Zegrahm Expeditions

Swimming with the Icebergs

Traveler Stories — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:55:00 +0000

I have only done a handful of cruises with Zegrahm but highlight for us was "swimming" in the ocean on the North Pole cruise (1992) and again surrounded by ice and Emperor Penguins in the Ross Sea (2011). How much better can life be!!

Also, taking a zodiac tour around the world at the North Pole.

Trip: Antarctica’s Ross Sea
First Name: Janet
Last Name: Miller
City: Honolulu
State: HI

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Chance in Uganda

Traveler Stories — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:05:00 +0000

Prior to the trip, I emailed Jonathan Rossouw and mentioned that my target bird for Uganda was the Pennant-Tailed Nightjar. This is a pretty tough get. A well camouflaged night bird, it is nearly impossible to see during the day unless you step on one and, of course, it is tough to see in the dark at night. Rossouw replied: "Prayer is the only answer, but I will do my damned to put you in the right place so that if our prayers are answered, you will see the bird." We got to the right spot and were out a couple of hours after sunset, but no bird. The locals noted "that bird hasn't been here for three months." Two days later, during the late afternoon, we are in a completely different location and I see one in flight. This is not an easy object identification. The bird has long streamers flowing from each wing, sort of the P-38 of the bird world. It elicits a "what the hell is that?" response and then it hits you--that's the bird. Jonathan and I get off the vehicle and run after the bird. The ranger gets up on the roof of the vehicle and shouts "Get back here, there are lions to the left." I Look at Rossouw. He says "this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance--let's go see the bird." We were careful going around corners and were rewarded with magnificent views--full breeding plumage displayed in flight in full daylight.

Trip: Classic Uganda
First Name: John
Last Name: Kerns
City: San Francisco
State: CA

Walking in Iran

Traveler Stories — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 17:45:00 +0000

When walking down the street in Esfahan, Iran, a man walking in the opposite direction saw me and said "We love Americans!" ...and continued walking! Young women also came near us, and wanted their pictures taken with us, too. Quite amazing and unexpected!

Trip: Iran: Wonders of Persia
First Name: Lynne
Last Name: Rauscher-Davoust
City: Elmhurst
State: IL

More Upgrades on the Clipper Odyssey

Zegrahm Office — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 20:45:00 +0000

The Clipper Odyssey recently received an upgrade with some brand-new patio furniture! Relax in style in between stops along the Dalmatian Coast on our upcoming Sicily with Montengro, Croatia, Albania & Greece expedition, or after an afternoon lecture on our Circumnavigations of the Black Sea.

Did You Know...the Origins of Bungee Jumping

Zegrahm Office — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 20:40:00 +0000

Did you know that though the art of bungee jumping in the western world has been around for nearly 40 years, the origins of the sport date back much further? Take a cruise with us to Pentecost Island, Vanuatu in the South Pacific…

Home to naghol, or land diving, the men of Pentecost have been participating in this ritual for decades. Legend has it that a woman was trying to escape her abusive husband and ran up a tree to hide. He followed her and she jumped out of the tree—only after tying vines to her legs. He jumped after her and died on impact, while his wife survived the fall. There are differing reports, but some say the men of the island started diving so as not to be tricked by women again.

Over time the ritual has evolved—the main purpose now is to ensure a bountiful yam harvest. The ceremony takes place only in April and May, and once the men dive they, hopefully gently, grace the ground with their shoulders or head, blessing the soil.

Today, instead of jumping out of trees, they now jump off a manmade structure, around 98-feet tall. A trusted village elder measures the length of the vines, based solely on years of trial and error, and ties one to each foot. As the diver jumps, the crowd goes silent, likely holding their breath until he lands. The islanders then let out a collective sigh and rush to check on him before celebrating his courage.

View this original form of bungee jumping in person on our Faces of Melanesia expedition, March 23 – April 8, 2013.

Hospitality in Kamchatka

Traveler Stories — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 20:15:00 +0000

First let me be straight about the trip. This is as close as I could get. It was 2005 (time flies), and the trip was "Realm of the Russian Bear." All 100 of us swarmed ashore at Gabriel Bay, Kamchatka. We thought it was a deserted fishing village, but it wasn't quite as deserted as we imagined. There was a family living there...a couple and their teenage daughters. The first thing the wife did was want to make tea for all of us. They'd probably been using the same tea bag for the last year, but she was willing to share it. I'm not sure I could be as hospitable if 100 strangers suddenly showed up on my doorstep. We politely declined. We spent a while asking them about their life and snapping photos. When we left, Shirley asked if there was anything they needed. I'm not sure if they were entitled to a landing fee, but all she said was "Could you spare some salt?" We left them a big bag of salt and some educational materials for thier daughters. They left us (me, at least) with a renewed feeling of what hospitality is like and a refreshing realization that there are still some places in the world where salt is worth more than money.

Trip: Northern Ring of Fire: Kamchatka & the Kuril Islands
First Name: Terry
Last Name: Shumaker
City: Astoria
State: Oregon

The Galapagos: A Living Laboratory of Evolution

Zegrahm Office — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 18:30:00 +0000

Written by Jack Grove

The Galápagos Islands have been referred to by Herman Melville as ‘enchanted,’ and by Charles Darwin as ‘a living laboratory of evolution.’ I was privileged to live there for seven years and carried out marine research in the archipelago for more than three decades. While I concur with both of these famous visitors, I would like to add that not only is a visit to this fabled island group an adventure, it is also a life-changing experience.

In June 2012, 10-year-old Ben was among the guests aboard the Isabela II. Seeing the world with fresh eyes, his learning experience enhanced my own, and I am certain the other adventurers were affected, as well.

Upon our arrival in Baltra, we had a few moments to visit the airport shops and I knew immediately this was going to be a great trip. Ben was looking around and became taken with a stuffed shark—I knew he was about to experience the real deal and couldn’t wait to get started.

Getting to know Ben and having the opportunity to share such an amazing place with this young boy was almost as heart-warming as my return to the islands.

FAIR WINDS

The Best of All Possible Trips (Candide Would Have Loved It)

Traveler Stories — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 19:31:00 +0000

Can't say enough good things about the trip. Jack G, Socratese and Antonio were fantastic guides. they went out of their way to make our experience the best it could possibly have been. Jack and i even did a rendition of Ernie Ford's 16 tons, though if truth be told we may have enjoyed it even more than our audience. Patti and I had a wonderful time. Didnt come for the food but it was outstanding. the Snorkeling was out of sight. My wife Patti has never been comfortable snorkeling but she found her groove in the galapagos. i'd do a Zegrahm expedition again without hesitation.

Trip: Ultimate Galapagos
First Name: tim
Last Name: malloy
City: burr ridge
State: ill

Sicilian Tiramisu

Zegrahm Office — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 17:00:00 +0000

During our 2011 visit to Sicily’s picturesque town of Monreale, travelers and leaders alike returned raving about the tiramisu that was served for dessert at a local restaurant. Expedition staff member, Susan Langley, told us, “I had always regarded tiramisu as over-rated because I never had a version that was what I expected, or was led to believe it could be, and this one was sublime.” We managed to track down the recipe from the restaurant and wanted to whet your appetite for this expedition. Enjoy!

Ingredients

28 Savoiardi (crisp Italian ladyfingers, 9 oz)

2 ¼ cup mascarpone cheese

¾ cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided

3 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

2 cups strong coffee (with a little sugar)

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Beat the eggs and the egg yolks with 7 tablespoons of sugar. Mash the mascarpone cheese and beat it with remaining 7 tablespoons of sugar. Mix the eggs with the mascarpone until soft and creamy. Place half of the ladyfingers into a serving dish; lightly soak them with the coffee and cover with half of the mascarpone mixture. Place the rest of the ladyfinger cookies upon the first layer, soak them with coffee and top with the rest of the mascarpone. Sprinkle with cocoa powder and place into the fridge for at least 6 hours before serving.

Bon appetit!

Greetings from Galapagos!

Zegrahm Office — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 19:12:00 +0000

Written by Jack Grove.

Greetings from Galapagos - the adventure has begun. All is well aboard the Isabela II, and we are all looking forward to the coming ten days in these enchanted islands. I hope to post photos and encourage guests to have their families open up the blog as well.

FAIR WINDS.

Puffins & Vikings Up Close in Ireland

Traveler Stories — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 14:44:00 +0000

Best moments - Coming face-to-face with a puffin while resting on a bench at an ancient Irish island monastery; closely studying Razor Bills displaying on their nests - no binoculars needed; exploring a Viking Cave with Colleen Batey.

Trip: Ireland & the British Isles
First Name: Jean
Last Name: Mielczarek
City: Fairfax,
State: Va

A Day in Selinunte

Traveler Stories — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 14:06:17 +0000

Stately Greek temples. Intricate Roman mosaics. Hot sulfurous lava. Cold Italian ices. A verdant green countryside dotted with yellow blossoms bursting from acacia trees. Spring in Sicily is the perfect time to sail its coastline and savor everything about it that delights the senses. Our Zegrahm voyage in 2011 gave us ten perfect days to explore this historic island.

On one of those spectacular, clear, blue-sky days, with cool breezes over the water and warm temperatures on land, we ventured out to Selinunte – the westernmost of the ancient Greek cities in Sicily. The Greeks arrived in Sicily more than two millennia ago, establishing Selinunte after crossing the Adriatic to the mainland of what is now southern Italy, and from there across Italy and the Strait of Messina to Sicily. The Greeks dominated the eastern part of Sicily but had only two major presences in the western portion – at Selinunte and at Agrigento.

The city of Selinunte occupied a stunning site on the coastal high ground with a commanding view of the sea. Originally, seven or eight Greek temples dominated the skyline. One temple has been partially restored from the remnants found there and it now stands in full height on a hill as it did in antiquity, with its resplendent Doric columns. Other temples have been left as they were found a few centuries ago, in large piles of fallen columns and stones, appearing as huge 3-dimensional puzzles awaiting the hand of a giant to reassemble them.

As we walked through the ruins of Selinunte we could see the layout of the main streets of the city, with perimeters of the houses laid out in stone. In the corner of one house rested a near-perfect terracotta bathtub; in another house, a simple mosaic of Phoenician origin still decorated the floor. There were shards of terracotta pottery everywhere under foot – remnants of pots and roof tiles. Selinunte is not as heavily visited by tourists as is Agrigento, and so it is less manicured. With enough money, time and expertise, the site could be studied and reconstructed from what remains. Surely it’s an archeologist's dream.

After scrambling among the ruins all morning, we were delighted to see a vendor at the base of the hill selling granita – Sicilian lemon ice – from his bicycle cart. It’s no surprise that granita originated in Sicily – lemon and citrus trees grow everywhere on the island. It was the most delicious lemon ice I've tasted in more than half a century – a refreshing treat in a fluted, white paper cup exactly like the lemon ice that my Uncle Sonny used to make and sell at his lemon ice stand in Jersey City – cold, tart and with the consistency of smooth, dense snow.

Other days brought us to equally fascinating sites – the quaint seaside village of Cefalù; the Hellenic temple at Segesta (with its unusual smooth columns); the temple complex at Agrigento; the Piazza Armerina with its fabulous Roman mosaic floors; the Stromboli and Etna volcanoes. My husband Irwin found Sicily to be one of the most interesting and varied places he’s photographed. And every day of our voyage not only brought new sights for him to capture with his camera but also revealed to us new insights into the history and culture – past and present – of this lovely island.

Trip: Circumnavigation of Sicily
First Name: Leigh
Last Name: Segel
City: Davis
State: California

A Trip Down Memory Lane--Traveler Tales from Turkey and Beyond

Traveler Stories — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:05:00 +0000

In 1960-61 we both seperately joined the Foreign Service/USAID and our first assignments were to Ankara, Turkey. In the spring of 1961 we became acquainted on a trip to Goreme/Cappadocia. As kismet would have it we fell in love and were married in Ankara in 5/62 and our two children were born there. Before departing in 4/65 we visited an antique store in Izmir and bought 3-4 pieces of "old pottery." Also we visited Bodrum and at a Turkish tea house we bought two amphorae that the local fisherman had brought up in their nets. We had two children so of course we had to buy two!! Their janitor's closet was full of amphorae. NOTE: in 1965 it was still "legal" to take these items out of Turkey and bring them in to the USA.

So in September 2009 to celebrate the upcoming 50th aniversary of our first trip to Turkey we joined Zegraham's Circumnaviation of the Black Sea cruise + the Cappadocia Post-voyage extension.

Off to Istanbul for a little sightseeing before boarding LeLevant on our voyage around the Black Sea. We lived in Turkey during the Cold War so the Black Sea was off limits to us as Diplomats. One thing we had heard then was that the U.S. had submarines based in Turkey. So on arrival at our first stop in Bartin our guides showed us where they were based. Our four Turkish guides were great and we enjoyed using our rusty, but basic Turkish with them.

Allan Langdale, one of the lecturers on board, was the specialist in Roman/Greek art. He so kindly joined us for dinner and looked at the photos of our pieces of pottery we purchased in 1965. After looking at one photo of a small black pot he immediately told us age, use and what culture it came from. Exactly what we had been told by a Smithsonian Museum expert!! At our stop in Histria, Romania he walked with us through the museum showing us pieces similar to what we owned.

After disembarking in Istanbul we flew to Ankara. A great lunch in the old city and then a tour of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. Hakkan, our guide, introduced us to his University professor who was the supervisor at the museum. She too gave us information about our pottery pieces.

In the afternoon we left the group to go on our own tour down Memory Lane. We hired a car and driver and revisited the apartments where we had lived almost 50 years before, our old USAID offices and the Italian Embassy chapel where we were married. In the evening we had dinner with our Best Man and his wife--still friends after 50 years.

The next morning we were off to Cappadocia with a stop first in Hattusha, the Hittite kingdom. In Goreme so many new caves had been discovered or opened to tourists. Downside--too many tourists. Kayseri was a historical and picturesque city. A visit to their small, but very interesting museum, was again led by Hakkan and he pointed our pieces similar to ours.

On returning to Istanbul we had our farewell lunch at the Hamdi restaurant near the Spice Bazaar. With help from our Turkish dictionary we were able to give a toast, in Turkish to thank Hakkan and Zegrahm for a wonderful, nostalgic, trip down memory lane. Again as Mastercard likes to say "the memories are priceless."

Trip: Circumnavigation of the Black Sea, 2009
First Name: Dick & Betty
Last Name: Podol
City: Reston,
State: VA

To the End of the World and Back

Traveler Stories — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 16:05:00 +0000

I told my husband there was no reason to worry about pirates. The Seychelles were too far away. We arrived at the ship to find it covered in razor wire and with 4 armed guards. We would travel at night at high speeds in blackout conditions to not attract attention. None of this mattered because we were very safe and we were going to an amazing world with sapphire blue seas and small jewels for islands. My husband managed to be on 3 more islands than myself since I refused to give up any snorkeling time. The abundance of fish and bird life was amazing. Before we had gotten off the ship we had broken past records and spotted over 400 species of fish. Drift snorkels out at Aldabra Atoll were probably among my favorite as well as our snorkels at Astove Atoll. They were so remote and the abundance and size of the fish were amazing. There were quite a few that were bigger than me! Than there were also the sea turtles and tortoises. The nature walks on Aride and Cousin Island were also highlights along with some first class beaches on La Digue and Praslin. This trip is not to be missed. I would go again in a instant!!!!

Trip: Ultimate Seychelles with Aldabra Atoll
First Name: Cathy
Last Name: Hahn
City: Indianapolis
State: IN

Seeing the Uganda Gorillas Up Close

Traveler Stories — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 18:30:00 +0000

Last June we joined Zegrahm for a return visit to Uganda--having lived there from 1986-1989. Since that time Dick had had two hip replacements and we knew he would NOT be able to join Betty on the trek through the hills and forests--this was their third visit to the mountain gorillas. BUT thanks to your guide, Larry Weiss, Dick was able to be carried down the steep mountain and then back up. Larry knew how much it meant for us to see the gorillas again and went out of his way to find a solution. 14 men alternated carrying Dick in the sedan chair. What a site!!! Then once down the mountain three men helped him to where the family of gorillas were located. The smiles on our faces after we returned to the top of the mountain were "priceless". Again thanks Larry.

Trip: Uganda: Primate Paradise II
First Name: Dick & Betty
Last Name: Podol
City: Reston
State: VA