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Ali - Ali Watters

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Seven years of travelblog, seven years of on and off travelling - I started TravelBlog to keep my family and friends in touch with my journey. I've updated the site from all four corners of the globe, and it's pretty much taken over my life now, that and diving.

I don't have any answers to any of the big questions, I don't really know what half the questions are. I do know that life isn't what you expect it to be.

Camera Equipment - I've variously used Kodaks, Canons and Nikons over the last 6 years - my current combination is a Nikon D300 with 18mm-200mm lens and a Canon Ixus 850is with underwater housing. I'm also the proud owner of a Canon G9, with underwater housing.

Current location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I apologise for any inaccuracies or assumptions in my blogs, I try my best - sometimes it isn't good enough - sometimes it is...

Round the World 2002/3
June 22nd 2002 -» May 20th 2003 Life in Europe
June 30th 2003 -» August 6th 2005 First Time to Asia
August 10th 2005 -» July 30th 2006 Ecuador
October 16th 2006 -» December 22nd 2006 Asia Revisited
March 14th 2007 -» October 15th 2007 South-America
October 16th 2007 -» July 15th 2008

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Joined on: April 4th 2002
Last Login: November 20th 2009

Blog Entries: 205
Photos: 2505
Recommended by 92, Recommends 176

TB Code: [blogger=1]
Status: BLOGGER

Blogs & Travel Journals

by Ali, order by Date newest first.

By Ali
July 13th 2009

Diving with Whale Sharks - OMG! Asia » Malaysia » Terengganu » Pulau Tenggol

Whale Shark!

Whale Sharks! - Nature's Biggest Fish In 7 years of diving, I've missed more whale shark sightings than the average diver - with something like 700 dives completed, I've never seen one. I'd stopped believing. Each season on the Perhentians I'd miss the whale shark, either being on a visa run, taking a morning off, or the boat would be broken - I missed seeing these beautiful creatures time and time again. Until now. Now I believe! We'd been told that a couple of friendly whale sharks had been seen regularly at one of the dive sites off Tenggol, so we [View Full Entry]

By Ali
January 1st 2009

Happy New Year! (2009) Europe » United Kingdom » Scotland » Edinburgh

Fireworks over Edinburgh

Happy New Year! - out with the old and in with the new - again. I wish everyone happy and fulfilling adventures for the next year. I'm in Edinburgh for the New Years - in Scotland the celebration is called Hogmanay and has it's own associated traditions - first footing (visiting friends homes), singing "Auld Lang Syne" or more accurately singing the known few words and miming/droning the rest - I think this is an international tradition now - though in Edinburgh more people know the song - Robert Burns the 19th Ayrshire Poet who wrote the piece is a national [View Full Entry]

By Ali
September 29th 2008

Mola Mola and Manta Madness! - Diving Nusa Penida, Bali Asia » Indonesia » Bali » Nusa Penida

Mola Mola - side shot

I don't often get time to update my blog now - but sometimes, I'm lucky enough to see something or do something so amazing that I just want to write it up straight away. Yesterday was one of those days. Nusa Penida is a rocky, rugged island off the south-east of Bali, virtually uninhabited, undeveloped, a sanctuary of wilderness on land and a deep water wonder under the sea. I thank the Blue Planet for this experience - I'd seen the Mola Mola or Sunfish on episode - oh I forget - watch them all - it's one for sure. The [View Full Entry]

By Ali
September 18th 2008

Wreck Diving - The Liberty Wreck Tulamben Asia » Indonesia » Bali » Tulamben

Great Baracuda

It's 6.30am - I'm awake - eyes wide no time for coffee; and I'm heading up to the dive shop, the streets of the sleepy village of Tulamben are quiet - the only sounds are from the ever present cockerels and the hiss of scuba tanks being tested and filled. Tulamben is famous worldwide to divers as the village where you can shore dive the Liberty wreck. Thirty meters out from the rocky shore and 30m down is the sunken remains of World War II freighter the USAT Liberty. In it's former life nearly 70 years ago - the USAT Liberty [View Full Entry]

By Ali
May 6th 2008

Uspallata - Seven Years in Tibet in Half a Day South America » Argentina » Mendoza » Uspallata

Craggy Low Hills

Uspallarta is both the name of a small village and a remote pass between Mendoza and Santiago Chile. Travelling between Santiago and Mendoza was a joy, beautiful craggy mountains, twisting roads that double back on them selves over and over, looping up the mountain. After arriving in Mendoza - I headed back to the village - spent an afternoon on horseback, taking photos when I could convince the beast to steady enough. Uspallata and the surrounding mountains were considered enough of a double for the Tibetan Himalayas to film Seven Years in Tibet [View Full Entry]

By Ali
April 29th 2008

Climbing the Villarrica Volcano - 2,847 meters (9,340 feet) South America » Chile » Araucanía » Villarrica Volcano

Villarrica Volcano (1)

Sitting in a hostel common room in Bariloche, Argentina, I'm debating where to go next, south? into the increasing chill, north? a wine tour in Mendoza, east? to the coast where soon the whales will return, or west? into Chile across the Andes and to the small town of Pucón where an active Volcano can be climbed. So many options and unfortunately my time in South America is in it's final few weeks. I form a vague plan, head west, then north then east; Bariloche to Pucon, to Santiago, to Mendoza. Patagonia, Glaciers and Antarctica will have to wait - another [View Full Entry]

By Ali
April 26th 2008

Bariloche - Chocolate Box Beauty South America » Argentina » Río Negro » San Carlos de Bariloche

Lake near Llao Llao

As the cold winds blow in from the south, the year continues it's cycle in the southern lands at latitude 41 degrees it's autumn. Bariloche is a chocolate box beauty and the gateway to Patagonia, famed for it's skiing and hiking, it's hills, mountains and lakes. Visiting a ski resort inspired my lust for snow, I've missed the mountains and skiing for too many years now. But - walking past so many closed ski outfits, bursting with the latest blades and boards and goggles - I remember it's autumn, pull my inadequate bargain basement fleece a little tighter and see if [View Full Entry]

By Ali
March 25th 2008

Waterfall Photos South America » Argentina » Misiones » Iguazú National Park

Waterfalls - Postcard Shot

Waterfall photos from Iguazu National Park, both the Brazilian and Argentinian sides. I took a second trip to Iguacu / Iguazu - the most spectacular waterfalls I have ever seen - the first trip was back in November - secretly - I wasn't happy with the photographs - with a new camera (Nikon D300) and it's first serious outing - I messed up the settings, left the ISO on the value I'd used for a night trip to the Itaipu dam. So a revisit was worth it - this time with a circular polarizing filter, a tripod and a lot more [View Full Entry]

By Ali
March 24th 2008

New friends and other animals... South America » Brazil » Paraná » Foz do Iguaçu » Iguaçu National Park

Butterfly

Photos from the Iguaçu / Iguazu - parks and my days there. The birds are from the Iguacu bird park - and are fairly used to close contact with people - hence it's easy to get up close. The butterflies, cayman, kuati and new friends are from the Argentinian side of the falls. [View Full Entry]

By Ali
March 19th 2008

Blowing the Budget in Beautiful Bonito South America » Brazil » Mato Grosso do Sul » Bonito

Dorado

Bonito is experiencing an Eco-tourism boom, in the south of Matto Grosso do Sul - it has an extraordinary diversity of natural wonders, in a relatively compact area. Blessed with caves, waterfalls, crystal clear rivers, forested hills all within a 50km radius - a very small distance in Brazilian terms - Bonito is riding the eco-tourism wave very well. I travelled directly from a few days in the wet-lands of the Pantanal to the Bonito Eco-tourism Hostel - the only Hostel (HI affiliated) in the area. My aims - rappel and then dive the abyss, snorkel in the crystal clear "Rio [View Full Entry]

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