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It’s 2009! Wow! The holiday season is finally done. How we love and hate it. We love being with family and friends, but hate the stress of trying to do so much with so little time. We here, Cara and I, have put away our decorations, eaten the last of the holiday sweets, made resolutions to diet and exercise, and are at last getting back to work: planning our trips for the year. In our last newsletter, we announced a July trip to the Philippines. We’re not going. Security concerns about that part of the Philippines caused me to reconsider. Many of our fellow travelers have requested a liveaboard trip, and I was excited to find out that the airfare to one of the best destinations in the world had gone down. And so, we are going to the Solomon Islands!

Solomon Islands
MV Spirit of Solomons
May 31 – June 11, 2009

Cara and I were there in September 1997. We became friends with Terry and Cheryl Chicca on that trip. They dragged their four daughters to our reunion party in October. The oldest, Niccole, was 18 then. She is our daughter-in-law now. If for no other reason, the Solomon Islands holds a special place in our hearts.

Larry Thompson was also on that trip with us. He has been back five times! That in itself is a testimonial to how good a trip it is!

Coincidentally, Larry sent us the following holiday e-mail. We thought we’d share his remarks and his awesome pictures. Apparently, the diving is just as good if not even better than it was 11 years ago.

Hello Friends,

I have returned from my diving adventure to the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. In case you do not know where the Solomons are or what significance they have in our history, the Solomons is where Guadalcanal is and was one of the fieriest battles the US Marines fought in WWII.

Among the natural reefs and vertical walls, there are “junk piles” I dove that were made when the US could not sell the military stuff after the war  for a fair price, so they bulldozed everything off the wharfs into the water and then sent the bulldozer over the edge too!

Enjoy a few images I took diving the Solomon Islands.

Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year

Larry Thompson

Cost: $4198pp

Tour Includes

7 nights, 8 days aboard the MV Spirit of Solomons
6 days of 5 daily boat dives
All meals and snacks daily
Boat guides, weights and belt
Roundtrip airfare Air Pacific from LAX
Roundtrip domestic air
Airport meet and greet in Honiara
Departure tax and Visa

All prices are double occupancy
Single Supplement available

Not included:
 Diving permits, Nitrox, alcoholic beverages, gratuities, Fiji extension

Price subject to change

Extension Options

2 nights, June 9 & 10, at the Tanoa Hotel in Nadi, Fji

Option 1

Two free days to relax, sun, shop or whatever

Option 2

Navua River Rafting Tour. Raft through tropical jungle forests. Grade 1 rapids and water cascades.
  Return to hotel at approximately 6 pm

Option 3

The Ultimate Tiger Shark Dive
With Aqua Trek

Please click here for more images and more info on the Solomon Islands trip.

Annual Fall Whale Shark Expedition
With a Bonus!
Joe’s 80th Birthday Bash
La Paz, Baja, Mexico

October 2009

We go every October because it is the best time of the year to dive one of the best destinations on earth. You know, we’ve been a lot of places, and there are several we favor. But usually we have to travel a long, long way to get there. And those trips are expensive. Only the Sea of Cortez offers an amazing dive adventure so close to home. Big animals. Big schools. Big time fun! Whale sharks in your face. Mantas close enough to touch. Sea lions dive bombing and nipping at your fins. Morays, morays, morays. Jacks and barracudas schooling. Dolphins in the wake. Giant jawfish found nowhere else. 100+ vis. 85° water. blue skies and calm blue seas. Exotic. Exciting. Jacques Cousteau called it "The World's Greatest Aquarium." And a mere two-hour flight from Los Angeles! We love La Paz!

We love it so much that our son Evan married Niccole there. And come October 2009 we will celebrate Joe’s 80th birthday there!

5 Nights, 6 Days, 3 Days of Diving
$1079

5 Nights, 6 Days, 4 days of Diving
$1239

7 Nights, 8 Days, 5 Days of Diving
$1539

All Packages Include:

Accommodations at the La Concha Beach Resort
Ocean view room, double occupancy
American breakfast
3-tank diving
Whale Shark Spotter plane
Box lunch, snacks and beverages on dive days
Boat guides, tanks, weights, belts
La Paz Airport transfers
Hotel & Diving Taxes
Gifts and Prizes

Per person, double occupancy.

Land package only. Does not include airfare. Gratuities not included

Prices subject to change

Single Supplement, please add $56 per night

Non-diver Packages Available

Includes

Accommodations at the La Concha Beach Resort
Ocean view room, double occupancy
American breakfast daily
La Paz Airport transfers
Hotel & Diving Taxes
Gifts and Prizes
Per person double occupancy
Land package only. Does not include airfare
Gratuities not included

Get Ready, Get Set to Go!
Book your air now!

Last year the cost of air to La Paz slowly escalated from the mid $400 range at the beginning of the year to over $800 in the Fall. It was unprecedented and surprised all of us who have been making that journey for years. Many of those who joined us opted to fly into Cabo and rent a car and then drive to La Paz. It’s a roughly three-hour trip. So if the nonstop fly works better for you, we offer a word to the wise: book now!

As of this writing, nonstop flights from LAX to LAP on Alaska Airlines is $430.20 plus tax for a total of $497.70.

We usually book the 11:20am flight from LAX, arriving in La Paz at 2:40pm (there’s an hour time difference, We take the 3:20pm flight return flight, arriving home at 4:50pm. Alaska flies this route Wednesday, Saturday and Monday.

Check it out: www.alaskaair.com

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