We’ve crossed the date line and a day disappears! Not to worry, we’ll get it back later. As we near Kosrae, the ride gets a little rougher, and we start experiencing turbulance caused by rain showers and a building tropical something (wave, storm, depression). The pilot begins his descent, then the final approach a steady glide towards the runway and then… jet engines full throttle and a steep climb. It appears the visibility at the runway somewhere has dropped to zero; we have an aborted landing and are heading back up into the clouds. Our next stop Ponpei, capital of the Federated States of Micronesia and a short 45 minute hop from Kosrae.
We now have a decision to make, where do we go from here? On the ground the United staff tells us not to worry, on Friday they can get us back to Kosrae. In the mean time, they will cover accomodations for the Elite passangers for the few days we have to stay in Ponpei. Never mind that we are scheduled to depart, from Kosrae for Chuuk on Saturday. And if you are a non-elite flyer, well the delay was an act of nature and this is only a service offered to Elite passangers.
Ponpei has some nice diving and the Village hotel sits atop a mountain and has a really incredible view. There is lots to see here with Nan Madol and waterfalls getting my votes as truely spectacular sites. However, our group is all rebreather divers and trying to deal with getting gas and other services with no pre-arrangements is a difficult task. So, the group votes to continue on to Chuuk.
An hour and a half later, with our bags sorted and retagged we are once again airborn for the one hour flight to Chuuk The United ground personnel in Ponpei, called ahead to the ground staff in Chuuk and arranged for them to call the Blue Lagoon Resort to pick us up at the airport. A great service because there are no cabs in Chuuk.
Upon arriving in Chuuk, we were met by the ground staff who told us they had contacted the resort and they were out front waiting for us. He also said that United had reserved 4 rooms and would pay for the lodging through Friday, the day they could return us to Kosrae (we have elected not to return to Kosrae for the day).
After clearing Immigration, which was a little bit of a problem since we had cleared immigration in Ponpei and never showed leaving (we never left customs in Ponpei) we were met by Sam who took one look at all of our luggage and shook his head and started filling up the van. 6 divers, 20 pieced of luggage including 4 rebreathers, 2 kegs of sorb and enough air delivery systems to outfit a platoon made for a tight fit in the van. There was barely enough room for the people.
After checking in, which went smoothly despite our being here 4 days early we had time to start unpacking, have dinner and then get some sleep. Thank you Winifee for making the check-in so smooth. Glamorious travel at its best.
Sleep – it never felt so good.
Travel
Travel Log – The March to Micronesia Begins
Monday 23 April The March Begins
Ahh, 2:00 in the morning comes early! The airport is quiet with only a skeleton crew of staff present to help us out. Of couse the ticket counters don’t open until 3:00 but we had our luggage stacked and ready for them when they did.
After checking in, it took us several tries to find a TSA security area open. Itis ironic that the early morning flights are United flights but the security for the early morning flights is 3 terminals away…government planning at its best! Cleared we head towards the gates and what do we stumble upon? A Starbucks that is open! Miracles do happen. On my previous runs through this airport, the businesses did not open until 30 minutes after the flight departed!
Time for our march across the Pacific, first stop Marjuro 6 hours away, then Kwajuline, another 2 hours from there and the Kosrae another hour in the air.
Travel log – The Journey to Micronesia Begins
Here we are in sunny Hawaii, except that somwone forgot to tell the weather gods that Hawaii was supposed to be sunny. The skys are gray and full of water which the mountain god drops on us occassionally. Oh well no matter, we are only here for a short stop on our journey to Micronesia. In fact it seems really short since our flight to Kosrae leaves at 5:25 in the morning which means we need to be at the airport at 3:00 am to check all of the luggage. The driver today told us we needed to arrive early because the Micronesians really knew how to pack it in so there would be a lot of luggage — heavy luggage. Having done this before, I am sure the luggage of choice is still Igloo.
We are currently waiting on Susan and Ian to arrive from Philidelphia so we can head out to dinner and then home for a power nap before we leave for the airport. Such is the glamourous life of international travel.
Soon after Ian and Susan arrive, we ventured out to dinner ata the Chart House on Waikiki Beach. Thank Goodness for Open Table, an iPhone App that leys you make reservations easily.
Andrew Trent Speaks at Club Aquarius
What a fun presentation Drew Trent, Vice President of Oceaneering’s Engineered Solutions Group, made at our Club Meeting last evening. It was a full house at the Black Labrador with no vacant seats available. For those of you who were not there, Drew spoke about a variety of topics including what his group does and their particiation in the BP incident in the Gulf. While he did not give a lot of particulars, he did talk about things his group and the ROV group did to help coordinate and bring a positive conclusion to that incident.
Of course, Drew also talked about his past life as a saturation diver in the North sea and his love of diving and sailing. He had photographs from these adventures as well as his early courses with Oceanic Ventures. He even recounted how a mixed gas dive supervisor was forced to take a series of diving courses beginning with the Principles of Technical diving through Trimix.
It was fun getting together with so many people to talk about diving and to have such an entertaining speaker. You can see photographs from the event by clicking here.
Don’t forget to put next month’s meeting on your calendar (23 February 2012). The topic is From the Highlands to the Islands – A Scotch Tasting Event .
Dive Diva Trip October 2012
Dive Diva/Rock Beauty Semi-Annual Weekend Adventure to Cozumel Mexico El Presidente Intercontinental Hotel
October 19-23, 2012
Join us for a weekend of fun, sun, diving, spa, touring, beverages with beach umbrellas, snorkeling, and rest……. Friday thru Tuesday. The dive staff at SCUBA Du will offer valet dive service and beautiful fast boats so that we can be back in time for lunch and umbrella drinks on the beach. Or spend the afternoon in town shopping for Holiday gifts for friends and co-workers. One afternoon Ann will organize a trip to tour the Mayan Ruins and a visit to the beaches on the East side of the island. The spa has offered our group a 15% discount on all services booked in advance for our group. Night dives and night snorkeling available.
- Package includes: RT Air from Houston to Cozumel via Continental Airlines, 5 days/ 4 nights El Presidente Intercontinental Resort Hotel, 3 days of two tank boat diving, plus a boat dive the day of arrival, air taxes on base fare, welcome cocktail, American breakfast buffet, transfers to the hotel, beach cylinders, weights, water on board, hotel taxes/resort fee, trip brochure and packet, trip shirt, and travel leader….Ann.
- Fare: $1595 per person for Club Aquarius Members ($1545 dfc and club). $500 deposit due January 1. Final payment due on April 1, 2012. Trip insurance recommended, diving insurance required.
- Not Included: Nitrox, extra boat diving, tips for the local staff, marine park fee, shopping, increases in air taxes, tours and entrance to the Mayan ruins. Space is Limited.
Dive Mom. Sign Me Up; I want to go diving!
Club Aquarius is an International Diving Club. Oceanic Ventures sponsors a local chapter. Membership is $75 pp family for a year and $65 for individuals.
Membership benefits include travel discounts, discounts on classes, monthly equipment specials, meetings, door prizes, a card and a gift.
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Price and availability subject to change until booked. Trip insurance is recommended as all deposits are non-refundable unless the trip runs full and replacement found.
Travel Tips – Packing Light and Healthy
Today’s post comes to you from Thomas A. Mackey, PhD, ARNP-BC, FAAN, FAANP with UT Health Sciences
It’s the savvy traveler who packs light. Who wouldn’t want to board a plane with only carry-on luggage? The trick is to find that perfect balance between taking essential preparedness items and breaking the bank with airline charges for checked baggage. Let’s review some essential travel items and what to leave at home.
Documentation
In terms of documents for foreign travel, you’ll find it well worth the space to pack a copy of your passport. These documents are much easier to replace if you have a copy available. If you are traveling to a country that requires yellow fever vaccination, take the record with you; otherwise leave the record at home safely filed away with other health records. Consider wearing medical alert jewelry to identify any serious medical conditions such as: serious allergy to penicillin or bee stings, insulin dependent diabetes, or severe asthma.
First Aid
There are many packing lists and prepared travel kits for first aid that are very comprehensive. The advantage of purchasing a commercial travel kit is there is usually a large variety of supplies in small quantity allowing the traveler to cover a number of contingencies with a fairly compact package. Travel kits usually have a small first aid reference giving instructions on how to treat a broad range of illnesses and injuries and how to use the supplies in the kit.
One important thing to remember about a travel kit is that up-keep is required. Many of the unit dose medications contained in the package have an expiration date. These will need to be replaced along with any other items used on the last trip prior to traveling again. Small quantities of unit dose medications are readily available but tend to be expensive. Consider this in your decision to purchase a travel kit.
For the adventurous traveler who will be in remote places with exposure to outdoor hazards, a travel kit is well worth the investment. Many travel kits are tailored for specific adventure style travel including: salt water marine, rock climbing, backpacking, and kayaking. These kits not only have supplies you need like a snake bite kit and the reference manual is specific to the hazards you are likely to encounter.
For travelers who will be within an hour of emergency medical care or you are on a hosted vacation where the tour guide has first aid training and a kit, convenience would be the only reason to purchase a travel kit. Pack a small complement of the first aid items that you keep around the house. Remember, “common things are common” and pack for the first aid issues that commonly happen to you at home like minor cut and scrapes, blisters, headaches or body aches, nasal congestion and allergies. No need to carry the whole package, just pack enough to manage the event without disrupting the itinerary in search of treatment for a headache.
The one item anyone traveling outside of the U.S. should take along is treatment for diarrhea. It’s not a pleasant topic but the fact of the matter is that diarrhea is the most common illness experienced by travelers outside of the U.S. Unfortunately, diarrhea can strike without warning and could make it difficult go out in search of a pharmacy. Don’t leave home without a box of over-the-counter anti-motility medication such as Imodium AD. Ask your primary care prneuder for a prescription antibiotic to take with you.
Speaking of prescribed medications, don’t forget to get your routine prescription medications filled well in advance and pack these in your carry-on luggage. If you have life saving rescue medications such an epi-pen or an asthma inhaler, take an extra along in case of loss, mechanical failure, or any number of other calamities. Do not pack them in checked luggage. Carry them on the plane with you. It could make the difference between a life and death situation and a mere hassle.
Insect Control
Mosquitoes and insects are more than a nuisance. These can carry serious diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. Insect repellent can be purchased in individually packaged towelettes. This is a compact way to carry insect repellent without risking leakage during the flight. Look for an insect repellant brand that is greater than 30% DEET and plan to apply every 4 hours while mosquitoes are out, especially dawn, dusk and after dark. Bathe every day and you should have no risk of toxicity.
Another measure for insect control is to spray all of your clothing with permethrin spray. The spray can be purchased in the outdoor section of stores as tick repellent or in the pharmacy section of the store as lice treatment for furnishings. Before you leave, spray your clothing (no need to spray under garments) with a light spray as if you were spraying on starch before ironing. Allow the spray to air dry and pack your clothing. The permethrin will last multiple washings on the clothing but will not stain or have an odor. Do not spray permethrin directly on the skin because it can be a skin irritant. Treating your clothes with permethrin is an added measure for mosquito prevention and will deter chiggers, gnats, and flys.
Hygiene
Last on the list is an important hygiene product that might keep you from becoming ill by transferring germs from environmental surfaces to your eyes, nose and mouth, and that is alcohol based hand sanitizer. It is sold in convenient packaging in small bottles or as spray pens. There is no reason to be obsessive compulsive about it, just use a little on your hands before you eat and when you know that your hands are dirty. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth during the day along with the hand sanitizer use for good solid prevention.
Your healthcare prneuder is an excellent resource for travel preparedness. Depending on the location and style of travel, you prneuder may recommend additional medications for treatment of bacterial diarrhea or malaria prevention. Your prneuder is also an excellent resource on required and recommended vaccines for travel. Call your prneuder today or come see us at University of Texas Health Services (713) 500-3248. We prneude travel health services to hundreds of patients every year. Happy travels!
Thank you to Susan Parnell, MSN, MPH, CIC and Thomas A. Mackey, PhD, ARNP-BC, FAAN, FAANP