All posts by Craig

Diving photos

February 3, 2014 Craig Leave a comment

Here are some photos from diving!

Starting with my only two photos from The Pit. It’s a big hole in the ground…so cool!

This line is our direction through the caves, there are two lines running through this section and they loop around back to the beginning. I’m told that they are also used for actual cave divers to find their way back from when they go out and lay their own lines into dark caves.

I was told that this is the “Barbie line” so named because an alligator ate a tourist named Barbie. And that the alligator was still out there…Erik made a chompy hand signal when we reached this…I shook my head and you couldn’t see my “funny…” face because of the regulator. 😛

This is a picture of our air bubbles collecting in the rock crevasses. Because, of course, it has no where else to go down there!

Another scuba group. They looked cool over there.

We swam to the “bat cave”. So called because of the bats…

This is the snorkelling area. Miranda and I came back here the next day because I absolutely had to show her this!!

Me!

Mexico

Yesterday

February 2, 2014 Craig Leave a comment

So now I’m on the iPad…installed wordpress and have gone through yesterday’s photos…but now it’s time for sleeping, so I have only a video to show you from yesterday’s haul. It’s from in the middle of diving Dos Ojos, my new favourite place. It’s “cavern diving” not “cave diving” so it’s ok. The difference being that in cavern, you are always within 150ft (I think) of visible, unobstructed surface air. The dive is no deeper than about 10 to 25 feet, but man is it cool! So cool that I convinced Miranda to go there to snorkel today!

Most of the dive looks like this, swimming through underground passages and around rocks and such.

Most of the photos weren’t great anyway, since it’s bloody dark in underground caves, but I think I have enough to show you the gist of it. Tomorrow…

You’ll have to wait for an update on today though…such is life with a backlog.

Mexico

Good news, bad news.

February 1, 2014 Craig 1 Comment

Good news is that I should have some video and photos of my dives to share tomorrow. Bad news is that this is because my good camera went swimming, so I used my waterproof point and shoot on Dos Ojos, which means I can transfer photos.

I shouldn’t be allowed near water with electronics of any kind.

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Mexico

A rough day in paradise

January 31, 2014 Craig Leave a comment

We woke up with a plan – scope out a car rental company then head to Akumal beach for some snorkeling. It didn’t work like that.

Several weeks ago we bought Mexico SIM cards. We like data, instant translation and maps, as well as email and other phone related things, so we buy data when we travel. I found a place online, awesome. When we get here though, they don’t work. In his defense, the guy I bought them from is on email and phone every day trying to help get this sorted, but it’s hard since he’s there and I’m here. So this morning we find our cell provider directly and try to get it fixed.

Our Spanish is busted. His English is entirely limited to technical items. Together, we try to figure it out. We left a while later, assured that it would work.

(It’s not working still…)

We found lunch at a place called La Fogon (roughly). Miranda had a quesadilla con pollo, and I had a torta con chorizo y queso. Ground chorizo and melted cheese on a bun…yum!

We decided to go to Akumal anyway, despite it being 2 pm. As recommended by my aunt, we got into an unmarked white van, gave the driver some money and hoped for best.

These colectivos are all over the place, replacing any form of public transit. $3.50 each to go down the highway a half hour, not bad. But you may have to remind them where you’re getting off…

Once at akumal, we had a long walk ahead of us. Miranda has been tracking her steps and I think we got 4000 of them here getting lost on our way to the beach. A friendly Summerland, BC resident pointed us towards the badly marked beach.

We didn’t go swimming. Too late in the day, we needed a locker and couldn’t find one and I forgot my swim trunks. Stupid…We’re calling it a scouting mission, because now we’ll have an amazing day there when we go “for realz”.

Back to town to a place called Los Aguachiles. Food was pretty good, but still not fantastic. I’m on a search for the best ceviche, and she for guacamole…

Tomorrow morning I’m up early to go diving. 120 feet into The Pit, followed by two nitrox dives at Dos Ojos (two eyes). Unfortunately, because of the Great Cable Fuckup of 2014, you’ll have to wait for those photos, but I expect they’ll be spectacular!

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Mexico

Playa wanderings

January 30, 2014 Craig 1 Comment

We both were surprised to be awake at 8 am local time…

After realizing that this problem wasn’t going away, we got up and walked to a nearby fruit stand.

Breakfast was as amazing as it looks. Mexican mangos (squishy and juicy!), watermelon, and something called an aguacate which is related to the mango, but is a little tart. Made some eggs and breakfast is served!

Next, we walked. Apparently around 7 kilometers total over the day. There is a lot to see on 5th Ave! Including…

Ok…so this sucks a little. These are live animals and are super cute. But after doing this we spoke with my dive folks and they asked that we not do this. Apparently, not legal and exceptionally questionable. Very sorry. 🙁

We stopped at a place called La Vagabunda for a snack that ended up being lunch. Two daiquiris, guacamole and quesadilla and we’re good!

The water is lovely.

Cozumel is right there.

Miranda, such a kidder!

I’m in love with this girl!

Also, with this public art peace. Wish Vancouver had crazy huge statues that remind me a little of those statues from Final Fantasy 3US…(nerd…)

After, we TripAdvisored a nearby restaurant. Walked over, and the place in question no longer existed, but was replaced with a different and very similar looking place.

No English is super fun!

Tomorrow we’re thinking of Tulum!

Moron me forgot a really important cable at home, so this entire post, and all subsequent posts, was written using my phone keyboard. Good thing I’m a fast typist…

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Mexico

First night in Playa

January 30, 2014 Craig Leave a comment

We arrived, after only 5 hours of flying. Seconds after we get out the plane someone is trying sell us something…

We made it to our place with only minor hiccups then went to find some needed food. We found a place named Tarraya on 2nd, near the beach.

If you ever find yourself in Playa,I recommend avoiding this place. The sort of food that is so bad, the only thing you have left to pray you don’t get sick.

We survived, and I took some photos of our place the morning. It’s pretty cute, and we have our own patio above everyone else.

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Hawaii

Some snorkel videos

May 1, 2013 Craig 2 Comments

Chasing some fish – http://vimeo.com/65280663

Swimming turtle – http://vimeo.com/65280705

I borrowed Bill’s SeaLife 1200 for this trip, as I didn’t want to pack my giant and awesome SCUBA camera for an unknown number of snorkel trips. Most of the crap in these videos is from the silt in the water – lots of wind today makes a lot of medium sized waves which stirs it all up near the shore.

Hawaii

Some more water.

May 1, 2013 Craig Leave a comment

3 flights this morning, then off to the other Hawaiian winery – meaning that Miranda and I have now visited 100% of the wineries in Hawaii. Then off to the beach again!

Oh yeah and…

TURTLE!!!!!!!

I have a couple videos as well, I’ll try to post them somewhere and link back here.

Hawaii

Sunrise, Flying, and the Road to Hana

April 30, 2013 Craig Leave a comment

This was a hell of a day. We woke at 3am and left at 3:30am, arriving at Haleaekala an hour and a half later, driving up a winding mountain road in the dark. We were rewarded with a great looking sunrise.

After the sunrise, we drove down the hill and then back up a different section of hill and had a great flight from Ferns launch.

This is at 8:45am. The clouds come in super quick in the morning,such that you have to arrive at 7:30 (when it goes anabatic) to get a flight in.

After our flight we drove around the road to Hana. We stopped at a lava tube just outside of Hana.

This one is for Sean. A sign posted in the tube.

There was a maze outside, we found a tree in the center.

Black sand beach along the road to Hana.

Found a cool spider and web. This was a hard shot to get, as everything nearby was so chaotic of a background that it drowned out the web.

We found a semi-hidden waterfall and relaxed for a bit.

We were out for 14 hours, driving for a good chunk of it. When we got home, the sun went down shortly after and Miranda and I ran out to watch it head out.

Hawaii