Blogs from Oceans and Seas - page 175

Geo: 43.34, 17.81Today was our last day in Mostar, having seen most of the sights we decided to catch a local bus to a nearby village that we read about in the guide book. After waiting for 45 minutes at the bus stop in very hot sun, us 6 girls gave up and decided to spend the day relaxing in Mostar. We had a long lunch, very tasty and local cuisine. It was a really nice restaurant, outdoor table in the shade of the warm sun- so good. We then went down to the river to wet our feet, the water was so cold! From here we took our last photos of Mostar. Then went for our last wander through the old town. AJ, Rebekah, Shona and I arranged to meet Clare and Celeste at the ... read more

Geo: 43.34, 17.81What a busy day! Firstly with an early start- we had to leave the boat by 10am, which was a struggle for most of us. After our goodbyes, myself, Shona, Andy, AJ, Rebekah, Clare and Celeste went to the bus station to wait for our bus to Mostar.... read more

The camel’s face contorted into an expression, only achievable by members of its species, which if I had to describe I would label something like “nonchalant objection”. At the same time it brayed nonchalantly and objectingly at a volume which, had the market not been full of camels doing similar things and people loudly making deals over them, would have made anyone nearby jump out of their skin. The cause of the animal’s multi-decibel concern, the six Omanis dressed identically in turbans, dish dash robes that hung from their necks to their feet and ornate silver khanjar daggers on belts around their waists, continued to struggle against its attempts to make them put it down as together they manoeuvred it into the back of a pickup truck. It took several tries and involved non-stop loud, heated ... 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

Hello All. How was your month? We've finally arrived to the Marquesa Islands after the 33-day passage from the Galapagos! It's hard to describe all the thoughts, feelings, moods, sights and experiences we've had along the way, but let me try. Sailing from the Galapagos Islands (of Ecuador) to the Marquesas Islands (of eastern French Polynesia) is a passage of about 3000 nautical miles, or roughly 6000 kilometres. That's like taking a horse-drawn buggy from Thunder Bay to Dawson City - at about 10 km/h - with nothing in between. In those 33 days, we encountered 4 other sailboats, 2 ships, and 1 jetliner overhead. This is untamed wilderness! Sailing double-handed on a 34-ft boat all this distance has been a unique experience; it blends all the best parts about isolation, namely no cellphones, money, rushhour, ... read more