Picture by Gaston Ron, thanks!

Eric Stiller, myself, Biff Wruszek, Nano Garcia Albarida

This is such a nice relaxed pic after our Manhattan circumnavigation (sorry Margaret is missing, she was teaching already kayak polo that night after the day’s paddle, being a former member of the kayak polo US team - a little energy bunny…)

Not too bad, the view from the Empire State Building eventually at midnight…Biff and I climbed up in a really moderate tourist queue, but still taking 1,5 hrs to get in and up to the 86th floor with the outside viewing platform – and it was still 30 degrees hot. Easy to suffocate in New York City’s summer heat, especially down in the streets gorges of Manhattan…Central Park was an oasis in the noise, heat and smog.

Thanks to Biff Wruszek taking me around as a tourist!

Esther Luft, my nice local Miami organizer and Yeraldine Ordonez, my lovely Miami host, ready to go on the evening paddle, together with 6 other local paddlers

We were launching around 7.30pm from the Crandon Park Marina on Kay Biscayne, in thick fat heat clouds with lots of thermal flashes in the sky. Fascinating atmosphere and a beautiful colorful sunset! But I’m wondering if I’d been launching by myself in an upcoming tropical summer evening thunderstorm. But the locals said “no worries…” – flashes only, no real bad weather, the water and wind will stay calm…

The seagulls took position on a bunch of poles in front of downtown Miami skyline

My host Yeraldine was on a fat plastic sit on top, and I felt like she liked to rather try my fancy epic 18x sport - she loved it! I paddled her sit on top all the two hours out to the pole house – good work out!

There were about 7 houses in Biscayne Bay, called “Stiltsville”, built in the shallow water on poles, mostly used as unusual party locations. Wer were arriving around 10pm in darkness, the wind has been freshening quite a bit from behind. “Our” house was about 6 miles offshore. But the water in the bay was shallow, and HOT! Not refreshing at all to go for a dip. Flying fish around, small sharks, some stingrays…

As the wind was freshening even more and more, we rather eventually pulled the kayaks up on to the lowere level of the house, the wooden planks covered with a thick white layer of stinky birdshit

The crazy Miami paddling crew, me taking the pic.

Then it was rather time to wait out the eventually upcoming 20+ knots wind, as the way back would be headwind…so most of us were partying a bit, but thre of us rather took a nap – including me with my 6-hrs jetlag.

At 1am we decided after some discussions to eventually launch, the wind was still 15-20 knots headwind. But the water was calm, and the forecast said no more freshening up. I towed the fat sit on top back home, Yeraldine working as hard as never in her life to make my tug boat job a bit easier

Eventually we arrived back in the Marina safe and sound, at 3am, tired, but no one wanted to have missed that trip!

Thanks to Esther oranizing, and to Theresa getting us access to that nice night venue. And thanks to all my fellow paddlers getting me out there in such surreal conditions!

See you all on my Saturday night talk in Miami!

Ah ja, occasionally I do paddle a bit…two weekends ago I was crossing the Kattegatt from Danmark to Sweden. It was just a little bit rough…but a very nice trip!

Thanks to Karl Anderson teaching me the essentials of cross country skiing in skating style! I learnt fancy things like the V1, V2 and V2 alternate, but decided eventually for myself I’m most happy with my V10 sport!

Thanks to Kirti Walpole organizing that stunning beautiful day!

Pictures by Jen Johnson. Thanks!

Thank you, Karel, for sending me the weather messages on my sat-phone all those long eleven months of my OZ trip, plus previously already on my Iceland and New Zealand circumnavigation! It was invaluable and probably even life-saving at times! 

I presented you my silver kayak I had on my neck all the way around Australia. You deserve it on yours now! Please keep it close!

Thanks, Karel! You are a great friend!

Thanks, Omer and Saggi, to invite me to Israel! I enjoyed the country and it’s wonderful people! I’ll be back!

Thanks to everybody visiting my slideshow presentation!

Sunset over Tel Aviv Beach

And what happens on Sabbat???

View over the roofs of Jerusalem

Jerusalem tourists: Omer, myself, Phil, Saggi and Pete

Phil and his mirror image

Jerusalem bazaar alleys

He’s waiting for goods to be brought in the narrow bazaar alleys…

yummy “oversized” ceral bars – sesame, nuts and honey

We are in Jerusalem!

HE was watching us

Wailing Wall (Western Wall) Plaza

The Wailing Wall (Western Wall)

The woman’s side of the Wailing Wall was shorter, but way more crowded…are they wailing more?

Soldiers were constantly present

Dinner in an Arabian restaurant. We had a great time in Jerusalem!

Thanks to Omer and Saggi!

Pictures by Giacomo

Karel and Omer picked me and my 4-pieces rolling kayak up from the airport. Thanks!

boats…boats…boats…

basecamp at the marina at Herzilya Beach

classes at Herzilya Beach

They do keep the beach clean!

spectators of my rolling demo

waiting for the crowd…

the ol’ lady still can do it – without any practise for one year…

teaching basic rolling skills

there was some gentle surf on the otherwise dead calm beach after three days – fun playing!

After the work(out): Realaxing in the mediterranian winter sun

Phil (guest teacher from Wales), ?? (Israel), myself, George (Scotland), Giacomo (Kayak Extreme Italy), Pete (guest teacher from Wales), Saggi (Terra Santa Israel), Omer (Terra Santa Israel)

all pics by Omer, Adam and Giacomo

I’ll be joinig the

Terra Santa Kayak Symposium in Israel

from January 8th to 16th as a guest speaker and teacher.

Thanks, Omer, Saggi and Karel, for inviting me!

I’m looking forward to meet my “weather man” Karel Vissel for the first time in person! Thanks very much, Karel, for your great reliable work on my Iceland, New Zealand and Australian trip!

Talk about going to the freezer from the frying pan. A few days after I returned home from warm and sunny Hawaii, I was invited to teach for the weekend in the beautiful-but- far-chillier Loften, Norway.

Jann Engstad from Lofoten Aktiv was kind enough to invite me to lead a rolling clinic as well as do a slideshow about my recent circumnavigation of New Zealand’s South Island.

Thanks very much to Jann and Siri for taking such a good care of me!

As I stood in the freezing cold water for two days clad in my favorite all-black Kokatat dry suit with two layers of fleece underneath and some snowcapped mountains in the background, it was nice to return to the roots of kayaking vis a vis Greenland style rolling. To endure the freezing cold water I poured hot water into my Chota Quick Lace Mukuluks twice a day – a trick I used on cold weather expeditions as well. A pair of Chota Thinskin Neo Gloves helped keep my hands warm(ish) and allowed me to maintain a good feeling for the student’s body as they rolled through the water.

It was rewarding to see the student’s happy faces after they caught on how effortless a kayak roll can be – no need to power and strength, force or speed — all qualities which were in prominent display the week before among the surf ski racers I hung out with in Hawaii.

I ended my first day with a rolling demo and, later that night, I showed a slideshow about my New Zealand circumnavigation and then talked about my upcoming year-long trip round Australia.

The next day was filled with some more rolling lessons, topped off with a lovely salmon dinner at Jann’s and Siri’s house.

Siri and her youngest daughter in traditional dress

The quick stopover was really well worth the effort, and I hope to be back in 2010!

All pictures by Jann Engstad.