Caleb's Carry-ons

Caleb's Carry-ons Hello everyone! This page will showcase my adventures and travels around the world. From ca

Grape vineyards and olive groves are still a major part of agriculture in the Greek islands, particularly on Santorini a...
20/07/2021

Grape vineyards and olive groves are still a major part of agriculture in the Greek islands, particularly on Santorini and Mykonos, where I have been traveling.

Santorini, known for their white wines, grow their grapes close to the ground due to the wind. Also, the volcanic soil and its acidity lend to a unique flavor of the wine produced.

While Mykonos does produce wine grapes, they also have may olive groves. Several varieties of olives are grown, including those used to make table olives, and olive oil.

Founded as Constantinople in 330 AD by the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, and conquered by the Ottoman Turks on Ma...
15/07/2021

Founded as Constantinople in 330 AD by the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, and conquered by the Ottoman Turks on May 29th, 1454, today’s Istanbul is a vibrant, chaotic, and historic city. The city was a Roman city, and with its conquering in 1454, so did the last of the Roman Empire fall. But the Ottomans added their own influences to the city.

The Hagia Sophia is perhaps the best known landmark of Istanbul. The mosque (originally a church) was finished in 537 AD by Emperor Justinian I. Hagia Sophia stood for almost 1000 years as the largest building in the world. An amazing engineering work!

Built later by the Ottomans, the Blue Mosque is also famous in the city for the blue tiles that adorn its inside. Not far away is the Grand Bazaar, containing over 4000 shops!

Gold has been admired for thousands of years, and on the Arabian Peninsula it is no exception. At the Gold Souk in Old D...
12/07/2021

Gold has been admired for thousands of years, and on the Arabian Peninsula it is no exception. At the Gold Souk in Old Dubai, you can find stores selling gold of various purities. In Islam, men are not permitted to wear gold, but women are. If you are looking for women’s jewelry, or something for the special lady in your life, and you happen to be in Dubai, definitely check out this glimmering market.

12/07/2021

The Arabian Desert receives less than four inches of rain on average each year, making it one of the driest and most desolate places on earth. When you are in the desert, just listen. The desert is quite, aside from the wind shifting the sand.

28/06/2021

Zip lining is perhaps one of the most well know high adventure activities that people participate in. In this particular course, there were nine cables that varied in length from a few hundred feet to a half mile. On some of lines, participants can reach speeds from anywhere between 20-40 mph.

As long as you can make it up to the platforms, zip lining is a high adventure activity that most people can participate in. With most courses suspended in the forest canopy, or over a variety of terrain, the views can be incredible. If you ever get a chance to participate in zip lining, as its available to people across all ages, I would highly recommend!

28/06/2021

Today’s theme is going to focus on “high adventure.” High adventure activities that are usually outdoors, beyond the norm of what most people participate in, usually are quite physical, and require some skills to participate in (our guides lent their skills for these activities).

In Belize, outside of my scuba diving, I participated in both repelling and zip lining. Below is a video of me conducting the second stage of my repel down Antelope Falls. The second stage is a 100 foot repel down the rock face on the side of the falls. Connected to a rope and safety system via your harness, you slowly feed rope through a loop on your right side (that prevents runaway descents) while using your left hand to maintain some balance. From there you simply lean back, and walk down the side.

Repelling can be intimidating, but as long as you trust your guide and your equipment you can have a great time!

The natural beauty of Belize never ceases to awe. 🇧🇿
27/06/2021

The natural beauty of Belize never ceases to awe. 🇧🇿

27/06/2021

At the top of the mountain, upriver from Antelope Falls, is a series of smaller waterfalls. Each of these waterfalls create small pools around their base, allowing people to swim in and enjoy the refreshing 75 degree water... which feels wonderful after hiking up the mountain in 85 degree heat!

27/06/2021

My time in Belize may have concluded, but I have so much left to share! Over the next few days I will being making a series of posts that reflect specific themes having to do with my adventures.

Today’s series will be on waterfalls. Belize is a country of waterfalls, and the locals will tell you they are the prettiest in the world. Waterfalls are not only enjoyed for their beauty, but used as an economic engine by allowing people to pay to visit them in national parks, on high adventure tours, etc.

This waterfall is known as Antelope Falls. Antelope Falls comes in two sections with a height of over 250 feet. It is popular with tourist who want to repel down its slick side. In the video the falls has a steady stream of water, and repellers do get wet. When the rains begin soon, the waterfall will become a torrent, and repellers will be soaked!

Sunrises and moonrises are a staple of coastal life hear in Hopkins. As Hopkins sits on the Caribbean Sea, you face the ...
25/06/2021

Sunrises and moonrises are a staple of coastal life hear in Hopkins.

As Hopkins sits on the Caribbean Sea, you face the east as you look towards the water. When the sun rises every morning at around 5:20am, the sky is rich with color and draped in light. When the sun sets around 6:30pm, the moon takes its place. It happens to be a full moon, so the ocean is cast a glow with white light, and the clouds seems to shimmer.

Getting up early, and going to bed early, have been a nice change of pace. I appreciate the early sun to run and exercise in the mornings, and the early nights so I can rest after a long day of diving.

Never underestimate the power of a sunrise on the soul, or the subtle beauty of a full moon over the ocean.

Belize does not cease to amaze! It proves time and time again why it is a world class diving destination. Situated on th...
22/06/2021

Belize does not cease to amaze! It proves time and time again why it is a world class diving destination. Situated on the second largest barrier reef in the world (the largest in the Western Hemisphere), the reef is home to numerous species. Today’s highlights included spotted eagle rays, nurse sharks, and trumpet fish. The nurse sharks are of particular note as they followed my group through most of the dive on the reef.

The barrier reef also provides a sharp contrast in underwater terrain. On the side nearest the mainland, the reef and water are rather shallow, only 60 feet or less in many places. On the side facing the open Caribbean, a wall is present that drops off to 300+ feet. These wall are also excellent places to find fish and sea life hiding within their crevasses.

Couple all of that with the easy currents, abundant corals, and close proximity from land, the Belizean barrier reef is a natural treasure and a diver’s dream. Belize has easily become one of my favorite dive sites in the world.

22/06/2021

Nurse sharks are common throughout the costal reefs of the Americas, as well as parts of Europe and Africa. They are opportunistic feeders, preying mostly on small fish and stingrays, using the suctioning capacity of their mouth to hold onto food (they have one of the highest suction strengths recorded in marine vertebrates). As they are hardy sharks, they are used often in shark research for understanding physiology.

On the barrier reef here in Belize, they were rather unafraid of the divers. One large and one small nurse shark swam around the group almost the entire time we were on the reef. They swam so close to me that I had the change to touch their fins, and even stroke their back on no less than 10 occasions! Their skin felt like fine sandpaper. There is a risk associated with this, particularly since they are predators and wild animals. However, I knew and assumed the risk, and I feel for me it was rewarding!

Address

Athens

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Caleb's Carry-ons posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Caleb's Carry-ons:

Share