A young fisherman on Playa del Coco

Life is full of surprises.

Being a teensy bit restless, I had not intended to spend the day at Coco Beach, but I did.

It was great. I had forgotten how absolutely captivated I get once I have some subjects and the time to focus on some pictures.

I’m rusty, but I watched the fishermen bring their catch in from the boats, and got a couple of shots of them. This young guy was my favorite character. He was happy to let me take his photo after I asked, perhaps enjoying it just a little;)

Jessa was kind enough to watch my bag while I wandered around, and it also provided her a handy backrest while she napped in the shade…

Philippine diplomats in Burma are seeking the release of 14 Philippine fishermen detained last week for alleged illegal fishing in Burmese waters…. From VOA. Full story

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Philippine diplomats in Burma are seeking the release of 14 Philippine fishermen detained last week for alleged illegal fishing in Burmese waters…. From VOA. Full story

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24 November 2009 Mexico

Upon leaving the Hotel Caribe, we spoke to Antonio via Miguel, who quite accepted the fact that we would not be putting a deposit down on any of his homes just yet. We have his business card and can also make contact through Miguel at a later date.  At the airport, while waiting for our 2.10pm flight to Veracruz via Villeformosa, we sampled some delicious nut muffins along with a beer. The plane, a Brazilian made Ebrauer, had just three seats across, one plus two, which was a first for us, but was quite comfortable. Viewed from the sky the Mexican landscape had changed from the dense scrubby bush and trees in the Yucatan area to that of many large lakes and rivers, winding endlessly across the countryside and with few signs of habitation. Once we approached Villeformosa, however, the scene changed to one of huge settled areas and the vast complexes of low cost living we’ve become accustomed to seeing.

Within a few minutes of landing, most of those who were leaving the flight had disembarked and a new crop of passengers entered for the leg to Veracruz. Our hotel in Veracruz came as a pleasant surprise. It was a very inexpensive price when booked via the internet ($35) so we expected something a bit run-down but this was not the case. Set right on the sea front, it was a superb quality 4 star hotel with great views down the esplanade to the centre of

Veracruz, some kilometers away. A walk was in order after all this sitting on planes and in taxis so we sauntered along the beach, where there many tented cafes set up right on the water’s edge, reminding us  of a similar scene in Bali at Jimbaran Bay! Strolling guitarists entertained the dining guests, though they were few, as a firm breeze was blowing in. Several Policemen  on top class Harley Davidson motor cycles also patrolled the beach, along with a Patrol Car! There were loads of fishing boats returning with their catches but by the time we reached that end of the beach they had already removed them.

Even with the use of our Latin American Spanish phrase book we were unable to decipher many dishes on the menu in our hotel, so took pot luck and ended up with two different tortilla dishes, one with a ‘strange’ brown gravy-like substance over it (Jim’s) and the other with a type of cream sauce which I actually quite enjoyed! You never know until you try something!

Fishermen and fishing enthusiasts enjoy a wide range of Christmas and holiday gifts. Because fishing has so many specialized forms, the art, crafts and gift industries have responded with gifts for every niche as well as gift items that are suitable for general fishing enthusiasts. While fishing may have been a sport that was dominated by men in the past, modern fishing includes both sexes and has become much more of a family activity. Stores now offer gifts created specifically for men, women and children of all ages.

Sweatshirts are an excellent choice for fishermen. Most anglers spend at least some time fishing in cool weather and a fishing-related sweatshirt is almost always a welcome addition to their wardrobe. Online stores have fishing sweatshirts of every type imaginable.

Fishing coffee mugs are popular with fishermen. Online stores offer an excellent selection of coffee cups and mugs decorated with images of fish icons. Cups and mugs are available in several sizes and there is a product for virtually every species of fish and type of fishing.

For anglers that enjoy artwork, fish rubbings, or Gyotaku are a potential gift idea. The Gyotaku technique relatively simple. Artists apply paint or ink to an actual fish, then lay paper or canvas on top of it. The paper or other media is rubbed over the fish and gently peeled off to expose the likeness.

Posters, prints and calendars are great gifts for anglers. Whether it’s meant to decorate a den, garage or fishing cabin, calendars, prints or fish identification posters will be appreciated and proudly displayed by fishing enthusiasts.

Not to be overlooked are freshwater and saltwater fish ornaments. Artists and crafters offer a wide range of Christmas and holiday ornaments that feature photographs, paintings or logos of a favorite fish species. These make excellent gifts and ornaments of several species can be combined to create specialized collections.

When preparing for the Christmas season, shoppers may also want to check out fishing-related Christmas cards, postcards or note cards. Some cards will have fishing photos or prints, while others will display a particular species of fish. These cards make good choices when sending holiday greetings to fellow anglers and boaters.

The author maintains several websites that offer gifts for fishermen including Fresh Seafood and Fish and Fishing T Shirts.

Friends Link : Fahrrad Bekleidung Billig Kaufen Billig Stiefel Schuhe Shop Sweatshirt Hoodies Bekleidung online Shop Billig Sweatshirt Kaufen

What a change a Cloudy Monday is from Sunny Sunday in Huanchaco.

Sunny Sunday:

Bodies colorful in bathing suits glut the beach and spill into the cold waves with squeals and shrieks. Children in sand-filled underwear build castles at the water’s edge to be lapped by the waves. Young couples lay close together on blankets, half-naked and oblivious of the rest of the world.

Massive tour buses have trucked in people by the hundreds to buy trinkets and splash in the ocean, eat ceviche and lie in the sun. All of Huanchaco is out to watch them, sell to them, wait on them. Taxis prowl the streets, and ice cream vendors are doing rapid business every few feet. Bars and restaurants Rob and I have eaten at alone for weeks now don’t have a single free table.

Impromptu soccer games spring up everywhere along the beach, bare-chested young people diving for the ball in sprays of sand, flinging themselves into the waves to fetch uncontrolled kicks. Keepers make grand saves that bury themselves in the sand.

Cloudy Monday:

Today there are only a few surfers practicing in the shallows, and a pair of elderly European tourists walking on the edge of the waves, hiking shoes in hand. A few little boys with bodyboards play by the pier, oblivious to the cold.

The empty beach is lain with fishing nets as the fishermen check them for holes, gather them carefully into bundles. A man in tattered surf shorts mends his net with a pointed wooden shuttle wrapped with translucent green filament.

Today the fishermen are unmolested by tourist cameras and halting questions in broken Spanish. Yesterday they made their money taking tourists out on their caballitos de totoro, keeping to the shallows but still illiciting screams of delight as the unstable little boats rocked with the waves. Today it’s back to fishing. They’ve lost their glamor.

A lone Lamborgini ice cream vendor sits on the curb, not even bothering to solicit the few people who wander by, and the man selling sticky-sweet neon orange turrones motions at them half-heartedly as we walk past. A few of the feather earring and hemp necklace vendors have come out, but there’s no one here to buy their wares.

Huanchaco is quiet once again.

Sunset at the beach.

Written by Kurt Madar, The Triplicate November 17, 2009

Bay Area boats headed our way for Dec. 1 start

Due to a poor opening for the Central Coast commercial crab season, which began Nov 15, North Coast boats will be having to compete with vessels from down south for what may be another low-yield harvest.

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As many of you are no doubt already aware, i spent Hallowe’en weekend in seattle with jo-ann and trevor. The trip started off with a somewhat ill-fated trip to Tan Popo for all-you-can-eat sushi. The sushi and assorted Japanese foods were fantastic, my ill-fated remark refers rather to Trevor’s stomach and his need to share it’s relative fullness for the rest of the night via assorted grunts and groans which Jo-ann and I only put up with because we were both well-sauced by this point.

The next morning it was up and out (at least in theory) on our way to Seattle. Trevor and Jo-ann had rented a fantastic grey Prius for our little road trip south of the border and somewhat predictably I now want one – in all fairness so does Jo-ann. Anyway, the road trip was lovely and we soon arrived at the home of Cale and Sacha. Needless to say, drinking ensued. That night we were off to Showbox SoDo – which was a wicked venue, like a big old warehouse, making me feel very much like i was Kyra Sedgewick in the movie ‘Singles’ – to see The Airborne Toxic Event who were brilliant. We did shots of tequila and drank supercans of PBR all night and it was amazing. (BTW, my favourite song by The Airborne Toxic Event is Sometime Around Midnight – click to see the video)

The next day was largely a hangover day and we sort of hung around the house acclimatising to the surprising warmth of Seattle. Later Trevor and I ventured out to the supermarket unsupervised which proved somewhat disastrous as it was not unlike two Id’s who’d left their Ego at home. We came back with over $100 worth of beer, chips, and pop, and beer only costs (!) $10 a case in the states. Any man who can pass a bag of Lay’s Limon or a six-pack of Land Shark Lager is a stronger man than I.

That night we stayed in and watched some terrible hallowe’en fare. The best of the three movies we watched was called ‘Shrooms’ and it was about some supposed friends who flew from America to Ireland on holiday to take mushrooms. I say supposed friends because very early into the film we found ourselves wondering why people who hated eachother as much as this bunch did would waste a thousand-ish dollars flying across the atlantic to spend a holiday together. Furthermore, are there no drugs in America? Who flies to Ireland to take mushrooms? Is this some sort of trend I don’t know about? Is this what all the kids are doing these days? Needless to say all but one of the “friends” ended up dead and the killer, after getting away with all the murders, escaped, for some reason, into the forest. It actually wasn’t a terrible movie apart from these and maybe a few more plot holes. We also watched ‘Stan Helsing’ which was just plain fucked up.

The next day it was time for some sightseeing in downtown Seattle starting with Pike Place Market. We stopped in for a Starbucks, Jo-ann had a thing for the fishermen, and Trevor, for some reason, drank a Hangtown Mary which included a raw oyster dangling nausea-inducingly from a cocktail pick. Later, despite protest from Jo-ann, we ascended the Space Needle which was actually properly amazing. It’s not right in the downtown core so you have a view of that, Puget Sound, and the whole surrounding area. Also, you can walk outside right the way around which is really cool; we had a drink up there and all loved it.

Later, we all kitted up and proceeded to get our drink on. After some initial indecision Sacha decided on Dorothy over Lederhosen, Cale topped his outfit up with a mustache, and I affixed my Cher wig and slipped into my poncho. Upon leaving the house Trevor was already quite drunk, rather foreshadowing the events that later transpired, but at this point each of us were blissfully unaware of anyone’s drunkenness but our own.

After arriving at Showbox at the Market – again, amazing – we got stamps on our wrists and proceeded to enjoy the party-time sounds of Seattle’s very own Cool-Ade. It was a brilliant party and then all of a sudden Cale came up to the rest of us and said that Trevor had been kicked out for being too drunk. After some initial disappointment Cale hatched the rather masterful plan of re-dressing Trevor in some extra bits and pieces, including my poncho and wig (I was also wearing a fantastic psychedelic shirt). So Cale painstakingly removes the Fred Flintstone costume from the now balance-challenged Trevor and replaces it with the wig and poncho. Only after he is fully re-dressed does Trevor point out the big black X that is drawn over the entry stamp on his wrist, precluding him from returning at all.

After a fall in the parking lot and the poncho moving again from Trevor, back to me, and then to Sacha, we’re now on our way home and out of downtown Seattle having only arrived an hour previous. All is going swimmingly again until we’re speeding down the freeway and Trevor decides to open his door to vomit. Only we’re going 65 MPH. And he’s not wearing his seatbelt. So a bit of shitstorm unleashes in the car and Jo-ann and I are trying to hold onto Trevor as his relieves his turbulent stomach onto the busy road (and a little bit onto the car door).

Now, just as we’re trying to find our way back onto the freeway after diverging in order to let Trevor finish up what do we see but A LANDSHARK BILLBOARD! Realizing that this is indeed a stupendous moment Sacha pulls the car to a hault and Cale and I dance a jig beneath it as Jo-ann tries capture the moment on film rather unsuccessfully.

Upon arriving home Trevor headed straight for bed and despite thinking it was a good idea to drug him awake – we failed – the night died down after that. Needless to say Trevor woke up with the mater and pater of all hangovers and we hit the road home.

En route we stopped to get Jack In The Box which was BRILLIANT, Jo-ann decided she needed to try every flavour of vitamin water, and Trevor usurped a coat that I liked at the outlet mall for his own – coatstealer. Finally, the next day we had lunch at the Black Frog before Jo-ann and Trevor had to head back to their real lives in the Big Onion. It was a fabulous trip.

A few things I learned:
1. Trevor’s new nickname is Captain Obvious as he has an uncanny ability for vocalising the obvious.
2. Showbox is fantastic. Go there if you’re in Seattle.
3. Ditto, the Space Needle, it’s surprisingly good.
4. Avoid Trinity night club at all costs. It was aweful and an event transpired as confusing as it was angering.
5. I am quite good at the playing the drums in Rock Band.
6. Do not show Trevor a coat you like at an outlet mall.
7. Lay’s Limon are amazing. (Why do we not have them in Canada?)
8. Jo-ann and I are quite good at swaying a la Sonny and Cher, or at least we seemed to be after a few drinks.
9. Bluto may be the best name ever in the history of horror films.
10. Do not go to Ireland to take shrooms.

Walking amidst quaint villages and paddy fields, island hopping on boats, lunching by the riverside, beach trekking, sleeping by the beach under a starry sky, having a whole island to yourself for a day, watching the full moon set late in the night, waking up to a beautiful sunrise on the beach.  jealous? Well, if you are a nature lover, you ought to be! Last week a few colleagues and I participated in the Island expedition organized by Youth hostels Association, Udupi unit and had an amazing time.

A quaint house at Barkur

The trek started at Barkur, 20km from Udupi where we finished the registration and started walking 2-3 kms towards the coast passing Bennekudru where we got to spend time at sugarcane fields and a jaggery making unit. It was humid, but we took breaks at regular intervals under nice and shady coconut groves. Needless to say, my camera and i had an absolutely wonderful time shooting the picturesque landscapes in many possible arty angles, much to the frustration of the rest of the gang

Paddy fields at Bennekudru

About 80 other people joined us from various parts of the country, most of them being Kannadigas. It was nice to mingle with other experienced campers, trekkers, photographers and nature lovers. There were 60-70 year olds also who participated in this trip with as much enthusiasm and energy as the rest of us. All afternoon we went boating visiting a couple of very beautiful river islands, one of which was uninhabited and will soon be taken over by Malya-the island will never be the same again i guess.

A tributary of river Sita, near Bennekudru

By evening we reached the Padukere beach after walking for 5-6kms amidst lovely paddy fields and small villages.

Paddy fields on the way to Padukere beach

The local people were absolutely amazing and generous, helping us with drinking water and other facilities. This beach is connected to the NH-17 but the experience of reaching this place through the water route was marvelous. This being the fishing season, it would normally be difficult to get fishermen provide people with boats, but YHA made it possible with the connections they have made over years.

Laughing Ryot

The planning and scheduling was immaculate as we reached the camp site on the beach right on time to watch the sunset into the ocean. Everyone had an amazing time in their own way despite being tired from the trek, some spent time with their partners,some went crazy with their cameras (me included),some had boisterous fun in the sea.

Sunset by the Padukere beach

We spent the night there on the island in tents provided by YHA. The local fishermen performed Yakshagana and a local dance called Houndarayana Kunitha which they perform specifically on thulsi puja. Attending concerts is one experience, but getting treated as guests and witnessing their performance in the open air, sitting by the beach is something else altogether. The song was in Kannada or a local dialect which I could not understand, but was enjoyable nevertheless. The lyrics to the song sung while dancing are said to be extempore, which makes the dance form all the more interesting.

Folk dance of the local fishermen(on the Padukere beach)

This was my first time camping outdoors and I have to admit, it was a very interesting experience, the good and the bad
We woke up by sunrise(yeah, something we dont really get to see with our lifestyles , ok, i know i should be the last one to lecture on this!). We started the beach trek by 8 after breakfast, with our backpacks.

Good Morning, sunshine!

This being my first time as a camper,i made a few mistakes with what i should and should not have carried on this trip. For starters, do not pack heavy clothes like jeans for beach treks!take light cottons only. Also, beg,borrow or steal a sunscreen lotion if you don’t have one! Why? just drop in to see my lovely patchy face Some of us had some nasty shoe bites too, so its really important to pack the right kind of footwear, its even worth it to pack extra footwear, as some of the others who lost or broke their footwear will vouch for. The beach walk was for about 17km and the heavy bags you need to carry only add to the troubles. If you have good company or music to keep you going, it will seem much easier. I met a few guys who were cracking sardarji jokes for quite some distance ! We trekked to coastal villages called Hangarakatte, Kodi and Hoodi. We then took a boat to the St Mary’s island by sunset time. Again, needless to say, was beautiful!

Sunset at St Mary's

St Mary’s island or locally called the Aasare Thota, lies to the north of the Malpe town, and is known for its basalt rocks crystallized into hexagonal columns. Perhaps,this is the only spot in India where basaltic rocks show up such peculiar formations.

Waves splashing against the basalt rocks at St Mary's island

It is a major tourist attraction on this side, but visitors are not allowed more than 2 hrs or so on the island. We were the lucky ones who got to spend an entire night there! We spent the night in the open without tents just lying near the beach. It was almost a full-moon day and by 3 or 4am, the moon had an orange tinge and was about to go down. Some of us woke up at the right time to catch a glimpse of it…it was mind blowing, something you cannot capture with a camera or explain in words, you have to experience it. The next day, we woke up to yet another beautiful sunrise. We had a lot of time to go trekking on rocks around the island…it was total fun.

Rise and Shine, St Mary's island

St Mary's Island

By afternoon we had a small valedictory function after which we took a boat back to Malpe. There are buses from Malpe towards Udipi every 10mins, so it is very well connected by road. We reached hyderabad by bus on the 2nd afternoon. People who cannot take long bus journeys can opt for a flight back home from Mangalore too. Overall, an awesome experience, there were inconveniences too, but i realize that they are part and parcel of camping and trekking. I hope i made you guys jealous enough to wish that you were there too

Route Map of the Expedition

The sportsmen in these photographs live in Sudbury, Ontario & they have a cabin out past Key Harbour over towards Henley Inlet & they also have a fishing & hunting cabin up in Northern Ontario which is great brook trout & smallmouth bass fishing & as you can see moose hunting.
They catch a lot of nice pike & muskie in Georgian Bay & also big yellow pickerel.
What a life!
I envy them & their youth.
They know what they are doing & do it well.
I would love to be up there hunting & fishing in all the different places they know about & go to frequently.
Pictures say more than a thousand words.

Mumbai is bracing for cyclone Phyan with the level six cyclone now approximately 250 km from the city and expected to make landfall by the evening.

Cyclone in Mumbai

All schools in Mumbai and coastal Maharashtra have been shut; government offices are also closing down.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister has said emergency services have been activated and people in low-lying areas have been put on alert. Extra local trains are being run to take people home quickly. It hasn’t been raining in Mumbai for over an hour.

Read More….

“Damn it,” Labeeb screamed.

The curse was the only English phrase he knew well.  Command of a foreign language, he thought, was urbane.  It was important to Labeeb to appear urbane in front of his fishing crew.  He snapped his new cell phone shut.

“Here,” he said.

He threw the phone at the first mate, his younger brother Hateef, who caught it.  The Grand Hotel King Victor Emmanuel’s rude switchboard operator had refused to put Labeeb through to the Head Chef.  Labeeb thought the chef should send his staff to the beach to fetch the day’s catch.

“I’ll have to take the fish to them,” he muttered.

Hateef, the only member of Labeeb’s fishing crew, pursed his full, dark lips, and stifled a smirk.  He slipped the phone into the pocket of his ragged, khaki shorts, and helped Labeeb heft the six foot long swordfish off the floor of the small motorboat.  The beast was almost dead.

Using his gloved hand, Hateef grabbed the fish’s long snout.  The brothers struggled with the  heavy animal, and finally got it balanced, like a floppy length of thin polished steel, on Labeeb’s head.  Hateef offered a steadying hand that Labeeb jabbed away with his elbow, and an annoyed grunt.

Hanging on to the day’s catch, Captain Labeeb–he had big business plans–jumped into the Indian Ocean’s olive colored surf.  He splashed toward the beach.  The salt water drenching felt good, but stung in the fresh scratches he’d got in the struggle to pull the fish onboard.  All of a sudden the fish flared its gills one last time, lifted its big tail, and gave Labeeb’s cheek a mighty slap–thwack!  Like an opera diva, Hateef threw himself atop the red outboard motor, and caved in to peals of laughter.  The Captain turned around and glared at his impertinent crewman.

On a ’sales trip’ to the airport that morning, Labeeb had cornered an Italian tourist, and promised the man something exotic for dinner–for a price, of course.  That’s what he hoped he’d promised.  They communicated with signs, and bits and pieces of various languages, so there was no telling what they actually understood each other to say.  The tourist was probably expecting fresh rhinoceros steak, served by a waiter decked out in a pith helmet, but this was the Somali sea coast.  If swordfish wasn’t exotic, Labeeb didn’t know what was.  Anyway, he was a fisherman, not a big game hunter.

The tourist was actually a journalist, specially invited to cover the final rounds of the month-long, radio quiz show, the prestigious ‘Al Shabab Challenge.”  The Somali warlords in the Shabab confederation wanted to show the world the Horn of Africa was a civilized place where education mattered.  They sponsored teams of students under the age of 25 who  gathered in Kismayo for the final elimination rounds of the contest.

Tomorrow the teams would answer a wide array of learned questions about science, culture, and of course, religion.  The first place winners would depart town with a stash of prizes:  one AK-47 assault rifle, two hand grenades, an anti-tank land mine, and last but not least, office supplies valued at a thousand U.S. dollars.  The second place team would share one AK-47 and a box of ammunition.  In an enthusiastic pre-contest interview Sheikh Abdullah Alhoosi said “The winners will be expected to return home and use their prizes to make Somalia a better place.”

“Lost” salmon, eh? (Sorry, that’s a little Canadian humor – or is it ‘humour’?).

I think we were supposed to turn left...

The Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, today announced that there will be a judicial inquiry into the disappearance of about 10 million sockeye salmon that were supposed to show up this summer to the Fraser River. The Fraser River runs right threw the little town known as Vancouver, British Columbia – hey, Mr. Harper, you might want to start your inquiry there.

But many people have many fingers to point. Some suggest native fishermen illegally fishing, others suggest warming river temperatures. The list continues; over-fishing, pollution, habitat destruction, lack of food sources, flooding, urbanization, new predators (squid), salmon farms, fertilizer run-off, salmon ranching…yes, salmon ranching.

Dr. Craig Orr, biologist at Watershed Watch, today suggested that hatchery fish may have eaten the ocean dry – someones been reading this blog, huh Mr. Orr? Well, you may be on to something Craig, because 5 billion hatchery salmon are released from Alaska, Russia and Asia to compete for food with wild salmon. These hatchery fished were happily feeding in the Bering Sea before those Canadian sockeye had even shown their fishy passports at customs.

But before all the finger pointing gets put under oath, you may want to answer the most important question – Lost? Were they ever there in the first place?

More photos from today can be seen on the gallery page.

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Five crew members are rescued from the water after their fishing boat catches fire in Belfast Lough…. From BBC News. Full story

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Five crew members are rescued from the water after their fishing boat catches fire in Belfast Lough…. From BBC News. Full story

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Five crew members are rescued from the water after their fishing boat catches fire in Belfast Lough…. From BBC News. Full story

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