Three of the World’s Most Shark Infested Beaches
Posted August 7, 2009 , add a commentI tried to learn how to surf once. My boyfriend (who is now my husband) bought me a longboard for my birthday and took me out surfing in Cayucos. It was almost impossible to paddle out–me with my noodle arms that earned me the childhood nickname “T-Rex.” But I did it and there we were, bobbing in the ocean that suddenly seemed so much bigger than it ever had from the sand. “Look!” my boyfriend said, “Dolphins!” And then he took the next wave in and left me there to wonder how he was so sure those fins were that of dolphins smiling smart and not those of sharks most certainly out to eat me. I never did surf again, my arms too skinny and my imagination too fat, and my boyfriend eventually commandeered my birthday present longboard as his own, which I somehow think was the plan all along.
I don’t know how surfers do it–bob out there with nothing but a board and their thoughts. I am too macabre, too weak, too yellow maybe, my toes tingling with the maybe of it all. So what if more people die from car crashes, wasps, from snakes and bees, from drowning? There is just something about a shark that holds a special place primal cold in my nightmares. So in honor of Shark Week, I give you three of the World’s Sharkiest Beaches (based on nothing but my own research of the www):
Catch of the day. http://www.flickr.com/photos/zainedriscoll/3623710592/
New Smyrna Beach, Florida holds the dubious honor of being called The Shark Attack Capital of the World. Surrounded on all sides by water–the Atlantic Ocean, the Intracoastal Waterway, Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River–New Smyrna Beach boasts subtropical weather ideal not only for tourists and beach-goers, but also attractive to sharks: tiger sharks, blacktips, spinners and more. Given the large shark population and the increasing amount of people swmming and surfing in the waters just off the coastline, it is no wonder New Smyrna Beach holds the title of Shark Capital of the World.
Cape of Good Hope. http://www.flickr.com/photos/haakon/10398408/
Of course no discussion of shark attacks would be complete without mention of the coastline of South Africa. Here there has been documented footage of Great Whites leaping from the water to feast on seals, a watery ballet of grisy proportion. And it doesn’t even truly matter which particular beach you choose on South Africa’s eastern coastline—from Cape Town, up the Garden Route, and beyond to Durban. The entire area is famously shark infested. The fishing village of Gansbaai near Cape Town, for example, is known as Shark Alley for its unrivaled density of great whites. And the mouth of Kosi Bay in KwaZulu Natal, is known for its aggressive Zambezi, or bull sharks. Something tells me that it is of little solace to know that most shark attacks are a case of mistaken identity, a shark’s way of poking at something to see what it is. When the poke in question produces a deep gash down the side of one’s innards, it is of no matter that you are not a sea lion but a surfer.
How it got its name. http://www.flickr.com/photos/89044634@N00/24548709/
And then there is the poetically named Red Triangle, that is if the poet were Edgar Allen Poe and the subject the tell-tale shark attack. The Red Triangle is the name given to the roughly triangle-shaped area off the coast of Northern California extending from Bodega Bay, north of San Francisco, out to the Farallon Islands and down to Big Sur. The waters here are snack-rich, full of marine life such as elephant seals, harbor seals, sea otters and sea lions, favorite cuisine of the Great White Shark. Around thirty-eight percent of recorded Great White Shark attacks on humans in the United States have occurred within the Red Triangle - eleven percent of the worldwide total. And it just so happens that the Red Triangle includes my hometown beaches of Stinson, Bolinas, Tomales Bay where the sharks mate, and Ocean Beach where my husband now surfs sheathed in a black wet suit looking for all the world like a seal, a little gamey but good. Here the Great White rides at the tippy top of the food chain, fish and seals at the bottom, and surfers and swimmers only a half notch up from that.
So there you go. From my primal fear to yours, keep your toes tingling and stay dry–Happy Shark Week!
Anse Lazio, Praslin Island, Seychelles
Posted , add a commentToday is a lazy day, a day for eyes closed and yeah. Mm-hmm. Cold drinks with mint, this maybe that, who knows? Ice cream is too taxing for today, the way it melts so fast, which tells you just how lazy a day it is. Today I want a soft beach. Slack. Today I want to go to the Seychelles.
Better than bathwater. http://www.flickr.com/photos/8982863@N04/1984509590/
The very word is slow: Seychelles. And the best beach there is inarguably Anse Lazio, a beach that just sounds delicously lazy. Say it with me: Anse Lazio. Honestly the softest sand, fine grained and clean white. Shockingly clear turqoise water Indian Ocean warm and alive. Fringed by supermodel tall palms and Takamaka trees, the beach is a crescent shaped moon of paradise.
Mm-hmmmm… http://www.flickr.com/photos/8444772@N04/509817355/
Located on the northwest corner of Praslin Island in the Chevalier Bay, Anse Lazio is easily the Homecoming Queen of Seychelles beaches, if not beaches all over the world. Often included in top ten lists, this beach is perfectly situated for spectacular sunsets. Honeymooners flock here, as do families and travelers of all kinds. Due to the relative protection of coral reef, the water is ideal for swimming and snorkeling. Sea turtles are common, as well as fish of all types and color; the beauty below water easily matches that found above.
Sea turtle. http://www.flickr.com/photos/28220564@N07/2974405359/
To one side of the beach rise the craggy boulders of Pointe Chevalier. To the other side the island curves giving the crescent of beach a natural boundary, creating just the right illusion of secluded paradise. With the lush background of verdant jungle and the expanse of blinding white sand, the technicolor blue of water and sweet off-shore breeze, Anse Lazio is almost too much to take in, almost too much to believe. But close your eyes, yeah. It’s real. And I’m going.
A Scatological Comparison of Selected Latin American Nations
Posted July 30, 2009 , add a commentA Scatological Comparison of Selected Latin American Nations
A Google search for websites containing both the words “travel” and “diarrhea” results in 1,860,000 links, and that only includes the small subset of pages in which “diarrhea” is spelled correctly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that there are 50,000 new cases of traveler’s diarrhea every day (CDC 2008). One might expect, therefore, that a wealth of information must be available to help the cautious traveler assess risk levels of potential trips. After all, a careful consideration of the risk of traveler’s diarrhea is at least as important as a consideration of the number of national parks or pristine beaches a travel destination offers, because the traveler’s intestinal state is likely to determine whether those parks or beaches will even been seen by the traveler.
However, most travelers just go to one country for a week or two, and although many return with a disgusting story, virtually none have actual data to go along with it. As a result, little objective data is available for use in risk assessment. The few previous studies have identified travel destination as the most important risk factor (Steffen et al. 1983; von Sonnenburg et al. 2000). The CDC has therefore divided the world into three categories with regard to risk for developing traveler’s diarrhea - high, intermediate, and low (CDC 2008). High-risk areas include Mexico, all of Central America, all of South America (except Argentina and Chile), all of Africa (except South Africa and Lesotho), and all of Asia (except Japan and Russia). In other words, 78,846,672 square kilometers of the Earth’s land surface, or 58.2% of the total land surface (excluding Antarctica, which CDC does not categorize), are classified as high-risk areas.
This qualitative, broad-brush approach to risk assessment is unfortunately not very useful to the traveler. Diarrhea can range from the merely annoying to the completely incapacitating, yet CDC makes no attempt to classify severity. As a result, there is little information that would help you plan a trip unless you automatically exclude a visit to 58.2% of the world. There is an urgent need for a universal, quantitative, objective methodology for rating countries so that travelers can accurately assess the likelihood of developing an urgent need at each potential destination.
During a recent trip to Latin America, I had quite a lot of time to sit and think about this issue on the very first day due to a bad tamale I ate at a bus station, and I realized I had an opportunity to begin solving this problem by determining which is the crappiest country in Latin America.
Methods
I traveled from Tucson, Arizona, USA to Buenos Aires, Argentina, mostly by bus, between November 28, 2001 and March 3, 2003. I rated every bowel movement I had during that 15 month period according to the scale displayed in Table 1.
I did not visit every Latin American country, so several countries are excluded from the analysis. Furthermore, due to an imminent mortar attack on the capital city, I remained in Colombia for just three days and excluded it from the analysis due to the low sample size. The countries included in this study are Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Venezuela.
The rating scale was initially designed as a negative logarithmic scale in terms of looseness, much like a pH scale is a negative logarithmic scale in terms of acidity, with 1 being the most loose and 10 being the least loose. However, when I devised the scale I did not realize it was possible to crap straight liquid blood, so during the course of the study I had to add a zero rating. While this does mean that the scale can no longer be considered truly logarithmic, the change does not affect the analysis or results.
The advantage of the non-linear scale is that it allows us to focus more closely on the looser end of things. Therefore, the “one-wiper,” the Holy Grail of crapping, is not a 5, but an 8. Generally speaking, the further from 8 you are, the less comfortable you are likely to be. The ratings are designed to be self-explanatory and objective. Fractional ratings, such as 4.5, were permitted when necessary. When there were multiple bowel movements in the same day, I rated each separately.
To compare countries, I used multiple regression to determine whether there were rating differences between them after accounting for differences in the number of days spent in each country and in the number of months I had been traveling when I visited each country.
One potentially confounding factor is that I occasionally used ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic, to combat various illnesses during my trip. I typically took antibiotics for three days each time, and started treatments on December 29, 2001 (Mexico); May 15, 2002 (Honduras); December 19, 2002 (Brazil); and January 26, 2003 (Argentina). However, given that the effective period of the antibiotics was short compared to the length of time spent in any country, I have disregarded this factor in the analyses.
Results
In total, I produced 406 craps during my 490-day trip. Table 2 lists the countries visited in order of visitation, days spent there, and craps taken in each.
During the course of my trip, I produced craps that spanned the entire rating scale, from 0 to 10 (Figure 1).
Countries differed significantly in terms of level of crappiness (F = 18.20, df = 7, 396, P < 0.0001), even after taking number of days in country and number of months on the road into account.
The country with the lowest rating (i.e., the crappiest) was Guatemala, scoring a craptacular 3.3, which is just barely more solid than vegetable soup in beef broth (Table 3). Argentina was the second crappiest country I visited, where the mean looseness of my craps was the same as hearty sirloin and vegetable soup. Argentina was closely followed by Honduras. Argentina was the only country in which I produced craps with a zero rating (blood). Argentina and Guatemala were the only countries in which I achieved ratings of 1 (clear water), although there was one 1.5-rated crap in Nicaragua.
The least crappy country I visited was Panama, which scored well ahead of all other countries at a breathtakingly pleasant 7.6 (between meatloaf and one-wiper). Following Panama was Mexico, with a 6.7 rating, and Costa Rica, with a 6.3. Venezuela was the only country in which I produced craps with a 10 rating (diamond), but I achieved at least one 9 rating (charcoal) in Brazil, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.
Discussion
Keeping in mind that I only sampled nine Latin American countries, the data indicate that Guatemala is by far the crappiest country in Latin America. Interestingly, Argentina is the only country I sampled that is considered by CDC to be an intermediate risk rather than high-risk country for traveler’s diarrhea, yet Argentina is the second worst country for diarrhea according to my study.
Mexico has long been feared by American travelers as a place of intestinal unpleasantness. Hence one often hears of Montezuma’s Revenge, which attributes the experience of pissing out of your rectum to a curse the last Aztec emperor placed on foreign visitors. Nonetheless, this study indicates that Mexico is in fact among the least crappy countries in Latin America.
Although 406 craps were analyzed for this study, all were produced by the same person, which technically means that the results of this study can only be directly applied to me. However, the data are likely to be generally applicable to other people as well. As such, I recommend Panama as the Latin American destination of choice to those travelers who wish to tour more than just a country’s toilets, and I submit that spending a week in your own bathroom will provide a similar experience to a week in Guatemala at a much lower price.
Most importantly, this study proves that it is possible to differentiate between countries with a simple, objective rating system. Please note that Table 1 can be easily printed out, laminated, and carried in the field. If this rating system is used by other researchers in the future and the results published, we will be able to someday determine which is the crappiest country in the world.
Sources cited:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2008. CDC Health Information for International Travel 2008. Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
Steffen R., F. van der Linde, K. Gyr and M. Schar. 1983. Epidemiology of diarrhea in travelers. Journal of the American Medical Association 249(9): 1176-1180.
von Sonnenburg, F., N. Tornieporth, P. Waiyaki, B. Lowe, L.F. Peruski Jr., H.L. DuPont, J.J. Mathewson, R. Steffen. 2000. Risk and aetiology of diarrhoea at various tourist destinations. Lancet 356: 133-134.
photo by nicolasnova on Flickr
10 Backpacker Stereotypes You’ll Meet on the Road
Posted July 22, 2009 , add a comment10 Backpacker Stereotypes You’ll Meet on the Road
There is no doubt that having an open mind and a level of tolerance for differences in cultures is essential for any backpacker during their travels overseas. I also believe that there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ traveler, that not all backpackers from the same country necessarily bear resemblance to each other, and that where in the world an individual comes from should not affect how they are perceived and treated when traveling.
However, in the spirit of poking fun, and with a hint of political incorrectness, below is a list of the top ten backpacker region stereotypes (including my own!) that you may have encountered during your world travels…
1 - The American Backpacker
You will hear this backpacker immediately upon entering the hostel. Loud, enthusiastic and friendly, the American Backpacker either travels in large groups of young college girls or guys, or, if a little bit older, travels hans solo. The delightful college girl American Backpacker wears pajamas during the day and tight bright clothing at night, and is never without numerous layers of make up and hairspray, and the college boy American Backpacker has usually found their way to Central or South America on a cheap flight from Miami and are ready for a week of drinking and partying.
In contrast, the older single American Backpackers are usually travel bloggers, photographers, or hippies that are trying to find the deeper meaning in their travel experiences. All American backpackers give themselves massive kudos for being one of the 20-30% of American citizens that own passports and like to brag about anything remotely ‘foreign’ they have done on their travels. Depending on the type, great for partying the night away or discussing the meaning of life.
2 - The European Backpacker
Usually travels in pairs, stays in the private rooms, and spends much of the time speaking to only each other in their native language. The European Backpacker is ridiculously good looking but very quiet and reserved, until copious amounts of red wine are consumed.
Usually has way more money than the rest of the hostel combined and can tell smug stories of expensive trips and activities which others could only dream of. Great for when you want to pretend you are not a grimy backpacker and go to a nice restaurant or bar for once.
3 - The Canadian Backpacker
Can spot these a mile away due to the prevalence of Canadian flags sewn on to their backpack and the ‘ey’ at the end of every sentence (“Canada, ey”).
Always friendly and impeccably polite (unless you mistake them for their louder cousin, American backpacker). Often stoned. If you hit them, they will apologize. Great for switching rooms to get away from the snorer.
4 - The Israeli Backpacker
The Israeli backpacker tends to travel in large packs after doing their time in the army. Easy to find as they will be the ones haggling at every spot. Friendly and always speak impeccable English, but are slightly scary and a little smelly. Great for when you want the best deal at the local kebab shop.
5 - The Asian Backpacker
Very rare breed of backpacker. Quiet and courteous (until they have a beer), the Asian Backpacker usually travels in small packs with large cameras and a multitude of electrical equipment in a Hello Kitty backpack. Great for when you need that s150 charger you left at home.
6 - The English Backpacker
The English Backpacker travels in a massive group with other suntanned/burnt/fake-tan orange English Backpackers. Friendly but often spends time whinging on a hostel balcony.
Usually has enough money to find English booze and fried food thanks to the pound. Usually on a Gap Year. Always up for hostel drinking games, and able to drink nearly as much as the Australian Backpacker (and often goes home with one). Great for having a laugh at the pub.
7 - The South African Backpacker
Another rare breed. Usually men. Very arrogant and most have the crazy eyes, but they come complete with a divine accent and amazing abs. Can handle a shotgun. Great for when you need a handyman to fix the hostel bunk, someone to protect you in a dangerous part of town, or when you have a hankering for a backpacker fling.
8 - The Australian Backpacker
Friendly, adventurous and laid back, but can be annoyingly loud and is the centre of every party once drunk. Always the one that does the stupid dares.
Can be found traveling in packs, pairs or alone, but if alone will often have run into a cousin/friend/acquaintance at every stop, however remote (“maaaaate, didn’t realise you were over here in the middle of the amazon jungle. lets go for a drink.”).
Great for when you want to start drinking at 9am and have a skinny dip in a public fountain.
9 - The New Zealand Backpacker
Often confused with its Australian cousin; can be distinguished by their questionable fashion sense and hilarious pronunciation of the phrases “fish and chips” and “six, please”. Very friendly but usually a little reserved in large groups. Well experienced in camping and ‘tramping’ (hiking) and is at home in cold and mud and snow.
Extremely loose on the booze and has the ability to do even crazier things than the Australian Backpacker when provoked, especially if from Dunedin. Great for a laugh when ordering six beers, or for borrowing clothes when the weather is chilly.
10 - The Irish Backpacker
Not to be confused with the English Backpacker, the Irish Backpacker is usually a little older and travels in pairs or by themselves. Like a homing pigeon, this gem of a backpacker always manages to find the best deals on a pint at any time of the day and is friendly and inclusive of all other travelers.
Loses the ability to speak English after a few alcoholic beverages but good at miming their usually hilarious drinking stories. Great for a friendly face if traveling alone.
Photo credits:
Americans by greggoconnell on Flickr, Canadian by wisely on Flickr, Irish by Barnacles Hostels on Flickr, English and Drinking by Happy Little Nomad on Flickr
Princess Cruises… 5 Important Points!
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The Princess Cruises offers all of the main facilities that Princess is noted for, plus some new innovations. These include the, fantastic shows each evening, dramatic piazza-style atrium featuring small-bite eateries and performing street entertainers. The larger cruise liners in the Princess Cruises fleet carry more than three thousand passengers, with a vast number of balcony staterooms and mini-suites. There will be a great experience while waking in the morning, go out to your private balcony and take in the fresh sea air. If you have few glasses of juices with you, you will definitely enjoy more. There are many things to consider before embarking on a Princess cruise adventure. First you need to be clear on what you want from this type of vacation so you can easily search for available trips and packages. 1. Destination is one of the first things to decide on before getting down to details. A Princess Cruise offers so many interesting destinations to choose from and the most popular ones are South America, Europe, Canada, New England, New Zealand, Australia, Asia, Panama Canal, Hawaii, Tahiti, South Pacific, Mexican Riviera, Alaska and World Cruise. 2. Duration is another factor that you need to decide on. There are short cruises that only run for five days. For first timers though, it is recommended that you choose a longer trip to maximize the activities that you can do. There are trips that last for 6 to 8 days, 9 to 15 days, and schedules for 16 days up too. For tour duration, most tours run for 3 to 4 to 6 days or more. Relative to this, you would also need to think about the travel sequence. You can choose to cruise first before the tour or the other way around. 3. Just like any other holiday trips, there are documents that need to be prepared when going on a Princess cruise. You need to have your travel certification, permits, visa/s or passports on hand to avoid any hitches during the trip. Your travel agency can further advise you on other essential documents that you should not forget to bring. 4. Are you combining your cruise with another travel itinerary? Or is it the only travel activity that you’re going to do? Whichever, it pays to learn about the embarkation ports so you can plan for other things including delays, land and air transfers and stopovers. Embarkation ports for these trips include Acapulco in Mexico, Athens in Greece, Bangkok in Thailand, Barbados, Beijing in China, Cape Town in South Africa, Ft. Lauderdale in Florida, Honolulu in Hawaii, London in England, Manaus in Brazil, New Orleans in Louisiana, Osaka in Japan, Quebec City in Quebec, Rome in Italy, San Juan in Puerto Rico, Seattle in Washington, Sydney in Australia, Venice in Italy, Anchorage in Alaska, Auckland in New Zealand, Barcelona in Spain, Buenos Aires in Argentina, Copenhagen in Denmark, Galveston in Texas and Lima in Peru among many others. 5. The fleet must be considered too. All princesses are magnificent ships but they offer different opportunities as far as amenities, activities and experiences to be had are concerned. Read the detailed description for each ship and make your choice.