Since my first trip to Costa Rica, in 1995, I have always been struck by the magic of the country as soon as my feet come off the airplane. Although it is a very different place than it was in the 90s, it is still one of my favorite spots on earth. Today, most of the roads are paved and you no longer need to judge distance driven in flat tires. Unfortunately, fast food restaurants let you...
When traveling with Lindblad you expect to be around the elite, the cultured, the wealthy, the social royalty and that was definitely the majority of my fellow passengers. And then there was Joel. Joel Levinson, or Happy Joel, to be more specific. Joel wins contests for a living. I'll repeat....Joel wins contests for a living. He won a contest to be on the National Geographic Endeavour with us...
The hardest part of getting ready for this trip was selecting the camera gear. I could not find enough online about what to bring and what to leave at home, so let me give you a hand. If you click on the Gear-Up page, you can see what I had to choose from. Rikki and Jack Swenson talked me into bringing my 300mm f2.8L IS lens, and I knew I wanted to bring 2 camera bodies. This was the...
I shot over 12,000 photos on this trip and have only processed about 200 now. I could be at this for months! I figured I do a quick little recap with some photos...and more photos than usual because I have a broadband Internet connection again! Some of these images, you've already seen. It isn't a trip for everyone, and whether this expedition speaks to you or not is an argument on to itself....
We should be back in Ushuaia around 7:00 AM tomorrow morning. Today has been spent socializing and getting ready to say good bye. This will be our final night on the NG Endeavour and it is going to be tough to leave - this ship feels like home. I don't think the land will move the same way. But at least I'll have a bigger shower and bed waiting for me back at my regular home. This will also...
Itinerary Make port at Stanley, the capital of the Falklands Visit Gypsy Cove for our last time with wildlife Walk around Stanley and have a pint Disembark for Ushuaia We’re only one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time now, so I’m waking up at a normal time again – on my own clock. I was having some issues being 3 hours ahead. Sadly, the reality that this trip is coming to end is beginning to...
We are on our roughest sea day yet. Report from the Bridge is 7-8 meter seas. It is a little strange because the sun is fully out, so it is actually a really nice day. The only reason to put a coat on is to prevent getting soaked by the enormous splashes. Splashes are shooting over the entirety of the ship by the way. During breakfast half the galley had stuff on the floor, and during lunch I...
I rarely participate in photo contests anymore because I have had little time to break the camera out. This trip has given me the opportunity to dust the rust on my photography off and then some. Before leaving, the theme for S2Ki’s October photo contest was announced: Our Feathered Friends. I had to enter. I wanted to challenge myself by not shooting a penguin in a beautiful landscape, but a...
We are in the Antarctic Converge, which is biologically part of Antarctica. In such a cold and extreme place, one would expect a lot of whites and grays to be the main color schemes. This is not the case. Yes, the cooler parts of the color palette are well represented, but not by the cold temperate colors of white snow and gray overcast skies. South Georgia is covered in greens, blues, and small...
*Our Internet connection is the worst yet - this is the first time I've been able to get on since my last posting* Itinerary Dawn Patrol at 6:30 AM for a short trip to Salisbury Plain (that place we tried to get to 3 times before) Head to see the Gray-Headed Albatross at Elselhul Say good bye to South Georgia…sadly Today was another phenomenal day on South Georgia. I am so worn out from our time...
Itinerary Shoot, I can’t even remember now So much the mind has melted First off, I’m sorry I didn’t update last night. So much stuff has happened I couldn’t do anything but find my pillow. Today was more of the same. Let me back track, but it is going to be tough because the last 48 hours has been so action-packed my mind is blown! I think we started off in Drygalski Fjord on the Southern-most...
Itinerary Wake up early to repeat the final 4 mile leg of Shackleton’s hike into Stromness Whaling Stationm – CANCELLED Zodiac Landing in Fortuna Bay instead…even better! Zodiac Landing for short, medium, or long hikes back-tracking Shackleton’s approach to Stromness Pick up BBC and National Geographic team for dinner Today began as a bust and I think it weighed heavily on a few people after 3...