Just arrived back from Gatwick airport, so straight on with the blog, as promised.
Had a great but very long flight to Los Angeles, with the hope of seeing some of the city when we boarded Fred. Olsen Ship, Balmoral, but arrived too late to get to see anything. Damn! oh well always next time, I guess.
2nd May: Next day awoke to San Diego and a 36 hour stop, brilliant! Spent the first day at the world famous zoo. Tip for anyone going to San Diego "take the bus" really cheap, clean and safe. An all day ticket to use any public transport of the city for only $5, around £3! Also buy your ticket, for the zoo, from tourist information and save even more money!
Massive zoo with huge enclosures and natural feel to the environments, great photo opportunities and brilliant weather.
3rd May: Went to find a decent coffee house for the Sunday morning fix and more of a feel of the city. Can you believe this, they do a "white chocolate, triple espresso, mocha" wow! So after Sarah, my daughter, had retrieved me from the ceiling, we rejoined the ship and set off for Guatemala. The ports in Mexico had been cancelled, due to Swine Flu.
4th May: First lecture of cruise, went really well and to a packed audience. No, the weather wasn't that bad either, so people did come of their own accord. Second lecture on 7th went really well.
Went out on deck afterwards to see loads of Flying fish, not the easiest to get, they look really slow to the eye, but through a long lens, much more of a challenge!
8th May: Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. Warned very heavily about safety. They always do on cruise ships to these kind of ports but something told me to stay local to the ship and just enjoy the local bar with Sarah and a couple of friends who are waiters on the ship. Very chilled out day but managed to get these images as well. 9th May at sea.
10th May: Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Another wildlife enriched day. Off to a crocodile and wilderness experience. Fantastic fun, although you do get pretty close to the crocs! I was allowed to hang out the back of the small boat and get these images:
11th May; At sea with another lecture, passengers getting more used to my style of presentation so the questions start flowing making it a much more useful experience. Also ship visited by a Peregrine falcon, amazing! we are about 50 miles from shore and it did a couple of circuits of the ship, landed on the bridge and set off again. A passenger commented that they often come and meet the ships and grab any small birds that have hitched a lift.
12th may: transit of the Panama canal. Slightly misty day, but nonetheless an amazing journey from Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean sea. The transit took all day with Sarah and I on deck from 6:30am. Yes a photographer and daughter up and out that early, incredible!
14th May: Santa Marta, Colombia. Only here for the morning, although to be honest, that was all you needed, unless you just like sitting on a beach drinking rum punch. Hang on that doesn't sound that bad now! Just walked around the town and again got ready for my lecture in the afternoon.
15th May: Willemstad, Curacao. Late arrival here but managed to fit in Kayaking and snorkeling, had a real good time. We were in a two person kayak and with Sarah taking the helm, I could sit back most of the time and relax. Kept telling her she needed the training and I was more of a management kayaker than a paddler, got very wet with that comment as her paddle seemed to suddenly throw a wash of water over me. Justly dissevered I guess. Went out for a great local meal in the evening.
16th may: Last sea day for us and last lecture, with a slide show for the passengers of the images I had captured on the trip.
17th May: Castrie, St. Lucia. Another chillout time, getting used to these.
18th May: St Johns, Antigua. Leave the ship for the Rex hotel for an overnight stop and kickback time with friends, entertainers and lecturers. Had my first go on a jet ski. Amazing but I have never been able to have a go before, but right in front of the hotel was this gorgeous beach with all the water sports imaginable. Hired it for 20 minutes and set off with Sarah gripping tightly on passenger seat. After almost, must have been 30 seconds, and just starting to have fun Sarah screamed " I don't like it" I started to play some more and got a sharp prod in the side with "what part of take me back to the beach NOW don't you get?" I reluctantly poodled back to the shore and dropped her off. Well it was gloves off time! Being a mad keen speed freak and biker it was great fun! I found if you put it into full left lock at speed, do a complete tight circle, full opposite lock and then left lock again you ride straight into your own bow wave and go submersible! KOOL! Spent rest of time just chilling mon, as the locals say.
Keen to get back home with Mary and was so relieved flight was all on time and transfer home went without a problem. Hope to finalise the new DVD's before I'm off to Iceland on 6th June.
Oh before I go. Been thinking about uploading slide show of the cruises to the website. So what are your views? Comments as always via keith@tigpud.com
Thanks for reading the blog and take care.
Keith
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