My Dad – nuclear engineer and explorerer

I am in Muskoka for the long weekend in August. I am boating in Lake Muskoka and I see a phone call from my parents number. My heart stops.

My dad has been ill for many years. He is stubborn and a fighter. He has had quadruple by-pass surgery, 3 heart attacks, colon cancer, knees replaced, and suffering from diabetes. He is in the hospital now — the fear being the cancer has come back on his kidney.

Brilliant, opinionated always ready to explore. My father Eric Wiklund grew up in logging camps in the interior of British Columbia, Canada.

He had amazing talent for mathematics. He received a scholarship at UBS. Graduated and was off to Toronto, Ontario to be a big part of the nuclear era of engineering. A new frontier.

He gave me so much. His tenacity, dash or two of strong opinions but also compassion. He gave me strength. My father shared with me his love of the outdoors, exploration and my love of travelling the world. (and food!) I have so much to thank my father for.

I love you Dad.

I am hoping I will celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary with my mother this September so please send your prayers and good karma to my father…

Thank you

 

2 for 1 Padi Scams

If you see ads online and Groupon advertising 2 for 1 PADI certification. Beware.

There is no deal here. These shops want to pack the people in and make money. Your scuba diving education is not priority here.

The reason you take the PADI in class and pool training is to educate you and prepare you as a diver and your open water testing. Your end result of the class should be a referral letter so you can take your open water test. This is why you are taking the course.

Many shops who do these 2 for 1 deals. You must pay then $99 for course materials, rental of equipment. Which you may purchase then if you are serious about pursuing diving. But often overpriced during these sessions.

The kicker is then the Referral Letter is not given to you at the end of your class. Make sure you always are clear when you take the in-class and pool course this letter is free of charge and included in your course. The shop often wants a guarantee that you will sign up for THEIR open water course in Lake Ontario. This will cost in excess of $300. Your referral letter feewill then be “waived”.

When you finish a course at college or university, you do not receive a bill to certify  you completed the course!

My daughter and my boyfriend did this course in Mississauga. They were not informed of this. So a huge fee of $150 for two was then demanded. I did fight this and get the letters free of charge.  I had chosen Tobermory, the diving capital of Canada to be their first open water experience and where they do their testing. Divers Den the dive shop in Tobermory also had an excellent reputation. See my blog Taking the Plunge – scuba diving in Tobermory .

Beware of hidden fees. Ask exactly want the the rental and material fees will be. And most importantly that you will be given your Referral letter free of charge upon completion.

Do not let this deter from pursuing your PADI license to scuba dive. Just research your shop and have all the costs clearly outlined so you understand. When you receive your PADI license you discover a whole new world and join a new community. Dive in!

Hi, I want to get my PADI done

If you have ever thought you would like to try scuba diving – Just do it! You will truly discover a new world. Research your dive shop, however very key to researching and finding professional and truly certified PADI shops. When I dive abroad I only dive with 5 star PADI businesses. And even here at home your experience will depend on the dive professionals skills and teaching style.

Getting my PADI has changed how I travel, and opens a world of adventure and discovery!

Oceanus Scuba Blog

Starting your PADI Open Water course is both exciting and frightening. You’re being bombarded with odd sounding words and concepts like wetsuit, pressure groups, regulators and buoyancy. It is quite daunting to be told to breathe through a mouthpiece, fully submerged. Are you going to manage all these things? As it turns out, yes. Because you will be taken under the wings of the most passionate of human beings, your dive instructor

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Taking the plunge — scuba diving in Tobermory

I walked in Diver’s Den in Tobermory feeling sure of myself, yes it is cold water, more wet suit, some buoyancy variables, and yes it is #freezing. We are only diving up to 40 ft, an average of 20 feet. Seriously how hard can this be?

But I have over 60 dives under my belt. I have dove the Blue Hole in Belize at 160 ft, did 4 dives a day for a week on a liveaboard ship in the Great Barrier Reef, night dives with sharks, introduced myself to a giant barracuda face to face…. and dealt with storm conditions in the oceans of Indonesia.

Cameron says yes, you have done all this but you were ‘cheating’.

“Cheating?” I said. What do you mean. He said not cold water. I was like whatever. Bring it on.

I am bringing my daughter Chloe to finish her open water dives and complete her Padi open water certification. She is 15 years old. And my boyfriend Paul, who wants to discover a whole new world with us.

However, Cameron did have a point as I was about to discover firsthand.

My challenges were definitely from the start.

Suiting up.

• One full 7 mm suit and another 7 mm suit on top. Hood, gloves, booties. No sexy factor here. I felt like a walrus… I was not as graceful as one underwater however. My mermaid sensibility is now a fish out of water.
• Very challenging to get on both layers, especially for 2nd dive when wet.
• On a good note it did keep me warm (at least for a period of time)
• If you really get into cold water diving –  I suggest the purchase of a dry suit, far less material, easy to get on and will keep you warm and dry. But will liquidate your wallet. Usually start around $1000.

Breathing

• 14 mm of wetsuit, not only made me feel immobile, but constricted my breathing in my chest, which in turn made me breath in more rapidly until I calmed down from the initial cold shock.
• You will use more air until you condition your body.

Buoyancy

• I could not descend without a tow line. I was not used to extra buoyancy. I was bobbing around like a newbie. I had 26 lbs to get down. In the warm salt water, I use 6-8lbs. Huge difference. This is due to my increased wetsuit buoyancy, fresh water, cold — many factors.

Cold

• Cold, wow it is cold. and shockingly so. When you first enter takes your breath away. I knew it was cold but #freezie is more like it.
• Bottom temperature at only 20ft was 12C

I was totally humbled. Unfortunately, the cold seemed to aggravate an old ear issue, I had blown my eardrum a few years back in a previous injury. And with a current head cold it did act up. I bruised my eardrum trying to equalize. #sucks but it should be healed in a month.

However, diving in Tobermory is definitely an epic experience. I dove in the beautiful crystal clear waters. I swam among many different shipwrecks and the infamous “Sweepstakes“. One of the top ten shipwrecks in the world.

Shimmering in the water at only 20 ft below water, Sweepstakes  is considered to one of the best preserved 19th-century great lakes schooners to ever be discovered.

Padi’s New Graduates

• My daughter Chloe was a superstar, overcame her performance anxiety — she took the plunge and passed her open water skills with 4 open water dives – all in the cold waters of Tobermory. My little mermaid. So very, very proud of her.  At the end, she said “she wanted to stay down and explore more”…. love it.

Chloe prepping her tank for her first open water dive in Tobermory.

• Paul, my boyfriend who braved his fear of water… and the cold, passed his Padi openwater. He is now “Aquaman” to me.

Paul aka “Aquaman”

Divers Den – Dive shop in Tobermory

• Padi instructor Cameron Gibbs from Divers Den was amazing — patient, supportive. You felt completely safe and at ease. An expert, throughly knows his stuff and an incredible sense of humour. He can make you laugh even when you are shivering cold and reignite your enthusiasm to dive back in.
• I would recommend Divers Den to anyone who wants to dive in Tobermory.
• A professional, Padi dive shop, with five Transport Canada certified boats,
• Providing the cleanest fills around — meeting or exceeding the purity requirements of CSA Standard Z180.1-00.

The almost perfectly preserved wooden hull of the Sweepstakes – sunk in 1885

My 15 year old daughter taking the cold plunge to explore the “Sweepstakes” wreck.

Chloe diving back into time on the Sweepstakes in Tobermory

I am so proud of them and I look forward to diving as a family! I am glad I experienced beautiful Tobermory, the Diving capital of Canada.

However, I think I will choose a tropical destination for my next dive adventure — I hear Jardines Del Ray calling my name…

 

Flowerpot Island and more — Tobermory

Tobermory is known for its crystal clear cold waters and shipwrecks in Georgian Bay but even more so, it is known for Flowerpot Island. Flowerpot Island is famous for its natural sea stacks, aptly named the “flowerpots” because of their vase like shapes.

Flowerpot Island is located 6.5 km off the coast of Tobermory just inside Fathom Five National Marine Park. Flowerpot Island one of Canada’s natural wonders.

What to see and do other than the Flowerpots

Flowerpot Island is the only Marine Park in Canada with campsites and hiking trails.

Perfect to spend half or a full day exploring the island, viewing the scenery, picnicking or swimming.

• Caves
• Blue Grotto
• Shipwrecks
• Ancient ecosystems and geological sites
• Historic lightstation
• Variety of rare plants
• Birding
• Camping
• Hiking and trails
• Canoeing and kayaking
• Swimming

What are the “Flowerpots”?

• Natural Rock formations were formed over years, as wind, rain, waves and ice hammered away at the cliff that once stood alongside the shoreline and the softer rock eroded more quickly, leaving the harder rock remaining in the shape of our Flowerpots.
• Today, look closely at the cliffs near the water – you will see the start of new flowerpots currently being carved from the shoreline by the elements.
• Rocks formations are dolomite, formed  400 million years ago in a warm, shallow sea when fish were evolving with backbone and the first primitive land plants were appearing.
• Before the age of dinosaurs, huge great coral reefs in the area and shells marine creatures, made largely of calcium, built up for millions of years. As the sea slowly dried up, magnesium infused with the water causing it to eventually turn into dolomite, (similar to limestone but much harder)

How to see Flowerpot Island?

• Flowerpot island is only accessible by boat.
• Some boat cruises will take you to the shipwrecks and Flowerpot Island, and some will NOT, check the itinerary of the cruiseline.
• Boat cruises – some are glass bottom, some are ferries or charter boats

List of local Tobermory cruise boats

• Bruce Anchor Cruises
• Blue Heron Company
• Ms. Chi-Cheemaun Ferry Dinner Cruise
• Divers Den: Charters and Snorkel/Diving 

Enjoy! Be active or simply unwind in Tobermory, Ontario. Everything from spelunking in hidden caves to lying on the beach under the sun.

Cold water diving — I am Canadian!

I have never dove in Canadian waters …always venturing to the tropics, colourful coral and fish. I am now ready to take the plunge in a 14 mm suit, hood, gloves and embrace cold water diving in Canada.

I am Canadian. So bring it on.

Fathom Five offers some of the best freshwater diving opportunities in the world. Crystal clear, clean water, submerged geological formations (cliffs, caves, overhangs) and more than 20 historical shipwrecks offer a variety of underwater experiences.

When booking my dive with Diver’s Den in Tobermory I learned I will be challenged even as an experienced diver. This is because I am a tropical diver, and cold water (Yikes!)  will be completely  new for me. Some cold-water diving tips below:

• Thick wetsuit or drysuit required. You will feel like a walrus moving about in this out of water.
• Your buoyancy will be affected also in the water with the thicker suit.
• You will require more weight as your suit is more buoyant
• The simple shock of the cold. Obviously but just nothing will prepare you if you have only dove in the tropics — try submerging  your face for 20 seconds to climatise before diving
• Controlling your breathing in cold water. You will use a few extra pounds to descend until you are more accustomed to it.
• Plan ahead while gearing up. There is definitely more suiting up in cold water. Put your gloves on LAST.  So you can get your gear on, tucking, putting on your hood etc with gloves will not work.  You may say “duh” but when rushing to get in the water…
• Use a cold water regulator. Vital to use a regulator approved for cold water diving. The first stage of a non-cold water regulator may “freeze” due to normal cooling from gas expansion combined with cold water, causing a free flow. Review the procedure for handling a regulator free flow.
• You will use more oxygen in the cold water. You will use more calories in the cold, and breathing rate will increase.
• Diver’s Drag. Heavier suit, and more weight will cause you to consume more air.
• Clearing your mask. Many divers find that the shock of cold water on the face makes exhaling to clear a mask difficult in cold water. This reflex can be overcome with practice, but divers must acclimatize to shock of cold water a few times before they learn clear their masks easily. Not fun at first but practicing mask clearing in cold water is essential to being safe on cold water dives.

It may be different but I am looking forward to experiencing Canadian cold water diving and a whole new world I have yet to discover.  Maybe even diving in the Arctic is next….

photo: arctickingdom.com

Chilling Shipwreck — The Sweepstakes

I love diving. And I love shipwrecks.

Each wreck has a story, from the people who built the ship, to those who worked on it, what type of cargo and then of course its fateful demise.

The world’s ocean floor is littered with aproximately 3 million shipwrecks according to the United Nations. But one of the most captivating in crystal clear waters is at the bottom of Big Tub Harbour off the shores of Tobermory, Ontario, Canada.

Shimmering in the clear and very cold, blue water just twenty feet below the surface lies the Sweepstakes, a 19th century boat.

I will be out my element from the warm Caribbean oceans to braving the cold Ontario waters. I’m going to discover and dive The Sweepstakes…

What type of boat was The Sweepstakes?

• Sweepstakes was a Great Lakes Schooner.
• She was built in 1867 in Burlington Ontario.
• Weighing 218 gross tonnes, Sweepstakes was 119′ long with a 23′ beam and a 10′ depth of hold.

What caused it to sink?

• The Sweepstakes sustained hull damage on shoals near Cove Island, off shore of Tobermory when hauling coal late in the summer of 1885.
• She was towed to the head of Big Tub Harbour to be repaired in September of 1885
• Damage was too extensive to be repaired. Sweepstakes was stripped of anything of value before sinking where she lies.

Today

• Sweepstakes lies in about 18′ of water approximately 150′ from the head of Big Tub Harbour in Tobermory.
• Her hull is still intact and is considered one of the best preserved 19th-century great lakes schooners to ever be discovered.
• You may notice metal bars throughout the inside of her hull, these have been installed by Parks Canada to reinforce the hull and deck.
• Despite sinking in 1885, Sweepstakes still holds an attraction for divers and tourists in the Fathom Five National Marine Park

Scuba Diving

• Diver’s Den is a Padi certified dive shop offering charters to Sweepstakes
• Level: Novice
• Depth: 20 ft (7 m)
• Water conditions: acalmer and warmer than most other sites in Ontario.
• As can be seen in the pictures present, the wreck is in shallow, clear and protected water
• Listed as one of the top ten wrecks in the world to dive,

You don’t scuba dive?

• Tour boats in Tobermory offer glass bottom tours and other cruises to see the wreck.
• Bruce Anchor Cruises offer several different glass bottom cruises along Lake Huron
• Blue Heron Company – offer tours as well to Flowerpot Island and to the wreck.

Angkor Wat in Aerial

I travelled to Siem Reap, Cambodia with the agenda of knocking a world wonder off my list.

However, I experienced much more than a check in a box. I was whisked away into history and the spirituality of this ancient temple.

from Tomasz Kustrzynski on Vimeo.

The temple is literally “heaven on earth” as it is a mortal representation of Mount Meru, the Mount Olympus of the Hindu faith and home to its gods.

Constructed in the early 12th century (between 1113 and 1150) Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world. The amazing Angkor ruins stretch over more than 248 square miles (400 square kilometers).

Simply an breathtaking experience. Amazing that man could create such an amazing structure with no power tools, bulldozers or cranes… just simple man power and belief.

A must do on your bucket list of places to visit in the world.

Enjoy the view.

Running Amok in a Cambodian Kitchen

I always want to consume the country I am travelling in. Literally. I LOVE food and eating. Food is one of the best ways to experience a culture and its people. Khmer cuisine is very similar to Thai; less spicy but rich and flavourful.

Food brings people together. Cooking in the kitchen, pinch of this, dash of that and stirring the pot! Then enjoying the result together.

I was staying at Sojourn, a boutique hotel located off the beaten path in Treak Village, in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I booked a cooking class through the hotel and experienced a hands-on class in Cambodian cuisine. Peaceful and tranquil… cooking in a lush garden.

The first ingredient. A bottle of wine. It was hot, I ordered a bottle of chilled white wine to get in the mood. I am now running amok in the kitchen…

Fish Amok – A Classic Khmer Dish

Ingredients:

• 100g Bar Fish (or substitute chicken)
• 10g Amok Leaves  *(fresh Spinach or Silverbeet leaves can be good substitutes)
• 
1/2 cup Coconut Cream
• 1 TBSP. Dry Chili Paste
• 1 TBSP.Turmeric
• 1 small piece Galangal (or substitute ginger)
• 
1 stick Lemongrass
• 1 clove Garlic
• 
1 TSP. Fish Sauce
• 1 TBSP. Oil
• 
1/2 TSP. Shrimp Paste
1 Shallot
• 
1/4 cup Water
• 1/2 TSP. Salt
• 
1 TSP. Sugar
• 1 Kaffir Lime Leaf
• 1 Egg

Instructions:

• Slice and chop the lemongrass finely, then the galangal, kaffir lime leaf, garlic, and shallot.

• Pound them until they are very fine. Get angry!! Bash them to bits!
  You will build some muscle doing this!
  Add turmeric powder, shrimp paste, dried chili paste and continue to pound until well mixed.
• Or dump everything in a food processor…. OR find a muscle man to pound them for you. And watch!

• Set aside for later use.

• Roll and slice the Amok leaf into pretty thin slices and then slice the bar fish.

• Heat pot on medium, pour in the cooking oil.
• Add your herb paste and stir until it is fragrant.  About 3 minutes.

 

• Add the Bar fish slices into pot

• Dump in half of the coconut cream.
• Cook  several minutes and then add the rest of the coconut cream and water.
• Heat on low until meat is cooked.
• Add the Amok leaves into the pot
• Add chicken stock, fish sauce, sugar, salt and pepper.
• Then sir in the egg.

• add a glass of white wine and then enjoy your Fish Amok – a classic Khmer dish!

The best value ever $22USD / person and your meal is included – main dish, salad/appetizer and dessert. You will also take a walk into Treak Village and visit a family. See their kitchen and how they live.

Hands on authentic instruction. If you are in Siem Reap, do not miss this amazing class and resort. I recommend booking the morning, less busy (as most are at the temple and far less hot. You can enjoy your lunch and then head to the pool to cool off after all your hard work!

To book your class

http://www.sojournsiemreap.com/offerings/cambodian-cooking-class/

 

 

Angkor Wat – little known tour tips

I had read about Angkor Wat as a child and always dreamed of hiking through this “lost temple city”. Then there I was. I was totally blown away.

From moments of amazing peace, navigating through busy crowds, to enduring the insanity of Cambodian heat and humidity… I loved the trekking through the temples and tuk tuk ride getting us around in between each.

You are taking the same steps and walking on the same paths as those over 1000 years ago. Mindblowing. An amazing experience of a lifetime.

Touring Tips: Angkor Wat

• Hire a tour guide. The temples are massive and not easy to navigate or know which order best to view. He will also give you an interesting history lesson. Ask your hotel or check out tripadvisor.
• Hire a tuk tuk driver. If nothing else hire the tuk tuk driver for the day, around $20 from sunrise to sunset. Your hotel can recommend reputable an safe driver.

photo: http://gqtrippin.com/

• Forget the taxi. If you are thinking of a taxi, dont do it! A tuk tuk ride is part of the experience, much easier to hear and see the sights than within the confines of a car. Even if you are thinking AC, the breeze of the tuk tuk ride cools you down and they have cold bottled water for you in a cooler.
• Sunrise start. Its crowded, really crowded. Selfie sticks galore. And I went in low season in May! Our guide started counter clockwise to the typical temple tour. We caught the sunrise at the main entrance across from the moat. But then we went to Ta Prohm next.
• Be in good shape. IF you huff and puff going up the stairs at home, this might be a problem, start going to the gym to build up stamina.
• Wear good shoes. Lightweight, breathable runners or supportive sandals like Birkenstocks or Mephistos. Will save your feet. You are welcome.
• Its HOT. At least in May, you may even want to condition yourself in hot yoga lol, hydrate a lot, as you will sweat like you have never before.
• See the temple at sunrise. Be sure to start early – catch the magical sunrise over the temple. Not only is it stunning but remember it gets HOT fast. (season dependent – I travelled in May)

• Start with Ta Prohm after sunrise. Dont stick around too long after sunrise at Angkor Wat. Avoid the crowds. Ta Prohm are the temples you think of from Tomb Raider and Angelina Jolie! Mystical, giant magical trees and roots wrapped around the structures. We were the first to see these. But being the first you will wake up snakes, tread carefully through the doorways and temple.
• Wear a large brimmed hat. To avoid sunstroke and burning. Even if you are tan easy, believe you will thank me. And if you wear the Asian cone style hat it apparently is cooler in the top due to the peaked top!
• Vendors never give up. I am a sucker, I did buy some postcards from dirty little children with no shoes. How could I not. But they will come in hoards. Don’t make eye contact if you wish to escape.
• Modest clothing. Wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees. It is HOT, so I suggest a sarong and scarf you can wear and remove as you require. No short shorts or tube tops!
• Don’t lose your ticket! You will not be able to get into other areas within the temple without it. $20USD
• Ask your tour guide about his life. He will most likely share some stories of daily life but also share some perhaps stories of Khmer Rouge. These people have had challenging lives. Tourism and learning language is their key to making a better life for themselves. Many learn and improve their English by simply talking with you. Engage with your tour guide!
• Rest in afternoon. I travelled in May. By 10:30am it was brutally humid and hot reaching 43 C. Return to your hotel and take a pool break/nap before returning for sunset.
• Be creative with your photos. Your tour guide often has great ideas!

• Monks can not accept money or be touched by women. If you see young monks, they are not allowed to accept money. And the monks can not touch women. (ie hands even) Many are orphans and have chosen this life to sustain themselves, but do respect their way of life and privacy.

• Sunset: Climb a short hike to Phnom Bakheng for a beautiful view of the sunset but expect to share with many others!
• TIP your tour guide and driver. $5USD each makes a world of difference to them so be generous… what does that buy you at home – perhaps a Starbucks latte. It will feed their family. Be generous.