Back in Antigua, we headed over to the school to meet the rest of our group and start the trip proper. Vacation had been great, but it was time to get serious. We were there to learn Spanish and get to know something about the…
Asking at the hotel’s front desk produced directions (that we weren’t sure we understood) to the nearest travel agent. Surprisingly, we were standing outside the agent’s door ten minutes later. We walked in, feeling a bit more capable with our Spanish. We wanted to go…
Stepping off the plane in Guatemala City, I started to think my friend had been right. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to have come here. The airport was filthy, some of the people seemed a bid shady, and as we walked outside to…
While an undergraduate at the University of Washington, I was offered an opportunity to study Spanish abroad. It was to be my first proper trip outside of America, notwithstanding an occasional Mexican beach vacation. I mean, I actually needed a passport for this trip. A…
As I was looking over the UNESCO World Heritage Site list, I realized that I've been to quite a few of the locations. And I thought, what better way to encourage people to get out there than by telling my own stories? Giving you an…
As we're coming into the spring and summer months, more people are starting to think vacation. If this sounds like you, think UNESCO. When you're debating where to go for your hard-earned holiday, consider visiting a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The United Nations Educational, Scientific…
Usually, when I tire of my clothes and want to recycle them, I chuck them all in a bag and donate them to the local staff (when abroad) or haul it down to the nearest charity (when in the States). But today I was introduced…
I've enjoyed Andy Rooney's commentary for as long as I can remember. His highlighting of the obvious, his at-times cranky wit, and his ability to distill mountains into molehills has entertained and informed me since I was a child. He rips into the heart of…
For those of us who have pledged the Pound for Pound Challenge, don't forget to keep working on that weight loss program. The final reporting date is May 5, so we're on the final stretch. And remember that every pound counts- even one pound lost…
And such was my volunteer dive expedition with Coral Cay Conservation. There was good, there was bad and there was ugly, but all-in-all it was time, money and effort well spent.What I had thought I was going to Tobago to do- reef surveys- never materialized.…
Leaving Day.As I finished my last minute packing, the group packed up the puppets and material for the scavenger hunt. They were preparing to head over to Speyside for Community Fun Day. Once done, we hung around in that uncomfortable "it's almost time to say…
Apparently, I was more than tired last night- I was coming down with a touch of the flu. I slept poorly, waking every hour or so to push the blanket off, pull the blanket on, push the blanket off... Woke up still feeling ill, thinking…
It turns out we made a wise decision to prolong the party last night. Had we come home early, we would have been sorely disappointed that we traded drunken revelry for a dive that isn't going to happen. The weather hasn't calmed down at all,…
As all the local boats were booked today, we couldn't get out to dive. Spent most of the day studying and taking tests. I passed the coral health test but failed the algae exam. I recognized the different algae, I just couldn't wrap my head…
Hurrah for Speyside!The diving was everything we'd heard it could be. Our first dive of the day was at Coral Gardens, an aptly named site. In theory, we were doing a coral health pointy, but the coral on the Atlantic side is so much healthier…
Disaster has struck. I was woken this morning at quarter to six by a local fisherman. He was standing on the beach, shouting at the house, "Hey, mon! You're boat's done, mon!" Coming out of my drowsy stupor, I couldn't figure out what he meant.…
The weather has taken a down turn. While we've not had the most spectacular weather so far, there have been sun breaks and the water has been relatively calm. That is starting to change. The rain is becoming more persistent and the waves are growing.…
Saturday, the recreational dive day, has come around again. We've all been looking forward to this as our opportunity to spend our underwater time doing whatever we want, not having to exercise our brains and going deep enough to see some big creatures. The morning…
As my invertebrate validation was, ah, interrupted yesterday, the first dive this morning was a continuation of my in-water test. Another volunteer also needed to do his validation, so we dove as a threesome. I only needed to indentify the few we didn't get to…
An amazing morning dive started the day on the right foot. It was another invertebrate pointy, preparing me for the test retake after lunch. I recognized most of them and felt ready to resit the exam (I think). In addition to inverts, we also saw…
The science officer, attempting to move us along in our studies, gave the coral lecture this morning. We've not yet taken the invertebrate test, and my brain is rebelling from taking more in when it hasn't yet purged itself of the old information. But the…
It has arrived! I received the call this morning; my luggage has landed. Continuing in the same vein of service quality I have been dealing with all along, I was told to pick it up at the held luggage office. The airport is an hour…
On a continent far, far away... the luggage saga continues. Apparently, the helpful agent I spoke with yesterday regarding my luggage was a little too eager to help. To the point that he was making things up to appease me. While this is almost to…
Through The Eco-Traveler blog, Andrea Shearer shares her experiences of international adventure travel, volunteering and SCUBA diving with a commitment to protecting our environment. In the next few months, Andrea will bring her blog closer to home while exploring the natural environment and adventure activities the Midwest has to offer, and will go international again with a volunteer expedition to Nicaragua over the winter holidays. You can reach her at askandrea@ymail.com.
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