Road Block

Title – Road Block
Date – December 2006
Location - Antarctica

Sometimes you have to know when to give up. There are many times you will come across obstacles that can be overcome but sometimes you just have to know when to cut your losses and run. Remembering that anything you leave behind unseen can be revisited another day.

Fortunately the captain of this ship knows exactly how far and hard he can push the ship and his expertise will ensure a safe return from Antarctica to South America where the cruise started. No Casino or Swimming pool on this cruise though, this is hard terrain and the seas can get very rough, your small cabin with its basic amenities will have to suffice, but if you ever feel claustrophobic, just step onto deck.

Beyond The Blue runs workshops to help you gain the skills you will need to navigate your travel experience. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop guides those attending through all the planning stages and the various mazes that will face you on arrival and well into your trip itself. The experience of our instructors enables them to put all your questions into context allowing you to understand some of the pitfalls, without the need to actually experience them yourself.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – © Heather Spalton

Iceberg Flow

Title – Iceberg Flow
Date – December 2006
Location - Antarctica

The age old saying:

Only dead fish go with the flow…

…is equally true with icebergs; except when it’s an ice berg, everything else has to get out of the way.

At Beyond the Blue we run Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshops to help the individuals attending to gain the skills to travel safely wherever they choose to go in the world. We don’t believe that age old sayings are always right; there is sometimes a need to go with the flow and sometimes it can take the anxiety out of a decision, if someone else makes it for you, but the key is to know when to stop going with the flow and go your own way.

Our workshop covers all aspects of personal safety from a low impact perspective; we don’t teach personal safety techniques that require force. We teach techniques that are subtle, easy to learn and easy to remember, all our techniques are perfect for you no matter what your gender, size or strength.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Exploring Icebergs

Title – Exploring Icebergs
Date – December 2006
Location - Antarctica

Getting up close and personal with an iceberg is best done with a small boat that can manoeuvre round them rather than a large sea going vessel that will never stop in time; here in Antarctica the experts know how to show you this final frontier in adventure travel.

Icebergs this size are commonly know to be nine times as big below the water as they are above it and happily float around on the currents occasionally bumping in to each other. So every morning you wake up, the landscape has changed.

Beyond The Blue is a company that was set up to allow it’s experienced instructors to pass on their knowledge and treasure trove of tricks and tips to people planning on travelling for the first time. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop covers every aspect of the travelling experience prior to your departure, so that you can set off fully prepared for what you might encounter, but without any loss to the experiences, when you actually have them.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – © Heather Spalton

Perspective

Title – Perspective
Date – December 2006
Location - Perito Moraneo Glacier - Argentina

The 30km long Perito Moraneo Glacier is one of Argentina’s main tourist attractions and for good reason. It is one of only three glaciers in the country that is currently not retreating and the spectacular 5km wide wall regularly looses great chunks of ice that crash down its 60m and into the lake below. Most people who visit this glacier do so in the vain hope that a spectacular breach will occur just as they happen to be there.

A breach is an event that happens on an irregular basis, anywhere between every two and ten years and with the previous five occurring in 1980, 1984, 1988, 2004 and the last one in March 2006 (Information correct as of August 2006) you really would have to get lucky to see one. A breach occurs when the glacier flows right across of the lake and through to the other side creating a natural dam. The water on one side of the dam can rise to height 30m above the level of the other side and eventually the pressure reaches critical point and smashes through the glacier barrier to equalise the lake once again and prepare for the cycle to start all over.

The size of this glacier and the pressures involved are simply incomprehensible, but perspective is everything and as this photograph demonstrates, you have to go to these places to appreciate them properly.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop is designed to help individuals go and see these wonders for themselves. Beyond The Blue believes in the powerful effect travelling can have on peoples lives; the perspective they gain can change their lives completely. We are on hand to help you to make a start and gain the confidence, to not only take the giant leap into the unknown, but to understand the nature of the unknown itself.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – © Heather Spalton

Elephant Seals

Title – Elephant Seals
Date – December 2006
Location - Antarctica

Elephant Seals got their name from the small trunk the males have and that they use when fighting other males for the right to breed. During these often vicious battles between males, which can grow to 7 meters in length and weight over 2 tonnes, they rear up on their stomachs, so they stand over 3 meters tall and slam their trunk onto opponents with their full weight behind them. The outcomes determines who the ‘beach master will be, who rules this section of the beach and controls his harem of up to fifty cows, like these on the shore in Antarctica.

At Beyond The Blue we recognise that these types of demonstrations of strength are not limited to the ‘animal’ world. You can find yourself in the middle of the human versions of these confrontations in a club or bar anywhere in the world and the further away from home you are the more magnified they can seem. On our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop we train those attending in conflict management and personal safety techniques to help them recognise the signs and symptoms of aggression and either to defuse the situation or when that is not possible, to remove themselves from the area of risk.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Heather Spalton

City Slicker

Title – City Slicker
Date – November 2006
Location - Torres del Paine - Chile

Getting on the back of a horse gets you a height that allows you to see so much more of what is around you and when the sights are as good as this, then you really want to take in as much as you can.

Riding on horseback is also a great way of getting through the mountains with less effort (if not comfort), you can cover much more ground and penetrate deeper into the country. But the further you get away from your camp or an urban area, the further you are away from help and many counties simply don’t have the money or infrastructure to get a helicopter to come and get you if it all goes wrong.

Even the most placid horse can bolt if it suddenly surprised by another animal or a thunder clap. There is something to be said for taking advice from people more experienced then yourself and if an experienced rider insists on a helmet when they ride, then why do those of us who only ride once or twice in our lifetime’s think it is ok to ride without one? John Wayne and Clint Eastwood have a lot to answer for…

Beyond The Blue is a company that was set up to run workshops to help people planning to travel, to prepare well and act safely, reducing risk where ever possible throughout their journey. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshops are designed to provide specific information depending on where you intend to travel and for the specific type of activities you intend to seek out.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – © Heather Spalton

Machu Pitcchu

Title – Machu Pitcchu
Date – October 2006
Location - Peru

Antipater of Sidon in the 2nd century BC made a list of the seven wonders in the world; none were far from the Greek capitol.

At Beyond The Blue we say “Antipater you missed a couple…”:

Angkor Wat, The Grand Canyon, The Great Barrier reef, Yogyakarta, Hagia Sophia, Mount Everest, The Serengeti, La Sagrada Familia, Angel Falls, Easter Island, Stonehenge, Rio Carnival, Victoria Falls, Glacier National Park, Heilala Festival, The Bay of Islands, Raffles Hotel, Table Mountain, The Skeleton Coast, The Northern Lights, Galapagos Islands, Sipidan Island, The Great Wall of China, The Haj, Uluru, Venice, The Taj Mahal, The Amazon River & Rainforest, Yap, Lake Titicaca, Necker Island, The Trans Siberian Express, St Petersburg, Mount Kilimanjaro, The Garden Route – South Africa, Halong Bay, The Pacific Coast Highway – USA, Lake Baikal, The Gobi Desert, Lhasa, Kodiak Island………

……….need I go on?

Oh….. and Machu Pitcchu

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop allows those attending to draw up their own list with and with a little bit of help from us, to travel to their chosen destination with confidence and return home safely.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Heather Spalton

Salt Flats

Title – Salt Flats
Date – October 2006
Location - Bolivia

Yes this is a picture of a place on this planet.

Yes it is very possible to visit this location.

Yes you can.

At Beyond The Blue we don’t believe in insurmountable barriers; we believe barriers can be climbed, worked around and broken down. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop can help you get wherever you choose.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – © Heather Spalton

Alien World

Title – Alien World
Date – October 2006
Location - Bolivia

Bolivia’s massive salt flats leave you with the feeling of having visited another planet. The largest of the salt flats Salar de Uyuni is with its 4,085 square miles (10,582 square km) the largest in the world and roughly half the size of Wales.

This salt flat is used by the locals to collect and harvest the salt, an activity that in many places is still entirely done by hand without the help of heavy machinery. But with these harvests taking some 25,000 tonnes out of the flats every year, how long is it before the flats disappear completely?

Fortunately Salar de Uyuni alone holds some estimated 10 billion tonnes of salt meaning that the flats are set to be there for several hundred more years.

When travelling there always someone to tell you how good a place was when they visited it 10 years ago and how places have been spoilt in the last 5 years. There is no doubt the world is changing quickly, but like the salt flats, amazing sights are going to be available to the intrepid traveller for many, many, more years.

Beyond The Blue run workshops to help people explore a world that still has many secrets to reveal and our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshops are designed to teach individuals both the skills required to travel, as well as the ideal destination for their experience levels and personal preferences.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – © Heather Spalton

The Andes

Title – The Andes
Date – October 2006
Location - Peru

The Andes is one of the world’s great mountain ranges and runs the length of South America’s west coast, for some 4,500 miles and up to 300 miles wide, making it the longest mountain range in the world. With the highest peak rising to 22,841 feet (6,962m), Aconcagua is the highest mountain outside of Asia.

With the average height of the Andes being above 13,000 feet (4000m) altitude sickness should be a real concern to everyone travelling in this part of the world.

It is not thought that altitude sickness is related to age, gender or physical fitness, although fitness will certainly help you overcome it more quickly. With high altitude defined as above 8000 feet (2400m), very high altitude as above 12,000 feet (3650m) and extreme high altitude 18,000 feet (5,500m), much of the Andes would fall within the very high altitude bracket. There is no full proof rule to avoiding altitude sickness and it can affect anyone at any height. The symptoms include; headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, loss of appetite, fatigue, shortness of breath, disturbed sleep, general feeling of malaise, decreased co-ordination (ataxia), confusion, tightness in the chest, and a persistent cough bringing up white, watery, or frothy fluid, confusion, and irrational behaviour.

The best way to avoid altitude sickness is to slow your accent rate when hiking, to avoid reaching heights quickly and rest to acclimatise at regular intervals. To treat it, sever cases should seek medical attention, but the first thing to do is descend a minimum of 300m and at least 600m for more severe cases, but generally descend as much as you can. In the milder cases this descent alone will eventually lead to the symptoms slowly disappearing.

Beyond The Blue was created on the basis that prevention is better then a cure and through our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop we help individuals planning trip to a new part of the world to prepare properly for both the exciting experiences as well as those that would be better avoided. We also examine the subject of Travel Health and what to do in the case of an emergency.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – © Heather Spalton

Roast Guinea Pig

Title – Roast Guinea Pig
Date – October 2006
Location - Peru

Guinea Pigs in the UK are usually the cute furry little kid’s pets that spend all day running pointlessly round a wheel in a small cage.

In Peru the Guinea Pig is more likely to be seen roasting on a spit in one of the countries many restaurants serving this local speciality. It is by no means a side dish or curiosity, with over 65,000,000 Guinea Pigs being consumed every year it really is part of the stable diet; served in a variety of dishes the taste (as everything seems to) is much like rabbit / chicken.

Trying something new is very much part of the travel experience, for many the travel experience alone is a new experience and some of these other new experiences along the way, are a step too far. Beyond The Blue run workshops to help individuals to make the most of their planned journeys. With the help of our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop you can embrace the new experiences and choose for yourself, exactly how far you want to take them.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – © Heather Spalton

Shoe Shine Boys

Title – Shoe Shine Boys
Date – September 2006
Location - Quito - Ecuador

In many developing countries children are forced to work to help supplement the income of the family. Travellers and tourists have different opinions of how to deal with these kids. Does using their services and giving them a few pennies perpetuate the problems of children having to work or does it help the child and his family to eat?

Certainly the situation varies from child to child and from country to country; take a little time to talk to them and find out if they go to school or where they live and you should get all the information you need to make a judgement for yourself.

Beyond The Blue run workshops to help individuals make choices for themselves about where they are going to travel and what they will do when there. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop helps individuals to understand what they need to plan in advance and what information they can hope to get when they arrive. Our primary goal is to help people make the correct decisions, when they are far away from home.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – © Heather Spalton

Transportation by JCB

Title – Transportation by JCB
Date – September 2006
Location - Ecuador

When you are travelling in some parts of the world you have to be prepared to deal with the poor infrastructure and delays that result. Earthquakes and landslides can be a regular occurrence, but you will generally find that the locals are used to these events and have a great ability to use their initiative to resolve them.

In Ecuador this JCB worked alternately at clearing the earth from the site of this road repair and helping those needing to get through this part of the road to span the gap.

Beyond The Blue was established to help you span the gaps in the information you have about your destinations and our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop will help you to get from your home to your dream destination and back again safely.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – © Heather Spalton

Alpine Summer

Title – Alpine Summer
Date – August 2006
Location - Grindlewald - Switzerland

Choosing the right time of year to visit a new country is the first matter you should address when planning a trip. Summer in the Alps is as rewarding as winter; the landscapes are so different it can feel like two different countries. Activities are not limited to the obvious and while you can’t ski in the middle of summer you can hike, paraglide and mountain bike. The Alps are truly one of the primary adventure sport destinations of the world.

Beyond The Blue run Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop throughout the UK and beyond. We train individuals in personal safety, travel safety and destination information, visa and insurance requirements and many other topics on our two day workshop.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Tiananmen Square

Title – Tiananmen Square
Date – July 2006
Location - Beijing - China

History has made Tiananmen Square a name known round the world for all the wrong reasons. It conjures up pictures of the most dramatic and distressing scenes, as the Chinese Government violently put down the popular pro-democracy demonstrations in 1989. Knowing the history of a country you are visiting can give you an insight that you might otherwise miss, the simple magnitude of this square is haunting and puts into perspective the terrible events of that week in June.

At Beyond The Blue we try not only to warn you of the pitfalls of travelling, but to get you really excited and itching to leave. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshops don’t just concentrate on the bad things that can happen and the parts of the world that suffer from internal conflict, we also give advice on the best things to de and the most exciting places to visit. We want you to leave with a level of enthusiasm that will see your plan turned into reality.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Boating Beijing

Title – Boating Beijing
Date – July 2006
Location - Beijing - China

The tea boats are a great way to spend an afternoon cruising the city of Beijing, they keep you out of the intense heat in summer and you are looked after and served tea throughout while you watch the city go about its daily business. It’s a fascinating insight into a completely different way of life and a new angle to see the city from.

Beyond The Blue endeavours to look at the subjects it teaches from new angles, we don’t think the traditional way is the always the best. We will not just tell you that the size of China is 9.6 million square km, we will tell you that and that it’s 40 times the size of the UK. Which way of looking at this simple subject will you remember when you come to plan your trip?

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshops are directed at people going on their first big trip abroad. It is delivered by experienced instructors who know the best ways to get their message across, as they were once in your shoes and understand the worries you have when planning your first trip.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Beyond The Blue

Title – Beyond The Blue
Date – July 2006
Location - Beijing - China

Beyond The Blue stands out amongst it competitors in directing courses specifically for the planned destinations of those people attending and we stand out in the levels of customer service we expect to show our customers.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop will enable you to stand out amongst your peers as the most well prepared of travellers.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Little Ikea

Title – Little Ikea
Date – July 2006
Location - Beijing - China

Exploring the back streets can lead to exciting discoveries. This man was selling his hand made miniature furniture down a side street and was truly a local character worth chatting to while enjoying a break from the extreme heat of the city.

Going down a side street can be an exciting trip of discovery, but use caution and know your location and the threats that you may find there. If you have made you assessment of the risk and decided to explore, then the personal safety physical intervention techniques we train you in, during our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop, may give you the edge if you suddenly find yourself out of your depth.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Busking

Title – Busking
Date – July 2006
Location - Beijing - China

Staying awake is the way not to miss an opportunity; in the case of this man in Beijing the chance to make a few RMB from passing tourists faded when he fell asleep, but not before he took a good hold of his collecting tin.

When you are visiting parts of the world you are unfamiliar in, you must try and stay awake sometimes physically, always mentally. Beyond The Blue, through the extensive experience we have of travelling the world, know all the tricks to reduce the risk to you and your possessions when the time comes for you to finally nod off. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop makes you aware of the dangers you may face on your travels and how to reduce the risks, by being mentally aware.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Rickshaws

Title – Rickshaws
Date – July 2006
Location - Beijing - China

Rickshaws have long been the transport of choice in many cities and towns throughout Asia and to this day millions of rickshaws make tens of millions of trips throughout the region every day. In some of the more popular tourist centres they ply their trade directly for tourists, but mostly rickshaw driver see tourists as a bonus and a source of extra revenue as they can demand a higher fare from you then the locals. But despite this they can be the most efficient mode of transport and the cheapest when you have to get round in the madness of local traffic.

It’s useful, if you don’t want to get a complete sightseeing tour of the city, to have some knowledge of how to get to your destination, so you can give some direction to the runner or driver. The other way to get to your destination via the quickest route is to negotiate the cost before you set off.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop looks at the Transport Options, not only in getting to your destination, but in getting from one location to the next and within the countries themselves. Beyond The Blue does not recommend particular carriers or companies during its courses, but does discuss the experiences of the instructors.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Blue Mosque

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Title – Blue Mosque
Date – June 2006
Location - Istanbul – Turkey

Istanbul is the gateway to Asia or if you are coming from Asia… it’s the gateway to Europe. In either direction this is assumed to be where Europe ends and the mighty continent of Asia begins. This line defined by the banks of the Bosporus, which cuts through the heart of this city of vibrancy, energy and sometimes just a little confusion about where it actually fits into the world.

The locals in Istanbul have long lived on this divide and refer to the two sections of their city as the ‘European side’ and the ‘Asian side’, but Istanbul is neither, Istanbul is simply and quintessentially Istanbul.

A city which for centuries has dealt with the diversity within; a city that believes in itself; a city that reinvents itself repeatedly throughout history; it is a destination that should not be missed. The mosques tower over the river; this temple designed by Mehmed Aga stands opposite the famous Hagia Sophia. Mehmed’s objective was to build a mosque with a bigger dome then the Hagia Sophia, which itself supports one of the biggest domes ever built. He failed in surpassing the magnificence of Hagia Sophia and in reality had no chance in competing with the history of this older structure. But in itself the Blue Mosque is a magnificent structure and sitting next to its more famous neighbour; they dominate this part of the cities skyline and play a significant role in a city whose turbulent past is only matched by its own sense of hope for the future.

Beyond The Blue runs Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshops designed to help those people travelling anywhere in the world prepare for their forthcoming experiences so that they can travel to both urban and rural areas anywhere in the world, with confidence and the skills to do so in safety.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Seahorse

Title – Seahorse
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

This bright yellow Tigertail seahorse (Hippocampus comes) is just one member of the seahorse family and can be found amongst the most beautiful reefs in the Philippines. But as much as Seahorses are a peculiarity to us and fascinate us by their truly bizarre evolution, they have also fascinated other cultures which have seen the peculiarity slightly differently.

Sea horses used to be readily available as tourist trinkets, in a very similar way to the still hugely damaging sea shell industry. You could (and in some destinations still can) buy them dried and ready to go. Fortunately tourists have in the most part woken up to not only how unattractive an object a dried seahorse is, but also how endangered they were becoming; as a result less and less people are perpetuating this trade.

However the seahorse like many endangered animals faces an even greater threat; Chinese traditional medicine. Although due to it’s size Chinese medicine takes most of the blame for annual harvests of sea horses, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea also practice versions of this traditional medicine. Jamu medicine in Indonesia and folk medicine in the Philippines also use these delicate and shy little animals to treat a range of conditions, including respiratory disorders such as asthma, impotence and other sexual dysfunctions, and general lethargy and pain.

Although statistics are difficult to verify, as much of the trade is illegal and unregistered, it is believed that somewhere in the region of 70 metric tonnes of sea horses were harvested in 2001 alone. That is the equivalent of roughly 25,000,000 sea horses harvested in that one year. Population estimates indicate that sea horse numbers declined by some 50% in the 1990’s and in specific location like the Philippines that figure is estimated to be in the region of 70%.

At Beyond The Blue we believe in informing candidates through our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop not only how to travel is safety, but also to travel responsibly. We understand that people often want to visit areas of the world where these ethical or environmentally responsible principles are not always met by local populations, but that does not prevent travellers from not adding to these problems; we examine ways of ensuring that the impact we have, when travelling, is a positive one.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Scorpion Fish

Title – Scorpion Fish
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

Scorpion fish blend in perfectly to their surroundings, you will hardly ever see them unless they decide to move, but that’s not all they have to defend themselves with. Their dorsal fin has evolved into a set of short sharp spines that will inject nasty venom into anyone who steps or puts a hand down on one. It is highly unlikely to kill you, but you the following is a list of symptoms associated with a sting from this fish:

Severe Local Pain, Swelling
Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhoea
Shortness of breath
High or Low blood pressure, rapid or slow heart rate
Fainting, Delirium, Seizures, Paralysis

Treatment recommended is:

Wash the area with salt water. Remove any foreign material at the wound site. Contact the hospital. Soak the wound in the hottest water the person can tolerate for 30 to 90 minutes, if instructed to do so. Contact Poison Control Centre for appropriate treatment instructions.

Beyond The Blue is all too aware that accidentally stepping on a scorpion fish is rare, but the number of people with health care problems or who need hospital visits whilst travelling is not so rare. During our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop we examine the subject of what to do if you find yourself in need of medical care, when you are far away from home. We also discuss the different types of insurance available and the importance of choosing the one that is going to best suit the needs of your travel plans.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Nudibranch

Title – Nudibranch
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

This Nudibranch (Phyllidia varicosa) is a type of sea slug that lives on the coral reefs of the Philippines. But Nudibranchs can be found in most tropical reefs around the world. They tend to be small and difficult to spot (this one was only about 2 cm in length). Nudibranchs really don’t look like our typical image of slugs and are generally brightly coloured and beautiful to look at. But you have to look hard to find them.

Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder, but it is also in the detail.

At Beyond The Blue we believe detail is important and when we run our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop we tailor it to suit the specific needs of those attending. We ask you to fill out an Pre-booking Form that indicates the outline of your travel plans, so that we can present the information most relevant to you. The detail is important and rushing a general overview would be wrong for us to do, when presenting a workshop and wrong for you to do when exploring a new country.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Manta Ray

Title – Manta Ray
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

No one quite knows how big Manta Rays get, reports of rays with a wingspan of in excess of 9 meters have been reported and even a 6 meter Manta can weigh in at over 1.5 tonnes. However on average a Manta like this one would have a wingspan of some 4 meters.

Fortunately these monsters of the sea are almost completely harmless to humans, being plankton eaters they glide through the water like eagles soaring and often seem completely oblivious to you diving just a few meters away. The only way they will hurt you is if you were to approach or try and touch one and then you might get a slap with a very big wing for your troubles, but this would not be an aggressive attack simply a very big fish wanting to get away from you.

Manta Rays are the highlight of any dive and some people fly half way round the world just to have an encounter with one.

Things are not always what they seem and you have to make judgements on things you see every single day; sometimes you will jump to the wrong conclusion because insufficient information is available. At Beyond The Blue we know that Manta Rays are generally harmless and we also know that approaching people or animals you are unfamiliar with can put you in a very vulnerable position. During our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop we examine situations in which you might find yourself that would make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe and look at different ways of dealing with these situations. This dynamic risk assessment approach will help you to reduce the risks during your trip.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Barracuda

Title – Barracuda
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

The Foster's barracuda (Sphyraena forsteri) tend to shoal and like many animal species the safety in numbers allows them to confuse their predators, just as their smaller prey try and confuse them, by shoaling in their ten of thousands.

Staying in open public places is one of the most basic steps you can use when trying to act safely in an unfamiliar location.

Travelling alone doesn’t mean you have to stay that way. In most countries you will struggle not to meet other travellers and when you do its worth remembering that if you want to experience something in a remote location, it is worth taking them along. Safety in numbers is not exclusive to the fish world.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop was set up to help individuals learn the skills they will need to travel round the world in a safe and confident manner.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Lion Fish

Title – Lion Fish
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

The Common Lion Fish (Pterois volitans) is one of the reefs most stunning fish and make a great subject for underwater photography. They are very confident, protected from attack by larger predators by the poisonous dorsal spines and the pectoral spines that they have evolved.

This adaptation has given the Lion Fish the enviable position of being well protected from those other fish that might view it as a tasty morsel. Potential predators are given the clear ‘keep clear’ message through their bright colouration.

When travelling round the world it is important to demonstrate that you are not vulnerable through the signals you send out. At Beyond The Blue we believe that the way the Lion Fish protects itself by drawing attention to the warning colours, is not exactly what we would recommend. But through our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop we will teach you personal safety techniques and communication skills that will help you to blend into your surroundings and enable to send messages to ‘predators’, which may make you an unattractive target for them.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Nemo

Title – Nemo
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

Fish names are just one of the things that change from country to country and not just because of the language. The Great White Shark is known as a White Pointer is Australia; the Bull Shark is known as a Zambezi Shark in Mozambique; and the Anemone Fish (Amphiprion clarkii) (sitting on a Bulb-Tentacle Sea Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor)) is now known the world over as Nemo! Thanks Disney…

At Beyond The Blue we believe in plain speaking, there is no hidden agenda or jargon that you will not understand. Our courses are open to everyone who thinks that it may help them in their journeys. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop gets straight to the point, we don’t try and scare you or paint a rosy picture where there is none. Our sole objective is to ensure that you learn skills that will help you travel safely and prepare well for what you can expect to come across, when so far away from home.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Dive Prep.

Title – Dive Prep.
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

Of the many extreme sports that are available in different parts of the world, diving is the one that people come back to time and time again. There is some debate as to whether diving should really be classified as an extreme sport, but whatever your opinion, diving has been growing as one of the most practiced sports in the world for many years and the recreational dive market is now very substantial.

There are many great dive destinations around the world, but each destination has its own merits and dangers. Some should really only be tackled by experienced divers and some are better for learning then others. At Beyond The Blue we can advise you on the best dive destination in the world and the best ones to suit you. We provide this detail within the destination advice session of our workshop or through specific consultancy services.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop can help you to choose the destinations that will suit you best and help you prepare for travel with all the advice you will need to complete your trip safely.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Derelict Boat

Title – Derelict Boat
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

Taking note of signs is one of the basic ways to reduce risks. The standards you may be used to at home might not be replicated at your destination, but they may have their own regulations, even if they are not always followed.

Here there are two clear signs; the first is the obvious condition of the vessel and the second the clarification of what the boat can be used for by the sign on the side. It’s fair to say that the signs are not normally this obvious, but even in vessels that look like they are in perfect condition there are signs to beware of. How many people can be on the boat at any one time? How far is it allowed to travel? Is it designed for the sea or inland waters? Will the engine actually get you to your destination?

However you travel, it’s worth noting the condition and reputation of the vessel in which you are about to travel. During our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop we will pass on the many tips we have learned from the years we have spent travelling the world to help you make the right choices based on the subtle and not so subtle signs that surround us all. Beyond The Blue uses only experienced travellers as instructors; our instructors love travel and love helping other to achieve their goals.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Coast Guard Boat

Title – Coast Guard Boat
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

This boat emblazoned with a big sign reading:

Task Force
Cebu Police Province Office

It didn’t fill me with confidence!

The authorities in different countries can vary substantially from what you are used to in your home country. Often it will not be as effective and efficient as you are used to. In some countries your concerns will be dealt with as a priority and others will consider almost any local issue before they deal with you as a ‘foreigner’. In many countries the authorities themselves are considered ‘corrupt’ and this can lead to a unique set of problems, including the need to deal with officials who may expect a bribe from you, before they help you to achieve your goals.

Beyond The Blue’s workshop looks at the type of authority figures you will come across on your travels and what sort of reaction you can expect if you find yourself on the wrong side of the law or a victim of crime. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop provides you with advice on how to deal with the authorities including customs, the police and medical services

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

New Boat Launch

Title – New Boat Launch
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

Launching this new boat built by the villagers themselves in the traditional Philippine style was more then just the trial of strength; despite taking most of the men of the village. As part of the traditional launch ceremony, 21 ducks had their wings clipped and were placed into the sea from the boat before being retrieved and used to provide for the feast held to celebrate, that same evening.

Traditions such as this one are common round the world and although they take very different forms depending where you are they can be the highlight of any trip. By befriending local people and learning how to be accepted, you may have the good fortune to be invited along to help celebrate. You might even bring honour on your hosts by joining them in their celebration.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop teaches the skills required to develop good communication and looks at ways that you can help yourself be accepted by the locals in the country you are visiting. We understand the difference that your host’s acceptance can make to your experiences, but we also understand the dangers when you place too much trust in people you don’t really know. It is finding the right balance that makes all the difference.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

East meets West

Title – East meets West
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

The differences in ‘us’ and ‘them’; ‘east’ and ‘west’; ‘developed world’ and ‘developing world’ are not that great. Nowhere is that better represented then in kids. One has a game boy the other wants to play and the other is taking a cockerel to a traditional Philippine cock fight that the other wants to witness.

The saying ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’ is one that we are all familiar with and the happiness amongst people who have nothing is always described as a lesson to those of us who, comparatively, have everything.

The truth is that people all over the world have a great deal in common and that with the exception of some cultural differences is it not that difficult to relate to other people and learn to understand them and what is important to them.

Beyond The Blue run workshops to help individuals planning a trip to a new country to prepare themselves for what is certain to be an experience they will remember for a life time and one which will change the opinions they have of other nationalities and cultures. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop has been designed specifically for your requirements when in the planning stages of your trip and to put you on a solid footing for the first steps you make into world travel.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Jeepney

Title – Jeepney
Date – May 2006
Location - Manila - Philippines

The Jeepney is the primary means of transport round Manila and the other cities of the Philippines. They run regular routes around and outside of town, picking up and dropping off wherever the demand of the passenger requires. As the most cost effective means of transport, they are a great way to experience the every-day life of the average Pilipino.

Jeepneys are the pride of their owners. They decorate them in chrome, lights and logos from head to foot, each one seemingly trying to be shinier, brighter and more customised then the next.

The original jeepneys were developed from the jeeps the US Army left behind, surplus to requirements after the Second World War. They were often cut up and extended in the middle, where then two benches are lined up opposite each other to enable the maximum number of passengers to fit in. The large American military presence on the islands of the Philippines at the time of WWII has had a direct effect on the country and the influence (and the continued presence of US military bases) is still obvious in many aspects of their lives, particularly in urban areas.

The workshops developed by Beyond The Blue to help individuals to learn the skills required, to travel in a safe manner and with the correct Travel Equipment, Travel Documents and insurance can be run in your area and targeted at your particular travel destinations. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop will help you to make the right choices when you are travelling far away from home. We cover issues such as Transport Options, and Destination Advice so you can travel if not always in comfort at least being comfortable with your situation.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Friendly Gecko

Title – Friendly Gecko
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

Geckos come in all shapes and sizes, this one about 12 inches long and 1.5 across was a hefty fellow. He seemed intent on guarding my hut from the invasion of bugs or maybe he was just having a feast with those being attracted by my lights; either way as someone keen and interested in reptiles of all shapes and sizes he certainly was interesting to watch.

It wasn’t until the light turned off and I was trying to get some sleep that I realised his greatest attribute, his voice... Never have I heard and animal of this size produce quite such a racket. The sound seemed to go right through my ears, straight down my spinal column and from this central nervous system; it hit every nerve ending in my body. But no matter how many times I threw shoes, books, rocks and more at the palm thatch ceiling, once hidden he refused to show himself. The only way I could still tell he was there, that screeching.

The unexpected is often what frustrates us most. Getting to the other side of the world and realising that you brought you ipod, but left the headphones behind or in this case searching though your bag like a mad man when the earplugs you bought, must still be sitting on the mantelpiece at home.

Beyond The Blue provides workshops to help individuals planning travel to new parts of the world prepare for these experiences. There is nothing to be gained by loosing sleep; our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop will help you gain the confidence that your preparations are complete and appropriate for your destination. Turning up in the tropics with plenty of Gortex or in Antarctica with a sarong may seem obvious mistakes; but dealing with a gecko on a small island in the Philippines is an altogether different battle and requires different equipment… this time a battle that he won…

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Fuel Delivery

Title – Fuel Delivery
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

‘A different way of life to the one you leave behind’, is the motivation behind many people’s desire to travel across the world, but it’s not always easy to know what you are going to see when you get there. Certainly it’s different enough on this island, there are no petrol stations or cars, but fuel is still at the very core of survival.

To run the generators that provide the power to the various facilities, the fuel has to be brought over from the mainland in drums, for small holdings the drums are simply unaffordable, so their response is a mobile petrol station, of sorts. These two girls seemed quite content on this hot day with their toil in life, to drag the canoe full of fuels round the shore in the shallows selling it to small holdings and earning a few pennies for their family along the way. The beaming smile, which we sometimes seem to have lost in the comfort of developed countries, still shines through despite the back breaking work.

We believe that there is a lot that people can learn from travelling the world and therefore putting their own world into some perspective. We also understand the effect that your visit can have on the small holdings of countries so far away from your own. Therefore at Beyond The Blue we teach individuals how to travel in safety and how to travel conscientiously.

Through our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop we help those people planning to realise their ambitions of discovering a new part or the world, by offering advice, guidance and information on their destinations and the positive effect they can have on them.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew