OK, Now I'm Worried

Yesterday afternoon at Upton Park started well and then went downhill....fast. The first two home matches both ended in defeat (to Tottenham and Liverpool) but the performances were good and I felt we deserved at least a point against both.

Yesterday Fulham were the visitors. A side, like us, in the bottom 3 and on paper one that we ought to have beaten comfortably. We looked bright enough at the start, although I felt Hines didn't give the same level of performance that he had done against Liverpool. We did take the lead after 16 minutes after a Diamanti free kick from the right was header powerfully into the top corner at the near post by Carlton Cole.

While Andrew Johnson did show brief flashes of perhaps being able to get Fulham back into the game they offered little else. Then with 5 minutes to go before half time an off the ball incident resulted in a red card for Fulham's debutante midfielder Dikgacoi. Half time came and we looked at the table and tried to work out how high we'd move up with the win that was inevitable now.

As the players re-emerged for the second half Fulham replaced Johnson and it seemed any hope for them getting anything from the match was gone. Hmmmmmmm. Within a minute of the re-start Fulham got a penalty and were level. To me the challenge was a 50:50. Upson and Kamara tussled for the ball and both went down. Neither was at fault, but these things usually go in favour of the defender and when the ref whilstled I assumed that was what was happening. When he pointed to the spot I was gobsmacked. Seeing it on TV later I still can't see how it was a penalty.

OK, so back at parity but we still have the extra man against a side we were better than in a first half when they had 11. It'd be alright. No it bloody wouldn't! 10 minutes later Green came for a corner and didn't get there leaving Gera a fairly simple tap in. Disaster.

We then looked a bit devoid of ideas and urgency. There was little creativity and the spectre of relegation (yes, even in October) was very real, and hovvering over us. This just wasn't good enough. The players we have are capable of so much more, but they must start showing it. And soon.

In injury time we got lucky. Finally when we got a shot away we got something. Stanislas's drive was deflected past the helpless Schwarzer saving us a point with a 2-2 draw that we really didn't deserve. Even so, 1 point from 9 at home is nowhere near good enough and leaves us in the relegation zone (albeit with a big pack within a win from us).

The fixtures coming up look daunting. The next 6 visitors to Upton Park are Arsenal, Aston Villa, Everton, Burnley, Man Utd then Chelsea. It wouldn't be a surprise of we only picked up another 4 or 5 points from that lot. We are gonna need one hell of a run in at home to repair the damage that could get done in the next couple of months.

The one thing might be that we do tend to raise our game against the bigger teams when they come calling. We need to!

Competition Time

Yesterday was our archery club's final outdoor shoot of the season. To finish the season off it was a barebow (no sight allowed) competition shooting a Portsmouth round (5 dozen arrows over 20 yards with a 60cm target face).

Yet more firsts for me - first Portsmouth, first barebow attempt and first club competition. Also a first for Henry who joined in and shot his first 'proper' round.

I was advised beforehand that instead of pulling the bowstring back to a point under the chin I should draw it to my cheek so that I could look along the arrow to aim. A couple of misses with my sighters showed me how different, and hard, this was going to be.

Then we got underway and every one of the first dozen scored, which was pleasing, and there was even a nine in amongst my score 54. My second dozen was slightly better (55) and included a 10, but also a couple of misses. The final three dozen were better still (64, 73 & 68) and included three more 10s and only the one more miss. My final score then was 314 (with 57 hits out of 60). This placed me second of 4 on my target, but I have no idea how the scores were on the others - much better I suspect.

Henry didn't fare so well. He struggled a lot with drawing to his cheek and after the first two dozen (with no hits) reverted to his usual draw and was rewarded with two scoring arrows in the next set of 3. The smaller target face and no sight made it much harder than he was used to, but he enjoyed himself which is the main thing.

Afterwards we decided to stick around for a bit to practice. Another club member offered me his flatbow to try (45lb to pull compared to the 28lb I'm currently using on the recurve). Obviously there were a good number of misses in the dozen arrows I shot, but also a 10 amongst them!

Adding the sight back to the recurve to practice in preparation for the indoor season took a bit of getting used to. The mornings habit of drawing to the cheek was hard to shake, but after half a dozen completely useless arrows I managed to shoot a dozen that were reasonably well grouped, leaving me looking forward to the indoor season. It had been a glorious morning weatherwise, and a great finish to the outdoor season, even though for us it only started a couple of months ago.

Going for Gold

Back in the summer, at the local carnival, Henry and I had a go at Archery. It was a stand that Henry kept wanting to go back to, and the members of the club running it were quite impressed with him, for a 7 year old.

As he had enjoyed himself so much I thought I'd look for a club that we could go to. Due to the nature of the sport, and it's potential for danger if you don't know safety procedures, etc. you have to do a 'beginner's course' before you can join a club. To cut a long story short this is an 8 hour course (usually over a period of weeks) where you are taught the basics of both safety and technique.

It is quite difficult to find a club that will start anyone under 9 years old, so although there are clubs nearer to home we ended up having to travel about 40 minutes to find one that would allow Henry to take part. Anyone wishing to take up the sport in the UK should look at the GNAS website to find an affiliated club.

We did our beginners course throughout August and joined our chosen club 3 weeks ago on completing the course. We have been to club shoots on each of the three weekends since we joined, although only practicing at shorter distances to those shooting recognised rounds. We are both using club equipment and will continue to do so for a while yet, although I have to say I'm itching to get my own!

Anyway, on Sunday morning there was a good turnout of around 20 or so. Whilst I asked for a boss (a target for the uninitiated) to be set out at 20 yards for Henry to shoot at, I felt that with so many there I should join in and shoot my first proper round rather than ask for another boss to be set out for me to practice on.

As I said I'm using a club bow, which comprises of a wooden Samick handle and Samick Polaris limbs which are 28lb to pull the bowstring back. Also I'd never shot more than 40 yards before (and only then for a couple of hours). Oh, well. "In for a penny...." I thought and decided to shoot a Short National round (4 dozen arrows at 50 yards followed by 2 dozen at 40 yards). I was pleased to be hitting the boss with my sighters and when one of them landed in the gold (the centre of the target face), I thought perhaps it wouldn't be as hard as I thought to hit a reasonable (yes I know that's relative) score at 50 yards.

Being my first 'proper' club shoot and my first time (other than the beginners course) sharing a boss I didn't think to keep my own score for reference, but wish now I had. I do know, though, that my final score was 356 and was the highest on my boss, which I shared with two other newcomers and someone shooting longbow after not shooting for some time. At 50 yards I hit a handful of golds (about 4 I think, worth 9 points each), although also as many whites (1 point)! I hit more 5s (the blue ring) than anything and the fact that my average score per arrow was 5 suggests that I hit as many blacks (3 points) as reds (7 points), but I don't remember it that way! I guess it's the same as cricket in that you remember the good shots.

I was disappointed when the distance dropped to 40 yards not to hit any more golds, but I did have quite a lot of near misses which landed in the red at 12 o'clock. My grouping was also much better at the shorter distance, but then again I suppose it should be! I was pleased that I only missed with 2 arrows (both at 50 yards). Those came when a more experienced archer gave me some tips about my release which, when I tried to put into practice in the next end (set of 6 arrows), resulted in the misses. But still I'd rather be doing it right early and getting better from there.

Archery is similar to golf in that it is essentially an individual sport where you try to improve your own ability. Competition against others can be 'levelled' by a handicap system (like golf again). I suppose most club members would regard 356 (equating to a handicap of 62) as a poor score, but we all have to start somewhere, and it gives me a benchmark from which to measure myself in the future.

As the outdoor season draws to a close I'll probably run out of time to get a handicap for this year (you have to shoot three recognised rounds), but I hope that having the whole indoor season ahead I can attain a half decent handicap by the end of that. I aim to build up my poundage (the weight of bowstring I can pull back comfortably) on club kit over the next month or two before getting some of my own. By then I hope to have a reasonable idea of what will/might suit me, as well as giving me time to learn what some of the things I've seen in catalogues actually do!

West Ham 'Aggro

I suppose my opening statement should be that I don't condone the events at Upton Park last night. It's sad that I have to point that out, but I feel much of this post will go against what is appearing in much of the media and could therefore be taken a support of those involved. Make no mistake, it isn't.

I should say that I am a West Ham season ticket holder, so my views may well be a little biased, but I will try to put that aside. This is my 12th season as a season ticket holder and while I don't know the exact figure, I have attended around 300 matches. I am not therefore a casual observer, or occasional supporter. I know what it's all about and have been to matches between West Ham and Millwall on a number of occasions, even back to the old Den.

Geographically the two nearest clubs to Upton Park are Tottenham and Millwall. By pure chance the first two home matches of this season have been Tottenham and Millwall. What that does mean is a comparison can be made. On Sunday we hosted Spurs, and whilst we really don't like them, and they are the team to beat each season what happened last night just wouldn't arise against them.

Why not? Well for a start the Spurs fans are generally amongst the quieter and more reserved to visit. They are more akin to a theatre audience than a football crowd so the confrontational element just isn't there. It's like having an argument with someone who doesn't argue back, it can't escalate.

On the other hand you have Millwall. A club who's only chant is "no-one likes us...". I wonder why. Their fans always try to be confrontational. Now Millwall are a small club, there is no getting away from that. In their history they have spent 2 seasons in the top flight and reached 1 cup final. There are even smaller clubs, sure, but Millwall are pretty insignificant to many people. The only way they could ever be regarded as a 'big' team was in the hooligan stakes in the 70s and 80s. As this is their only 'claim to fame' they try to live up to it.

It strikes me that recent lapses in behaviour at football have tended to involve Millwall (think Birmingham and Hull for two such), when playing other teams which had a well established 'firm' or hooligan element in the past. West Ham 'fans' were far from innocent in those dark days, with their own ICF being feared countrywide. Add this to a local rivalry and you can imagine the tinderbox waiting to be lit last night.

All matches that I have been to involving West Ham and Millwall have been league encounters. The kick offs have always been moved to a time before pubs open. Alcohol certainly has it's part to play. An evening kick off was bound to add complications to the security, but (excluding the final) this competition is played exclusively in the evening and the crammed fixture lists just do not allow for this game being switched to a weekend morning.

I can't (or won't) pass an opinion on what happened outside the ground as I saw nothing untoward there. That's not being blinkered, just not wanting to rely on hearsay as many are doing this morning.

Inside the Millwall fans were in the lower tier of the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand. Sensibly West Ham left the upper tier empty. Perhaps with hindsight more of the West Stand lower tier should have been left empty too to give more of an exclusion zone. Not so sensible was that fact that tickets were on sale until 5pm yesterday. I know it's not quite the same as paying on the gate, but it's a bit too close to kick off in my opinion.

Millwall fans were vociferous. West Ham fans were vociferous. Chants were exchanged. The atmosphere was building, but there was an underlying feeling of hatred that just doesn't exist for any other match. Nothing new though.

The first sign of any trouble was Millwall fans throwing bottles onto the pitch, and fighting with stewards and police at the front. Millwall scored, and their fans were goading their West Ham counterparts. The underlying hatred was increasing. Now a scuffle started at the front of the West Ham section in the West Stand lower. It seemed that the verbal duelling now wasn't enough and the crowd wanted to get at each other physically.

While this is all unsavoury, and we do not want to see it, it does happen occasionally and it was dealt with fairly well by those in authority. The two sets of fans never came together inside the stadium. Millwall's lead in the match enabled their supporters to continue their incitement. When West Ham finally equalised with 3 minutes to play relief outpoured.

I believe the stewards were taken a bit by surprise, as those who now came onto the pitch did so from all sides. This was not, in my opinion, an attempt to storm the Millwall section and riot. It was a combination of celebration, relief, and a will to get back at the Lions fans for their taunting. I'm not defending it, and those who did it will know they face life bans. It's the way things are, and they can have no excuse when they are identified and punished.

As a West Ham fan though it was embarrassing that our supporters were causing the problem. It lowered us to their level, and I'm sure the club will face some penalty for it.

As the players prepared on the pitch for extra time we got news of the stabbing outside, as police vans screamed up and down Priory Road. Our seats, in the centre of the upper tier of the West Stand were probably the safest place to be in the entire area, but the fact that we would have to go past the end of Priory Road to get home, and that Millwall's fans would have to come down that same street caused some worry for after the match. Not so much for me, but for the two kids I was responsible for.

Soon into extra time West Ham got a penalty, which we scored, and this sadly led to another pitch invasion. More this time spilled onto the playing surface. Again it was an embarrassment, and most fans in their seats were chanting 'off, off, off' to those encroaching.

The game was delayed for a couple of minutes while the pitch was cleared, and when it got underway again West Ham scored a third quickly afterwards. Celebrations this time were much more controlled. The opposition fans were deflated and the game was won.

We left the stadium 5 minutes from the end to ensure we could pass Priory Road before the Millwall fans. Although there were many more police around now than earlier, again we saw no violence.

What went on was indefensible, and the individuals concerned will, I'm sure, be identified and punished. I sincerely hope that the rest of us are not. 'Fans' of both clubs are to blame. Millwall incited and West Ham reacted. I haven't seen or heard any mention of the racist abuse given by Millwall fans to Carlton Cole though. Good for him to give them the w**ker sign, but I bet he gets fined for it.

The kids (aged 7 and 13) that I took to the game will remember it forever. It has not, though, stopped them wanting to attend in the future. In fact the difference to the sanitised atmosphere for many Premier League matches was (unnecessary elements excluded) a welcome change. And I do not believe, as many on BBC radio were saying last night, that I am naive for taking kids to this fixture.

Yes, there is more chance of trouble at a game between these two teams than many. But on the whole you have to want to be involved to actually be involved. If you want to avoid trouble you usually can. Football in general, and West Ham in particular, are safe to go to. Safe to take kids to. And I for one will ignore the media hype and comments from those who have never been to a football match with their sweeping generalisations and continue to take my two boys.

For the record West Ham won the football match 3-1 after extra time. The action can be seen here.

Come on you Irons!

All At Sea

Having not blogged for a while I thought it was about time to write something else, but when I try to come up with something I find my mind goes blank.

So, ..….hmmm……, OK, well, ……

Right, so what do the British talk about most? Ah yes, the weather. What do many British people enjoy? How about a trip to the seaside. How is our nation’s history typically defined? As a nation of seafarers perhaps.

So then the ideal subject matter would seem to be the shipping forecast. The shipping forecast is something that perhaps escapes the attention of many, despite it’s regular broadcast, but is essential to those who use it. As a cricket fan it is something I have been aware of for many years as it always interrupts Test Match Special at six minutes to six on Radio 4 long wave.

The BBC broadcasts the shipping forecast four times every day on Radio 4. For those who are interested you can hear it at 0048, 0535, 1201 and 1754. The seas around Britain (and a little further afield) are divided into 31 regions which all have their own forecast.

The forecast begins with a general synopsis and then the regions are always broadcast in the same order, in a clockwise fashion, although if forecasts are the same in consecutive regions they will be grouped. For each region there are four elements to the forecast: wind, seas state, weather and visibility.

So, for example, today’s forecast (from 1130) would include: Dogger. Southerly or southeasterly, veering southwesterly later, 5 to 7. Slight or moderate, occasionally rough later. Occasional rain. Moderate or poor.

For completeness sake, and for those who think it might come up in a pub quiz, the 31 regions (in order) are: Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth, Biscay, Trafalgar, FitzRoy, Sole, Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea, Shannon, Rockall, Malin, Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle, Faeroes, South-east Iceland.

There is an excellent book by Charlie Connolly in which he takes a trip around the regions. The first chapter or two explain the traditions and history of the forecast itself before then becoming a travelogue of places within each area. For those interested it can be picked up quite cheaply now, and it is called Attention All Shipping. Oh, and his book Stamping Grounds is a good read too.

There we go, don’t try too hard, just search your national psyche and a post will appear!

Whale Watching

We have just returned from a week spent in Tarifa in Andalucia on the southern tip of Spain watching whales and dolphins. I thought I'd write a summary of the trip which may be useful for anyone else planning on a similar holiday.

Having seen an advert in the WDCS magazine we rang up and got a brochure from Out of the Blue and liked the sound of their trip to Spain as it offered a variety of species as well as being reasonably affordable.

At Out of the Blue we dealt with Leanne Batty who was very helpful in organising things and keeping us up to date. We learned that the trip would be based in Tarifa with accommodation at the Hotel 100% Fun and using the local whale watching company Turmares. Tarifa is about 2 hours drive from Malaga airport.

When flying we were booked onto British Airways flights from Gatwick. I would strongly recommed checking-in online. Our flight went at 8.10am and online check-in opens 24 hours before. I logged on on the night before when I got home from work and there were only about 6 seats left on the plane, but luckily two of these were together. There is an internet cafe in Tarifa where you can do the same for the return journey if you don't have your own laptop or netbook.

After the booking was made we were sent an itinerary and a suggested kit list. The kit list was very comprehensive, but we found that following it left us a bit short of clothing in some areas but with too much of others. We took some smart clothes and shoes, anticipating wearing them for dinner with the group, but didn’t need them. We dressed in typical holiday clothing of T-shirt, shorts and flip flops mostly.

It was recommended that we took long sleeve shirts for the boat along with waterproof jackets and trousers. Whilst some in the group swore by long sleeve shirts we wore only T-shirts or sleeveless shirts whilst at sea. The first day at sea, when the local wind Levanté was picking up, we did both put on a waterproof jacket later in the trip, but this was for it's windproof qualities as it had become a bit chilly when the boat was travelling. Neither of us once wore waterproof trousers, and I don't think anyone else on the trip did either.

Turmares did supply (bright yellow) waterproof jackets, but other than that first day they were not needed. I wore shorts each day (of the swimming variety which would dry quickly and not matter about sea water) as did our guide Pierre and one of the other passengers. Fran wore either shorts or three-quarter length trousers. Others in the group wore walking/outdoor trousers which would protect from the sun whilst being lightweight.

For footwear one person wore sandals, but the majority went for either trainers or walking boots of the low variety which are very akin to trainers. I wore some Karrimor trainer/walking boots that I bought for the trip, along with black trainer socks, which were ideal.

A fleece and trousers were on the suggested list for wearing in the evenings when it gets cool. This trip is timed specifically for when the Orcas are expected in the Straight of Gibraltar so would only be undertaken at this time of year. We never found trousers necessary and Fran only put on a warmer top when I had the air conditioning too cold for her. We didn't need a fleece/top in the evening, but I suppose putting one lightweight one in would be prudent.

As we didn't wear any long sleeve shirts on the trip we had all those we took clean at the end. This meant that we did run a bit short of T-shirts though, as this is what we tended to wear. In fact we were often wearing two in a day - one on the boat and then a clean one after showering when getting back to the hotel. By the end of the week the one worn in the evening was then sometimes worn the next day on the boat, and I even bought some more while there.

A hat is needed to shield your head from the sun. We both wore baseball style caps which were satisfactory if they fitted snugly, but when the boat was travelling at it's top speed of 27 knots felt as if it might come off. A hat with a neckstrap would do an excellent job. Sunglasses are necessary to protect from both direct sunlight and also from reflections off of the water.

Sun screen is vital. We used factor 30 which gave adequate protection, although we also used factor 15 later in the day when the sun was slightly weaker. Personally I hate having it on my hands so applied it once daily before leaving the hotel and then washed my hands. More ideally you can get sprays which apply in a mist and don't need rubbing in which would be good for a top up (except on the face).

Another item specified on the kit list is a water bottle. Again this is not necessary in my opinion. There is a café a couple of doors down from Turmares where you can get a 0.5 litre bottle (or more) of cold water. Bear in mind that there is no toilet on the Rainbow so drinking lots is not the best course of action, even though you do need to keep yourself hydrated. There are toilets on the bigger boats, and also refreshments available to buy.

The Rainbow is a small boat (only 23ft) and so has a low centre of gravity. We didn't get seasick at all on it. The bigger boats (should you have to use them) do roll about more and could lead to sea-sickness. We had some Boots own brand travel sickness pills that could be taken 20 minutes before travel. We did use them some days, but not others. We also took a Boots small personal first aid kit, which fortunately remained unused.

A small rucksack or bag is useful on the boat, although we found that we weren't putting much in it by the end of the week. The Rainbow has a small locker which bags can be put in and kept dry but doesn't make for easy access if everyone does so. At the front of the boat leaving a bag on the floor it will get wet, although spray at the front is minimal. If you happen to be at the back a bag on the floor behind the captain's seat will stay dry.

When on the boat, for balance, 8 passengers are split with six at the front and two at the back. The ride is probably a bit smoother in the back, although seats are not padded here. At the back you can also freely stand up to stretch your legs. When cetaceans are sighted and nearby the boat moves only very slowly and moving about and standing up is fine. With 8 plus Pierre and the captain the boat didn't seem crowded. The week after us only 3 were booked so it would be even less so.

Pierre often used his binoculars when searching for the blow of a Sperm whale or generally looking for cetaceans. I had a pair of cheap lightweight binoculars (8x21) that I tried on the first morning and then didn't use again. If you have a decent pair they can be useful but otherwise don't bother. If birdwatching is your thing then you'll probably have a half decent pair that are worth packing. When our group went birdwatching we communally used Pierre's Swarovski binoculars and scope.

While on the subject of optics I'll cover camera requirements. This is a personal thing and will vary depending on your budget and interest in photography. In our group two people were purely interested in the experience and didn't take any photos, two had compact cameras, one had a video camera and Pentax still camera (not sure what type) and three had DSLRs.

If all you are after is a memory then a compact will be OK, but those with one hardly took any photos on our trip. I had a Canon Powershot G10 in my pocket and used it only briefly 3 times in the week, each time for video. For the vast majority of the time I used a Canon EOS 40D coupled with a 100-400mm zoom lens. Changing lenses on the boat would be difficult and slow (bearing in mind water flying and sloshing about) so a zoom lens is vital.

Speaking as a Canon user, the 100-400mm would be the best pick, although a 70-200mm may get some shots. Bear in mind that the boat is rocking all the time (even on a calm sea) so at the long end of the zoom it can be difficult to keep your subject in view. Anticipation is half the battle with this type of subject so a long zoom gives you less scope for error in guessing where your subject will appear.

For (Canon) settings I used Av mode with the aperture set to f6.3 (and sometimes f7.1) and the ISO varied but probably around 200 mostly (occasionally as high as 400 or as low as 100). Focus point was set to centre point only. Pierre used a 1D MkII N (and 100-400) and had similar settings, which I took some comfort in.

An OpTech rain sleeve can be useful, and cheap, if using an SLR. Towards the end of the week I was carrying only my camera and a sleeve fitted (with spare battery and memory card in a small plastic bag in my pocket). In practice there is little or no spray when the boat is 'watching' rather than travelling so I simply slipped the sleeve on and off when moving rather than fit it properly and shoot with it on.

One last item suggested on the kit list is a diary or journal. I was not really intending to keep one, but found myself doing so. So much is packed into the days that I found the best way to remember was to write up each day at the end of that day. I took a Toshiba NB100 netbook with me, primarily as storage and backup for photos, but used it to type up my daily report. This was our first holiday together without any children (except weekends) so I was hoping to keep the children updated with what we were doing.

I transferred my photos to the netbook every day and typed up a report into MS Word. The hotel had a WIFI connection in the (outside) bar area, so having prepared everything beforehand I went over to the bar each night to copy and paste my report and selected photos with a web connection.

While on the subject of the hotel, we found it perfectly adequate. Our room (number 15) had no windows (other than the bathroom) and the shuttered doors opened to the pool area. The room was air conditioned and had a TV (which never once got turned on). The ensuite bathroom had a wash basin, toilet and bath (with shower). There was a small cloakroom type area and built in stone wardrobe/shelf area. I would happily have the same room again (although I didn't see any other to compare it to).

There is a shop at the hotel (selling mainly clothes, and quite expensive ones too) along with a restaurant and bar. The bar is an open construction with a square bar area covered by a thatched type roof. There are numerous tables, chairs, soft seating and four poster beds around the garden. Drinks are priced at €2 for a beer (0.5 litre) and €6 for a cocktail (the Mojitos are great).

The restaurant opens at 8pm for dinner and is not unreasonably priced and portions are of a decent size. Apparently many restaurants in Spain are closed on Mondays and so too was this one, so make sure you have food to eat or plan to eat out if you are around on Monday evening. Breakfast is served in the restaurant from 8am (until 10am I think) and is a buffet style. Choices include bread (and croissants), fruit, cereal, yoghurt and to drink fruit juice, water and coffee.

Although I have been on a couple of dolphin watching trips in Scotland before, these were single trips and not a week, so this was my first experience. Out of the Blue have an itinerary that includes 5 days at sea (not full days but 4-5 hours). Two days are spent travelling and there is one 'day off' during the week.

This itinerary is extremely flexible, and looking back bore little resemblance to our week. This is not a bad thing, rather the opposite in fact. Having said that though, all items on the itinerary were covered to some degree. When in Tarifa local wind conditions can dictate the best times to be on the water and the local guide tried to ensure we got the best of what nature offered us.

For example, having arrived on Friday we were on the seas early (before breakfast) on Saturday but then not at all on Sunday. Fortunately the weather did then allow us to go out every day after that, but if there was another bad day we could have gone out in both the morning and afternoon of another day to compensate.

Fran and I decided (as we were so near) that on the 'day off' we would like to go on the ferry to Morocco. We did so (leaving early before the others were up for breakfast) while the rest of the group had the 'rest day' activity of visiting Cape Trafalgar and Vejer de la Frontera. If you don't want to do something as a group you will be accommodated as far as possible.

We did spend an interesting afternoon doing some birdwatching (vultures and bee-eaters) up in the cliffs above Bolonia, before visiting the Roman ruins of Baelo Claudia next to the beach there. The location was different to the birdwatching listed in the itinerary but it fitted in well.

The local guide for this trip is Dr Pierre Gallego. Pierre is a doctor of vetinerary medicine and spends six months of the year studying Orcas and other cetaceans in the Straight of Gibraltar. The remainder of the year he spends in Luxembourg (where he was born) and Brussels writing up scientific papers. He is the Scientific Advisor and Alternate Commissioner for Luxembourg at the IWC.

The British are, in my experience, lazy when it comes to languages as many people speak our own tongue. For the vast majority of the trip we didn't need to use any Spanish as Pierre speaks English and Spanish, as well as German, French and Luxembourgish. A phrase book would be useful though and we did come home having learned a little Spanish.

Pierre was very helpful and did his level best to make sure that everyone did what they wanted to do, whilst trying to keep the group as a whole happy. His priority was to keep us at sea as much as possible, which was after all the reason we were all there. I have no experience of other similar trips and guides, but would say he was excellent.

He has an obvious enthusiasm and knowledge for cetaceans which makes for a good guide, but he also knows the town and area very well having spent so much time there. It was a standing joke amongst the group that wherever we were, and at whatever time, Pierre always knew a good restaurant. At one point I told him that he should write the Tarifa Good Food Guide. Joking aside, we all got more out of our holiday from his knowledge of the local area than we would have done on our own.

From the itinerary we had expected to spend a lot of time on our own, rather than as a group. We did get a fair amount of time on our own, but spent a lot of time as a group too. Most evenings we all went to a restaurant together to eat. I think there were only two evenings out of seven that we ate alone. If you wanted to eat alone (or not at all) you could, there was no pressure, but it was nice to eat as a group on the whole. In fact one lunchtime we were free to do our own thing but five of us ate together anyway.

Eating out does cost money though. Fran and I took €400 between us, and then I took out another €100 on my Visa card while we were there. We spent little money on anything other than food and drinks during our stay. Presents and our trip on the ferry were paid for with plastic so cash was almost entirely spent on subsistence.

In summary then, we had a fantastic week with really nothing to complain about. The organisation was all done for us (flights arranged so that all could be picked up together, then dropped off so that the next weeks people could be picked up at the same time) and the local guide was both friendly and first class. The captain knew the sea and boat, and what conditions we could remain at sea in, so that we got the best from our stay.

What cannot be guaranteed is the spotting of wildlife. Despite being narrow the Straight of Gibraltar is still big and cetaceans can hide very well in it. During our five days on the sea we saw Bottlenose dolphins every single day, Striped dolphins on three days, Common dolphins on two and then Orcas and Pilot whales once each (on separate days). Of the seven species around at the time we saw five (missing out on Sperm and Fin whales), although to see more of the Orcas would have been great.

The local knowledge of Pierre and the Captain do ensure that you have the best chance possible of seeing something. Having said that an email from Pierre on Sunday night said that disappointingly they had spent 3 hours on the Rainbow that day and seen nothing.

I always wanted to take a trip to Vancouver, and while there try and see the Killer Whales as part of the experience. This trip was a chance to try and see them at a much reduced cost, as well as always having wanted to take Fran to see them. I still do want to go to Vancouver, but I would no longer see Tarifa as a cheaper alternative. It is simply an alternative. Would I repeat this trip? Yes, definately.

For a more detailed report of each of our days you can read the following:

Andalucian Arrival (Day 1 - 24.7.2009)

Between the Pillars of Hercules (Day 2 - 25.7.2009)

African Experience (Day 3 - 26.7.2009)

Orcas (Day 4 - 27.7.2009)

Coping with the Levanté (Day 5 - 28.7.2009)

Another New Species (Day 6 - 29.7.2009)

The Last Day (Day 7 - 30.7.2009)

Homeward Bound (Day 8 - 31.7.2009)

Homeward Bound - Day 8

Day 8 was our final day and does not have much to tell. Our alarms were set for 7am and being tired we didn’t get up until twenty to 8 so we didn’t have time for a final swim before breakfast. We were the first into breakfast and had our usual fayre of croissants, bread and fruit.

During breakfast we decided to have a whip round for Pierre who had been a great guide. I was nominated to be the spokesman to give it to him at the airport. When we got back to our room I counted €105. I took a few photos of the hotel before going back to our room to brush our teeth and finishing the last bits of packing.

Just before 10am I took the room key back and we met the others at the entrance to the car park where Pierre was waiting. We loaded our gear and began the two hour drive back to Malaga airport. The journey was uneventful and we arrived, as expected, at 12 noon. Pierre parked the van and we took the lift up to the terminal.

Gabriele was the first one to be flying, at 2.30, so before we split up I had to hand over the money we had collected. I had been thinking about what I could say on the journey and so had a fair idea when it came to saying it.

I told Pierre that we had all had a great time and that seeing the Orca on Monday was wonderful and more than made up for the problems with the boat yesterday and the weather earlier in the week. I then said that his enthusiasm and knowledge of the animals had made the trip doubly enjoyable, and that we had noticed yesterday the other Turmares staff all in the cabin when the long trip looked like being fruitless, but he was on the roof with his binoculars looking out for things, and that his enthusiasm rubbed off on others and made the trip better for it.

I went on that his knowledge of the town and area had enabled us to get more from our holiday than any of us would have without him. His willingness to make sure everyone was happy and (as far as possible) could do what they wanted was great and most importantly he tried to make sure we had as much time at sea as possible.

I told him that we had had a collection and that he could maybe put it towards a new lens. I also said that I was sure he knew a good restaurant where he could spend it (he always knew a good restaurant wherever we were) or maybe even blow it all on mojitos. I said he should have a mojito when he got back to the hotel with his next group and remember us.

Gabriele then went for her flight and the rest of us began our five hour wait for our plane. Poor Silvia had even longer to wait for her flight to Madrid and then connecting flight home to Frankfurt. We had a bit of food, did a little shopping and then eventually boarded the plane home, which is where I am writing this up until this point. We are due back a little early, at 6.30 BST.

The plane landed as expected at 6.30 and we said goodbye to Mike and Gill as they went off for their connecting flight to Manchester. Our bags were through quickly and we said our last goodbye, to David, and caught the bus back to the car. Roadworks on the M25 caused a delay and we finally got to Nanna and Grandpa’s to pick up Henry at about twenty past nine.

We left about an hour later and stopped in town for some KFC before eventually getting home at about 11pm, thirteen hours after leaving the 100% Fun. I sent a text to Pierre telling him we were home and thanking him again for the week. Despite being after midnight he replied with the following text. “Thanks very much for your mssage.it was very nice having you here!hope 2 see you soon again.we’ll keep you posted on what we see this week!cheers pierre & sara”.

And so a fabulous week came to an end.

The Last Day - Day 7

Day 7 has been a very long day, and also a frustrating day, but still good nonetheless. We got up for breakfast as planned and left the hotel for Tarifa to catch the boat at 10am with the intention of being out on the water for four or five hours.

Before setting off on our final voyage the above photo was taken. It shows Pierre, David, Fran, Me, Mike, Silvia, Gill, Gabriele and Sara.

We left harbour and headed towards the place where we first found the killer whales on Monday. Very soon we come upon a group of Bottlenose dolphins. These were not residents, but passing through from further east to the Atlantic to feed. We didn’t stay long with them as we wanted to try and find Orca on our final day.

As we continued west it became clear that there was a problem with the boat. It kept losing power when the captain tried to accelerate. The captain thought it was a fuel filter that was the problem so we went back to port to get the boat repaired after only an hour at sea.

We arranged to meet up at ten to 12 at the Turmares (the whale watching company) office to find out how long it would take to fix, and if it wasn’t fixable to go on the Jackelin again which sailed at 12. When we met we found out that the part had arrived, but that the mechanic was going out on the Jackelin so couldn’t do the repairs. We then arranged to meet again at 1pm while another mechanic was found. What made it even more frustrating was that Orcas had been seen in the Straight.

When we reconvened again we discovered that the boat actually needed two filters and only one had been brought, plus the mechanic that had been found was inexperienced and didn’t know how to fix the problem. We were given the option of going out on Turmares’s third (middle sized boat), the Dolphin Safari. This would be a two hour trip(from 1 til 3) and there was then a possibility of going back on the Rainbow before it was booked out again by another group at 5.

We boarded the Dolphin Safari, having been briefed by Pierre on the best places to stand, and hoped for the best. The boat didn’t leave port until 1.30 and due to the lack of sightings (they offer money back or a free trip if nothing is seen) we stayed out a long while, before eventually seeing a group of Striped dolphins just before heading back to Tarifa. We did also see an Ocean Sunfish jump out of the sea in front of the boat a couple of times, which is apparently very rare.

By the time we got back to port it was 4pm and we were a bit dejected that that would be it, and it was a disappointing end after such a good week. Then we were given the surprise news that the Rainbow booking had been cancelled and that we could go out on it for a couple of hours. It had been a long day and Gabriele decided she would rather go back to the hotel, so took a taxi while the rest of us set out onto the sea again at 5pm, 7 hours after we had initially done so.

We immediately headed west and after a while found a group of Moroccan fisherman, but sadly they had seen nothing, and once again were not going to start fishing until later. So as time was short we turned and went east and then saw some Striped dolphins with a few Common dolphins coming towards us. We followed alongside and watched for a while before heading off again.

A little later we found some Bottlenose dolphins swimming west and watched them briefly. They were not resident, but another group passing through as Pierre did not recognise any of their dorsal fins. The Bottlenose dolphins turned out to be both our first and last sightings of the week as we had to reluctantly head back to Tarifa for the final time.

We drove back to the hotel and had a swim before showering and going over to the bar for a drink before dinner. We then went in to eat with the others for the last time. We ate our meal and were given a free drink by the hotel staff afterwards which was a very strong drink that tasted like Lemsip and vodka.

After dinner we went over to the bar and had a last cocktail together. Fran had her large Bacardi and Sprite while I had one of Pierre’s favourite Mojitos. Then it was back to the room to pack and type this before falling asleep at about 1am.

Another New Species - Day 6

Day 6 was a bit different from the others as we didn’t go out on the boat first thing. The forecast was for the Levanté to keep blowing for a while and die down later on, so the boat was booked from 4pm for four or five hours.

We had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, but when we went back to our room we had a bit of drama. When I opened the bathroom window a snake reared up on the windowsill. I shut the window quickly, but caught it’s tail in the window. Every time I tried to open the window to flick out the tail it reared up again. We did eventually manage to get it free without it getting inside and it slithered off down the passageway. We were then picked up at 11am and headed into Tarifa. Fran and I had planned to spend the morning in town before meeting the others just before 4 for the trip.

The first thing we did was go to the castle and had a look around and a climb on the ramparts. Much of the tower was built by Guzman el Bueno who had a son captured during one war against the muslims. The muslims told him that they would kill his son if he didn’t surrender the keys to the castle (and city), so he apparently threw down his knife and said (in Spanish I suspect) “go on then”...so they did, by slitting his throat with the knife that had been thrown down. He still refused to surrender and so to the towns people he was a hero.

After the castle (where my bag split and I bounced my 40D and 100-400 lens on the concrete) we spent the rest of the morning shopping and getting presents for people. Then when the shops started to close at 2pm we went for lunch. We both decided to have pasta at the El Torreon restaurant which was quite nice, and then had an ice cream before heading down to meet the others.

We left harbour at quarter past 4 and just 25 minutes after heading east we found a large group of Striped dolphins. They were feeding amongst the fishing boats, but we couldn’t get that close because of the fishing lines from the back, but some of them came to see us. There were a number of them swimming around the boat, along with a few Common dolphins, another new species for us.

We bobbed around in the water watching the group for about 20-25 minutes before heading off to see if we could find any sign of the Sperm whale that had been seen in the area. There was no sign of it, even though the water was flat calm and we could see a long way, so we went to look for Orca. We travelled west for just over an hour before seeing anything, and then saw some Bottlenose dolphins. We watched them for 10-15 minutes before taking up the hunt for Orca again.

We continued west and sailed amongst the Moroccan fishermen again. They had not seen any Orca, only Swordfish but there were no Pilot whales about so we were still hopeful. The problem was that the fishermen were in position, and were ready to cast their driftnets, but were waiting for dark so there was no activity.

We headed back east for another search for the Sperm whale, but again there was no sign of it although we did see some jumping Sardines on the way. It was now 10 past 8 and as we struck out for home we came upon the Striped and Common dolphins again. They were jumping all around us. We were surrounded and wherever we looked there were leaping dolphins, almost as far as the eye could see. It was an incredible sight.

After watching them for 15 minutes we had to make port, so reluctantly left them to their fun and headed back. When we returned we walked to the beach to watch the sun go down then had dinner. After that we headed back to the hotel, stopping briefly at the beach across the road to look for shooting stars and bioluminescants in the sea, before getting to our rooms around midnight.

Coping with the Levanté - Day 5

Day 5 began with a trip into Tarifa to catch the boat at 10am. The sun was hot and the sea was calm as we headed out of port. We headed south-east to see if we could catch sight of any Striped or Common dolphins, or even a Sperm whale.

The African coast was shrouded in mist as we headed out, and we soon came across a small group of Bottlenose dolphins. We didn’t stay for long as we continued eastwards, and before very much longer, while we were looking out for the blow of a whale, we saw some fins. Just a few at first, but then more and more.

We had found a pod of Striped dolphins. Much smaller that Bottlenose but striped along their flanks they sped through the water jumping as they went. The group seemed to be of about a hundred or so, but we were told that with Striped dolphins you count how many you can see and multiply by 5.

We watched them jumping, hunting, swimming and generally playing about, and then at one point when a big ship went past they suddenly all sped off in a big line, like they were having a race. The sea was becoming a little rougher now and the mist was creeping westwards too. Although we had only been out for about an hour our captain said that the Levanté was coming and that we would have to head back into port.

Our original plan when we got back to port was to do a bit of bird watching and then visit the Roman ruins of Baelo Claudia at Bolonia. Having got back to port early we had the option of going out on the biggest Turmares boat or carrying on with the rest of our day a bit early. All except one wanted to go out on the other boat so we joined the other 120 or so members of the general public who had bought a ticket and headed out to sea once more.

The sea had got a bit worse since we came in, but in the bigger boat, the Jackelin, the captain set a south-easterly course and away we went. We sailed for about an hour before eventually we came across a group of Bottlenose dolphins. There were maybe around 20 or so, and although we had good seats near the edge, there we so many more people about that the experience wasn’t as good as on the Rainbow.

As this was only a 2 hour trip the boat then turned and began to head back. The sea was getting rougher all the time and each time the captain tried to turn across the swell, the boat rolled huge amounts and he had to change course to steady it up. This continued all the way back, so much so that the boat sailed well past the harbour and into slightly calmer water to enable it to turn. A number of people were sick on the way back.

When we got back to dry land Pierre took his friend Sara, who arrived last night, back to her hotel (she was one who had been sick), Mike and Gill went off on their own and Fran and I went for lunch with Gabriele, Silvia and David. After lunch we went back to the hotel for a swim to cool off before heading off in the van again at about 5pm.

We went up into the mountains a little way and saw some vultures and bee-eaters, although from quite a distance away. On the way back we stopped at the Roman ruins of Baelo Claudia at Bolonia and had a good look around there. When we had finished, at 8pm, we returned to the hotel for a quick swim and a shower before going out for dinner at 9pm.

Dinner was at the Hotel Punta Sur less than a mile up the road from ours, and was very nice. After dinner we headed back to our hotel and went to the bar for cocktails. I had a Mojito and Fran had a Bacardi and Sprite, with lots of Bacardi. We had a great evening and got back to our room just before 1am.

Orcas - Day 4

Day 4 was a good day. No, day 4 was a very good day!

I had a swim before breakfast, which was our first at the hotel, and a very nice it was too. There was all sorts of bread, croissants, etc. as well as a large selection of fruit, yoghurts and even muffins. With a good meal inside us we left the hotel and headed into Tarifa to catch the boat which had been booked for 11. The weather forecast was right and the wind had dropped and the sea was calm.

As we walked to the pontoon with the sun beating down I said to Fran “I’ve got a feeling that this is going to be a good day”. The seven of us along with Pierre and the captain, José María Caballero (who looks like Ilie Nastase), set off just after 11, and headed out into the middle of the Straight of Gibraltar where we came across our first sighting before 11.30.

Just as on Saturday it was a group of bottlenose dolphins that we found first. They didn’t come up to the boat in the same way that they had previously, but there seemed to be more of them and they played happily around us. There was a very young one in the group that Pierre thought had just been born. We watched them tail slapping and jumping up into the air for about half an hour before we moved off.

We headed west, towards the Atlantic, where a small fleet of Spanish fisherman were doing their days work. The Orcas (Killer Whales) in the area tend to gather near the fishermen and try to grab the Blue Fin Tuna that they are fishing, so we hoped to find some nearby.

It took us about three quarters of an hour to reach the area where the fishermen were, and on the way we saw a flock of storks making their way to Africa. Apart from a few seabirds we saw little else on the way but we were told that the lack of Pilot Whales was a good sign as they tend not to be around when the Orcas are in the area.

At twenty to one, in the distance, we caught sight of a couple of fins briefly. They seemed quite large and it looked like a flash of white as well as black. We had seen our first Killer Whales! There were three groups in the area, one of 3, one of 5 and one of 9. We got closer and managed to get some great views of these magnificent creatures. It was the group of five that we were watching. They would come to the surface three or four times, then dive for about 5 minutes and we were watching all around us to see where they would come up again.

Fran was very good at spotting them when they resurfaced and was often the first to see them when they did. She was very excited. When we had been watching them for about 40 minutes, and at a time when they were diving and we were watching for them, we saw two smaller fins appear. This it turned out was a swordfish, and both fins were on the same animal.

The Orcas soon started heading off in a south-easterly direction. It turned out that there was a fleet of Moroccan fishermen out too, and so we followed the Orcas into Moroccan waters. These fishing boats were not much bigger than rowing boats and were manned by 3 to 5 men each with no nets or winch, just a line with which to catch the Tuna. The Orcas knew that snatching a meal from these guys would be easier than from the Spanish.

The Orcas moved amongst these boats and we followed them, just 3 miles from the coast now. Although we didn’t actually see them with any food, Pierre thinks that they may have got a Tuna from their behaviour. We hope so, as this may encourage them to come back for more tomorrow. Another boat turned up to watch them while we were there, along with a sport fishing boat looking for Tuna. We left them and headed back towards Spain and came across another group of 3 Orcas moving in amongst the Moroccan fishermen. We watched these for a short while until our time was up. We had been out for nearly 4 hours of which the last two were spent in the company of Killer Whales.

On our way back to port I mentioned to Pierre the fact that I had said to Fran that I’d had a feeling we were going to have a good day, and he said we were very lucky. They have a day like today maybe 4 times each summer. But it still wasn’t over. Just before the harbour we came across another small pod of dolphins moving west as we headed north across their path.

After returning to port we went to the Tarifa Eco Centre, one of the few restaurants still open at this time (most shops and things are closed between 2pm and 6pm then open again until late into the evening). We had a fantastic, and very filling pizza. After that we came back to the hotel and have swam, read, had a few snacks and generally relaxed.

I’m going across to the bar now to have a beer and see if I can post this. Tomorrow we are leaving port at 10, and if the day is half as good as today it will be great!

African Experience - Day 3

Day 3 was a third consecutive early start. Once again we had to miss breakfast at the hotel as Pierre picked us up at 8am to drive us to the ferry port in Tarifa. We were told we had to be there for 8.15 for the boat to sail at 9am. We were but the boat didn’t leave until nearly half past nine. The Levanté had picked up overnight and the weather meant that for the first time this week we couldn’t even see Africa as it was shrouded in mist.

We set sail and within three quarters of an hour we were docking at Tangiers in Morocco. On the way off the boat and into the terminal we were scanned with these weird instruments that it turns out were checking our temperature. I guess they didn’t want swine flu. We left the building and stepped into Tangiers where we could find our guide. We were in a group of about 20-25 people of various different nationalities. Quite how the guide knew everyone was there is a mystery, but he suddenly decided we were going and we walked to a (thankfully air conditioned) coach.

We drove around Tangiers and he gave us a brief overview of the city and pointed out various buildings and streets. There are many Moroccan flags around at the moment and photos of the king on advertising boards. He has reigned for 10 years and is visiting the city soon so they are trying to make it presentable. Apparently he doesn’t like things not being finished so people are working hard to get things done.

After a short drive we stopped at the side of the road where there were some men with camels giving rides. This, it seemed, was the Moroccan equivalent of Donkey rides on the beach. It was a complete con though as for €1 you got a ride of no more than about 20 yards. We didn’t ride the camels but Fran did have her photo taken with a baby one. This was a mistake as it cost me €1 as well, so make sure you get my money’s worth by having a good look at the photo. There were also various vendors around trying to sell their goods, but we were warned beforehand that the quality is somewhat dubious.

We were told that Sunday was a good day to come as although many places in Europe are closed on Sundays, in Tangiers it is a market day (along with Thursdays). We passed a market and saw a minibus that was filled to the ceiling with watermelons and a man selling them from the back.

We got off the bus again and set off with our guide on foot into the (or a) Kasbah. There were a number of small shops selling basic food and street sellers following the group like wasps around a jam jar with their cheap (and not very nice) jewellery and other souvenirs. We made our way out of the Kasbah (without rocking it) and into another part of the city, the Medina. Here each neighbourhood has five elements to it – a mosque, a school, a bakery, a steam bath and a tap for those houses without water. We saw a man doing his washing at one such tap.

Although we were wearing factor 30 suncream we didn’t really need it as the city is made up of many narrow alleys and passageways so we were rarely in direct sunlight. We made our way through the streets past various people selling fruit and veg (including the watermelon seller pictured) until about 11.30 (clocks there are the same time as the UK) when we went into a restaurant for lunch. This had all been pre-arranged and was included in the price, but there was no choice, everyone had the same meal.

Having been played into our seats by a Moroccan four piece band we were brought some soup. We weren’t told what it was but it was a spicy meat (probably lamb) with minestrone. After that we were served two skewered kebabs. These were quite bland but OK. For the next course we had chicken kus kus, but although we ate the chicken and a carrot left most of it. Glasses of steaming hot mint tea were brought out next which was very sweet and was follows by an even sweeter pudding of some kind of cookie smothered in syrup. We couldn’t eat more than a small mouthful as it was just too sickly.

After dinner as we made our way into the streets again we passed a man with what looked like a basket of toy chicks in various colours. We couldn’t quite believe it when we realised they were real chicks that had been coloured. We didn’t ask how much they were but you can see the colours available in the picture if you want one!

Now was the time to do shopping, and we were led to a series of shops, probably run by the guide’s friends, where they were obviously waiting for us. Firstly we went into a carpet shop and were given a short presentation in the techniques used for making carpets. Afterwards as we were milling around the shop we were asked which one we liked best. When we told them they acted as if we really wanted to buy it. “We ship to anywhere by DHL next day delivery and we take credit cards. This one is only €250”. When we then turned away he dropped his price to €245 and when he didn’t get a sale wanted to know, before we left the shop, how much we would pay for it. It wasn’t exactly aggressive, but it was a bit intimidatory.

If we thought that was bad though, when we walked out of the other door to the shop into another alleyway the street traders were waiting to pounce with their stuff. They hold their wares right out in front of you be it leather bags, purses, jewellery, carved wood ornaments, musical instruments and even hookahs (not ladies of the night) and say “€10, very nice price, just €10 ... €8, it’s a good price ... €5 which one do you want ... €3?” at which point they tend to give up and move on to the next tourist. All this goes on as you are walking, and as soon as one gets the message another one tries.

The next arranged shopping opportunity was in a pharmacy. The man giving the presentation (in the last photo) was fantastic. He was very funny and got everyones confidence by making them laugh. Having given his presentation he then gave everyone a carrier bag and proceeded to try and put things into it for you. He did it in a good manner, but you just had to be firm. I was the only man there who didn’t get some Moroccan Viagra put into his bag. This man had a (herbal) cure for everything you can think of, from snoring to headaches as well as various cooking spices.

From here it was another trip through the streets and the vultures that are the street sellers to the coach and then back to the boat. It was an experience that we’re glad we had, but are even more glad that tickets for the boat without the tour were more expensive as we would have either (a) got lost, (b) got scared and definitely (c) not seen as much as we did. Since getting back to the hotel we’ve then spent the afternoon relaxing. Fran has been reading while I sat and typed this.

We are going to have a swim in the pool in minute then go and have a drink in the bar (and post this) before going to get some food in the restaurant here. Pierre has just popped in to tell us that the forecast is good for tomorrow so we should be in the boat from 11 til 3 or so watching whales and dolphins again.

Between the Pillars of Hercules - Day 2

Day 2 has turned out to be almost as long as day 1, lying in bed typing this seems an awfully long time since we got up. Our alarms were set for 6am and we were ready to go at 7. Breakfast in the hotel doesn’t begin until 8 so we missed that, but Pierre took us to a little cafe in Tarifa where we had freshly squeezed orange juice and some churros, which was basically strips of fried dough – a straight doughnut. It was very nice and as we sat outside and ate there were loads of swifts flying around us.

We then made our way to the harbour and our boat, the Rainbow. We got our life jackets on and at 8.22 we set off into the second busiest shipping lane on the planet (after the English Channel). The many large ships use two lanes of traffic, along the African coast into the Mediterranean or the European coast if heading for the Atlantic. By quarter to 9 we were in the middle of the Gibraltar Straight, roughly 7km from both Europe and Africa.

Almost immediately we were surrounded by a pod of bottlenose dolphins who were in playful mood. One or two we saw leap right out of the water, others rode the bow wave of the boat, and we saw plenty of fins (and took a few photos of them too). A couple of them would leave their tails sticking out of the water and wave them at as...at least that’s what it looked like they were doing. One even came out of the water, tail first, and was doing something like a headstand (with just it’s head in the water). Pierre said he’d never seen this before.

As we moved further westwards we saw a large number of long finned Pilot whales. These were in small groups of about 4 or 5, but there were lots of groups. One group even had a tiny calf which was only a couple of weeks old.

When we had been out for an hour and a half we went further west to try and get a glimpse of Orca (killer whales). Chances were slim as they don’t tend to mix with Pilot whales, and they also tend to appear when the Spanish fishermen are out as they can steal their tuna. We came across more Bottlenose dolphins and Pilot whales, but the Orca proved elusive. Some fishermen did make an appearance but they were not fishing for Tuna, sadly, to attract the killer whales.

We had been out for nearly 4 hours and the weather was changing. The westerly wind was giving way to an easterly one, the Levanté, which is not so good for sailing. We headed back and the sea was definitely a little rougher. The bad news is that it will be too rough to go out tomorrow so we will have a cetacean free day.

After the boat trip we had lunch in a local restaurant. Fran had carbonara and I had seafood with fresh pasta, which was both large and very nice. We popped into the supermarket on the way back to get some fruit and other bits and pieces.

When we got back we had a swim in the pool. Fran then read for a bit and I went down to the beach to watch (and photograph) the kitesurfers.

After a (very) quick dip to cool off in the pool we got changed and met the others to head into Tarifa. Pierre gave us a brief tour, then we explored by ourselves for an hour during which we got lost as well as seeing a wedding and a christening. We met up again at 8.30 and had Tapas for tea along with a selection of Sherry. After eating we headed back to the hotel.

In the outside bar in the garden there were some acrobats performing and I watched them as I sipped a Mojito. With that safely drunk I walked back to our room to write this, and now I will stop to go to sleep as we are going to Africa in the morning.

Andalucian Arrival - Day 1

Day 1 of our Out of the Blue trip to Spain to watch whales and dolphins has been a long and tiring day, but it has been good. We left home at about 2.45 am and arrived at Gatwick about 2 hours later. By the time we had checked in, had a croissant and a drink and looked in the shops we only had half an hour to wait. We boarded on time but were then told that we wouldn’t take off until 8.50 which was 40 minutes later than scheduled.

Despite the late departure we arrived only 15 minutes late and by the time we had reclaimed our bags it was about 1pm local time. We were met by our local guide, Pierre, and were introduced to a couple, Mike & Gill from Hull, who had already flown in from Manchester . We were joined soon afterwards by David, from Cambridge (who had also been on our flight), Gabriele, an Austrian living in Brussels and Silvia from Frankfurt who flew in via Madrid. The 7 of us and Pierre then set off in the minibus for the two hour drive to Tarifa.

Along the way we saw Gibraltar and, across the straight, Africa. Pierre said he had never seen it so clearly, and we stopped briefly for an ice cream and to take some photos. We then piled back into the minibus and arrived only about 15 minutes later at our hotel, the Hotel 100% Fun.

Our (air conditioned) room is on the ground floor, it has no windows but the doors open out to the pool area and the pool is just about 10 metres from our door. We quickly unpacked and then met up again in the outside bar for a drink and a quick briefing. Tomorrow we are going out on the boat, but the wind is due to change (from Ponienté to Levanté) and it will be rather choppy.

After we finished our drinks we arranged to meet up at 8pm in the restaurant for dinner, then went and had a swim in the pool. It was lovely and cool after a long day. After this (at about 6pm) we took a stroll across the road to the beach. There are hundreds of kitesurfers and windsurfers and with the backdrop of Morocco to the sea it was very nice. The photo shows us at the waters edge with Africa in the background.

The outside bar where we had our drinks has a WI-FI connection so after dinner I will try to post this, which I am now writing at ten to eight. I will then try to write an update each night which I hope to publish to the web, hopefully with some good photos too.

Quick update – just got back from dinner, it was very nice. Tuna steak was excellent and Fran’s chicken fajitas were very sizzly. That’s all for now, as we’re meeting at 7 in the morning to get on the boat.

Extreme Measures

The news today that 100 under 18s are convicted of rape in Scotland per year just reinforces the theory that there is no deterrent to those who break the law. Kids nowadays know that no-one can touch them or reprimand them for their wrongdoings. This is something that has filtered through society over a number of years under the misguided hand of those who believe that those people who behave badly have rights.

I'm sorry but they don't. Those who commit, and are convicted, of a crime lose their right to be a member of a civilised society for the length of their sentence. And while on the subject of sentence - imprisoned criminals should be locked in a 12-15ft square cell for 23 hours a day. Meals should be brought to them and they should be let out for one hour a day for compulsory exercise. If they want to better themselves and undergo a programme of education, that's fine, but they can do that in their cell from books.

This would increase the potency of a jail term as a deterrent, but there is a further solution to the lack of respect for the law, and other people, exhibited by some criminals. Quite simply those who are convicted (without any shred of doubt - ie DNA evidence) of crimes such as murder and rape should be fed to the lions. Quite literally.

Not only that, but all schoolchildren who reach the age of 16 (or maybe 14) would, without exception, be made to attend a stadium where this occurred. Obviously no cameras (even media) would be allowed, as the prisoners family needn't suffer the horror of seeing thier loved one torn apart. The realisation of what would happen if serious crimes were committed would soon stop those tempted to commit them. Yes some would be upset at the sight before them, but it would lead to a more civilised and safer society.

The time has passed for the failed methods of caring and counselling prisoners. Punishment is what is needed, and sooner rather than later.

A Day at Lord's

I spent the day at Lord's yesterday for what was my first taste of an Ashes test match, and a pleasant day it was too. Play was restricted by a couple of showers in the afternoon session but it was still a more than enjoyable day.

It didn't start so well with England resuming on 364-6 with Strauss 161 not out. It took the Australians just two balls to remove the skipper without further score. This was followed by wickets in each of the next two overs leaving the home team on 378-9. A great last wicket stand between Anderson and Onions though took England to a respectable 425.

In the field England's start was almost as good as Australia's as Anderson followed up his work with the bat to have Hughes caught behind in the 3rd over. When he also had Ponting contraversially given out shortly afterwards the Aussies were 10-2.

Katich and Hussey stabalised the innings. Katich fell for 48 and was followed soon afterwards by Hussey who had completed his half century. Breaking this partnership was key and England then got a flurry of wickets to leave Australia on 156-8 at the close, still needing 70 to avoid the follow-on with just two wickets standing.

Our seats were in the main Grandstand, but despite being built 7 years later, I didn't find it as good as being in the Mound stand which was completed in 1987. The Mound stand offers more leg room so you don't leave feeling you've been cramped up all day, and is also angled so you don't get a stiff neck from sitting wih your head turned. If you were sat in the middle of the Grandstand you might be OK, but at the ends (seat 192 out of 194) it is less than ideal.

Despite that and because of the cricket we had a good day, which is more than can be said of the Aussie Kevin who sat with his mate a couple of rows behind us. In amongst a sea of England supporters he was fiercly partisan but good natured and the banter, particularly later in the day, was excellent.