Czas na dokument

Fall in Virginia

2006-10-24T21:09:00.000-04:00

O WOW! I would never think that fall can be so EXCITING. This state is amazing, all the trees or I should rather say leaves (and there is thousands or even more of them in Va) are changing colors. The mountain slopes and other vast areas are the most colorful ever. Hopefully it will stay like this for a while, even though it has been very windy for the past three days and a lot of leaves start to fall down...PEAK SEASON!

Time for ballooning!

2006-10-24T12:41:00.000-04:00

It has been a long time...This every day life is kind of boring but kind of interesting and busy at the same time. Hard to explain really, but I have to admit I am still enjoing it (certain times more then the others but I guess it is just life). Some days though like this one last Saturday I am trully happy to be here. SO, last Saturday The Outdoor Social Club went hot air ballooning with us. I couldn`t pick any better day then this one. Sunny, warm, calm winds and extraordinary visibility...the only thing I can possibly regret is the fact that I stayed on the groung instead of going into one of the baskets...HEY but someone had to take all these pictures!

Chasing the balloons

2006-08-13T09:01:00.000-04:00

White Oak Canyon/Cedar Run

2006-08-09T10:11:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we went hiking again in a Shenandoah National Park. Almost 8 mile loop, one of the MOST AMAZING trails in the Park. You just walk along one stream on your way up and another one on your way down, passing by 8 different waterfalls and several natural pools full of cold, fresh water. Very realaxing and refreshing, especially on a hot summer day! :-)

Four of the eight waterfalls

Mabel

2006-08-07T11:30:00.000-04:00

And here she is! We finally got a DOG. Actually Kim got her and I am just helping out :-). She is so cute! She needs a lot of attention though, just like a baby. I cannot really imagine to have one…yet...oufff (a baby, I mean:-0).

The end of the softball season

2006-08-07T10:34:00.000-04:00

SO the softball season is over. Our Keswick Team won several games, lost few but it was definitely fun. The entire season I was trying to understand the rules of this game and I think I finally did….a little bit at least :-). Last weekend we had a party at Wayne’s to celebrate the end of the season. Great place, big pool, very entertaining!!

Toby, our porter, the golden boy

Our cheering team: Christie, Lyndsy, Sabrina, Holly, Lynda

The house in the woods. Party scene.

Dolly Sods Wilderness, West Virginia

2006-07-27T11:08:00.000-04:00

So, last weekend we went backpacking in West Virginia. By ‘WE’ I mean people from the Outdoor Adventure Social Club. AND THAT was quite of an adventure! We left on Friday evening and by the time we got there it was already dark. We still had to arrange our camping place though. I guess this darkness factor could be the main reason why Lizzie and myself slept on a huge root/rock or I should rather say we were trying to sleep…:-). Next day as we woke up and looked up we saw wonderful gray clouds and few minutes later it started to rain…and it rained on and off for the entire morning and then afternoon. But us being the REAL ADVENTURERS, we decided to GO! After crossing the river we started to climb, quite steep you have to believe me, at one point I was close to faint….not such a strong girl after all (BUT for my defense my stomach didn’t feel very well that day). Once we reached the plateau the sun showed up for a while, I presume to celebrate with us this success. VERY LOVELY! And then the fun started…most of the time in the rain we were BUSH WHACKING!!!! Hey people you have to try that. Very special experience, you are wet and cover with mud from your toes to the top of your head…LOL…By the evening we found our way and a FANTASTIC place to spent a night. And it even stopped raining! We camped on the edge of the cliff and the view behind our tents was breathtaking. It was definitively worth all that walking and sweating. Jon cooked us a delicious dinner; most of the weekend tuna on the menu by the way :-). That night we all slept like babies. On Sunday we started to walk back and it was so much nicer cause it was sunny, finally…After some more bush whacking, going up and down, across, over and under we ended our hike exactly in the place we started it the day earlier! THANK YOU JON! So I have to say that it was really COOL and I truly enjoyed it! It is just a pity that Jon is leaving soon so we probably won’t be able to repeat that :-(. Maybe next year in Madagascar or somwhere in Africa, Jon? It could be even more FUN.

Our first breakfast

Once we reached the edge of the cliff, after bush wacking
View from the cliff, behind our tents

Finding our way
Wet socks, soked shoes anyone?
Jon in the kitchen
Marked trail

Doug trying to put some bear bags and contemplating over lunch
View on our way back, Sunday

We survived, Moi and Lizzie

Bear Rocks Preserve, Jon, Doug, Moi and Lizzie

Tubing down The James

2006-07-13T11:17:00.000-04:00

Me and my tubes

Brian, our leader for this trip

Brian, Jackie, Jeannette, Vinnie, Scott

So, we went tubing down the James River last Saturday. By 'we' I mean the Outdoor Club. It was so KOOL :-) Not too hot though, our butts got a bit chilly....sometimes. We stopped on the small island to have lunch and the only thing we were missing was BEER! Next time...

The Source

2006-07-02T10:25:00.000-04:00

Upper Doyles River Falls 28`

Colt, Claire, Sarah, Julie, Jon and Angie

Lower Doyles River Falls 63`

So we went hiking yesterday in a Shenandoah National Park. It was sooooo KOOL :-)..beautiful weather, very nice group of people. We did 5 mile circuit (which I have to admit was just RIGHT), passing by the Doyles River Falls. They are really georgeus! The Upper one is 28 feet high while the lower one is 63`. Worth seeing...Then we took Browns Gap Fire Road, same that General Stonewall Jackson`s troops used during the Civil War`s Valley Campaign to make raids into Shenandoah Valley...:-) We ended our trip by walking up the Appalachian Trail, closing the circuit this way.

Hot Air Ballooning

2006-06-30T10:21:00.000-04:00

View from the balloon, VA is very green

Us up in the sky

Scott-the pilot, Cindy and me

Cindy and moi

What would be one of the the most relaxing things to do? HOT AIR BALLOONING! Thank`s to Bonaire Charters (www.bonaire-charters.com) I had one of THE BEST EXPERIENCES of my life. I think everybody should try. And do not be afraid even if you are not a big fan of heights. It is so nice and peaceful up there, there is so much to admire that you won`t even have time to get scared. I highly recommend!

More pictures

2006-06-30T10:07:00.000-04:00

Sugar Hollow Reservoir

Sugar Hollow

Natural Bridge, VA

Shenandoah National Park, Rocky Mountain

Let`s go hiking

2006-06-30T09:51:00.000-04:00

The best thing about Charlottesville is its location. It is a really pretty town (I have to take some more pictures), plus there are mountains everywhere. Only 40 minutes driving distance from Charlottesville there is this EXTRAORDINARY Shenandoah National Park! It is very very! beautiful with plenty of hiking trials, streams, waterfalls, overlooks and loads of animals. Most of my free time I would just go hiking somewhere in the woods. I have even become a leader for an Outdoor Adventure Social Club here in Charlottesville (www.outdoorsocial.com, check under leaders :-0). This club is a great idea, you get to do what you like and what more, at the same time you meet all these people to share your hobbies with.

Time for updates

2006-06-30T09:04:00.000-04:00

So...hm hm..as you can see I am not on the Island anymore. It has been more then 5 monts now..And since the end of March, Charlottesville VA, US is my new home. How I ended up in here? Last year, Christmas time I decided to visit my friend Kasia. She is in Charlottesville as well. I came here and I got EXCITED about places to go, people to see, things to do...I guess after a year on Little Cayman everybody would get excited...Chrissie am I right? But as you all know working in the US...not that easy! I thought though that at the same time I could possibly improve my "professional career" :-). So I found this place in here, applied for a J-1 visa, paid for it OF COURSE (that`s why I am broke now :-0) and HERE I AM! And I have to admit that so far I have been having a REALLY good time (exept for my car problems, welcome to REAL world!). My friend Kasia is here (hi Kasia!), I was lucky to find my roommate and her house (hi Kim!) and the hotel I have been working for is on the list of 100 top hotels in the US and one of the Orient-Express hotels (www.orient-express.com). Orient Express has more then 45 hotels around the world and they are all amazing :-). By the way the name of "my" hotel is Keswick Hall (www.keswick.com) and you can check the website to learn more about my working environment :-). It is very pretty...

ouuups

2006-06-29T22:25:00.000-04:00

Hurra!
Nareszcie znalazlam moj zagubiony sekretny kod dostepu..bede mogla teraz kontynuowac moj BLOG!
I have finally located my password..now I can keep updating my blog!

Poznań

2005-09-27T05:30:00.000-04:00

Czyż nie miło......? :-)
Isn`t it nice?

Warszawa/Warsaw

2005-09-16T17:08:00.000-04:00

Warsaw... what a nice city...especially when the weather is good! :-)

Dzien wolny/ Day off

2005-09-07T15:08:00.000-04:00

Bardzo mile nurkowania udalo mi sie wczoraj zaliczyc...Na pierwszym natknelam sie na spiacego nurse sharka (rekina pielegniarskiego...:-)), a na drugim zolw prawie ze wplynal we mnie :-) ALE FAJNIE!!

So I had some nice diving yesterday..On the first one we spotted a sleeping nurse shark and then on the second dive a turtle almost run into me...KOOL!!! he he :-)

Pozegnalna imprezka/ Good bye party

2005-08-31T15:08:00.000-04:00

Point of Sands...Rod, Richard, Anna, Elisa, Kasia and Tiya

Do zobaczenia Rod/ Bye bye Rod :-(

2005-08-31T15:03:00.000-04:00

I tak oto kolejna osoba opuszcza wyspe..tym razem Rod..bedziemy tesknic..POWODZENIA!!

And here we have another person leaving the island...Rod we will miss you...GOOD LUCK!!!!!!

Spod wody/ From under water

2005-08-31T14:43:00.000-04:00

Spotted Moray

Green Moray

Kasia i ja nurkowalysmy prawie codziennie ( no moze oprocz niedzieli poniewaz Ania miala lenia) i oto co widzialysmy...miedzy innymi...

Kasia and I, we were diving almost every day ( o! exept Sunday cause Ania was lazy..) and that`s what we saw...

Kasia in Little Cayman/ Kasia na wakacjach

2005-08-31T14:24:00.000-04:00

No wiec bardzo sie ciesze poniewaz Kasia wreszcie mnie odwiedzila..Spedzilysmy nasz wolny czas ( az 4 dni pozwolono mi nie pracowac :-)) bardzo milo, nurkujac, opalajac sie no i ogolnie zbijajac baki...No i Kasia skonczyla jej Open Water Diver...BRAWO!!!

So I am very glad cause Kasia finally came to visit me...We had a great time ( I was lucky not to work for 4 days) we were diving, sunbathing and generally doing nothing :-) And Kasia completed as well her Open Water Diver...CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Dzien wolny/ Day off

2005-08-12T14:05:00.000-04:00

Ale bylo fajnie!
Great day!

Tropikalne lato/Tropical update

2005-08-03T15:07:00.000-04:00

No wiec ogolnie to ostatni tydzien byl bardzo pracowity. Nie mialam okazji ponurkowac dla przyjemnosci z aparatem ale za to "pracowniczo" ze studentami..bylo bardzo milo, tyle roznych stworzen i rybek, moge tylko zalowac ze aparat zostal w domu...
A poza tym oto stan huraganow i sztormow na zakonczenie lipca...

So the last week was really busy. I didn`t get to fun dive with my camera at all, instead I was diving with my students..it was very nice and we saw so much fishes and other creatures and I can only regreat that my camera "stayed" at home...
And by the way this is a tropical update for the end of July...

Point of Sands

2005-07-25T12:40:00.000-04:00

Wczoraj poznym popoludniem wybralismy sie na plaze, Tiya i Lappy bawily sie wysmienicie szukajac krabow podczas gdy "ludzka" czesc naszej grupy starala dobrac sie do orzecha kokosowego. Musze przyznac ze smakuje calkiem niezle choc batonki Bounty sa zdecydowanie smaczniejsze, w mojej opini czywiscie....:-)
Yesterday in the late afternoon we went to the beach (Point of Sands). Tiya and Lappy were having a lot of fun looking for crabs while the rest of us were trying to open a coconut. I have to admit it tastes quite good but I definitely prefer Bounty over a coconut...:-)

Dzis kroluja "gabki"/Diving "with sponges"

2005-07-21T16:46:00.000-04:00

Wczoraj tez bylismy pod woda i oto co tam widzielismy, pink vase sponge (rozowa gabka wazowata hi hi) i jak zajrzycie do srodka to tam sie chowa brittle star oraz orange tube sponge (pomaranczowa gabka w ksztalcie tuby czyli tubowata hu hu)...
Yesterday we went diving as well and we saw beautiful pink vase sponge with brittle star hiding inside and orange tube sponge..I like that!

Czas na nurki/ Time for diving

2005-07-21T16:24:00.000-04:00

We wtorek tuz po przejsciu Emily mialam okazje ponurkowac i bylo to jedno z ciekawszych doswiadczen. Juz dawno nie widzialam tylu stworzen, miedzy innymi white spotted file fish, spotted drum juvenile i maly dzidzius nurse shark chowajacy sie w szczelinie pod koralem..super!
On Tuesday after Emily was gone I went diving and it was one of the most interesting experiences. It`s been a long time since I last saw so many creatures.. white spotted file fish, baby nurse shark and spotted drum juvenile..well cool!

Emily

2005-07-21T16:10:00.000-04:00

Hello Chase!

2005-07-14T15:24:00.000-04:00

Ostatnio pod woda/ Lately underwater

2005-07-14T15:12:00.000-04:00

Ostatnie nurkowanie we wtorek, po raz pierwszy z moim aparatem...i tak udalo mie sie uchwycic Southern Stingray i Christmas Tree Worm

We dove last Tuesday and I took my underwater housing along with my camera and I got a nice shot of Southern Stingray and Christmas Tree Worm

No i prosze/ Voila

2005-07-14T15:09:00.000-04:00

No i prosze dlugo nie musielismy czekac...tym razem Emily
Here we are, we didn`t have to wait too long..this time this is Emily

Niebo nad wyspa/ Sky over the island

2005-07-10T13:04:00.000-04:00

Przez Atlantyk/ Across the Atlantic

2005-07-09T16:16:00.000-04:00

Sobota/ Saturday

2005-07-09T15:32:00.000-04:00

No i juz po..dzis maja przyjechac nowi goscie i jutro mamy zaczac nurkowac, wszystko wraca do normy...az do nastepnego huraganu. Na ten sezon przewidywanych jest okolo 5 duzych huraganow i 10 mniejszych....razem 15. Do tej pory prze Karaiby przetoczyly sie 3 tropikalne sztormy i jeden huragan, czyli jeszce pozostaje 11..a do konca sezonu mamy okolo 20 tygodni, czyli 1 sztorm tropikalny albo huraganu co dwa tygodnie...niezla "impreza".

So it is over for now...today we have new arrivals and tomorrow we are suppose to start diving again, but this season is predicted to be very busy..5 major hurricanes and 10 smaller tropical storms..15 in total. Until now there was 3 tropical storms and 1 hurrican rushing through the Caribbean. So there is still 11 to go (in theory). We have as well about 20 weeks untill the end of the hurricane season which gives us 1 storm/hurricane avery 2 weeks...uh!

Piatek po poludniu/ Friday in the afternoon

2005-07-09T15:23:00.000-04:00

Czwartek wieczorem/ Thursday evening

2005-07-09T15:19:00.000-04:00

Tecza przed burza
Rainbow just before the storm

Przed / Before

2005-07-09T14:29:00.000-04:00

Tak to wygladalo na dzien przed zapowiadanym nadejsciem Dennis. Dla mnie mial to byc pierwszy tak duzy huragan..nie byl "duzy" tu na Kajmanach..ale nie zaluje i tak najadlam sie strachu :-)

That was the day before Dennis was due to come. It was suppose to be my first major hurricane...luckily wasn`t so bad..but I don`t regret it to be samller then predicted..I was scared anyway :-)

Przeszlo...bokiem na szczescie../ It is over..for now..

2005-07-09T10:44:00.000-04:00

No i mielismy szcescie ze Dennis odbil bardziej na polnoc. Wlasciwie nie bylo tak zle, zaczelo wiac i padac dopiero w piatek po poludniu..ale cale to czekanie przyprawia czlowieka o palpitacje serca..

And we were really lucky with Dennis heading more north then predicted. It wasn`t so bad and it started to rain and blow only on Friday afternoon...but the whole waiting for it to come was just killing me...

Dennis update

2005-07-07T10:25:00.000-04:00

Czwartek rano...
Thursday morning....

Dennis

2005-07-06T17:20:00.000-04:00

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/USNationalWide.asp?loc=usa&seg=StormCenter&prodgrp=TrackingCharts&product=HurTrack2&prodnav=none&pid=none

Dennis w drodze../ Dennis on its way...

2005-07-06T10:39:00.000-04:00

Musze przyznac ze to jednak jest troche niepokojace...Huragan Dennis ma zawitac do nas juz w czwartek, a na razie sledzimy jego trase na internecie i z okna mojego dive shopu moge podziwiac stopniowo przybierajace na wysokosci fale..uhuuuu...

I have to admit I feel a little bit anxious...Dennis is on its way and it should be here on Thursday...so far we keep checking it on the net but on the other hand through my dive shop windows I can see waves getting bigger and bigger..

Male Kajmany/ Little Cayman

2005-07-03T15:21:00.000-04:00

No i jestem juz z powrotem na Kajmanach, wrocilam do pracy, nurkuje, wieczorkiem chodzimy na piwko, spacerujemy, lowimy rybki no i tak milo czas nam uplywa....a to Chase z USA nasz "rybak - przewodnik" oraz Paddy i Lappy...

So I came back to Little Cayman, back to work, to diving...but it is still nice, whenever we have some free time we would go fishing, walking we would drink beer...and by the way this is Chase our fishing guy working for a Southern Cross, Paddy and Lappy..

Ja juz jako instruktor/ Me as an instructor

2005-07-03T15:16:00.000-04:00

Zostalam wiec instruktorem po 10 dniach intensywnych staran...voila!

And finally I became an instructor after 10 days of hard work ...:-)

Dodatkowo/ What more

2005-07-03T14:58:00.000-04:00

Co jeszce mozna powiedziec o Roatanie...przepiekne zachody slonca, co wieczor inna kolorystyka i nigdy tak samo to slonce nie zachodzilo...
What more I could say about Roatan...exeptional sunsets, every evening differes from the previous one..

W drodze na Roatan / On our way to Roatan

2005-07-03T14:45:00.000-04:00

A to Joel i ja w drodze na Roatan na nasz finalowy egzamin na instruktora...plynelismy promem..bardzo mila przejazdzka choc cokolwiek przydlugawa, z przesiadka prawie 5 godzin uf..

And this is Joel and I on our way to Roatan to take our final IE...we were travelling by ferry, very nice although a little bit time consuming..5h total trip...

Honduras - Utila - Roatan

2005-07-03T14:29:00.000-04:00

Musze przyznac ze te miejsca zaskoczyly mnie swoja uroda...tropikalna dzungla, blekitne morze..zyc nie umierac!

I have to admit that these places are really very picturesque and beautiful...tropical jungle, blue see..what more one can expect?

Jak zostalam instruktorem nurkowania/ How I become an instructor

2005-07-03T13:51:00.000-04:00

Tak oto w maju tego roku klamka zapadla i wyruszylam do Hondurasu a raczej na Utile aby zdac egzamin na instruktora nurkowania..Utila Dive Center to miejsce ktore przygotowalo mnie do tego finalowego egzaminu a James and Laura byli naszymi nauczycielami..

So in May this year I finally decided to pass my IDC and my EI...to do it I had to go to Utila. Over there Utila Dive Center or James and Laura exactly helped us to prepeare for the final exam..

A po woda../Underwater world

2005-07-03T13:38:00.000-04:00

To zupelnie inny swiat tam pod woda...tyle niesamowitych stworzen i spokoj...ludzie jesli chcecie sie zrelaksowac ponurkujcie sobie SERIO..a teraz jeszce dokupilam obudowe wodoodporna do mojego aparatu, to dopiero bedzie zabawa!

And yes down there it is a different world..it is so peaceful and quiet..the best way to relax! And what more I have just bought a housing..this is going to be FUN!

Teraz moge nurkowac.../ Diving is FUN in here

2005-07-03T13:27:00.000-04:00

No i najwazniejsze oczywiscie teraz moge nurkowac!!! Tu wszystko znajduje sie w zasiegu reki...a podwodny swiat zapiera dech w piersiach...

The most importent thing that made me decide to come here was diving of course!! It is so beautifull in here...

Miejsce pracy/ My job

2005-07-03T13:09:00.000-04:00

A to moje miejsce pracy - dive shop coordinator to tak ladnie brzmi..hi hi

So I started to work in a dive shop..but I wanted to become an instructor really badly....

Zacznijmy od poczatku/ Let`s start from the beggining...

2005-07-03T10:10:00.000-04:00

No wiec wszystko zaczelo sie w Grecji zeszlego lata kiedy pod koniec sezonu musialam szukac pracy...I tak oto nieoczekiwanie dla samej siebie znalazlam sie na Kajmanach.
Last summer, Greece, the end of the season...I had to look for a new job..and then I found one in the Cayman Islands..how cool is that!!