ZECO TRAVEL TALK

Zegrahm Director Kevin Clement recently returned from an extraordinary trip to Manado and the northern tip of Sulawesi Island. Thrilled with his experiences, he agreed to share some of the many trip highlights with our Zeco Travel Talk readers.

On the map, the sprawling island of Sulawesi, formerly known as Celebes, has a shape that resembles nothing so much as a giant squashed spider. The northernmost tip of the northern leg, a region known as Minahasa, is a place seldom visited by outsiders. Everywhere I went people were surprised and pleased to see a Westerner. The land rises from the coast into volcanic mountains, dotted with villages caught between the ancient and the modern. We visited several fascinating places outside of Manado: Read more

On Friday night our ship, Isabela II, crossed the Equator and headed north from Santa Cruz Island to Genovesa (Tower) Island. At sunrise we entered Darwin Bay, a partially eroded volcanic caldera with sheer cliffs surrounding all but the entrance. We went ashore for a two-hour hike along the coraline beach. As usual, we were greeted by sea lions, some more active than others. Frigatebirds (some in full display), Nazca boobies, herons, pelicans, and red-footed boobies nesting in their mangrove “condos” kept us entertained with their antics as we admired their individual features. Wading knee-deep in the lagoon we spotted diamond stingrays and many more sea lions, including one young pup who seemed particularly saddened by our departure. Read more

If our first snorkel excursion of the trip is an indicator of what’s ahead of us, then this is going to be an action-packed expedition. Not only were we entertained under the waves by the shoals of different varieties of fish from Moorish idols to yellow-tailed surgeonfish, the action above in the sky added an element of excitement with cries of “booby alert, booby alert” from fellow snorkelers.

And be alert we were as we watched blue footed boobies prepare to dive head first into the water, very close to us, at speeds in excess of 30 mph, and once they hit, we watched the torpedo like action under the water, only to then see them bob up at the surface with their prize, before flying off to regroup for their next approach. Oh, and did I mention that while this was occurring above us, we were also being checked out by a playful sea lion up close and personal, curious to interact with its new playthings?

Receiving your advanced diving certification is a great step to take to make all your scuba diving endeavors fun and safe. With this increased level of training you will be able to dive almost everywhere, and you will feel much more comfortable and relaxed in the water. Now that Zegrahm Expeditions requires this level of training we wanted to give you a few quick tips on how to get your certification.

Most of you probably have scuba diving certification through PADI, NAUI, or another authorized scuba organization, because of this you can easily move up to an advanced diving certification.

All you need to do is find your nearest dive center (or resort) that offers advance diving certification. A quick search online with your town name and “scuba diving certification” should yield good results.

Each dive center has their own course methods, duration, and rates, but generally (and this is based on a local Seattle dive center) it costs around $200 and takes at least 3-5 days of required coursework and specialty dives to achieve advanced diving certification. Through PADI, the core dives that are required for an advanced certification are deep, below 60 feet and something we often do on our itineraries, and navigation, which helps you become comfortable with your compass. Three additional specialty dives are required however you can choose from several options that include night, wreck, naturalist, fresh water, etc. NAUI requires six dives, the three core dives are deep, navigation, and night, and like PADI you choose your other three from a list of specialty dives.

More details and references on obtaining your advanced diver certification are available at:
PADI - http://www.padi.com to obtain PADI Advanced Open Water (AOW) Diver certification.
NAUI - http://www.naui.org to obtain NAUI Advanced Scuba certification.

Another great option is the ability to complete the advanced scuba diving certification online with PADI (it costs $120 and you complete it at your own pace) or through other accredited internet classes. However, you will still need to go to a dive center or resort to do the required advanced dives (deep, night, dive, etc) with an instructor.

Another great advantage to getting this certification is you get back in the water and you will have completed the required two open-water dives needed 12 months prior to the departure of your voyage.

Happy diving.

In April 2009, Zegrahm Expeditions and MIT Alumni Travel Program joined forces to create an unforgettable travel experience. A group of intrepid travelers set sail from Malta to explore the Balkan countries rimming the Adriatic Sea.

Samuel Jay Keyser, professor emeritus in MIT’s Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, kept a journal detailing the history and magnificent sites we encountered at each port of call. We invite you to read Mulling the Balkans from Malta to Venice and enjoy the photographs taken by Nancy Kelly at this link: Mulling the Balkans from Malta to Venice

Samuel Jay Keyser also maintains an interesting blog with notes on his explorations in Bhutan, Rome, Las Vegas, Easter Island, Uganda, and then some. And although Jay travels more in a year than most people do in a lifetime, he hates to travel and his blog is aptly named The Reluctant Traveler.

Read more

Did you know?

In the Heroic Era (1901-22) of Antarctic exploration, many of the British expeditions going south passed through New Zealand, which provided a warm and cordial welcome to the explorers. Frequently, men passing through met women for whom they developed an attachment. On their return from the ice two or three years later, these associations often led to marriages between the returning explorer and the local New Zealand woman. Yet these unions seldom took place on the voyage en route south, for the men realized they faced uncertain futures in the Great White Unknown from which they might not return. Nothing so captures these poignant connections than the instance of Reginald Skelton, the chief engineer on the Discovery expedition (1901-04), who, before he left for “the South,” gave his good watch to the mother of the woman he eventually married, for he did not wish to chance its loss as he was prepared to risk his own life.

Join T. H. Baughman on our New Zealand for the Holidays voyage as he shares tales of the region’s history, combining his scholarly passion with an amazing gift for story telling.

The bus rounded the corner and there it was: one of the most recognizable ruins in the world. Today we were in Hiroshima, standing across from the A-Bomb Dome.

The fractured, skeletal remains of the building stopped us in our tracks. We just stood there, imagining the blast blowing out the windows and peeling the copper off the dome, then the fire consuming the building as the walls and roof collapse.

As we walked through Peace Memorial Park, we came to a memorial standing in a plaza. This is a place that all Japanese know, study, and respect. It is about the story of Sadako, a young Japanese girl who survived the blast and subsequent effects of radiation poisoning. She believed that if she folded 1,000 origami paper cranes, she would be cured of her illness. She succeeded in folding her cranes, but sadly succumbed to leukemia. Today, school children from all over Japan come bearing gifts of folded cranes to honor her memory. The offerings are placed in cases surrounding this monument, topped with a statue of a girl holding a giant folded paper crane. Read more