Blogs from Atlantic, Oceans and Seas - page 85

I've informed Myko that now that we're married, I want to go EVERYWHERE. I think we did the honeymoon up right by going somewhere interesting and unusual, yet within a sphere of comfort for a honeymoon. Myko's parents went canoeing and camping for several weeks for their honeymoon. Although that sounds like lots of fun and like something that we may try one day, I was NOT going to be sleeping on the ground for my honeymoon. We did spend a few days sleeping without air conditioning... but that was the extent of our roughing it. But that journal entry is to come. So why Croatia? Several people thought we were kidding as we told them our choice, but once we started listing the reasons why, they started to concede that it might make sense after ... read more

Geo: 20.4816, 99.9383I have to admit, I've heard the term "golden triangle' used nearly everyplace I've been to; There's one in Australia, in India, in Kuala Lumpur, and even in the States, probably many more. This Southeast Asian Golden Triangle is defined by the borders of three countries where two rivers converge. Myanmar (Burma), Laos, and Thailand can all be seen at the same time when you are standing at the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong rivers. What makes this triangle infamous are the drugs that pass through it. Most of the heroin circulating our world comes from Myanmar and has passed through this triangle.* The opium is grown by farmers up in Myanmar, brought by donkey caravan to refineries along the Thailand-Burma border, turned into heroine, transported across the border in Thailand, down to ... read more

Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island, 7°56′ south of the Equator in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres) from the coast of Africa and 1,400 miles (2,300 kilometres) from the coast of Brazil. It is governed as part of the British Overseas Territory of of which the main island, Saint Helena , is around 800 miles (1,300 kilometresm) to the southeast. In addition to St Helena, the territory also includes Ascension Island and the sparsely populated Tristan da Cunha archipelago, 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometres) to the south, about halfway to the Antarctic Circle. Named after the day of its recorded discovery, the date of the Ascension of Jesus, Ascension Island was an important safe haven and coaling station to both mariners and commercial airliners back in the days of international ... read more

Geo: 19.2869, -81.367121/02/2008 29 °C Heel de nacht gevaren en vandaag weeral op een nieuwe bestemming. Eigenlijk wel fantastisch deze manier van reizen. Vandaag zaten we op het grootste eiland van de kaaimaneilanden.We zijn met een bootje naar een rif gevaren waar we een uurtje hebben gesnorkeld. Het snorkelen was heel tof, we hebben vele anemonen en vissen gezien.Daarna zijn we naar een zandbank gevaren waar het vol zat met pijlstaartroggen. Je kon zwemmen tussen die roggen en ik ben ervan geschrokken wat voor immense beesten dat eigenlijk zijn. Er werden weer foto's getrokken terwijl we de roggen mochten voederen en vasthouden, maar Frieda was al verdwenen. Die was al in paniek geraakt toen de eerst... read more

The Bay of Biscay is named (for English speakers) after Biscay on the northern Spanish coast, probably standing for the Western Basque Districts (Biscay up to the early 19th century). Its name in other languages is: Asturian: Golfu de Biscaya, Basque: Bizkaiko Golkoa,. Breton: Pleg-mor Gwaskogn, French: Golfe de Gascogne (named after Gascony), Galician: Golfo de Biscaia, Gascon Occitan: Golf de Gasconha, Spanish: Golfo de Vizcaya. The Continental Shelf extends far into the bay, resulting shallow waters in many areas and thus the rough seas for which the region is known. Large storms occur in the bay, especially during the winter months. The Bay of Biscay is home to some of the Atlantic's fiercest weather and abnormally high waves occur here. Up until recent years it was a regular occurrence for merchant vessels ... read more