Category Archives: Adventure

Discovering the World of Scuba Diving

Friday, 20 February 2009 19:20
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I’ve always been pretty adventurous. I tried skydiving when I was 19, I’ve been snowboarding for about 10 years, done lots of hiking, and I’ve tried my hand at surfing in Costa Rica and Bali. For some reason diving always interested me but never registered as something I could do, maybe because I’ve never lived near an ocean.

Well my friends, a new chapter of my life has begun. The world of diving offers so much. It’s a special experience for humans, out of their natural environment, floating weightlessly among the fish and seeing the vast coral ecosystems that are hidden from the surface.

Those are my legs!

Tuesday was a full day of lessons and tests for me. I watched three videos in total, read three chapters of the PADI Open Water Diver Manual, and took three short tests. That was the “in-class” part. The “practical” part included two pool submersions where I had to learn all sorts of skills, practice hand signals, simulate running out of air and sharing your “buddy’s” secondary air source, practice buoyancy control, among others. This includes learning about the equipment, how to put the tank and regulator and buoyancy control device (BCD – that’s the vest) together and turn on the air, check the pressure, etc.

After I passed all the tests and practiced the necessary skills, Fabian, my instructor, took me out to the ocean for the real deal, practicing skills at the bottom of the ocean. I had already been out once the day before after my first pool submersion and had been doing fine so this was just a progression.

Then I went back for the final test and I now have the PADI Scuba Diver certification. The full Open Water Diver certification takes a little while longer, but this one allows me to dive anywhere in the world, to a depth of 40ft as long as an instructor dives with me.

I have to say I am really impressed by the attention and service I got from Blue Life Dive Center because knowing my time was limited, Fabian and his father, Educardo, the owners of the shop, made sure I was able to complete all the requirements.

That’s me in relaxed diving form 🙂

All the other divers on the trip were really happy for me, congratulating me on “joining their club” and toasting to me at dinner which was really nice.

For our last night on San Andres before heading to Providencia we went to an excellent restaurant that served fondues and imported cheese and wine, a nice end to a great first day in the world of diving. Thanks to Fabian for the pics!

Learning to Scuba Dive in San Andrés

Tuesday, 17 February 2009 11:09
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Being part of GreenSpot.travel means not only am I trying to find out which are the best hotels that we could potentially send our clients to, but also which ones (if any) have sustainability initiatives, are contributing somehow to the preservation of the island’s natural heritage and are benefiting the local people. I have to say that there are a few hotels right on the beach, and literally only several feet back, that are not integrated into the natural landscape at all. There are however some charming smaller guesthouses and posadas which are part of a program which helps Colombian natives rent out rooms in their homes, offering a private space but a warm and welcoming family atmosphere. There are of course a handful of all-inclusive hotels owned by mainly one chain.  So the main thing is to find lodging that would accommodate our clients in a unique and green way.

Speaking of green initiatives, our restaurant last night, La Regatta, was out on a pier and while they served the best fish I’ve had maybe ever, what struck me on the way in was the way they reused their bottles on the grounds to create gardens and decorations, some seriously creative recycling!

La RegattaLa Regatta

Onto the subject of diving, I have to say the undersea world is something all humans should be able to experience!  If the opportunity comes up, take it, because it is unreal. At times I felt I was watching what was in front of me on TV because it was so incredible to see so many fish swimming about right before my eyes.  The coral here is known to be quite healthy in comparison to other parts of the world. I did not see any brightly coloured coral yet, but the fish were amazing. And sting-rays! They are so beautiful. Several times we watched a large sting-ray, even an elusive Eagle ray, which had been resting on the soft sand floor, rise up and float away looking like it was flapping its wings. Such a breathtaking sight, we got to our knees in the sand and just watched. One of our group members, Willian Bueno from Brazil took a video that I will have to post.

Blue Life Dive BoatSting ray

I decided while I’m here to do my beginners certification because the more I learn about the sea, the more I want to see.  Today I began by watching a video at Blue Life Dive Center, and then my instructor, Fabian, and I went to the pool to practice and get used to the equipment. Now I have a text book that I have to study to take some tests tomorrow before I do a second open water dive like I did today, as well as another pool session to practice more technical skills.

In the afternoon we took a tour of the island to see some sights, including Henry Morgan’s cave where the infamous pirate hid treasure centuries ago. It is now a tourist attraction with some good points and some bad. It has a pirate museum which is interesting because of the artifacts such as old kitchenware and utensils, 400 years old, that have been discovered around the islands.  It also has locals dressed in pirate attire, giving spiels about the history and a replica of Morgan’s ship with dance of the pirate times. These aspects are not very authentic experiences, but the cave in addition to the small museum is interesting because it is made completely of coral, showing that the entire island was once under water.

Typical house on San Andres 

Touring local areas on islands is always the most fascinating part for me, seeing where the people live, often times how poor a place really is especially in comparison to sprawling resorts. I’d much rather spend some time with some natives of a place in their homes or their hangouts but it’s something that’s not always possible. That’s why I love the posadas concept, because while it is a regulated system to ensure standards, it gives the local people the opportunity to really benefit from tourism, and provides a really enriching and authentic experience for the visitors. I only wish I get to stay in one but as we are a group it was not arranged for us.

I hear that Providencia, where we are heading to next, is spectacular compared to San Andres so maybe the excitement is just beginning!

Colombia Adventures Here I come!

Friday, 13 February 2009 16:04
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By Kelly Galaski 

I wanted to look up some of the places I’ll be traveling to in Colombia, to give you an idea of what part of the country I’ll be visiting. As you can imagine, it is a country of great diversity with remote dense rainforests, mountains, big city centres with bustling culture, and indigenous heritage. Also, the world’s third largest barrier reef lies just off the Atlantic coast among Caribbean islands. Since the focus of my particular trip is scuba diving, that’s where I’ll be headed. How I love the Carribean.  I decided to do a little research on http://www.colombia.travel/ about some of the specific stops which include:

– Tayrona National Park near Santa Marta, on the Caribbean coast
– The Island of San Bernardo, near Cartagena, Colombia’s best preserved architectural  jewel
РThe islands of San Andr̩s and Providencia on the Caribbean Coast, which lay next to the most extensive coral reef system in the world.

Tayrona National Park

Lonely Planet Publications chose this lovely nature reserve as one of the ten destinations to visit in 2010. It is located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and consists of 15,000 colorful hectares, 3,000 of which are marine. The park has over 108 species of mammals, among which howling monkeys, ocelots, corn monkeys, deer and over 70 species of bats stand out. Bird species, including the white and lone eagles, number over 300. Close to 110 coral, 471 crustacean and 700 mollusk species live in its oceans.

The Tayrona Indians were deeply aware of the environment. They channeled mountain water to their houses in an organized way and designed cities and cultivation terraces with the aim of protecting nature always in mind. Visitors to the park have access to the ruins and can attest to their creative abilities.

San Bernardo

The Corals of Rosario and San Bernardo National Natural Park is perfect for observing colorful coral reefs in shallow waters. Located at 45 kilometers from Cartagena, the park protects underwater ecosystems, mainly the coral reefs, which are fragile ecosystems, inhabited by a multitude of invertebrate species and a variety of fish whose movements and colors resemble ballet choreography.

San Andres and Providencia

The singular coloring of the coral reefs and the mangrove lagoons have conferred upon the sea of Providencia the name of “sea of seven colors”. Providencia is a beautiful Caribbean island located seven hundred kilometers from the city of Cartagena. In the underwater part of the park, the barrier reef that protects the coast of the island from the onslaughts of the sea may be admired in its entire splendor. In its land area, the park comprises a small hill by the name of Iron Wood and the McBean mangrove area. The prodigious coral reef and the McBean mangrove lagoon paint the sea with a spectacular gamut of colors, from deep blue to aquamarine to turquoise.


After that I’ll be whisked off to the city for an all day meeting where I will try to build relationships with Colombian operators that we can work with to design an itinerary and start sending people on trips!

Excerpts from http://www.colombia.travel/

EcoCamp: Adventure in Patagonia

Friday, 13 February 2009 14:25
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Suite Domes

Have you ever dreamt of sleeping in an igloo or a traditional native hut?  Imagine a clear dome where you can see out to the stars, feel like you are sleeping in the wilderness but have the comfort and luxury of a hotel room.  This is EcoCamp. Probably the most intriguing feature is that the hotel is portable. Each winter the domes are removed. Now that is a small environmental footprint!

Daniel Sanhueza shares the vision of EcoCamp Patagonia and how it came to be the most ecologically sustainable and unique experience south of the Amazon:

“At the tip of the South American continent, in the heart of Patagonia in Torres del Paine National Park (Chile), we created the EcoCamp, the 1st sustainable lodging south of the Amazon, and the only one of its kind in Patagonia.

The Ecocamp, founded in 1998 and completed by January 2000, was conceived and engineered as an example of sustainable practices in wilderness areas. It hopes to inspire and motivate not only travelers but also the tourism industry towards the possibilities of lodging in wilderness areas with minimal human impact. In 2005 the entire establishment was moved to a new location. By 2008 we had gained enough experience in dealing with comfort in a sustainable manner, that we were able to create new Suite Domes at the Ecocamp.

Our commitment to sustainability through technology arose as our response to the destruction of the amazing Bio Bio river valley and the displacement of its aboriginal community in the years 1993 to 1996. The EcoCamp is still a prototype, but it is a modest contribution to creating new ideas and values during a period obsessed with “progress” that often brings massive destruction to our natural realms.

EcoCamp is a tribute to Kaweskar dwellings and way of life.

The basic premise in designing the EcoCamp was to maintain the nomadic spirit of Patagonia’s ancient inhabitants. These early peoples lived in harmony with “Mother Nature” and built their geodesic shaped huts from wood, fur, skins, and other organic materials which they hunted and gathered from their surroundings.

The Kaweskar, together with many other nomadic cultures, developed an environmentally responsible shelter. They made no demand on natural resources, stayed only a few nights in each place and placed very little importance on keeping material goods. The semicircular huts they built were simple and easy to install and dismantle and the fires built inside where enough to heat all occupants.

Communities had no hierarchy whatsoever and were formed by self- sufficient and independent families. They married for love, practiced monogamy, and had a very well established moral and ethical code involving a deep spiritual world with one god.
Their happiness relied not on possessing goods, but rather in moving about with complete freedom, counting on the individual as a source of self esteem, and nature was the source of well being.

Sadly, in a story repeated across much of Latin America, by 1880 the European settlers that had arrived in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego in search of gold, furs, and wool displaced, slaughtered, and brought diseases to these people and by the 1920’s they were almost completely extinct.”

 

EcoCamp Patagonia is truly an inspiration to sustainable lodging and green travel. GreenSpot.travel is saying keep up the good work!

Sea Turtles and SEE Turtles

Monday, 09 February 2009 13:04
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GreenSpot.travel loves to hear about and showcase organizations who are working hard to benefit people and the planet. In countries that have sea turtle nesting beaches, often there are challenges to keeping those nesting places undisturbed and healthy.  In some cases there is illegal poaching of sea turtles, in other cases development inhibits the ancient, mysterious creatures from coming ashore for their regular reproduction routines.

Photo by Neil OsborneOrganizations that work toward the conservation of sea turtle nesting sites such as SEE Turtles know that their work is essential in the preservation of these areas so that sea turtles can flourish.

Director Brad Nahill and his team at SEE Turtles have a mission to contribute profits to conservation, providing necessary income to communities that surround the sea turtle nesting sites. He shared his latest news with GreenSpot.travel:

“Building on a successful first year, the SEE Turtles (www.seeturtles.org) conservation tourism program is relaunching its website with a new look and expanded offerings.  Visitors to the website will find a variety of new trips to participate in sea turtle conservation and research in beautiful surroundings.  SEE Turtles creates partnerships with leading tour operators and organizations to promote travel to sea turtle hotspots where a modest amount of tourism can greatly benefit conservation efforts. Each trip generates donations for turtle conservation and creates alternatives to turtle poaching or irresponsible fishing in small coastal communities in Baja California Mexico, Costa Rica, and Trinidad & Tobago.”

Thanks to Brad and SEE Turtles for another great example of how green travel can create positive impacts.

Make sure to check out SEE Turtles’ 10 Tips for Turtle Watching!

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