Another night dive and another success for capturing fluorescence from the ROV! The payload developed for this had stopped working, which we’re currently troubleshooting. As such the dive flashlight was attached to the payload bar and after Paul and Chris had helped to achieve the desired weight distribution and buoyancy, we deployed the ROV in […]
August 2, 2015
Novetel London, England
It seems that this trip has flown by, but in the last few days we have covered a lot of ground. Today we visited Trafalgar Square, which was a unique area with various forms of art. The area was loud and disorganized and there were people everywhere. Each and every person has something to look at whether it was the lions, the monuments, the homeless man steeling from the fountains, or the various levitating Yodas. After the final group presented on the area it was nice to wander around and see some of the different artwork. One man was making rings and allowing anyone to take them for free, but he did appreciate tips. It seemed that most of the street performers there provided there service for free, yet they all looked like they were getting a generous amount of donations. To wrap up my final day in London I will be going to ChinaTown and Hyde Park. In the park I would like to ride around on a bike and see the gardens and Serpentine Lake. After that I would like to find a nice restaurant to stop at. Finally I want to return to Paul’s bakery for some I’ve cream and macaroons. Anyhow it’s time for me to leave the Novetel and get on the underground.
-Colton
Yesterday as a group we went to Stonehenge and Oxford as well as made a trip to Windsor castle, which by the way is the oldest standing castle in the world. My favorite part of the day was definitely making it to Oxford because we were exposed to the brilliance of the first English speaking university and we also became indulged in the culture. The main highlight of Oxford for myself was being given the privilege to experience the eagle and child pub which is a local pub in Oxford. The significance of this pub was the fact that many of the greatest 20th century writers met in a secret group here only for those to discuss important literary works. One of the main figures of this group was JRR Tolkien who by the way wrote lord of the rings and the hobbit. He made an impact on my life with his works because it made my life so much better and it made me get the chance to dive into the fantasy world. Although it was a short trip, im glad that I was able to walk into the pub and grab some food as well as obviously take pictures of the pub itself. I didn’t catch a good snapshot inside of the pub but I did catch a great photo from before we walked in. Hope you enjoy !
This was our first day (08/01/15) of doing our own lagoon survey and it went ok. Our first site had A LOT of sea cucumbers. At the 10 m and 25 m transects there were easily a 1000 sea cucumbers. At the farther ends there were a good amount of tube worms but very few […]
After a long journey of movies and sleep we have arrived! Finally.
I am beyond excited for the next week.I’m feeling a bit of culture shock even as we venture on our way away from the airport and towards the hotel. The tube is amazing, but also overwhelming for someone who has never used it. I find it especially hard to keep us as I try to take in the size, history and beauty of the city I will reside in for the week.
All that uneasy feeling was worth our first day if architectural exploration. We experienced our fist adventures in Westminster Abby, Buckingham Palace and Changing of the guard! The best part? Well other than the previously mentioned, our tour guide Shawn was the most refreshing, kind and funny tour guide I have ever encountered. He made ending a tour fun, but sad to see him go.
My excitement and amazement is beyond words. The ache in my feet from the walking, climbing, standing, waiting, however, is not. Despite the discomfort, sore feet are worth every minute of this experience. Of all of the experiences my favorite first day activity was the London Eye. The sights you see are amazing. We were able to see just about all of London from the the top.
Perhaps the most interesting part about our first day is the shock of having to adjust to the different culture despite
the lack of language barrier. We have been smiled at, scoffed at, teased, hugged.. and all in a matter of a day!
What a wonderful week it has been! From visiting the majestic Windsor Castle to seeing London from the top of the Shard, to going to the outskirts of England to see the Stonehenge, this trip has been absolutely surreal.
Even though I am tired from lack of sleep and my feet hurt from walking around so much, I cannot complain because being here and seeing all that London has to offer makes up for it.
My first traveling experience outside of the states has been one of the best trips I have ever taken. I’m so thankful for this opportunity and I will cherish this time in London forever!
Being from California, you don’t get to see a lot of historical buildings or older architecture. But in London, everywhere you walk is something new. We have learned so much with Dr. J that it makes our experience here so much better!
P.S. I’m in love with London.
Several of our group undertook a night snorkel at Airport Beach last night. The moon was full, the water was warm and the corals were busily fluorescing. We spent an hour swimming between coral bommies looking at the fishes that were active during the night, including iridescent cardinal fishes, squirrelfishes and a curious porcupine fish […]
Before we made the trip out to London each of us had to present on a certain point of interest in London, mine was Oxford university. Each place that was presented seemed to turn out as their favorite spot in London, because of the extra connection made through the research, and Oxford was no different for me. What interested me about Oxford was that the setup for the school was so much different than any I have seen. The university was broken up into colleges in which student attended those, there is not just one Oxford but many. While the tour guide was talking in even more depth about the colleges and the famous writers, and intellectuals, the impact of the college was even greater. Not only that but the town itself was amazing as well, it is a true college town. Also as it turns out, I ate some of the best food I have had in London as well. It was an amazing experience, and wish I could spend more time exploring and understanding Oxford even more.
…and it finally begins! Day 5 of our trip finally saw our gear arrive. At breakfast we caught the tail end of an announcement over the local radio station about our work and the students’ being here on Aitutaki. They emphasized our remotely piloted system-based monitoring of the lagoon and so created a bit of […]
The Marine lab on Aitutaki is housing a multitude of giant clams, while doing research on the impacts of amino acids in their survival. With the addition of these acids to their diets, the clams were found to survive longer and thrive better in their environment. In the wild, these clams are unlikely to survive […]
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