tag:www.jacquetta.net,2010://1 2010-03-04T08:52:12Z Jacquetta Megarry - publisher, author, photographer, adventurous grandmother Movable Type 3.34 tag:www.jacquetta.net,2010://1.95 2010-03-01T22:11:41Z 2010-03-04T08:52:12Z

On Sunday, my Sandals dives were cancelled because of high winds. However at 11.20 I found out that the Stuart Cove shark-feeding dive would run in the afternoon, leaving at 12 noon. So I scrambled to retrieve dive gear and...

http://www.rucsacs.com Shark Allies. I had been slightly concerned about the ethics of shark feeding, in case the tourist attraction created a dependency culture. Much to my relief it turns out that the bait supplied by the daily Stuart Cove feeds are only a light snack that doesn't affect their need to hunt and feed. Sharks are the vultures of the ocean, seeking dead and diseased flesh (carrion) and thus keeping the oceans clean. It seems most unfair that Jaws movies and superstition have given them such an unfairly bad name. Although live divers are not their preferred food, these are wild animals and powerful swimmers, and when excited by food their thrashing about creates strong turbulence. They test if things are edible by biting them (which could lead to an accidentally sticky end of your dive if you get in their way). If what they bite is unyielding, their teeth are sacrificial: apparently each shark may grow and discard over 20,000 teeth in its lifetime. I was pleased to see that Ingrid and Janine both put on chain mail protection (there was no cage, just a small bait box). We, the divers, were protected because the sharks are attracted to the fish bait and the person dishing it out, rather than to us – as long as we kept still and followed instructions. What attracts sharks is the thrashing about of arms or legs. Experienced divers aim to make minimal movement to conserve air anyway, but we were especially careful on the shark feed. This image shows the lovely Ingrid in her chain mail with excitable sharks milling about her bait; you can just make out some divers kneeling or lying prone in the sand behind her: Technically, our dive was very simple: we added extra weight to guarantee negative buoyancy and kneeled or lay in a circle watching Ingrid and sharks at the centre. We remained almost motionless for 50 minutes, which sounds a long time but believe me there was not a dull moment. This was, by a long way, the most exciting, engaging and interesting dive I have ever done. Being so close to these acrobatic fish was totally absorbing, rather than frightening. It resembled an extreme form of aquatic modern dance. You can see the dive boat at upper right of this picture, and I am the diver small at lower left. The second image below gives a better sense of how close they came, though the shark image isn't as good: We were forewarned that the sharks would come close and what to do if one knocked out your regulator or mask. We were firmly told not to touch the sharks – but nobody told the sharks not to bump into us. The constant circling, the sharks' extreme closeness and the small group size meant that photography could hardly fail. I even took some decent shots myself, though I freely admit that the images here were all taken by Janine of Stuart Cove. In this shot my obsolescent Olympus is in my right hand: it also took some decent photos. I'd just taken the regulator out to make the photo recognisable, BTW: I don't think I'd have felt as calm if a shark had knocked it out! ]]> tag:www.jacquetta.net,2010://1.93 2010-02-24T21:12:32Z 2010-02-25T22:05:41Z

Today was my birthday and it's hard to imagine a better start. OK, there was no wardrobe, but there was a wreck and I did find a lionfish. On today's dives I felt really relaxed, truly in my element....

http://www.rucsacs.com Today was my birthday and it's hard to imagine a better start. OK, there was no wardrobe, but there was a wreck and I did find a lionfish. On today's dives I felt really relaxed, truly in my element. (If there is reincarnation I'd like to come back as an otter or dolphin, please.) Thanks to Ricardo Mesa, the talented resort dive photographer, I have my first-ever recognisable photos of myself diving. I spotted a lionfish lurking on the wreck, and am here pointing it out to my buddy Sean, who hadn't seen one before. They are elegant, extravagant and delicate-looking and deliver a near-lethal sting if you provoke them, so this was close enough: We just hung around watching it in fascination. If you are into headgear such as fascinators, could this species be a source of inspiration? Finally, also thanks to Ricardo, here's my parting shot from the wreck, which was called the Steel Forest, and lies in about 21m/65ft of water: After a peaceful afternoon, we went for a Japanese meal (delicious, cooked and served with theatrical flair by a young Bahamian). Afterwards I got a wonderfully thoughtful present from Keir, who had cunningly concealed it (heaven knows how, my luggage is bursting with dive gear but his seems to contain minimal clothing plus several hardback books of up to 1000 pages each). What a lovely day I've had!]]> tag:www.jacquetta.net,2010://1.94 2010-02-22T21:41:05Z 2010-02-26T00:51:45Z

The Bahamas have seemed very exotic to me ever since my elder sister Lindsay returned from there as a bronzed, beautiful 18 year old (nearly half a century ago). Knowing that the diving is supposed to be good, I was...

http://www.rucsacs.com The Bahamas have seemed very exotic to me ever since my elder sister Lindsay returned from there as a bronzed, beautiful 18 year old (nearly half a century ago). Knowing that the diving is supposed to be good, I was delighted when Keir suggested a holiday here, and we had a delightful direct flight with BA on Saturday. Thanks to timely online checkin, we had two exit row seats with more legroom than Business Class, and after only 3 movies (Amelia Earhart, An education and Golden 39) we were in Nassau with only a short transfer to the resort. Sandals is at Cable Beach, near Nassau on New Providence Island. It's an amazing mixture: the down side is the naff pseudo-classical statues and some cringe-worthy (but optional) entertainment, but there is also the stunning natural beauty of its beaches and private island. We also like the simplicity of all-inclusive: if you've finished eating, you need not hang around for the bill, there's no need to carry valuables and no reason not to have another drink. Anyway, the diving is included! Fortunately I visited the dive shop on arrival and got a place on yesterday's shark dive, an event that runs only if enough experienced divers sign up for it. We were encircled by dozens of Caribbean reef sharks (harmless if treated with respect, but wild animals all the same) and had magical moments watching them at very close quarters. I'll try to update this with a photo: it being my first dive I wasn't carrying my own camera, but Ricardo, the dive photographer, was in action. The water is cold enough that I went into Nassau on the bus today and bought my first wet suit, which should make a big difference for the rest of the week. It was only $10 more expensive than the rental, and can be re-used on my next dive trip in cooler waters. Some women would rather have a mink coat, but I am delighted with this extremely comfortable garment. tag:www.jacquetta.net,2010://1.92 2010-02-07T15:43:01Z 2010-02-07T17:05:47Z

Keir was on BBC1's Politics Show today, talking about the need for more diversity in Scottish education and commending the East Lothian proposal for Trust schools (promoted today by Cllr David Berry) as a step towards combatting too much...

http://www.rucsacs.com Keir was on BBC1's Politics Show today, talking about the need for more diversity in Scottish education and commending the East Lothian proposal for Trust schools (promoted today by Cllr David Berry) as a step towards combatting too much uniformity in school governance. He stressed the need for more school autonomy and the vital role of the quality of headteachers in making the most of it. For a week or however long the BBC retains it, you can watch this on iPlayer here. The ten-minute item on Trust schools was near the end of a show lasting 90 minutes, so you may want to drag the slider to 1 hr 15 min. And I have just realised that iPlayer is the only way you can access any of the other Politics Shows not transmitted in your area, such as the versions for Northern Ireland, Wales, West Midlands or London. So the internet lets you overcome broadcast TV's restrictions of geography as well as schedules.]]> tag:www.jacquetta.net,2010://1.91 2010-02-01T23:11:11Z 2010-02-04T16:08:51Z

Pico Ruivo sounded unmissable. Its summit (1862m/6107ft) is at an impressive height, reached via knife-edge paths and long dark tunnels through the basalt, passing amazing flowers lower down, then centuries-old heather trees and, near the summit, patches of snow....

http://www.rucsacs.com Pico Ruivo sounded unmissable. Its summit (1862m/6107ft) is at an impressive height, reached via knife-edge paths and long dark tunnels through the basalt, passing amazing flowers lower down, then centuries-old heather trees and, near the summit, patches of snow. Madeira Explorers even organise a tour that drops you at Pico de Areeiro, lets you climb to Pico Ruivo and then collects you from Achada do Teixera, thus combining Madeira's three highest peaks with a long scenic drive and no backtracking. So I booked with them for Saturday. Our guide Adriano was excellent, and the group a pleasant bunch of 8 other hikers, all of us going at roughly the same pace. It being January, we were lucky to set off on this itinerary: it has to be rearranged whenever there is too much snow or rockfall. Perhaps it is churlish to report that, as the photo above shows, we were in fairly dense cloud for almost the whole time. Even in poor visibility, you couldn't miss the dramatic skyline and basalt pillars: The path was so well engineered as to seem disconcertingly tame, with ropes and cables for protection and little drama even on this exposed rock bridge, with sheer cliffs falling away on both sides: The walk featured a lot of steep staircases and we had to cross the odd land-slip along the narrow path: Madeira's heavy rainfall must create huge challenges for path maintenance. I suppose it was the summit that troubled me the most: the vast timber platform seemed at odds with my concept of mountain summit, with a wide boardwalk leading to a further viewpoint. Doubtless it works well for picknicking tourists. However, my smile below reflects the brief break in the cloud that let us glimpse a breathtaking view of the coast from this lofty viewpoint before closing in again. It was almost enough to overcome my reservations. ]]> tag:www.jacquetta.net,2010://1.90 2010-01-29T08:17:45Z 2010-01-29T08:26:24Z

Yesterday we visited two gardens (Palheiro and Madeira Magic). After long weeks of white-out snow in Dunblane, it was especially refreshing and delightful to see flowers in January. And the flowers here have an extravagance, a mad profusion of vibrant...

http://www.rucsacs.com Widespread on the island is this amazing Bird of Paradise flower: Finally here is the Golden Cup, an unusual flower that is be pollinated not by birds, but by bats, because it puts out its aroma only at night. This must be to mutual evolutionary advantage, but I don't yet know why: ]]> tag:www.jacquetta.net,2010://1.89 2010-01-26T21:59:18Z 2010-01-29T18:14:12Z

Madeira is something of a revelation. It has an attractive climate year-round, thanks to being on a latitude with Marrakesh, moderated by maritime influence and sea breezes. Its mountainous scenery is dramatic and lush, but despite the gradients you can...

http://www.rucsacs.com There's a fine fishing village at Camera de Lobos (lobos means sealion in this case, though also wolf) where we saw them catching the shark-related espada ("scabbard fish") which we had for dinner (truly delicious): Finally, here we are, Keir and I, near the dramatic 600-m high cliffs of Cabo Girao: ]]> tag:www.jacquetta.net,2010://1.86 2010-01-17T15:15:43Z 2010-01-17T15:58:05Z

This photo evokes a period of four weeks in which Landrick has been effectively cut off by snow. In 17 years of living here, we'd never thought of chains before, having coped by leaving a car at the foot...

http://www.rucsacs.com This photo evokes a period of four weeks in which Landrick has been effectively cut off by snow. In 17 years of living here, we'd never thought of chains before, having coped by leaving a car at the foot of the hill and hiking the last bit. After over two weeks, this was beginning to pall and we opted for Klack & Go which are self-tensioning and supposed to be easy to fit. This isn't as simple as the girl in the video makes it look! We even wondered if they would be too late to be useful. Not a bit: in the last fortnight, they have repaid their cost by letting us give lifts to people and boxes of books. As a publisher, we still have to get orders out to customers, which means meeting delivery drivers at the foot of the hill. A compensation of the snow has been the view from the office window: snow becomes Landrick well, and our pond is a natural skating rink: Wednesday brought a phone call from The Bookseller to ask if Rucksack Readers had been affected by the weather at all? So I told them about the snow chains and the view from the office window and was astonished to find myself quoted on page 3 of Friday's issue. Yesterday the thaw arrived in earnest, and we removed the chains (much easier than fitting them). Our colour-starved eyes are feasting on greens and browns, the postie has resumed delivering our mail and life may be returning to normal. Perhaps washing and putting away the chains will become a feature of Januaries to come, like taking down the Christmas tree and packing up the lights.]]> tag:www.jacquetta.net,2010://1.85 2010-01-16T20:49:54Z 2010-01-18T08:28:51Z

During the last month of the 1988 Glasgow Garden Festival, we hired a one-man band called Mr Boom to celebrate our two children's birthday. They had reached the ages of 7 and 4 respectively, on the same day, and they...

http://www.rucsacs.com website where you can buy his music, book a gig or and make contact with his lunar or terrestial offices. You can read about his perfomances to 20,000 children at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, on BBC2 television and live from Adelaide to Tokyo to Orkney. But this modest, charming man, surely a unique entertainer, still seems accessible to those lucky enough to know about him: Here is Helen, with Amy and her pal Catriona, being planets: And finally a general shot of Churches House with half the room taking part: ]]> tag:www.jacquetta.net,2010://1.87 2010-01-15T16:48:00Z 2010-01-17T17:21:36Z

A close friend left his Mini Cooper S at Landrick on Tuesday while he is away for five weeks. By today, enough snow had melted to make our road driveable, so I thought I'd drive it to Stirling to keep...

http://www.rucsacs.com A close friend left his Mini Cooper S at Landrick on Tuesday while he is away for five weeks. By today, enough snow had melted to make our road driveable, so I thought I'd drive it to Stirling to keep its battery in condition. My first problem was finding where to insert the remote control/key: its slot is obscured by both steering wheel and wiper stalk. After a bit of searching, I found it and the car started at a touch of the button which, as on a Windows computer, doubles as both Start and Stop. The big problem was how to remove the key, which resisted even a desperate tug, and which I was reluctant to leave in the car, even standing at our door, in case the doors locked automatically after a delay. Well, I've been long enough with computers and cars that, if all else fails, I know I'll have to consult the manual: deep sigh. The Cooper S manual has 223 pages including an index: nothing in the first 20 pages of so-called Overview, except a full-page, uncaptioned photograph of my problem. Nothing in the next 26 pages, allegedly about Controls but mainly devoted to the "personal profile", customising your locking and alarm settings, a feature called "Convenient access" which told me all about the remote control, including how to change its battery, but unbelievably didn't include the vital information about how to remove it from its slot. I had to plough through pages of being told not to hurt myself when closing the windows; how to operate the sunroof even if the electrics fail; how the slipstream deflector works; everything about seat controls, airbags and head restraints; seat heating, seat belts and adjusting the mirrors and steering wheel; and four pages of child safety! FInally, on page 48 we reach driving and how to remove the key. Simple: to pull it out, just push it in further! Why didn't I think of that? More to the point, why doesn't the manual have a Quick-start single page that tells you what you really need to know, like how to start and stop the car? I always used to provide this when writing software manuals, and as cars become more and more complicated, it becomes more and more necessary for them, too. tag:www.jacquetta.net,2010://1.88 2010-01-07T23:31:05Z 2010-01-17T23:36:24Z

One of the compensations of the snow, ice and general difficulties of everyday life is that Bramble seems to be enjoying a new phase of puppyhood and silliness. Aged nearly 14 years, she really enjoys the snow at Landrick!...

http://www.rucsacs.com ]]> tag:www.jacquetta.net,2009://1.84 2009-12-22T17:48:23Z 2009-12-30T08:34:49Z

The winter solstice is our turning-point in morale, when we look forward to more daylight and make fresh plans. Presumably it was the pre-Christian reason for celebrating late December, and it's good timing for those of us who live at...

http://www.rucsacs.com Most beautiful of all is our mature birch tree: surprisingly spreading and shapely for a birch it has new serenity with its dusting of snow. It seems a particularly suitable image for the optimism I feel whenever we "turn the corner". ]]> tag:www.jacquetta.net,2009://1.83 2009-12-09T19:22:53Z 2009-12-22T18:21:53Z

I’m in Val Claret for the week, the ski resort just above Tignes where I have been coming for 20+ years for a pre-Christmas boost of unrepentant, politically incorrect downhill ski-ing. I keep thinking I should grow out of this,...

http://www.rucsacs.com Evolution 2 and it was completely unlike anything I have ever experienced. I mean, I have dived before, but in warm water and maybe a wet suit, not under an ice ceiling in a dry suit having arrived on skis and departing shortly after, also on skis, but winded: because of the high altitude (2100m/7000ft) and low temperature, the regulator delivers less air than you expect, and would freeze if turned up to a normal setting. So you suck air, greedily. And wear blue rubber gloves that are locked on at the wrists. Courtesy of Evolution 2 and marinebio.com, here are a couple of pictures. They aren't actually of me, but easily could be as everybody looks the same in a dry suit and full-face mask: The colours are extraordinary. The air bubbles trapped underneath the ice take on the curiously convex, reflective quality of mercury. Unlike when sea diving, there was no fish life nor live corals to view. I was certainly not cold, nor even faintly damp nor frightened. But it was as different from the world of lift queues, après-ski and pisted fluency as outer space. The instructor holds on to you at first, all part of the beginner treatment, but then asks (in sign language) if you prefer him to let go. Of course I did, but it wasn’t nearly as easy as sea diving, where I am very much within my comfort zone. I found myself fighting the buoyancy and striving to stay upright. I would probably be more competent next time around, but I’m not sure if I need to do it again. Of one thing I am certain: I will never again look at the blank surface of Lac de Tignes in quite the same incurious way. Now I know what lies beneath, there is literally a whole new dimension on the familiar mountain experience.]]> tag:www.jacquetta.net,2009://1.81 2009-10-05T13:29:17Z 2009-10-05T13:40:34Z

I returned from Nepal last Monday afternoon to the usual mountain of email, post and messages. Being somewhat sleep-starved and travel-weary, dealing with it would probably have occupied most of my week. But on Tuesday morning, an overladen tractor on...

http://www.rucsacs.com I returned from Nepal last Monday afternoon to the usual mountain of email, post and messages. Being somewhat sleep-starved and travel-weary, dealing with it would probably have occupied most of my week. But on Tuesday morning, an overladen tractor on our hill took out the phone wires, which mean no phone, no email and no web-surfing all week. BT sent engineers out daily, to communicate, to survey the damage and to plan the repair. By Friday afternoon they had replaced two telegraph poles and a long section of cable, which seemed rather efficient, and we were back online. Meantime I had realised that my most important task was to write up the Everest trekking route description while it was fresh in my mind. Have broken the back of that task without online distraction, I now think the tractor did me a favour, although it didn't feel that way at the time. It's so tempting to let the small, easy tasks (like replying to email) squeeze out the large important ones (like writing a book). Next time I am tempted by displacement activity, I shall try to remember the tractor – albeit unplugging my ethernet cable is an easier step to undo. tag:www.jacquetta.net,2009://1.80 2009-09-26T11:15:19Z 2009-09-27T04:09:34Z

Sadly the 9.9.9 date turned out to be inauspicious: we waited 6 hours at the airport that day before it became 100% clear that no planes were leaving for Lukla. Fortunately the next day we got away, so our trek...

http://www.rucsacs.com Next day, I diverged to trek “alone” (in fact, with guide Phurba and porter Govinder) for a further six days. While the group returned to Kathmandu, I trekked past the Chola Glacier and its lake, toward Dzonghla: Next day I crossed the Cho La pass (5370m/17,620ft), a stiff climb followed by an even tougher rock-hopping, knee-wrenching descent. Later I crossed the Ngozumpa Glacier (Nepal’s longest) to the lakeside “resort” of Gokyo, and climbed Gokyo Ri (5360m/17,585ft) the following afternoon. We waited in thick cloud at the summit about "sunset", hoping for the clouds to lift, but sadly we caught only glimpses of Everest, Makalu and Cho Oyu. Our descent finished in darkness, on challenging terrain. Here's a shot of the lovely turquoise lake that Gokyo overlooks: The next two days demanded over 42 km/26 mi of “descent” (in fact, on undulating terrain) to Lukla – including 300m of vertical ascent to the Mong La (pass) before the descent to Namche. So that was another two early starts and two long days before the final bid to catch the 0730 Lukla flight. It’s now about 5 weeks since I have slept later than 0530, and although I didn't need to get up this morning, my internal alarm went off regardless. So I’ve started the huge project of weeding and captioning over 1000 photos, some of which should end up in the guidebook that eventually will result. For a break, I walked to Durbar Square (which was heaving with people because of the Hindu festival of Dashain). Now I’m really looking forward to starting the long journey home tomorrow. I can’t wait to catch up with husband, family, friends and Bramble.]]>