Monday, September 29, 2014

July 2014 - Puerto Vallarta Week

I had one week of my ownership to use or lose in Puerto Vallarta at  Velas Vallarta, so I decided to take the last week of July for a somewhat quieter week , with maybe a day of scuba, some snorkeling, and lots of time by the pool and beach in the sun.  I passed the word among my group of various travel friends and a university student from Ukraine whom I had met and traveled with on some  earlier trips was on summer break with a week free, so he joined me in Puerto Vallarta.
The grounds at Velas Vallarta in Marina Vallarta are beautiful, with the gardens, pools, Peacocks, iguanas and much more right on a beautiful beach.    The iguanas were really tame, especially around the ocean side pool.   They have several peacocks on the grounds and they were seen frequently and often called loudly.  My friend wanted to try the latest adventure sport, flyboarding and did some spectacular manuevers with the jets on his feet.  I did not have nerve to try it this time.  We made several trips into downtown Puerto Vallarta to shop, view the sights of the charming old city with its spectacular setting, and enjoy cold drinks and  a dinner.   Of all the cities I have visited,  only Rio de Janiero in Brazil compares with its setting.
The highlight of the trip was an all day sailing outing.  They had two 60 foot nearly new yachts that each took up to 12 for a full day of luxury sailing.   That included stops for snorkeling, or diving, with visits to a lovely secluded beach and the wonderful Los Arcos Marine preserve.   We were served gourmet meals and drinks all day, and also got to see turtles.  They even caught a couple nice fish.   Finally, when the wind died on the way back and we were very slowly motoring back in the hot late afternoon sun, they put out a long line and we were able to slide into the ocean and be gently towed behind the sailboat.   Now , that was a nice touch and the waters felt extra refreshing.   Puerto Vallarta will always be a favorite I will return to.

Puerto Vallarta and its magnificent setting as seen from Marina Vallarta near our hotel

The main pool near the ocean beach at Velas Vallarta

relaxing at poolside the lst day

one of the many friendly iguanas at the side of the pool

checking each other out !  They are excellent swimmers also  !

The iguanas even seemed to enjoy being petted

one of the several resident peacocks, including some white ones

enjoying the ocean and beach below the main pool

Bogdan , carving out the name of his country

Bogdan, in a spectacular manuever during his 1st time Flyboarding !


I am enjoying a Margarita Grande in one of the many oceanside bars and restaurants along the Malecon.

The statue of the Puerto Vallarta insignia on the Malecon after a lovely seaside dinner

I am up front as we head out of the harbor for our day of luxury sailing.

Bogdan, lounging in the sun up front as we head out for the day

starting a wonderful early lunch with Margaritas

Joyful break along the secluded beach while snorkeling.   The water was warm and very clear

Bogdan was also enjoying the day and location

one of two small tuna that were taken

Bogdan trying out his hand at paddle boarding near Los Arcos

Two sea turtles "getting it on" in the ocean

some of the vividly colored angelfish

a dark blue beauty in the clear waters of the Los Arcos Marine Sanctuary

Our gentle tow back behind the yacht in the late afternoon, with Marina Vallarta in the distance

Thursday, September 25, 2014

June 2014 - Best of Gulf of Thailand

I flew on Bangkok Airways nonstop from Chiang Mai in the far north of Thailand to Koh Samui, an island in the Gulf of Thailand in the far south.   I was met by my guide and a car and taken from the airport on the south end of the island for the about 15 minute ride to my resort hotel on the water, the Fair House.   It was a lovely tropical resort on a steep hillside sloping down to a fine sand beach on the ocean.   The grounds were beautiful and there were a pair of secluded big lovely pools, then the restaurant right on the ocean beach.
The 2nd day I was picked up early and taken to the Discovery Divers scuba dive shop and then to the boat for a long, high speed  boat ride all the way past Koh Phangan island  to the far end of Koh Tao,  considered to be one of Thailand's best dive locations.   We dropped a group of snorkel and beginner divers off and then went around the north end of Koh Tao to the pinnacles, Thailand's 2nd best dive site.   We then did our lst dive in about 60 to 80 feet of water and saw a rich variety of fish and marine life in the clear , warm waters.    We then returned to pick up the rest of the party on Koh Tao and did our 2nd dive in somewhat shallower waters  off the south east coast of Koh Tao.   Again, with a nice variety of fish and corals in the clear waters.  Then we had the long boat ride back to Koh Samui.
The next day, I again left early and took an all day tour out to the east of the island to the amazing AngThong Marine National Park and Sanctuary.   We lst stopped to snorkel off one of the northern islands in the 42 island park.   Then we had a wonderful boat ride thru the islands with their unique shapes because of the limestone islands.   At noon we went into the beach by the park headquarters for lunch.  There we got to sea kayak for an hour out into some of the nearby islands and beaches.  This location had been the site of several movies including "The Beach".  It looked like a south Pacific paradise.  We then went to another island and got to climb the steep coastal ridge to look down  into the famous Blue Lagoon, site of another movie by that name.   Then the day ended with a long boat ride back to Koh Samui.
For my last full day on Koh Samui, I was picked up in one of the 2 bench open pickups called a Rot Song Taeow.  It was a hot ride in the open air in the sun around the end of the island and up into the mountains to a zip line site.   We climbed to the top of the steep mountain and then took the zip lines down.   There were a group of 2 young German couples and a pair of Brits from London.    On the way back we got to stop and tour the famous "Big Buda" and its temple.
The following day, I was up early for the high speed ferry boat ride up to Koh Phangan for my last 4 days in Thailand.  I stayed at a small, picturesque resort on the beach named Haad  Son resort. I had a room right on the beach in one of a brand new pair of buildings with 4 rooms in each.  The resort had this wonderful powder sand beach and amazing bar and restaurant built out on a rocky point with secluded seating areas and even hammocks out on the end of the rock point where the small restaurant was.  You could snorkel right off the end at the restaurant.
The 2nd day,  I was picked up for the best scuba diving trip of my life out at Thailand's number 1 site,  Sail Rock.   The dive shop ( The Dive Inn) was run by a Scot and my dive instructor was a wiry Brit who  was wonderful.  She took me out for the two tank dives in about 60 feet of clear water and took many photos, which I was then given.  I have never seen so many and varied fish.  There were schools of fish like clouds around you.  It was amazing and I will never forget it.
The 3rd day on Koh Phangan I was picked up by a friendly Thai lady named Lampai in her Song Taeow.  This time I got to ride inside where it was cool, as I was the only one she had that day.   We 1st went to the National Park to Nam Tok Paeng, where I hiked up the mountain  to look out over the island vistas and see the Paeng Waterfall.   Upon returning , I got to feed an elephant bananas and then get a solo elephant ride around the area.   Then I had a chance to interact with one of the monkeys before we then drove up over the island divide to visit a Chinese temple high on the mountain.  It was very different from the Buddhist temples.   Our next stop was Malibu beach on the northern end of Koh Phangan for lunch in a lovely setting.  After lunch I got to wade out to an island and along the beautiful, soft, white sand beaches.    Then it was back to the Haad Son resort after a very interesting, fun day.
My 4th day on Koh Phangan, I finally took a relaxing day off, with time on the beach and snorkeling off the resort restaurant point.    I knew that it would be a long trip back the next day, with the early  catamaran ferry back to Koh Samui, the trip to the airport, the flight on Bangkok Airways back to Bangkok, and then the long China Airlines flights to Taipai and on back to Vancouver to overnight.  The following day I flew to Portland and finally up the coast back home to Anchorage .  It was truly one of my top adventure trips of all time and one that I will always remember.

The Discovery Dive boat on the way to Koh Tao with Koh Samui in the distance

The beach on Koh Tao where we dropped off half our party

Yours truly about to scuba dive in the Pinnacles off Koh Tao

I am heading down towards the Pinnacles and the many fish and corals

A beautiful example of the amazing sea anemones in the clear waters

Some of the fish above the sea anemones and corals

A beautiful sea urchin

One of the huge, colorful giant clams

A fine big "brain" coral

A sea cucumber

Amazing sea "vase" in the crystal waters

approaching the stairs to the golden "Big Buda"on Koh Samui


The impressive "Big Buda" up closer

Another colorful statue on the grounds of the "Big Buda" grounds

Yours truly on the way down the mountain on the Canopy Zip Line on Koh Samui

Standing on one of the Zip line platforms with a waterfall  in the background

Standing near the bottom by the mountain stream in the jungle

Loaded up on the rot song taeow for our hot ride back to the resorts

The steep walk from my room thru the jungle down to the beach and restaurant at the Fair House Resort

The lovely big beach at the Fair House in front of the restaurant

Sea kayaking in the AngThong Marine National Park and Marine Sanctuary at noon

Approaching a beach on another island while sea kayaking in AngThong

exploring the limestone formations along the island while sea kayaking

The National Park sign near the headquarters

Orchids on a tree in the Fair House restaurant near the beach

The upper of the lovely secluded pools on the Fair House grounds

Our group snorkeling at our lst stop in the AngThong Marine Park

Some of the many and unusual limestone formations in the huge island complex

Sea kayaking at noon near the National Park headquarters

sea kayaking to another island and its beach

exploring some of the many interesting limestone formations along the island shores

The National Park sign near the park headquarters on our  noon island stop


The tropical South Pacific beauty and site of several movies such as "The Beach"

Another scene, with the near 90 degree clear water and powder soft sand

Yet another scene of tropical beauty


Some of the small Thai coastal boats at the pier in front of the park headquarters


The sign on the beach of the island with the famous Blue Lagoon

A stunning view from part way up the steep steel stairs on the way over the ridge to see the Blue Lagoon

The much photographed, famous Blue Lagoon, also the site of the movie

The view out from the beach by the Blue Lagoon

Catching the high speed ferry on Koh Samui on the way over to  Koh Phangan for my last 4 days

The National Park entry sign for the days mountain hike on Koh Phangan

Trail sign for the hike to the water falls and mountain top view point overlooking the island

vista or view point for overlook of island after long, hot hike

Now this was more fun !  I was about to get a solo elephant ride at the Park entry area

One of the monkeys examining the top of my head

I was feeding the elephant the last of a bunch of bananas

The very different Chinese Temple high on the mountainside on Koh Phangan

A sense of the mountain side location of the Chinese Temple

One of the small coastal Thai boats arriving at the beach near Malibu Beach where we had lunch

Looking towards the harbor along Malibu Beach

Truly a beautiful beach scene, with nearly no one there because of the  Thai  government unrest and  tourist scare


View from my rooms balcony at the Haad Son resort right on the ocean

Another view from my room right on the beach

My crab cakes, fruit, and Thai beer dinner one evening on the rocky point restaurant at Haad  Son Resort


One of the 2 new buildings with my room right on the beach at Haad Son


Looking toward the Haad Son sign and my room on the beach

Looking the opposite way along the lovely sand beach at  Haad  Son

Another view of my beachfront room and balcony just to right of white sign at Haad Son

The lovely evening view at dinner out on the point at  Haad  Son
Approaching Sail Rock and the famous dive site with  the Dive  Inn Scuba team


My wiry little English new friend, who was my dive instructor and photographer

Two of the huge schools of fish, Russell's Snapper with chevron barracuda behind

One of the many kinds of colorful angelfish

A big school of batfish

One of the bright gold and blue angelfish with their white tail

A leopard grouper with many Big Eyed Snapper behind

A yellow Box fish

More Big Eyed Snapper with another Leopard Grouper in the center

More Big Eyed Snapper and Leopard Groupers

Immense school of Ox-Eyed Scad

Incredible school of Big Eyed  Trevally


beautiful school of Chevron Barracuda

Literally clouds of fish !

Sea anenome and little reef fish

Many more Big Eyed Trevally


Literally clouds of Big Eyed  Snapper, amazing sight !

3 white eyed moray eels