Screw regulator to tank. Turn on air. Check air gage. 220 bars, good. Inflate BCD (scuba inflatable vest). Change into wet, cold, smelly swimsuit. Squeeze into wet, black wetsuit with green stripe on hanger #21. Put on hooded vest over wetsuit. Attach camera lanyard to BCD, and apply anti-fog to dive mask. Put masking tape around toes, and socks over that. Put on 13.5 lbs weight belt. String arms through BCD straps and pull waste belt tight. Carefully, strap on mask so it won't leak, and pull up hood. To deck with tank on back, fins in hand. Looking over the edge of the deck, put the fins on, suck some air from the regulator, and Giant Stride off the deck, into the blue water!

I did this routine about 14 times during my 3.5 days of diving on the Nimrod Explorer Liveaboard diving boat. And what an experience it was!

An interesting crowd of 18 people aboard the boat, and more Americans than I had met in one spot since leaving America. (12 out of 18 were American, 4 were German, one Scottish, one Belgian.) Among the divers: an inventor and botanist from Santa Cruz, a navy man working in Djibouti, an Alaskan musician/firefighter, a collegiate swimmer with a massive lung capacity (and my dive buddy!), a top-level dragonboating competitor, a lovesick Belgian photographer, a Ph.D in marine biology, an oil rig engineer living in England, and a German executive traveling via campervan in Australia for 4 months.

Visiting a new reef site nearly every dive, the Nimrod sailed well north of Cairns in an area that most boats don't frequent. We quickly learned the schedule: wake up early, eat, dive, eat, dive, eat, dive, eat, dive, eat, dive, eat, sleep. On top of diving, 4 others and I were also doing coursework towards our advanced scuba certificates, which teaches you some specialties in scuba such as drift diving, night diving, and underwater photography, as well as underwater navigation skills and deeper diving know-how.

All-in-all, I ended up seeing a lot of wildlife: several white tip reef sharks (which are not dangerous), a lot of lion fish, some spotted rays, a huge black-splotched ray sleeping on a rock, some sea snakes, unicorn fishes, trumpet fishes, a lot of nemos (clown fish) hiding in anemones, a sea turtle, a couple giant moray eels, giant clams, the rare flame shell, and the great potato cods! The last was the highlight on one dive, on which the divemaster, Demi, brought a fish box and fed the cod in very close proximity to the rest of us divers, making great photo opportunities!

I had one close call when I forgot to check my air gage before starting my dive. I didn't think to look until the air became hard to pull from my tank. I looked at the gage then, and it was at 0! I was at 40 feet deep, and had only one choice, as my buddy was too far away to grab for air. I made a "controlled ascent" to the surface. (If you go too fast you can get nitrogen bubbles in your blood.) Apparently, my ascent was slow enough though, because I didn't experience any problems afterwards.

I challenged myself by trying to match my dive buddy, Sara the Swimmer, on efficient air consumption. I usually couldn't match her, but I think I did improve. She was quite a good dive buddy, as we both seemed to enjoy underwater photography at shallower depths.

By the end, I was feeling quite comfortable with my buoyancy and diving, although the rental gear was a bit insufficient. I was not warm enough in the ocean, and the fins killed my feet. Regardless, the tedium of scuba gear did not make the scuba diving itself unenjoyable - in fact, I had quite a good time! The various reefs were all very amazing and beautiful. I wouldn't mind going on a similar liveaboard scuba excursion again.

Labels: australia, boat, fish, flight, people, scuba

The Atherton Tablelands are west of Cairns, rising about 1000 m above sea level. I visited there on a tour with On the Wallaby and was quite impressed with the area. This area was once primarily jungle, but about 80% has been deforested. The result is rich agricultural land in rolling hills, with pockets of jungle in valleys and crevices here and there. This is the only place where jungle grows in rich volcanic soil - usually rain forests live in very poor soil, but are able to thrive due to the sheer amount of rain. So here you have it, extremely rich soil, and tremendous amounts of rain, resulting in one of Australia's better fruit producing regions. And the more amazing detail is that land here is cheap! A land prospector who was on the tour, moving from Perth where house prices have shot through the roof (and he resulted in making $200k in 2 years) noted you could get a few acres out in Atherton area for $150k still. If that is true, then this must be what California was a couple generations ago. But more lush - no water problems here!

The tour visited a couple water falls - the area has a plethora of falls - and did a few jungle walks. Still haven't seen a cassowary yet! We did find a python sitting on the bank of Lake Eacham (a lake form by volcanic explosions), and we saw a number of forest dragons clinging to trees. Later at a platypus viewing excursion, we saw a number of platypuses skirting the water at dusk.

I met a number of interesting people at the hostal in Yungaburra, which is a small, quaint town in the Atherton Tablelands. A German woman, Isabel, was just starting her Australian 4 month journey, and seemed to have the same social frustrations I did with the party scene in Cairns. Craig, the Perth-ian had a lot of interesting stories, and a Norwegian fellow also was friendly. The night at the hostal was a nice respite from the bright lights of Cairns.

The next day we went canoeing, and Isabel spotted a tree kangaroo (amazing eyesight!). We also went cycling through the rolling hills, and swimming in Lake Eacham. For lunch we ate at a Roadhouse restaurant, where I had a "Lot Burger," which is "a burger with a lot on it." The Aussie explained this as if I should have already known! Last, we visited an exotic wine brewery, where they had black sapote port, persimmon and lychee wine, dragonfruit wine, and more!

Today, off to the Reef! I am guessing there won't be internet on the boat, so I may not be checking in til Saturday night. Anyway, here's hoping to see a potato cod at Cod Hole.

Labels: atherton, australia, biking, canoeing, jungle, kangaroo, people, waterfall, wildlife, wine

An exciting change of plans. I decided to go travel Western Australia after my Barrier Reef excursion. The East Coast backpacker party scene isn't doing a lot for me - I came to Australia for the nature. I've heard of how untouched the Western Coast is. Not only are there few towns, but the "big" ones have only 6000 people (with exception of Perth, which has over a million). Other towns have population: 1 human, 1 dog. The Western Coast has a Barrier Reef - the only western reef in the world! - that rivals the Eastern Coast's in magnitude/diversity, but apparently is not as Great. In one town, Exmouth, this not-as-great reef is only 100 meters off shore! South of the reef, there is a bay where they have a human-dolphin relationship going. The dolphins have habitually come to visit humans in shallow water for 30 years! (They also receive a small snack.) Beyond that, there are gorges, undisturbed forests, and great expanses of desolate nothingness, just the way I like it. Just like Bolivia and Arizona. ("There's nothing here!!")

I suppose this hostile hostel I've been staying at the last 3 nights has rather turned me off of the East Coast scene. You don't get much for the $18/night (no power point, which has been a HUGE problem, as I am now currently sitting in a hallway, typing this offline, to let my battery charge; no cutlery in the kitchen, no lighter for the gas stove ("Go buy your own," she told me), and they forget to unlock the kitchen in the morning). But the social scene here: you get a huge lot of party-ers, who drink copious amounts loudly on the deck outside my shared room and obviously cannot be trusted with cutlery. But most significantly: they are quite an unfriendly lot. No hello's in the hallways! I don't mind the noise or the parties (I keep zonking out every night by 10, so I can't seem to stay up long enough to join them), but I don't like the unfriendly meat-market attitude. Oh, did I mention? Cairns's sister city is Scottsdale, AZ! Case closed!

Although I do enjoy this long boardwalk along the ocean that is well-lighted and well-trodded - great for running! There is also a nice, free, irregularily shaped, salt water swimming pool right by the ocean, and right across the road from the hostile hostel.

So Oct 2, I'm headed off to a21 day tour from Darwin in the Northern Territory to Western Australia, along the coast, where outback meets sea, down to Perth, where I'll catch an additional 5 day tour that explores the Southwestern coast. I will fly to Sydney Nov 3, in time to meet Stacey. And it pretty much fits into my budget.

Today I am leaving for a 2-day tour out to the Atherton Table. (These tours really seem the most economical way to go. The public transportation is quite limiting, and renting a car is way too expensive for a solo person. Plus, tours are a good way for introverts like me to meet people.) I suppose it is the dry tropics, inland at Atherton. Waterfalls, fig trees, some volcanic craters (some of the newer geological action in Australia), lakes. I was eager to get away from Cairns, so here we go again! (Hold on to your seats...)

Labels: australia, cairns, hostels, people, westernaustralia

Kookaburra also sits on electrical wires, and gum trees also harbor other kingfishers. I actually didn't see a kookaburra, but I did see a gum tree, as well as a fern tree, and a thousand other trees, many which are endemic to Australia. I was really quite amazed at how diverse and exclusive Australia is with its flora - it has a botanical world that is all its own. Although it seems many of the same fruits grow here that also grow in all the other tropical areas - banana, pineapple, papaya, and some new ones: yellow zapote, black zapote (which is kin to persimmon), and dragonfruit. We got to sample these, as well as some traditional Australian tea, made by swinging a rustic can of boiling water and tea leaves around in the air. This was all on the Billy Tea Safari Tour today, which took us to Daintree National Rainforest, a World Heritage Site, and Cape Tribulation, all via Safari decorated 4WD barge.

Our guide was a scholarly looking bushy, beardy old fellow named John. We passed a croc farm where the reptiles are raised for their skins. John explained that it is more beneficial to have male crocs, because they grow bigger faster, so they are able to control the number of males that are created by raising the heat in the egg incubators. Apparently eggs kept at 32*C will create a lot more males, whereas eggs kept at 29*C will create a lot more females.

We passed a slew of sugar cane fields, backdropped by mountain ranges. Sugar is big industry here.

In Daintree, we went first on a River cruise of the Daintree River, where we were supposed to see crocs, but didn't. We did however see a stream of flying foxes, which are huge bats, exiting from trees. The murky water of the huge river was lined by mangroves that had snorkel roots. Daintree apparently has the 3rd largest mangrove forests, surpassed only by Brazil and Indonesia. Mangroves grow along coastal regions, and are able to filter out 90% of the salt from the water. The other 10% is dealt by various methods - one of the more interesting ways is sacrificial leaves. The targeted leaves receive all the salt, turn yellow, and fall off.

Next, John guided us through the jungle in search of cassowaries, which is an endangered flightless bird the size of an emu, with a huge blue crown on its head. Cassowaries are essential for the health of the rainforest because they eat a whole variety of fruits and spread the seeds. There are 20 tree species that cannot germinate unless it's been through the digestive system of a cassowary. Another 50 species rely on the cassowary to spread its seed out of the way of the larger tree's canopy. There are only 50 cassowaries in the Daintree forest, so we didn't get to see one... But another group reported a sighting.

There is also the butcher bird, that preys on other birds, and leaves the meat to dry in strips... (Did I understand that right?)....I saw one of these. Lastly, the orange-footed scrubby bird (not the real name), that builds huge dirt mounds, the size of small bedroom, that ultimately turn into compost piles. I saw one of these birds - they look like chickens with orange legs.

We went swimming in a freshwater stream and sampled the tropical fruits and drank tea. (We had also had a BBQ lunch earlier. Rump steak, sausage, etc. Yum! While waiting on the BBQ to cook, we got to feed some nearby giant red kangaroos and a wallaby at a small animal refugee center.)

Next, a visit to Cape Tribulation, named after Captain Cook's troubles when he ran his ship into a reef in 1770. It is a truly an odd beach - where the jungle runs right up to the sand. We were advised not to go swimming here though, as a near-lethal irkjindi jellyfish had stung a fellow recently here.


Last, a stop for some tropical ice cream. Macadamia, mango, raspberry and ____ seed, that tasted like mocha.

Overall, the tour was a good way to see Daintree. I am planning on maybe hiring (renting) a car on the cheap and exploring the area inland from Cairns for a couple days before going on my scuba trip Tues. (Planned: 4.5 days, on a 16 person boat for 16 dives on the Great Barrier Reef.)

Labels: australia, bbq, cairns, daintree, hiking, kangaroo, rainforest, wildlife

I think I finally fixed the sad css action that was distorting this site in firefox and safari. Let me know if this site looks funny in other browser. Thanks.

Labels: blog

Wouldn't you know that everything is upside down, down under? But still just similar enough to render the slight differences unsettingly. Most notably, driving on the wrong side of the road. I don't know which way to look, crossing the road! I am also prone to running into people on the sidewalk. I seem to recall a statistic saying that left-handed people have a slightly shorter life expectancy, because all heavy machinery is set up for right-handed people. I feel like the most dis-advantaged left-handed person.

Cairns is generally pleasant so far. Nice weather, an inviting bike trail along the ocean, a youthish hostel on the esplanade, a plethora of tourists and tourist services... As soon as I find some cheap/free wireless service I will be right at home.

I booked a 5-day, 4-night boat trip on the Great Barrier Reef, which includes up to 16 dives!, for Tuesday. Excited.

Labels: australia, driving, scuba

The Fijian islands were first populated by refugees from South Africa, who were fleeing an epidemic, according to our Fijian Quizmaster on South Sea Island. The Fijians were cannibals, and in an entertaining skit performed by townspeople on Waya Lalai Island, they deftly covered the most famous incident of cannibalism. The missionary Rev. Baker became the only person of European descent to be eaten by Fijian cannibals when, according to the actors, he went to touch the chief's head to demonstrate how glasses are worn. The Fijians attacked him with big evil cudgels, Rev. Baker fell to the floor, and now we know why a new identity in Christianity is most welcome to modern Fijians (there's innate guilt in such a history).

Our actors also performed a fashion show of traditional dress, in which the moral was: "Imagine how shocked the first missionaries were to find all the natives only half dressed. Now imagine how surprised we are to be visited by the same [half dressed people]." I defintely can concur on that point - some of the visitors have no sensitivity to dress standards of the culture. While all the Fijian women are in full length dresses, the visitors rarely put on clothes over their bikinis for dinner or whatnot. I even saw some girls tanning sunny side up, on a beach that was hardly private. (Bet Jonas got a good eyeful there, scanning the beach from his yacht with his binoculars.)

In the end the Yasawa Islands were quite enjoyable - the resorts and the Fijians more so than the other visitors. It seems about 90% of the travellers were 20-23, in or just out of college. Their holy-grail: tanning on the beach. I think tanning is a great way to ruin your skin, so I don't identify with the girls there. I think this is largely the same crowd I will be running into in hostals on the Eastern Australian coast, so I might have to do more fishing to search out a more interesting crowd.

One interesting couple I forgot to mention: a Hungarian woman, 32, married to a very grumpled man, who apparently was independently wealthy. They have been travelling for the last 3 years, as they will, and they have been married 3 years. They go home only to meet relatives and check on their two houses. I am thinking the Hungarian woman has it pretty good. (So does the man.)

I am off to Auckland tonight, and Cairns tomorrow. I have decided to concentrate more of my coastal travels in Queensland, and then sprint down to Sydney when Stacey comes into town. The goal is to rectify my previous traveling mistake of trucking through an area too fast.

Labels: australia, cannibals, cultures, fiji, people, women, yasawa

Jonas was a fisherman yachtee from San Francisco, who set anchor in the bay next to Korovou resort. With Richard Gere looks and surfer-dude talk, he provided a good dose of American, that I had not been privy to for a few weeks. He is sailing around the world in his 35 foot yacht by himself. The stories! It is a whole other life to drift with wind and current to discover the world, and anchor in places where no other tourist can manage to infiltrate. I have silently added sailing around the world as something that would be agreeable to do... right up there with visiting the moon.

My 3 nights at Korovou resort on Naviti island were quite enjoyable not only because of good conversation with Jonas, but also another American, the 3rd burnt-out lawyer I've met, who was interested in triathlon pursuits, and therefore flattered me with a million questions about it. Also, the Fijians were very friendly there. One silent, thoughtful fellow named Kiloti, who could musingly croon over his guitar, gave me a bit of the scoop on the Fijian life. Apparently there is one Fijian language, called Bula!, and each island has its own dialect. His was called Cola (pronounced Vula). 85% of Fijians are Christian (methodist), the rest are Hindu/other. He wrote off the military coup that happened last December as "war talk", and I agree taht there seems to be little visible evidence of any military presence, especially out in the Yasawa island groups. He had a wife and four children who lived in the village on the other side of the island, but he only got off work 1 week every 3 weeks to visit them.

I visited a village on Naviti Island, but was not told by the fellow at the resort, Moses, that I was supposed to bring a gift of kava or money when I visited. Therefore, not knowing what to expect, I walked the 1.5 hour walk over the crest of the island. Approaching town, old women collecting palm fronds stopped their work to shout BULA! and inquire in faltering English where I was from. Not a person saw me without greeting me cheerfully. An old fellow named William proffered me a cocanut which he had decapitated with his machete. Another old man named Samson bid me to visit him, and he asked me if I had a guide or a gift. I was rather embarrassed that I didn't, and he said it was OK since I didn't know better. (Moses told me later that he thought I was joking about visiting the village....) I must say this village was unlike any of the ones I visited in South America - the most notable difference being the lack of roads large enough for cars. I suppose the only substantial form of transportation there is by boat... they don't even use horses. (There really isn't anywhere to go on the island but the resorts, or maybe another village.)

After leaving Naviti, I had an unfortunate night on the Wana Taki party boat. I spent most of the time sleeping because I was just not in the mood for drinking with college kids.

Now I am on Waya Laila island. The resort lies on a hillside with thd dorm and the cafeteria overlooking the grass huts, which overlook the beach. I was able to go to church here, but I didn't realize the service would be almost entirely in Fijian. Despite that, the choir's 3-part singing was magnificent - enough gusto from 12 people to raise the hairs on your arms. It was also amusing to watch the mongrel dog who would come wandering through the church, and the old woman who would smack! it on its haunches to chase it off.

I must note that the Fijian women are very different from Western women. They wear massive afros like helmets, and they are quite hefty / full-figured women themselves. It's been a thing of wonder.

I am off to the mainland in 2 more days, and then on my way to Cairns, Australia! I will be able to catch up with photo uploading and emails then!

Labels: fiji, people, resort, sailing, village

On Naviti Island, where the internet is $4.50 per 15 minutes. Needless to say, I won't be checking in much over the next 3 days. This resort features bula dancing, techno style, under techno lights, but the grass skirts are still employed. I snuck off the end of the line to avoid the macarena style line dancing.

There is an amazing reef right off of a very nice beach right here. Much snorkeling and hiking is in the queue.

Cutting this blog short, my time is almost up!

Labels: fiji

I left Cook Islands on Friday. Crossing the International Date Line, I landed in Fiji, 4 hours later, Saturday night. Strange.

I saw little of the main island, Nadi, but I don't think I'm missing much. It looks busy and run down. The tour of the Yasawa Island group, northwest of the main island, began Sunday morning.

Awesome Fiji Adventures owns a huge white catamaran that runs a daily route through the end of the Yasawa islands and back. They, with the hostels on the islands, are quite well organized, providing visitors with a booklet of vouchers for both accomodation, transport, and activities.

My first stop is Takewa Island, at a hostel named Coral View. It does seem to be a very young, party-ish crowd out here, and I've somewhat resolved to be friendly, but not to invest myself into connecting with people. Nevertheless, the island - and all the activities here - make it easy to stay more than entertained (well mostly... I still find myself reading my book far too much). I have already snorkeled in the harbor (saw an octupus and an sea snake), visited a partially submerged cave (an escorted trip), and gone scuba diving (saw a leopard shark, 2 octupuses, a huge puffer fish, a clown fish, and an amazing array of hard and soft corals).

The Fijian staff also make the stay quite agreeable, with overally exuberant greetings. Bula! Good morning! Hello! Several have remembered my name already, and they never ignore me. At lunch they sang a parting song for those visitors who are moving on to another island, and the song was the most depressed dirge I've heard! Fit for a mournful funeral.

Internet is scarce out here, much less computers with access to desktop and USB, so I am trying to put up photos as I can.

Labels: fiji, people, scuba, snorkeling, wildlife

Relaxation at last.

The first full day on Rarotonga (the main island of Cook Islands where I am spending all my time) brought the best form of relaxation - pouring rain. It rained all Monday night, during which time I stayed up til 5am finising Harry Potter 7. I am happy to announce that in the end of the book, Harry Potter bzzzt... data transfer error... bzzzt.... I slept most of all Tuesday while it continued to downpour. Some Happy Conversation with other Hostelmongers Tuesday evening, and by Wedsnesday, I was about refueled for some adventures.

A bicycle ride out to Muri Beach on the West end, where several small islands are nestled into a blue lagoon. I swam and snorkeled in the shallow water, and saw a snake-eel of some sort, as well as a million sea cucumbers. The weather has not been quite as warm as I hoped though, and it is hard to put myself into the cool ocean water, while a chilly wind whips above surface. Coffee at a cafe followed, and then a cooking project, and then a hike up Mt. R____. The nearby trail led up a steep fern-covered mountainside. It is amazing to find that much of the tropical fauna that existed in Venezuela also exists here in Cook. Much of the fruit trees: avocado, breadfruit, papaw (papaya?), bananas, etc. I suppose the forest here seems to be lacking an overwhelming amount of huge trees, rather a handful of well-spaced big trees throughout the light, lacey ferns and vines.

Mt. R afforded excellent views of the island - ocean on 3 sides, and to the East, Mt. Gloom - the craggy spine of the center of the island, backdropped by massive thunderstorms. On the way down, I lost the trail. Not a real fear of getting lost on an island where the ocean is only ever 2 miles away from you, but the real challenge was slugging through the thick ferniage, whacking through branches and bramble, and running into spiderwebs. Nevertheless, I quickly spotted a backyard graveyard, and found myself quickly back on the road. I found out later though, that sometimes the local boys will go fern-surfing down the hills. The ferns are so soft and thick, they are as good of a surfing surface as snow.

Thursday I went on an Mountain Safari Tour of Rarotonga and got some of the insider's scoop on the island. Apparently, some Cook Islanders originally migrated and became the Maori of New Zealand. Cook Islanders are now the only people who can own land in the Cook Islands - they can only lease to outsiders for 60 years at a time. China is currently trying to woo Cook Is. with a new sports complex, and other gifts. They think China might be trying to win fishing rights in the area. The guide explained a lot of the fruit that is grown in the area, but now little fruit is exported, because they can not compete with bigger markets, such as Australia's. The biggest export is now the black pearl, which is harvested in some of Cook Island's northern islands. (Cook has 15 islands total.) There were originally 3 tribal groups living on Rarotonga, and they all lived in the mountains, until missionary groups came in the 1800's and converted them all. Then, the tribes did not need to fight anymore, and came down and lived close to the shore. Cook is currently protected by New Zealand, but the islands are otherwise self-governing. The islanders are allowed to move among the islands and NZ, and most Cook Islanders currently live in NZ, where the wages are better.

Today I am off to Fiji. I hear Internet is cheaper there (it's NZ $9/hr here), so hopefully I'll have a bit more time to put up pictures, and write better blog postings.

Labels: cookisland, hiking, polynesian, snorkeling

A mad hastle to get to the airport in Lima. I woke up at 2:30am on the 2nd, and the scheduled taxi driver didn't show up at 3am, so I hired a random taxi. Always a bit of a gamble. As we got close to the airport, the driver started talking to me about a tax or a toll to get into the airport. How much?, I ask. How much do you have?, he says. I am a bit shocked by this, as I see he's trying to milk me for more money. This conversation is repeated, and he finally answers, "20 soles". I know there is no 20 sole toll. I give him 5. In the end, he hassles me right before the departure shoot, so I angrily get out of the car and walk the rest of the way. The last of my frustrating Spanish exchanges.

A 3 hour flight to Bogota, a 4 hour layover, and a 7.5 hour flight to LA. It is shocking to be back in the USA. So many white people, such big napkins at the restaurants, such attentive service from the waiter. And I can flush my toilet paper! All the English speakers talk with American accents! Novelty!

A 9.5 hour flight to Rarotonga, Cook Island, arriving at 6am, just before sunrise, and 31 hours after I started my journey.

I am already quite pleased with the island. The general feeling makes me think of deep South culture - I've already been served corn fritters with bacon and fried tomato at the restaurant, and I'm hearing a lot of soul music - but hibiscus, gardenias, bougainvilla, palm trees, honeysuckle shelter the simple ranch style homes. It is the tropical version of Deep South hospitality, perhaps. Many of the houses have raised tombstones in their front yards... I suppose when you live only 4 meters above sea level, you're not prone to burying the dead 2 meters deep. The round, 5 mile diameter island has a single lane road circumferencing it, and I've found it fit to rent a hybrid bicycle (with basket!) for NZ$10/day. (The road is about 22 miles around total.)

I am staying at the Rarotanga Backpackers Hillside location, in a dorm room for NZ$20/day. There is a kitchen and a pool there, and I'm feeling quite happy about my options, because resources seem so easy to find here. That is, if I need something, I can ask any of the islanders in English, and they understand me! Piece of cake!

The new challenge though is defying the posh level of living here. Everything is well over-priced, including the internet. I will be penny pinching, here on out.

Tomorrow I might try to find an educational island tour, and the following day I'm thinking about hiking the Cross-Island Track. The trek traverses the very jagged spine of the island, surveys the mosquito population, and leads you to a waterfall inland. Lastly, I might go scuba diving my final day.

Labels: cookisland, english, flight, lima, travel

I´ve spent 2.5 months in Latin America, and I am finally moving on to the South Pacific, tomorrow very bright and early.

Since June 15, I´ve:

• visited 6 different countries


• visited 6 different capital cities


• ridden about 30 different intercity buses and 9 flights


• traveled by plane, bus, combi, por puesto, horse, cable car, mountain bike, raft, mototaxi, taxi, fishing boat, jeep, back of pickup trucks, dive boat, surf board, and canoe


• hiked 10 different long hikes


• learned at least 500 words in Spanish


• suffered the traveller´s runs 3 times, and a cold


• jumped off a bridge once


• seen howler monkeys, a sea turtle, green parakeets, moray eels, a tucan, a spider monkey, iguanas, a slew of colorful lizards, an octopus, a massive millipede, flamingoes, andean geese, condors, a sea horse, two viscatchas (rabbit with a long tail), vicuña, llamas, alpacas, chickens, pigs, donkeys, cows, horses, dogs, cats, and a big white furry catepillar


• bought 4 alpaca sweaters and 8 alpaca scarves (guess what you´re getting for Christmas)


• met 20 Americans, 15 Brits, 6 Australians, 5 Germans, 4 Peruvians, 3 family members, 3 Dutch, 3 Canadians, 2 Israelis, 2 Colombians, 2 French, a Norwegian, a Swiss, and a Shuar indiginous person


• read They Were Warriors, Gabriel Marquez, Cormac McCarthy´s The Road, part of an Oz book, Chuck Klosterman essays, John Steinbeck´s The Wayward Bus, still working on Chesterton´s Orthodoxy, Henrý James´s The American, Albert Camus´s The Stranger, Mario Vargas Llosa´s Time for a Hero, and Emily Bronte´s Wuthering Heights


• explored Machu Picchu ruins, Oyataytambo ruins, Moray ruins, Cuzco ruins, Tucume ruins, an Incan graveyard, a pre-Incan fort, and 2 indigious Indian villages


• learned about coffee processing, cacoa processing, coca processing, salt processing (in two different methods), silver mining, and sugar processing


• enjoyed 2 thermal pools, swam laps in a freezing swimming pool in Ecuador, snorkeled in the Carribean, been dumped in a tribuitary to the Amazon River, swam in the Pacific, splashed in a sulphorous river in Costa Rica, sat in a wormy stream in Venezuela, sat underneath the downpour of a waterfall, and mulled in a mud bath in Colombia


• visited 15 different Catholic churches


• aided in blowing up a stick of dynamite


• explored a cave and toured a mine


• attended a cock fight


• been stranded twice


• walked 15 miles with 15 lbs on my back, half of the way by moonlight


• been up to 4900 meters, altitude and as low as 0 meters


• eaten guinea pig, llama, alpaca, cow heart, and chicken feet soup


• seen red lakes, blue and brown mixed rivers, orange and purple mountains, azure lagoons, and blinding white salt plains


• visited 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites (Cartagena, Cuenca, Sucre)


• Called home three times, successfully


• posted 60 blogs and taken 4000 photos


• never thrown my toilet paper in the toilet, once

Overall, it´s been a good haul.

I have about 19 hours of flying coming up tomorrow, not including layovers, starting with a 3am wakeup. Today I madly dashed about Lima, exchanging bolivianas, collecting my underwater camera housing (thanks Christina!!!), buying new books to read, buying a new SD card, confirming my flights (3), posting stuff back to America, and buying groceries. Hopefully this cough cough will become a bit more subtle by tomorrow.

Labels: numbers, travel