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June 2010
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page. Saint Augustine
Vol. 4 No. 1
TRAVEL QUEST
In this Issue
Reflections
Notebook
Focus on: Australia
Iceland: Aurora, Ice and Fire
Costa Rica: Starry, Starry Nights Wanted: Stories for Eclipse 2010
Travel Talk: Power for All
Upcoming Adventures 1
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3
5
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Travel
Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupts in mid-April, 2010.
Image courtesy David Karna / Wikipedia.
305 Double D Drive
Prescott, Arizona 86303 USA
1-800-830-1998 (US and Canada)
1-928-445-7754 (International)
Fax: 1-928-445-8771
travel@TravelQuestTours.com
Reflections
While our world is filled with many different cultures and perspectives, travel can
really illustrate what, in spite of these differences, we all have in common.
I recently made my first visit to Japan, a land that on the surface seemed so
different from any I have ever visited before. And while there were certainly
differences in language and customs, ultimately it was a place where I felt very
comfortable and at ease. And what was it that gave me such a sense of tranquility?
The Japanese people — whose friendly smiles and humble manner made me feel so
very welcome.
The timing of this journey to Japan visit could not have been better. It turns out
that TravelQuest will host two non-North American eclipse-chasing groups on our
Cook Island Eclipse — one from Japan and another from Denmark. Both groups are
avid eclipse chasers and are very much looking forward to joining us this July. So
positive has been the relationship thus far that there have been discussions regarding
their possible participation in future eclipse trips.
I know that many TQ eclipse-trip participants are from outside the US and Canada, but these two large groups will bring a true
international feel to our eclipse experience. And for those of you who have joined a TravelQuest astro-tour in the past, you well
know it is the shared interest in astronomy that brings our groups together in such a remarkable, congenial way. We encourage
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those of you joining us in the Cooks to reach out to new friends from around the
world. And if you find language to be a bit of a barrier, remember — a friendly smile,
and good will, translates perfectly in any culture!
As for me — I’ll see those of you from the Paul Gauguin/Polynesia and Cook
Islands trips who are heading to Easter Island for our pre-eclipse tour. And of course,
I’ll see many more of you on Easter Island, as we await the arrival of the Moon’s
shadow on July 11.
Regards . . .
Aram Kaprielian
Focus On: Australia
Notebook
Those of you who have been reading Travel
Quest for a while may recall that, in an
earlier “Making Memories” column, I stated:
“Whether your next trip is with a group or
on your own, don’t succumb to the lure of
cutting-edge technology and buy a new
camera just before you leave.” Oops.
I’ve known for a while that I’d be heading to Easter Island
for the upcoming solar eclipse and then on to the Atacama
Desert. I had also decided that I was tired of getting “okay”
photos with my high-end point-and-shoot. So the July 2010
eclipse trip would be my first with a DSLR — I’d buy it well in
advance and have plenty of time to get to know my new toy.
But as so often happens when we make plans, life got in
the way. A series of family crises occurred and took priority
over that DSLR purchase. Still, I was determined, and less than
three weeks before departure, I acquired that new camera.
Two things will help bail me out of the difficulties caused
by ignoring my own advice. First, a decent DSRL in auto mode
should give better results than even a manually controlled,
high-end point-and-shoot — so I’m a step ahead right away.
And second, I bought the same brand of camera as my pointand-shoot, which means I am already familiar with the vast
majority of the camera’s controls and menus.
Now please excuse me while I step
outside to try a few more test shots
before leaving for Chile.
As always, you can contact me at:
editor@travelquesttours.com.
TravelQuestTours.com
Paul Deans
Snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef.
With its sun-kissed coastal beauty, incredible reef, and
dramatic red interior, Australia is one of the world’s most
amazing destinations. TravelQuest is making its first visit
back to Australia since the November 2002 sunset totality
in the famous Outback. For Eclipse 2012 (November 9-16),
we invite you to join us as we stand in the Moon’s shadow
near another Australian icon — the Great Barrier Reef.
We’ll spend five days near Port Douglas, exploring
Australia’s scenic eastern coast, the Great Barrier Reef, and
the Daintree Rainforest. For the eclipse itself, we have
secured exclusive use of the Wetherby Station — a large
Australian cattle ranch located 45-minutes inland from
Port Douglas. At Wetherby, we will experience totality
lasting slightly more than two minutes with the eclipsed
Sun at an altitude of 13.5°. At this site we will enjoy some
of the best and most comfortable viewing prospects along
the entire 2012 eclipse path.
Please join us Down Under for Australia Eclipse 2012!
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Iceland: Aurora, Ice, and Fire
by Paul Deans
Ever since TravelQuest started running
aurora-watching trips to Iceland in
2002, we’ve promoted the tour as
including “Fire, Ice & Aurora.” The
aurora is always there, though in the
interest of full disclosure, I should say
that it’s not possible to see it every
night, because it’s sometimes cloudy.
And the ice (and snow) is always there
— perhaps as ice on a nearby glacier or,
as in 2008, as snow all around us as we
explored the highlands.
However, the fire part of the tour
has always been in the form of “frozen”
fire — fields of lava ranging in age from
a few hundreds of years to several
thousand years. We’re able to clamber
over some of the recent flows that are
The volcanic plume from Eyjafjallajökull as seen on April 17, 2010, by NASA’s Aqua satellite.
slowly being buried by moss.
But unless you’ve been hiding out in a cave this year, you
know that there’s been a little volcanic eruption near the
southeastern coast of Iceland. In mid-April 2010, the ash
cloud caused a major shutdown of European airspace for
several days, and even in early June, occasional puffs of ash
continue to wreak havoc with air travel over the Continent.
The volcano is called Eyjafjallajökull. (Say it with me, now:
EY-ya-fyat-lah-YO-kull. Martina, our excellent Iceland guide,
will be happy to teach us how to pronounce it once we’re
there.) It erupted beneath Eyjafjallajökull, one of the Iceland's
smaller glaciers. It is situated to the north of Skógar (where
we stop to visit an excellent Museum and nearby waterfall)
and to the west of the larger glacier Mýrdalsjökull.
Volcano Tourism
So if you join TravelQuest in Iceland this October, will you get
to see the volcano? Well, maybe and sort-of. First of all, the
eruption seems to be winding down (as of mid-June), and by
October it could be quiescent — no eruption, no lava flows,
no dark cloud of ash — or not. Volcanic eruptions are unpredictable. If it is still erupting, we may be able to see the
volcanic cloud from one of our hotels.
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If Eyjafjallajökull is not erupting this autumn, it will likely
have left behind a volcanic cinder cone. But remember, it’s
located in a glacier, so at this point it is not clear what might
be visible and how accessible the site might be. Still, Martina
promises to do her best to get us a glimpse of the volcano, in
whatever form it might take in early October.
The Rest of Iceland
Of course, don’t forget that there’s more to see and do in
Iceland than simply visit it’s latest volcanic site (see the next
page). The heart of Reykjavik is a marvelously walkable city,
with plenty of shops and museums. The ancient Icelandic
Parliament is like no other you’ve ever seen. The countryside
is littered with gorgeous waterfalls — there’s one we can walk
behind and we can reach the edge of the precipice of
another. The interior highlands have a rugged beauty all their
own, whether they’re blossoming in autumn colors or
touched by winter’s first snowfall.
So join me October 2-9, 2010, on TravelQuest’s Iceland:
Fire, Ice & Aurora tour. We’ll explore the countryside by day,
and stand watch for the northern lights by night. The
landscape is amazing and hopefully the aurora will be, too.
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Scenes from Iceland. Clockwise from above: A
street in Reykjavik; Thordur Tomasson, the curator
of the Skogar Museum, playing the dulcimer; one
of the old Icelandic houses at the Skogar Museum;
sunset at the Hotel Ranga on the south coast; and
fording a river on the way to the Thorsmörk Nature
Preserve. (All photos by Paul Deans.)
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Costa Rica 2011: Starry, Starry Nights
by the TravelQuest Team
Our 8th annual Costa Rican Southern Sky Party takes place
from February 27 to March 6, 2011. What makes this year
different from the previous seven trips?
According to tour leader Gary Seronik: “The later-thanusual dates of our 2011 tour means we get to have a great
look at the Scorpius Milky Way, which will be nearing the
meridian in the pre-dawn hours, and we may even get to dip
into Sagittarius, which will be well up before dawn. They are
both extraordinary stretches of the sky.”
“In fact, I’d say that for binocular observers, this is going
to be the best year yet,” he added. “We get that incredible
expanse of Milky Way that runs from Carina into the Southern
Cross, and then as that starts setting, we get the Scorpius
region [rising]. It’ll be quite a show, and binoculars and lowpower telescopes are the best way to enjoy it.”
The Summer Milky Way
If you’ve never seen our galaxy from a dark-sky site, you’re in
for a treat when you come to Costa Rica. As darkness falls, the
winter Milky Way emerges, with Orion floating high in the
west. Come midnight, the stars of the Southern Cross and
other southern deep-sky sights sweep low across the
southern horizon.
The Scorpius region of the Milky Way is certainly one of
the finest areas to explore from a dark-sky site. Here you’ll
find a wonderland of star clouds, open and globular clusters,
and assorted nebulas. But you’ll have to hang in until the wee
hours; by 3:00 am the Scorpion is well up in the south.
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A visual stroll through the Scorpius region of the Milky Way, using
binoculars or a wide-field telescope, is a journey filled with
delightful celestial surprises. (Courtesy Gary Seronik.)
Our Star Lodge is well set up for stargazing, with the
lodge’s manicured lawn facing an open southern sky. In
addition to a light-free observing field, the rooms are
outfitted with red lights to allow stargazers to preserve their
dark adaptation. Throughout the night, stargazers will be
served famous Costa Rican coffee, as well as tea and cookies.
Before stargazing, join Gary for a series of after-dinner
workshops where he’ll discuss binocular astronomy, how to
use star maps to locate deep-sky treasures, and how to
photograph the night sky. Gary also conducts guided tours of
the southern sky to show you where to find the best sights
with binoculars and small telescopes.
Binoculars for Stargazing
If you’re thinking of purchasing binoculars for stargazing (as
well as for terrestrial use), what to buy is worthy of an entire
article. But more than likely you already have a pair somewhere in your house, or there’s a friend or relative who’d be
happy to lend you their binos for the Costa Rica trip.
Still, if those binoculars have been tucked in back of a
closet for years, you might wonder if they’re still functional.
Dig them out, dust them off, and have a look at a distant
object (the Moon is a good target, if it’s up). As long as you
can focus both eyepieces to bring a distant object into sharp
view, they’re good to go.
You might also wonder if the binoculars you have are any
good for stargazing. No matter what they are, bring them.
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(Well, perhaps you should leave grandma’s pair of
opera glasses behind.) Whether they’re 7x35s,
10x25s, or 10x50s, they’ll reveal amazing sights in
the Costa Rican night sky. (If you have a choice,
10x50 binoculars are a good option.)
At our Star Lodge, we have lounge chairs by
the pool. Their arms will help support your arms as
you sweep the sky with your binoculars. However,
make sure you try out the binos before you depart
for Costa Rica. If the binoculars are large, feel heavy,
and are hard to hold steady for more than a few
minutes, consider mounting them on a tripod. To
do this you’ll need a binocular/tripod adaptor; a
good camera store should be able to help.
So join Gary Seronik, and many returnees from
previous star parties, in Costa Rica on February 27
for five nights under the glorious southern skies. It
will be an experience that you’ll not soon forget.
The deep southern sky contains numerous fabulous sights including the Eta Carina
nebula. (Courtesy Gary Seronik.)
Wanted: Stories for Eclipse 2010
In July 2009, more than 500 TravelQuest travelers journeyed to China and the South Pacific
to experience the longest total eclipse of the Sun in this century. In the South Pacific, the
cruise ship m/s Paul Gauguin chased a hole in the clouds as totality neared. At Shanghai, a
last-minute change in the observing site was made in an attempt to escape bad weather.
In TravelQuest’s Eclipse 2009 Memory Book, relive the drama of eclipse day and read about
the many experiences enjoyed by the TravelQuest travelers who participated in these trips.
You can preview 26 pages and order your copy of Eclipse 2009 (softcover and
hardcover) by clicking on this link to Blurb Publishing. Also still available: Eclipse 2008.
Preview the complete softcover book here.
In 2010, we’re going to do it again. TravelQuest groups will stand in the Moon’s
shadow on Easter Island, on Mangaia in the Cook Islands, and on the Paul Gauguin near
Tahiti. To celebrate these remarkable journeys, TravelQuest plans to publish a book of your
experiences — tales and images that describe the solar eclipse and our travels through
these regions. But to do this we need your help, because this will not be a book written by the TravelQuest staff. Rather, your
contributions will create this book — we’ll simply put it together.
Keep us in mind as you experience your journey to totality. Think of how you might describe the trip to family and friends, and
when you return home, write it down and e-mail your tale to us. Your story can take many forms, and it does not have to focus on
the eclipse itself. Your tale could be about an interesting sight, site, or event that captured the spirit and flavor of your particular
tour. Or it might take the form of a short photo essay (with captions) that explores a specific aspect of the trip. Your story can be
long or short, but it should be accompanied by two or more images to help others visualize your experience.
Remember, we can’t create this memento without you. Once your eclipse trip is complete, e-mail your story and photos to us at
editor@TravelQuestTours.com. The deadline for submissions is Monday September 27, 2010. Thank you!
TravelQuestTours.com
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Travel Talk: Power for All
These days, we can’t get away from our technology. I often wonder who is the
servant and who is the master — our technology or us. Even on vacation, we take
our cell phones, iPhones, Blackberries, and laptops. And should we manage to
actually leave most of them at home, who among us hasn’t snuck down to the
business center in our hotel just to “quickly” check e-mail now and then?
Of course, if you’re going on an eclipse or aurora-watching trip, it’s difficult to
be completely technology-free. While I don’t carry power-hungry telescopes on
such trips, you’ll still find me with image-stabilized binoculars (needs batteries), a
digital camera (needs batteries), and a laptop that needs recharging now and then.
I detect a theme here, and that theme is …
Power to the Equipment
When you’re on the road, there never seems to be enough power in the right place
at the right time. And with all the gadgets we carry (including chargers for our
rechargeable batteries), it seems we’re forever running out of plug adaptors,
voltage converters, or even power plugs in the hotel room.
Some gear (my Mac laptop, for instance) is marked 110V/220V or 110V/240V.
This means that it’s dual voltage, and a converter or a transformer is not required.
But you will still need an international plug adaptor to plug it into the local wall
outlet. For everything else, you’ll need a voltage converter, too.
Plug adaptors are not voltage converters. Most travel stores carry power
adaptor kits that contain a converter and a variety of adaptor plugs. Remember,
the correct sequence when using this gear is wall outlet, adaptor plug, converter/
transformer, and finally the plug-in for your electronic gizmo.
A Cautionary Tale
However, the sequence described above means you can plug in only one item at a
time (assuming you have only one converter). On numerous occasions I’ve wished
for even just one extra plug, so prior to my last trip I bought a small power strip
with three outlets. At my destination, I plugged the adaptor into the wall, the
voltage converter into the adaptor, and the power strip into the converter. WHAM!
My hotel room was plunged into darkness, and acrid electrical smell filled the air.
Fortunately, the converter survived, but I was puzzled. Why did the power strip die?
Not until I researched this column did I realize the probable cause of my
blowout. My power strip had a surge protector imbedded in it, and it seems that a
surge protector built for use in North America cannot be used internationally (even
when plugged into a voltage converter). Next time, I’ll simply take a second
voltage converter and enough adaptor plugs to satisfy an army.
Walkabout Travel Gear has an excellent webpage called “Solving the Riddle of
International Electricity.” There you’ll find some basics about international power,
an FAQ about international electricity, and a worldwide electricity index listing the
types of adaptor plugs required in almost 150 countries and regions.
Travel
Upcoming
Adventures
Iceland: Fire, Ice & Aurora
The stunning beauty of Iceland‘s geysers,
volcanoes, hot springs, and waterfalls
create the perfect backdrop for our
annual Aurora Borealis viewing journey.
October 2 to 9, 2010.
Expedition to Antarctica
Join us on a rare travel experience, as we
journey to the geographic South Pole
and overnight at South Pole station.
January 1 to 12, 2011.
Costa Rican Southern Sky Party
Discover the wonders of Costa Rica and
the riches of the southern night sky.
February 27 to March 6, 2012.
ECLIPSE 2012
Australia 2012
Sydney. The Australian Outback. Ayer’s
Rock. The Great Barrier Reef. Don’t miss
out. Join us for totality Down Under.
November 2012.
Papua New Guinea 2012
Join us for a 12-day cruise to discover the
wonderful cultural diversity and breathtaking scenery of Papua New Guinea,
and view totality from the Great Barrier
Reef. November 2012.
To learn more about our other tours,
please visit our website:
TravelQuestTours.com
— PD
Travel Quest is copyright 2010 TravelQuest International. One copy may be printed for personal, non-commercial use. Otherwise, no part of
this publication may be reproduced by any means without the written consent of TravelQuest International.
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