Baby, it is COLD outside! Check out the great travel deals on this post and fly away! Here are some great hotel deals as well…20% off seems like a good deal to me. I’m headed out of the cold in 3 weeks, and it can’t come soon enough!
I have done yoga for a long time. That doesn’t mean I do it well. Yoga has kept me moving through so many physical issues….my back surgery ( I did yoga instead of PT ), joint pain, injuries, MRSA and the misery of trying to move again after 3 months in bed and several skin grafts and LOTS of morphine….it helps with my scuba diving by giving me good breath control, so I can happily stay in my weightless environment longer. I have long studied the eight limbs of yoga, and I’ve tried to meditate, though I’m not very good at that either. I try to make myself relax and stay in my bubbly bathtub for 20 minutes…I usually make it about 5. When I try to quietly meditate and concentrate on my breath, I last an even shorter period of time. Relax? Tough one for me. And no, I cannot just lay on a beach or lounge chair. I go crazy. Sometimes diving, or listening to music is a kind of meditation for me.
So, a new journey begins. Advanced Yoga Studies. AYS covers everything in greater depth, from the asanas (postures) to the physical body (anatomy, basically), and the philosophy. It is every weekend for a month, 5 hours a day. That amount of time is a serious challenge for my 4 rods and 8 pedicle screws which are inserted in my lumbar spine. I made myself a happy place today with bolsters and pillows and blankets so I can get into sitting positions in comfort. Yesterday…well, I spent last night flat on my back. Ouch.
So why am I doing this? Lots of reasons really. First, I have always wanted to go deeper into the philosophy. Second, I thought I might be able to find ways to do postures so I do not hurt. Third, life has been kind of unusually challenging for the last few years….and the last 6 months have been more than challenging. How to describe it? When you are at the point when you don’t dare ask what else could possibly go wrong? I never ask what else could happen, I don’t want to tempt fate. I try to keep my mouth shut so fate will not notice me. Fourth, after a lifetime of putting others first, being daughter, mother, spouse, sister…I want to get to know myself, and what I want, and what I do or don’t believe in. There are two of me: the logical scientist who wants empirical proofs about any and all things, and the other me who wants to just believe. The logical side likes to interfere in that process. I have always had a magical way of looking at things, and in the last couple of years that viewpoint has dimmed. Yes, I still feel childlike wonder in nature, which drives me to spend as much time in it as possible (particularly the water, as I’m sure everyone knows), but I have trouble accessing it in my everyday life anymore. Why? I don’t know. Maybe because my children have grown up? Having children was wonderful and magical (yes the logical side has plenty to say about that)….I read to them and told them stories of fantastic feats and daring deeds, tried to build their characters with a code of ethics, I sang to them, recited poetry to them to get them to sleep at night, played with them, and their friends, and I have missed them now that they are all grown up. I miss the funny, and sometimes insightful, things they would say, the smell of Johnson & Johnson shampoo, and the uninhibited way they shared their feelings and thoughts as well as their hugs. My 23 year old son is engaged to be married! That carries a bit of a punch to the stomach…it truly lets me know how much time has passed. The time was rich and full…but that time in our lives has passed. I have looked forward to the empty nest and to being alone with my husband, Randy…like we were before we had children. Again though, the wheel of fortune has turned and Randy has suffered a devastating illness followed by the miracle of a double lung transplant. Life has changed though, and adjustments are necessary. As his illness progressed, and as he works to recover, there is a realization that some things will never be the way they were, so we have to learn to want another way of doing and being. Click to Tweet.
Anyway, my point is, some of my idealistic optimism has tarnished. I want it back. It may not be as bright and shiny as it was, but it is an essential part of me that I need to reconnect with. SO. Advanced Yoga Studies, a journey that begins to go inward. I like to explore, to learn, to research, to synthesize knowledge…now the object of study is me. I am open to discovery, and hopefully the rediscovery of things which have gone deep within.
My daughter asked me tonight why I like to travel so much. It is the experience of other places, other worlds (such as the underwater realm or the savannah), other cultures, other ways of seeing…which gives me new perspective, excitement, and often, a feeling of deep gratitude for what I have been given. Each trip gives me a deeper sense of attachment to, well, to everything and everyone. I marvel at the richness of our earth and all of its inhabitants. I want to help protect it, and them. Travel piques curiosity, and I think curiosity, coupled with wonder at each new discovery, is what creates purpose and worth in our lives. Sometimes you don’t even need to walk out the door to take a journey. “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt. “The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” ― Robert Bryne. So am I living my purpose? Am I being true to myself? The path of yoga may be a way to appreciate those questions, and perhaps, to find answers. Or maybe the answer is more questions.
“Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home” says the poet Matsuo Basho. I believe that to be true. Wherever I am, in my own heart I am home. So I will continue the path, and share with you what I find. As we say in yoga class, Namaste.
There is nothing as incredible as an African Safari. Nothing. Seeing these animals in the wild is not at all comparable to seeing them in a zoo or a “safari” park. The savannah goes on forever….truly, the Circle of Life is real. I expected to see Simba and his friends at any moment. I actually saw many simbas (simba means “lion”!). An African Safari is a trip anyone who loves to travel must take at least once in their lifetime! The best experience will include:
1. Staying at a Luxury Safari Camp. Tent? It is more like a well-appointed suite at a first class hotel. The guides and staff are attentive and make sure you have everything you want. Your guide, or perhaps a Maasai Warrior (at least in Tanzania) escorts you to and from your tent at night. Going back after dinner one night in the Serengeti our Maasai guide took a flashlight to our left and whoa! Hyena eyes, about 6 pair, were staring at us! What an adrenaline rush! The sound of the savannah at night is a symphony (except for the wildebeest who make a really loud, aggravating bleat…no wonder they get eaten, since they constantly announce their location!) The meals are amazing, cocktails before dinner and three delicious, fresh, chef prepared meals a day. Luxury camping is the only way to camp!
2. A private guide and viewing vehicle. Now this is a treat. You do not have to worry about “taking turns” getting the best view, or the best camera angle, because you are not sharing that view. It is perfect!
3. Watching the sunset from the Savannah. Sunsets are best viewed with a Sundowner (a cocktail) in your hand, hors d’oeuvres on a small table outside of the vehicle, while enjoying the growing silence. What an incredible luxury, having cocktails on the Savannah while the sun sets! Yes, it is as wonderful as it sounds!
4. Take your photo opportunities when they come! Always, always have a camera ready to shoot! Be ready. You will miss a lot if your camera isn’t ready to go.
5. Finally, you must not miss the Big 5, though there is never a guarantee. The Big 5 are Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhino and Cape Buffalo. Having a great guide is the best way to make sure you have every chance possible to see these awe inspiring animals, many of which are endangered. It is just impossible to express the feeling you get when you quietly pull up in the middle of a herd, or a pride of lions. Just….incredible. Breath-taking. Exciting. Awe struck.
Going on an African Safari is always a thrilling adventure. I have done safaris in the African winter, when the foliage isn’t thick, and the animals are easier to see. So….when do we leave?
I recently returned from a lovely vacation in the Exumas, an archipelago of 365 small islands which are 35 miles southeast of Nassau. Most of these islands, or Cays (pronounced “keys”) have to be accessed by boat. You could visit one island a day for a year and never get tired of the pristine beaches and coral reefs. I chose to explore from Great Exuma, the largest of the islands.
There are many choices of hotels, resorts, bed and breakfasts, but I chose the Grand Isle Resort and Spa, a private and luxurious villa community with all of the benefits of a 5 star resort. Upon arrival, we were greeted at the gate by a very friendly member of the staff. Checking in was a smooth and quick process, and we were soon unpacked and on the beach! The aqua blue of the water has to be seen to be believed! Our week sped by, and we enjoyed every moment we spent at the Grand Isle. Here is why: [Read more…] about 5 Reasons to Stay at the Grand Isle Resort in the Exumas, Bahamas!
I love everything in the ocean. Really. But I do have to confess to a very special feeling about rays. Stingrays, Eagle Rays, Manta Rays….they are breathtaking to watch, and I get excited every time I see one. My love of the ocean I credit to my parents, as they took my brother and I to Florida every single year for at least two weeks during my childhood. My love of marine animals began with Jacques Cousteau, who introduced me as a child, through his tv specials, to a mysterious, underwater realm with incredible, colorful creatures. Sincerely, the ocean and its inhabitants make me happy, fill me with childlike wonder, and I can never, never get enough. I love to photograph them even though I am strictly an amateur.
The first experience I ever had with rays was with Manta Rays. They were seen every summer off of Ft Lauderdale, Florida, and we were called out of the water immediately when they were sighted. I remember looking through the binoculars at a “devilfish” I found enthralling and graceful, though I was told they would “eat” me. As I began snorkeling and diving as a young adult, whenever a ray came near I was mesmerized. They fly through the water with graceful, undulating wings (flaps), and I have always found them beautiful. I love coming across them when they are buried in the sand, with just their eyes and spiracles visible. What a great photo that makes!
When our children were small, we took them to the Cayman Islands several times. Of course we went to Stingray City. I went to Stingray City when I was pregnant, both times actually, and snorkeled above my husband while he was covered in Southern Sting Rays. They feel so very soft, especially underneath. Like velvet. Stingray City was every bit as much for me as the kids… It always amazed me, to snorkel, float, or to stand near so many beautiful rays.
I saw my first Eagle Ray in Cozumel, and I was so excited I could barely breathe. Eagles are big and glorious as they fly through the water, and have “cheerios” markings. They all fascinate me, from the small Yellow Rays to the Southern Stingrays, to the Eagles, the blue spotted, and the Queen of them all, the Manta. I saw a documentary on Manta Rays a few years back, and the biologist on the show, Dr. Andrea Marshall, was absolutely charismatic in her passion for Mantas. She was the first person to do a doctoral thesis on the Manta, and she has traveled all over the world trying to save them as they are very endangered (thank you Chinese medicine). Based in Tofo, Mozambique, I thought about going over there to see them for myself. I actually ended up volunteering with a group called All Out Africa and went to Tofo to search for the rays. I also met Andrea Marshall, briefly, and I admire her spirit and devotion to these animals. She is truly Queen of the Mantas! Here is a link to my blogs about being in Tofo, Mozambique!
Seeing many new rays in Africa, I only saw two Mantas! Only two. Actually, my diving in Tofo was disappointing to me, but perhaps it was just the wrong season. For whatever reason, my visions of being surrounded by manta rays while diving did not materialize, at least not in Tofo. I did see Blue Spotted Rays, a Torpedo Electric Ray, one Mobula, a Jenkins Whiptail and a Honeycombed Whiptail, but I never saw the rare Small-Eye Stingray. I enjoyed seeing new and different rays, though.
My desire for Manta Ray encounters continued, and I finally achieved a dive trip where I saw several Giant Mantas, Black Pacific Mantas, Reef Mantas….it is almost indescribable, diving with these curious, beautiful, mysterious giants. You can tell from their eyes that they are intelligent, you know they are “checking” you out. I took a million photos, and each dive was more thrilling than the next…rays and sharks! What could be better? That was our trip on the Solmar V to the Revillagigedos Islands…I want to do that again! I turned my photos over to the Pacific Manta Research Group, and I photographed one they hadn’t seen in 10 years! They graciously allowed me to name it, so I named it Jedi. May the force be with you.
My last encounters were just a week or so ago, on Stocking Island in the Exumas, Bahamas. They swarm the beach, AJ, the conch man, has been giving them scraps of conch and they gladly swim all over you in search of it! I loved feeding them, touching them, and taking pictures. One of the rays was different, definitely NOT a Southern Stingray as the rest of them were. It felt sandy on top, not soft, and had very small eyes with a large head and thick tail. I’d never seen it before. After a few days of research I found my ray: the Caribbean Whip Tail Ray! I had never even heard of it. I’m always excited when I see a new animal!
My next search for rays will be in Thailand and Myanmar…I am doing a live aboard on the Mergui Archipelago. I will certainly blog about that trip! And in September, I will be in Ecuador with Dr. Marshall’s team, doing volunteer work with Mantas for 2 weeks. I can’t wait!
Tweet: Travels with Tam, always an adventure! http://ctt.ec/HbUMs+
No one really knows for sure about the ray populations except for the Manta Ray. Mantas are endangered. The Marine Megafauna Foundation works very hard, as do other great organizations, to change that. I urge you to take a look at their website and learn about these amazing creatures. I adopted a Manta and named her Daenarys Targareon, from Game of Thrones. Adopting a ray or a whale shark helps to protect these animals from extinction, and ending up in Chinese medicine and Shark Fin Soup. I urge you to visit them at http://www.marinemegafauna.org/. You will fall in love! I certainly did.
Have you ever had one of those days where everything is just so confused, so screwed up, so emotional, and the weight is so heavy on your shoulders that you wish you had a time machine to take you back to when you were, say, 8 years old? This, my friends, has been one of those days. I certainly do not mean I want to go back and do everything again…no, no, no! I wouldn’t want that, but just a day….one sunny, summer’s day when the neighborhood game might have been baseball, or red rover, or doing the hokey pokey. A summer day when the temperature was still bearable, and the sun felt warm, not burning hot, and the water from the backyard hose was delicious. A day when you would take your banana seat bicycle and cruise the streets as fast as possible, taking your hands off the handle bars! What a rush!
I think of sitting in the back yard, smelling the honeysuckle, playing with my dolls and my horse figures; throwing a baseball with my brother, or playing pickle with one of the neighbor kids (a runner between two bases trying not to get “out” is being in a “pickle”). Laying back in the thick, fragrant grass, looking for 4 leaf clovers, watching the clouds roll by; sitting in the shade and reading my Nancy Drew books; playing chase with my dog, Gordy, the stupidest dog ever born (my dad called him the “barking idiot”). There were no fences cutting us off from everyone, but great big green open spaces where all the backyards met, and all the kids gathered. Neighbors knew each other and said “hi”.
We lived in a “new neighborhood”, what we called a “platt”. All platts were named, ours was “Northview Estates”. The trees in the yards were tiny, having just been planted. Everything was brand new because “old” was OUT. There wasn’t a single pothole in the road because they were so recently built. Everyone had “shag” carpet. A lot of moms kept plastic over their “good furniture”, and told you to take your shoes off when you walked in the door (not at my house). All of the moms had teased up hairdos and did not want to get wet in the pool because it would mess up their hair. My mom kept an assortment of wigs…just in case! Doors were unlocked and windows were open, you could smell dinner cooking at a dozen houses in the late afternoon.
When we were hungry we raided the pantry for potato chips…but no national brands…I’m not sure they even had national brands. We had cans of “Charles Chips” or bags of “Mike sell’s” Potato chips, and they tasted like they just came out of the kettle! When we were thirsty we gulped Cool Aid LOADED with sugar, Hawaiian Punch or Coca Cola out of the bottle. Candy was a staple of our diet. We never got fat because we played outside, hard, all day long. No one wanted to be inside, that was for punishment only!
At dinner time my parents rang a huge bell they installed outside, loud enough so that no matter where we were in the neighborhood, we could hear it. All the kids went home for dinner, and came back outside as soon as possible, and stayed out until dark. We didn’t watch TV in the summertime because the shows were just reruns. As the stars came out, we watched and caught lightning bugs in jars, then let them go. Bath time, then bedtime.
Ah, a day without being plugged in…distracted by ipods, smart phones, computers, ipads, tablets, cable tv and constant access to movies….a day where my biggest responsibility would be taking care of my gerbils. A day without stress and worry. You know, now that I am remembering it, maybe I’d like two days back in time….
