Merry Christmas from Franz Josef! We happily spent most of yesterday and today bundled up inside a little cabin, safe from the rain, wind, and thunder storm outside. We are feeling so thankful and blessed because the only day that there hasn't been a storm here this week was the 23rd, the same day we had booked our glacier climb.
We arrived the 22nd and checked in to our campsite (we opted for a cabin because the glacier is at the base of a very temperamental rain forest). We dropped off our bags and went for a short hike to the base of the glacier. Part of the trail was closed off due to flooding and rockslides, and we found ourselves hiking through another downpour. We returned to our cabin to find that a down tree had caused a power outage for several hours. We made a list of the groceries for our holiday meals and headed to the store. We gave ourselves a $10 stocking allowance and split up to find a little something to put under the tree.
To get into the holiday spirit, we used a butter knife to cut down our "tree." our tree is a 7 inch little branch from q shrub outside, and a decorated it with some shiny ribbon and a few gift tags, and stuck it into a red mug full of dirt. Our little gifts don't actually fit underneath but it does look cute.
On The morning of the 23rd, we thanked our lucky stars because the storm had paused. Glacier tours were operating again! We dressed in several layers and headed to meet our guide. In town, we went over safety guidelines, signed our lives away, and received our waterproof pants, coat, wool socks, hardcore boots, and a red fanny pack with crampons inside. Then we hopped on a bus to the base of the hike.
Our guide, Tay, was great. She was a little blonde girl from England, she was tough and very knowledgable. She provided lots of facts about the area and tips for safety to avoid what she called "splat moments." Our climbing group was also wonderful, a man from Florida, couple from Hong Kong, couple from California, and a really nice family who live in the Phillipines working for the US embassy (in keeping with the generous traveling spirit, they offered Mike and I their home for our layover in Manila).
We spent an hour getting to the ice, two hours on it, and an hour getting back to the bus. I was a little nervous having never worn crampons before, but quickly caught on and really enjoyed it (who knows, maybe someday we will tackle Mt. Rainier). The route was intense, the guides carve it out each morning and carve in stairs and add ropes where needed. We actually got to climb inside the huge crevasses and all over the giant ice walls. The glacier was bright clear blue just as I had pictured (Mike mentioned the true resemblance to Glacier Blue gatorade). There were crystal clear pools and waterfalls in every direction. The hike was challenging and contained some pretty steep climbs, and we all worked up a sweat (Britta and Jeremy - picture Angel's Landing on ice...)
By the end of the day, nothing sounded better then what waited at the end: the Glacier Hot Pools! The pools were clear blue, peaceful, and surrounded by a lush green rainforest. We stayed until our fingers turned to raisins and then returned home to make spaghetti and salad and promptly fall asleep.
This morning we woke up and made a breakfast scramble, had a traditional Christmas morning mandarin orange, and a mug of Via, and opened our gifts. Mike got me a chocolate Santa, sketch pad, and drawing pencils which I can't wait to use. I got him a travel note pad, a NZ deck of cards, and a locally brewed red ale. We are spending the day watching Christmas movies, and talking to our wonderful families who we miss very much (even got video chat to work with Aunt Chris and Uncle Steve in Seattle and Mike's cousin Annie in Spain, very fun!) and cooking a feast for two. We are making marinated grilled chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, broccoli, and salad. We have some New Zealand wine and our homemade fudge, and the Polar Express on tv. Life is great and I hope that everyone at home is surrounded by loved ones, enjoying laughs, food, and in the holiday spirit, we miss you. We have so much to be thankful for. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Heading to the South Island, NZ
Wellington
Wellington is the most southern city on the North Island, it is also the capital of NZ, and the namesake of wellington rainboots ("wellys"). I have never seen a big city with so much character. There is a long walk along the waterfront full of sculptures and "writer's walk," a collection of quotes people have written about the town. It was like an Easter egg hunt walking around finding the next line. We spent a couple hours at a museum called Te Papa (Mauri for Our Place). The museum was six floors full of history of the island, information about the plants, animals, and people. Some highlights included a mock earthquake house, a preserved colossal squid, Brian Blake photography exhibit, and an underwater 3D movie.
At night, we found another free Christmas celebration (either we are lucky or this country has a lot of free holiday events). This one was an elaborate production called "carols by candlelight." It was put on by a local radio station and involved hundreds of people, dancing reindeer and a donkey, a tree lighting, and Santa arriving on a helicopter.
We also got lucky in finding a cute resteraunt featuring $5 gourmet pizzas. It was delicious, And we learned that this city has more resteraunts per capita than NYC. In cities, we have found it easier to stay in hostels then campgrounds because of the transportation cost. Here, we heard the loudest snoring I have ever heard. It sounded like a steamroller a foot from my head. Neither of us slept much, and spent the following day in a daze waiting to catch the ferry south.
Ferry to the South Island
The ferry between the N and S island looked more like a cruise ship than the ferries at home. It was four levels and contained a resteraunt, bar, playground, and movie theater. We were on the boat for three hours and quickly became thankful for the size of the ship, as it was becoming very stormy. We had a nice relaxing time sitting in the lounge staring out at crashing waves and steep cliffs. Mike had a local beer and a bag of minted lamb potato chips and played Angry Birds while I had chocolate and wine while listening to Eddie Vedder and Fleet Foxes. Once we landed in Picton, it was dark and we found a campground and went straight to bed.
Nelson
Nelson reminded me so much of home, which was good because we were beginning to feel a bit stressed and homesick for a day or two. We stayed in a wonderful little hostel called Paradiso. It was full of backpackers playing guitar, skyping their families, and throwing darts. They even offered everyone a complimentary pouch of top ramen when you checked in. We spent some much needed time enjoying some comforts of home by calling our parents, watching an episode of Friends, and indulging in some McDonalds French fries (a nice break from our diet of PBJs, canned tuna, and apples).
We woke up feeling back to normal, and took off for the Saturday morning market. The market was exactly what I pictured it to be, full of local artists carving jade and bones, tons of fresh produce, merino sweaters, sheepskin rugs, and so foodcarts with friendly people offering mouthwatering local specialties. We had eaten oatmeal for breakfast every day, and decided our first purchase would be a breakfast crepe full of bacon, eggs, cheese and pepper. It was also gluten free, and not the more expensive, bland tasting kind, the recipe they used just didn't contain wheat. We found a picnic table, a knife, and two plastic forks, and enjoyed it so much that our neighbors probably thought we hadn't eaten in weeks. I bought a small fish hook bone carving and made a necklace, and we also bought fresh peaches, blueberries, and venison jerky (good, but Tanner yours is better).
After the market we went on a hike up to the center of NZ. It was steep and we quickly burned off the mornings' crepe. The trail was went through the woods, and appeared pretty standard until we ran into an older lady creating a mythical fantasy scene full of unicorns and fairy dolls hanging from trees. A few feet from her was a stuffed toy rabbit tied to a tree with a sign saying HELP! Funny what you find in the middle of the woods. The view from the top was beautiful, it overlooked the clear sea of Abel Tasman National park and the city of Nelson.
Westport
On our way to the next spot, we stopped at a trail with a hike to a seal colony viewing platform. Giant waves crashed on cliffs everywhere except a small cove that hundred of fur seals call home. We got to the viewpoint and watched as the babies explored and swam and the mothers barked and lounged in the sun. After awhile we decided to hike back to our car and walk around the beach for a bit. The sand was black and warm with loud crashing waves. Mike went exploring in some rocks while I walked in ankle deep water looking for Hectors dolphins. I was having a nice stroll thinking about how much I had enjoyed watching the seals and secretly wishing I could have gotten just a little closer to them. As I was thinking this, I saw some movement that looked like a seal waving. I told myself it was just my imagination and kept going, when a large wave carried the object closer. I looked again and sure enough, I was now five feet away from a 300 pound fur seal, and he was coming closer. I took a few steps back, called for Mike and grabbed my camera. The seal was very curious and watched us for several minutes. He crawled around the beach a bit then barked at me and jumped back in the water. It was an exciting encounter and I no longer wish to get any closer to them :)
We continued our drive down the windy roads to Westport. I'm sure Westport is a lovely place, but it rained so hard for days that we couldn't see anything around us. We had high hopes for sun, and booked a campsite. We now know never to book another campsite in the rain. We still enjoy our car overall, but that night I hated it. Our blankets were wet, it sounded like we were inside a giant steel drum, and mosquitos swarmed in and dive-bombed our ears all night. We slept a couple hours tops.
Paparoa State Park
The next stop was a national park known for a huge blowhole, stacks of flat rocks called the pancake rocks, and a cliff opening called the chimney pot because it appears to steam when waves hit it. It was exhilarating to see such powerful waves, but we were sleep deprived and the storm had gotten worse. We hiked to the lookout, but got soaking wet and cold from 50 mph gusts of wind (we are getting better at converting km to miles...) We didn't last long before finding a warm cabin at a campsite with a hot tub to hibernate in. After getting some sleep, we took advantage of the campground's other attraction, the jumping pillow! It's like an inflatable bouncy house for adults. So fun.
Next up is a brewery tour and sunset beach walk in search of penguins. Hopefully everyone is doing well at home, the closer we get to Christmas, the more we miss you! Love, Megan and Mike
Wellington is the most southern city on the North Island, it is also the capital of NZ, and the namesake of wellington rainboots ("wellys"). I have never seen a big city with so much character. There is a long walk along the waterfront full of sculptures and "writer's walk," a collection of quotes people have written about the town. It was like an Easter egg hunt walking around finding the next line. We spent a couple hours at a museum called Te Papa (Mauri for Our Place). The museum was six floors full of history of the island, information about the plants, animals, and people. Some highlights included a mock earthquake house, a preserved colossal squid, Brian Blake photography exhibit, and an underwater 3D movie.
At night, we found another free Christmas celebration (either we are lucky or this country has a lot of free holiday events). This one was an elaborate production called "carols by candlelight." It was put on by a local radio station and involved hundreds of people, dancing reindeer and a donkey, a tree lighting, and Santa arriving on a helicopter.
We also got lucky in finding a cute resteraunt featuring $5 gourmet pizzas. It was delicious, And we learned that this city has more resteraunts per capita than NYC. In cities, we have found it easier to stay in hostels then campgrounds because of the transportation cost. Here, we heard the loudest snoring I have ever heard. It sounded like a steamroller a foot from my head. Neither of us slept much, and spent the following day in a daze waiting to catch the ferry south.
Ferry to the South Island
The ferry between the N and S island looked more like a cruise ship than the ferries at home. It was four levels and contained a resteraunt, bar, playground, and movie theater. We were on the boat for three hours and quickly became thankful for the size of the ship, as it was becoming very stormy. We had a nice relaxing time sitting in the lounge staring out at crashing waves and steep cliffs. Mike had a local beer and a bag of minted lamb potato chips and played Angry Birds while I had chocolate and wine while listening to Eddie Vedder and Fleet Foxes. Once we landed in Picton, it was dark and we found a campground and went straight to bed.
Nelson
Nelson reminded me so much of home, which was good because we were beginning to feel a bit stressed and homesick for a day or two. We stayed in a wonderful little hostel called Paradiso. It was full of backpackers playing guitar, skyping their families, and throwing darts. They even offered everyone a complimentary pouch of top ramen when you checked in. We spent some much needed time enjoying some comforts of home by calling our parents, watching an episode of Friends, and indulging in some McDonalds French fries (a nice break from our diet of PBJs, canned tuna, and apples).
We woke up feeling back to normal, and took off for the Saturday morning market. The market was exactly what I pictured it to be, full of local artists carving jade and bones, tons of fresh produce, merino sweaters, sheepskin rugs, and so foodcarts with friendly people offering mouthwatering local specialties. We had eaten oatmeal for breakfast every day, and decided our first purchase would be a breakfast crepe full of bacon, eggs, cheese and pepper. It was also gluten free, and not the more expensive, bland tasting kind, the recipe they used just didn't contain wheat. We found a picnic table, a knife, and two plastic forks, and enjoyed it so much that our neighbors probably thought we hadn't eaten in weeks. I bought a small fish hook bone carving and made a necklace, and we also bought fresh peaches, blueberries, and venison jerky (good, but Tanner yours is better).
After the market we went on a hike up to the center of NZ. It was steep and we quickly burned off the mornings' crepe. The trail was went through the woods, and appeared pretty standard until we ran into an older lady creating a mythical fantasy scene full of unicorns and fairy dolls hanging from trees. A few feet from her was a stuffed toy rabbit tied to a tree with a sign saying HELP! Funny what you find in the middle of the woods. The view from the top was beautiful, it overlooked the clear sea of Abel Tasman National park and the city of Nelson.
Westport
On our way to the next spot, we stopped at a trail with a hike to a seal colony viewing platform. Giant waves crashed on cliffs everywhere except a small cove that hundred of fur seals call home. We got to the viewpoint and watched as the babies explored and swam and the mothers barked and lounged in the sun. After awhile we decided to hike back to our car and walk around the beach for a bit. The sand was black and warm with loud crashing waves. Mike went exploring in some rocks while I walked in ankle deep water looking for Hectors dolphins. I was having a nice stroll thinking about how much I had enjoyed watching the seals and secretly wishing I could have gotten just a little closer to them. As I was thinking this, I saw some movement that looked like a seal waving. I told myself it was just my imagination and kept going, when a large wave carried the object closer. I looked again and sure enough, I was now five feet away from a 300 pound fur seal, and he was coming closer. I took a few steps back, called for Mike and grabbed my camera. The seal was very curious and watched us for several minutes. He crawled around the beach a bit then barked at me and jumped back in the water. It was an exciting encounter and I no longer wish to get any closer to them :)
We continued our drive down the windy roads to Westport. I'm sure Westport is a lovely place, but it rained so hard for days that we couldn't see anything around us. We had high hopes for sun, and booked a campsite. We now know never to book another campsite in the rain. We still enjoy our car overall, but that night I hated it. Our blankets were wet, it sounded like we were inside a giant steel drum, and mosquitos swarmed in and dive-bombed our ears all night. We slept a couple hours tops.
Paparoa State Park
The next stop was a national park known for a huge blowhole, stacks of flat rocks called the pancake rocks, and a cliff opening called the chimney pot because it appears to steam when waves hit it. It was exhilarating to see such powerful waves, but we were sleep deprived and the storm had gotten worse. We hiked to the lookout, but got soaking wet and cold from 50 mph gusts of wind (we are getting better at converting km to miles...) We didn't last long before finding a warm cabin at a campsite with a hot tub to hibernate in. After getting some sleep, we took advantage of the campground's other attraction, the jumping pillow! It's like an inflatable bouncy house for adults. So fun.
Next up is a brewery tour and sunset beach walk in search of penguins. Hopefully everyone is doing well at home, the closer we get to Christmas, the more we miss you! Love, Megan and Mike
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Glowworms, Gondolas, Gandolf, and Geysers
Adventures continue through the central North Island of NZ:
Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Waitomo looks like a standard NZ village, with 41 residents, you would never guess that there was another world underground. We hiked down to a dark cave entrance with our guide Norm and ten other travellers. Norm was a fantastic guide with a passion for caving. He knew every nook and cranny of the pitch black caves. We went around and introduced ourselves, put on our safety helmets and headlamps, and climbed aboard our black water raft. Once inside the caves, Norm had us turn out our lights and it was so dark you couldn't see your own hand in front of your face. After drifting for a couple minutes, we began to see tiny strands of lights hanging above us. Soon there were millions of glowworms lighting up the inside of the caves. It looked just like a dark night with more stars than I have ever seen. The cave we were in was the exact location that Discovery Channel's Cave episode was shot for Planet Earth.
After about 30 minutes in the cave, we got out off the rafts and went on a hike through another cave. The highlight of this one was a 20,000 year old skeleton of a moa (an extinct large flightless bird similar to an ostrich).
Hobbiton Movie Set
Peter Jackson, the director of the Lord of Rings movie flew all over NZ searching for the perfect rolling hills to create Hobbiton. He found the perfect farm outside a small town called Matamata, and now the public can visit the movie set. We got to stand right outside Bilbo Baggins' hobbit hole, and relax under the party tree. They are in the process of reconstructing the set for the upcoming filming of The Hobbit. Our glowworm guide Norm ran outside waving in his boxers while filming helicopters circled the area, he thinks he might get to be an extra hobbit now ;) Unfortunately, that is about all I am legally able to write, we both signed strict confidentiality contracts and can't post pictures of the set until the movie is in theaters.
Sheep Farm
We saw a demonstration of a sheep being sheared, which is equal parts occupation and sport. The current NZ (and world) record is an average of 30 seconds a sheep for a hours straight. Our sheerer took about a minute, which still seemed very fast. After that was another highlight, we got to bottlefeed milk to baby lambs! They were just darling, and I am on an official break from eating lamb (Mike is not, he had lamb stew two hours after the show...)
Skyline Gondola Ride and Mountain Luge Course
New Zealand residents have an incredible ability to take their beautiful scenery and turn it into an extreme adventure playground. For this one, we rode up a mountain on a gondola to beautiful views of the city and Lake Rotorua. At the top, you put on a helmet and choose your course to drive a small cart down a cement loge course. It was a blast, tons of hills, twists and turns through the forest until you reach the end, then head back up for another round.
Wai-o-tapu Geothermal Wonderland
We hiked through a huge volcanic area full of craters, geysers and bubbling mud pools. There were signs everywhere warning you to stay on the trail because inches away was mud and pools over 200 degrees F. The whole park felt a bit like landing on mars, and smelled strongly of sulfur. The scent changed throughout the hike, at parts we smelled rotten eggs, curry, and maple syrup. Our favorite sections were:
Artists palette: a pool full of all different colors of mud pools.
Champagne pool: a large bubbling pool with orange and teal edges and five feet of steam.
Birds nest crater: a small mudpool at the bottom of a crater, 3 species of birds use the crater walls to nest, because the temperature is ideal for incubating their eggs.
Devils bath: a large crater filled with thick liquid the color of a green highlighter. It was Sounder's green, so bright it was hard to look at without sunglasses.
Huka falls and Lake Taupo
We stood on a footpath over a raging river, which picks up speed and crashes into a pool below. Lake Taupo is a crater left from a volcano that was 100 times the size of St. Helens. It erupted before NZ was established, and ash from the explosion was found in China and Italy.
There is more to do here than we could do in a lifetime. We are so happy we will be here for long enough to begin exploring. Good news - after emailing back and forth with the farm that our Wwoof co-workers recommended, we officially have our job secured in January. It is in a perfect location and we know what to expect (no surprise toilet scrubbing). Month one of our travels will be tough to beat, but we are looking forward to the next adventure!
Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Waitomo looks like a standard NZ village, with 41 residents, you would never guess that there was another world underground. We hiked down to a dark cave entrance with our guide Norm and ten other travellers. Norm was a fantastic guide with a passion for caving. He knew every nook and cranny of the pitch black caves. We went around and introduced ourselves, put on our safety helmets and headlamps, and climbed aboard our black water raft. Once inside the caves, Norm had us turn out our lights and it was so dark you couldn't see your own hand in front of your face. After drifting for a couple minutes, we began to see tiny strands of lights hanging above us. Soon there were millions of glowworms lighting up the inside of the caves. It looked just like a dark night with more stars than I have ever seen. The cave we were in was the exact location that Discovery Channel's Cave episode was shot for Planet Earth.
After about 30 minutes in the cave, we got out off the rafts and went on a hike through another cave. The highlight of this one was a 20,000 year old skeleton of a moa (an extinct large flightless bird similar to an ostrich).
Hobbiton Movie Set
Peter Jackson, the director of the Lord of Rings movie flew all over NZ searching for the perfect rolling hills to create Hobbiton. He found the perfect farm outside a small town called Matamata, and now the public can visit the movie set. We got to stand right outside Bilbo Baggins' hobbit hole, and relax under the party tree. They are in the process of reconstructing the set for the upcoming filming of The Hobbit. Our glowworm guide Norm ran outside waving in his boxers while filming helicopters circled the area, he thinks he might get to be an extra hobbit now ;) Unfortunately, that is about all I am legally able to write, we both signed strict confidentiality contracts and can't post pictures of the set until the movie is in theaters.
Sheep Farm
We saw a demonstration of a sheep being sheared, which is equal parts occupation and sport. The current NZ (and world) record is an average of 30 seconds a sheep for a hours straight. Our sheerer took about a minute, which still seemed very fast. After that was another highlight, we got to bottlefeed milk to baby lambs! They were just darling, and I am on an official break from eating lamb (Mike is not, he had lamb stew two hours after the show...)
Skyline Gondola Ride and Mountain Luge Course
New Zealand residents have an incredible ability to take their beautiful scenery and turn it into an extreme adventure playground. For this one, we rode up a mountain on a gondola to beautiful views of the city and Lake Rotorua. At the top, you put on a helmet and choose your course to drive a small cart down a cement loge course. It was a blast, tons of hills, twists and turns through the forest until you reach the end, then head back up for another round.
Wai-o-tapu Geothermal Wonderland
We hiked through a huge volcanic area full of craters, geysers and bubbling mud pools. There were signs everywhere warning you to stay on the trail because inches away was mud and pools over 200 degrees F. The whole park felt a bit like landing on mars, and smelled strongly of sulfur. The scent changed throughout the hike, at parts we smelled rotten eggs, curry, and maple syrup. Our favorite sections were:
Artists palette: a pool full of all different colors of mud pools.
Champagne pool: a large bubbling pool with orange and teal edges and five feet of steam.
Birds nest crater: a small mudpool at the bottom of a crater, 3 species of birds use the crater walls to nest, because the temperature is ideal for incubating their eggs.
Devils bath: a large crater filled with thick liquid the color of a green highlighter. It was Sounder's green, so bright it was hard to look at without sunglasses.
Huka falls and Lake Taupo
We stood on a footpath over a raging river, which picks up speed and crashes into a pool below. Lake Taupo is a crater left from a volcano that was 100 times the size of St. Helens. It erupted before NZ was established, and ash from the explosion was found in China and Italy.
There is more to do here than we could do in a lifetime. We are so happy we will be here for long enough to begin exploring. Good news - after emailing back and forth with the farm that our Wwoof co-workers recommended, we officially have our job secured in January. It is in a perfect location and we know what to expect (no surprise toilet scrubbing). Month one of our travels will be tough to beat, but we are looking forward to the next adventure!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
NorthLand, NZ
Several updates from the road of Northern New Zealand...
Our Job (you win some, you lose some)
We were really looking forward to getting our hands dirty, learning a thing or two about farming, and sleeping, eating and experiencing life with a real NZ family. Unfortunatly, our first job was not at all what we had expected. After driving 5 hours to our destination farm to prepare for the next days farmer's market, we were surprised to find that there was not a farm in sight. Not even a small garden. There was a small lodge, and three large junkyards. Rather than harvesting, we were given very unusual tasks including:
The silver lining is that we met another wwoofer couple (Shawn and Anna) who had been doing different jobs for several months. They confirmed that this experience was far from ordinary, and they felt they were scammed too. They reffered us to a farm they loved, and we are currently setting up the best time to start work. All's well that ends well!
NZ Camping
Never in a million years did I think I would be living out of a car and camping my way around the country. For us, it's the way to go. We're able to be very independent and save a lot of money on lodging and transportation between cities. We've named our car HOW-E (house on wheels - explorer) Our little car included everything we needed: all cooking supplies, lights, electric hook-ups, bedding, a shower, attachable tent, mosquito nets... it's incredible!
The campsites here also have everything you need and are cheaper than the hostels. Campers are from all over the world, and a standard site includes: full kitchens, free showers, tv rooms, ping-pong, pool tables, pools and hot-tubs, tour booking desks, playgrounds, trampolines, wifi, book exchanges, and our last one even had a free little herb garden. We are able to grocery shop just like we were at home.
NorthLand Activities
We've done several hikes, seen amazing waterfalls, historical villages, and lots and lots of sheep. My highlight of the NorthLand has been Bay of Islands. We went on an eco-encounter boat, with a captain and Ben, a dolphin expert. The boat works with the NZ Dept. of Conservation, and we were able to see 3 seperate pods of bottlenose dolphins, and learned a ton. The guide explained that they are much like people, and sometimes are playful but sometimes wanted to be alone. If we found a group of adult dolphins that was not feeding, we could enter the water with them if we chose.
The first pod was in an avoidant mood, so they would come check out the boat, then take a very deep dive. They did this three times, so Ben said it seemed they wanted to be left alone. The second pod had a new-born baby, only a couple hours old. It was so fascinating to see the mother interact with the tiny baby, she held it up to get air and all of the dolphin aunts swam behind her to keep her safe. This pod was feeling playful and was swimming right up next to the boat, leaping all the way out of the air, and doing flips. Since they had a baby present, we could not get in the water.
Luck was on our side when we found a third pod (after 3 hours of searching). The 3rd pod was all adults and they wanted to play. Ben told us to swim as fast as we could to them, and act silly and sing songs through our snorkel. 6 of us (including Mike and I) jumped in the ocean and tried to entertain the pod. It was really deep, cold, and the currant was moving faster than any of us could swim. It was actually a lot scarier than we imagined, the dolphins are big and you're in the middle of the ocean. We spent our time swimming as fast as we could, and had a blast chasing them. They seem like they are the happiest animals on earth. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that we'll never forget.
I hope everyone is getting in the holiday spirit at home, we miss you everyday! Love, Megan and Mike
Our Job (you win some, you lose some)
We were really looking forward to getting our hands dirty, learning a thing or two about farming, and sleeping, eating and experiencing life with a real NZ family. Unfortunatly, our first job was not at all what we had expected. After driving 5 hours to our destination farm to prepare for the next days farmer's market, we were surprised to find that there was not a farm in sight. Not even a small garden. There was a small lodge, and three large junkyards. Rather than harvesting, we were given very unusual tasks including:
- Cleaning old torn up pieces of bubble wrap to wrap linens in
- Taking laces out of old childrens shoes
- Testing hot-water pots
- Moving boxes of garbage from one storage shed to another storage shed 5 feet away
- Babysitting at all times (until we literally got in our beds)
- Maintaining the lodge, including scrubbing toilets, all linen and towel laundry (6+ hours a day), vacuum and mopping the lodge, killing spiders and removing bird poop
- Preparing for the market (where the owners sold used childrens clothing)
The silver lining is that we met another wwoofer couple (Shawn and Anna) who had been doing different jobs for several months. They confirmed that this experience was far from ordinary, and they felt they were scammed too. They reffered us to a farm they loved, and we are currently setting up the best time to start work. All's well that ends well!
NZ Camping
Never in a million years did I think I would be living out of a car and camping my way around the country. For us, it's the way to go. We're able to be very independent and save a lot of money on lodging and transportation between cities. We've named our car HOW-E (house on wheels - explorer) Our little car included everything we needed: all cooking supplies, lights, electric hook-ups, bedding, a shower, attachable tent, mosquito nets... it's incredible!
The campsites here also have everything you need and are cheaper than the hostels. Campers are from all over the world, and a standard site includes: full kitchens, free showers, tv rooms, ping-pong, pool tables, pools and hot-tubs, tour booking desks, playgrounds, trampolines, wifi, book exchanges, and our last one even had a free little herb garden. We are able to grocery shop just like we were at home.
NorthLand Activities
We've done several hikes, seen amazing waterfalls, historical villages, and lots and lots of sheep. My highlight of the NorthLand has been Bay of Islands. We went on an eco-encounter boat, with a captain and Ben, a dolphin expert. The boat works with the NZ Dept. of Conservation, and we were able to see 3 seperate pods of bottlenose dolphins, and learned a ton. The guide explained that they are much like people, and sometimes are playful but sometimes wanted to be alone. If we found a group of adult dolphins that was not feeding, we could enter the water with them if we chose.
The first pod was in an avoidant mood, so they would come check out the boat, then take a very deep dive. They did this three times, so Ben said it seemed they wanted to be left alone. The second pod had a new-born baby, only a couple hours old. It was so fascinating to see the mother interact with the tiny baby, she held it up to get air and all of the dolphin aunts swam behind her to keep her safe. This pod was feeling playful and was swimming right up next to the boat, leaping all the way out of the air, and doing flips. Since they had a baby present, we could not get in the water.
Luck was on our side when we found a third pod (after 3 hours of searching). The 3rd pod was all adults and they wanted to play. Ben told us to swim as fast as we could to them, and act silly and sing songs through our snorkel. 6 of us (including Mike and I) jumped in the ocean and tried to entertain the pod. It was really deep, cold, and the currant was moving faster than any of us could swim. It was actually a lot scarier than we imagined, the dolphins are big and you're in the middle of the ocean. We spent our time swimming as fast as we could, and had a blast chasing them. They seem like they are the happiest animals on earth. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that we'll never forget.
I hope everyone is getting in the holiday spirit at home, we miss you everyday! Love, Megan and Mike
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Auckland, New Zealand
We've arrived safely in Auckland, New Zealand, and feel like we could easily spend a year exploring this country. As soon as we left the airplane we found magazines and brochures full of beautiful scenery and extreme adventures. We started our trip with 4 days in Auckland, which reminds us a lot of Seattle and Vancouver BC. We're staying on Queen St. which is the middle of downtown, and within walking distance of many great attractions. It's also nice because the city is all decked out for Christmas.
We walked down to the waterfront and saw the teal blue water full of whale watching ships. The streets are full of cafes and shops, and beautiful old buildings. Auckland has so many options of exhibits and parks that are free of charge, and we've taken full advantage. This week we've seen:
We also start our first job through WWOOF (willing workers on organic farms) tomorrow. The winery job did not work out, because grape season has ended, but this job sounds wonderful. We'll be working on a small lodge on the beach in Northland. We'll help with the garden, prepare for the Saturday Farmer's Market, playing with the hosts' 7 year old twin girls, and whatever other projects are needed. In exchange, we'll receive dinner and accomodation in a great location to see northern New Zealand. Really looking forward to the experience!
We walked down to the waterfront and saw the teal blue water full of whale watching ships. The streets are full of cafes and shops, and beautiful old buildings. Auckland has so many options of exhibits and parks that are free of charge, and we've taken full advantage. This week we've seen:
- Outdoor Photography Exhibit: In Auckland's town square called "Little Big City," they have huge art exhibits complete with audio that are lit up for the public 24 hours a day. We spend over an hour and could have stayed a lot longer. The photos were taken all over the world from an airplane, and included facts about each place. If you have time, it's worth checking out at: http://www.biglittlecity.co.nz/Events/Earth_from_Above
- Mt. Eden: We hiked through the city up Mt. Eden, which is an inactive volcano. There are several viewpoints from the top that overlook the city and bay.
- Auckland Domain and Museum: We walked through the campus of the University of Auckland, and through town to a huge park full of opportunities. We took a walk down "Lovers' Path" a forest trail next to a creek. We saw a beautiful sculpture park, 2 botanical gardens, a duck pond, and a fernery. We ran out of time before we could tackle the museum, but hope to see it when we return to Auckland.
- Christmas Concert: Tonight, we're going to the Auckland hall (a giant beautiful old building), for a Christmas concert by the Auckland Symphony and the Pacific Island Church choir. We're really looking forward to getting into the holiday spirit (it doesn't feel like Christmas without the cold weather, tree, and family).
We also start our first job through WWOOF (willing workers on organic farms) tomorrow. The winery job did not work out, because grape season has ended, but this job sounds wonderful. We'll be working on a small lodge on the beach in Northland. We'll help with the garden, prepare for the Saturday Farmer's Market, playing with the hosts' 7 year old twin girls, and whatever other projects are needed. In exchange, we'll receive dinner and accomodation in a great location to see northern New Zealand. Really looking forward to the experience!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Observations in Fiji
A Beginning and an End
The statement: "Hi, I recently quit my job and moved out of my apartment to travel the world" gets mixed responses at home. In Fiji, the most common response is, "Me too." This has provided a nice Intro to Backpacking course for Mike and I. Many of the people we meet have been travelling for months, and happily provide helpful tips about where to go and what to avoid. The hostels are full of resources and travel guides, and novels in all different languages, mostly free of charge with the assumption that you will take what you need and leave what you don't.
Island Time
As Mike pointed out in the last entry, island times goes both ways. It is something that takes getting used to, but it's clear that to enjoy your time in Fiji, you have to adapt. The hostel we are currently in offers $7 massages, they claim to open at 9. At 10:00 the lights turned on, and the masseuse states "I was sleeping." At 11, she left to take a lunch break for an hour, and at 2, she closed up shop for high tea.
While waiting for a fishing excursion that was scheduled for 9:00, Mike waited for over an hour with Chris, a guy we met who had come over from the Australian Air Force. Chris had come over in hopes to kite surf, but the weather wasn't cooperating. The guide arrived around 10, and pretended not to remember agreeing to the fishing trip. Chris was disappointed, and asked to speak to the manager. The manager spoke to the guide, came back, and said, "he doesn't want to go today. The conditions aren't really the best anyway, you probably wouldn't catch anything. Perhaps you want to hunt wild boar?" Another traveller was intrigued and attempted to arrange the wild boar hunt. "Great! Where should I meet you? What time do we leave?" The guide smiled and said, "Okay, we'll go! Meet me at Fiji Time in Fiji!"
One of the perks of the hostel we're currently staying at is that they offer laundry service, just drop off your salty clothes, and come back to pick them up in 3 hours. We dropped ours off at 9 am yesterday, came back in the afternoon, and they said come back after dinner. We came back at 8 pm, and they said, "It's too hot for laundry, come back tomorrow morning." We came back in the morning, still no clothes, and reminded them that we did have to check out today. They said okay, you get your clothes when you check out (luckily, it's completely acceptable to wear your swimsuit all day or we would have been in trouble). It's currently 5 o'clock on check out day, we have our clothes, and we're waiting for our bus (it's only an hour and a half behind schedule at the moment haha).
Personal Safety
At home, if you step in a giant hole in the sidewalk and break your leg, you can talk to the city about why the hole was there. In Fiji, you could try, but I think the response would be, "why did you step in the hole?" Here, your safety is your own responsibility and there is not much in the way of hand holding. we met people who went on a shark snorkeling excursion, the guides drop you in the water without a cage, and then they shoot a fish with a harpoon so that the giant sharks come eat the fish 15 feet in front of you.
Our boat from the Yasawas back to the mainland almost didn't make it due to a storm. They had to send a dive boat instead, and we ran outside in the pouring rain, threw our luggage on board, and waded out to the boat. The hotel manager asked if everything was okay, and the captain said, "engine trouble, fixed now." A girl asked if the boat was okay to hold so many people and so much luggage, and they said, "probably, but lots of people will get off." No one got off for the entire 1.5 hour choppy, wet, rainy ride. Marie and I decided that if we pretended we were on an extreme jet-boat ride it would help, people pay big bucks for that.
In an act of superstistion, I purchased an anklet from a lady in a village that is made of shark bones. I figure if one attacks me it will be afraid I will try to make a necklace out of it. Then, someone told me that you're more likely to die from a coconut falling on your head than a shark attack. Comforting, until you realize how often you're lounging under 7 bowling-ball sized coconuts ready to fall :)
Welcoming Spirit of the South Pacific
We have met so many people who have invited us over for dinner, to stay in their house, and to meet up with on our travels. At first we were a bit weary, but these people are not scary. They are rugby-moms, dentists, and cab drivers. Even if we never take anyone up, it's refreshing to meet so many warm and welcoming people.
We met a group of people from all over the world who had met 6 weeks prior at the same place we stayed. On a village visit, they were discussing how it would be nice if the children's school were fixed up. One man decided to fund the project, and a group of 7 strangers from around the globe all came back to the Yasawas. The man shipped 2 and a half tons of materials to the village, where the group reunited and spent 2 weeks constructing the school, snorkeled a bit, had a beer, and went back to their families and lives. Incredible.
Hurricane Season
It is the beginning of hurricane season in Fiji. That scared me. It scared me more the first night we heard the loudest thunder I've ever heard in my life. Mike and I were playing checkers under a tarp outside, and within 10 minutes of the rain beginning, the tarp was so full it began to overflow. One of the locals put a garbage can under a corner, and the huge garbage can was almost full within an hour. The lights and electronics all went out, we looked around a little concerned, and a women came up to us and said, "Cyclone. In Fiji, when it rains, no power." It happened almost daily for a week. We're no longer nervous, actually, Mike and I went kayaking during the last one and had a blast (don't worry Mom we were in a safe enclosed cove).
American Stereotypes
We were literally the only Americans on Yasawa island. We didn't really advertise this, because it's not uncommon to overhear people saying things like: "oh, we don't need more of you around," or, "I'm sorry you have to deal with the damn Americans." Usually, when people ask where we are from we say Washington state, or Seattle. This is a good conversation starter, because a lot of girls from all over the place are intrigued about our state because of Twilight and Grey's Anatomy. It's funny, couples from England and Australia and Germany all have the same reaction. The girl says, "oooh have you been to Forks?" and the guy rolls his eyes and loses interest in the conversation.
One thing I found curious is how far American pop-culture has spread. On an island in the middle of nowhere we heard "My Milkshake" several times, a big band version of Snoop Dogg's greatist hits, and on movie night, the diverse crowd nearly unanimously voted to watch Will Ferrell and Marky Mark's "The Other Guys." One thing that hasn't spread over the rest of the world is our appreciation for the American version of the Office. During a dinner conversation with 8 people from all over the place, we had a very even-keeled discussion on healthcare, the economy, Korea, education, and technology. We didn't have any voices rising until the topic of British television was approached. I said, "we tried to appreciate the British version but just didn't find it as funny." People were slamming the table, yelling "Noooo!" and looking like they wanted to throw their fork at us (all in good fun, we still received an invite for a visit when we come to New Zealand).
The Funniest Moment so Far
We went on a handline fishing expedition that was advertised to have great sunsets and lots of beer. It didn't have sunsets or beer, and it turns out handline fishing means fishing without a pole, but this was my favorite moment of the trip. The captain was from Fiji, and our fishing friends included Mark from Scotland, Mel and Robert from England, Maria from England, and a red-bearded guy with his dad from Germany. The German dad didn't speak English, but he was more determined to catch a fish than anyone. Mel and I each caught a fish, and our guide caught 3. It was apparent the German dad was getting anxious. He yelled, "gaaah!" and we all looked over, his line was very tight. He had a huge smile and started to reel in his line (which is literally just pulling on 70 feet of line). He was wearing a tiny speedo and a baby blue t-shirt that was just long enough to make you question whether or not he was wearing a speedo at all. It was pretty clear to everyone else that the fish was actually the hook being caught on the bottom, and we told him he might want to cut the line. He didn't stop reeling. He pulled for 20 minutes, sweating and kneeling on the floor of the boat in his speedo. Finally, after what seemed like forever, we could see a basketball sized piece of live coral attached to his line. He laughed and kept pulling until it was in the boat and yelled, "Yeah!" very proud of his catch.
The statement: "Hi, I recently quit my job and moved out of my apartment to travel the world" gets mixed responses at home. In Fiji, the most common response is, "Me too." This has provided a nice Intro to Backpacking course for Mike and I. Many of the people we meet have been travelling for months, and happily provide helpful tips about where to go and what to avoid. The hostels are full of resources and travel guides, and novels in all different languages, mostly free of charge with the assumption that you will take what you need and leave what you don't.
Island Time
As Mike pointed out in the last entry, island times goes both ways. It is something that takes getting used to, but it's clear that to enjoy your time in Fiji, you have to adapt. The hostel we are currently in offers $7 massages, they claim to open at 9. At 10:00 the lights turned on, and the masseuse states "I was sleeping." At 11, she left to take a lunch break for an hour, and at 2, she closed up shop for high tea.
While waiting for a fishing excursion that was scheduled for 9:00, Mike waited for over an hour with Chris, a guy we met who had come over from the Australian Air Force. Chris had come over in hopes to kite surf, but the weather wasn't cooperating. The guide arrived around 10, and pretended not to remember agreeing to the fishing trip. Chris was disappointed, and asked to speak to the manager. The manager spoke to the guide, came back, and said, "he doesn't want to go today. The conditions aren't really the best anyway, you probably wouldn't catch anything. Perhaps you want to hunt wild boar?" Another traveller was intrigued and attempted to arrange the wild boar hunt. "Great! Where should I meet you? What time do we leave?" The guide smiled and said, "Okay, we'll go! Meet me at Fiji Time in Fiji!"
One of the perks of the hostel we're currently staying at is that they offer laundry service, just drop off your salty clothes, and come back to pick them up in 3 hours. We dropped ours off at 9 am yesterday, came back in the afternoon, and they said come back after dinner. We came back at 8 pm, and they said, "It's too hot for laundry, come back tomorrow morning." We came back in the morning, still no clothes, and reminded them that we did have to check out today. They said okay, you get your clothes when you check out (luckily, it's completely acceptable to wear your swimsuit all day or we would have been in trouble). It's currently 5 o'clock on check out day, we have our clothes, and we're waiting for our bus (it's only an hour and a half behind schedule at the moment haha).
Personal Safety
At home, if you step in a giant hole in the sidewalk and break your leg, you can talk to the city about why the hole was there. In Fiji, you could try, but I think the response would be, "why did you step in the hole?" Here, your safety is your own responsibility and there is not much in the way of hand holding. we met people who went on a shark snorkeling excursion, the guides drop you in the water without a cage, and then they shoot a fish with a harpoon so that the giant sharks come eat the fish 15 feet in front of you.
Our boat from the Yasawas back to the mainland almost didn't make it due to a storm. They had to send a dive boat instead, and we ran outside in the pouring rain, threw our luggage on board, and waded out to the boat. The hotel manager asked if everything was okay, and the captain said, "engine trouble, fixed now." A girl asked if the boat was okay to hold so many people and so much luggage, and they said, "probably, but lots of people will get off." No one got off for the entire 1.5 hour choppy, wet, rainy ride. Marie and I decided that if we pretended we were on an extreme jet-boat ride it would help, people pay big bucks for that.
In an act of superstistion, I purchased an anklet from a lady in a village that is made of shark bones. I figure if one attacks me it will be afraid I will try to make a necklace out of it. Then, someone told me that you're more likely to die from a coconut falling on your head than a shark attack. Comforting, until you realize how often you're lounging under 7 bowling-ball sized coconuts ready to fall :)
Welcoming Spirit of the South Pacific
We have met so many people who have invited us over for dinner, to stay in their house, and to meet up with on our travels. At first we were a bit weary, but these people are not scary. They are rugby-moms, dentists, and cab drivers. Even if we never take anyone up, it's refreshing to meet so many warm and welcoming people.
We met a group of people from all over the world who had met 6 weeks prior at the same place we stayed. On a village visit, they were discussing how it would be nice if the children's school were fixed up. One man decided to fund the project, and a group of 7 strangers from around the globe all came back to the Yasawas. The man shipped 2 and a half tons of materials to the village, where the group reunited and spent 2 weeks constructing the school, snorkeled a bit, had a beer, and went back to their families and lives. Incredible.
Hurricane Season
It is the beginning of hurricane season in Fiji. That scared me. It scared me more the first night we heard the loudest thunder I've ever heard in my life. Mike and I were playing checkers under a tarp outside, and within 10 minutes of the rain beginning, the tarp was so full it began to overflow. One of the locals put a garbage can under a corner, and the huge garbage can was almost full within an hour. The lights and electronics all went out, we looked around a little concerned, and a women came up to us and said, "Cyclone. In Fiji, when it rains, no power." It happened almost daily for a week. We're no longer nervous, actually, Mike and I went kayaking during the last one and had a blast (don't worry Mom we were in a safe enclosed cove).
American Stereotypes
We were literally the only Americans on Yasawa island. We didn't really advertise this, because it's not uncommon to overhear people saying things like: "oh, we don't need more of you around," or, "I'm sorry you have to deal with the damn Americans." Usually, when people ask where we are from we say Washington state, or Seattle. This is a good conversation starter, because a lot of girls from all over the place are intrigued about our state because of Twilight and Grey's Anatomy. It's funny, couples from England and Australia and Germany all have the same reaction. The girl says, "oooh have you been to Forks?" and the guy rolls his eyes and loses interest in the conversation.
One thing I found curious is how far American pop-culture has spread. On an island in the middle of nowhere we heard "My Milkshake" several times, a big band version of Snoop Dogg's greatist hits, and on movie night, the diverse crowd nearly unanimously voted to watch Will Ferrell and Marky Mark's "The Other Guys." One thing that hasn't spread over the rest of the world is our appreciation for the American version of the Office. During a dinner conversation with 8 people from all over the place, we had a very even-keeled discussion on healthcare, the economy, Korea, education, and technology. We didn't have any voices rising until the topic of British television was approached. I said, "we tried to appreciate the British version but just didn't find it as funny." People were slamming the table, yelling "Noooo!" and looking like they wanted to throw their fork at us (all in good fun, we still received an invite for a visit when we come to New Zealand).
The Funniest Moment so Far
We went on a handline fishing expedition that was advertised to have great sunsets and lots of beer. It didn't have sunsets or beer, and it turns out handline fishing means fishing without a pole, but this was my favorite moment of the trip. The captain was from Fiji, and our fishing friends included Mark from Scotland, Mel and Robert from England, Maria from England, and a red-bearded guy with his dad from Germany. The German dad didn't speak English, but he was more determined to catch a fish than anyone. Mel and I each caught a fish, and our guide caught 3. It was apparent the German dad was getting anxious. He yelled, "gaaah!" and we all looked over, his line was very tight. He had a huge smile and started to reel in his line (which is literally just pulling on 70 feet of line). He was wearing a tiny speedo and a baby blue t-shirt that was just long enough to make you question whether or not he was wearing a speedo at all. It was pretty clear to everyone else that the fish was actually the hook being caught on the bottom, and we told him he might want to cut the line. He didn't stop reeling. He pulled for 20 minutes, sweating and kneeling on the floor of the boat in his speedo. Finally, after what seemed like forever, we could see a basketball sized piece of live coral attached to his line. He laughed and kept pulling until it was in the boat and yelled, "Yeah!" very proud of his catch.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Waya Island and out to the Coral Coast
Greetings from the Coral Coast of Fiji.
We spent the majority of the last week at the Octopus Resort on Waya Island (about an hour or so boat ride from mainland Fiji). Before heading out we toured around Nadi a bit. We walked into town and checked out the local shops and a Hindu Temple. We managed to take a cab out to the Garden of the Sleeping Giant which is an orchid garden with a series of trails and streams in the shadow of a mountain called the Sleeping Giant (named as such because when viewed from a distance it looks like a giant laying on his back yawning). On the way back to town we had a minor snafu with our cab driver when we accidentally left our camera in the cab. Forunately he had given us his number in case we wanted to get a ride elsewhere. With the help of a local woman we managed to get our camera back. She let us use her cell phone and when the cab driver said the camera wasn't there she grabbed the phone from me, got his cab number, and threatened to make it a police matter. Somehow he managed to find our camera and return it to us in 10 minutes. We went from crestfallen to elated over that and are so thankful for the woman that helped us out.
The next morning we learned that Fiji time goes both ways. More often than not things just move at there own pace and generally behind schedule. However this time our ride to the marina showed up an hour and a half early with no warning that we would be taking a different boat than the one we had booked. Luckily we were packed and ready. We took a boat out to Waya Island (part of the Yasawa chain). We were greeted warmly by the staff and soon enjoyed a Kava Ceremony and bon fire on the beach. We met a lot of nice people, some of whom are doing similar trips and that we hope to meet up with in other countries. We spent a lot of time beachside and probably spent around 10 hours snorkeling. There is an expansive coral reef just off shore with loads of fish. We managed to photograph much of the underwater scenery with our tough camera (it is able to go underwater down to 10 feet). We also did a short guided hike to the local village, Nalawaki. It is a village of 347 people, many of whom work at the resort. After a short tour we engaged in yet another Kava ceremony followed by song and dance. One night we went handline fishing, which was a blast abd Megan caught a fish... we aren't sure what kind but it had sharp teeth. We enjoyed great weather during our five days in the islands with exception of our last day in which we had to take a boat back to mainland Fiji. The rain poured and soaked us. The boatride wasn't terrible but the water was a little rough making for a bumpy ride. After arriving at the marina we caught a local bus out to the Coral Coast (about a two hour ride).
We arrived at the Beach House last night and have five days here. The weather is gray and rainy but they have a stable internet connection (which has been hard to find) so it is nice to feel connected to our friends and family back home. They also have cheap beer and cheap activities. I see a waterfall hike and snorkel excursion in the near future.
Well that's all for now. About a week left in Fiji then off to New Zealand.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone back home! We miss you.
We spent the majority of the last week at the Octopus Resort on Waya Island (about an hour or so boat ride from mainland Fiji). Before heading out we toured around Nadi a bit. We walked into town and checked out the local shops and a Hindu Temple. We managed to take a cab out to the Garden of the Sleeping Giant which is an orchid garden with a series of trails and streams in the shadow of a mountain called the Sleeping Giant (named as such because when viewed from a distance it looks like a giant laying on his back yawning). On the way back to town we had a minor snafu with our cab driver when we accidentally left our camera in the cab. Forunately he had given us his number in case we wanted to get a ride elsewhere. With the help of a local woman we managed to get our camera back. She let us use her cell phone and when the cab driver said the camera wasn't there she grabbed the phone from me, got his cab number, and threatened to make it a police matter. Somehow he managed to find our camera and return it to us in 10 minutes. We went from crestfallen to elated over that and are so thankful for the woman that helped us out.
The next morning we learned that Fiji time goes both ways. More often than not things just move at there own pace and generally behind schedule. However this time our ride to the marina showed up an hour and a half early with no warning that we would be taking a different boat than the one we had booked. Luckily we were packed and ready. We took a boat out to Waya Island (part of the Yasawa chain). We were greeted warmly by the staff and soon enjoyed a Kava Ceremony and bon fire on the beach. We met a lot of nice people, some of whom are doing similar trips and that we hope to meet up with in other countries. We spent a lot of time beachside and probably spent around 10 hours snorkeling. There is an expansive coral reef just off shore with loads of fish. We managed to photograph much of the underwater scenery with our tough camera (it is able to go underwater down to 10 feet). We also did a short guided hike to the local village, Nalawaki. It is a village of 347 people, many of whom work at the resort. After a short tour we engaged in yet another Kava ceremony followed by song and dance. One night we went handline fishing, which was a blast abd Megan caught a fish... we aren't sure what kind but it had sharp teeth. We enjoyed great weather during our five days in the islands with exception of our last day in which we had to take a boat back to mainland Fiji. The rain poured and soaked us. The boatride wasn't terrible but the water was a little rough making for a bumpy ride. After arriving at the marina we caught a local bus out to the Coral Coast (about a two hour ride).
We arrived at the Beach House last night and have five days here. The weather is gray and rainy but they have a stable internet connection (which has been hard to find) so it is nice to feel connected to our friends and family back home. They also have cheap beer and cheap activities. I see a waterfall hike and snorkel excursion in the near future.
Well that's all for now. About a week left in Fiji then off to New Zealand.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone back home! We miss you.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
And We're Off!
We are officially now on our trip, at our first stop Nadi, Fiji! We had a great lay-over at LAX, where our friend Ashlee came and took us to the Santa Monica boardwalk for a few hours, and we enjoyed some margaritas and tacos, and saw a film crew following some famous people (Mike is pretty sure it was Whitney Houston...although we didn't catch a glimpse of anyone's face). The flight to Nadi was long (11 hours), but luckily we were able to sleep. We are still feeling a bit out of whack because we left LA at 9:00 PM on the 16th, and arrived here at 5:00 AM on the 18th (because of the time changes). We've mostly been taking it easy, but did manage to have a couple adventures already. We went for a walk down the beach and got chased by two dogs, and then a man who at first appeared to be going after the dogs, but then called for us. He caught us and said "BULA!" (Fijian welcome), and told us that we were in luck because he was John, the famous coconut tree climber on the beach. He had already climbed 60 feet today to harvest some coconuts, and informed us we needed to each finish the juice and cream of one coconut to cleanse our systems. We didn't have any other plans, and he was a very nice guy. We followed him through a creek and a small jungle to a straw mat next to a shelf of coconuts and an ax, where he told us to sit. We drank the juice and chatted about the best places to go on the island, and he was very curious about Washington state. Then, we walked into town and got coralled into the back of a small shop for a traditional Kava Welcome ceremony (Kava is a drink mixed in a coconut bowl that looks and tastes like muddy water. It is the official drink of Fiji, and makes your tongue go numb and your mind feel at ease). The ceremony was nice, it was Mike, me, a man from the Netherlands and 3 men from Fiji. You sit barefoot and cross-legged in a circle, mix the drink in a bowl, pass around the coconut, and clap together during blessings. They did try to get us to buy a carving to bless our marriage afterwards, but we managed to leave without making any purchases. We came back to our hostel, and met a nice Australian family. Jared and Lily, the kids were chasing a mongoose under the pool, and ended up finding some change and forks. We talked for a bit with Jared and ended up giving him a Mississippi quarter for his coin collection, he was very fascinated and is now hoping to collect all fifty states. Tomorrow, we're off to the Shadow of the Sleeping Giant orchid garden and mud bath, then off to the Yasawa islands for some serious beach time. That's probably enough for day one, we'll write again when there is free internet available!
Oh - We now have a Washington phone number for free-texting, the number is 360-200-0265. We can only receive them when we have access to internet, but we would love to hear from you!
Oh - We now have a Washington phone number for free-texting, the number is 360-200-0265. We can only receive them when we have access to internet, but we would love to hear from you!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Our Year of Adventure
Hello!
Mike and I will soon be taking off on an adventure, and we've created this page to keep our family and friends up to date. I can't quite believe I'm writing this because it does not feel real yet, but it will be reality very soon so here goes...
After graduating college, finding jobs, and getting married, and saving up to buy a house, Mike and I had a change of heart, and we decided to change our direction for a bit. Last year, Mike were two signatures away from being owners of a nice little home in Bellingham, and preparing to adopt our white puppy Tundra, our little gray kitten with green eyes, and start to consider the possibility of children. The short-sale process took several months, and we found ourselves actually feeling disappointed when the bank accepted our offer.
We decided we are not quite ready for that. After months of talking, thinking, analyzing and researching we've decided that there are some things we would like to do first. We've decided to have an adventure this year, and we will be working, traveling, and volunteering abroad. Both of our last days at work will be this Friday, October 22nd, and we move out of our apartment by Oct. 31st. Both things are bittersweet, because we could not have hoped for better jobs or a place to live for the past three years. We'll spend the first two weeks of November packing, preparing, celebrating Thanksgiving early, and visiting family around WA. On November 16th, we're off! There are parts that are planned and sections that are not, we're leaving plenty of room for suggestions and detours, but here is what we know:
- November: Nadi, Fiji - Snorkeling, diving, catching and cooking some crab and fish, enjoying kava and coconuts
- December & January: New Zealand - We will be working at a winery on the north island, hiking and sight-seeing the south, then some labor in the sun picking apples and living in migrant worker cabins in an orchard.
- February: Australia - Visiting my old roommate and friend Ray and her boyfriend Chris in Sydney, taking a road trip north, a temporary HR position, and enjoying the beaches and kangaroos
- March-June: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia - Teaching English in Chiang Mai while living with a Thai family in a thatched roof hut, biking through rice fields, taking a muay thai boxing class, visiting an elephant rehabilitation center, and building a house with Habitat for Humanity. Exploring as much of SE Asia as time allows.
- June: Maui - Reuniting with some wonderful friends to celebrate Brooke and Chris' wedding
- July: Home!
- We're hoping that we'll have enough energy and finances to buy a round trip ticket to London and spend Summer and Fall 2011 backpacking Europe and Egypt, and work a seasonal job in Greece
- Winter 2011 - Back to reality (probably), and fully prepared for working hard, training puppies, home-ownership, raising babies, picking out paint chips, and appliance shopping :)
We are so fortunate to have people in our lives who have done some incredible trips, and we hope that you'll send us your favorite destinations, must-see attractions, and advice for living out of a backpack. I apologize that we weren't able to tell everyone in person. We have an unending to-do list, and we are overwhelmed with excitement. We are hopeful, nervous, anxious, and very sad to leave but we know it is the right thing for us to do. We are convinced that the experience will help us grow and learn and see things we couldn't have known otherwise. We'll take plenty of pictures and post updates here, via email, and Skype (contact info to come).
There is no doubt that we will miss you, please keep in touch! Love, Megan & Mike
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