I mean, of course, it’s the fish and the warm, blue water and all of that…but I think one of the best things is the mystery.

Each dive, we get in the boat for the stunning ride to the dive site. Then we pull up our wetsuits, check our tank pressure, spit in our masks (yes, I actually do still do that), strap on the fins, do a check with our buddy and fall backwards into the drink. And all of the time we are doing this, in the back of my mind is the anticipation of the unknown. What is going to greet us down there? Will it be a fast paced current ride with a gazillion fish? Will we discover one we haven’t seen yet? Will there be charismatic megafauna? It’s a surprise around every coral head…. Each and every dive has the potential to be the best one of my life…how could I not be excited about THAT each and every day?

Getting ready to explore

What awaits below?

And we’ve had great surprises for sure here in Raja Ampat, Indonesia the past three weeks. Yesterday we did some muck diving. Sounds pretty horrible doesn’t it? Well, muck diving, TRUE muck diving is spending a couple of hours skimming the bottom of a sandy bay(usually volcanic) for the wild weird critters that live there. Nowadays, I see people using the term to mean that they are going to take you to a crappy dive site and say it’s muck diving. Anyways, our muck dive yesterday was at the base of these gorgeous, jungle topped volcanic rocks dotting the sea. We never got past 30 feet but in the sand and muck we found sea horses, baby wobegong sharks, juvenile cuddlefish, a plethora of nudibranchs and shrimp and crabs. At every turn, nature shared incredible secrets!

beautiful spot for muck diving!

Shrimp goby in the muck

The second dive was called the Passage. Now in terms of finding cool fish, it was difficult in the ripping current, not really the point of this dive. But this dive was more for the ride. It was a literal river within the sea and we jumped in and flew across the bottom for an hour at close to three knots. Eventually the “river” spit us out into a large bay where we poked around in the coral. Since it was a different environment, we found different fish and new ones we hadn’t seen here before. We spend hours pouring over the fish books most every evening.

Today, we went to a dive site we’ve been to at least eight times. However, each day the same dive site can produce completely different mysteries. Today the hoards of fish were SO large, it was disorienting! Absolutely incredible.

My point ?

Approach each and every day with the attitude that life is a great mystery to be revealed. You can find mystery in everything you do, not just in diving. Take an attitude of curiosity in life, explore and wonder and participate in solving life’s puzzles. It makes each and every day special.

Enjoying the boat ride home from the dive

What will you discover today?

Discovering the Red Bird of Paradise

Never stop wondering!

To Your Adventures!

Mantagirl

We spend hours in the fish books unraveling mysteries!

Have no fear, however, some of the best conversations I’ve ever had, have been “non” conversations. It’s amazing how easily we can communicate without the spoken word. Of course, as scuba divers, it is essential we have a basic form of non verbal communication, a global language of hand gestures to indicate basic commands and questions such as: go up, go down, stop, how much air do you have or look at the big shark!

Here in Indonesia, our dive guides have a smattering of English words and I have an even smaller smattering of Bahasa but I had a lengthy and hilarious conversation yesterday with Eddy, my guide, underwater. It went something like this:

Eddy found a scorpionfish and pointed it out to me. This is an extremely poisonous fish, well camouflaged within the reef and if you are not careful, you can fall victim to it’s excruciating sting as I did one day a year ago by stepping on one off the beach. Anyways, Eddy pointed out the fish. I returned his gesture with a pantomime motion of stabbing it to death. Since my unfortunate encounter, I wish them all ill fortune (in a simple joking manner!). Eddy agreed with me saying we should kill it and eat it. Not being one to indulge in seafood, I waved off his invitation to dine and pointed to my foot with a stamping motion indicating my past history with the fish.

Here we were at 70 feet under the water with schools of fish swirling around us, concentrating on telling stories!

Eddy wiped his brow in understanding and what I thought was sympathy and then a huge burst of bubble erupted from his regulator. He was laughing hysterically at me probably for doing something so dumb as stepping on the fish! He laughed so hard his mask flooded. I rubbed my eyes with closed fists to tell him that I was a cry baby from the pain of the sting which sent him into more peels of laughter. Of course, laughter being infectious, it send me into giggles as well.

So here we are the two of us, masks flooded, doubled over in fits of hilarity, bubbles bursting from our mouths over a simple story of the worst pain in my life as the current hurls us down the reef. We kind of slapped each other on the shoulder and then just continued with our dive. We didn’t talk about it after the dive, the whole story had been told and understood under the sea, conversation over.

Sometimes it’s the wordless conversations that are the best way to communicate and build a base for a friendship.  I wonder what Eddy and I will “talk” about today in the blue?

To Your Adventures!

Mantagirl

Dominica – the Adventure Island

2012 Turkey Day in the Tropics

November 17-24 2012

Make a Reservation- email sharkman@globaldivingadventures.com 

It’s lucky number 13! Our 13th year of the incomparable Turkey Day in the Tropics! This year, it’s an all out adventure on one of the most magnificent Caribbean islands! Stay in your own private jungle cottage in a serene, natural setting. Here are a few of the things we can do and see on Dominica, a towering volcanic island in the middle of a blue sea! A week is not NEARLY enough

* Scuba dive beautiful, healthy coral reefs

* Snorkel/Dive/Watch sperm whales!

* Hike to an infinite number of waterfalls

* Meditative yoga in a serene setting

* Climb to the top of volcanoes

* 74 species of orchids, including 23 endemics!

* Mountain biking

* Sea Kayaking

* UNESCO world heritage site, Morne Trois Piton National Park

PLUS all the things you’ve come to love about TURKEY DAY IN THE TROPICS including:

*Fantastic diving and guiding with Sharkman and Mantagirl

*Same time next year friendships with highlights like: Leroy’s hilarity, Liz’s new dress, Marcia’s blue toenails, Lee’s laugh, Chris’s photos, Laurie’s stack of romance novels.

*Thanksgiving feast (of some sort!)

and MORE……

Join us at Jungle Bay Resort and Spa for GDA’s 13th!!!! Annual Turkey Day in the Tropics!

Details you want to know!

Dates: NOV 17-24 2012

Price: $2950.00 per person

Included: 7 nights accommodations at Jungle Bay Resort, 5 days of diving (weather permitting), BLD for 7 days, group transfers, use of underwater digital camera and video, services of expedition leaders including any specialty courses taught, slide shows and other fun stuff including whale watching and waterfall hikes.

Not Included: Air transportation, travel insurance, dive insurance, alcoholic beverages, items of a personal nature, departure tax where applicable, excess baggage fees, SCUBA or snorkel equipment, marine park fees where applicable, dive staff gratuities.

ARRIVAL AIRPORT: DOM

Make a Reservation- email sharkman@globaldivingadventures.com

SEE YOU UNDERWATER SOON!

Mantagirl

*Snorkel with dozens of Whale Sharks – The largest gathering in the world!

*SCUBA Dive the coral reefs and wrecks of Isla Mujeres, Mexico

*Chill out at our MAGNIFICENT PRIVATE VILLA pool or hit the beach!

This is a TRIO of adventure with luxury to match! It’s what we call Surf and Turf which means both the best on land and in the water.  We have rented an incredible villa for ONLY FIVE COUPLES (plus Sharkman & Mantagirl) on the quaint and fun island of Isla Mujeres, Mexico.  When?

July 21-28, 2012

REQUEST A RESERVATION

First!

It is during the summer that the largest gathering of whale sharks in the world arrive! And last summer over 500 whale sharks gathered here. That’s right, literally hundreds of whale sharks; Schools of whale sharks.  And they swim at or just below the surface of the water.  So while you could go whale shark diving, all you need to do here is put on a mask and get in.  We will spend two days snorkeling with them and the experience as well as the photographic ops will be immense. If you’ve ever wanted to swim with the largest (harmless!) fish in the sea, NOW is your chance.

Swim with the largest fish in the sea

Second!

For divers, we’ll be doing two days of diving the beautiful reefs so it’s a PERFECT adventure for those with non diving spouses who might like to hang out at the villa and get a massage by the pool.

Third!

A multimillion dollar villa with private infinity pool and dock, 6 luxury suites (4 with jacuzzi!) private chef and concierge service. Choose your suite! First come, first serve basis so HURRY!

 Travel Details You Want to Know

FLIGHTS
: Fly into Cancun, airport code CUN.  Tons of flights from tons of airports at good prices.  Go to Kayak.com to easily source your flight.

PRICING
: per person, dbl occ.
$2895

INCLUDED: 7 nights luxury accommodations, BL for 7 days and D for 5 days, 2 days whale shark snorkeling, 2 days two tank diving, group transfers, services of expedition leaders including any specialty courses taught and slide shows.


NOT INCLUDED: Air transportation, travel insurance, dive insurance, beverages, items of a personal nature, departure tax where applicable, park fees where applicable, excess baggage fees, SCUBA or snorkel equipment, dive/snorkel staff gratuities.

REQUEST A RESERVATION

SCUBA Diving Mozambique is Great For:

*adventurous divers wanting something off the beaten track

*big megafauna – humpback whales, whales sharks and mantas

*healthy fish populations

*possibly the best white sand beaches in the world

SCUBA Diving Mozambique is Not Great For:

*divers looking to be coddled

*divers not wanting physical dives

*hard coral reefs

*highly developed infrastructure or nightlife

We were headed over to Africa and had heard about the diving in Mozambique for quite some time. The timing wasn’t right for the zenith of all divers’ wish lists, the Sardine Run, which turned out to be a blessing as the Sardine Run of 2011 was basically a bust.

But we had been invited to visit friends in Maputo, Mozambique and as we began researching the area we found Tofo Beach. Two of our Dive Master friends had recently worked there and raved about it, calling it their favorite diving in the world. Not well known in the US market, Tofo Beach is a very laid back beach town, an eight hour drive north of the nation’s capital with some very interesting surprises!

In order to get a full assessment of the area, we set up different types of accommodations and arranged to dive with three different dive operators. Most divers fly into the nearby town of Imhambane just a short drive from Tofo but we opted to drive to get a better look at coastal East Africa.

MOZAMBIQUE OVERVIEW

Mozambique is quite a different animal from it’s neighbors of South Africa and Tanzania. Just after realizing its independence from Portugal in 1975 it plunged into civil war from 1977-1992 leaving the country in vast disarray. Driving up the coast it is easy to see that it remains one of the least developed countries in the world. We passed village after village of reed huts with dirt floors, no electricity or running water. Thousands of children walked the road back and forth to school and the small cities we passed through were flooded with people in the markets selling anything they could to make ends meet. Women and children walk with oversized plastic containers balanced on their heads coming home from the local well. Along the way, roadside stands sold an array of goods but seemed to specialize in two things, cashews and hot sauce. The cashews are picked and roasted by hand and packaged in plastic bags which are then tied to the trees. It’s easy to spot these “plastic bag” trees from hundreds of yards away. And with a price of 200 Meticals ($8) for a huge bag, they were impossible to resist! The hot sauce, called Peri Peri varies from household to household but all are made with the bird’s eye pepper, tomatoes, garlic and who knows what else… all I know is that it’s HOT HOT HOT. It can be found at hundreds of stands along the way bottled in whatever empty bottles the family has. Don’t worry, any contamination is sure to be killed by the spice!

The highways, however, were in good repair all the way to Imhambane (courtesy of Chinese investment in exchange for commercial fishing rights. That in itself is another story!). Though you couldn’t see the coastline for much of the drive, gorgeous white sand beaches and dunes hug the shoreline for hundreds of miles. Mozambique may be the most beach rich country in the world. From Inhambane, it takes about 30 minutes into Tofo and we arrived just after dark with no reservations for the first night. We decided to check out the “backpackers” lodge and checked in to the only remaining room at Bamboozi Beach Lodge. The parent company, Barra Resorts, owns a few different levels of accommodation in the area and Bamboozi is at the bottom. We were given a bamboo “chalet” which was quite spacious with a double and two single beds. Many travelers in Africa like “self catering” style accommodations which means they have kitchen facilities and many sleep four, six or eight people so a group or family will rent larger units. While we were expecting “backpacker” level we didn’t expect dirty. Our water came out brown and it never drained from the shower. The mosquito netting over the bed had holes and we were both completely eaten alive that night. We went to the restaurant where we were served pretty good food on very dirty tablecloths. I tried hard not to think of what the kitchen looked like! While food in Mozambique is plenty expensive (due to corruption and the fact that it is all imported) hotel accommodations are reasonable. Our dinner (one appetizer and one chicken main plus three beers ran about $40). They were “out” of wine. The hotel ran $60. We left our small flashlight in the room when we checked out and when we returned the next morning to get it, it was gone and was never turned in to lost and found. The room had been cleaned but no one else had checked into the room.

SCUBA DIVING MOZAMBIQUE

In the morning we were excited to get to the diving. The Tofo Beach area is mainly known for big and abundant megafauna including , humpback whales, manta rays and whale sharks… what a combo!!! We set out for Tofo Scuba just a few minute drive up the beach. We were greeted by Joan, the manager, as Nikki, the owner was out of town for a wedding. Joan had been fully briefed on our impending arrival and went about getting us set to dive. As the domestic airlines LAM, had “misplaced” all of our luggage en route from Kilimanjaro to Maputo, we arrived without any of our dive gear. The staff at Tofo Scuba went over the top helping to outfit us and some of the Dive Masters lent us their personal gear.

The shop has a great area for “kitting up” and a small pool for teaching. The front side of the building sits on an incredibly gorgeous stretch of beach. Chaise lounges, picnic tables and a small restaurant serving a hearty pre dive breakfast and lunch complete the picture. The only part of this laid back dive shop that didn’t meet my expectations was the locker room which was a bit dank and dark.  However, the never ending hot water showers were luxurious!

Tofo Scuba on the beach

plenty of suit up space at both Diversity and Tofo

GORGEOUS beaches

At Tofo Scuba the majority of the Dive Masters were expats mostly from S. Africa. They were all young and fun and upbeat. They gave thorough dive briefings and knew the dive sites well. Considering that none of them were probably over age 25, they had a good level of experience. Matt and Nick were our main DMs for the three days we dived with Tofo Scuba.

The process of diving at Tofo Beach is quite unique and not for the pampered diver! There are no jetties to tie up the dive boats and often there is a large swell pounding the beach. So the completely rusted out Land Cruiser (what else would you expect in Africa!) hauls the eight meter RIB on the trailer to the long flat beach. Then they throw it in reverse and floor it towards the water. Then just when you think the Land Cruiser is going to turn submarine, they jam it into forward gear and the boat comes flying off the trailer! The divers all run over to the boat and together we push and pull and turn it around to face the waves.

the boat launch!

Once the boat is floating they yell, “ladies up!” and all the girls clammer into the boat. Then once the boat is in shoulder deep water the men jump in and we pound our way through the surf. One day the surf was so big, a wave smashed out the plexiglass windshield!

Off to the dive site we go. All of the deep sites 60-100ft are about a 30-45 minute boat ride away, the shallow sites only 5-15. On the way, the boats always keep a look out for whale sharks. At first we thought, right, what are the chances but then soon enough the cry came, “whale shark!”. The boat stopped and we all grabbed for masks, fins and cameras and jumped overboard. The Tofo Beach area, it turns out is one of the largest areas for whale sharks in the world. 20% of all identified whale sharks worldwide have been identified in this small stretch of coastline (300 out of 1000). Enough so that a manta and whale shark research station is set up here with a small staff working hard to protect these incredible animals.

Vertical feeding at the surface was so cool!

Healthy Grouper population

BEST TIME TO DIVE TOFO

Sometimes it can be difficult to find out the truth of when is the “best” time to dive an area. Most dive operator websites say, “year around” is best. We were told that October was a great time of the year, though it was at the end of the humpback season. Turned out we saw just a couple humpbacks but missed most of them by about two weeks. It was said it was a banner year for the whales who breach incredibly close to shore and many divers have had the chance to see them underwater. But we knew that mantas and whale sharks would be our main attraction. However, what we weren’t prepared for were the total “unusual” conditions we found. The water, which is normally about 26c (78.8F) this time of year varied from 20c (68F) to a mind chilling 16(60.8F). Since I am normally cold in a 7mm in 85 degree water, you can imagine my shock in a rented 5mm in 60! Not only that but because of the upwelling associated with the unusual wind direction the normally clear water was very green and fairly dark with a range of 20’ to 30’ visibility. I didn’t even to rig my video the whole week.

Over the next five days neither the temperature nor the visibility improved. However, it was GREAT for whale sharks. We had plenty of opportunity to freeze our butts off chasing whale sharks and watching them turn vertical and suck in the plankton soup. The mantas were also there and probably in more of a force then we could see, we simply had to imagine that behind the two or three we saw on each dive, there were more following. Given the number we saw splashing and leaping on the surface, this was undoubtedly true.

What we saw at Tofo was great POTENTIAL. When the water is clear and warmer, which probably occurred the day after we left (smile) it would be fantastic. Tofo has some beautiful, Fiji like soft corals (dendronepthya) – which took us by surprise – and very abundant fish populations including large groupers on almost every reef. . Interestingly, the red toothed triggerfish is the staple of the reef. Tofo is not known for lush reefs. To find the lush reefs you would need to head further north to the Bazaruto. There you will find nice lush reefs but a lack of megafauna. It would be a nice combo trip.

 BUT PERI PERI DIVERS WASN’T EVEN IN BUSINESS

We had arranged two days of diving with Tofo Scuba and then our next stop was to dive with Peri Peri Divers, a relative newcomer to the scene. All I had read about it had been great! However, when we arrived, even after the owner had told us to come on down and dive, we were told, “They are not currently doing business”. That would have been good information to have been given by the dive shop! So we returned to Tofo Scuba who were more than happy to have us back diving with them again. The day before we left we caught up with one of the employees of Peri Peri who informed us that the other dive shops were trying to run them out of business and they were now having problems because the other dive shops paid off someone in the government to shut them down. At this point, we don’t know the truth but the claim seemed far fetched to us.

 NEXT STOP DIVERSITY SCUBA

After our now three days with Tofo Scuba, we went around the corner to dive with Diversity Scuba. They were also warm and welcoming and again, lent us whatever gear we needed and again, some of the DMs lent us their private gear including computers. Diversity Scuba is not on the beach like Tofo but just a block away. They have a new, clean facility as well as a teaching pool. They have a cool upstairs deck where the dive briefings are held in cozy chairs. They have a small bar but no restaurant. That’s okay however, because one of the beach’s best restaurants, Waterworks, is right next door. We found that Diversity and Tofo both were safe and well run dive operators and I would gladly dive with either of them again. Diversity owns and operates a hotel on the beach which is undergoing a huge renovation and Sergi, the owner, promised us photos of the new place in the next four months! I did feel that one of the Dive Masters we were with was definitely not as experienced and a couple of times he appeared lost on the dive. He had broken his dive computer and was diving on the deep reefs without one, swimming over to his other DM to check for time and depth. However, one thing you can never bank on is for Dive Masters to be there when you get back. Like every other diver on the planet, they too want to dive the world.

If you have a chance, you can also take an Ocean Safari. At Diversity Scuba, they offer the opportunity to go out with a biologist to look for whales, dolphin and whale sharks. Any chance encounter, they stop the boat and you can get in with them. The biologist does an informative talk at the shop before you go. Then you help out by identifying each whale shark’s sex and size and if you can take identification photos. It’s definitely worth spending an afternoon doing.

THE ACCOMMODATIONS IN MOZAMBIQUE

After our stay at Bamboozi Lodge, we stayed next at Casa Barry. Casa Barry is advertised as the most upscale lodge on Tofo Beach. Yes, it is more upscale than the backpacker’s lodges but we were still in a bamboo room with cement floor and a basic bed back off the beach. There are a few larger A-frame units right on the beach which were definitely nicer than our back of the house casita. The hotel has a nice beachside restaurant which is probably the most expensive in the area and a very nice bar. One of the great things about Casa Barry is that they have given free space to house the manta and whale shark research station. Three nights a week there are talks. On Mondays, Dr. Andrea Marshall (star of the BBC documentary, Andrea – Queen of the Mantas) who started it all here at Tofo speaks. Unfortunately, on our Monday, she had missed her flight as she was returning from another part of Africa so we never heard her speak. On Wednesday, Dr. Simon Pierce speaks on his research of whale sharks. He is funny, interesting, poignant and a must see. On Friday is a general talk on the ecology of the area by one of the PHD students. It’s a nice touch and a great way to learn about what’s going on in Tofo.

After three nights at Casa Barry we moved on. We were still searching for THE truly upscale hotel in the area. We spent one entire rainy afternoon searching out areas nearby Tofo. We went and looked at Barra Resort’s other lodges, Flamingo Bay and Barra Resort. Flamingo Bay is nice with overwater casitas with air conditioning, something we often did not find in Tofo. However, during our inspection the pool was a horrible green and the tide was out exposing the mud flats. Our preference was something more on the beach. Barra Lodge is a family resort and if you are not into the family thing, I would steer clear. Otherwise, it is on a nice stretch of beach.

But then we came across Barra Beach Club. We pulled in and as we walked in our eyes lit up. In front of us was a gorgeous dining room with white linen, high end wine stems and a true European flair! We excitedly asked for a tour. The eight rooms and one “honeymoon cottage” gave it a distinctly boutique feel. The beds were soft with high quality linens. The pool area was beautiful and well kept. At the beach was an upscale beach bar with another beautiful swimming pool. We arranged to stay the night. When you book here, room, dinner and breakfast are included at a very reasonable price of about $250. However, if you have dinner a la carte as we did, it was over $100 just for the meal.

The manager, Evan, has big plans for the hotel. Currently, they work in tandem with Tofo Scuba though it is about a 30 minute drive to the dive shop. He plans more boutique rooms in separate buildings and a huge dive facility. It will be interesting to see if they can execute on these grand plans. Meanwhile, we feel that this will be a place that an upscale market will appreciate.

Our final night was at a wonderful B&B called Baia Sonumbula, run by a gem of an Italian woman named Laura. The B&B is small with just five rooms. It sits just on the beach next door to Casa Barry. The two rooms inside the main building have a large bed with plenty of storage and large bathrooms. They do not have any views and are in the back of the house. However, the three remaining rooms are fantastic. They have sliding doors that completely open up the rooms with sea views. They are decorated with low platform beds, Asian style with raised basins in the large bathroom and open showers. They have A/C and we used it to keep out the mosquitos which can be an issue at sunrise and sunset if you don’t have a breeze. . It was heaven to open the doors in the morning to watch and listen to the waves roll in and the breeze float into the room. Above the rooms is a sun deck and a covered area with a dining table where made to order breakfast is served each morning. It’s truly a place where you know you will make friends and a place you will want to come back to.

Baia Sonombula ocean view

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS OF TOFO BEACH

Tofo Beach grows on you. My very first impression was that it was a little dumpy with sand streets and some run down backpacker hotels. But within a day, I was starting to feel at home. At every turn, we would meet someone we had already met. We sampled most of the few restaurants and kept meeting more and more people. By the fifth day I think we knew everyone! One night, Waterworks put on a steak night. For only about $10/pp we had fabulous steaks on the grill, spicy potatoes and salad. Our Dive Master, Nick, from Tofo Scuba was the main entertainment and he showed incredible talent on the guitar. Everyone showed up, from the Dive Masters to the owners of the shops to guests we had met from the hotels, other divers and even the two gals who run the only up-end deli in town. There were probably 75 people there that night and we must have know 80% of them.

We will return to Tofo Beach at some point to have that hometown feeling in a little funky beach town in the middle of struggling Mozambique. We’ll return to all the restaurants and dive with both Tofo Scuba and Diversity. But we will call in advance and make sure there aren’t any unusual conditions because we want to see more than the just the potential for great diving. We want to see reefs packed with fish, mantas, whale sharks and the humpbacks in all their glory.

And, there is no denying the grand scale of Mozambique’s amazing beaches – something only the South Africans seem to really know about. But now, you do too.

Not a bad day!

FINS UP FOR:

•Baia Sonumbula

•Barra Beach Club

•Tofo SCUBA

•Diversity SCUBA

•Amazing Whale Shark Encounters

•Fantastic Beaches

FINS DOWN FOR:

•Peri Peri Divers

•Bamboozi Beach Lodge

•Unusually Crappy Conditions

TO YOUR DIVE ADVENTURES!

MANTAGIRL

We all have bucket lists. Things we want to do before we die. How many items does your bucket list have on it? 10? 20? 100? Take a look at it. Is it the same 20 or 100 things this year as it was last year? Or five years ago? If so, why? Lack of time? Money? or is it FEAR?

What's on your bucket list? Kilimanjaro is on many!

If you think long and hard about it, fear probably is at the top of the list. I mean, it’s easy to SAY that it’s time and money but ….it’s probably FEAR. Time and money are things that can be overcome much easier than fear. If you need the time, take a leave of absence from your job and go it. That’s not rocket science. And there are always ways to fund the dreams but fear is a mountain high hurdle.

“Courage is the resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not the absence of fear”

                ~Mark Twain

“I want to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, but I have no idea HOW to do it”

Fear stops us in our tracks. We fear that we don’t know how to do the thing it is we so long to do. . Fear keeps us from asking HOW and moving forward to success.

Recently, Ridlon and I completed writing a how to guide on Living Adventurously (soon to be available as a free download on our website). One of our eight principles is “Not knowing is never a reason for not doing”. I thought about this yesterday when I had to do a couple of things I’d never done before.

It was snowy and my almost vertical driveway was slick. If I wanted to go to town, it would be smart to put the chains on the truck. But I had never done it. Like many women, I relied on my husband for this more “manly” task. But now, here I was faced with “figure it out or stay home”. I was afraid to try and fail. It took a few tries to get them lined up around the tires and get them hooked in the wheel well. My neighbors probably would have laughed! One fell off halfway down the driveway and wrapped around the axel so I was under the truck in the wet snow, learning and feeling dumb. Now I know. Then as soon as I got to town a brake light went out on the truck. I went and bought a new light and rather than just let the CarQuest guy fix it, I watched and asked so I knew how to get the taillight cover off and back on. I felt kind of stupid not knowing but I WAS stupid on that particular subject. But… now I know. We are not all experts on every subject.

“Hey, why would they want to talk to me?”

It made me think even further back to an enlightening moment I had on a cruise two years ago. I had joined a fantastic company of people who make and distribute vitamin supplements (www.usana.com) and 700 of us were on a Caribbean cruise together. I was a novice at the sales process and was feeling a bit shy and stupid on the subject because I WAS unknowledgeable about it. Ridlon jumped right in and went and asked the most successful people how to become successful but I was thinking, “Hey, why would they want to talk to me?” I was letting FEAR get in the way of my success.

We spent one evening with another couple who were at the top of the company. The wife, (I’ll call her Sarah) was an especially strong, go after it, type of woman and while I really liked her, I was a bit uncomfortable because of her knowledge and success. I didn’t think she would want to give me the time of day.  As the conversation turned to scuba diving, she and her husband mentioned that they had just finished their beginning course but had not completed their training dives. Well, here we were in the Caribbean, so we offered our services to help them complete their Open Water course.

We took them out the next day into a shallow bay of just 25’ of water in perfect conditions. I could tell that Sarah was nervous. I couldn’t believe it. How could this strong, confident, successful woman be nervous about 25’ of perfect blue sea? I took her down slowly, watching her eyes widen we dropped further down. I reached out and she took a death grip on my hand. I led her confidently, smiling with my eyes and showing her that it was alright. She was terrified, I could tell. In her mind, she was simply trying to survive, in mine, I was learning a valuable lesson.

Learn from someone who knows, don't be afraid to ask

We all have something we do great but we all have things we are “dumb” at only because of lack of knowledge. Don’t be afraid to find those people who have the knowledge and ask, “Can I learn from you?”. Sarah was top dog on terra firma but underwater was my realm. It wasn’t a contest, it was a lesson. We all have FEAR.

What’s on your bucket list that with only a bit of knowledge could you accomplish? What will it take to get over that fear of not knowing how? Ask someone! Don’t let “Not knowing EVER be a reason for not doing”.

To Your Adventures and may you check off many things on your bucket list in the new year!

~Mantagirl

To Your Adventures!

“There’s something about tradition….something comforting, something satisfying.  It’s a feel good moment that you’ve carried on something important into the future.  It’s a way of belonging.”

Kind of like Halloween and pumpkins, or like Christmas and Carrols, some things are simply tradition. Just like Thanksgiving and Scuba Diving? Absolutely! For the past twelve years, we’ve lead a scuba diving trip somewhere in the Caribbean during the week of the American Thanksgiving holiday. Why?  Here are the top reasons:

 THANKSGIVING WEATHER

Well, if you look outside my door in Montana at the moment, it’s 15 degrees with about six inches of snow on the ground. THAT’S a good reason. It’s nice to have a good blast of warm water and warm sunshine, before plunging headlong into winter. It helps get you through those cold nights until the end of the holidays when you’re ready to head south again for another syringe full of sand in your toes.

Time to get out for a dive trip!

 SHORT WORK WEEK DURING THANKSGIVING

It’s a short week of work. So in order to take in a full week of bask on the beach Caribbean Heaven, you really only need to take three days off. But if you are thinking, OMG, the last thing I want to do is fly on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, listen up. Here is where we have become tricky with our Thanksgiving Dive trip. We run it Saturday to Saturday so you are home in the comfort of your PJs on Sunday morning while the rest of humanity is fighting TSA in some hub airport after just flighting it the other way on Wednesday night. Now THAT is a tradition I can miss!

 SOME PEOPLE SIMPLY DON’T LIKE THE HASSLE OF THE HOLIDAY

Some people don’t want the whole “family” thing at Thanksgiving. They’d rather not cook, not deal with the in-laws and don’t give a lick about the football games. It’s another holiday to spend in the kitchen cooking for people who probably don’t appreciate it and end up depressed by the 5lb you gained eating all that butter! And then….here it comes.. BLACK Friday. Wow, give me a lobotomy rather than shop on the day after Thanksgiving! I prefer to Christmas shop online from the comfort of my couch in front of the fire instead of having to put chains on my truck to get down my driveway and then fight the hoards in the mall. It seriously looks like opening day of hunting season here in the west!

 THANKSGIVING WEEK DIVE ADVENTURE

So for all these reasons and probably more, back in 1999, we began what we call, Turkey Day in the Tropics, a new Thanksgiving Tradition. It wasn’t a tradition to begin with, that defies the definition. But what we found was that year after year, the same people kept showing up for “Turkey Day in the Tropics”. It’s always a quick and easy one week getaway to the Caribbean. Mostly, it’s a relaxing week of sharing time with friends and always seems to include someone new to add to our “family”. We dive twice a day from an upscale resort where everyone is pampered to the hilt. The afternoons are spent exploring the island or relaxing in a hammock. The photographers thumb through their images and at happy hour at the bar every evening, I show video of the day’s underwater escapades. One of our diver’s wives who doesn’t dive, uses it as total chill out time. She brings a huge stack of romance novels and sits by the pool with an umbrella drink and lets the stress of her job melt away for seven glorious days! Another of our divers, Liz, buys herself a new dress every year just for the occasion.

Sharing time with great friends and meeting new ones!

Chilling out after the dives

It soon became an anticipated yearly tradition. And I refer back to my opening quote because it HAS become something comforting, something satisfying. It’s a feel good moment that you’ve carried something important into the future. It’s a way of belonging.

It became SUCH a tradition that back in 2009 when Ridlon and I were unable to make the trip, a few of our divers went anyway! They sent pictures with a Turkey Day sign they had made. Wow, it was an honor to know how this now twelve year old tradition can endure even without us!

The tradition continued even without us one year!

So, now, why am I writing this? It’s Thanksgiving week and I’m writing this from Montana??? Never fear, Turkey Day in the Tropics is happening right now on the beautiful island of Curacao! Ridlon is leading the group this year because number of divers didn’t allow for both of us to go. It’s a very sad state of our economy that this year many of our “same time next year divers” were unable to join us. But we will hold fast to our tradition and are confident that next year, those who couldn’t make it in 2011 will join us in 2012. The spirit of the Turkey Day in the Tropics tradition lives on!

Enjoying the Turkey Day Tradition on the dive boat!

Turkey Day Dive Trip 2011!

THANK YOU DIVERS

So thank you to all of you who hold Turkey Day sacred! It’s been a great run for twelve years and we look forward to making lucky number 13 the best one yet!!!!

 WANT TO JOIN US?

Where will it be? Ah, that brings me to another tradition. On every trip, we host a slideshow we call Shameless Self Promotion where we unveil upcoming trips. So during this week, the location of Turkey Day in the tropics 2012 will be revealed…. so I can’t divulge it ahead of time or I won’t survive until Christmas…

Stay tuned……

To Your Adventures,

Mantagirl

Fun Diving in Curacao

Over the next month my blog posts will be focused on Africa as we take to the road, Monday, for our first ever jaunt to the big latitudes of the dark continent.  We have many things to learn and therefore many things to share along the way. Some of the firsts we are excited to experience include:

First trip to the roof of Africa (Kilimanjaro)

First dives in the Indian Ocean

First time driving in Africa!

First safari where we are hoping to see a good percentage of the 147 mammals in Kruger National Park

First time on a 17 hour flight! (Johannesburg to Atlanta)

However, as we pack and prepare to even leave the country, we’ve already experienced our first African first!

My friend from Mozambique taught me the three most important words for traveling in Africa. “This is Africa, TIA”. That is a short way to say that it’s not going to work out how you want, it’s going to be frustrating and you just have to roll with it, shrug your shoulders and sigh….This is Africa.

I Decided to be Proactive!

The embassy where my passports languished!

So I thought I would be proactive in dealing with the bureaucracy of the country of Tanzania by purchasing my Visa in advance. Simple. Mail your passport to the Embassy in Washington, five day turn around and passport back in hand.

Well, TIA in America! I nervously mailed our passports off (I NEVER want to be without my passport for even a day!) after calling and confirming the five day turn around. A week later I get a message that they don’t accept American Express. Ok, so far we’ve surpassed the five day mark. When you phone the Embassy no one ever answers and trust me, no one calls you back. However, I learned to continuously dial “0” and eventually the receptionist will pick up the phone, sometimes after 17 tries.

So I finally reach Mariam who takes down my Mastercard number and we are in business. Now, I simply wait for the passports to arrive in my mailbox. And wait.. and wait.. and wait…

Now it’s Thursday, nine days after my conversation with Mariam and 15 days after they received the passports, and we leave Monday. My little local post office has confirmed no passports arrived today. I call the Embassy and 17 tries later, I get my favorite receptionist. “Oh”, she said, “I don’t think they’ve gone out but they probably will in a day or so”. My heart stopped dead! “I think you’d better get Mariam on the line”. “Hold on, hold on hold on” she says. Is this Africa? Both ladies love to repeat words over and over (they really are very cute!).

Mariam begins the search asking six times for my name, searching desperately for the passports. Meanwhile, I am calculating the minute, slim percentage chance of getting a new passport in only four days over the weekend when I am sure she is going to tell me me she’s lost them!

Then the line goes dead. Oh no! She hung up on me. Back to 17 tries for the receptionist. When I get Mariam back on the line, she says, “oh, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry” What’s with the repetition of words? Then she asks for my name…again. And she says, “Were we supposed to mail them back to you?” And I’m wondering what the other option was… drive over to Washington DC and pick them up?

Eventually Mariam finds that they have in fact been mailed out two days ago back to me in Montana. I give my racing heart a few minutes to calm down and decide that now, today, at this moment is the time to begin to blog on my trip to Africa, for obviously the fun has already begun. TIA

I hope my passport looks something like this when I get it back!

(note: In the middle of writing this post, I received a phone call from my little town’s post office. It seems that the package had arrived this morning after all. I had them open the letter to verify and yes! the passports have arrived! All systems go!)

To Your Adventures..and mine

Mantagirl

I’ve written suitcases full of advice and tips on packing but my favorite type of packing  is for a multi sport adventure. It takes planning, precision and pruning to get it right and arrive with everything you need….nothing you don’t…..and here’s the MOST important part…. WITHIN THE AIRLINE WEIGHT LIMITS!!

This week I am packing for a climbing, diving and safari extravaganza in Africa! So let’s take a look at how it’s done.

Begin with the Airline

Yep, start your packing process by finding the baggage weight restrictions on the MOST restrictive flight you will be on. For example, I will fly to Mt. Kilimanjaro with KLM on an Airbus A330-300, so no worries, 2 bags, 70 lbs since I am a frequent flier with Sky Team. Ah but wait! I will fly from Tanzania to Mozambique on Precision Airlines, restrictions… 1 bag 23 kilos. Excess baggage fees $3.00 per kilo. Now I have my parameters for the trip.

Pull out everything essential for each part of the trip

Since you already have a copy of my travel planning book (what? you don’t? Get one here!) you have made packing lists for previous diving or climbing trips, or whatever your sport of choice is. So pull out those lists and pull out all the kit. Keep the piles separate for each part of the trip. Now, take a look and be overwhelmed by the amount of stuff you take for a single sport adventure.

Start the pruning process

What things do you normally take for a single sport trip that can double. Unfortunately, climbing and diving require almost completely different gear. For the safari portion of the trip, this time we’ll be doing it the easy way, by car so not much gear is necessary. A pair of binoculars and a couple of guidebooks which can be bought on site, a few printed out bird and mammal checklists from the internet and we’re good to go. So…now I go back and see what is essential. And this is hard.

Normally for a dive trip I would have my back up mask, my “save a dive kit” my parachute and reel…. well you get the idea. So, for this trip I decided to take strictly essentials, regulator/computer, mask and wetsuit. I have ditched the 6lb fins, my 4.4lb BCD and all the extras. For a few dollars I can rent these things and not carry them all across Africa. I have my safety parachute and dive alert. My wetsuit to me is essential since I become cold very easily and won’t rely on a rental suit. Already I have “saved” about 15lbs of gear.

When you pack for a climb you are acutely aware of weight already since you will carry it all on your back. This means you don’t take 15 pairs of climbing shorts, you rotate two. So climbing gear is already honed down to the bare essentials. Important, DO NOT to skimp on your safety gear for any sport endeavor.

Packing Clothes for a Multi Sport Adventure

This one can be tough especially for women. We want to travel light and efficiently but we want to look good as well. We’ll be on the beach for a week diving so I want a couple of sexy sundresses and heels, cute strappy tops and shorts. And as most of you know, I simply CAN’T exist without 8-10 bathing suits. Here is where the tough decisions come in. For me, I forgo the heels for flip flops and maybe, at the end of the packing if there is room, throw in a little black dress. Most of my climbing shorts and tops are fine for the beach. I have a couple of pairs of good wicking undies that, while not Victoria’s Secret, are sexy enough thanks to Patagonia. And this time, two bathing suits are the max, OUCH! Hiking boots and flip flops will have to suffice for footwear. Pack clothes that can be used for multi purpose. Sport gear companies like Patagonia, again, are great for this type of clothing. You can use your wicking tops for climbing or the beach but your cotton t-shirts would be a disaster on the mountain not to mention their hefty weight. Leave those at home.

Consumables

Now, remember that up until the end of the climbing portion, we will have arrived with luxurious baggage allowances. Therefore, I put all our consumables in a second checked bag (squashable duffel). That protein powder, powdered Gatorade, Snickers bars, vitamins, shampoo, etc….. will not be going onward to the restricted airlines. So I pack all my kit and then put the consumables in a separate bag. I know this stuff will be long gone before I hit the airline counter and I know the weight of my main bag will not change except for the few ounces of weight of my collapsable duffel.

Toiletries

If I were headed to a resort for a couple of weeks to lie on the beach, then I would take my favorite shampoo and conditioner, face creams and lotions and potions and perfumes and all of that. However, on a multi sport adventure, my sleeping bag is more important than my favorite shampoo. For a couple of bucks, go to Walmart and buy travel/trial sizes of deodorant, toothpaste and combo shampoo/conditioner. Your body won’t fall apart using these for a couple of weeks, trust me. Leave the big heavy bottles at home. And don’t ever trust those “travel bottles”. 99% of the time they will explode in your luggage and even if they are enclosed in ziplock bags, it will be a mess you don’t want. Remember, most hotels provide soap, shampoo, conditioner, hair dryers etc… even if it’s not your favorite brand. It’s not a pivotal point in history, trust me.

Sharing

If you are traveling with a spouse or buddy, what can you share? My husband and I are not so different in size that we can’t share t-shirts. We do this all the time. And for a trip like this, we’ll share most of our toiletries.

Weigh Early and Often

So finally you have everything narrowed down to it’s lowest common denominator, great. Weigh it. And weigh it again before you leave, just in case. Here are a few additional tips for keeping weight out of your bags.

•Be sure you have removed all unnecessary packaging from new items. (Ladies, don’t take the BOX of tampons, get the pearl size and put them in a ziplock bag.)

•Always leave 2-3lbs of leeway to account for the last minute “throw in” and difference in scales.

•Leave a sweater or book or something at the top of your suitcase. If you find your bag is over the allowed weight once you get to the airport, you can easily pull out a sweater to tie around your neck or a book to carry in your hand to offset the difference.

•Plan in advance what you will wear on the plane and wear what’s heavy! While the flip flops may be the most comfortable, those hiking boots probably weigh 5lbs. You can always take them off on the plane and yes, it will be more of a pain at security but it’s really not a big deal.

•Weigh your bag empty. A normal rolling suitcase can weigh up to 10lbs!!!! Choose wisely here.

•Often I get away with a heavy carry on.  It’s a risk sometimes but often worth it.

Many of the best trips I have taken in my life were multi sport adventures. Don’t let the packing process and a load of gear become overwhelming. Follow these tips and you’ll soon learn that not only is it easy but it’s a fun challenge to pack for such great adventures.

To Your Adventures!

Mantagirl

Join Global Diving Adventures with a select group of divers in Raja Ampat, Indonesia this coming January and February as we join forces with dive pioneer and legend, Max Ammer to explore the waters of Cape Kri where after two decades of exploration, Max says,

“we have only scratched the surface”.

Cruising in Max's plane, Drifter

According to Conservation International, marine surveys suggest that the marine life diversity in the Raja Ampat area is the highest recorded on Earth. Diversity is considerably greater than any other area sampled in the Coral Triangle composed of Indonesia, Philippines and Papua New Guinea. The Coral Triangle is the heart of the worldʼs coral reef biodiversity, making Raja Ampat quite possibly the richest coral reef ecosystems in the world.

To date, according to Roger Steene, 1426 species have been recorded here.

“Picture Perfect” is how Stephen Frink describes it.

Max's Place, Sorido Bay, Raja Ampat

“The richest coral reefs in the world” is the accolade given by David Doubilet of National Geographic.

It's ALL here!

“Kick ass diving” is what Sharkman thinks.

And Mantagirl just dreams of Mantas! To date, Max has located over 21 manta cleaning stations throughout Raja Ampat!

But diving is not the only thing we will be doing at Maxʼs boutique, upscale resort, Sorido Bay, (www.papua-diving.com ). Our plans include:

•Flying over these “Palauan-esque” islands in Maxʼs personal sea plane, Drifter.

•Excursions to see the outlandish birds of paradise featured in Planet Earth

•Visits to native Papuan villages

•Cave Exploration

* MORE!

Once again, Sharkman and Mantagirl will be leading a small group of divers to one of the worldʼs top dive locations, with three different sets of dates in early 2012.

With all the details handled and all the fun included, we welcome you to our tribe.

Details you want to know!

Dates: Jan 8 – 18, 2012 (Bali extension Jan 4-7)

             Jan 19 – 29, 2012 (Bali extension Jan 29-1)

             Feb. 5 – 15, 2012 (Bali extension Feb 15-18)

* When planning dates, be aware that a domestic overnight may be required on the inbound.

$4995.00 Sentani Bungalow

Included: 10 nights Accommodations at Sorido Resort, 10 days of diving including unlimited shore diving (weather permitting), all meals, nitrox, group transfers, use of underwater digital camera and video, services of expedition leaders including any specialty courses taught, nitrox certification, slide shows and other fun stuff including dive trips to outer islands, treks for birds of paradise and local village visits.

Not Included: Air transportation, travel insurance, dive insurance, alcoholic beverages, items of a personal nature, departure tax where applicable, excess baggage fees, SCUBA or snorkel equipment, marine park fees where applicable, dive staff gratuities.

ARRIVAL AIRPORT: Sorong, West Papua

Want more? How about a three day add on to a luxury private villa in Ubud, Bali. We have a stunning 5 bedroom villa reserved for three nights in the heart of where they filmed, Eat, Love, Pray. Activities include massage in a private spa house at the villa, rafting on the Ayung river, site seeing to rice terraces and your own driver/guide for shopping and exploring!

One of 5 gorgeous bedrooms at our private villa

Fabulous open air living spaces

our lap pool at the villa

Email for pricing on the extension to Bali!  Sharkman@globaldivingadventures.com

TO YOUR ADVENTURES!

Mantagirl