the boat, and get back in it. It’s a neat party trick, and one I practiced a fair amount back in the day.
This similar process was possible with the boat we were in. As it went over, the two of us with a background in this sort of thing ended up sitting, still dry, on the upturned bottom of the boat, whilst the boat driver (also not a strong swimmer) and my friend, who had less experience with this sort of thing, got rather more thoroughly dunked.
It was at this point that our only real stroke of luck occurred. The boat had flipped entirely and trapped the buoy underneath it, which meant that it was still floating, and even better, still anchored. The buoy was very neatly jammed in the boat, so that wasn’t going anywhere. Even more excitingly, the boat had lifejackets on board (which, admittedly, none of us had been wearing). I fished some out of the sea and put them on everyone.
Then, the decision of course, what to do. There were no other boats on the island at this point, and even if there were, no-one was likely to notice we hadn’t returned for some time. There was no easy way to flip the boat back over, and even if we had been able to, the outboard motor was unlikely to burst into life after sitting upended in the sea for a while.
There was, really, only one choice. Someone was going to have to swim the couple of kilometres back around the island to get help. It wasn’t going to be the boat man or my friend, who were clearly much happier sitting on the keel of the boat than splooshing around. The island manager and I looked at each other, and figured that we’d have to go for it, sharks or not.
Leaving my friend and the boat driver sitting on the keel, carefully wrapped up in life jackets, we set off. The topic of conversation largely revolved around what sort of swimming action was least likely to attract a large shark. I believe the conclusion was splash free.
After a good period of swimming, which we achieved without being nibbled on by anything other than some seaweed, we made it to shore, and headed to summon help. The nearest boat which we could find that was available to help out was a few hours away, so that was summoned.
Help arranged, I decided that I would walk over to the other side to signal to the shipwreckees that help was on the way. I picked up a soft drink as I walked. On the other side of the island, I attempted to signal that help was coming, whilst supping from my beverage.
The response I got was less than enthusiastic. To this day, in fact, my friend believes that the only reason for my coming over was to point out that I had a chilled beverage and was on dry land, whilst he was bobbing up and down in shark infested waters, getting, as we discovered later, quite seriously sun burnt.
Still. All is well that ends well. Eventually help did turn up, and towed the survivors back to land. The next three days were spent sitting in the bar, me talking about the exciting adventure, my friend quietly dying of sunburn. No further boat trips were undertaken. Until it came time to leave….
POV: TIME Magazine Cover Of Netanyahu
Friday, May 18, 2012
People to Stalk.
Here we are again, Friday. I’m not too happy to see you today, after such a nice week with that guy I’m married to. Monday he starts summer school and we’re back to the grind. Sad face.
But today, I still have him! And we’re still completing projects around the house, so I better go get to it. Enjoy these fabulous SOML sponsors while I work, will you?
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Up first is a blog called Living in Yellow by the adorable Erin, a wife, fur-mom, and lover of life. This blog and its author are bubbling over with personality and positivity, and I think Erin is proof that your life doesn’t have to be crazy-exciting to have a good, entertaining blog (read more about that on her about page!). I’ve enjoyed reading posts from her like this one about hosting a clothes drive, and of course her recent vacation recaps sure didn’t hurt, either! Go make an awesome new friend.
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Next is the stunningly gorgeous and inhumanely sweet miss Amanda of Marshalls Abroad. Let me tell you, the moment I stepped virtual foot in this blog, I was smitten. I’ve told Amanda this before, but her little space is just such a breath of fresh air! Her and her husband reside in Japan (Marines!), and oh the gorgeous photos and oh the love that these two emanate. In the mood for another fabulous love story? Go ahead, indulge. These two are THE sweethearts of the blog world. You. will. love. them. Promise.
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Third up to bat is Wanderluck by Lindsey, a Texas girl currently living in Valencia, Spain. You guys! You must go meet Lindsey! She is super funny and witty, gorgeous, and also happens to have some handsome New Zealander man-candy. And also happens to be vacationing in Venice right now. No. Fair. Oh, need proof that she’s funny? Read this post and her thoughts on working out. I pretty much agree on all counts. Go say hello!
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If you’ve considered sponsoring SOML, now is a great time to get on board! I have a handful of slots opening up in June, so shoot me an email if you’re interested. I love to help promote fabulous blogs and high-quality shops.
Happy weekend everyone! :)
Why Cleveland Rocks
Cleveland has the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame for a couple reasons. One, the term 'rock and roll' was first applied to music by DJ Alan Freed there (Record Rendezvous owner Leo Mintz had suggested it to make R&B have more appeal to white kids). And two, Cleveland was the only candidate to put up the many millions of dollars necessary to build it.
Turns out it's the right place for it. Here's my article on why.
Also, Cleveland has 25-cent BAR BOWLING.
8th Angkor Photo Workshops: Applications Open
The Angkor Photo Workshops is back for the 8th year, and has now announced that it is accepting applications.
I can't emphasize strongly enough that it is a phenomenal opportunity for all photographers, emerging and established, and this comes from personal experience following my attendance and participation last year. It was a delightful experience to meet all those concerned with the workshop, and co-mingle with the hundreds of photographers who joined it.
Gumroad: Selling For Photographers?
I saw a post about Gumroad on Pixiq, and its premise piqued my interest, as it may do for my readers.
Gumroad claims that it serves to democratize the ability to sell stuff online, and 'stuff' obviously includes photographs, or songs, albums, videos, and other products. It does so by creating a link to your photograph(s) so that your fans, friends, and followers who want to buy it, can do so, and no store set up is needed.
Gumroad's fee structure is states as 5% + 25¢ of each transaction. If you sell a photograph for $100, the fee is $5.24 and $94.75 is deposited into your bank account. According the Gumroad's FAQ, it supports Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB, and Diners Club cards.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Festivals in Germany
Today, it's back to Europe with a big thank you Ben for this fabulous insights about Germany and it's festivals. Can't wait to visit one of them ;)
You shouldn’t need any special reason to visit Germany. There are amazing city breaks that you could try, plus the beautiful forests, lakes and mountains for the more leisurely walking and cycling holidays. However, Germany does have a wealth of festivals. They happen throughout the year, and some are well worth checking out. They cover everything from cultural diversity to celebrations of beer and wine, so there is always something to match anyone's interests.
With a population of three and a half million, Berlin is Germany’s largest city, and with half a million of those coming from different parts of the world, it is also very diverse culturally. A celebration of this fact happens every May with the ‘Carnival Of Cultures’ taking place in the Kreuzberg district of the city. Expect colourful sounds and tastes from around the world during this four-day festival, which culminates in a spectacular parade featuring thousands of performers and scores of floats making their way through the city, bringing a Brazilian party atmosphere to the streets of Berlin. 
One of Germany’s – if not the world’s – most famous festivals is the ‘Oktoberfest’, where as many as six million people descend upon Munich to take part in a medley of drink, food and song. Despite its name, the Oktoberfest usually begins in September (mainly due to the fact that the weather is better!) and has been increasing in popularity ever since the first festival back in 1810. This means that if you are planning a visit, then you may need to sort out a hotel well in advance, as well as reserving a table in one of the many beer tents – especially if you are bringing a large group. You may also want to stock up on your Euros, as you won’t get a lot of change out of a 10 Euro note for a litre of beer. 
This is just the tip of the iceberg and there are many more special events held across Germany throughout the year. Keep your eyes peeled for these and many more festivals happening this year and beyond.
Ben Gallivan loves travel and enjoys all kinds of festivals (especially if they involve good beer or tasty international food), so Germany is one of his favourite destinations. He writes for One80 Hostel in central Berlin.
