Susan Solo – Photographer | Traveler | Adventurer

Tag: tours

Snorkeling the Reef in Belize

Underwater photography makes me feel like I’m starting at square one as a photographer. I find that both refreshing and frustrating as hell. Trying to capture a skittish fish on the move while I’m bobbing around with the current reminds me of being a complete newbie behind the camera. It doesn’t help that I’m also used to working with a single lens reflex system that has instant capture capabilities instead of a point-and-shoot with considerable lag time. But I like a challenge and I am determined to practice and hopefully get better. I might even be willing to plop down the cash to buy a housing for an SLR if we get into diving. One thing at a time though, and notice I said “an” SLR – there’s no way I’m putting my baby (Canon 5DMIII) into the water. The images below are taken with the Canon PowerShot D30 waterproof point-and-shoot. Trust me, for every image that turned out, there are about five shots of a blurry fish, my leg, or the bottom of the ocean.

Hol Chan Marine Reserve

I had several opportunities to practice my underwater photography skills in Belize. Chris and I snorkeled all over the water along Ambergris Caye and towards Caye Caulker. We started with one of the most popular spots, Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Thanks to Ernesto and an early start to the day, we had the entire park to ourselves with not a single human in sight other than the park ranger. Yes, there’s a park ranger on the water tethered up for the day to take park entrance fees from the touring groups – what a cool job, right? But when we pulled up, not a tour group was in sight. (For reference I think we arrived around 7:30am.) And right when we jumped into the water, we were treated with the number one thing I was hoping to see in Belize – sea turtles! Two of them, in fact.

I couldn’t believe the health of the massive coral system (Belize is home to the second largest reef in the world) and thus the abundance of sea life at Hol Chan. We swam through a huge school of horse eye jacks, and I actually had my own jack following me the entire time we were at Hol Chan. Every single time I looked over to my right, there was my curious friend tagging along. Hi, Jack!

We got to see some fish species we had never seen before, including this gorgeous queen triggerfish and a bunch of needle-nose fish that gathered near the surface.

But perhaps the most thrilling part of Hol Chan was the presence of some larger creatures that we hadn’t swam with yet. We saw our first nurse shark here, sleeping at the sandy bottom near the coral. It was about eight feet long, and didn’t seem bothered by us. We also spotted a great barracuda – Chris was in charge of photographing that one while I tried to stay as far away as possible. They’re fascinating, but it’s creepy how they just hover…staring at me.

My other favorite moment was watching this majestic spotted eagle ray glide through the water. I’ve only ever seen them from above the surface (we spotted a pair while on a boat in Grand Cayman) and could have followed it all day. I know they have venomous barbs, but for some reason rays don’t bother me. This one had a wingspan of about 4-5 feet which seemed huge to me, but they can get up to 10-feet wide.

Shark Ray Alley

A short boat ride south of Hol Chan Marine Reserve lies Shark Ray Alley. Not more than a few minutes after we arrived, we noticed large shadows looming in the water circling our boat. The sharks had arrived. They heard the motor on our boat and came begging for food much like the stingrays at Stingray City in Grand Cayman. The phenomenon is quite similar actually – the site became active with hungry sharks and stingrays many years ago when fisherman used to clean their catch here and the sharks and rays learned that this was a reliable location for food. So, while I’m not crazy about the idea of intentionally feeding wild animals, this is an experience not to be missed while in Belize. We only saw one variety of sharks, the nurse shark, and we were reassured that as long as we don’t stick our hands into the mix of the feeding frenzy, we were perfectly safe. I obeyed and kept my limbs in check while I swam with these beautiful fish. The largest shark we saw stretched to twelve feet long and none of them seemed to give us much notice.

And again, we had this area all to ourselves as well since Ernesto had the forethought to bring us here early enough to avoid the crowds. If you’re able to take a trip to Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley (they’re often combined into one excursion), opt for the earliest shift. As we were leaving, we saw several boats coming in, and Ernesto assured us that the crowds would thicken as the day continued.

Robles Canyons

Our third day of snorkeling included a couple of spots. We started near a dive site called Robles Canyons for my favorite kind of snorkeling – shallow waters and lots of smaller coral heads. I love to relax and float above a coral formation and just gaze into the nooks and crannies, trying to spot every detail of life underwater. I got to see a flamingo tongue snail for the first time, but darn it if I couldn’t get a photo of that tiny thing. The photography was still so tricky despite having better lighting in shallow water. The waves made it difficult for me to stay still, but I enjoyed exploring this area.

Mexico Rocks

Our last snorkeling stop proved to be my favorite experience of the whole trip. Ernesto cleaned fresh conch while Chris and I snorkeled and as he discarded his scraps in the water, hundreds of sergeant majors and grunts surrounded us. I felt like I was part of their school.

And then this happened. An incredibly curious and playful loggerhead turtle swam right up to my face! He stayed with us for a good 10-15 minutes, just swimming above us, under us, and pushing off of me with his flippers. He came up to my camera several times, so close that I often couldn’t even focus on him! It made the trip for me. Favorite moment for sure.

Not pictured: our trip one morning to find the manatees. We spent some time swimming inside and outside the reef trying to scout out a manatee, but a fishing boat scared him off. No matter – the time we spent with that adorable sea turtle topped anything else on the trip for me! That, and the day went went looking for manatees Ernesto made us a delicious fresh conch ceviche from scratch that we enjoyed with tortilla chips right on the boat. It’s those little moments, you know?

April 16, 2015
Kickin’ It Really Old School at Lamanai

When we booked our trip to Ambergris Caye, I knew we’d be remiss if we didn’t head back to the mainland to explore some of the ancient Mayan ruins of Belize. Originally I toyed with the idea of staying inland for a few days before heading to the island so that we could visit Xunantunich or even Tikal, but when I saw that Ernesto offered a trip to Lamanai I decided that the second largest Mayan site would probably tick the ancient ruins box for us. I’m glad we went with that option because he arranged a completely private tour with Lamanai Eco Adventures for just Chris and me! After taking a one-hour ferry back to Belize City and a 45-minute van ride out to Orange Walk, we met up with Alberto for an adventure up the New River that reminded me of the Jungle Cruise ride at Disney. No hippos or elephants though.

As we zipped along the river, Alberto expertly pointed out wildlife that I would have never noticed even if I stared at a spot for an hour, and taught us all about various species of birds, reptiles, and plants. He slowed down and stopped for tons of photo ops, like pulling right up close to this male jacana. If you look closely, you can see that he is standing over a pile of small eggs. It’s the male jacana’s duty to protect the nest, incubate the eggs, and even raise the hatchlings for the first several months all while the female jacana is away!

Can you see the tiny baby birds in this nest? I certainly didn’t see them until I looked through the viewfinder on my camera, mounted with a 200mm lens + 1.4x extender. And they’re still tough to spot in this photo. Look for the fuzzy white bits.

That’s a termite nest on the left below (fun fact: termites are a good source of protein; I don’t know this from personal experience though), and those black splotches on the right are bats. We learned that they eat mosquitoes, so I’m now a big fan of bats. I loathe mosquitoes.

One of the highlights of the tour was meeting this cute spider monkey that the guides named Jack. We offered Jack a few bananas and he happily took them right out of our hands each time and scurried away a few yards to enjoy his snack. I’m not really a fan of feeding wild animals (for various reasons), but at least we fed him something from his natural diet and not like, granola bars. It was an incredibly special moment to have such a close encounter!

When we arrived at the Lamanai site it hit me just how hot and humid our next couple of hours would be, but thankfully I was prepared with sunscreen, hat, and bug spray. The tour was indeed steamy and sweaty, but it was completely worth it. We visited on the Easter Monday holiday which made the crowds pretty thin. Sometimes we had the structures all to ourselves! And I have to mention again how amazing and knowledgeable our guide was. He plucked things off of the ground and out of trees for us to taste (tamarind) or smell (allspice). He also overturned a big log so that we could see some scorpions and tried to coerce a tarantula out of a hole in the ground, but I won’t hold those things against him.

We climbed to the top of the Mask Temple and the High Temple for fantastic views above the trees and also to put ourselves in the Mayans’ shoes so to speak. I probably don’t have to explain that there was something incredibly magical about walking the same path that the Maya people took so many centuries ago.

As we were standing in front of Stela 9, we heard the deep roaring sounds of the howler monkeys for the first time. That’s when I remembered and fully appreciated that we were truly in the jungle. Well, that and also the moment shortly after, when I was standing in a grassy field full of little holes and I learned that they were tarantula homes. And with that I was “done” with the jungle. Thankfully we were at the end of the tour.

On the way back down the river, Alberto’s expert eyes scoured out one more wildlife sighting – baby crocodiles! It took me a good minute or so of focusing intently on this area before I saw them. They’re pretty cute, right? It was a fun way to end our jungle adventure.

April 14, 2015
Only in Iceland: Inside the Volcano Tour and the Blue Lagoon

Our fifth and final day on the road! And on that last road trip day we experienced perhaps the biggest highlight of our Iceland trip – the Inside the Volcano tour where we hiked out to Thrihnukagigur volcano and descended 120 meters down inside. Fun facts: Þríhnúkagígur, meaning “three peaks crater,” has been dormant for 4000 years, and it is the only volcano in the world where you can go inside the magma chamber. The opportunity to see the inside of a volcano is fairly new; this is only their third summer running the tours. More people have climbed Mt. Everest than have been inside a volcano, so it’s a very special experience! And for anyone who wants to try saying it, the pronunciation is sort of close to, “three-nuke-a-GHEE-gur” (ghee like the butter, not gee like ohemgee).

The moderate-level hike out to the volcano is about 2 miles/3 km (so 4 miles/6 km round-trip) over lava fields, but there is a path of loose rocks most of the time to mark the way. Sometimes the terrain was uneven and tricky for those of us who are more clumsy, but it’s not particularly strenuous. It might be slightly tiring though if, for example, you’re already sore from horseback riding the day before, and lacking energy from staying up waaay too late photographing the Northern Lights. There is a helicopter ride option as well if you’re not up for the hike and/or if you want what I imagine are spectacular views. I liked being on the ground for this though – Chris and I had fun exploring the cavernous lava tubes along the way that really showed us the extent of the volcano system. Not to mention we easily burned off the calories of the previous night’s meal and the chocolate bar that followed it.

That’s Thrihnukagigur in the background. (I’m squinty because of the bright white sky.)

Built by German engineers, an intricate lift system lowers visitors down into the chamber and more importantly, brings them back up. The tour operators hooked us into the walkway and lift system via carabiner and harness for extra safety which I appreciated since we essentially walked a plank across a hole that plummets over 400 feet below. When Árni B. Stefánsson originally discovered the volcano, he simply rappelled into the crater hole without knowing that it was a volcano or what was below!

Once inside, our guide gave us some additional history and info about the volcano and we were set free to explore. Note that while lights have been added for easier touring and an orange rope marks off the no-access areas, no other amenities have been added to the interior. The paths remain completely natural with loose rocks and there are no stairs. Walking around was tricky, but it felt like a true adventure that way. To add to the adventurous spirit, when I signed up for the tour I didn’t realize that the dormant Thrihnukagigur still has the potential (though very unlikely) to erupt. What an interesting scenario to imagine while we were in the magma chamber! Upon hearing of our upcoming tour, a local in Akureryi told us the day before that if we “start to get hot, go up.” That was good advice and it made us chuckle, but it was a cool 6°C (43°F) inside and also a bit wet and drippy. The colors of the chamber walls, quite simply put, were stunning. And the walls were expansive! It was hard to capture the enormity of the space on camera, but to give you a comparison, the Statue of Liberty would fit comfortably inside the magma chamber with plenty of room to spare.

After the 4-mile hike on top of already-sore muscles from horseback riding, we were ready for some chillin’ out, maxin’ and relaxing in the Blue Lagoon so we headed out to the Grindavík area to get our geothermal spa on. Side note: the Blue Lagoon is about a 40-minute drive from Reykjavik. Grindavík is actually closer to Keflavik airport than it is to Reykjavik, so most people seem to work the spa trip into their itinerary on arrival or departure day. Bus transfers to and from the airport make it easy to do just that. If you’re navigating on your own, the Icelandic spelling and the listing in Garmin GPS is Bláa Lónið and they provide GPS coordinates on their website. The signage on the way there is good though.

Through the cold mist and gray clouds, we were happy to see the milky blue lagoon and steam rising in the distance indicating the warmth of the water. Oh, how I wanted to truly feel warm after our chilly morning!

Upon arrival, the hectic vibe of the locker room left something to be desired, but I think that was due to our timing. We arrived at about 5pm on a Friday evening when there were so…many…people…and the locker room felt pretty packed. I did read that opening hour is the best time to avoid crowds and while that was our original plan, things got shifted when our first flight was canceled. Oh, and if you’re shy or modest, it’s probably best to visit during non-peak hours if possible – you are required to shower in your birthday suit in open shower stalls. After you have washed up with a focus on the parts they deem most important as indicated by signs (!), you can put your bathing suit on and head to the lagoon.

Once we figured out the locker/bracelet system (all purchases and your locker are connected to a bracelet that you wear in the water) and exited the building out to the lagoon, we were able to enjoy the setting. Despite the amount of people at the spa that day, the lagoon itself is so expansive that people aren’t sitting on top of each other. I was also worried that the water wouldn’t be warm enough, but it is, and there are different sections that are warmer than others. We had fun wading around finding good hot spots. Did you know the Blue Lagoon isn’t a natural hot spring? The surrounding land is natural, but the mineral rich water is a result of geothermal run-off from the nearby plant. People just started bathing in it, discovered that the water has healing properties, and a spa was born. I’m not so sure I would’ve been amongst the first people who said, “Hey look! Milky blue geothermal run-off water from the plant…I’m going to get in that,” but I did end up paying 40 Euro to get in now that plenty of other people have tested it out.

Chris took advantage of the in-lagoon bar and I thoroughly enjoyed access to containers of silica mud stationed around the pool. I followed the advice from other bloggers about keeping my hair healthy by combing lots of conditioner through my hair and leaving it in while we soaked in the lagoon (each shower stall provides dispensers of shampoo/body wash and conditioner). I put my hair up in a slick knot and didn’t have any of the issues that can be a result of minerals drying out your locks. I didn’t put my head underwater though, so that might also be part of the equation. As for the effect on my skin, I can report that the silica mask did seem to make my face feel very soft and smooth, though not ten years younger as I had hoped. Maybe we needed to stay longer.

One more thing of note based on our visit – I knew ahead of time that towels weren’t provided so we just planned on renting towels for convenience (though the fee was fairly steep at about $13 for two of us), but someone actually swiped our towels while we were in the water! Our towels were hanging in a designated spot outside as assigned by our locker number, but there really isn’t any method of preventing people from taking each other’s stuff. Thankfully the lagoon provided us a second set of towels at no charge and no one walked off with our flip-flops. For that reason I’m glad we didn’t bring towels from the hotel or our own travel towels – we would have never seen them again. Crowds and logistics aside, this is still a must-do in Iceland and I’m so glad we experienced it.

Whether it’s because I was exhausted from the past few days’ activities or because I was truly relaxed from the lagoon, I slept so great that night. The next day, Chris and I took a Flybus shuttle to the airport just after lunch, and we headed back home. I’m not quite done talking about Iceland though! I have a few more posts coming up including my new tradition of doing a “snapshot” post where I round up the superlative bits of the trip (best meal, funniest moment, favorite hotel, etc.), and I’ll also write some posts with tips to help anyone who is planning a similar trip. So if you haven’t gotten your fill of Iceland from me yet, stay tuned!

Oh! And I also put together this little video from the point-and-shoot clips we took throughout our whole trip. I’ve confessed to you before that I don’t consider videography to be in my wheelhouse at all, but Chris and I enjoy looking back on our trips in video form (even if they’re amateurish in production value) and I might as well share it here, right? Voilà:

Iceland 2014 from Susan Marks on Vimeo.

September 15, 2014
City Mouse and Country Mouse: Akureryi and Varmahlíð

In a crazy whirlwind three days, Chris and I had covered the entire south coast of Iceland and the east, so on Day Four we headed up to Akureryi otherwise known as “The Capital of the North.” We didn’t have any plans for our half-day in Akureryi other than to wander the streets, take photos, and stay for lunch and that’s exactly what we ended up doing. Akureryi holds the title of the second largest city in Iceland, although just 17,000 residents call the city home! We found lots of cute shops and cafes in the city center, interesting museums (though we didn’t have time to visit any), and it seemed like it would be a good jumping off point for seeing the attractions in the north. Just walking around we spotted several tour operators that do excursion trips to the surrounding areas.

After lunch at the hot dog stand pictured above, we promptly hit the road again to make it to our next excursion on time (more on that below), but of course we enjoyed the scenery along the way and ended up stopping a few times for photos. Chris took the sheep trio photo below, and it makes me laugh every time I look at it. I wonder what’s on their minds? They look like a sheep gang. We suspect the one on the left is the leader while the one in the middle is the muscle.

Here’s a hint as to what we spent our afternoon doing…

Did you guess horseback riding? Ding, ding, ding – horseback riding! And this was my first time on a horse ever! It’s always something I had wanted to try, and Iceland seemed like an idyllic backdrop in which to peacefully trot alongside fields, streams, and mountains. Plus Icelandic horses are extra special with a fascinating history. There is only one breed of horse in Iceland due to the ban of importing horses from outside the country, and if a horse leaves (for a show, or for…I don’t know, leisure travel?) he/she is never permitted to return! I can’t imagine a horse wanting to leave Iceland though – they all looked so happy. And so incredibly cute! Icelandic horses have short legs such that their height actually makes them sized more like a pony, but they have strong builds and very full manes. Short legs, strong build, and long thick hair? I can relate! I had to see these magnificent creatures up close.

We booked a two-hour Country Life beginner level tour with Hestasport Riding Tours in Varmahlíð. Their main office is just off of Rt. 1, and the stable is a short 6 km drive from the office. Thinking back on our first two rainy days on the road, I’m glad everything worked out the way it did because this was the day to have perfect blue skies. After being introduced to our horses (Magnusson and Lala) and getting a basic overview from our guide, we followed a trail out across the picturesque farmland I had envisioned. I felt like we were starring in a beautiful ad for the Icelandic Tourist Board. For the first 5-10 minutes though, I admit I was a little nervous. I kept worrying that my horse would know I was scared and he’d toss me off to the side, but he was sweet and gentle. Oh, except the couple of times that I had too much slack in the reins while we were stopped and he swiftly dipped his head down to graze, causing me to suddenly forward-fold without notice. I eventually felt more comfortable and learned not to let Magnusson have control.

We forded a river (!), experienced the tölt – a gait unique to Icelandic horses – and we even galloped, all of which made me giggle both with nerves and joy! Our guide was so nice and accommodating to our level of riding (super duper beginner, in my case). She always asked if we’d like to try going a bit faster before just taking off, and by the second half of the tour I enthusiastically agreed every time. But oh my gosh I was sore afterward! I had no idea how much human physical effort goes into riding. I thought I would just sit there, but no, a lot of stabilization work goes into staying balanced. My thighs especially were screaming at me the next day. Ooouch! All-in-all it was a really neat experience though, and we couldn’t have asked for a better guide. I highly recommend Hestasport if you’re in the area and have a hankering for the most scenic ride ever.

And just to finish the day in a ridiculously amazing fashion, we were treated to a brief Northern Lights show at 1:30am during our overnight stay in Borgarnes on the west coast. I had no expectation whatsoever of seeing them on this trip and I wrote more about it in this post, but it happened for us and here are the two images that turned out best. I love the first one; the second one is a little weird to me because of the longer star trails making it look blurry (I was trying out some really long exposures), but it’s still awesome to see the colors of the Aurora Borealis and to unexpectedly cross it off my bucket list.

We were nearly to the end of the road trip at this point! Our last day on the road took us full circle to Reykjavik where we went on a very unique tour of the inside of a volcano, and then we ended our day by relaxing in the Blue Lagoon. That post is coming up next!

September 10, 2014
The Battle of the Breweries: New Belgium vs. Budweiser

Fun fact: Colorado has more breweries per capita than any other state. So in honor of my recent visit to Fort Collins, I thought I’d post some photos from previous trips on which we toured two of the local breweries – New Belgium and Budweiser. My post title might be a bit dramatic since I don’t know that these breweries are necessarily battling each other, but for the purposes of this post (just for fun) I’m pitting them up against each other.

First, our tour of New Belgium Brewing right in Fort Collins. I only have a few iPhone photos from the tour because I wasn’t even sure photography would be allowed (it is). The tours are free, but you do need to reserve ahead of time to guarantee a spot, so go online and sign up for a spot on their calendar before you stop by the brewery. Also, go thirsty and maybe even bring a designated driver because the tour includes lots of generously sized samples! We spent about 90 minutes with a fun guide who gave us the history of New Belgium and an overview of their culture, philosophies, and brewing processes. Spoiler alert: this is a company that likes to have fun, and there’s a swirly slide towards the end of the tour. I don’t have a picture of it since I was too busy sliding. We finished up in the tasting room where you can have a seat and continue to sample four more beers (and chocolates).

Next up is our tour of the Budweiser Brewery, which is also in Fort Collins. They offer a self-guided tour, Beer School, and/or a Beermaster Tour. The two latter options required reservations and a fee, so we just decided to pop by and do the free self-guided tour. If you’re a huge fan of Budweiser beer, the other options do look like more fun. (Chris and I went to Anheuser-Busch’s Beer School at Busch Gardens when they still offered it and it was informative and entertaining.) The complimentary tour is pretty basic – we walked through a series of hallways with interesting photo and video displays about Budweiser’s history and brewing process. We were also able to see the cellars through windowed walls. This tour is less interactive, but not a bad option if you are short on time. At the end of the tour, samples are offered in the Hospitality Room. We breezed through the tour in about 30 minutes to get to the samples and then to the real reason I wanted to visit Budweiser – to see the Clydesdales West Coast Team who were in town and on-site that day!

So what’s the verdict? If you’re a fan of craft beers and want an interactive/hosted tour with the most samples for your time, I’d suggest New Belgium. If you’re short on time or want to do a spontaneous tour without reservations, I’d recommend the complimentary tour at Budweiser Brewery. Check their website ahead of time if you’re also wanting to see the Clydesdales. If you’re like us and have time for both, you can check them each out (and/or several other breweries nearby) and make your own comparison – I’d love to hear which one is your favorite. Happy touring!

August 4, 2014