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I'm just a happy traveler so I hope that you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.

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Thailand 2011 : November 2011 and a short stop in Bangkok then down to Phuket for diving. Just a taste of Thailand, enough to see lavish templesd and palaces, sample the cusine, and enjoy the myriad of flowers and flower creations. Diving was so so, but a great group on the boat, the White Manta, with Switzerland, Canada, the UK, Israel, US, Finalnd, and Germany represented.

Thailand 2011

November 2011 and a short stop in Bangkok then down to Phuket for divi ...

Updated: Dec 29, 2011 3:06pm PST

Nepal 2011 : In November 201 I headed off to Nepal to see some small piece of the Himalaya. Once the weather broke I did get to see Annapurna South, and the other Annapurnas along with Machupuchare (Fishtail), yet what struck me most was the kindness of the people of Nepal. It was a lovely, albeit painful at times, trip where we took on some trekking, the Seti river, Chitwan National Park, and the definitely not boring, Katmandu!

Nepal 2011

In November 201 I headed off to Nepal to see some small piece of the H ...

Updated: Dec 25, 2011 6:51pm PST

Dinner with President Toribiong :

Dinner with President Toribiong

Updated: Oct 30, 2010 9:23pm PST

South Africa 2010: Capetown, Great White Sharks & Safari : I've been home several weeks now yet South Africa hasn't left me. It whispers to me at night as I look at the sky and recall the southern cross, the milky way, and all the enless starry skyscapes. It teases me as I remember the cool air rushing around me, through me as we cross False Bay in the early morning. It shouts at me when I see a glorious sunset yet it can never be an African sunset that fractures the sky with brilliant colors and fades slowly into blackness. Most of all, I can never forget the new friends I made during each of my adventures, friendships that I hope will last for many years to come. There was David, a kindred spirit in Capetown; the guests in Simonstown and the Fallows who opened up a new world to me and helped me explore the world of the great white shark. There were the Whittams of Essential Africa who arranged a great safari adventure, and the lovely Jamieson's, Alec and Sue who shared a bit of Johannesburg with me before I came home, and who I originally met this past March in Alaska of all places. All of these people and more, from lodge staff to guides, trackers, and people on the street, helped me to feel welcome in a country that has so much to offer. Thank you all.

South Africa 2010: Capetown, Great White Sharks & Safari

I've been home several weeks now yet South Africa hasn't left me. It ...

Updated: Aug 30, 2010 10:18am PST

Alaska March 2010 : Here it was March, and I finally arrived in Anchorage. Friends, family, work colleagues all thought that I wandered a bit too close to the edge by selecting a trip that would take me to Alaska in the last throes of winter. It was the Aurora I had come to see and I was sure that this website would be bursting at the seams with photos that would lead to oohs and aaahs. Well, it really didn't feel much like winter there as we sunned ourselves on the steps of Geophysical Institute in Fairbanks. We heard many, many stories of the Aurora and the wonders we would share, yet Murphy beat us to Fairbanks. We did , however, discover the rare and shy Aurora Invisiblis who were lucky to see for 3 nights in a row. I hear that Sweden had marvelous light shows. Despite it all, we kept a stiff upper lip, laughed, shared good times, and vowed to return another year - or go to Sweden/Norway :-).

Alaska March 2010

Here it was March, and I finally arrived in Anchorage. Friends, famil ...

Updated: Apr 17, 2010 2:40pm PST

Australia - Nov 2008 : It was time again for a trip downunder to the land of Oz. It's been 20 years since I first stepped onto this magical place and it was just as enchanting as the first visit. This trip was spent with diving friends so, naturally, we spent the first week on a liveaboard diving the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea. Would you believe that my underwater camera flooded the first day into the trip?!! Hopefully, my memory stays healthy for years to come so I won't forget all the wonderful underwater scenes I witnessed. I know I'll never forget drifting with 6 other divers in the Coral sea, for nearly 1 1/2 hrs, before the boat found us. Lucky for us. I tried to get my land legs back in Cairns yet it took nearly a week until the rocking stopped. From Cairns we traveled to Kuranda (a bit of rainforest), to Alice Springs and Ayers Rock in the Outback, and then on to Sydney. All in all a great trip with lots of memories.

Australia - Nov 2008

It was time again for a trip downunder to the land of Oz. It's been 2 ...

Updated: Dec 28, 2008 7:56pm PST

The Great Whites of Isla Guadalupe - Sept 2008 : The silence is broken only by the sound of my breath through the regulator and the intermittent metallic clanging of the cage I find myself in. My bubbles rise steadily, rhythmically, calmly belying my nervous anticipation. The cage rocks in the mild current and I am alone, surrounded by dozens of mackerel and other small baitfish, swirling, darting through the cage and chasing bits of chum that have floated down to envelope me. I shoo them, like annoying flies. The rays of the sun pierce deeply into the cerulean water as I slowly rotate, looking, waiting for a distinctive shape to appear, not knowing where it will come from, and not knowing how I will react when it finally does. And then…the waiting is over. Through the swarms of fish I see a shape take form, cruising leisurely towards me. I see that distinct toothy grin approach and then with an imperceptible flick of the tail he turns right toward a piece of hanging tuna. Eyeing it cautiously, while ignoring the hundreds of fish around him, he swims past and makes a great circle, disappearing back out into the blue and then, like a ghost, there he is, coming once again towards me. Another pass, eyeing both me and the fish, with those black eyes, yet I feel no fear. I am watching a master as he tries to assess if it is safe to approach and make a move. There is no frenzy or bloodlust as this powerful, graceful animal approaches yet a third time in a seemingly calculating manner. Then, as if he made up his mind he turns yet again, and approaches with intent. A thrashing sweep of the tail launches him toward the tuna. Within seconds, the mouth opens wide and the upper jaw drops, exposing his teeth in a most menacing manner as he raises his head, lowers his pectoral fins, grabs then swallows. The line snaps and floats to the surface while he swims slowly away, then turning quickly, he dives and grabs a sinking morsel being greedily devoured by baitfish. He disappears into the blue. I watched with awe as the great white shark passed. It was my first encounter and like many firsts in one’s life, I will never forget it. I spent 5 days observing these rulers of the sea, with the Shark Research Institute, off Isla Guadalupe, and in that time I observed the ultimate predator display caution and curiosity, yet no aggression, challenging the stereotype of a ruthless man-eater. I was as fascinated on day five as day one, running to gear up and get back in the cage whenever I heard someone shout, “Shark” It was a personal journey where I stepped into an alien world and surfaced with a new understanding of this animal. Not once did I hear the da dum, da dum, soundtrack play in my mind nor feel the need to quote Roy Scheider when he said, “You gonna need a bigger boat.”

The Great Whites of Isla Guadalupe - Sept 2008

The silence is broken only by the sound of my breath through the regul ...

Updated: Oct 06, 2008 6:30am PST

Holbox Island Mexico - Whale Sharks - July 2008 : While a few days in Mexico is usually delightful, 2 half days swimming with whale sharks there was incredible. I arrived on the Riviera Maya, south of Cancun to spend a couple of days unwinding before our group moved up to Holbox Island north on the Yucatan Peninsula. So here are some images of the Azul Beach Resort on the Riviera Maya, Holbox, some birdlife around Holbox, and of course, the highlight, the whale sharks. There are also 3 video clips,amateurish,no doubt but it gives you perspective as to their size and you can see how close I came to them. We spotted maybe 16 of them ranging in size from 20-35 feet. You really had to swim hard to keep up with them. I earned my Margaritas :-)

Holbox Island Mexico - Whale Sharks - July 2008

While a few days in Mexico is usually delightful, 2 half days swimming ...

Updated: Aug 13, 2008 12:33pm PST

Patagonia - October 2007 : Patagonia a world of vast landscapes, reminiscent of Alaska, yet with a hint of magic. An October 2007 journey to a land very, very far away.

Patagonia - October 2007

Patagonia a world of vast landscapes, reminiscent of Alaska, yet with ...

Updated: Nov 09, 2007 6:47pm PST

North Carolina Diving July 2007 : Approaching the July 4th holiday and what better way to celeberate some time off work than diving off the coast off North Carolina with my friends from IVS. The Graveyard of the Atlantic is strewn with wrecks and my favorite is highlighted in these photos - the U-352, sunk on May 9, 1942. Also highlighted are sandtiger sharks- would you belive my camera battery died at the wrong time and so there are only a few snapshots here. It's like the one that got away. Must go back and finish the job next year.

North Carolina Diving July 2007

Approaching the July 4th holiday and what better way to celeberate som ...

Updated: Jul 06, 2007 9:49pm PST

Tanzania - Nov 2005 : In November 2005 I experienced my first, and not to be last, trip to Africa. From the endless flat plains of the Serengeti to the floor of Ngorongoro Crater, it was all a feast for the senses. There is nothing in this world like Africa.

Tanzania - Nov 2005

In November 2005 I experienced my first, and not to be last, trip to A ...

Updated: Mar 24, 2007 3:14am PST

February 2007 - Cortina/Venice(Carneval)/Florence : In February 2007, Bibi ventured with a group of hearty skiiers to Italy for some skiing and culture. The skiing in Cortina was good, the weather spring-like. We indulged in plenty of good food and wine. Bibi's bobsled run didn't happen but hey, other adventures awaited. On to Carneval in Venice and a day of frivolity, elegant costumes, sights, and sounds that Bibi soaked up(thank god no summer smells)!!!. Finally on to Florence for 3 days of "culture" and more paintings of madonnas and child than one could expect to see in a lifetime of church going. Bibi says that contemplating Michaelangelo's David was actually a religious experience. Good capucchino, wine, food, and friendship - what more could one ask for?

February 2007 - Cortina/Venice(Carneval)/Florence

In February 2007, Bibi ventured with a group of hearty skiiers to Ital ...

Updated: Feb 25, 2007 1:56pm PST