Travels with Tam

Last 2 dives: Boonsung Wreck, Similan Islands!

March 16, 2014 By Tam Warner 5 Comments

The Similan Islands are in Thailand, in the Andaman Sea. Getting back into Thailand was not nearly as difficult as getting into Myanar was. I did get off the boat and wander around Kawthaung, Myanmar a bit, but they have NO emission standards, and it didn’t take long to get sick off of the fumes from the cars and motorbikes. Also, Myanmar is not filled with tourists, and the sight of my blonde hair (I think it was the hair) created a stir. Many stares, and a few people followed me around, which made me a little nervous. I was even asked for my passport! (I didn’t have it, it was still in the immigration office!) Not to mention that it was so hot and humid I couldn’t stand it. I was ready to get back on the boat in half an hour!

Our last two dives of the trip were on the Boonsung Wreck. What a beautiful site! The wreck is a mess…spread out all over the place, but the fish and creatures living there are amazing! I really enjoyed these dives. The “schools” or shoals of fish were so thick you had to wave them away to take photos! I confess that one of my very favorite things to do is to sneak into a shoal and become one of them. They quickly form themselves around you, and you instantly have new friends!

The wreck had so much life! Shrimps, fish, eels, nudibranches, crabs….the list goes on. It was truly beautiful. Enjoy these photos!

An Amari Massage

March 5, 2014 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

It is Sunday, March 2nd, and no, I have not yet left for my dive trip. I have a late check out and decided to use some of my time to have a massage. Oh EM GEE. Exclamation.

Of course, the Breezes Spa is just about the farthest building from the lobby. Getting there is all uphill, but coming back all downhill. After the climb, I was more than ready for a treatment. Since I have the tightest muscles on earth, I decided to go for Deep Tissue, called the “Invigorating Massage, to leave Chronic Tension behind”. I could do very well with leaving my chronic tension behind! And my masseuse, Longluk, did her best to oblige. She realized very quickly the challenges presented to her. ( If you are a guy, you can stop reading now. Really!)

I had a spinal fusion when I was 18, and it broke down completely after my second pregnancy. As it continued to worsen, I started gaining weight, and by the time I had my anterior and posterior spinal osteotomy at Johns Hopkins in 2000, I was barely able to walk. The surgery was a great success, but it took a good year of recovery, and a few years later I had an unfortunate run in with MRSA, the staph infection everyone fears (and for very good reason). I had an attempted abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) which turned into a nightmare when MRSA entered the picture. I won’t go into great detail…it was much worse than having back surgery, or any other illness I have ever had. It took 3 months to clear the infection and do a skin graft that took. I am left with a lower tummy that looks like a great white shark took a bite out of me, and a bulging upper tummy (especially on the left side) which should actually be my lower tummy. I know I need to get it fixed…it is painful, but the threat of another MRSA infection has stayed my hand.

My muscles are so tight, and Longluk was surprised. My legs are solid muscle, so are my arms, from Pilates, and I am quite flexible thanks to yoga. Looking at me, you wouldn’t think it, but it is true. The weight that clings to my upper body is distressing to me, I don’t like to even look at myself in the mirror. I have decided to ignore things like arthritis (which I’ve had for a very long time) and fibromyalgia (I decided I just don’t believe I have it), thyroid issues and my back. And of course, diabetes, which runs in my biological family like wildfire. I keep my numbers within range with diet and exercise. In short, I behave like an active, thinner person. Snorkeling and diving are my salvation, I am passionate about the ocean and all of its creatures, and underwater I feel strong and pain free (the support of the water, even in a pool, creates less gravity, and floating is wonderful.) Maybe I should live in space. Or have an operation to get gills so I could stay underwater. Anyway. Add stress and 3 days of carrying dive gear, luggage, camera equipment, etc, and I’m strung like a bow.

A surprising feature on the way to the spa!

She was fantastic! Very strong. I feel like I’ve been in a prizefight with Rocky Balboa. She did miracles with my neck and shoulders which are always painful. The pain was blinding at times ( I didn’t know all of those tight muscles and things were even in my body), but now….ahhh. A swim, a shower, and in less than 3 hours, I get picked up for my dive trip.

Life is good.

Phuket…I’m still standing…I think.

March 2, 2014 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

I am off on my travels … Thailand and the Mergui Archipelago (Burma/Myanmar) March 2014! I will be posting about each leg of my trip, and I look forward to sharing it with you! While on the dive liveaboard, Deep Andaman Queen, I may not have access to internet. If not, I will post on my return!

I left Dallas on February 27 at 10a.m. I have arrived in Phuket, at 5a.m. Dallas time, March 1. In Phuket, it is 5pm. And yes, I am tired. I’ve been traveling non-stop, and have yet to find a full 8 hour sleep. I plan to make up for it tonight! I am struggling to stay awake. As much as I want to head down to the beach and walk, I know that I need rest more. My shoulders hurt, my wrists hurt, my entire body feels like it has been in a prize fight. And in 24 hours, I will be picked up for my liveaboard, the Deep Andaman Queen, which heads to the Mergui Archipelago off of Burma/Myanmar. So, here is the plan: stay awake another hour, go have dinner, come back to my room and pass out. I will explore the beach tomorrow morning. And have a massage.

It has been a fascinating trip already! I woke this morning in Bangkok, looked out my balcony window, and saw Buddhist monks walking along the reflecting pool…complete with dragon! I enjoyed breakfast, then watched a wedding procession pass the reflecting pool (the reflecting pool seems to be a very popular place!). I have learned about the Thai Wai, the Thai greeting which is hands in prayer with a bow. Women say Sah-wah-dee-kah to say hello. The deeper the bow and the higher your prayer hands, the more respect you show. To offer a wai to a Buddhist monk is to hold your hands at the forehead in prayer, and bow. The higher a person’s position in society, the more respectful your wai should be. It is considered very rude in Thai culture not to return an offered wai. Kob kun ka is “thank you”. I’m learning, and I love to learn! Everything is so new and exciting.

There are beautiful shrines everywhere! Did you know that 95% of the Thai people are practicing Buddhists? And photographs of the King and Queen….Bhumibol Adulyadej is the King of Thailand and took the throne in 1946, making him the longest ruling monarch in the world currently. The Queen’s name is Sirikit. The royals are adored here. They are apart from any government problems.

I am staying at the Amari Beach Resort on Patong Beach. The hotel is quite lovely, and situated a little to the side of the public beach of Patong. The beach at the hotel is similar to Cozumel…I hope I have some time tomorrow to snorkel a little. If not, I return here on March 9, at which time my beautiful daughter joins me for a week.l,

March 2. 11a.m. Well, I did not sleep as much as I wanted to, but I have breakfasted by the ocean, and have repacked my bags. The hotel is kindly going to allow me to leave a bag here, which is a relief. So now, my one bag carries clothes, dive equipment, camera equipment, and personal items. Shit. It is heavy! But better than dragging another bag with me to the boat. I will be on the high seas tonight, heading north toward the Mergui Archipelago, in the Andaman Sea.

As I said, I don’t know if I will have any internet, so if not, I will post as soon as I get back to the hotel. My fingers and eyes are itching to see pelagic animals and take great photos! ลาก่อนนะ! (Goodbye!)

Why not travel solo?

February 28, 2014 By Tam Warner 12 Comments

I am off to travel Asia and dive Asia…Thailand and the Mergui Archipelago is my destination in March 2014! I will be posting about each leg of my trip, and I look forward to sharing it with you!

It is February 28, 420p in Tokyo, Japan, but my body seems to know that for me, it is 130am in the morning. I just finished a 12 or 13 hour flight from Dallas to Tokyo, and another 7 hour flight from Tokyo to Bangkok awaits. I will start walking to the gate from the Admiral’s Club (American Airlines) in one hour. I hope writing will keep me awake! I arrive Bangkok at 1115pm, have to go through customs and immigration, then catch a shuttle to my hotel. Yes, I know it is a long trip, but don’t feel too sorry for me, I’m traveling first class and business class. I get 8 hours to sleep, then I leave Bangkok for Phuket. Then I will have more than 24 hours before the next leg of the trip…7 days in the Andaman Sea!

For the first time ever, I set off gongs going through TSA cleared security. Never could figure it out….but had two body searches in Dallas, then two more when I got to Tokyo! In Tokyo they also found my dive knife (and scissors, for cutting line), and now I have no dive knife. I did not have my thinking cap on when I packed it in carry on.

So, here is why I wanted to write a blog…I have so many women friends who tell me how “brave” I am to travel alone, but I really do not understand that. I would rather be traveling with my husband…but he is still recovering from a double lung transplant last September ( I know, crazy right?)…so if I want to travel, I travel solo. Of course, I have traveled alone many, many times. I’ve never really thought it was a big deal until I traveled to Africa in 2012 by myself, and did volunteer work for 3 1/2 weeks. Now that was a journey! Randy joined me afterwards, and we did a fabulous safari through Tanzania. I felt empowered by the fact that I managed perfectly well by myself. Well, with mishaps. But that is always the case.

The last thing I would have ever expected would be that Randy, of all people, would become seriously ill so young. Yes, young, at 56. Midlife was kind of thrown for a loop when he began to get ill, and we spent 2013 canceling almost all of our trips. Then he became critical, quickly. This has been a very challenging time for my family…and you know, we all have to adapt to circumstances. I am fortunate that my adaptations have not included financial hardship…we have been very lucky in our life together. So what to do with all of those midlife adventures we talked about? Well, some of them I will just have to do on my own. I don’t know if Randy will ever scuba dive again, but I truthfully doubt it. That is a blow for us because it is an activity we have always enjoyed doing together. Randy likes to dive, but I am passionately crazily in love with diving. So here I am, on my way to the Mergui Archipelago to dive on a liveaboard. I’m sure Randy and I will enjoy snorkeling together in the future.

So why am I considered brave by other women for taking trips on my own? Really, we are all capable of going and doing and accomplishing whatever we want to. What is it about traveling alone that seems to alarm so many women? I am asking this question: why not travel solo? If you really want to do something or go somewhere, and there is no one to accompany you, why would you let that stop you? Talk to me! I really want to know, and I think it is a great discussion to have! Why do you travel solo? Or why won’t you travel on your own?

Pre-Journey Jitters

February 24, 2014 By Tam Warner 9 Comments

I have been planning a dive trip to Thailand / Myanmar for quite a while now. I leave on Thursday morning for Bangkok, via Tokyo. Well, I will end up in Phuket, as the boat leaves Khao Lak on the 2March for the Mergui Archipelago off of Myanmar. To say that I am excited would be an understatement! I have all of my camera gear out, ready to be packed, and I have planned how I am going carry everything I need. As I sit here at my kitchen table, I am surrounded by my Canon G15, DS1 strobes, my GoPro, and my Sea Dragon light. I’ve taken all of it to Scubatoys and played with it in the pool to make sure everything is working. It’s all a go.

Except I am a little concerned. I thought Randy would be fully recovered by now. His rejection episode a week ago shook me up, even though we’ve been reassured by the Lung Transplant Team that the rejection episode is not uncommon. The side effects of the medications are also pretty intense, and Ran is frustrated that he is not feeling better. I realize there is really nothing I can do, and it is good for me to get away. This is something Randy and I have discussed, and we are agreed on several issues. One thing I have always known is that if you wait, often it will be too late. I have known many people who planned to travel and do activities but they always put it off, and then all of a sudden, it is not possible anymore. I do have some health issues, and I don’t plan to wait. There will come a day when I can no longer take the trips I have dreamed of….Indonesia, Australia, Yap, Palau, Alaska, Galapagos. Eventually, long in the future I hope, those dives will no longer be possible. I can do it now. And now is all a person ever really has.

I will blog from Thailand, and post photos. I’m sure I will have internet in Thailand…unsure about Myanmar. I will photograph every fish I see, and throw myself into each and every moment. Hasta la vista, baby!

5 Things you Must do on an African Safari!

January 30, 2014 By Tam Warner 2 Comments

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:

africa, safari, African safari — Lemala-Ewanjan Camp

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!

safari, africa, serengeti — With Samson, our safari guide.

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.

safari, lion, africa — Photo Credit: Randy Minton

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?

Travel Adventures!

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