Travels with Tam

Fab Photo Friday: Camera Gifts for People on the Go!

November 20, 2015 By Tam Warner 7 Comments

I LOVE cameras. I love to play with cameras. After I get to know a camera, I like to buy accessories for my cameras! The camera becomes my friend, so to speak. I know so many people with huge cameras, DSLRs, expensive housings for underwater and for photography on the go (hiking, kayaking, gliding, boating, etc), and they take amazing photographs. Professional level photographs. The problem with these fabulous cameras and housings? Most people cannot afford them. Not being able to spend thousands of dollars on professional camera equipment is certainly not unusual, and those who cannot spend that kind of money still want to capture great images. If this describes you or someone you know, here are my two favorite lower cost cameras for both land and underwater.
<br /> GOPRO cameras are awesome. They aren’t perfect, but they are awesome. I just purchased a GOPRO Hero+ with an LCD screen. The GOPROs that come with an LCD screen are necessary for me…I’ve spent many years using GOPROs without LCD screens and I usually miss what I am trying to film! So completely aggravating! I either hold the camera up too high, or too low. So, I bought the Hero+ with an LCD screen, and I love it. It is not the top of the line GOPRO camera, but so far I’ve had pretty good luck with it. And the best thing? All GOPRO cameras come with cool accessories! The GOPRO can go anywhere…parasailing, diving, climbing, skiing, hiking…just any activity at all! There are chest mounts, head mounts, and mounts you can put on a surf board! There is no end to where these little GOPROs will go. If you are a beginner, I highly recommend the Hero+ with an LCD screen and wifi. Yes, they are wifi enabled! There are accessories for anything you can imagine! Whether you want a beginning camera or a higher level GOPRO, you can check it out through these links to Amazon. Amazon even sells used GOPROs! Many of them have barely been used because the owner has just “traded up” the GOPRO line. You absolutely cannot beat it for the price.

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<br /> Another camera that is fantastic for the money is the Canon Point and Shoot. I use the Canon Powershot G15 as both underwater camera and land camera. There is a newer version out, the G16, but I haven’t traded up yet because I have been so happy with the G15. The day when I trade up is coming though, because unlike the Canon Powershot G15, the G16 is wifi enabled. There are a few underwater housings that will house the Powershots, from the Canon housing to the Recsea housing. It depends on how serious you are about taking underwater photos. If you are wanting a land only camera, it is small yet powerful, with a lot of accessories such as macro lenses, telephoto lenses, and great filters. Again, Amazon has terrific prices for Canon cameras, whether you are looking for a Powershot Point and Shoot, or a DSLR.
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Over the years I have used a lot of still cameras from Sony to SeaLife to Sea & Sea and Canon. The Canon G15 has been my favorite. One of these days, I tell myself, I am going to buy an amazing DSLR with a huge housing…but so far, the Canon Powershot G15 and the GOPRO Hero+ has kept me entertained. I have several friends who are professional level photographers who use Nikon and Olympus and are extremely happy with them. I’ve never tried those brands, though I would certainly like to! Strictly from my own experience, to beginners and intermediate photographers, I can happily recommend the GOPROs and Canon Powershots.

Happy shopping!

The Downside of Travel

November 10, 2015 By Tam Warner 12 Comments

Gorgeous Golden Fall in Maroon Bells. — Gorgeous Golden Fall in Maroon Bells, Aspen, Co.

Travel is good for you. I believe that simple truth, and there is no dearth of literature to support it. However, there can be a downside: illness.

My parents liked to travel, and they took my brother and I on the road to Florida every year of our childhood…until flying became the way to go. During my childhood I had mumps, measles, and chickenpox…in Florida. All on vacation. I also sustained injuries on those trips: dislocated hip (from jumping waves), and a Man of War jellyfish sting (thankfully a small one, because it was incredibly painful).

dad holding our hands in ocean — Ft Lauderdale, FL…the scene of many illnesses for me!

The trend has continued throughout my life. I either get sick on vacation, or immediately afterward. I was in Cozumel most recently, and I returned home last Monday. I functioned with painful joints and a lowgrade fever through Friday, and Saturday put me into bed where my fever spiked to 104 degrees. My joints were on fire. Today my fever is finally broken and I feel human. I haven’t been able to eat much, my joints still hurt a bit, and I feel completely worn out.

I sent my doctor an email and asked him if I should come in for a blood test to see if it was Dengue (again). He said no…if I’m feeling better there is no reason to do it. It could be Chikungunya, another mosquito borne disease that causes fever and joint pain, similar to Dengue Fever. Mosquitoes swarm in Cozumel during the wet months, like October.

I do hate getting sick. I’ve been sick on every continent I’ve visited! There are two left…I wonder what Australia and Antarctica will do to me. For now, I am planning a trip to St. Lucia in December to help do reef and fish surveys. I wonder if there are many mosquitoes in St Lucia. I hope not.

Wordless Wednesday: The Day of the Dead

November 4, 2015 By Tam Warner 16 Comments

The evening began with a gorgeous sunset as we left Villa Coronado.

Dio de Muertos is a Mexican holiday that honors those who have passed. Families celebrate the lives of the dead, and pray for them, to help them on their spiritual journey. It is a tradition that dates back to the Aztec, and their celebration and ritual regarding the Lady of the Dead.

On October 31, All Hallows Eve, the children make a children’s altar to invite the angelitos (spirits of dead children) to come back for a visit. November 1 is All Saints Day, and the adult spirits will come to visit. November 2 is All Souls Day, when families go to the cemetery to decorate the graves and tombs of their relatives. The three-day fiesta filled with marigolds, the flowers of the dead; muertos (the bread of the dead); sugar skulls; cardboard skeletons; tissue paper decorations; fruit and nuts; incense, and other traditional foods and decorations. -Frances Ann Day, Latina and Latino Voices in Literature.

I thought Cozumel might have a big celebration during the 3 days, but though there were examples on the plaza, there wasn’t a fiesta or party. Going to the cemetery seemed like an intrusion, so I did not go there and cannot tell you what happened there.

Enjoy the photos of The Day of the Dead! I think it is a fascinating tradition…I love the skulls and imagery of skeletons!

Holding hands with ... a dead guy? — Holding hands with … a dead guy?

A pretty display with treats and flags....and skeletons! — A pretty display with treats and flags….and skeletons!

The displays were so fascinating! In our culture skeletons are "scary", but not here in Mexico! — The displays were so fascinating! In our culture skeletons are “scary”, but not here in Mexico!

I loved this altar, it was clearly done with much love.

An indoor display...lots of candy, but I didn't take any! — An indoor display…lots of candy, but I didn’t take any!

Why I Haven’t Blogged for a Week!

October 26, 2015 By Tam Warner 12 Comments

Why haven’t I blogged in a whole week? My car broke down and I was stuck for a week waiting for a tow truck? I’m in Mexico and the internet has been down? (that one is true, actually!) My dog ran away and I’ve been chasing him? What other lame excuse can I come up with? The truth is: I’ve been so busy diving and snorkeling and going out to dinner I just haven’t made time. I sleep, eat, dive, dive, eat, dive, sleep. The perfect existence for me!

15 gray angel face close up — I had to catch up with friends, you know….

15 honeycomb cowfish closeup — Honeycomb Cowfish are usually shy…but this one came quite close!

Oh, wonderful Mexico! How I love ya, how I love ya! We arrived in Cozumel last Monday and had no internet. Now, I wouldn’t mind being off line so much, but when you are a blogger trying to build your brand and your traffic, it can be rather inconvienent. I’ve been to both Starbucks on the island. One cannot spend the day there, though, how depressing would that be? Too much for me to deal with, especially when there is an ocean full of fish and coral and all kinds of wonderful things just outside my door. I just can’t stay out of the water. I’ve only had one day off from diving, but I am taking the next two days off. Too many divers on the boat…and Randy and I have errands and other things we want to do.

Iggy, our resident iguana, was here to greet us.

The diving has been nice and easy, with hardly any current, which is unusual for Cozumel. Instead of flying over the reefs, I’ve been able to stop and look around. That’s my favorite!

The food has been rather wonderful…and I will get to that in another post! In the meantime, check out the photos and see what I have been up to!

I heard tapping today...and thought someone was at the door... — I heard tapping today…and thought someone was at the door…

fight club — This dude was in my door frame….

So I took a few pictures....and off he went! Cute, isn't he? — So I took a few pictures….and off he went! Cute, isn’t he?

Then off to dinner and a lovely margarita at La Cocay. Yum!

So, what have YOU been up to?

Cozumel Dreaming

October 15, 2015 By Tam Warner 7 Comments

What a crazy year! Most of my years seem to be crazy…are yours crazy too?

My son married in May, and my daughter married just two weeks ago! The weddings were both wonderful, and friends and family joined us for both, which is always a blessing.

Now…perhaps some relaxation? Well, that is sort of the plan. We are supposed to go to Cozumel on Monday…and I’m hoping we get there, but Randy’s dad is in the hospital, and we have to be sure that he is taken care of 24/7 before we leave town. It is a bit tough to see our parents age and leave us as we head into our midlife. Life is always full…and the cycles remain. Every age has its benefits and its worries.

So…today, I am Cozumel dreaming…with photos. Fingers crossed that I will be blogging and reviewing from our home, Villa Coronado, in Cozumel next week!