At 1.25am the alarm goes off and again at 1.30 and 1.35 - I don't take chances when I have to get up.
Everyone was on the bus and we were away, on time, at 2.00am. The flight left
on-time, too, at 3.45 and we got to Las Piedras (inside the zone of totality) at
about 4.30, where we had to wait for half an hour or so for the bus - then two
turned up.
The wait permitted some folks to help the only shop open to get rid of his
eclipse T-shirts, hats and badges - Val bought a badge. We then set off for Coro,
which is outside the zone of totality, to have breakfast.
After breakfast disaster (number 2 - disaster number 1 being the breaking of the best tripod) strikes, Andrew misses the edge of the path and goes over on his foot resulting in torn ligaments and a very painfull limp. At about 8.00am we set off on the 2 hour drive to the eclipse site at the north end of the peninsula, as close as possible to the centre line.
The viewing spot in a sandy beach. We walk up to our desired observation position - well, Andrew limped, actually. The choice being made by, er well, not quite sure but we picked somewhere free of green growth, but plenty of sand and far enough from the coach to really make the ankle hurt. Some ice was provided so a cold compress was soon applied. At the moment we have about 75% cloud cover and things are not looking good, but we set up the equipment anyway.
As we lay the blanket on the ground (cue for a song? Not really 'cos it was a towel), and unpack cameras the cloud clears and before long we are looking at blue skies.
Now the fun starts [NOT]. The broken tripod is difficult to repair, it might
hold, but doesn't. The sun is so hot that any sellotape or other sticky stuff
"melts" in the heat, so it is Plan B. The number two tripod is being
used with number one camera and it doesn't like it. The sun is high, the tripod
tilted well back, it's windy and everything wobbles in the soft footings of
sand, so it is Plan C secure with plastic bag of sand on tripod - Huh, who
suggested that!
The video has nothing to stand on now that a tripod is out of action. Andrew
tries absolutely everything to get the video to point at the sun, and still give
access to the on/off button.
During this farce the eclipse has started and photos are taken, hand held and tripod-ed. The speed is 1/1000th sec so any wobbling won't matter - it will at totality, when speeds will go down to 1 or 2 seconds. We try number 3 tripod with the video (a little grip pod thing) but it is designed for a front heavy camera and keeps falling over backwards with the video on it - we are now up to plan Y. All we can do now is occasionally hand hold video, take the pictures as best we can on an unsturdy tripod and hope for the best.
Second contact is a couple of minutes away - time to remove the filters. The camera filter is stuck and the whole camera is jogged, so the filter is loosened and left on the re-align the camera.
TOTALITY - Fantastic (picture)
A little prominence at the top, not much corona, but some visible structure. Mercury and Jupiter are visible - they popped out like two light bulbs being switched on - Venus has been out some time.
Let's start the photos...... Click-wind, click-wind through the speeds, damn
may have moved the camera, never mind carry on. Click-wind, take some video,
look at with naked eye, take some video, click-wind, take some video, look at
through binoculars, look at the chromosphere, take video, its finishing - the
diamond ring is about to happen - is it video or admire with naked eyes - The
eyes have it.
The diamond ring glows for several seconds (click-wind, click-wind) then it is
over - time to put the filter back on, now where did I put it........ I didn't
put in anywhere, it's still on the camera. I have NOTHING in the way of totality
pictures, though I do have some hand held video.
What was Val doing while all this was going on - Admiring the event and taking some pictures (prints).
The apres eclipse then began as folks drifted around discussing the event just gone. Shadow bands were spotted by some individuals. Some folks saw other phenomena on the horizon, but no-one seems to mention approaching/receding shadow.
Of course we take pictures of the partial phases out, giving ample time for one of the cameras to pack up and misbehave - about par for the day. I dispose of the broken tripod - initial thoughts were to bury it in the sand, but I decided that this was irresponsible and environmentally unfriendly, so I decided just to throw it away, although the tour guide chap asked if he could have it and repair it, so I left it with him.
At 3.35 it is all over and it's "everybody back on the bus" followed by the 2 hour drive through the traffic to Las Piedras, where it takes us an hour and a half to get a meal.
Back to the airport. Val has been to the eclipse, seen it, done so it was time to buy the T-shirt!
On time back to Caracas and into the Hotel at about 10.15, where Andrew
cleans the camera equipment.
Bed at 12.15 - a 23 hour day
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