Oct 18, 2010 – Monday – Volendam at sea, enroute to Bay of Islands, New Zealand
I go to the Rotterdam Dining Room for breakfast this morning. They serve complimentary cappuccino with breakfast, and I have a nicely-cooked Spanish omelette. The woman beside me is from Sarnia, Ontario, and reveals she was the female “volunteer” from the audience who was chosen to hula while the Polynesian male dancers gyrated around her at yesterday evening’s folkloric performance in Noumea. She seems to be quite pleased with her experience.
Shipbuilding competition – Raftea from Nanaimo succeeds in the payload test
The shipbuilding competition among the passengers winds up today. This is a contest where passengers scrounge materials to build a model ship, which must pass seaworthiness tests in the pool. A New Zealand teams wins, but a Canadian team is in the running too.
Since this is a day at sea, I attend two presentations. The first one is “Things to See & Do in New Zealand”, presented by the onboard travel guide, Susan. Most of what she had to say is stuff I already know, however her handout will be useful, since it gives us a list to work on while we have the rental car in New Zealand. The second presentation is by Donna Giesler, The Star Lady titled “Constellations of the Zodiac”. Donna does a pretty good job of humouring those in the audience who believe in astrology, while also highlighting the astronomical facts about the constellations, some of which are included in the astrological Zodiac. This is her last lecture for this cruise.
We go for dinner in the Rotterdam Dining Room this evening. We are seated at a table for six with an Australian couple. They regale us with their experiences as they toured across Canada by rail & rental car, and we generally get along famously. The ship is rolling the most we have experienced during the whole voyage, despite the winds not being the strongest. The wind is on our bow, and the sea swells are the largest and have a long period so the ship plunges down into the big troughs between the waves. The ship’s clocks turn forward one hour tomorrow morning, so we lose another hour after gaining all those hours as we sailed westward across the Pacific earlier in the cruise.
Oct 19, 2010 – Tuesday – Volendam at sea, enroute to Bay of Islands, New Zealand
Jimmy, the Cruise Director emcees “Time to Say Goodbye” in the show lounge: a show put on for everyone who is departing the ship in Auckland. He gives us lots of useful information, and ends the show with staff from all the departments coming on stage for a group farewell song – a very nice ending to this cruise.
I have a curry lunch in the Lido and eat on the Sea View pool deck in the shade. It was cool but not cold, and the sky is clear and sunny. I have one last swim in the pool. The ship is rolling quite a bit today, so the water in the pool is sloshing around a great deal, so I have the pool to myself.
It is formal dress tonight. After we have before dinner drinks in my cabin, we go to the Rotterdam Dining Room and are seated with an elderly couple: Celeste and John from California. They are both genuine characters and have lots of stories to tell – we all have a good time. They lived in northern Mexico for twenty years, but moved to California after John’s health deteriorated.
Oct 3, 2010 – Sunday – Volendam at sea, enroute Hawaii to American Samoa
I sleep in this morning, since this will be a lazy day at sea – the first of five days until we reach Pago Pago in American Samoa on Oct 8th. We had both lunch and dinner in the Lido restaurant today, so it was a very casual day at sea. We avoid the formal night this evening as best we can.
I attend two lectures today – this morning Donna Geisler’s “Excited about Exo-planets”, where she talks about the recent discovery of a new exo-planet that appears to be Earth-like. Of course, she also describes the history of the hunt for planets outside our solar system. This afternoon I attend a lecture by Dan Ostler (Donna’s husband) where he describes how the Polynesians navigated across the open Pacific Ocean; and also shows how the ancestors of people of the South Pacific migrated across the world eastward from Africa. They are both good lectures which I enjoy very much.
Kilauea Volcano – volcanic flow into the ocean
Later this afternoon I make a presentation to the Astronomy Club group hosted by Donna. I show RASC Victoria Centre – 2010 Calendar photos and give a brief explanation behind each photo. I also add a shot of a sunset viewed through the Kikis from Pu-uhonau o Honaunau – Place of Refuge, and finish off with a photo of the Kilauea lava flow into the ocean. Both photos were taken last October, and both represent opportunities missed on this voyage due to cloudy weather.
This evening we go up to Deck 6 forward to do some astronomical observing. There are no lights on this small deck located right in front of the bridge, so it is very dark, and the views of the night sky are superb. Despite some cloud cover, the Milky Way is just as bright as we observed on September 28th, and Jupiter’s four most prominent moons are all lined up on one side of the planet (8pm local time). Speaking of time, our clocks are set back another hour this evening, making us five hours ahead of Pacific Time.
Oct 4, 2010 – Monday – Volendam at sea, enroute Hawaii to American Samoa
When I look out the porthole windows in my cabin this morning, it looks like we have returned to a grey northwest autumn day. However when I step outside on the Promenade Deck, it is obvious we are in the tropics as the warm, humid air hits my face. After lunch, I go for a swim in the Sea View pool; swimming all by myself in the warm rain – great fun!
Later, I listen to a couple of talks about our upcoming ports of call and Holland America’s 2011 cruising season in Europe. I am interested in taking a Mediterranean cruise, and some of their repositioning cruises departing London or Amsterdam look to be very good value. They stop in France, Spain and Portugal before entering through Gibraltar. I also attend Dan Osler’s talk on European exploration of the South Pacific. His talks are always interesting, and reveal little-known historical tidbits.
We are currently passing close to the Line Islands, although they are not within sight, just a spot on the map NW of us. We are also north of Kiribati, which are slightly better known islands in the middle of the Pacific, but again they are out of sight.
Oct 5, 2010 – Tuesday – Volendam at sea, enroute Hawaii to American Samoa
King Neptune ceremony
There is a King Neptune ceremony this morning on the stern deck Sea View Pool area. Some pollywogs are initiated – judged by King Neptune (Jimmy, the Cruise Director). Every initiate has to kiss a big old ugly fish, be slimed with spaghetti and goo, and then accept punishment by either sitting out in the Sun or jumping into the pool. The pool looked pretty disgusting after a few of the pollywogs washed off all that spaghetti and goo.
Other than the King Neptune ceremony, it was just another day at sea on our way to Pago Pago, which is still three days away. We will cross the Equator later this evening – close to midnight or early tomorrow morning. We are still struggling against a strong 30 mph wind from the East as we steer a SSW course.
Small Magellanic Cloud & 47 Tucanae – taken from New Zealand later in the trip on Oct 26th
This evening, I go up to the Sky Deck and catch my first glimpse of 47 Tucanae through my binoculars, a spectacular globular cluster near the Small Magellenic Cloud (which I did not see due to cloud in that area of the sky).
Oct 6, 2010 – Wednesday – Volendam at sea, enroute Hawaii to American Samoa
Other than one astronomy lecture I want to attend this morning, the day is free to do as I wish. There is no Internet connection or cellular service today due to our position on the globe. I take photos of the inside of the ship today, since there is some beautiful artwork (sculpture, painting, tapestry), and the public rooms and atrium are so classy looking.
Cherries Jubilee being flambeed
I reserve a table for four at the Pinnacle Grill this evening. Since it is formal night anyway, I thought it was about time we try this specialty restaurant again. I have the Caesar Salad to start (hand made at the table), and I have Filet Mignon with baked potato and garlic butter for my main. My friends enjoy: beef skewer flambéed with brandy before being served, Lobster tail served the classic way with drawn butter, and flambéed Steak Diane.
Everyone except me have Cherries Jubilee, which again, is also flambéed before being served. Needless to say, we all thoroughly enjoy ourselves! There is a $20/person charge for this restaurant…well worth it for a nice change from the other options for dinner.
After dinner, I go to see the evening show: a Chinese performer playing the dulcimer. He is very good. I hadn’t appreciated just how flexible the dulcimer is – he plays Chinese opera, contemporary pop, show tunes, and even a Dave Brubeck jazz number.
Afterward, I change out of my dark suit and go upstairs to the Sky Deck to observe the stars with Donna. I meet a young Dutch gay couple who are still dressed in formal wear, and who are so cute holding hands as they walk along. My observing buddy and I lend them our image stabilized binoculars (which they really appreciate) so they can see Jupiter and its moons and also the Pleiades.
Oct 7, 2010 – Thursday – Volendam at sea, enroute Hawaii to American Samoa
Cappuccino in the Explorations Café
This is our last day at sea before landing in Pago Pago tomorrow morning. I sleep in until 9am this morning, which is the latest so far on this trip. After a breakfast of fresh fruit, Swiss Muesli, and French toast in the Lido, I go down to the Explorations Lounge and have a nice Cappuccino while I wake up. At 11am, I attend a lecture by Donna showing how the turning of the Earth affects what we can see in the night sky. She has some audience participate for this presentation, which is fun!
I join my friends in the Lido buffet for lunch, where I have the feature today: Indonesian food. It is very good, and as expected it is a bit spicy. After lunch, I go for a swim in the Sea View pool on the stern deck. It is great to get some exercise, and also to be in the warm Sun for awhile. This pool is salt water and it is not as heavily used as the main Lido pool (which is fresh water). After my swim, I have another Cappuccino in the Explorers Lounge while a talented guitarist plays soft tunes. This is the life!
I attend the Filipino Crew Show this evening, which is very entertaining. They perform the usual folkloric singing and dancing, which is all very well done. One number is really funny, since two guys come on stage dressed in drag. One guy’s tits are oranges, which keep falling out of his dress, so he is constantly picking them up and stuffing them back in place – hilarious!
Hilo is on the east coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. which is the wet side of the island. Although the temperatures are nice and warm, it rains in Hilo virtually every day, and the area has the tropical vegetation to prove it. Hilo is a contrast to Kailua-Kona on the other side of the Big Island, since it is less tourist-oriented, giving the visitor a glimpse of the Old Hawaii.
Kilauea Volcano is less than one hour’s drive south from Hilo, so I made several trips to see the sights in Volcanoes National Park and nearby areas in my rental car.
The North Coast of the Big Island is rugged, tropical, and mostly inaccessible, however the road along the coastline north from Hilo provides easy access to some of the gulches and valleys, rivers and streams, spectacular waterfalls, and of course the coastline itself before the road veers off to Waimea. Stopping along the way will provide you with a glimpse of how Hawaiians live day-to-day.
The Imiloa Astronomy Center is located in Hilo, and presents astronomy to visitors using interactive displays, a planetarium, special exhibits, and ties astronomy to Hawaiian customs and culture. Imiloa is run by the University of Hawaii on behalf of the big multi-national observatories located atop Mauna Kea. Worth a half day visit. Admission charged.
Hilo Bay & the shoreline along Kalanianaole Avenue presents fascinating vistas of the geography surrounding Hilo, so it is a good idea for visitors to familiarize themselves with the bay and the Pacific Ocean beyond. There are numerous civic parks along Kalanianaole Avenue, and all are only a few minutes drive from anywhere in Hilo. Tidal ponds provide safe and easy access for everyone to play in the ocean, while just a few metres away are rocks and surf to challenge even the most capable swimmers and surfers. Coconut Island, Banyan Drive and Liluokalani Gardens are all interesting destinations worth spending some time at…in fact, take a picnic lunch (“sack lunch” in Hawaiian), and plan to spend the day exploring Hilo Bay.
Rainbow Falls and Boiling Pots Pools are both located right in Hilo on the Wailuku River, which flows into Hilo Bay. Although not as spectacular as other falls and rivers you might find on the Big Island, they are easy to get to, and certainly worth a look.
Despite being an amateur astronomer, I didn’t manage to visit the Mauna Kea Visitor Center. It is a fairly easy drive from Hilo, and offers free nightly star gazing from this station located at the 9,500′ level on Mauna Kea. Please note, the big observatories are not located here – they are near the summit at the 14,500′ level! If you plan to go to the Visitor Centre, take a winter coat and check their website to ensure the weather will be clear. It may be raining in Hilo, but it could easily be clear on the mountain (or vice versa). I did visit the top of Mauna Kea and the observatories a few years later in 2014.
October 20-23, 2009 – I stayed at the Old Hawaiian Bed & Breakfast for four nights. The place is situated in a nice part of town near the Wailuku River, and is owned and operated by Lory & Stewart Hunter. Lory’s superb breakfasts are served on the lanai (patio), and include fresh fruit smoothies, fresh baked pastries, cooked eggs, tropical fruit cocktail, and of course, Kona coffee. There are three rooms to choose from, and all guests share access to the large lanai, telephone, fridge, microwave, and high speed wireless Internet. There are no televisions in the rooms, so bring a notebook computer if watching videos or the news is important to you. JoeTourist recommended.
As mentioned in my previous post, today’s early morning hours are my last evening under the dark skies at La Ensenada “Star” Lodge, so this will be an all-night effort to observe and photograph celestial objects. I have a good sleep after yesterday’s dinner, awakening at 12:30am and go down to the ridge line where my Astrotrac is setup. My mission is to photograph a widefield of the Southern Cross to Eta Carina region in the southern hemisphere region I can’t see from my home on the west coast of Canada. Once I polar align the Astrotrac, I setup my Hutech-modified Canon XTi dSLR and set my 70-200mm zoom lens to 70mm – just wide enough to frame the Crux and Carina constellations.
There are some clouds drifting by midway through my photo run, but I end up with enough two minute exposures to do credit to this field rich of many wonderful celestial objects, including (from left to right): the Southern Cross and Coalsack dark nebula, IC2944/8 nebula, Stock 13 cluster, the Eta Carina nebula, and the Southern Pleiades cluster (IC2602). I’m so excited by what I see in my images, I stay up until after 4am processing them, which results is a wonderful resultant image – just what I was aiming for on this trip!
Tired but happy, I have a couple of hour’s sleep before waking around 6:30am. It is time to pack all my stuff that has spread itself out all over the cabin. Getting it all packed into my main suitcase take some doing, but it all fits and I’m ready to go to my last breakfast at La Ensenada by 8am. All the meals are served buffet style, and have been very good. We say thank you to our staff, have a group photo taken, and then we are on our way by bus to San Jose.
We travel the same route we took to get out here until we reach the Central Valley, and then divert to the town of Sarchi. This is a crafts area, and is also our lunch stop. The buffet at Las Carretas Restaurant is very good, and includes complimentary beer or wine, so I have a local Bavarian Gold beer with my lunch (recommended by Jorge). I’m not a shopper when travelling, however I actually purchase a few souvenirs this time. We have another group photo taken, since Jorge was missing from the one taken at the Lodge, and then we drive into San Jose and the Courtyard Marriott Hotel.
Our farewell dinner is held in the Marriott this year – an improvement over last year when we were in a noisy restaurant. This year we could converse, listen to Gary’s and Jorge’s speeches, and enjoy ourselves and the lovely buffet dinner. It was a very nice ending to a trip which I think everyone enjoyed. Goodbyes were said, tips were given to Jorge, and the evening ended. Jorge shared a list of 75 birds he showed the group during our time together, but I certainly didn’t see that many!
Most of our group leave for their respective homes tomorrow, but some of us are staying in Costa Rica for another week. Five of us Canadians are travelling to the Tamarindo area in the northwest corner of Costa Rica tomorrow to get some beach time and just kick back. Walter and Pat (a couple from New York) are going to the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica for a deluxe tenting experience for a couple of days.
I join the early morning wildlife walk at 6AM since I’m still up from the previous night’s observing. The horses are in the field as the sun rises, and we see a big iguana along with some birds as the Howler monkeys look down on us from the trees. Time for breakfast and a nap.
I go on the boat trip to the mangrove swamp, showing up at 2PM down at the dock with my Canon 50D and the 17-85 zoom lens. However after we spot our first birds (Pelicans), I wish I had brought the 70-200 zoom instead. The birds we see are pretty close, but the extra reach of the longer zoom lens would have given me better image scale. We follow a similar route as last year, seeing lots of birds busy catching fish, spoonbills in the trees, and a Pelican colony at close range. It is cooler than I remember the boat trip from last year, and the water isn’t as rough on the return trip. After we return, I have a swim in the pool before going for dinner – very refreshing!
This evening I look at M42 Orion Nebula through a 15” Obsession Dobsonian telescope one of our group has brought with them on the trip. Our astronomy leader Gary thinks this telescope holds the record as the largest aperture telescope brought on the tour so far. All I can say is the views through it are superb. The breathtaking view of M42 reveals the beautiful blue colour of the reflection nebula – a first time for me with any scope I’ve used on this showpiece object. We also have a look at the Sombrero Galaxy, where the dust lane is evident, and Comet Lulin’s spectacular dust tail.
Later in the evening, I do some astrophotography using my dSLR mounted on an Astrotrac tracking mount on a tripod. It works very well, but my choice of targets: the emission nebulae in Vela turns out to be underwhelming. Later I change targets to a widefield of M42 Orion Nebula, including the Flame Nebula and the Horsehead Nebula, and am rewarded with a breathtaking resultant image.
After midnight, I turn my camera to Comet Lulin and have yet more success. I take relatively few frames to capture the comet’s tail, but stacking 62 light frames referenced to the comet head shows just how fast this comet is moving through the cosmos indicated by the star trails. I go to bed tired but happy after a busy night of observing and photographing the night sky.
I shoot a time lapse video of the southern sky from 3:30am this morning to sunrise using my digital SLR camera. It turns out pretty well, so I’m pleased with the result. Our astronomy tour leader Gary Seronik alerted us to a conjunction of the thin crescent Moon, Mercury, Jupiter and Mars happening just before sunrise this morning. The clouds reappear in that part of the sky, but I managed to take a photo capturing all three planets with the Moon.
Today is “at leisure” as they say in the travel industry. Jorge is leading a nature walk this morning at 6am, so I join in since I’m already up from the night before. We only walk about a hundred metres along the Lodge’s driveway and spot so many birds it takes over an hour! I think the new people on the tour are pretty impressed that Costa Rica is such a rich wildlife area. After having breakfast, I go back to my cabin and process the individual frames from my southern sky sequence into a video. It turns out quite well, and after returning to San Jose where there’s faster Internet, I post the video online. I’m pretty tired, so I catch up on some sleep – first in the hammock on the front porch, and then in bed with the ceiling fan on low. After lunch, I go for a swim in the pool, and then go back to bed for an afternoon siesta.
Gary conducts a tour of the night sky this evening at 7pm. Everyone reclines in the lounge chairs by the pool while Gary reviews the sights in the early evening sky. I return to my cabin after, and decide to have a nap before the night’s observing begins. I wake up at 5am – oh well, so much for observing last night!
Our bus driver Walter at Restaurante Caballo Blanco
After a sumptuous breakfast at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel, we board the bus and leave for our journey to the Gulf of Nicoya on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Unlike last year, the upgrading to this section of the Pan American Highway appears to be finished, so we make good time to our lunch stop at Restaurante Caballo Blanco (the White Horse restaurant). As we experienced last year, the meal at this restaurant introduces everyone to the wholesome food Costa Ricans typically prepare for their guests at every meal. Lots of fresh fruit juice, a choice of chicken, beef or fish, vegetables, rice and beans, and a nice dessert to finish. The only downside to this part of the trip is when we find out that our new bus is hermetically sealed, so the engine is kept running the whole time we are in the restaurant in order to keep the cabin from overheating. Some of our group find this to be environmentally irresponsible.
Our guide Jorge tells us a bit about Costa Rica and its people, and what to expect for the next few days as we drive toward La Ensenada Lodge. La Ensenada is as I remember it from last year – a working ranch and farm, raising both cattle, a variety of crops, as well as producing salt from ocean water. It is about 40 degrees Celsius in the hot afternoon as we arrive, and the owners and staff are on hand to greet us and to give us some cold drinks to sip as we are assigned to our cabins. We are also greeted with howler monkeys and iguanas, the other local residents!
Howler Monkey eating cashew fruit
I have a quick dip in the pool and a shower, and then it is time for dinner. The meal routine for the next few days is: breakfast at 8am, lunch at noon, and dinner at 5pm. We are eating dinner earlier than what is normal for Costa Ricans so we have time to setup equipment and get out on the observing field before it gets too dark. As anyone knows who had travelled to the tropics, the sun sets promptly around 6pm, and it gets dark rapidly when there’s no light pollution around.
Clouds cover about half the sky this first night, however a fellow Canadian from Calgary brought down one of the biggest telescopes ever used at this event, so I try out his new 15” Obsession Ultra Compact Dobsonian. The views of M42 Orion Nebula are nothing short of astounding – the blue colour was visible in the reflection nebulae, and the view is very bright with lots of detail. For those who either stay up or wake up around 3am, the clouds mostly disappear by then, giving some of us observing opportunities in the early morning.
Feb 8, 2008 – Friday – La Ensenada “Star” Lodge, Abangaritos, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
This is our last full day at La Ensenada “Star” Lodge. Before sunrise, I see Rigel Kentaurus and Hadar with the Southern Cross in the beautiful pre-dawn light. I then go on our final nature walk this morning as the Sun rises. We spot lots of interesting wildlife, including a Cane Toad in the dining room as we gather, and then a Green heron on a snag in an algae-covered pond, a Clay-coloured Robin Clay-coloured Robin, Southern white-crowned shrike, Squirrel Cuckoo, and a Tropical Kingbird perched in trees.
I sign up for a horse ride this morning. We all have a good time; especially considering none of us have ridden horses for many years. The last time I rode a horse was when I was an early teen. The horses are very well trained, and the ride is an interesting two hours going all around the ranch. We go to the top of a hill overlooking the coastline, and ride around the hill where the tractor ride took us previously. I take some video which captures the experience pretty well, despite all the bouncing around I was doing while on horseback. We even see a pair of Double-striped Thick-knee birds run across the pasture grass.
After lunch, two musicians play the xylophone tandem in the bar/lounge. Otherwise, our afternoon is free of activities. I have a nap after dinner, waking up around 7:30pm to clear skies! This is the opportunity I have been waiting for all week. I take a time lapse of the southern horizon over a 3 hour period until midnight, which shows some of the southern celestial objects in the sky as they rise. I then setup the Astrotrac after finding a spot where I can see Polaris, finally getting a good polar alignment. Now I’m cooking! I image the Eta Carina region, and then move to Crux, imaging the Southern Cross and the Coalsack dark nebula.
Feb 9, 2008 – early morning, Saturday – While the camera is imaging the Southern Cross region, I process the Eta Carinae images since I can see they are quite good. Finally, I’m happy with some results from this dark sky location! Both my friend and I are up until 4am imaging the night sky, since this is our last chance. Several of our group pull all-nighters, since the sky is so wonderful. I think it is perhaps the all-time best observing evening I’ve ever experienced. It is warm, the magnitude 6 sky is steady and crystal clear, the temperature is very comfortable at about 25º Celsius, and there are no mosquitoes!
Feb 6, 2008 – Wednesday – La Ensenada “Star” Lodge, Abangaritos, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
On our early morning nature walk this morning, we spot a Rufous Motmot, Screech Owl, a Black Spiny-Tailed Iguana out in the open, a Clay-coloured Robin, and a Tropical Kingbird. Costa Rica is a birder’s paradise, especially during migration season!
We go on a boat ride to see the mangrove that is located just around the point from where we are staying. Several of the group that went yesterday were soaked on the way back from the oncoming swells in the late afternoon, but we did much better. Only one member of our group was hit by the wash. It was a rewarding trip, since we cruised right up close to several birds and even a baby alligator was sunning himself on a small log and stayed around long enough for us to get some photos. Birds spotted: Brown Pelicans, a Kestrel in flight, Whimbrel, Roseate Spoonbill, Snowy Egret, and Royal Terns when we return to the dock in front of the lodge.
After turning on my cellphone this evening, it shows a decent signal, so I call home to check in with the family. We have another clear night, so I’m out on the observing field marvelling at the Zodiacal Light – the first time I’ve observed this phenomenon. I try to capture a time lapse of the Zodiacal Light, but it doesn’t work out. I pack it in for the night at 9PM since I’m tired from the day’s activities.
Feb 5, 2008 – Tuesday – La Ensenada “Star” Lodge, Abangaritos, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Early morning wildlife walks are conducted by our guide Diego every day we are at the lodge. The main draw is the variety of birds, however iguanas, squirrels, vegetation, flowers, and the farm animals are also observed by our group. For those of us who are dedicated night sky observers, we sometimes join the wildlife walks as the Sun rises, before having breakfast and then going to bed!
I don’t have high expectations for the Tractor Ride this afternoon, however it turns out to be a memorable experience. The owners of La Ensenada are Italians, and their son Giancarlo guides the hour and a half Tractor Ride all over the property. We see their salt ponds, horses and Brahma cattle grazing in the pastures, stop at the Aguna Observatory wildlife observing platform at a pond. Along the way we spot lots of birds and iguanas, and near the end we wind up a narrow road to the top of a hill overlooking the property and the Gulf of Nicoya. Giancarlo’s Mama serves us some superb antipasto, beer and soft drinks while we take in the view. What a nice touch! By the way, the passenger wagon we are seated in is being pulled by an Italian Landini tractor.
It is clear this evening, so I take a series of wide field photos of the Taurus-Eridanus-Aires area, and then the Orion area later. Eridanus – The Celestial River – is a very large constellation near Orion, but it hugs the southern horizon from our nothern latitude, so observing it from Costa Rica means it is much higher in the sky. I then capture a series of photos of the spectacular Eta Carinae Nebula before midnight, however my tracking mount isn’t properly aligned with north, so the photos are not very useful. So this evening is rewarding for visual observing, however I have to refine my astrophotography technique.
