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Temptress TipsMaking Your
Temptress Adventure Cruise
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Prepare for motion sickness. I don't say this to scare you off, but the the Pacific (despite its name) can get choppy, especially in a small vessel. So play it safe and bring along Dramamine (or a similar over-the-counter remedy). Some people also report good results from behind-the-ear patches and wrist bands that exert pressure on a nerve point. Ships of the Temptress line dispense free Dramamine but it contains a stimulant that can interfere with your sleep. Better to bring your own.
Even if you've never been seasick in your life, heed this warning. On the other hand, don't let a tendency toward seasickness scare you away from this very special experience. I get motion sick quite easily but I found a twice-daily regimen of Dramamine kept me on an even keel, even on what turned out to be an unusually rough voyage.
Prepare for wet landings. All of Temptress's shore excursions use Zodiacs (those zippy inflated speedboats made famous by Jacques Cousteau). They bring you close to, but not onto, the shore. So you'll have to hop overboard into surf that's anywhere from ankle- to knee-deep.
But this doesn't mean you have to hike in wet shoes. You can carry your hiking boots and socks in your hand or in a plastic bag and take the Zodiac ride barefoot. Many people do. But some beaches are rough on the feet, so you may want to wear "sports sandals" of the Teva variety or "surf socks," the close fitting rubberized booties that surfers sometimes wear for protection from rock and coral. Some folks find that Teva sandals can do double duty as walking shoes once ashore. Others prefer to change out of their sandals, dry their feet with towels the crew provides, and change into dry sports shoes or hiking boots. And on many trails, you'll probably want the extra support they provide.
By the way, your boots or shoes are going to get wet in the rainforest. And muddy. But don't worry, the crew collects dirty shoes at the end of the day and returns them the next morning miraculously clean and dry. (I heard they use the heat of the engine room to dry them.) Our hiking boots looked better at the end of the trip than they did when we arrived.
Careful with your camera(s). Unless you are a photo nut and really know how to handle your expensive equipment in wet conditions, I would recommend leaving your pricey Nikons and Minoltas at home and picking up one of those disposables designed for wet conditions.
Follow the crew's advice and hang your cameras outside your door at night. Reason: the air conditioning in your room will cause the internal optics of your camera (binoculars, too) to fog up when they hit the hot, humid air outside. And don't worry, your equipment is probably safer on the Temptress than it is at home!
Bring a good pair of binoculars. Even if you're not an avid bird watcher, bring the best you have or can afford. If you've been looking for an excuse to buy one of those $1,600 pairs of binoculars, this could be it. The birds of the rainforest are elusive and it's fun to bring tree-dwelling sloths and howler monkeys up close and personal.
Leave your snorkeling equipment at home. The Temptress has excellent snorkeling gear available for free loan. At the most, bring your favorite mask.
Dress down and pack light. T-shirts and shorts are the order of the day aboard the Temptress and the crew will do two small loads (six articles each time) of laundry for you during the trip. You can also very easily hand wash shirts and such in the sink and avail yourself of the free communal dryer on board. You certainly won't need to bring any more than what's on the suggested packing list Temptress will send you and you can probably get away with less.
Other sartorial notes. Temptress recommends a light-weight rain jacket of Gore-Tex or something similar. We found that cheap ponchos, of the sort you've probably picked up a Disney World or Universal Studios, worked just fine. They're not terribly chic, but they're light, don't take up much space, and provide welcome air circulation.
If you, or your spouse, insists on air conditioning (we turned ours off after the first night and opened the window), then you might want to bring a light sweater or other coverup, because it can get chilly.
Think twice about chemical repellants. Chemicals like DEET are bad for the environment and harsh on your skin. On top of that, we found that bugs weren't that much of a problem.
Get up early. Try to be on the first boat ashore. Although there's always an element of pot luck in terms of what wildlife you'll see on which excursion, I found that the earlier hikers tended to catch more critters either just getting started for the day or winding down after a hard night's work.
Ask lots of questions. The naturalists aboard the Temptress are superb. These are guys who are so well known in scientific circles that they've had new species named after them or their children. Not only that, but they are genuinely nice people. By week's end, they become like old friends. Take advantage of this. If you see something odd or interesting on the trail or in the trees, ask about it. You will have a much richer experience.
Finally, let the food fall where it may. The reality of life on the bounding main is that sometimes things fall over. Let them. I made the mistake of trying to save a beautiful display of avocado dip and tortilla chips from tipping over as we hit a large swell. Not only did my gallant effort fail but I fell, scraped my knee, and got slathered in green dip. On top of that, I had to suffer the indignity of being hailed as "Guacamole Man" for the rest of the voyage!
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